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There are so many situations that can make it necessary for you to seek the assistance of a car locksmith. If you find that you have lost your car keys and have no spare readily available, then this professional can help you in replacing the lost key. There are also so many issues of broken car keys. In such cases a good car locksmith will not only help you open the car, but will also help you retract the broken key and create new keys so you can continue enjoying your car. An Auto Locksmith can guarantee to give you quick, secure, and efficient solutions in all your needs. Lockouts are also common meaning that you could forget your keys inside the car only to realize it when the car has auto locked itself. Your car locksmith will have a solution to open the car and help you retrieve your locked in keys. Basically, whatever car lock situation you are in, you will get a solution for it. But then you also need to make sure you choose a professional specializing in this field you can trust by quickly looking at a few aspects. While most emergency locksmith services could make claims regarding their reliability and honesty, do not believe everything you hear. Residential locksmiths have a tendency to overcharge for their services, or falsely tell the consumer the project is much more complicated. To avoid being the victim of fraud, you should research each of the automotive locksmith centers you interview thoroughly before making your final decision. The techniques below will assist you in your search for a reliable and trustworthy home safe locksmith. Working with a prominent Residential Locksmith Niagara Falls could guarantee superior results. Prior to resuming the project, analyze the contract completely. Info buried in the fine print can prove to be costly if you do not discover it before the written agreement is signed. Do not hesitate to ask your emergency locksmith service any questions you could have before you sign the contract; it’s his responsibility to address all of your issues. When up-selling to a buyer, be promotional, but not pushy. High-quality emergency locksmith services are in constant high demand. It could often be a great idea to hire a licensed automotive locksmith center who is in demand. It might be tough to get him to agree to your renovation, as your job may be smaller than what he has a tendency to work on. Use your instincts and good sense to decide on what home safe locksmith is best for your project. A reliable emergency locksmith service will do everything possible to get a job done. It’s the mark of a reasonable automotive locksmith center to deliver on time with great results. Do not distract the contract too much to ensure the job is done in a timely manner. And always ask about accountability and insurance coverage. When interviewing the emergency locksmith service, be clear about your expectations and thoughts regarding your project. Your automotive locksmith center will make an effort to complete a project as you expect it. Clear communications will prevent unnecessary delays of operation. Understanding each other through communication will prevent any mishaps. A highly regarded emergency locksmith service won’t wait until the last minute before providing an estimate; they are going to provide you with a financial breakdown long before they start the job. A phone quote is a good way to get a quick rough estimate. Verify the skills and capabilities of a licensed automotive locksmith center before offering them the project, to effectively ensure that they could complete the job to your satisfaction. Handle all issues before deciding on hiring a home safe locksmith. When interviewing an emergency locksmith service provider, always take proposals from at least three companies. When reviewing the proposals, you should not automatically accept the lowest bid. Local automotive locksmith centers who propose higher tend to do better work. See to it your service provider shows the cost break down. It could seem a simple matter to find a skilled emergency locksmith service, but doing so requires great care. Talk with your friends and family; see if anyone could provide a recommendation. Another piece of recommendation is to attend renovation conventions to discover very popular automotive locksmith centers. This could also give you access to many home safe locksmiths prior to you select one. Auto Locksmith Etobicoke – Seeking A Locksmith In The Middle Of The NIght? You should talk about the remodeling with your service provider so that you could get an idea of his/her mindset. While many automotive mobile locksmith services claim to be capable, the reality is that all are not. Not all automotive locksmith centers will meet your expectations. Primarily, they should be qualified to perform the services you require and satisfy your every need relating to your work. Check out these suggestions, which are designed to help you make the very best choice when it involves working with a home security safe locksmith. An Auto Locksmith Etobicoke would even unlock your car safely without harming the door or lock. Your potential automotive mobile locksmith service should provide you an accurate estimate. Once the two of you have talked through the requirements of the project, the service provider should have everything he has to provide you with an estimate. Ensure that you get a quote from them on paper. A guesstimate isn’t appropriate once the service provider has walked around the project personally. It’s a great idea to take proposals from at least three businesses when you are interviewing automotive mobile locksmith services. After receiving all of the proposals, review them carefully, and do not automatically hire the service provider with the lowest offer. You’ll generally get better work from a local automotive locksmith center who charges more. Make certain cost break downs will be submitted by the service provider. Your local automotive mobile locksmith service becomes a team member and not just a licensed automotive locksmith center when you sign an agreement. Prior to signing anything, make sure to clarify any questions and read everything carefully. Your local home security safe locksmith should never ask for a first payment that is more than half of the total due, because that amount is certainly the accepted industry standard. To get a glimpse into how your automotive locksmith center runs his day-to-day business, arrange to sign the paperwork in his office. Review every element of your contractual obligation thoroughly before beginning the project and ask if the locksmith is certified both commercial and auto locksmith services. The smallest detail missed at the beginning could result in total disaster later. Whether or not the buyer doesn’t upgrade their service immediately, they’ll be happy to know what is available and likely to return. When up-selling to a buyer, be promotional, but not pushy. Good automotive mobile locksmith services with integrity are always wanted. Working with a prominent automotive locksmith center could guarantee superior results. However, you should see to it if your home security safe locksmith would exert the required effort for your smaller project. Do not ignore your instincts when you are searching for a great automotive locksmith center. Cost of automotive mobile locksmith services can be found in a telephone directory or websites. Select a couple of automotive locksmith centers, ask around about them, and have plenty of questions for just about any doubts that you could have. Make sure to include complete financial details and a schedule of payments in a written contract. After selected a home security safe locksmith, let him understand that the work place has to be well kept. Car Key Replacement – How to Get an Ignition Key Replacement? Losing an ignition key is quite common especially in big cities. If you happen to have a spare car key at hand, you could definitely spare yourself the headache. Unfortunately, most people do not carry spare keys around and getting locked out or stuck without a car key can be extremely inconvenient and anxiety provoking, especially when caught out in the dark or in bad weather conditions. Car Key Replacement service takes some of that burden off your shoulders and helps you find a replacement key hassle free. Option 1: Calling a local auto dealership – Many people assume that getting their auto dealership to replace their car key is the best solution. Indeed it makes sense and might seem like a great decision – it is where your vehicle was purchased. Although going with this option to acquire a new car key may seem as the most convenient, it has some major downsides. Aside from having to tow your vehicle to their garage (and pay extra), you will most likely have to wait several days before the car key cutting is done and ready to be picked up. Also, you will have to spend quite a lot of money for this special service since auto dealerships do not specialize in locksmith services. Instead, they usually hire a third party to do the job. In addition to all of these drawbacks, unless your car dealership is located within a walking distance from your home, you will need transportation in order for the new key to be picked up. Option 2: Calling a local locksmith – Calling a local car locksmith will not only save you time and energy, but money as well. It is important however to make sure the locksmith company you choose to call, offers auto locksmith services such as ignition key replacement for your car model and chip key activation if necessary. Also, make sure they are able to send out a professional auto locksmith over to your location right away so that you do not have to pay extra for towing or wait out in the cold. It is also important to verify that the locksmith you hire is fully certified as well as insured and bonded. Always look for a Best Bureau Business accredited company that you can trust. Now that you know what to if you ever lose your keys, avoid the inevitable and get yourself a spare car key; you will end up saving money in the long run, plus it is always good to have an additional key somewhere handy. The technicians can make car keys for almost any vehicle model and carry out on the spot chip key programming for auto keys and car remote control keys. Are You Looking For An Emergency Locksmith ? Locks provide security for our homes, businesses and vehicles. But when you accidentally lock yourself on the outside, you might wish for just a moment that locks didn’t exist! It’s time to call a locksmith, but who should you call? Who should you trust to safely open your car or home? Let’s take a look at some “musts” to look for when choosing an emergency locksmith. 24/7 Emergency Locksmith can handle all your locksmith problems. One of the first things to consider is whether the locksmith is local. Locksmiths that are located in another city may charge more to travel. Local locksmiths generally have an office nearby where you can actually visit when future lock or security needs arise. This enables you to establish a relationship with your local locksmith and build trust. It’s a good idea to find a couple of reputable locksmiths you can trust in your local area. If one’s not available right away when you need emergency locksmith service, you can call on the other and hopefully get your problem resolved immediately. This is very important if you frequently need the services of a locksmith for your business. Keep in mind that some locksmiths may operate a “mobile” locksmith service. This means they likely operate out of their home and do not have an actual storefront. If this is the case, you might find others who have used their service or research them through the Better Business Bureau or a local consumer protection agency. Note: If your insurance company or other service provides assistant roadside service, be sure to call them first. This could save you time and money on locksmith services, jump-starts if you have a dead battery, flat tires, towing, and those embarrassing moments when you simply run out of gas. Be sure to ask the locksmith if he’s insured in case damage occurs. Liability insurance will likely cover any damages that occur while the locksmith is performing the work on your car or home. An insured locksmith may charge slightly more for his services, but you’ll have peace of mind when choosing someone with a professional outlook on his business. Also, confirm pricing before agreeing to the service. Make sure there are no hidden charges, and ask about potential additional charges if the locksmith runs into problems with your lock. Beware if the locksmith tells you immediately that he will need to drill and replace your lock instead of opening it. Professional locksmiths can usually unlock almost any door as long as prior damage doesn’t exist. Notice the locksmith’s vehicle… whether it is clearly marked with a company name or logo. Also, be wary of someone who doesn’t verify that you are the actual owner or an authorized person to have a car, home or business door unlocked. A reputable locksmith will ask for your identification before performing the work. This protects you and others from break-ins and theft. Once the work has been completed, ask for an itemized invoice that breaks down the labor charges, parts, service fee, etc. Finding a dependable 24-hour locksmith doesn’t have to be complicated. Prepare in advance for emergency situations. Keep a list of reputable locksmith phone numbers in your wallet or purse at all times. Or bookmark a website directory of local locksmiths so you can access it easily from your laptop or mobile phone when you need it. Set back some extra cash in your emergency funds for locksmiths. You never know when you’ll need one! If you plan on having a new garage door installed, the recommendation that you will hear the most is to make sure you have professionals do the job for you. Most companies will limit their warranty if you carry out the installation yourself. Even though you may have done similar installation work previously in your life, you may want to read the fine print of any guarantee/warranty. Besides, wouldn’t you feel better knowing that your garage door was installed properly by a company with proven skills? If anything were to go wrong (which it probably will not), does it not feel good knowing that you got things covered. Installing such a door is complicated enough, and you are going to need somebody to help you if you are going to install it on yourself. It can be down-right frustrating if you plan on installing a garage door on your own. The next most frustrating thing about these doors is repairing them. Broken spring repair is not easy, in fact, it could be very dangerous. A garage door broken spring is not something to be messing around with if you do not know what you are doing. Let an experienced repairman do what is necessary to get your door operational again. Garage door springs have a tendency of snapping back at you, causing them to pinch if you are not careful. This is another reason to let somebody with experience in repairing broken door springs do what needs to be done. When you are choosing a new or a replacement door for the garage there should be careful planning. Remember, homes that have an attached garage must keep in mind that the garage door is the largest entry way into the home, so security MUST be considered an important factor. Don’t let a defective door in your garage cause you to feel uneasy when you are away or if your asleep. Don’t let something as important as a broken spring repair cause you to leave your garage unattended. If you need a new door for the garage, don’t hesitate, get one as soon as you possibly can. Choosing the correct door for your garage in regards of its style, design and security, do not forget about the safety features that are included in just about every garage door made. It is important to know how to maintain, operate and adjust (if need be). Operating the garage door correctly will only make your new door last for years to come. Make sure all members of the household understand how to operate the door correctly. There’s more to know than just knowing how to open and close it. Every garage door comes with an owner’s manual. Make sure you go over this owner’s manual with the professional installer before he completes the installment. It’s up to you to ask questions. Anyone with personal property should be concerned about defending it from theft. Homes, businesses and vehicles are all common areas that are often affected by unwanted individuals breaking in and taking your valuables. Luckily, there are ways in which even someone with an average budget can protect their valuables in their homes, businesses and vehicles by calling a commercial locksmith. Local locksmiths are experts in keeping intruders out. Here are some services that you should ask your local smiths about that can be great ways to protect your home, business or vehicle. have a look at Commercial Locksmith Halifax and see what they have to offer. Our homes are our safe havens. They are where we go to retreat from the daily grind and where we go to spend time with the people who mean the most. Therefore, the last thing that should be on our minds when we’re in our home is our safety, and the safety of our family and belongings. In order to quell your fears, it’s best to call some local locksmiths about how to protect your home. This could range from something as simple as a deadbolt, to something more serious and technologically advanced like a home surveillance system. To choose the right security option for you, you should take in to consideration the size of your home and what exactly your needs are. No matter what type of business you operate, security is always a good idea. Whether you are concerned about workplace violence or theft, there is a security system that your local locksmiths will be glad to equip your business with. Daily schedules in the business world are often jam-packed so you shouldn’t have to worry about something happening while you’re handling your schedule. A great method of business security is access control. By a commercial locksmith securing doors with card-access technology, he’s streamlining your business’ security. Traditional lock and key services require a locksmith to change the lock every time you experience employee turnover. You can say goodbye to that inconvenience when you opt for access control. The vehicle is another area that is often targeted by criminals with no regard for personal property. A locksmith would be a great place to start to get your vehicle safe and protected from theft. If you have had your keys stolen, a good locksmith can create “chip” keys for any vehicle. That means that even if you had a remote to gain entrance to your vehicle, you can still get replacement car keys. In conclusion, there is nothing better than a feeling of total peace and security. So instead of investing in expensive security equipment, why not nip the problem in the bud and call your local locksmiths. They specialize stopping the intruders at the front door. There is no better security system than a good, old fashioned lock and local locksmiths know how to customize those locks to your specific needs and concerns. As is common with most home maintenance activities, it is wise to have your entire Vaughan gutter cleaning materials you will need prior to beginning. Preferable materials to have in order to properly clean out your gutter system include a ladder, a pair of sturdy gloves, a bucket with a hook, a gutter scoop, and a water hose. However, you are able to clean your gutter system with alternative “tools.” This is explained further below. Whoever loves his white clothes or loves wearing white or bright and clean shirts would definitely know the pain of keeping them white. He would have to scrub till his last drop of energy and then would have to ensure if the cuffs and the collars are also matching the same white. The pains of washing white clothes on one side, making sure that these white clothes do not get mixed with other fast colored clothes would surely drive any man up the wall. For the same reason, washing machines have been hailed as one of the most helpful appliances. However, whatever brand of washer you buy when you find them making loud noises or not spinning, then its time you call the leaders in washer repair in your area, Washer Repair Vaughan. LG washing machine repair or Frigidaire are done by many technicians who may or may not be totally aware of the nooks and corners of the machine and would generally try to be rough with the machine just to make sure they begin working. But where rough handling may be able to work and fix the washing machine’s problem but only a trained mechanic would act very professionally and systematically. A technician trained specifically for a brand like GE, Samsung, or Maytag or even Bosch would know where the problem is without much delay. So, while calling up for Repair do not forget to mention your brand and ask them for Bosch washing machine repair or Samsung washer repair so that they come and have a look and work as per the brand’s requirements. Apart from washing machines, the company also deals with the repair of other appliances like refrigerators, stoves, cook tops and microwave ovens to name a few. Along with offering you Maytag washer repair, they also would be able to offer maintenance for the brand along with your other appliances. Though signing up for these regular maintenance checks is optional, it is highly recommended. The cost for maintenance checks is very nominal and yes, while signing up for these checks you can also go for scheduling these checks so that you can stay at home on those days or ensure that your appointments do not clash. If you would need any GE Washer repair or replacement then they would recommend that too and offer you replacement parts from reputed and matching brands only. If they find that your washer needs a thorough cleaning up or checking up then they might take it and deliver it within time too so that you can return to washing your clothes and keeping your white clothes white! Auto Locksmith Richmond Hill – What Do They Do? Auto locksmiths can open your car doors in the event that you forget your car keys inside your car or anywhere else, and you got yourself locked out. Their primary difference from other locksmiths is that they specialize solely on vehicle locksmith services. No matter what time you need them; they will be able to be of service to you, wherever you are. They are fully equipped with all the necessary mechanical and electrical tools to handle the job with speed. Seattle locksmith will be able to break the easiest of vehicular locks whether it is automated or not. They are even able to repair or re-configure all sorts of vehicular lock mechanisms using keys. So if you ever find yourself in the middle of an incident involving a vehicular lockout, getting it fixed by an auto locksmith Richmond Hill will be easier that hiring a tow truck bring it to a shop. Professional automotive locksmiths are always equipped to repair any kind of eccentricity that anyone may have done to your car’s lock system. Auto Locksmith Seattle is also able to open any of your locked car doors without compromising the integrity of your car system. If your car key has broken off in the door lock and you find that there is no extra key available to be of use. Auto locksmiths is also able to replace and repair your car’s ignition locks no matter how old or new model of car you’re using. They can even manually retrieve your car key that has broken into your car’s ignition or door lock. On another note, if you are in possession of an extremely old car, auto locksmiths will still be able to repair or replace your car’s ignition and door lock by replicating it for you, should the same model be no longer in circulation. Re-keying you car’s door, ignition, and trunk locks, locksmith settle WA can do it all for you. Because the job of an auto locksmith requires and is very much related to a vehicle’s security, they are able to provide services any time you need them to, 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week. You may even depend on them doing auto locksmith services on weekends and Holidays too. When choosing, ensure that they provide only the highest quality of service and that they will fit your demands quite nicely. To do this, ask around about the best auto locksmith services available in your area. If you are living within the Seattle area, you might want to try the services of auto locksmith Seattle WA, who will be able to deal with any of your needs at any time, and at a very competitive price. They will also be able to answer your call at the soonest possible time, therefore alleviating any need for you to wait, and giving you access to your property sooner. While most all emergency locksmith services could make claims regarding their reliability and honesty, do not believe everything you hear. Some locksmiths have a tendency to overcharge for their services, or falsely tell the consumer the project is much more complicated. To avoid being the victim of fraud, you should research each of the automotive locksmith centers you interview thoroughly before making your final decision. The techniques below will assist you in your search for a reliable and trustworthy home safe locksmith like Residential Locksmith Waterloo technician’s. Prior to resuming the project, analyze the contract completely. Info buried in the fine print can prove to be costly if you do not discover it before the written agreement is signed. Do not hesitate to ask your emergency locksmith service any questions you could have before you sign the contract; it’s his responsibility to address all of your issues. When up-selling to a buyer, be promotional, but not pushy. High-quality emergency locksmith services are in constant high demand. It could often be a great idea to hire a licensed automotive locksmith center who’s in demand. It might be tough to get him to agree to your renovation, as your job may be smaller than what he has a tendency to work on. Use your instincts and good sense to decide on what home safe locksmith is best for your project. When interviewing emergency locksmith services, always take proposals from at least three companies. When reviewing the proposals, you should not automatically accept the lowest bid. A local automotive locksmith center who proposals higher tends to do better work. See to it your service provider shows the cost break down. It could seem a simple matter to find a skilled emergency locksmith service, but doing so requires great care. Talk with your friends and family; see if anyone could provide a recommendation. Another piece of recommendation is to attend renovation conventions to discover very popular automotive locksmith centers. This could also give you access to many home safe locksmiths prior to you select one. Industrial Locksmiths are in demand at this time. At first, locksmiths made use of to shell out days in designing keys and locks. Nowadays, locksmiths are more commercial and technical persons. Business Locksmiths are more technical people today these days. They as well as their knowledge will make master pieces from lock and keys. Men and women typically go for this expert named Commercial Locksmith since it offers them comfort. Acquiring your valuables protected by someone that is aware of his occupation completely and do that in a scientific manner is demand of your hour nowadays. These industrial locksmiths do every little thing doable to meet up the expectation ranges of their shoppers. They operate for days, layout the product and strive for ultimate fulfillment of their consumers. Commercial locksmiths not just make locks and keys. They consider other measures also to protect customer’s residence and valuables. Services like CCTV and alarms are also offered by them. They also provide companies to guard your motor vehicles from getting stolen. With fast response for your query and instantaneous service, business locksmiths offer the best services to their prospects. With mobile providers obtainable with these industrial locksmiths one can get the reassurance they will need in today’s quickly pace daily life. Suppose you will get locked with your personal workplace or your vehicle keys are inside the car or truck and you also have locked it from outside, these locksmiths can arrive on spot to help you with their mobile companies. Now, you do not have to break open the door of your workplace or crash the window of the motor vehicle to obtain the keys. People these days are extremely conscious about their enterprises. A good security program talks with regards to the brand worth at the same time. With good installation of CCTV and alarm technique one can focus on the operate instead than around the security of merchandise and workplace. 1 really should constantly ensure that submit getting these safety gadgets installed, they must be replaced or upgraded with time. Besides this, one particular could also consider some techniques individually to prevent any wrong performing at his work location. One particular need to try and hold light coating of film to the windows. The windows of the office need to not be clear and see by. This will likely enable their workplace from suspicious individuals who attempt to sneak in. Aside from this, alarms ought to be checked appropriately post installation. Also, drills should really be acted to help keep items fresh in employees thoughts. Business Locksmiths at Locksmith Bradford are skilled people that are eager to help people who want the most effective providers. With assortment of designs and engineering, industrial locksmiths can produce a products as per customer’s demands and fears. Commercial Locksmith Bradford have their office and showrooms . They render their providers across Australia. They may be a contact or an internet query away. With so much to supply, this company requires pride within the type of providers it gives to its shoppers. You have locks in your house, office, and car; this pretty much makes it important to have a good locksmith at your assistance readily. Why hiring locksmiths is essential? Simply because, you never know when odds might strike; you might accidentally secure yourself out of doors, break the key into the lock of your office, or lock your key inside the vehicle. These are times when you need help of skilled locksmiths, whether be it about car key replacement or any other repairing job, you can be sure of finding best assistance in all such works. Moreover, these professionals’ not just help you get in your home or car when your keys are left inside, but they also ensure that the existing locks are working just fine and also add security checks to keep everything safe and secure. Ensure you are Working with a Licensed and Insured Professional – Locks ensure safety to your house or office; therefore, make sure to work with professionals who are licensed and insured. This ensures that the task of unlocking your house or office or even car key replacement bolton is in safe hands. Be Sure about the Kind of Work they Deliver – This is again a priority; unless you are sure about the kind of work that is delivered, it gets tough to hire a professional for the task. A reputed firm or a professional usually specializes in both commercial and residential fields. Additionally, it is also important to ensure that the professional of your choice can take care of all works ranging from key replacement to door repairs. Inquire about the Rates – Before hiring a professional, it is essential for you to be sure about the rates charged by the locksmiths. While this certainly doesn’t help you to determine the quality of the service offered, but it helps you to choose the professional within budget. Ensure about the Skills and Knowledge of the Professional – With locksmiths, you must make every effort to be sure about the skills and knowledge of the professionals. It is essential for the locksmith to have proper knowledge with respect to the advanced mechanisms that are in vogue in the market. For instance, if it about door repairs, make sure that the professional has good knowledge about repairing door locks. Following these steps would ensure that you get to hire the best locksmith at your assistance. The idea is to adopt a safe and pro-active approach when it comes to getting in touch with a locksmith with tasks like car key replacement or door lock repair. Doing the research carefully will always help you to avoid victims and be sure about the safety and security of your belongings. Sophisticated technological innovation and new age security have entirely redefined the word “24-hour locksmith”. This profession needs a great offer of examine, approach, expertise, and expertise. A specialist locksmith in today’s era does not lack in information and skill on how to recover passwords for complex password-guarded locks and how to fix keyless entry methods. The emergency service furnished by a reliable 24-hour locksmith is the answer to any variety of lockout circumstances. Why would you need to have a respected 24-hour locksmith? There are a number of distinct sorts of lockout and important breaking scenarios that can transpire that are past our control. You might get locked out of your property in the middle of the evening. You may possibly have left your keys in the ignition slot and you learn that you are locked out of your automobile. You may possibly uncover on your own in a circumstance wherein the keys break and you don’t have a spare. What ever situation you get caught up in, an emergency locksmith is what you want. It’s a very good factor there are 24-hour locksmith firms ready to serve you anytime you will need them. If you don’t have their quantity memorized, you can often do an on-line search or seem via the phone directory to locate the a single closest to wherever you will need their providers. What can an emergency locksmith do for you? A expert locksmith has the ability and equipment essential to modify the locks at your function location or property, duplicate keys, and retrieve previous password entries when you’ve forgotten them entirely. A locksmith can both set you up with a new password or recover your past password. A skilled and seasoned 24-hour locksmith can even substitute your complete security method. In situation you get locked out of your automobile, following placing a call, an emergency 24-hour auto locksmith business will dispatch a expert to swiftly aid you open your door and get you safely back on the road. A locksmith is outfitted with the instruments need to have to re-critical your trunk, door, or even the ignition. In scenario of a keyless entry program that operates on transponder chips, an knowledgeable locksmith can effortlessly substitute the technique at a fraction of the price that a vehicle manufacturer would usually cost. A 24-hour locksmith corporation offers you emergency service you can count on anytime and anyplace. Finding a trustworthy 24-hour locksmith business may possibly be a challenge since there are numerous that you could pick from. Select a locksmith that has a popularity of delivering quality and effective providers. Did you know that 85% of burglaries take place in metropolitan cities? It is therefore extremely essential that you keep your home and office secured so that you can prevent any random person from intruding into them. Locksmith Halifax is providing this service to Nova Scotia’s largest city. There are a lot of advanced technology locking systems which are available in the present times and their installation and repair is what the locksmiths do. But what then is the requirement of a 24 hour locksmith? Read on to know more. While you have made it perfectly sure that you and your belongings are safe, there might be times when you either forget your key to the main door somewhere else or simply lock yourself out. What would you do then? This is when the 24 hour locksmith can come to your rescue. They will be available whenever you want them to get you out of all kinds of security related troubles. Whether you are stuck inside or outside your house, these 24 hour locksmiths will always come to your rescue. Apart from this, they also specialize in installing various kinds of security systems. It is very important that you hire the services of a locksmith for this kind of work so that the security systems are able to work effectively. If you want to become your own locksmith to save a few bucks, chances are that you would be exposing yourself to a far greater loss which could even amount to thousands of dollars. In case you need to change the key to your lock, these guys would provide you with a new one on the spot. Thereby, you will be saving up on a lot of time and the security of your home and office would be absolutely ensured. If you have lost the keys to your car and need to replace them immediately, you can depend on them entirely. While choosing a locksmith, you need to make sure that he has a proper license. Apart from the license, he should be experienced and efficient at what he does. A locksmith of good repute is reliable as well as well versed with the latest technology related to security systems. If you are on the lookout for reliable 24 hour locksmiths, call Halifax xpress Locksmiths. Apart from being 24 hour locksmiths, they also have a wide range of superior quality security related products which they will install as well as repair, if the need be. 1. They can get you into your car or home when you are locked out. Of course, this is often the first thing people think of when they think of calling on locksmith services. If you need into your car or home and don’t have a key, a locksmith can help you out. In addition to getting you into your automobile or residence, they can make you copies of your keys so that hopefully it doesn’t happen again. 2. They can improve on the security of your home. A locksmith can check the locks on your doors and windows to make sure they are secure. They can also install new locks if you decide you want them. Many locksmiths offer a variety of options when it comes to securing your home, so ask about them. 3. They can help you with commercial electronic locks. Locksmiths aren’t just for your personal car or residence. They can help you at your workplace, too. Some locksmiths even offer high tech systems, such as buzzer activation systems and card swipe access systems, making the workplace that much more secure. 4. Locksmiths can also provide security systems to put your mind at ease. This includes high tech security that can alert a central monitoring station to a break-in and even surveillance cameras. Having the right security system in place can help protect your property and the people you care about. 5. One of the best things about locksmiths is that they are available whenever you need them. It doesn’t matter if it is on the weekend or in the middle of the night, a locksmith can come and help you with your lock problem. Some companies don’t even charge extra for nighttime or weekend emergencies. These are 5 ways that a locksmith in Stoney Creek could easily become your hero. If you are in need of security help or help with a lockoutArticle Search, consider calling your locksmith. No mater you are a homeowner or a renter, it is necessary that you keep in mind that your home and all property is safe and secure. However, what is the best ways to insure this security? Locksmith St Catharines is a choice above the rest. The most appropriate and the best solution for this problem is that you hire or contact a person who is professional and experienced in this field like locksmith. Unfortunately, only few people know about the services of these professionals. However, here are some important ways through which you will be able to know that how a locksmith can enhance security of your home and property and how he can save it? Many people know about residential locksmith, which can help you to get in or outside your home when you have locked yourself in or outside your home and have lost the keys. However when you have lost all your keys at once that professional will take cylinder of the lock outside and will decode it or will open its pin. Now from this pin or code that professional will make key for you’re this lock same like the original which you have lost. You can get as many copies of keys as many you want. Another very important service, which this professional can provide and many people know about this service, is up gradation and replacement of locks. As due to advancement in technology locks and security systems are changing day by day, so a professional locksmith will keep his knowledge and training up to date according to new needs. If you want to save your home and property along with time and money, then its better for you that, you upgrade locks and security system at the time of their replacement when a professional is replacing it. Many people do not know about one most important service of this professional. The service that professional can also install and fix locks, security systems, and hardware related to this fixation and installation. When you are building new home and installation of new locks is the main problem at that time, then this professional can solve your this problem by installing dead bolt. These professionals have all necessary tools, which are helpful in installation of any kind of lock and security system. Another important service, which a residential locksmith can provide, is the installation of locks and security systems on cabinet wood doors and windows. Main purpose of these locks is to keep people away or outside the cabinet. Like children will remain away from all kind of things and chemical which are in cabinet and are dangerous for them. Similarly, teenagers will also remain away from any kind of liquor. Therefore, in both these condition a professional will install lock and security system on cabinet wood doors, he will also make sure that doorsFind Article, and wood of doors will not damage. These professionals can also work on safe and open places as well because the main purpose of residential locksmith is to help the people who are in trouble in their own homes. There are some people, no matter what anyone tells them who believe they can do just about anything. They can detail their own car. They can paint their on walls. They can repurpose their own furniture. They even believe they can fix any electrical issue. Of course, there are people who are skilled in many different areas. However, having this ability is extremely rare. In actuality many people are only a jack of several trades and maybe a master of 1 or 2, if any. Having the mentality that you are able to do just about anything without help from a professional is something that can really backfire. Although some people may think that this is a false statement, there are many cases where this can prove true. Locksmith Brantford has seen it before, in fact they have seen it all! For example, someone could be locked out of their car and decide that they don’t want to pay a locksmith to come and professionally pop the lock in order for them to get inside their car. Instead, they decide that they can do the job just as well as the locksmith can. So, they try to devise a plan to get the car door open. Because they have never done this job before, they conduct a quick internet search to find some tips. They end up finding an idea that advises them to pop the lock using a hanger. So, they struggle with this task for about 30 minutes as they try to complete a job that a locksmith can complete in less than 3 minutes. They eventually realize they will not be able to get the door unlocked. In the process they also realize that they have caused damage to their car window and some parts of the interior, which was caused by the hanger. This is just one example of how people can end up doing way more harm than good when they try to do a job that they aren’t skilled enough to do. Sometimes, people must realize that some things are well worth the cost. Everything is not going to be free. Some things that are free end up costing more later on. So, before you or anyone you know tries to become their own professional locksmith, think about how much more harm and damage you could actually be causing. Sometimes, it’s better to pay the price up front than to have to pay it later on up the road. The next time you find yourself locked out of your home or carFind Article, don’t hesitate to call a professional. It will save you a lot of time and reduce your chances of having a major headache! Locksmiths are, by nature, genial people. They’re so kind that they’ll drive to your house just to open the door for you. Of course, you have to call them first and tell them you locked yourself out. After you get past that embarrassing moment, you’ll be glad you got to know this friendly, professional technician who is on call 24 hours a day, that is Locksmith Waterdown! A trained, professional locksmith in Waterdown should be able to do all of the following: install locks, deadbolts, and mechanical (manual) or electronic locking devices; modify and/or repair these devices; re key locks; and produce or program new cards or keys to replace lost items. A locksmith should also be available to respond to emergency calls when customers are locked out of their homes or cars through either forgetfulness or lock malfunction. Locks are probably the best and most basic security item to start with. “Most basic” these days does not, however, mean easy for would-be thieves to get around. It simply means that they are relatively simple to install as well as cost-effective. A residential locksmith in Waterdown California can come to your home and assess what type of locks are best for your home. They will take into account all points of access to your home and its outbuildings, as well as any interior security needs. Decorative hardware means anything from cabinet hardware to gate hardware, doorbells, and about a million more things. More often than not, any locksmith in Waterdown will offer decorative hardware to go with your fancy new mortise locks. Decorative hardware, while a seemingly superfluous item on the list of home security items, is just as important as your deadbolts. If you have an excellent deadbolt, but a handle that is easily broken, then it’s possible for an intruder to unlock your deadbolt from the inside. You want high quality materials protecting your home, so why not go ahead and purchase the ones your locksmith suggests? While a locksmith in Waterdown might not offer home security systems like ADT, they will more than likely sell things like electronic locks, remote control key access, and more. Some commercial locksmiths are equipped to handle even the most advanced systems that incorporate facial-recognition technology or retinal scanners. Do you have expensive jewelry? Maybe you collect coins, stamps or other small valuables. Even if you just keep crucial papers or work product at home, you want some secure place to hold them. A locksmith in Waterdown can offer you several options for safes. They can install these safes and even crack them if you forget the code or combination! If you have larger valuables, an in-home vault is also a security option. Most residential locksmiths perform the same functions as commercial locksmiths, that is, they secure property and buildings and the items therein. Commercial locksmiths more often deal with high-tech locks like card-key systems, electronically coded locks, and even biometric locks. But the double-sided padlock is as much a staple of the commercial locksmith as the residential technician. Commercial locksmiths in Waterdown can also perform security assessments of your business, and they can respond in an emergency. Automotive locksmiths deal with a slightly different set of puzzles at times. Very few cars have plain old lock-and-key systems. At the very least, the locks are remotely controlled and most cars’ computers are programmed not to start the vehicle unless the operator has the correct electronic chip along with the key. Despite some differences with commercial and residential locks, however, Waterdown CA locksmiths can almost always re key, repair, open or replace automotive door and trunk locks and even replace the ignition cylinder. All of these products and services are available at any local Waterdown Locksmith. Your security system needs to be as up to date as possibleFind Article, to protect your family and your property. What’s the best way to keep you and your loved ones safe? Contact a locksmith in Waterdown; they’ll be right there with you to secure your home so that you never have to worry. Locksmith’s take security of your home and property very seriously. In fact it’s our number one concern when it comes to professional locksmith services. Always locksmith residential locksmith services can substantially improve the security in and around your house. Services include lock changes, lock change, lock replacement, lock rekeying, security safes, grilles and gates and gates. With always locksmith emergency locksmith service you can assured that they will respond immediately to any emergency and an experienced locksmith will be with you within 30 to 45 minutes, any time of day and help you get back to normal. So if you have locked your keys in your wallet, handbag or case. Wether you need to deal with tenant eviction issues, or seek to maximize the security around your premises – Locksmith Cambridge has the solution. At always advise you the most suitable products and systems for your business premises, giving you long lasting peace of mind. The locksmith specialize in lock replacement, lock re key, open car for car lockout, open trunk, ignition key replacement, home security options, car key programming, high security lock installation, intercom systems, CCTV, surveillance camera, emergency locksmith, gates installation, garage doors repair, lock out, lock picking and key cutting and any other locksmith services. In addition to bring professional locksmith, as reputation and professional technicians they should also pride themselves on delivering consistently high quality customer service. Automobile needs can be made simple with professional technicians who will able to help you anything from key duplication for lost keys to extraction of broken ignition keys. They can even assist with GM VAT keys, high security vehicle locks and open trunk transponder chip keys. Some locksmiths possess these skills and other from business relationship with companies or individuals with these specialties. Locksmith may be commercial, mobile, institutional or investigational or may specialize in one aspect of the skill, such as an automotive lock specialist or a safe technician. Many are also security consultants, but not every security consultant has the skills and knowledge of a locksmith. Locksmith is frequently certified in specific skill areas or to a level of skill within the trade. This is separate from certificates of completion of training courses. In determining skill levelsComputer Technology Articles, certification from manufacturers or locksmith association.

2019-04-21T10:42:42Z

http://www.channel6000.com/page/49/

A method of communicating data in a data grid. The method includes receiving a first search request defined by search criteria of a search query. The method includes communicating the first search request to search for data segments at the first node that match the search criteria. The method includes receiving one or more data segments matching the search criteria. The method includes receiving rebalance information. The method further includes identifying a second node storing rebalance data segments of the plurality of rebalance data segments based on the rebalance information. The method further includes communicating a second search request to search for the rebalance data segments matching the search criteria. The method further includes receiving one or more rebalance data segments matching the search criteria. The method further includes determining search result data using the data segments from the first node and the rebalance data segments from the second node. The present disclosure pertains to computer systems; more specifically, to changes of topology in a data grid. Data, such as software programs, information, or other forms of data, has become a resource and asset for many individuals and businesses. A data grid is a distributed database system with increased computing power and storage capacity that can store and manage data across a collection of nodes. Data grids can provide functionalities such as storing, searching, and processing data. As individuals and businesses continue to store, search, and process increasing amounts of data, a size of a data grid may be adjusted as data usage by the businesses and individuals varies. Traditionally, when performing functionalities such as storing, searching, and processing data, a map/reduce application may be used. The map/reduce application can provide distributed processing for large data sets in a data grid. The map/reduce application can include two phases, a map phase and a reduce phase. In the map phase, a master node can initiate a task such as a query, and divide or map tasks between multiple nodes in the data grid. The nodes that receive the map tasks can execute the map tasks and return results back to the master node. When the master node receives the data, the master node can implement a reduce phase. In the reduce phase, the master node can aggregate the received data and remove duplicate data, e.g., reduce the data results. When the master node has completed the reduce phase, the master node can communicate the reduced data to the querying application. While the map/reduce application can be used to query data in a data grid, the adjustability of the data grid can be limited. For example, a data grid using the map/reduce application for querying data cannot adjust or adapt to topology changes in the data grid, such as node crashes, nodes joining or leaving the data grid, or balancing of data between the nodes. FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of nodes in a data grid according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 depicts a sequence diagram of a method of performing a query in a data grid when data is rebalanced within a data grid according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 depicts a sequence diagram of a method of performing a query in a data grid when the topology of the data grid may be changed according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of a method of determining data results for a query search in a data grid according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of one implementation of a computer system. Data transfer technologies are described herein. Data grids can manage distributed data, where the data can be stored across multiple locations and multiple types of storage devices. The data grid can be a collection of nodes, where the nodes can be physical machines, virtual machines, computers, servers, collections of physical machines or virtual machines, and so forth. The nodes can include memories, such as a cache, for storing data. When a user desires to access data in the data grid, an application can query data stored in the data grid using an iteration process, where the data stored at the nodes in the data grid can be iterated through during the query. As an amount of data in the data grid varies with varying data usage by individuals or businesses, topology changes in the data grid (such as an addition of nodes, removal of nodes, or rebalancing of data in the data grid) can occur. Traditionally, when data is being processed, added, removed, modified, searched, and so forth in a data grid during a query process such as a map/reduce process, a topology change can be difficult. For example, traditionally when the topology of the data grid changes during a query, a master node in the data grid, using a map/reduce process, receives search result data from nodes in the data grid. Because of the topology changes, the master node may be unaware when data may have been added to, removed from, or modified at a node during the query. In one example, traditionally when a cache entry occurs at a node during an iteration process, the cache entry can be overlooked or sent to the querying application out of order. When data is overlooked, the querying application may not receive an up-to-date data set from the data grid to analyze and/or provide results to a user. Additionally, when data is sent to the querying application out of order, the querying application may erroneously analyze the out of order data and/or report incorrect information to a user. In another example, when the memories of the current nodes in the data grid reach full capacity, a new node may need to be added to the data grid. However, traditionally when the query is being performed, the new node cannot be added until the query is completed. The delay in adding the new node to the data grid during the query can be problematic, as data modifications (such as data writes) can occur during the query and when the memory of the data grid is at full capacity there may be no place to write the new data. Aspects of the present disclosure address the above noted deficiencies by enabling a topology change of nodes and data rebalancing during an iteration process of a query search. The topology of the nodes can be changed and data can be rebalanced between the nodes to provide a data grid with variable memory capacity and increased data locality. Additionally, rebalance information can be used to track data rebalancing during the iteration process to enable the querying application to receive up-to-date results. An advantage of a variable memory capacity can be to enable addition of nodes to the data grid as the memory capacity of the data grid reaches its limit and a release of nodes from the data grid when the nodes are not being used. An advantage of increased data locality in the data grid can be to increase a speed and efficiency of data accesses and data searches in the data grid. FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of nodes 102, 104, 106, and 108 in a distributed data grid 100. The nodes 102, 104, 106, and 108 can include memories, such as caches, for storing data. The nodes 102, 104, 106, and 108 can communicate with the other nodes 102, 104, 106, and 108, respectively, in the data grid 100. In one example, the nodes 102, 104, 106, and 108 can communicate data to the other nodes 102, 104, 106, and 108, respectively, to backup data in the data grid 100. In another example, the nodes 102, 104, 106, and 108 can communicate data to the other nodes 102, 104, 106, and 108, respectively, to rebalance the data in the data grid 100. A memory at a node can include multiple memory entries, where each memory entry includes a key and a value, i.e. a (key, value) pair. The (key, value) pair can include an identification (ID) value (the key) that is associated with data (the value). For example, the (key, value) pair can be an ID value associated with information about a person, e.g., (ID, Person). The (key, value) pair can be used to perform different functions at nodes in a data grid, such as data reads, data writes, data deletions, and the transferring of data between nodes. FIG. 2 depicts a sequence diagram of a method 200 of performing a query in a data grid when data is rebalanced within a data grid. Method 200 may be performed by a processing logic that may comprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (such as operations being performed by the MCU), firmware or a combination thereof. In one example, method 200 is performed by a processor, a plurality of processors, a processor core, and/or a plurality of processor cores. Alternatively, other components of a computing system or software executing on the processor may perform some or all of the operations of the method 200. Referring to FIG. 2, the method 200 can begin by a coordinator at a coordinator node 204 determining what data is stored at the nodes 206, 208, and 210 in the data grid (step 212). The coordinator can be an application installed or registered at the coordinator node 204 that coordinates topology changes in the data grid. In one example, when the nodes in the data grid may initially be empty, the coordinator can direct which node or nodes may receive data and can maintain a list of keys of the key value pairs identifying the location of the data in the data grid. In this example, the coordinator can use the list of keys to determine what data is stored at the nodes 206, 208, and 210. For example, the coordinator can maintain a list of keys indicating that demographic information is stored at nodes 206 and 208, where nodes 206 and 208 store key value pairs of the demographic information. In another example, the coordinator can communicate with the nodes 206, 208, and 210 to request the keys and maintain the list of keys used to determine what data is stored at the nodes 206, 208, and 210. When the coordinator node 204 determines what data is stored at the nodes 206, 208, and 210, the coordinator can communicate, to an iterator of the iterator node 206, data location information indicating what data is stored at the nodes 206, 208, and 210 (step 214). In one example, the iterator can store the location information in a memory coupled to the iterator. An application 202 can send, to the iterator of the iterator node, an iteration request initiating an iteration process, where the iteration request defines search criteria of a search query (step 216). In one example, the application 202 can be a web application that sends an iteration request to the iterator. In another example, the application 202 can be a remote client that sends the iteration request. The iterator can determine which nodes in the data grid include data segments that match the search criteria using the data location information received from the coordinator (step 218). In one example, the search criteria can be for demographic information and the iterator can use the data location information to determine that a memory of the node 208 contains data segments for demographic information that may match the search criteria. When the iterator has determined that node 208 contains data segments that match the search criteria, the iterator can send a search request to the node 208 requesting the data segments that match the search criteria (step 220). As the node 208 searches the data segments stored in the memory of node 208, the node 208 can communicate matching data segments to the iterator as the matching data segments may be located or found (e.g., during an iteration process) (step 222). For example, node 208 may be storing 10 data segments that match the search criteria. In this example, when the node 208 finds a first segment (e.g., segment 1) that matches the search criteria, the node 208 can communicate the segment 1 (including a key value pair) to the iterator and continue to search for the remaining 9 matching segments. During the iteration process, the topology of the data grid may change. In one example, a topology change can be a transfer or relocation of data between nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 (e.g., a rebalancing of the data between the nodes). In another example, a topology change can be a change in a number of nodes in the data grid, e.g., nodes joining or leaving the data grid. In one example, the topology of the data may be rebalanced to increase data locality. Data locality can be the locating or grouping of data segments at different nodes in the data grid based on usage or access of the data segments in the data grid. For example, when a data grid has consistent data-access patterns (such as accessing the same or similar data for query searches in a data grid), locating frequently accessed data segments at a same node and/or at a node in the data grid that is physically closest to a requesting user or an application can increase data locality. In another example, a data grid can use a consistent hashing function for key-value pair storage to enable the determination of data locality in the data grid. The coordinator in the data grid can use the consistent hashing function to determine where to locate or group data segments in the data grid to increase data locality. In one example, the coordinator in the data grid can communicate with nodes in the data grid and the nodes can communicate data access patterns or data usage to the coordinator. The coordinator can use the consistent hashing function to determine where to locate data segments at the different nodes based on the data access patterns or data usage. Additionally, the coordinator can use the consistent hashing function to sort the keys of the key value pairs and assign similar keys to related data to increase data locality by locating or grouping data segments with similar keys at the same node. To rebalance the data at the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210, the coordinator can determine what data segments to locate at the different nodes 206, 208, and/or 210, such as by using the consistent hashing function as discussed in the preceding paragraphs (step 224). When the coordinator has determined what data to locate at the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210, the coordinator can send a rebalance command to one or more of the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 indicating what data segments the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 are to transfer to other nodes 206, 208, and/or 210, respectively, in the data grid (step 226). For example, the coordinator may determine that to increase data locality, selected data segments can be transferred from node 208 to node 210 (step 228) and other selected data segments can be transferred from node 210 to node 208 (step 230). In one example, the coordinator can unicast the rebalance command to the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 in the data grid that are storing the data segments indicating the data segments to be transferred and the location to transfer the data segments. In another example, the coordinator can broadcast the rebalance command to the nodes 206, 208, and 210 in the data grid indicating the data segments to be transferred and the location to transfer the data segments. In this example, the nodes 206, 208, and 210 can receive the broadcasted rebalance command, and the nodes 206, 208, and 210 can determine when the nodes 206, 208, and 210 are storing the selected data segments. When the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 determine that the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 are storing the selected data segments, the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 can transfer the data segments to the new location (e.g., another node in the data grid). In another example, when the data segments have been transferred by the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210, the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 can send a copy of the data segments and maintain the original data at the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210. In one example, when the transferred data segments are received at the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210, respectively, the initial nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 can receive a confirmation message from the receiving nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 and delete the data segments from the memories of the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210. In another example, when the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 complete a transfer of data segments during a data rebalancing, the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 can send a completion message to the coordinator indicating that the data segments have been transferred. In one example, when the rebalancing has been completed, the coordinator can send a deletion message to the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 in the data grid indicating to the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 to delete the data at the original nodes. Additionally, the coordinator can send rebalance information to the iterator indicating that data segments have been transferred between nodes 208 and 210 (step 232). When the iterator receives the rebalance information, the iterator can determine what matching data segments have been received from node 208 and what data segments were not received from node 208 (step 234). In one example, a distributed data grid stores data in different segments on different nodes. For example, data stored in the data grid can be divided into 100 data segments and the 100 data segments can be stored at different nodes in the data grid. When nodes in the data grid receive a search request from the iterator, the nodes can send the requested data segments to the iterator. Each of the data segments sent to the iterator can include information identifying the data segment, such as a key of a key value pair. The iterator can then determine which data segments have been received from the nodes based on the identifying information. For example, the node 208 may store data segments 1-10 and send segments 1-8 before segments 9 and 10 may be moved to the node 210 for rebalancing. When the iterator determines that data segments 1-8 have been received, then the iterator can send a request to the node 210 requesting data segments 9 and 10. When the iteration process begins, the iterator can use the data location information to determine which of the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 are storing which data segments and how many data segments the iterator node should receive from each of the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210 during the iteration process. When the iterator receives less than an anticipated number of data segments from the nodes 206, 208, and/or 210, respectively, then the iterator can determine which of the other nodes the remaining data segments have been moved to in view of the anticipate versus the actual number of data segments received. For example, the iterator can determine that the matching data segments that were not received from node 208 during the iteration process have been transferred to node 210. When the iterator has determined that the remaining matching data segments have been transferred to node 210, the iterator can send a selected data search command requesting that the node 210 search the data segments received from node 208 to find the remaining matching data segments (step 236). When the node 210 finds the remaining matching data segments, the node 210 can communicate the remaining matching data segments (e.g., rebalance data segments) to the iterator (step 238). In one example, when the iterator has received the search result data from the nodes in the data grid (such as values associated with the keys of a key value pair) the iterator can delete the keys in the memory of the iterator and communicate the values to the querying application 202. The iterator can determine the search result data using the data segments from node 208 and the rebalance data segments from node 210 (step 240). The iterator can communicate the search result data to the application 202 (step 242). An advantage of changing the topology of the data grid during the iteration process can be to increase the efficiency of the data grid, such as by increasing data locality at the nodes in the data grid. FIG. 3 depicts a sequence diagram of a method 300 of performing a query in a data grid when the topology of the data grid may be changed. Method 300 may be performed by a processing logic that may comprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (such as operations being performed by the MCU), firmware or a combination thereof. In one example, method 300 is performed by a processor, a plurality of processors, a processor core, and/or a plurality of processor cores. Alternatively, other components of a computing system or software executing on the processor may perform some or all of the operations of the method 300. Referring to FIG. 3, the method 300 is the same as the method discussed in the preceding paragraphs for FIG. 2 through the step of the node 208 communicating matching data segments to the iterator as the matching data segments are found (step 222). The topology of the data grid can change when a new node 310 is added to the data grid (step 324). In one example, when the memory of the data grid (e.g., the aggregate memory of the current nodes in the data grid) may be reaching full capacity, the new node 210 may join the data grid. When the new node 310 may be added to the data grid, the new node 310 can communicate registration information to the coordinator (step 326). When the new node 310 has been added to the data grid, the coordinator can rebalance the data segments at the nodes 206, 208, and/or 310. To rebalance the data segments at the nodes 206, 208, and/or 310, the coordinator can determine what data segments to relocate at the nodes 206, 208, and/or 310 (step 328). When the coordinator has determined what data segments to relocate at the nodes 206, 208, and/or 310, the coordinator can send a rebalance command to one or more of the nodes 206, 208, and/or 310 indicating what data segments the nodes 206 and/or 208 are to transfer to the other nodes 206, 208, and/or 310, respectively (step 330). For example, the coordinator may determine that to avoid an out of memory (00M) error in the data grid, such as when the memories of the nodes 206 and 208 reach full capacity and cannot receive additional data, selected data can be transferred from node 208 to node 310 (step 332). In another example, to avoid an OOM error, new data segments received at the data grid can be stored at the new node 310. Additionally, the coordinator can send rebalance information to the iterator indicating that data segments have been transferred or rebalanced between nodes 208 and 310 (step 334). When the iterator has received the rebalance information, the iterator can determine what matching data segments have been received from node 208 and what data segments where not received from node 208 (step 336). The iterator can determine that matching data segments that were not received from the node 208 during the iteration process have been transferred to the new node 310. When the iterator has determined that the remaining matching data segments have been transferred to the new node 310, the iterator can send a selected data search command requesting that the new node 310 search the memory of the new node 310 to find the remaining matching data segments (step 338). When the new node 310 has found the remaining matching data segments, the new node 310 can communicate the remaining matching data segments (e.g., rebalance data segments) to the iterator (step 340). The iterator can determine the search result data using the data segments from node 208 and the rebalance data segments from the new node 310 (step 342). The iterator can communicate the search result data to the application 202 (step 344). Traditionally, if a topology change occurs during the iteration process, it is uncertain what information was sent to the iterator prior to the rebalancing and all the data must be iterated through again (e.g., the iteration process may be restarted) to avoid duplicate data, out of order data, missing data and so forth. One advantage of changing the topology of the data grid (such as rebalancing the data segments) during the iteration process, as discussed in the preceding paragraphs, can be to increase the efficiency of the data grid by avoiding restarting of the iteration process each time there may be a topology change in the data grid. Another advantage of changing the topology of the data grid (such as rebalancing the data segments) during the iteration process can be to avoid OOM errors by adjusting the data capacity of the data grid during the iteration process. As a query is performed in a data grid, the topology of the data grid can change when a node fails or crashes. A node may fail or crash for a variety of reasons, such as a disk failure or a process crash. To protect the data at the nodes in a data grid against a node failure, data may be backed up at one or more nodes in the data grid. When a node in the data grid crashes, backup data at one of the other nodes in the data grid can be used. Backup data of the failed node stored at other nodes in the data grid can be searched to compensate for the loss of the failed node. In one example, the iterator can determine when a node has failed using heart beat messages. In this example, when a node is active and operational, the node can send heartbeat messages to the iterator indicating that the node is active and operational. When the node crashes, the iterator stops receiving the heartbeat messages. When the iterator determines that the node has crashed, the iterator can use the data location information to determine where backup data for the node is stored. The iterator can also determine what data segments were received from the node prior to the node crashing. When the iterator has identified a node with the backup data (e.g., the backup node), the iterator can send a search request to the backup node requesting the backup node send the remaining matching data segments. In one example, the search criteria can include a filter and a converter that can be used at the nodes 204, 206, and/or 310 to reduce network chattiness and increase a performance of the data grid. The filter can represent an application installed at the nodes 206, 208, and 310 to match requested data criteria from the application 202 with a subset of a data segment at nodes 206, 208, and/or 310. For example, a data segment can include the names and ages of multiple people and the filter can select people with an age above 18 years old. The converter can represent an application to extract information from the subset of the data segments at the nodes 206, 208, and/or 310. For example, the converter can extract information from the subset (e.g., relevant bits) of the filtered data and pass the information to the iterator. For example, a search may be for names of people over 25. In this example, the filter can be used by a node to find information for the people over the age of 25 and the converter can send only the names of people selected by the filter, e.g., the converter can remove the age info from the filtered data before the data may be communicated to the iterator. One advantage of using the filter and the converter can be to reduce network traffic by enabling the nodes 204, 206, and/or 208 to communicate relevant data to the iterator. For example, an amount of data (such as data entries) sent to the iterator can be limited to the relevant data, e.g., the names of the people over 25 years old. In another example, the iterator can communicate a data format for nodes to communicate data to the iterator and the converter can convert a data format of result data to the data format communicated by the iterator. The data format communicated by the iterator can be a data format that is compatible with the iterator and/or the application 202. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method 400 of determining data results for a query search in a data grid. Method 400 may be performed by processing logic that may comprise hardware (e.g., circuitry, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (such as operations being performed by the MCU), firmware or a combination thereof. In one example, method 400 is performed by a processor, a plurality of processors, a processor core, and/or a plurality of processor cores. Alternatively, other components of a computing system or software executing on the processor may perform some or all of the operations of the method 400. Referring to FIG. 4, the method 400 can begin by receiving, from an application, a first search request defined by search criteria of a search query (block 410). The method can include communicating, to a second node, the first search request to search for data segments at the second node that match the search criteria (block 420). The method can further include receiving, from the second node, one or more data segments matching the search criteria (block 430). The method can further include receiving, from a coordinator, rebalance information in response to the second node transferring a plurality of rebalance data segments to one or more nodes in the data grid, where the rebalance information identifies the one or more nodes storing the plurality of rebalance data segments (block 440). The method can further include identifying, by a processing device, a third node storing rebalance data segments of the plurality of rebalance data segments based on the rebalance information, where the rebalance data segments are data segments transferred from the second node to the third node that match the search criteria and are not part of the data segments received from the second node (block 450). The method can further include communicating to the third node a second search request to search for the rebalance data segments matching the search criteria (block 460). The method can further include receiving, from the third node, one or more rebalance data segments matching the search criteria (block 470). The method can further include determining search result data using the data segments from the second node and the rebalance data segments from the third node (block 480). In one example, the method can include receiving, from a coordinator, data location information, wherein the data location information indicates where data is located at a plurality of nodes in the data grid and identifying, by the processor, a second node of the plurality of nodes storing data that matches the search criteria. In another example, the method can include communicating, to the application, the search results. In another example, the identify the third node can further include: identifying, by the processor, the data segments received from the second node matching the search criteria; determining, by the processor, data segments not received from the second node; and determining, by the processor, that the data segments not received are stored at the third node based on the rebalance information. In another example, the receiving, the communicating, the identifying, and the determining can occur during the search query. In another example, the first node, the second node, and the third node can be in a data grid. In another example, the rebalance data segments can be transferred from the second node to the third node when the third node joins the data grid during the search query. FIG. 5 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the exemplary form of a computer system 500 within which a set of instructions for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, may be executed. In alternative implementations, the machine may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines in a LAN, an intranet, an extranet, or the Internet. The machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web appliance, a server, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. The exemplary computer system 500 includes a processing device (processor) 502, a main memory 504 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) or Rambus DRAM (RDRAM), etc.), a static memory 506 (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM), etc.), and a data storage device 518, which communicate with each other via a bus 530. Processing device 502 represents one or more general-purpose processing devices such as a microprocessor, central processing unit, or the like. More particularly, the processing device 502 may be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or a processor implementing other instruction sets or processors implementing a combination of instruction sets. The processing device 502 may also be one or more special-purpose processing devices such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), network processor, or the like. The processing device 502 is configured to execute instructions 526 for performing the operations and steps discussed herein. The computer system 500 may further include a network interface device 522. The computer system 500 also may include a video display unit 508 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), or a touch screen), an alphanumeric input device 510 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 514 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generation device 516 (e.g., a speaker). The data storage device 518 may include a machine-readable storage medium 524 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions 526 (e.g., software) embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 526 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 504 and/or within the processing device 502 during execution thereof by the computer system 500, the main memory 504 and the processing device 502 also constituting computer-readable storage media. The instructions 526 may further be transmitted or received over a network 520 via the network interface device 534. While the machine-readable storage medium 524 is shown in an exemplary implementation to be a single medium, the term “computer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term “computer-readable storage medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present disclosure. The term “computer-readable storage medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, optical media, and magnetic media. The words “example” or “exemplary” are used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “example' or “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the words “example” or “exemplary” is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. As used in this application, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X includes A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X includes A; X includes B; or X includes both A and B, then “X includes A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. Moreover, use of the term “an embodiment” or “one embodiment” or “an implementation” or “one implementation” throughout is not intended to mean the same embodiment or implementation unless described as such. determine search result data using the data segments from the first node and the rebalance data segments from the second node. 2. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processing device to receive, from a coordinator, data location information, wherein the data location information indicates where data is located at a plurality of nodes in the data grid. 3. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processing device to communicate, to the application, the search results. determine, by the processor, that the data segments not received from the first node are stored at the second node based on the rebalance information. 5. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the receive, the communicate, the identify, and the determine occur during the search query. 6. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first node and the second node are in a data grid. 7. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the rebalance data segments are transferred from the first node to the second node when the second node joins the data grid during the search query. determining search result data using the data segments from the second node and the rebalance data segments from the third node. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving, from a coordinator, data location information, wherein the data location information indicates where data is located at a plurality of nodes in the data grid. 10. The method of claim 8, further comprising communicating, to the application, the search results. determining, by the processor, that the data segments not received are stored at the third node based on the rebalance information. 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving, the communicating, the identifying, and the determining occur during the search query. 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first node, the second node, and the third node are in a data grid. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the rebalance data segments are transferred from the second node to the third node when the third node joins the data grid during the search query. determine search result data using the data segments from the second node and the rebalance data segments from the third node. 16. The first node of claim 15, the processor further to receive, from a coordinator, data location information, wherein the data location information indicates where data is located at a plurality of nodes in the data grid. 17. The first node of claim 15, the processor further to communicate, to the application, the search results. determining, by the processor, data segments not received from the second node; determining, by the processor, that the data segments not received are stored at the third node based on the rebalance information. 19. The first node of claim 15, wherein the receive, the communicate, the identify, and the determine occur during the search query. 20. The first node of claim 15, wherein the first node, the second node, and the third node are in a data grid.

2019-04-20T15:33:21Z

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20160253386A1/en

The Chinese are very superstitious when it comes to numbers, they choose telephone numbers, house number, business numbers, car number plates and anything that has numbers in very carefully. Every month we get to visit many homes and businesses on consultations and it amazes us how far our clients take Feng Shui almost to paranoia, which is not good. If you have bad numbers do not worry about it, as I will show you how to eliminate the inauspicious effects. A little story, to begin with, last Friday night I was parked outside the cinema waiting to pick up my two boys and as much as I hate to admit it I was listening to BBC Radio 4. I know you always think of the Archers or such like and this is what my Grandma used to listen too, they have some great debates on some nights. Anyway, this program was about superstition, and one of the interviewers was saying how she was not superstitious but had spent the last 30 years saluting magpies or never walking under ladders or the cracks of pavements. Well, numbers and Feng Shui, are more superstitious Chinese folklore than anything else, do I take it seriously? Yes and no, if I found the perfect Feng Shui house with a good facing direction and it was good for my family but the house number was number 4, I would still buy it although I have to admit I would use the countermeasures listed below. The main reason these numbers are considered unlucky is that the way the numbers sounds when spoken specially to the Cantonese. An example in western numbers would be the #11 could sound like heaven or #8 sounds like weight or #1 sounds like son, do you see what I mean? So if you have an unlucky #4 and you are from a country other than China. Think of #4 as sounding like “more” which is great. Let’s say your house number is 2391; you would need to add all of the numbers up until they equal to a single number which in this case would equal to 6. Let’s say your house number is 395; you would need to add all of the numbers up until they equal to a single number which in this case would equal to 8. Let’s say your house number is 85 you would need to add all of the numbers up until they equal to a single number which in this case would equal to 4. If your house number has a 4 in it, I would still suggest putting a circle around the number when it is displayed to weaken the effect. Here is a general guide for each number and if it is good or bad. If you own a home or business with a 4 or 13 is to draw a circle around the number, seriously it is that simple. The circle is extremely powerful and encloses the inauspicious effects of a negative number. So if you have a house number 4, a cheap way of curing is to go outside and draw a circle around your number or if you have time and money pop down to your local hardware store and find one of those ceramic door numbers that you can customise with a circle around the number, all this time you were worrying about nothing. How seriously do we take numbers? I would be over the moon if we found the perfect house with great flying stars and it was #8 or 88, but I would not be put off buying it if it were #4 or 13, I would use the cure as above though or change it to a house name like “rose cottage” etc. Michael has a car number plate with #88 in it; our fax number has three #8’s our telephone # has double nine, so yes we are superstitious a little but not paranoid about it and using the countermeasures above negate the problem, so please do not waste any energy worrying if your house number is 4 or 13, remember in many European countries #13 is very lucky and in Xuan Kong flying star #4 is a romance star. Also remember how far do you take it, both Michael and I were born in the forth month April, could this be bad? If you divide 8 by 2 it equals 4, you can play with numbers all you like and make them work good or bad. We are more than happy to share our content; all you need to do is give us credit for our hard work and a link back to our website. You can download and save a printer-friendly PDF file that can be emailed or use any of the vast amount of share button son the website, the more you share the better the Karma…! I would display the door number in an oval sign as shown on this page. Hi im bout to buy house num 22. please advice. Some said add alphabet i.e. 22A or A22. This can make the total to 5.. This would equal to 4 which is an inauspicious number in Feng Shui. To neutralise this, I would display the number in an oval sign as shown on this page. Hi my house number is 7545 and unit 141 do i add all of these up? You would add the numbers up separately. What would be your 1st and 2nd choice? I would go with either 906, 1806 or 2006. In case if we go for apartment number 1706 (my partner prefers the layout) is there any way to transform it in to a better/good vibration? Hi I am from India and my Flat no is 404. I have been facing lot of problems. Please suggest any remedy. I would display the flat number in an oval sign as shown on the page to dissipate the energy from this number. Hi, can you please help me? I have my home with block #6 lot#13, is this bad? How can i make it to be a good home? Please help. Thanks a lot. The number 13 adds up to 4 which is an inauspicious number in numerology. I would suggest displaying your lot number as shown on this page. My friend’s house number is 4344. according to the expression. it seems that 4 is unlucky numbers. How can she fix this issue? a circle above the address? any other token to be added to the house? I would recommend displaying the house number in an oval sign to dissipate the negative energy. I am from Bhutan and am planning to buy a lottery which is been drawn twice every month. So what starting number & ending should I buy. My date of Birth is 1980( Metal Monkey), I am a male and my Kua No. is.2, I would appreciate if you could recommend what is my lucky no. I calculated six numbers based on your Gua and they are 13-29-6-26-42 and 29. I’m looking to buy a house, the number is 45. Is this an auspicious number? What does it mean? The number 45 equals up to 9 which is a good number although the number 4 in your address is not an auspicious number so I would recommend displaying the number in an oval or round sign as shown on this page. My house is lot 4 blk 14 is this bad? I would display the number in an oval sign as shown above to neutralise the effects of this number. Hi, my unit number is 04-08 how to cure it? I would recommend displaying the unit number in an oval sign as shown above. We’re thinking of purchasing a pre-owned house that is Blk.10 Lot13 (house #13). We really like the house. Should we go on buying it? Thank you. It is very hard to advise on a house just by the number. I would display the house number in an oval sign as shown in this page as the two numbers equal up to 4. For my inquiry. We are planning to purchase a condo unit with num 224 of Tower 3. Is this auspicious to us? My husbands bday is 9/20/74 with Kua num 8. Mine is 01/14/71. I would recommend displaying the house number in an oval sign similar to the one on this page. Good luck in your new home! Thank you for your reply, Daniel. If I may ask for your help with another condo unit num 543. Will this be auspicious for us? We are as well considering this unit. It is very hard to advise just on the number of the condo although the number 4 is in the number so I would display the unit number in an oval sign as shown on the page. I’ve been seeing the numbers 8 88 and 888. What can this mean. I’ve been seeing this for 2 years now. This could be a coincidence or. I find if I am looking at a certain car to buy, I tend to see them everywhere. On the plus side, it could mean good things! If you are able to, I would display the lot number in an oval sign as shown on this page. The lot number only? how about the blk? The block number is not a problem. I’m afraid I could not find your question; could you please resend it and I’ll get back to you. I’ve copied the numbers below and if they are good or bad to help you decide your new house block and lot number. I’m afraid it would require a great deal of work to find the perfect place. It involves looking through all of the floorplans, mapping out the flying stars and much more. I would recommend going with the one that feels best to you; try to spend some time in each one and see how they feel. May I ask what is my lucky direction and number to buy a condominium? I’am born on November 20,1966 morning. Thank you. Could you please tell me your gender and I will be able to tell you your best direction and auspicious numbers. I would display the house number in an oval sign as shown on this page. Hi My house number is 14.I faced alot of problems and I Can’t be happy with my family.Whoever came to my house and they keep on said that plz better change our house number.I feel worry about that.So what number can i change ??? I would display the door number in an oval sign as shown on this page. This should be enough to avoid problems. These would be two separate numbers and would not be anything to worry about. Hi Daniel, I have a question. I know my sister was talking about th e number 4.my roommates boyfriend just bought a home with the number 34, and offered my roommate and I to rent. I know the 4 usually applies to buying a home, does it apply to renting a room since I don’t own the house. I really would like to save money and can’t necessary not consider it since I can’t afford to buy another place.She also brought up 3-4 like three deaths. It’s been on my mind on occasion.what do you think, is it really bad luck? If, I stay, anyways to prevent it the negativity? Since I’m renting, not too much I can do in the home. I would not let it worry you too much; if you do move there, I would request that you can place an oval door number sign as shown on this page. With situations like this, it is always good to weigh up the pros and cons. Thanks for the reply. I can ask but if they say no..is it really bad? It’s certainly not the end of the world but I would recommend placing it if you can. I intend to change my mobile phone number the last one I have adds up to 31 which is 4 and it hasn’t been good for me at all. Which numbers are best for a mobile phone when added up? Also any numbers to avoid being inside the phone number? Would greatly appreciate your prompt response. I’ve copied the numbers below and if they are good or bad to help you decide your next number. Buying a house we have a choice number 20 and 21 can you let me know which is a better number for fortune and health. Either of these two numbers are good for a home. We are planning to get a home :#12-169. It adds up to a 19 which is karmic number? So a little worried. I am born on 31st and my husband is the 25th. Will it be ok? This would add up to 1 as you add it up to a single number. The number 1 is a good number in numerology so I would not worry about this. for my house no 44…im doing business at my home pls advice which is better.. I would recommend displaying the house number in an oval or round sign, yes. You can usually buy them premade at hardware stores. Appreciated if you could advise car plate no with VW 718? I’m considering for my new car plate no. My born date 10July1972. Thank you! Hi! Is 22nd September 2018 lucky or unlucky day to get married? I`m born on 22nd June (life path no 8). Thank you! If you can tell me your gender and year, I can check the date on the Tong Shu Almanac. Yes, thank you! Here are more details: 1978, woman. He is February 9, 1974. Thank you very much! Saturday 22nd September 2018 is not a good date for marriage, unfortunately. The best thing you can do is try to start the ceremony between these dates as these are your auspicious times of day to help counteract the Almanac – 03:00 – 04:59, 11:00 – 12:59, 13:00 – 14:59, 15:00 – 20:59, 21:00 – 22:59. Good luck with your big day, Aleksandra! I mean getting married next year 2019. We are trying to pick a wedding date that will be lucky for us both. Which month and date do you recommend please. If you could let me know which months you are looking to get married, I will look for the best dates for you both. my house number is 44. Kindly advise what to do. I would display your house number in an oval or round sign as shown on the page. Hi, is lot #17 house #9518 a good number?. Also, another question is you can see the fireplace from the maindoor, is it good or bad?. Thank you!. The lot number adds to 8 which is good and house number adds to 5 which is fine. I would try and break up the flow of energy by placing something between the door and fireplace if you can. If the fireplace is very close to the front door, this may not be a problem. Hello.I take my personalised car number is 1260..is it good? Your red number equals 9 which is very good in numerology. Hello Daniel. Thk u.I want to ask you another question. I have another personalised car number is 603..perhaps later will take another number..between the 1603 and 1680.which is the best for abandance and everything? I would go with 1603 as this equals to 1 which is a good number. 1680 equals up to 4 which is the most inauspicious number in numerology. either of these two address have good numbers. I would not personally pay attention to the letters. You should do what feels right to you as you need to be comfortable although the letters do not fall into numerology in my opinion. I would recommend block 7, lot 6 as the number 6 is good for numerology. I hope this helps and good luck in your house search! I born in 10 January 1987. I’m going to buy a new car and i have to select a number plate that is lucky and good in overall sales and business and good health. I’m an insurance agent and investment advisor. Among the SIX numbers below , appreciate your advise which three are the best numbers for me? I will bring this to JPJ to check the number availability.. truly appreciate your help.. The best number plates out of this last are VBV 1611 or VBW 3268; if I had to pick one, I would go with VBV1611. Good luck with your new car! Thanks for your advise and guidance Daniel!! My office unit number is 214, how can I make it nicer to bring more luck? I would display the office unit number in an oval or round display. I am very much interested in a house and the number is 258. My mom said it means no fortune. But if we add the digits, it equals to 6. Please advise. Thank you so much for your time. You always equal the number up to a single digit in numerology and 6 is a good number. Your auspicious numbers for your date of birth are 10, 12, 23, 24, 35, 47. I would try and avoid 24 and 47 as 4 is an auspicious number. The best number would be 35 for you. Hi I’m hoping you can help me please. I am thinking of moving into a number 35/8 house and I really like the energy of the place however I read that number 8 houses are not suitable for people born on the 13th and I’m born on the 13th of October. This has really threw me off and I’m paranoid now. Should I invest in a different property? The number 8 is very good in Feng Shui so I would not worry about this. If you have a good feeling about the house, this is also very important. Good luck in your new home if you decide to go for it! Hi Daniel can you help me please I found a property that I really love and the energy of this house is perfect for me or so I thought until I read on a website that number 8 houses are not suitable for people born on the 13th which is my birthdate and the house is a number 35 can you give me any more insight into why it’s unlucky and can I change this? Hi, Good day! We are planning to buy a new house. Please I need your advice, which is good? Block 4 Lot 13 or Block 4 Lot 15 or Block 4 Lot 5 or Block 4 Lot 6? Thank you.. I would go for any apart from block 4 lot 13. That will be fine; just be sure to put a circle around the block number if it is on display. Hi there we have recently brought a block of land its number is 22 and street name is palais- which adds up to 22 using the pythagorean numerology chart. Is this good or bad? I would display the land number in an oval sign if it is on display anywhere. Hello, We bought a house august 27, 2016 and the house number is block 4 lot 2? Is this a lucky house? Thank you. The number 4 is inauspicious in Feng Shui so I would recommend putting a circle around the number if it is displayed to neutralise the number. The number 2 is a good number. We just bought a house on lot #49 and the street address is 194, i believe facing West. Please advise. How to cure the lot # since it is not visible. Thank you so much. I’d greatly appreciate it. If the lot number is not visible and displayed on your home, I would not worry about it personally. If you wanted to, you could put a red circle around the deed to the home although this is down to personal preference. Good luck in your new home, Mel! In numerology, these numbers are fine and nothing to worry about. I am so glad I found your website. We are buying a brand new home. The lot # is 49 and the street address is 194. I believe is facing West. Is this bad? And how do I cure the lot # and the street address? I appreciate your help on this. I would display the lot number in an oval sign to neutralise this number. If you love the house, I would go for it and display the name in an oval sign! Hi! Is is okay to buy a house with numbers Block 13 Lot 9 (Facing east)? It is fine to buy a house with these numbers although I would display the block number in an oval or round sign. I would not worry about the house number. The number 8 is very good in numerology. I would make sure the new home is clear and free of clutter once you are settled in to attract fresh Qi. If you live in a country with good weather, be sure to keep the windows open as long as security will allow when your first move in. My house number is 404, which sums up to 8 but has two 4s in it, should i make a red circle around it as well? Also, I have stuck number 4 at the back of my door, as my life path number is 3, so that 404 + 4=12 and 12 will sum up to 3. Am I doing it the correct eay or need to change something here? Could you please help me as well? Of course, what can I help with? Sorry, I’ve just seen this. I would still display the house number in an oval sign to avoid problems. If you are able to, you could draw a circle around the number plate or do it on the back of the plate. My car number is ,GJ23 H 9310, as per numerology, I am adding only 9310which sums up to 13, ever since i bought it, I have faced lot of problem with it, like major accidents and car break up. I am suppose to follow the number plate rule of my govt. So It’s not possible for me to make a customised name plate with a ring around it. Can you help me provide a solution in this case? I would also want to Thank you fir helping out people so humbly. I would take the plate off and draw a circle around the back. Thank you so much for guiding me. But a bit confused, draw a red oval sign behind the plate, in the center , which will not be visible when I hang it back, is that okie? It is a tricky one but I would try to remove the plate and draw a circle around the back. I just signed a contract for a house at 107 Continental Dr. Is it good, bad or ugly? Thanks. The number 107 equals to 8 which is an auspicious number in numerology. The lot number equals to 4 so I would display this in an oval sign if possible. How about I bought the house block 9 lot 40. Kindly advise. I would put a circle around the lot number as the number 4 is inauspicious in numerology. Hi, my husband & I are looking to buy a house with the number 13606. We have 5 kids. Will this be a good number for our family? Thank you very much in advance!!!!!! Your house number adds up to 7 which is fine in numerology; it’s not the best number but it wont cause problems. Good luck in your new home, Katie! Thank you for replying! I really appreciated your time! Hello, is the number 4148 lucky or unlucky, how do I determine it, Many thanks!!! You provide great information! The number has 4 in there two which is inauspicious in numerology so I would recommend displaying the number in an oval sign as shown above. We are looking at an appartment 323 and a half. I automatically wanted to make it a 323.5 = 4 bit it was advertised as 323 1/2 = 2. How would I add these or would I disregard the half 323 = 8? I would personally class this is 323 which would equal to 8 which is an auspicious number in numerology. If you are in doubt, you could display the apartment number in an oval sign for safe measure. Thank you so much. You have been so helpful! That was what I was hoping to hear. I have been made an offer to purchase a flat.House 35 Flat-3B.Please suggest. The number 35 equals to 8 which is an auspicious number in numerology. The number 3 is also a good number. Hi, I’m in the work of buying a food business with the number 2000. Is that okay? The number 2 is a good number in numerology so I would not worry about the number. Good luck in your venture! Your house number adds up to 3 which is not a problem in numerology. To add the numbers, you add all three until the get to a single digit although if you have a four in your number, it is best to display the number with a red ring around it. Just got my license plate number 256. How is that number and should I be adding up the letters to it as well or calculated separately from the numbers? How to calculate the letters? Sorry for many questions. 256 would add up to 4 wouldn’t it? My answer would be exactly what you said, Mila! September 10th is a good date for starting a new business. Good luck in your new venture, I hope it all goes well for you! House number 13 and business 419 is it a bad number? the number 13 adds up to 4 which is an inauspicious number in numerology and the business number has a 4 in it so I would display both numbers in an oval sign. Our apartment number is 407, do we just enclose 4 in a circle or entire apartment number? Also I read somewhere about circle being red? I would display the apartment number in a circular door sign with red around the edge. You can get nice metal ones from most hardware stores. Hi..i believe in feng shui even I’m not a Chinese it’s because I can see a lot of positivenes there.so I tried to find a way at least I can read in articles or blogs or what ever posted in social media.i was planing to run a little business and now I made it and I did some good luck for start but I didn’t open yet my store because I will wait the date of 8 this January.i was born April 18 1989..thank you for this web.i have some opinions to take.. The last one actually is 48 Pine Hill instead. This one is also good and happy New Year to you too. I have been in the process to purchase a new house. The realtor showed me several interesting houses for me to choose from. Which the following is the best choice from the Feng Shui point view and why? Thank you. Happy New Year! I love the positive names of these roads like Joy MT and mountain view, this is actually important too, 1/9 Sky look and Joy MT are best but the other two are not that bad as road names are good. I’m thinking about opening a small Korean restaurant. My birthday 06/09/1983 and husband 03/07/1985. My name will be on papers and husband will mainly help in kitchen. It there a business name numerology that I should considered? The number 310 adds to 4 which is an inauspicious number so I would display this in a round sign with read around the edge. Good luck with your restaurant, Amy! hi! We will be renting a House with address BLOCK 1 LOT 3 . is this ok? or it’s considered as #13 and 1+3=4? I would not worry about this as these are two separate numbers and 1 is a good number and 3 is ok. Dear Mr Frank, I bought a condominium unit 5th floor room number 43. I’m an aries and year of the dragon. Thank you. My apology Mr Michael Hanna for addressing you a wrong name. The floor number is fine and the room number equals up to 7 which is also fine. If you wanted to, i would display the room number in an oval sign as you have a 4 in the room number although this is not crucial. We own a house with address B13 L24 P2. We dont have any numbers posted in our gate. Is this a bad address? Thanks. I can see nothing negative about this address at all. Hi..just want to ask if nov.24,2017 or nov.25,2017 lucky numbers for ooening a business? I purchased a home with number 652, lot 175. Do I need a round door sign for it? Thanks. I would have it with a round door sign. on feng shui based on floor and it says to avoid the 6th floor for monkey. I am not sure if its best to take it or look for another floor number. The problem with Feng Shui is that there are so many layers to it and applying all of them when looking for homes to rent or buy is impossible, you will always find a negative. Personally, this would not worry me at all being on the 6th floor and the apartment number is fine. I am so sorry to hear about your mum. The combination of numbers is not good at although I doubt it caused this problem. I would place the number in a round display. 301 equals to 4 which is an inauspicious number in Feng Shui so I would recommend displaying the door sign in an oval or round plaque. Hi we are selling a newly built house number 44, front door is north facing. Can we do anything to improve the number? It adds up to 8, is that any good? Do we need to display the number in a round shape? In what colour please? Any date this year for the sale to go trough that is particularly lucky? 18/11/17? Or 08/01/18? Thank you. Hi, I would place the number on a round display and as you say look on the positive side that it equals 8. Out of the two dates, the most auspicious day is the 8th January. Hi my onlineshop total letters is 13 is badluck? & my car plate is oy1666 is it bad luck too? what to do? These numbers would not worry me and neither should they you. Hello. We found a house we love but I am concerned about the address 45455 before we make an offer. What do you think? The address equals to 6 which is an auspicious number although there are two fours in the address so I would recommend displaying the number in an oval door sign. isnt it 23 which is 5 not 33 which u thought was 6? Hi can you please tell me is no the 10 good for a shop or not if not what do I have to do . The number one is an auspicious number so I would not worry about this. I would display the address in an oval or round door sign to avoid problems with this number. Hi I’m thinking of setting up a business and the building is number 20. I’m drawn to the number 7 but believe 8 would be good in business.What would you suggest? The number 20 is an auspicious number. & is good but 8 is more auspicious so I would suggest going with your personal choice. 4 is not a good number where Feng Shui numerology is concerned, I’m afraid. The number 474 adds up to 6 which is good so it depends which you look at it. I would decide on personal preference on the car as you can always change the number plate to a personalised one. I would purchase a round door sign similar to the one displayed on the page as this will fit in well and look good. The presence of the circle is what helps protect rather than it looking aesthetically good. I’m planning to buy a new house; it is located in Blk 14, lot 24. What is the vibes with the number? I would display the numbers in a round or oval house sign as shown on the page. The lot number equals up to 6 which is very good although it does also contain 4 which is an inauspicious number so it would be best to display in the rounded sign. Good luck with your new house, Ron. My parents just bought a new house number is 22 it is bad or bad. 22 does equal up to 4 which is an inauspicious Feng Shui number. I would recommend displaying the house number in an oval or round door sign as shown on the page. Wishing your family the best of luck in their new home. My family just bought a new house the home number is 22. It is good or bad if we sum 2+2=4. I want to buy a house with number 15 and another house is with number 34, which one is a good one to buy regarding the number. The number 15 is good with regards to Feng Shui. The number 34 is not good and I would advise displaying the number in a round door plaque. Hi, Just wondering, is house number 15 and 34 good to buy according to Feng Shui?. Please reply asap as I don’t want to miss it. Thanks. Hi Michael. I hope you can help. We are currently living in Europe and will be moving into our rented house No.3511E in USA this November. Will this be a good number for us? The house number equals up to 1 which is an auspicious number in Feng Shui. Good luck with your move, Sik. We are currently choosing a good wedding day for next year 2018. 1. Which day is lucky? March 18 (318), June 18 (618), or Aug 18 (818) ? 2. Also if 8 is a lucky number why is August considered bad luck/ghost month even if its the 8th month? When selecting a wedding date, you should use the Tong Shu Almanac. If you send me both dates of birth and gender, I will be able to tell you the best date to get married. We just bought a lot #31 and a house #3217 facing east direction and it’s #4 Can you please give me some advices ? Thank you! I would use a round or oval door sing in red or black. Please help me to choose my future car number plates; 299, 300, 302, 311 or 312. I need an answer in the next 14 hours. Sorry, I have only just seen your comment. The best number plates would be 299 and 312 although 299 is the best out of the two. Your address equals up to 1 when you add them all together which is a good number in numerology. Hello Michael, my house address is block 20 lot 13, is this good or bad number? Your lot number adds up to 4 which is an inauspicious number and I would recommend displaying the lot number in a round plaque on your home to negate this. Yes, I would recommend drawing a round circle around the door number. Front door of my house has the house number 103 written in red on a white rectangular sticker inside a rectangular border in red..can you please let me know drawing a circle around 103 would help…thank you for helping us out..good bless u.. Hello. My house number is 31B. Is it a good number? Please advise. Your house number equals to 4 which is an inauspicious number so I would recommend displaying the number in an oval door sign. Hi is no 54 a good house no. The house number has a 4 in it which is inauspicious so I would recommend displaying the door number in an oval door plaque to avoid problems. My house no. is 44. What should I do to counter the bad luck of the no.? Can I add a letter of the alphabet to balance the bad feng shui? I would recommend displaying the house number in a round door plaque. Im planning to buy a house.. im choosing between block 4 lot 4 or block 4 lot 6. Which one is better? My husbands birthday is march 1. Do i need to put circle on it? I hope you can help me. I would say that block 4 lot 6 is the better out of the two based on numerology. Iam buying a house that is block 13 lot 13 is this a good number? Your block and lot number equals to 4 which is an inauspicious Feng Shui number. I would recommend display the block and lot number in a round door sign. I am planning to buy a house with number 7420 which adds up to 4. House seems decent and my family liked it most over other houses we saw. Kindly advise should I buy this house? One more point house is built on lot 121 which again adds up to 4. It is hard to advise on a property without seeing it although with regards to the house number, I would display it in a round door sign. Is a new house number 4448 or 4446 good? Do I need to buy a circle around each number 4 in the sign. the two numbers are not the best and I would recommend using a round door number sign for the whole number; you do not need to place a circle around each number 4. Is 138/2 good number in my house. Your house number equals to 5 which is not the greatest number in numerology although I would recommend using a round door plaque for your home to negate this. The number 1900 is fine with regards to numerology. I have just been allocated with a house number 24… much to my distress I have called the local council to see if this can be changed but to no avail. Our house was lot 106. What do I do? What type of plaque should i use? Can I use the words “twenty four” on the plaque? Our house is North facing. I would recommend using a round or oval plaque for the door sign to avoid any problems. I would not worry too much about this. Thank you!!! Also would it be okay to put the round plaque on the letterbox or does it have to be on the door? In red or in black. Thank you! May I also ask if the plaque can be placed on the letterbox or does it have to be on the door? Further, do the circle and/or numbers have to be in red or black colour? Just one more question what color should the number and the circle be – red or black? The sign will be fine in either red or black so this is just down to personal preference. We saw this house that we really like and the house number is #16. Is this a good number? Thanks so much in advance! This is a good number in numerology. Good luck with your new home. The number 16 adds up to 7 which is fine in numerology; it’s not the best number but it won’t cause problems. hi! I am thinking of buying a lot number 1313. Is it a good number? Thanks! Your lot number adds up to 8 which is an auspicious number in numerology. My home number is 28646. Is it ok? Your home number equals to 8 which is an auspicious number. I live on the 4th floor of apartment building and my unit number is 425 which adds up to 11, which is auspicious as mentioned above. Should I put a circle around it bc we are on the 4th floor? Or is there another way to resolve this 4th floor issue? If it is not bad luck pls let me know because I became concerned after reading about the number 4… Thx!! I would not worry about living on the 4th floor personally. The number four is an inauspicious number but this does not relate to your personal address. I would just put up a circular door number sign for your apartment. Hi I am picking between 4414 and 4412 for an address. Which is better? Can anything be done about the two fours in the beginning? I am worried about all of the 4’s. Thank you in advance. Out of the two, 4412 is the better number for the address as this equals up to 2. The home is a number 26 which equals 8, however it’s front door is NorthEast facing. I have read that 8 is good, and the number 26(and reversed 62) is not. Would this number need energy correcting? Would a red or orange door help this direction? The number 8 is auspicious in numerology and I would say you do not need to correct the energy. I’m thinking about a restaurant in a shopping plaza, the address is 4790 S Hagadorn Rd Suite #144, good idea or find a different space? Here is another space 300 Frandor Avenue Suite #444, good idea or find a different space? 4790 equals up to two 20 which is a good complete number in terms of numerology. Good luck with the restaurant, Amy. Does the round/oval house sign need to be just plain black/red? The ones that i saw at Home Depot have gold outline to them. Thanks! The gold outline will be fine to use. How about if my house address is 434? Is this ok? I would recommend purchasing a round or oval door sign for your address as this will disipate the effects of having two number 4’s in your address. Hi Amanda, The sign can be oval shaped as well. Hi. Would like to ask if 3380 is good number for car plate? Tq. Looks like a good combination for a number plate. How about an address with a unit or apt to it? My address would be 280 Unit #4 – do I need to put a circle around it or should I just avoid at all costs? I would recommend purchasing a round door sign for your unit to have the number 4 on display. I am looking a new house with the nomber 45. Is it good or not. Pl suggest me. thank you. I am looking for a new house with the nomber D -45 or A -10.Is it good or not. Pl suggest me. thank you. The A-10 is probably the better number. I brought a house with the number of 23A – 7 where the actual number is 24. Is this a bad number? i dont know what number to use, i live in a townhouse. my unit numer is 153. but my street house number is 548. I am staying in the house no is B-177.Is it good or bad. Pl give me the suggestion. Your house number equals to 6 which is a good number in numerology. If it (D-45) is not good then what is the remedies. Pl suggest me . I would just have a circle made around the number, in the UK we have house numbers in circle shapes which are perfect. Hi Michael. I am considering buying a home with the house # 13440. Is that bad since it has #13 and two #4? 31 is not the best number in numerology as it adds up to 4 which is inauspicious. To resolve this, I would purchase a round door sign for your new home. Apologies for the late reply. the number adds up to 11 which is considered auspicious in Feng Shui and also good for relationships as it symbolises two people side by side. Sorry for the late reply, I would place the number is round display, if you read the article here you will find more details and hope it helps you. I would display the lot number in a round or oval house sign as shown on the page. The lot number adds to 6 which is a very auspicious number although it does also contain 4 which is an inauspicious number so it would be best to display in the rounded sign. Good luck in your new home, Mae. Im looking at a house that is numbered 23. Is that fortunate? The number 23 is not the best number for a house although this can be resolved by using a round door sign on the front of the home to display the number. The #18 is a great number and would not use a circle. Hi is 8819 good number? Yes, this is a good number. There are two eights in the number which is very fortunate. I am choosing between the two addresses for my dream home. I would go with Blk 12 lot 9 although you also need to make sure you are happy with the location. Good luck with your new home, Myaida. This would be 8 energy and very good. Either name will be good as you have eight in the name which is very fortunate. My friend maria referred me here. we bought the same place of apartment but I was given 2 option only. we are basing only through the main house number. I would say the first option is the best as the number is good. Also, you should not base an apartment just on the number, you need to feel happy in it yourself. Good luck in your new apartment, Joahnna. Block 8 lot 141, block 8 lot 137 , block 14 lot 329, block 7 lot 4, block 16 lot 237. Going by the numbers only, block 8 – lot 137 looks the best but this is only from a numerology point of view. Wow what a quick reply. Thank you so much. One of the best and concern person. YOU ARE VERY HELPFUL TO EVERYONE FOR AN IDEA. Sir Michael, Block 8 lot 137 is the apartment number but as ive checked its on 4th door from the entrance u think it will affect coz its 4th door or no problem because were basing on house number.. Hi sorry to disturb I know I keep emailing you my apology. I Called my agent to check and give me different house number available he message me a new house number just now.. 2. BLOCK 7 is not updated on the system there is chance it might not be availble when i go there tom. Can you give me the best number for lot number 8 only. Our family will appreciate your advice.. I would go for BLOCK 8 LOT 138 first or BLOCK 8 LOT 141 second. I would go for BLOCK 8 LOT 138. Most SE Asian would avoid this combination of numbers but mostly due to superstition but it is good to have the 8 in the lot number. Thank you sir Daniel for your advice. Should I also use the round door sign for the number 4? Yes, i would use a round door sign on the #4. I am thinking of leasing a space for business with a suite # 220. Please let me know if it’s bad. The number 220 in Feng Shui is fine and i know you may think 2+2 = 4, it does not work like that all is good with this number. I would probably choose 8899 as this represents today’s and future wealth, enjoy your new car. We’re trying to buy a house #774. I’ve learned #4 isn’t good, but the sum makes 18. Would You please advice if it’s good or not. 774 is not bad at all and as you say 18 is a positive number and it would be a number i would choose. Your reply is so much appreceated!! Hi, not it is not that bad although i would frame the number in a circle. If you read the article you will see that if you are not sure about a number you should draw a circle around the number. The article gives you some ideas. We are looking at purchasing a house with an address of 50 or 48. Which number is better? I have a new house with the number 44. What can I do? My wife is half Chinese. We like a house, number 41? Shall we buy or leave? 4 is not good in a house number although the solution is to purchase a round door sign and make sure the number is inside the sign as shown in the picture on this page. We like a house number 41. Is this a good number? The number 4 is not a good number although I would not let it put me off my dream home. The remedy to this is to make sure that the house number is presented in a round house sign; this is an easy fix and can be bought at most DIY shops. Good luck with the new home. We\’re trying to purchase a home that has a block # 6150. Can you please advise if it\’s good. I truly appreciate you response! Thank You! I would say that the block number is ok and should not cause problems. I am looking at a condo 1404. Is it a good number ? Its not a great number but you can weaken this by placing a circle round the condo number such as a plaque. Putting a circle round the number tends to neutralise the ill effects and should avoid problems rather than weaken. Are they good or bad? Appreciate your response.Thank you. Hi, 88 is considered the most auspicious and 1601 second best, the other two numbers are not great. I am moving to a flat # 86 is it good or bad ? I am a fire Monkey. Thank u Michael. Just signed for it today. It felt good going up the elevator and the digitized voice saying 8 when door opens. This will be everytime I reach my floor and double flying stars 8 wait for me at my door facing South 🙂 Happy :). Or should I say Thank u Daniel ? Can you please tell me if the number 58, which makes it a 4 number is bad and can we rectify it by putting a circle around it. Hi Lillian, the number 58 is good, anything with an 8 is good so no remedy is needed. I would not make any changed with the number, #6 is good. The number 14 equals up to 5 which is not bad and should not cause any problems. If you are concerned about the 4 in the number, you could buy a door number sign and use a circular sign for each number. Good luck with the property. If possible, I would put a circle around the number 4 on your company logo as you suggested. 3429 is considered a good number as it adds up to 9 and I would not worry about this number. Planning to get house with number 4525 . Is it a good number? the number 4525 equals to 7 which should not cause problems. I\’m planning to get a new car and just checking on which car plate is the best (877, 978, 2868, 6828, 6882)? All numbers work well except for 877. Just bought a house #669. Is it a good number? 669 will add up to 3 which is not a bad number although I would purchase a circle door plaque for the front of the home. We are shopping for a house. Here are the adress we will visit this week-end. Please can you tell me the best number? Now I\’m living in a number 74 and my life is a nightmare and I need to know before to buy a new house. The best number out of that list is 6391 although this will also come down to the actual home and how it feels for you. I live in house 4A can you suggest what can I do thanks. I would purchase a round door number sign for your home and have the number 4 inside the circle plate. 32 is a great number. Hi can you give details in what respect is 2208 good number . They are quite good although 28 is slightly better. Personally i would choose the right home rather than worry about the number. My house number is 2208. Please suggest if it is good or bad? 2208 is a good number and you do not need to make changes at all. This number is absolutely fine. I have a house sign # 4 (light gold colour) as small metal (on top of silver metal letter box) plate glued to the left side of s brick fence. What colour (eg, blue, red, etc….) should I circle the sign # 4? Please advise, thanks, Dan. You should circle the number in either red or black if possible. Is it best to sell our lot blk.13 lot 4 or placing a number with circle on it will be ok as cure? Planning to build our house by next yr.pls help.thanks. I would place a the block and lot number in a circle as this remedies any ill effects. Your home address equals to 8 which is a very auspicious Feng shui number. Your business license equals to 3 which is not great although it is not one of the worst. When displaying your license number, you can play a circle around it e.g. on invoices etc. Hi, My wife wrote you about our house number 2474 which you said to put in a circle. Do you mean the entire number goes in one circle or do you mean each of the 4 numbers has its own circle? Thank you! My house number is 346. Please let me know if it is unlucky since it has number 4. As you said, the number equals to 4 which is not auspicious; I would place the house number in a round sign outside your home to avoid problems. The best thing to do is purchase a round door sign for the door number. Me & my wife are buying a property lot. We want to know if the number is ok. Both the block and lot number are good. Good luck with your purchase. we just brought a Lot , the number is block 20 lot 29, west side. Is this a good number? We stay in aren\’t end appartment .door no is 301!!! Is it bad??? If so what should we do ??? Over all last three years we are facing a lot of problems:(:(especially fertility related.plz help me. Thank you so much for your kind reply and help.will do it ASAP.can you suggest some more easy tips to conceive our baby ?? I do have five lucky bamboo sticks (living area) two metal elephant hanging on bedroom door.please help me. Monkey peanuts are a fantastic Cure to place beside your bed in a bowl for fertility; I would recommend trying this. Your apartment number equals to 6 which is an auspicious number. my apartment no is A1-02-03 is it good or bad no? Thanks. Hi, Planning to buy a house with # 18. How good is the number. I am a born on 20th Feb 1976. Please let me know. The number 18 is an auspicious number in Feng Shui. 4903 when added together equals to sixteen which is an auspicious number. Good luck with the house purchase! Thank you so much. I feel so much better. Thank you !! Hi, I just found out our house has a terrible number. It is 2474. We have lived here for 30 years. Is there a way to cure the bad number? When you add 2474 together, it equals to seventeen which is an inauspicious number so I would suggest having house number signs made up for your home with a round plaque as shown below as this will weaken the influence of the numbers. When you add 2474 together, it equals to seventeen which is an inauspicious number so I would suggest having house number sign made up for your home with a round plaque as shown below as this will weaken the influence of the numbers. well my parents house is 33, my appartment in the number 13 and my office 44. What do you suggets? I would apreciate your advice. I would suggest having house number signs made up for the two homes and office with a round plaque as shown below as this will weaken the influence of the numbers. Hello I am planning to buy and shop; the shop has everything positive besides it\’s number which is number 13. Should I buy this shop? I\’m afraid that I cannot advise on the shop just on a number alone although when dealing with inauspicious numbers, you should display the number for the shop in a round plaque to weaken the influence of the number. We are looking a townhome and its really beautiful but what i am worried about is the street number where the townhouse is located is in 4\’th street… The house number though is #125. Do i need to be worried about this street number and what is the cure for it? I cannot out a circle to the street sign…. The house number equals to eight which is very auspicious. I would not worry too much about the street number as the effect will be spread across a lot of homes. the number two is an auspicious number although the number 4 is inauspicious as it translates roughly to death. with the number 4, if you have a door sign for the lot 4, I would have the number displayed in a circle plaque. Congratulations on your new home. 2567 will equal to 20 which is auspicious as it is an even number. I hope you have a great life in your new home and make many happy memories with your daughter. We moved into a house number 160, things feel a bit out of sync professionally. We lived happily in a house adding to 14 previously. Please advise what to do? We recently moved into a house number 160, things feel a bit out of sync professionally. We lived happily in a house adding to 14 previously. Please advise what to do? I did a Life Answers Report Numerology reading for the Month of September. 44/8 whats the cure for this? and how to minimise anger? The fact that this equals to 4 is not a problem, it is more if there is a 4 in the actual number so I would not worry about it Rinku. I am a Realtor listing a house in an area with a lot of Asian buyers. My clients want to list their property at $484,900. Is the negative effect of the 4s negated by the 8 and 9? Would it be considered a luckier number to list at $484,888? I would recommend listing the property at £484,888 if possible as like you said, the 8\’s will help negate the effect of the 4\’s. Thank you for the article above. I am moving to a new property and the adress is the following: Flat 1, building 705. Would you be able to help me understand the vibration of this number? the 7 and 5 in your building number add up to 12 which is a good number. 1 is also a good number which means you have a good address. That\’s great, thank you so much 🙂 I was just worried as all the numbers together (1, 705) added to a four. Thank you so much for clarifying! My business number is 157,..which sums 13 = 4…I put the number inside an oval Red color (not a circle). Is it going to work too? The fact that it is an oval line instead of a circle makes any difference? Apologies but I have only just come across this as it was in the spam folder. I would try to buy a sign that is a circle for a door number sign if possible as this will be much more effective. We have recently moved into a appt 404 and a new office A102, things are not working out too well since then, both professionally and personally, worried! It is impossible to give you detailed advice without seeing the buildings but the best thing you can do is put a circle around the building numbers and you will be amazed at the difference that this will make. My wife and I are planning to buy an apartment unit 404. We are worried about the number as its double 4. Just want to ask if it is bad luck? The positve way to look at it is that 4+4=8 which is the most auspicious number to the Chinese. Personally, I wouldn\’t let it put me off. The positive way to look at it is that 4+4=8 which is the most auspicious number to the Chinese. Personally, I wouldn\’t let it put me off. I have been living in a rented flat 1228 facing NW for the past 2years. We have had severe relationship problems and finance and health have been erratic. We have to renew in June . If I dont get a better one would drawing a circle around the flat no suffice? Hello, a co-worker of mine just purchased a home with the address \”144\”. He and his wife are having a house-warming party in a week. What feng shui cure/gift can I give or suggest to help diminish the inauspicious effects? Will my question be answered? Does this message system work? i am planning to buy a house… is 4453 or 4463 house no. ok? what should i do? can I put rectangle or oblong in it? hi we are buying a house number 22 as a rental holiday property near the water can you help with any suggestions? If it is the number 22 you are worried about, this is not bad at all and nothing is needed. Since I have moved into this particular apartment 13/4 an inconceivable amount of crisies have occurred in my life and the life of those I am accountable for. I never considered my apt # until i just recently did the math and read about 13/4 house numbers. I was shocked to see descriptions of the horrendous roller coaster ride I am on. Please I need to know how to get out of this apt. This was to be a temporary residence and yet we have not been able to get our selves out and now feel uncertain of our future. I am worried what will go wrong next. And to note I was NOT superstitious and did not know anything about this 13/4 number until just this past week. I have a house number 5, street number 9. I think is by itself is very good [ 5 elements etc], and we know that 9 is good also. Together, im not sure? What does a house number 1465 mean? I understand 14 isn\’t good, please advice what to do. Thanks. We are moving in to a house number 62. please advise if it is a good or bad number? 6 and 2 adds to 8 which in Feng Shui, is a fantastic number and with regard to the Five Elements, the number 6 represents metal and the number 2 represents earth which is fortunate as metal enhances earth in the productive cycle. To put it simply, this is a good number for a home and you should look at this as a positive number. If you wanted to get a number plaque for the home, I would recommend using a good quality slate in rectangular or square shape to compliment this. my house number is 1589. Kindly advise what to do. Thinking if buying one of two houses in North Texas one address is 2455 which is a 7 and the other is 553 which is a four worried about my family we have 4 children and these are the best if what if what we can afford will simply putting either address in a circle or maybe an oval help? Thank you for your help! My house number is 31. Is this a good or bad number. Drawing a circle in this number can help if its not a good number. Thank you. You may have learnt that 31 is an inauspicious number as the two numbers equal to 4 although you have the elements wood and water from the 3 and 1 which can be very good. Is the numbers 444 in the prefix of you phone number bad? Please let me know so that I can decide what to do. I\’m sorry to say but my personal view and the majority of south east Asia would say that this is bad and is not considered a good number.

2019-04-19T04:21:15Z

https://www.fengshuiweb.co.uk/advice/numerology.htm

The introduction of a second IP protocol into the Internet presents many technical issues, and in previous columns we've explored many of the issues related to network engineering and infrastructure. In this column I'd like to head upward in the protocol stack to the rarefied air way up there at the level of the application, and look at how applications are managing to cope with the issue of two IP stacks. There is a proposal doing the rounds in the IETF for standardising dual stack client connection management called " Happy Eyeballs " [ draft-wing-v6ops-happy-eyeballs-ipv6-01 ]. It proposes taking the essentially sequential behavior of current implementations where they probe for connectivity in one protocol and then the other, and attempting to perform the initial connection (DNS name resolution and TCP connection handshake) in each protocol in parallel, and then proceeding with the fastest connection. In this article I'll look at how browsers on dual stack client systems access dual stack servers, and examine the corner cases when one protocol or the other isn't quite working properly, and how the browser attempts to recover from the error. There is an excellent article on this topic by Emile Aben on the RIPE Labs site (" Hampering Eyeballs "), and I'd here like to build on his work by taking a slightly deeper investigation of the issue and look at how a number of popular web browsers and operating systems cope with accessing dual stack servers, and look in particular at what happens when things don't go as smoothly as one would hope. A conventional approach to the dual stack environment can be seen if I dust off the cobwebs of my old Windows XP implementation and turn on IPv6. The time is measured in milliseconds, and the above log shows the elapsed time between each packet event that was generated in attempting to complete the connection. What this shows is a 581ms delay between issuing the query to the DNS for the AAAA resource record for the domain name foo.rd.td.h.labs.apnic.net , and a 4 millisecond delay after receiving the response before issuing a DNS query for the A resource record for the same domain name. This second query takes 299ms to obtain a response. After a further 3ms the application has generated an initial TCP connection packet (a SYN packet) to the IPv6 address. After one Round Trip Time (RTT) interval of 280ms, there is a SYN+ACK packet received in response. My local application sends an ACK packet after a further millisecond and the connection has been established, with a total elapsed time of 1.168 seconds. All these packet traces are performed at the client side of the connection. What I am interested in here is the time taken from the start of the connection operation, which is when the DNS queries are fired off to the time when, from the client's perspective, TCP is able to complete the initial three-way handshake. In the above example, this connection takes some 1.2 seconds, where some 0.9 seconds are spent performing name resolution using the DNS and 0.3 seconds (or one round trip time) are spent performing the TCP connection setup. The TCP three-way handshake is a protocol exchange that precedes every TCP connection. The initiator sends an initial TCP packet that has the SYN flag set. The "other end" will respond with a TCP packet that has the SYN and ACK flags set. When the initiator receives the SYN+ACK response it will send an ACK to the "other end" and set the local status of the connection to connected. At this point it is possible for the initiator to send data. The "other end" will enter the connected state when it receives the ACK packet. Deliberately, with all these examples in this article, the server has been placed some distance away from the client, with an RTT of around 296ms for IPv4 and a slightly faster 280ms RTT for IPv6. What is going on here is that the operating system has established there are "native" IPv4 and IPv6 interfaces on the clients device, and when it attempts to perform a connection using a domain name, it will query the DNS for both IPv6 and IPv4 addresses. Even in this first step of the connection, it's pretty clear that this could be slightly faster if Windows XP generated the two DNS queries in parallel. As it stands, Windows XP appears to wait for the completion of the first DNS query before generating the second query. Actually, as with many things in the DNS, its not so clear that serializing the DNS requests would be all that much faster. To illustrate this, in the example above to resolve the DNS name foo.rd.td.h.labs.apnic.net , the local DNS agent asks its DNS forwarding resolver, who in turn, if this was a clean state start of the forwarding resolver, would first ask the root name servers for the NS records for .net , then it would ask a .net name server for the name servers for .apnic , and so on. It is more likely that the first few steps are not required as these NS records are cached by the local DNS forwarding resolver, and wherever possible, the local cache is used rather than performing a new query on an authoritative name server. Now when there are two back-to-back queries, such as in this case where there is a second query for a different resource record associated with the same DNS name, then the local resolver will not repeat the set of NS record queries, as these are now held in the local cache, and it will simply ask the final authoritative server for the resource record being queried. This is why the first query took 581ms, while the second query was performed in a single round trip time of 299ms. If the two queries were to be performed in parallel the second query would not be able to take advantage of the entire cached state that is collected from the first query, and both queries would likely take a comparable time. In this case, I estimate that parallelising the requests would shave off some 0.3 seconds from the total connection time. When it has collected the DNS responses, the client then consults its local preference table to determine which protocol to use for the initial connection attempt. As the Windows XP system uses the default set of protocol preferences, it prefers to use IPv6 first, and the connection proceeds using IPv6. What the end user experiences here is a 22 second pause, while the local system tries three times to connect using IPv6 by resending the initial TCP SYN packet and waiting. The connection attempts are spaced using an exponentially increasing series of backoff timers of 3, 6 and 12 seconds. At the expiration of the third backoff interval, the system then switches over to the other protocol and undertakes a connection attempt using IPv4. In many complex systems, having two ways to achieve the objective can be leveraged to make the system more robust and faster, but in this case the serialisation works against the user, and when the preferred connection path is not working, the additional 21 second connection delay makes the user experience a far worse service than if the server was just an IPv4-only service. Windows XP's use of a serial view of managing connectivity in a dual stack world is not exactly working to produce a better outcome for the user in such cases. This is admittedly a pathologically broken example, but it illustrates two major differences in the default behaviour of Mac OS X and Windows XP. The first is that Mac OS X has parallelized the DNS resolution behaviour, rather than performing the DNS queries sequentially. The second difference is that Windows XP uses three connection probes over 21 seconds to conclude that an address is unreachable, while Mac OS X uses 11 connection probes over 75 seconds to reach the same conclusion. The third difference, which is not explicitly illustrated, is the comparison of these two tests, namely that when there are multiple IPv6 addresses, Windows XP will try to connect using only one IPv6 address before failing over to IPv4, while Mac OS X will probe every IPv6 address using a 75 second probe sequence before flipping over protocol stacks to try IPv4. In the case where IPv6 is non-functional, this can cause excessive delay in connection attempts, such as the 226 seconds encountered here. Here Max OS X Lion does not seem to do any better than Windows XP, and the 75 seconds taken for each TCP connection attempt, as compared to the Windows XP setting of 21 seconds, makes the user experience far worse when all is not working perfectly in the underlying network. This was a very simple TCP application, and it has been observed that web browsers often customise their approach in order to strike a good balance between robustness and responsiveness. So lets look at some popular browsers and examine the way in which they handle these situations where the remote dual stack server is impaired in some manner. Here I'm using a system running the latest version of the MAC OS X operating system, Lion, which is at version 10.7.2. I'll test the most popular web browsers for the Mac, namely Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Chrome, and look at how they handle connections in the Dual Stack world where one protocol is just not responding. The first browser case I'll look at here is the Safari browser on Mac OS X. Firstly, we connect to a URL where there is a dual stack server with responsive IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. Safari appears to be setting off two parallel connectivity sequences, where there is an IPv4 DNS query and TCP connection, and a parallel IPv6 DNS query and a TCP connection. It is evident that the first session to provide a completed TCP handshake is used by the browser, while the other connection is terminated with a TCP RST (reset) as soon as it responds with a SYN+ACK. What is not so clear from this trace is why the Safari system chose to fire off the first SYN in IPv4, even though the DNS response with the IPv6 address arrived first. What is also unclear is why Safari chose to wait for some 270ms between receiving the DNS response to the AAAA query and starting the IPv6 TCP connection. It appears that the system is using a table of RTT intervals associated with each address it has connected to in the recent past and also a "default" RTT for other addresses it has not encountered previously, and it fires off the first connection to the address that has the lowest RTT value. The failover time may also be managed from this RTT estimate, and in this case it may be that the system has an internal estimate that the expected connection time for this IPv4 address is 270ms, and when this time expires the system attempts to connect to the next address, which happens to be the IPv6 address, while leaving the first connection attempt open in case it responds. Once it has a working connection, it politely resets the other connection. In this case, the two DNS responses were received in the same millisecond interval, and once again the IPv6 AAAA record response arrived slightly ahead of the A record response. In this case, Safari selected the IPv6 address. Again I am guessing here, but it may be that the system now has a cached value of the IPv4 RTT time of 299ms, and it may have a cached value of the IPv6 RTT of 280ms, or it could be using some lower default estimate of the IPv6 RTT. It appears that Safari is using a sort function on the returned addresses based on some estimated RTT, and selecting the lowest RTT address to try first. Here there was a delay of 120ms between the two SYN packets, as compared to a wait of 270ms in the previous experiment. This appears to be derived from some revised internal estimate of the expected RTT to the IPv6 destination address, which in this case is unduly optimistic as the actual RTT is 280ms. I have to comment that, overall, this algorithm is fast! The RTT between the client and the server is 280ms in IPv6 and 299ms in IPv4 and the absolute minimum possible connection time is 579ms assuming a single IPv4 DNS RTT and a single IPv6 connection RTT. Safari's 611ms connection time is extremely efficient. So that's what happens when everything is working. What happens when Safari is presented with a URL that has a some unresponsive addresses? This second test described here attempts to connect to www.rxxx.td.h.labs.apnic.net , which is configured with three unresponsive IPv6 addresses and a single responsive IPv4 address. In this test, the AAAA query returned first, and Safari immediately attempted to open a session using the first IPv6 address. Safari now appears to have a default estimate of 270ms for this connection attempt, and upon its expiry it then tries the second IPv6 address, even though the A record response has been received from the DNS in the intervening period. Some 120ms later Safari attempts to connect using the third unresponsive address. A further 300ms later, it then tries to connect using the IPv4 address. The total effort takes 1.3 seconds, and each address is tried only once in Safari. The behaviour of Safari in OS X Lion is described in a post from an Apple engineer in July of this year . That note refers to the command nettop -n -m route to show the information that is maintained by OS X for each destination route, including the current RTT estimates that are maintained by the system. Chrome has also been equipped with a version of the "happy eyeballs" Dual Stack connection algorithm, which uses short timers and a relatively fast failover from one protocol to the other. The first test is again a simple dual stack URL, where both IPv4 and IPv6 are responsive. What appears to be happening in Chrome is that whichever DNS response arrives first, Chrome appears to select as the preferred protocol and attempts to connect by sending TCP SYN packets. Unlike Safari, Chrome attempts to connect using 2 ports in parallel, and after a 250ms delay, if there has been no SYN ACK in response, it will send a further SYN on a third port. Compared to the ideal connection time of 579ms, a connection of 587ms for IPv6 is extremely efficient, and is the fastest I've seen. It's very quick! There is a 300ms connection timer that is evidently started upon sending the first SYN, and when this timer expires, Chrome then repeats the sequence of port opening in the other protocol if the first set of open calls have been unresponsive. This way, within 300ms Chrome is able to switch back from an unresponsive IPv6 address to IPv4 address and hopefully complete the connection quickly. In this case, the total delay to establish the connection is 76.5 seconds, and it included sending 69 SYN packets! A similar 76 second delay is evident when the browser is presented with unresponsive IPv4 and IPv6 addresses coupled with a responding IPv4 address. Obviously this is an extensive delay, and it would be useful to understand where this delay is coming from. What appears to be the case is that there is a standard construct in the Mac OS X operating system (and in the FreeBSD operating system, upon which Max OS X has been constructed) that paces out the SYN retransmits according to the tcp_syn_backoff array, to a maximum interval of the value of net.inet.tcp.keepinit milliseconds. Chrome is fast when there is a problem with one protocol, and will take no more than an additional 300ms to connect in the case where its initial connection attempt uses the unresponsive protocol. However, in more complex cases where there are unresponsive addresses in both protocols, Chrome's use of the host operating system defaults when performing the connection implies that the connection time for these complex cases can take more than 75 seconds on MAC OS X. How does the latest version of Firefox fare under similar conditions? Admittedly, this is a deliberately perverse example, where there are three unresponsive IPv6 addresses and one responsive IPv4 address behind this particular URL, but it shows the sequential nature of address processing in Firefox 8.0, where all the IPv6 addresses are probed for net.inet.tcp.keepinit milliseconds (which is set to 75 seconds in my case) before shifting over to probe the IPv4 address. In this case, the connection time is an impressive 226 seconds. The other difference between Firefox and Chrome is that Firefox starts the connection with two parallel connections, and does not open up a third connection. There is an additional tuning parameter in Firefox 8.0, where, using the about:config setting, the parameter network.http.fast-fallback-to-IPv4 can be set to true. completed some 225 seconds ago! This setting causes Firefox to dispense with the efforts to open two ports in parallel, and instead it looks a lot like the "happy eyeballs" behaviour, where both TCP sessions are opened as soon as there is a DNS response within the context of each protocol. With this setting set to true, Firefox is equally quick in a standard dual stack environment. However, there appears to be a bug in the implementation where even when one protocol completes the web transaction, the other protocol continues its connection attempt to exhaustion, including the testing of all addresses in the case that the addresses are unresponsive. I was expecting to see the local client shut down the connection attempt on the outstanding connection and send a TCP reset (RST) if the connection has already elicited a SYN+ACK response. There is a second bug visible here at the end of the connection attempts for an unresponsive protocol. As the packet trace illustrates, Firefox switches over and connects to the other protocol, even though there is no outstanding HTTP task. Once the connection is made, Firefox then appears to have a 5 second timeout and then closes the session and presumably completes the internal task of opening up the second protocol. This packet trace example also highlights what I would interpret as another implementation bug, this time in the TCP implementation in the Linux server, where a TCP session that is opened but has no traffic will, after 3 seconds in this idle state, send a gratuitous SYN+ACK packet. The last of the browsers to be tested here is the Opera browser. Opera appears to try the first IPv6 address with a single port, and if this is unresponsive after the default TCP SYN timeout (75 seconds in my case) then it will try the next IPv6 address, if there is another IPv6 address, or switch to IPv4 and try the first IPv4 address. To expose this connection behaviour, I'll use a URL that has an unresponsive IPv6 address and two IPv4 addresses, one unresponsive and one reachable address. What was unexpected to see here were the four final packets, which appear to be Opera initiating a third connection attempt, repeating the previous address, but truncating this after a further 3.3 seconds. What appears to be happening is that Opera has a connection regime that selects only one address from each protocol, and it invokes a conventional connection with these addresses, preferring IPv6 over IPv4. Interestingly, when the IPv4 connection attempt returns failure (after a total elapsed time of some 152 seconds since the start of this entire connection process) Opera then invokes a third connection attempt, reusing the failed IPv4 address! I am not sure why it does not try the second (and in this case working) IPv4 address at this point. Then Opera appears to abort the entire connection process after a further 3 seconds (and four SYN packets). I guess that Opera has a "master" timer of 155 seconds, and if no progress has been made in establishing a connection after 155 seconds, it simply terminates the current connection and reports failure to the user. In Windows 7 the operating system has a default bias to prefer IPv6 in its local preference tables. Windows also uses a SYN retransmit timer, where a connection attempt takes up to 21 seconds, using 3 SYN probes, with a backoff timer of 3, 6 and 12 seconds following each SYN probe. The options for browsers are evidently limited here – either the application can use the operating system default behaviour and experience a 20 second failover to IPv4 when the IPv6 address is unresponsive, or it can fork a second connection context in IPv4 without waiting for the initial connection to timeout. Almost all browsers tested use the first approach, including Explorer 9, Firefox 8, Safari 5 and Opera 11.5. The exceptions are Chrome, which performs a parallel failover connection 300ms after the primary connection, and Firefox 8 with fast failover enabled, which performs a fully parallel connection in both protocols. I have also performed the same set of tests on Windows XP, and the browsers behave in the same manner. It seems that while many aspects of the system have changed on the evolutionary path from Windows XP through Windows Vista to Windows 7, one of the invariants is the behaviour of the protocol stack on these systems, and the dual stack recovery behaviour is identical, as far as I can tell by these tests. Lets look at a few of these browsers' connection behaviour in Windows 7 in a bit more detail. The noted behaviour in Explorer is to attempt to connect on all available IPv6 addresses before failing over to IPv4. In this admittedly pathological bad case of 3 unresponsive IPv6 addresses, the connection time is extended by 57 seconds. In a more conventional situation with a single unresponsive IPv6 address, Explorer will send 3 SYN probes to the IPv6 address with backoff timers of 3, 6 and 12 seconds, then switch over to probe IPv4. This is very similar to the behaviour of Explorer in so far as it serialises the DNS queries, then serialises the TCP connection attempts. There is one curious artefact here, and that is that the initial connection is made on one port, but after the first SYN timeout of three seconds it is joined by a second parallel port, and both connections then perform a 6 second SYN time out. This strikes me as some form of implementation bug, but whether it's Firefox or Windows at fault here is hard to tell. When I enable Firefox's network.http.fast-fallback-to-IPv4 the behaviour is switched from sequential to parallel for the TCP connection, but, curiously, the DNS name resolution remains a sequential operation. This is the Linux behaviour of sending a gratuitous SYN+ACK 3 seconds. The session startup is performed in parallel, but curiously even when the IPv4 connection successfully completes, the IPv6 stream is still attempting to connect. More curiously, when the IPv6 connection fails, it then falls back to IPv4, and sits idle for 5 seconds before shutting down the session. Also visible here is the Linux server's spurious idle SYN+ACK that appears to be generated after 3 seconds of initial inactivity at the server. This "hanging" connection attempt is not visible to the user, and the user sees a rapid connection and a rapid download, and the "dangling" extra session just trails off in the background. But it would be good to see this obvious implementation bug cleaned up in a future release of this browser. As with Mac OS X, Chrome in Windows 7 launches 2 connection attempts in IPv6 immediately, and opens a third port after 250ms of inactivity. When 300ms expires, Chrome then switches over to IPv4 and opens two ports immediately, and a third port in another 250ms. The last system tested here is Linux 2.6. The default behaviour for Linux is to attempt to connect using 5 SYN probes, as compared to 11 SYN probes taking 75 seconds with FreeBSD (and Mac OS X) and 3 probes taking 21 seconds with Windows. With Linux the wait time for each probe is, like Windows, an exponentially increasing set of times, starting at 3 seconds. This 3 minute failover period is excessive these days, and can be altered by setting the sysctl parameter net.ipv4.tcp_syn_retries to a lower value. It is also possible for the application itself to override this by using a local timer and terminating the connection attempt when the application level timer expires. Why are the default timeout settings for TCP connections so long? These days it takes some 350ms for a packet to pass around the entire globe on today's terrestrial fibre networks. Indeed searching for a network path that takes longer than 400ms using entirely terrestrial routes is a challenge and when it occurs, it's often symptomatic of a routing failure rather than the outcome of deliberate network engineering. So why do we see default settings in shipped operating systems with connection timers of 21 seconds, 75 seconds and even 189 seconds? In that 189 seconds that same erstwhile packet could've whizzed around the earth 540 times! Surely its possible to conclude that an address is unresponsive in 1 or 2 seconds, so why impose a 3 minute wait upon the long suffering user? The challenge for protocol stack engineers is to design a system that is robust under all conditions, and that means that it's necessary for the stack to work reliably under some of the more extreme and challenging situations. Oddly enough, one of the most challenging situations is a dialup modem. The desire for useable speed means that dialup modems attempt to provide extreme payload compression as well as performing the highest level of signal compression it can. The combination can be used to extract a phenomenal 56Kbps out of a 300 baud analogue circuit, but the cost is an imposed delay, and it is not uncommon to see a dialup connection adding some 3 seconds to a round trip measurement. In addition, even 56Kbps of bandwidth is nowhere near enough, and many applications will swamp the connection with traffic, causing instances of sustained packet loss. So when you are engineering a system to be robust over a lossy high delay dialup connection, then an algorithm of 11 probes over 75 seconds starts to sound like a decent strategy, and even 6 probes over 189 seconds may well outlast any transient congestion event on a dialup connection. So where to set the default? In the best possible case, in the certain knowledge that if the system is ever placed behind a dialup modem, then it simply will not work? Or in the worst case, in the knowledge that most of the network is highly reliable most of the time, and on a high speed connection, these default connection failure timers will be used rarely? Most protocol engineers design their default for the latter and hope that most users will simply not encounter these massive timeouts in their normal use of the network. I have been waiting for the time when these protocol stacks employ a little more active probing of their environment and adapt their connection timers based on recent experience. The recent changes to the MAC OS X protocol stack, where the estimated RTT times for each destination are cached and used to optimise the system's connection behaviour, are truly a delight to see. Yes, it probably still needs a little tuning as far as I can tell, but it is a major evolutionary step from the rather primitive blind guesswork that we've used so far in designing protocol behaviour. It appears to make the entire Dual Stack scenario about as painless as possible, even in some of the more pathological cases of partial connectivity. I won't reproduce the complete set of packet traces for the browsers tested on Linux, but note that Firefox 8.0.1 uses a truncated connection sequence that terminates after 4 retries (a total of 5 probes) and 93 seconds, and when the fast failover option is enabled, performs a fully parallel connection sequence in each protocol. Chrome again uses the 300ms staggering of the two parallel connection attempts, allowing each attempt to run through to the full 189 seconds. Opera will wait for the full 189 seconds before failing over to use IPv4. The iPhone supports a Dual Stack environment on its WiFi Interface. On an iOS platform the Safari browser initiates the DNS queries in parallel. The system initially starts an IPv6 session, and after a 721ms timeout it starts a parallel session using IPv4. After a 991ms interval it sends a second SYN probe to the IPv6 address. When the IPv4 SYN probe responds, Safari latches onto this session and completes the HTTP request. Now lets try this with a URL with three unresponsive IPv6 addresses. This is somewhat unexpected. Again IPv6 is probed first, and after 718ms a second probe is initiated, but this time it uses the second IPv6 address. After a total of a 907ms timeout, the first probe is resent. After a further 425ms, the third IPv6 address is probed, and after another 131ms, or a total of 1574ms since the initial probe was commenced, it now opens up a probe on IPv4. The browser now has 4 probe sessions active, three in IPv6 and one in IPv4. After 992ms to the second unresponsive IPv6 address, the browser sends a second probe. When the IPv4 SYN generates a SYN+ACK response, curiously, the browser does not immediately send an ACK and close off the IPv6 probes. Instead it waits a further 116ms and, 899ms after the second probe, Safari sends a third probe to the first unresponsive IPv6 address. Only then does it respond to the IPv4 SYN+ACK and start up the fetch. It seems that Safari uses a 990ms retransmit timer, and attempts to connect on all IPv6 addresses before performing a fallback to IPv4. So, finally, lets try iOS on a URL where there are 2 addresses in each protocol, and all are unresponsive. The total time before the connection failure was passed to the application used, was 64.3 seconds. Each address was probed 10 times, with a backoff timer set of 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 seconds between successive SYN probes. What is quite different here was that at 12.8 seconds, 26.1 seconds, 38.9 seconds and 51.9 seconds (approximately at 12 second intervals) the DNS query was repeated. The timing of the backoff algorithm appears to be based on some internal estimate of the RTT of the default route. In this case, it appears that the system has a cached IPv6 default RTT of 130ms and a cached IPv4 RTT of some 700ms. The fallback algorithm appears to be an ordering of addresses by RTT estimate, and each address is added to the probe set upon the expiration of the RTT timer of the pervious address. This table shows the outcomes of dual stack failover tests for various operating systems and browser combinations. Each cell in this table contains the version of the browser that was tested on this system, the time taken to fail over when the preferred protocol was unresponsive, and the default protocol preference (where 'x' means that the faster connection is preferred). There is much to be improved in the way in which operating systems and browsers generally handle dual stack situations. The operation of Firefox 8 with fast failover is perhaps the most efficient of all the browsers tested in terms of its ability to optimise its behaviour across all of the operating systems. It's not clear that the 300ms staggering used by Chrome is of any particular value. Noting the predilection for a number of these browsers to open 2 or even 3 parallel ports from the outset, considerations about imposing too high a TCP connection load on the server now appear to have become a mere historical curiosity in the unending search for blindingly fast browser performance. So Chrome's restraint with a 300ms timer is certainly polite, but on the other hand Chrome is the more profligate in terms of parallel connections as it starts off with 3 parallel connections when the RTT is over 250ms. I'd offer the view that Chrome would be faster in the corner cases if it dropped the third port and at the same time dropped the fallback timer from 300ms to 0ms. Safari and Mac OS X combine to attempt to guess the fastest connection, rather than simply apply a brute force approach of using a parallel connection. Given that it only opens up a single port on startup, its politeness to the server could be considered bordering on being parsimonious, and the additional load imposed by using a fully parallel connection setup in both protocols with a single connection in each protocol would only put it on a level of the default Firefox 8 behaviour. The efforts to cache the RTT estimates and order the connection attempts by increasing RTT are an interesting optimisation, and where different protocols give different RTTs, as in the case here where there was a 20ms difference in the paths in IPv6 and IPv4, Safari managed to learn of this and apply the correct preference, with a little tinkering with v6-only and v4-only URLs in order to prime the cache of stored RTTs. However, Safari also places an RTT time estimate on the "default" route in both IPv4 and IPv6, and uses this internal value to bias its initial connection choice in dual stack scenarios in the absence of specific information. It appears that what is not cached is unresponsive addresses, so while Safari is able to make efficient choices when there is reliable information already gathered, it makes poor choices when one of the addresses returned by the DNS is persistently unresponsive and when its estimate of the RTT to "default" (what ever that may be!) starts to drift. There is an interesting design compromise as to whether to tightly couple the DNS and TCP connection or whether to embark on connection attempts as soon as the DNS results are returned in each protocol family. The browser wants to optimise two performance parameters, namely the initial connection time from the user's click to the time that the page starts to draw, and of course the total connection time for the entire page download. If the decision was to optimise the initial connection time, then there is much to be said for setting off the two DNS queries in parallel and embarking on the associated TCP connection as soon as the DNS response is received. But if the decision is to optimise the session performance, then the lower RTT will be selected if the browser performs a rendezvous after the DNS query phase and then fires off the opening SYN packets in parallel. If there is an appreciable difference in RTT between the two protocols, then the faster path will complete the TCP connection first. My choice? Right now Firefox 8 with fast failover enabled appears to offer the best performance on the platforms I've tested when you are after the fastest connection time if you are on a Windows or Linux platform. But you will need to set the fast failover option. Without this set to "true", its dual stack connection behaviour is pretty ordinary. If you are using a Mac then despite some of the erratic outcomes from the RTT tracking function when presented with pathologically broken cases, Safari appears to offer the fastest behaviour in dual stack scenarios. But what if you happen to love the user interface provided by your favourite browser and don't want to switch? In that case, if you are still after improving connection speeds for unresponsive websites, you may certainly want to look at the SYN retransmit settings if you are on a MAC or a Linux platform and knock the number of retransmits down to a more reasonable 10 seconds in the case of the Mac or to 2 SYN retries in the case of Linux. I performed these tests using tcpdump on a number of hosts. In setting up these tests I use a number of wildcard DNS domains. (They are wildcarded to override some browser's predilection for caching DNS answers. So any valid DNS string can be used as a prefix here.) Each of these domains has a different behaviour, as shown in the table below. Hampering Eyeballs - Observations on Two "Happy Eyeballs" Implementations In this article we look at two "Happy Eyeballs" implementations, that aim to reduce degraded user experience as the result of broken dual-stack configurations. We call this degraded user experience "Unhappy Eyeballs". The Chrome web browser implementation seems to succeed in this aim, while Apple's Mac OS X Lion operating system only partially succeeds in avoiding "Unhappy Eyeballs". Furthermore we show that Mac OS X Lion, in combination with the Safari web browser results in "Happy Eyeballs", but leaves well performing native IPv6 capacity unused in roughly half of the cases we measured, a condition we name "Hampering Eyeballs". As I told you at RIPE63, I also saw the spurious SYN+ACK that Linux servers send, if a client just does a TCP 3-way handshake and doesn't send any other packets. I dug a little deeper into this and I found that Apache on Linux shows this behaviour while other server software doesn't necessarily. Digging through Apache source code, I found it sets the TCP_DEFER_ACCEPT socket option. A simple test program shows that this behaviour only happens if one sets this option on a listening socket on Linux, but not without this option on Linux. Interesting still is that the use is quite wide spread (how many Apache/Linux servers are there on the Internet?). Can this be used to measure things that we couldn't measure without knowing about this? And I would _guess_ that the listener is, by virtue of this option, discarding the initial null ACK and awaiting an ACK with data to "complete" the initial handshake. If the client sends a conventional ACK with no attached data to complete the initial TCP handshake and then does nothing (as distinct from the conventional behaviour of immediately sending a data segment with a duplicate of the previous ACK) then server says "hmm incomplete handshake" as the initial ACK has been discarded. If you have tested this, do you still have a test rig handy? What happens if you open the connection then sleep for 60 seconds then send 1 byte of data? what does the server send? multiple SYN+ACKs? or will it timeout the connection? Yes, there are a couple of typos in the packet traces where I've put in the wrong DNS trace to the subsequent connection attempt. Good catch. another comment on the Chrome/Mac OS X Lion experiments. I've also seen cases where, on trying a dualstack host, order of returned DNS record didn't dictate what IP protocol was used to set up the HTTP request, so I don't agree with your assumption that DNS record ordering dictates what protocol is going to be used. Usually IPv6 is tried, but on Mac OS X Lion I've also seen a couple of cases where IPv4 was tried. I think it's some kind of weird interaction between Chrome internal-caching and the reordering of getaddrinfo() results. Reinforces one of the points in my "Hampering Eyeballs" article about this becoming really hard to debug/understand.

2019-04-20T00:44:30Z

https://labs.ripe.net/Members/gih/dual-stack-esotropia

See below for an answer to a question(marked with an asterisk) posed in the briefing that required follow up. * The largest components of the legislation that the President signed on November 6, 2009, the "Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009," were the extension of the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit through April 30, 2010, a $6,500 credit to certain other homebuyers through April 30, 2010 and a provision expanding net operating losses for business taxes. The bill also added 20 weeks of unemployment insurance. The unemployment insurance provision was 10 percent of the gross cost of the bill as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office ($2.4 billion out of $23.9 billion). MR. GIBBS: Point of order? MR. GIBBS: Okay. (Laughter.) Is there a parliamentarian for Ben’s point of order? MR. GIBBS: If there are no objections -- go ahead, I’m sorry. Q Thank you. The President expressed to Ms. Sherrod his regret. Is it accurate to say that he apologized, personally apologized? Q Okay. Thank you, the point of order. MR. GIBBS: Reclaiming your time? Q -- or to take the new job? MR. GIBBS: No, look, that was not what the call was about and not what happened on the call. Obviously the President said, as the readout discusses, that she has a unique set of experiences and a unique opportunity to continue using those experiences to help people. That’s what he said to her. And obviously a decision about what she’s going to do is up to her, and I think she is supposed to talk with the Department of Agriculture at some point today. Q She did accept his apology? Q Maybe I missed this, but why couldn’t she just have her old job back? MR. GIBBS: I would point you to USDA in terms of -- they’re handling the jobs discussions with Ms. Sherrod. I would say that -- I think what Secretary Vilsack offered was something that allows her to, again, as the President said, use some unique experiences to help root out what we know is long -- a department that has struggled with discrimination. MR. GIBBS: I would just say that she’s a -- as April pointed out yesterday -- she’s a plaintiff in the Pigford discrimination case. Q Did the President invite her to the White House? Q Is it clear why the President was unable to reach her yesterday? Apparently he tried and -- she’s been all over TV -- why wasn’t she reachable? MR. GIBBS: It may have been because she was all over TV. The White House operator tried on at least two occasions last night and was both unable to reach her and unable to leave a voicemail. Q And last point on that. Is the White House comfortable with the fact that she has been on a lot of television shows? MR. GIBBS: She’s free to do and say what every other person in the country is free to do and say. Q I’d like to ask about energy. Senator Kerry said it could be very tough to get the energy bill passed, and there’s been talk that it could be scaled down and become more of a referendum on offshore drilling. I was wondering what response you had to that, and also any comment on what chances do you think there is of getting the bill done? MR. GIBBS: Well, I would say I think that Senator Reid is -- and Carol Browner and other members of the administration are on the Hill now with Democratic senators to discuss how best to move forward on energy legislation. The President is committed to moving comprehensive energy legislation, understanding, though, that in the environment that we live -- everything takes 60 votes in the U.S. Senate, which means there have to be -- there has to be bipartisan support and bipartisan cooperation for moving forward and getting something done. I do know there’s discussions about ensuring that increasing oil spill liability is part of legislation and dealing with some of the problems that have been presented as a result of the BP oil spill. And I think those will certainly be in whatever legislation is taken up. Q Okay, speaking of BP, what are you hearing today in terms of what’s happening with the prospect of the tropical storm, evacuations? MR. GIBBS: Well, Admiral Allen is going to brief a little bit later on today, and he’ll have more on this, but tropical depression warnings have gone out for the Bahamas and parts of South Florida, as the -- and the President received a briefing, as you all got the readout, in the Situation Room yesterday both about where we are on the cap and that process, as well as the trajectory of the storm potentially leading across Florida and into the Gulf. The protocols, Admiral Allen sent a letter to BP a day or so ago asking them for their timeline on removing equipment in the Gulf in the event that a storm heads in that area. Right now we have a trajectory that would put it -- put this storm, the intensity with which we obviously don’t yet know, into the Gulf. The protocols that have generally been established by Admiral Allen are if you believe that what are considered gale force winds, so winds in excess of 39 miles an hour, are likely at the site, that preparations should begin 120 hours prior to that event in terms of moving that equipment out of the area. Obviously the equipment is owned by different companies. So Transocean and BP and others all will make individual decisions as companies about when they would move equipment. I think there’s no doubt that this storm has intensified and decisions will be made probably likely later this afternoon on moving some of that equipment out of there. For instance, the DD3, which is the rig drilling the relief well that is closest to the active well right now, about five feet away from it, is -- that and the Q4000, which was the boat burning the oil recovered through the original cap -- those decisions I’m told will be made about 8:00 tonight about whether or not to move those assets. Later this afternoon, I think they will have a decision, and I would tune in to Admiral Allen’s briefing for more information on this. About what we do with the sealing cap during a hurricane. During the briefing yesterday, Secretary Chu and members of the scientific team that have been working on the monitoring, the seismic -- reading the seismic material on the testing, have been encouraged by what they have seen; believe that, as of yesterday, that the well was stable. So he is encouraged by what he’s seen in the testing that has been conducted using the sealing cap. I think a final decision, again, if the area is evacuated, whether to keep that sealing cap on, is a decision that will be made over the course of the next several hours. Q Secretary Gates today announced that the Obama administration was lifting a more than decade-long ban on U.S. military assistance to Indonesia’s special forces unit. Human rights groups are outraged by this because the special forces unit has been accused of all sorts of serious crimes. Can you explain why this decision was made? MR. GIBBS: I don’t have anything on this, Jake. I’d point you over to the Pentagon on that. MR. GIBBS: He mentioned during the call that he had read the transcript of her interview. MR. GIBBS: The full transcript of -- I’m sorry, not of her interview, but of her speech. Q And what did he think? What was his personal reaction to her story? MR. GIBBS: Look, I don’t remember exactly what he said on the call, but I think they talked about how -- look, we all have -- I think he talked about and -- talked about experiences that he had had and written about in his book that in some ways were similar to the experiences that she has written and talked about as part of that speech. Q Can you elaborate a little? MR. GIBBS: That’s literally all that was said about that. MR. GIBBS: He didn’t -- he just talked about what he’d written in his book. They didn’t -- he didn’t get deeply into that part. Q Could you just elaborate a little bit on his personal reaction to either reading the transcript of her fuller speech or to the call itself, to actually talking to this woman? MR. GIBBS: Well, again, he thought she was -- look, obviously she’s got a remarkable story. He expressed his apologies for the events of the last several days. Obviously, again, this is a woman who has a unique set of experiences, both before this incident and now. MR. GIBBS: The memoir. So I think that -- again, he was -- he thought she was very gracious. And I would say, as we did in the readout, the President expressed to Ms. Sherrod that Secretary Vilsack had, he believed, been extremely sincere in his comments yesterday, in his apologies, and believed that he was also equally sincere about the work that he is leading at the Department of Agriculture to ensure that the department’s activities are conducted without discrimination. MR. GIBBS: I’d point you over to USDA on that. I don’t know if you talked to USDA. Q Do you know where she is, she is Cheryl Cook? MR. GIBBS: I assume at the Department of Agriculture. I don’t know where she is. Q But no plans at this point that you know of to put her forward so she can clear this up what was said? MR. GIBBS: Dan, again, if you’re interested in talking to the deputy secretary, call the press office at the Department of Agriculture. Q Okay, wait, I have another question, Robert. Q -- the USDA not allowing people to talk to her? MR. GIBBS: Again, contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Q Robert, this was supposed to be a week of focusing on Wall Street reform, the economy, kind an economy week, and there’s this story that’s been dominating the headlines. Any frustration at all politically that the message was lost behind this? Q Yesterday you said maybe the President would speak on this at some point. Any progress on that? Do you think he will? Q Is he avoiding speaking on this? Somebody shouted a question earlier in the signing today of unemployment. Is that going to happen in a place with reporters in the room? MR. GIBBS: I don’t know how the bill will be signed. I know the President is anxious to sign it. We have unemployment benefits that you know if you’re -- if you’ve exhausted your state unemployment benefits at 26 weeks, despite the fact that normally through the Recovery Act we extended benefits though the 99th week, people -- 2.5 million people have lost their benefits. Q Will it be done to still photographers only to avoid questions on this matter? MR. GIBBS: I honestly don’t know what the coverage is. We’re anxious to get the bill and sign it. Q It was one year ago today that the President said the Cambridge Police acted “stupidly” in the Henry Louis Gates matter, which kind of obliterated other news for about a week. Is that why the President is not coming out and talking about this publicly? Q Does he want to avoid that kind of media firestorm so that he can keep his focus on other issues? Q Could I ask you one other question, a substantive question on unemployment insurance? MR. GIBBS: You said that. I didn’t. Q The President -- as opposed to the procedural questions that I ask. MR. GIBBS: As a point of order -- can you just circle that out of the transcript? Q The President this morning made the case that there’s a lot of waste, fraud and abuse in the budget, and that there’s been an aggressive effort to go after that. Did the White House try -- at least try to find $34 billion worth of waste, fraud and abuse so that they could pay for this unemployment insurance bill as the Republicans are insisting they do? MR. GIBBS: As a -- no, this was -- Chip, we had -- I think -- I don’t know if you were here last week when we I think discussed this twice. Unemployment benefits and extending unemployment insurance has and I believe rightfully should be considered emergency spending. We’re in the midst of an economic downturn unlike anything we’ve seen since, as I’ve said in here a thousand times, anything since the late 1920s. That demands special action. The long-term unemployed are a big part of that 8.5 million jobs that have been lost. This -- it took the Senate four different times just to get to this point. And thankfully we had Republicans like Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe that were -- have understood that as they have voted in the past to extend unemployment benefits as emergency spending, unlike some who decided this was a perfect opportunity to play politics; much as there’s a bill on the floor now to cut taxes on small business, which the President greatly supports. There’s a component of that legislation to extend lending through community banks to small businesses to help create jobs, yet for as many times as most Republicans talk about small business, there’s an effort to block that. Q But you can get that benefit from unemployment benefits, from passing it. And at the same time, why wouldn’t the President say, okay, guys, this has been going on -- you had months with all these different votes. Why didn’t he call up Orszag and the green eye shade guys and say, go in there, find me $34 billion worth of waste, fraud and abuse; let’s pay for this thing at the same time that we’re getting the benefits of this? MR. GIBBS: Yes, because, Chip, this is -- the President believes this should be treated, like every President has previously, as emergency spending. And thankfully, the partisan games are over because of the good help of two Republicans. Q Really? Is that going to continue through Election Day on both sides? Q You don’t think this is going to be a political football through Election Day? MR. GIBBS: I’m happy to have that -- I’m happy to make each and every day about whether you’re for people that have lost their jobs having the benefits that they pay for in order to make ends meet when they’ve lost their job. Governing is about choices, Chip, each and every day. But we talk about the partisan political games. I just said there’s $30 billion to community banks to lend to small businesses to create jobs. I cannot imagine that in a normal time or in a normal year, that would be considered controversial. But welcome to July 2010. Q Can you -- you’ve now spent a couple of instances with the President talking about this issue with Sherrod. Can you share with us more of his sort of impressions of this week, of what -- sort of this firestorm, the circus atmosphere? MR. GIBBS: Chuck, we have -- the circus. We have not honestly spent a lot of time talking about that. We were -- I obviously heard part of the call in order to provide a readout for you guys. But we haven’t had a long chance to talk about it. MR. GIBBS: And in here yesterday. Q And in here yesterday. Have you shared that with him? Is this his thinking as well? MR. GIBBS: I don’t -- as I said yesterday, the actions of this administration should be reflected on. I think the actions of the media and our media culture should be reflected on. The statements and the actions of interest groups on each side of this should be reflected on. And I’ve actually gotten a number of emails from reporters that share those reflections. Q Why did the President -- is there a reason -- you emphasized here and in the readout it was emphasized that he wanted to make sure she knew that Secretary Vilsack’s apology was sincere. Has there been a concern that she thought it wasn’t? MR. GIBBS: No, I don’t think so. I think -- look, I think most of you all saw what Secretary Vilsack said. I don’t think -- I think the phrase “I’m sorry” probably could or should be said a lot more in this town, and it’s hard to get out sometimes. I thought what Secretary -- I think it was hard to watch what Secretary Vilsack did and not believe this was coming from the bottom of his heart. And I think the President simply wanted to convey that if there was any doubt in anybody’s mind, and if there was any doubt in her mind, of the sincerity of and the work that Secretary Vilsack has both undertaken and pledged to do, that that -- that both of those were from the bottom of his heart, and they were genuinely sincere. Q -- that have come to him? MR. GIBBS: I don’t know the answer to that. I know he gets regularly those -- five to 10 of those letters. Let me see if any of those have gone to him. Q Does the White House have a view about whether it’s appropriate for a mosque to be built near the Ground Zero site in New York? MR. GIBBS: I think I got this question last week, and didn’t render an opinion on it. Q So, no, you still don’t have an opinion on it? And just one quick thing on the Sherrod situation, from what the -- from the conversation that you heard, she had said that she didn’t want to just get an apology from the President, she wanted to have a conversation about the issues that all of this sparked. Do you think the conversation they had was sort of a conversation about the issue, the exchange of ideas? Or was it a little more perfunctory? How would you describe it? MR. GIBBS: I think they had an opportunity to talk about parts of the situation, and, again, the President expressed his regret and expressed that her unique experiences provided her a good opportunity to continue that work, and they talked about, as I said a minute ago, some of the experiences that I think each of them have had. Ms. Sherrod talked about some of the work that she had done as the head of rural development in Georgia. And that’s when the President said, I think that’s -- there’s an opportunity for you to continue that work if you want to do so. So I think it was a -- I know the President believed it was a good call. Q Can I give the text of what he said? MR. GIBBS: Why don’t you give it to Bill and I’ll be happy to take a look at it. MR. GIBBS: Well, as I said yesterday, I don’t expect an imminent announcement. Obviously there are several positions that this legislation created. Obviously one of those important jobs are the office -- the consumer bureau. I think, as I said yesterday, that she is somebody who -- look, in many ways, this bureau was borne out of a policy idea that she had. I think she would be somebody who would be obviously terrific at that job, well qualified. MR. GIBBS: I think we’ve talked about several candidates, people like Michael Barr, who has done terrific work over at the Treasury now. Q Do you want to get this through before the August recess? MR. GIBBS: I do not think there’s a scenario in which the Senate will act on this before the August recess. MR. GIBBS: As soon as we get it, we will -- the President will sign that legislation. MR. GIBBS: Yes. I assume so. Q Yes. So since he doesn’t have the power to recover that money, will the White House exert pressure for these executives to give the money back? MR. GIBBS: I think I’d wait -- I’ll be happy to look at that question tomorrow when we have a -- I think the report he releases comes out tomorrow. Q You may have addressed this with Laura, but this morning Shirley Sherrod said she wanted to talk to the President about her experiences growing up in the South, the rural parts of America, communicate to him things that she was under the impression he may not have had a sufficient awareness of or personal experience with. Did that go on with the conversation? MR. GIBBS: Well, Major, I think each and every person brings unique and special experiences from their life. I think we learn most probably from experience. But, again, I think we’ve provided a fair readout of what happened in the call. There was not a long conversation about her life in the South. Q There was a protest yesterday about the deepwater drilling moratorium. There are some reports that international drilling companies may move some equipment out, taking advantage of this moratorium. MR. GIBBS: Taking advantage of the moratorium? Q Well, in that because it can’t be done here, moving equipment elsewhere to where it can be done. Q Perhaps I could have phrased it differently. Is that -- the concerns expressed by those in the Gulf continue to mount, they’re not abating, there is some indication that drilling platforms that were there may be moved out, and there could be a continued loss of jobs. I know that you’ve weighed this carefully, but does this persistent concern economically there raise any additional reasons to reevaluate the moratorium? MR. GIBBS: Well, I think the President believes and the administration believe that the moratorium we have in place is there for a very important reason, and that is to ensure that we have a better sense of what is happening and what happened, and to create a regulatory framework that addresses the fact that drilling is happening in places that we don’t have as much experience at. Five thousand -- I mean, the unique challenges that this accident -- the unique challenges that we’ve run into are because you can’t walk up to a blowout preventer and fix it. You can in shallow-water drilling because, in many ways, that’s -- those are blowout preventers that are on top of the surface. The President believes that it is important to understand what happened before we start doing this again. He understands the concerns expressed economically. At the same time, those same people express the concerns of what is happening now. And as I’ve said here before, there are -- you hear from, say, the governor of Louisiana discuss the deepwater drilling moratorium right after he talks about how hard is to work with BP. And you have to understand that four of those permits are held by BP. And I think it’s -- I think it sometimes gets hard to match up how exactly you can have both of those emotions going at one time. The President understands that, but at the same time, his job is to ensure that we’re doing all that we can safely, that we have -- and you saw plans yesterday by oil companies on how to respond, which I think were clearly lacking before those were released. MR. GIBBS: Yes, oh, yes. Q Where does this fall on the transparency scale as far as you’re concerned? MR. GIBBS: I think it’s genuinely on the stupidity part of the transparency scale. (Laughter.) If you want to show a picture of what the room looks like, just take a picture. I mean, I don’t -- I mean, I think you could probably write an entire encyclopedia on some of the mistakes that have been made by the company in trying to do certain things and trying to complicate the simple. We asked for several days for cameras to be put on at the site, to make that available -- make that footage available. Again, I think the resistance on that, Photoshopping people and screens into photographs, is stupidly complicating the simple. Q One question quickly on the supplemental, which has to be done by next week before the House is scheduled to go. MR. GIBBS: To go, right. Q And am I understanding the White House position on that correctly? MR. GIBBS: Let me get -- because it moves around a bit with the Senate and the House, let me see if there’s an update on that. I know there was some -- I heard some discussion today that the supplemental might be taken up as -- depending on when the -- when small business was acted on, it could come -- yes, it could come late today or tomorrow. Q It’s -- well, but does the President -- and in that speech had vowed to take a leadership role in moving society beyond that -- does he believe that any progress has been made on his watch? And has he done any reconsideration of what his own role might be, what he should be doing to further that along? MR. GIBBS: Well, look, I think -- look, I think we have tried to and made progress on issues that are -- look, I think look at an issue like education. We have tried -- I think you would hear of many civil rights leaders talk about education as a civil rights issue. I think the progress that we’ve made on -- through initiatives like Race to the Top, which have seen an increase in standards, is something that represents -- well, not maybe the traditional topic that you’re talking about, but a better sense of equality in this country, at least in terms of the education that’s offered to our children. Look, I don’t think the President was under any illusion that -- and I think has said as such -- that his election alone would change long held views. And I think that we’ll be having discussions on race and have -- and I’m sure there will continue to be differing opinions long after this President has left. MR. GIBBS: I would actually argue that the -- I don’t necessarily -- first of all, the “Beer Summit” is a great example. I think that’s -- if I’m not mistaken -- a term you guys coined. Q But you embraced it. MR. GIBBS: Well, let me say this, let me say this. I don’t -- and Dan had a point. Look, this is something that’s dominated the news. And I was asked -- Chip asked yesterday if this is a teachable moment, is the President the teacher. I don’t think you have to -- I don’t think you have to have a teacher for this to be a teachable moment. I doubt that any of us have gone through the events of the past several days, if you work in this administration, and thinking back to how this was -- how this came to be, it’s conjecture, but my guess is a lot of you all have thought about these issues in a way you might not have thought about last week because it wasn’t at the forefront. I think it’s these types of experiences that allow us to think through some of these issues and think about them in different ways. I don’t think you necessarily have to -- it’s not a teachable moment in the sense that there’s a classroom setting, but each person has and sees experiences either that they take part in, or that they hear about as part of the news that provide you a chance to look and learn. And maybe what we do is we learn that -- certainly if you listen to the entirety of what Ms. Sherrod was saying you learn about the -- how her experiences changed the way she thinks and the way she acts. And maybe because of that we take the time to think about how we think and how we act. So I think in that way, you -- while this isn’t a set event or a symposium or a big meeting, it’s still, in and of itself, a moment that I think provides us an opportunity to reflect and change. Q Robert, can I just follow up? If this is a teachable moment, what is the lesson? Is it about race? Or is it about media and politics? MR. GIBBS: I don’t know that I’d oversimplify it just as something -- I mean, I think it -- I mean, the beauty of a big teachable moment is each person gets to take away from it something different, right. I mean, look, have I thought about the way all this unfolded? Of course. That the next time I hear about an event like this and a decision that’s made somewhat -- that you stop and ask, did we look at the whole context? Did we look at everything? I can’t imagine that those same discussions aren’t being had in your newsrooms by both you, your editors, by producers, in saying, next time maybe -- maybe that’s race, maybe that’s media and culture. I don’t -- I think all of it is one -- I think it’s all in one big -- I think it’s all one big thing. I don’t know that -- but, again, I don’t -- I think the great thing is we all get to learn and look back and evaluate the entirety of the situation and pull different things. I think you can probably pull both, right? I think you can probably pull the lesson that -- I don’t think anybody would doubt and this -- I’m not up here to lecture or scold because I’m -- nobody that has been involved in this whole situation, from the administration’s perspective, is, as I said, isn’t thinking about what has happened. But asking that question, did we see the whole thing; do we know when that story was; do we know what her background is; do we know how the story ends -- I think -- certainly I think stuff like that is helpful and reflective because I think not only is it, do we live in this crazy reality-TV culture, right? Yes, I think that’s part of it, but I also think it was undoubtedly sparked by the fact that it’s a discussion about race and that is something that always garners a lot of attention. Q May I just follow up, Robert? Q Robert, can I have just one quick question -- you might have answered this before -- did the President watch the whole video? Q Of the whole thing? Q Okay. And when you were listening in or in the room, were you only listening to his part? Or did you hear also -- hear her too? MR. GIBBS: I could hear both parts. Q You could hear both parts. MR. GIBBS: And I don’t even work for CNN. (Laughter.) Sorry, I had to say that. MR. GIBBS: I think that’s certainly one lesson you’d learn, yes. MR. GIBBS: I think -- look, I think if I were writing the chapter title, it might be what you just said, “Look Before you Leap.” It might be “Don’t Rush to Judgment,” because that’s all about the fact that conclusions were drawn by all involved based on what we thought was the entirety of and what we now know is a very small part of it. Q But when he read the whole transcript, I’m wondering if he felt it was -- I mean, it really was almost like a sermon. It was almost Obama-esque. I mean, she had a parable. She talked about how she was tempted to do one thing and learned to do another. Q I mean, what was his reaction to that? MR. GIBBS: He did not provide me that reaction, but, again, I’m not doing this in his voice, but I think very much -- I would not disagree with the fact that -- which I think is what makes the story so -- ultimately such a powerful one is that -- and why, quite frankly, you could understand that if you just read part of it or just see part of it, you’d come to a different, albeit completely wrong, conclusion. MR. GIBBS: Well, again, I would -- I’d point you to the Department of Justice that can provide you more on the case that it will argue today. We cannot -- despite the frustration of folks in Arizona, which is real and which is understandable, you can’t have 50 states creating 50 different -- the potential to create 50 different immigration laws. And that’s the case that the government will argue in court today. Q Thank you. Is the matter closed, as far as Secretary Vilsack is concerned, or is anyone from the White House likely to speak to him about judgments that he’s making in firing a person based on reading into a two-minute video? MR. GIBBS: Look, I would point you to what he said yesterday. I think he was pretty clear on how this would change the way he would do things in the future. I thought he was -- I thought that was heartfelt and gracious. I think his words largely speak for themselves on that. Q Just to follow up. You said earlier the President told Shirley Sherrod that Secretary Vilsack was extremely sincere. Did the President talk to Tom Vilsack? MR. GIBBS: The President spoke with Secretary Vilsack last night. Q Was the discussion -- did they talk at all about Vilsack’s tenure? Did he offer to resign? MR. GIBBS: I know they spoke. I don’t know -- sorry? I don’t know what they talked about. Q Did he offer to resign? MR. GIBBS: Not that I’m -- no, not that I’ve been told, no. MR. GIBBS: And I would say this -- I don’t think there’s any cause for him to do so. I think that Secretary Vilsack is in charge of a department with a history of discrimination. That’s why we’re -- that’s why there was a settlement months ago in a longstanding case on discrimination against black farmers. There have been discrimination against female farmers, Native American farmers. That’s -- this is a department that has struggled with many of the demons that have been struggled with in other parts of our society. And the Secretary believes and has stated that there is a -- there is and there should be a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination. And I think the President thinks he’s doing good work. Q But for the sake of argument, the Secretary engaged in discrimination this week when he fired this woman. MR. GIBBS: And, again, as I said earlier, uttered words not often heard inside the glorious District of Columbia, and that is “I’m sorry, I made a mistake, I acted before I had the full benefit of what had happened.” I don’t -- I think Secretary Vilsack has been clear about the mistakes that he made in -- over the past few days. MR. GIBBS: No. Again, I would point you largely to what I said yesterday. I think Secretary Geithner has weighed on this today. And I look forward to Chip asking many of those members how that’s going to be paid for. Q Robert, back on -- a few questions on race and Ms. Sherrod. Do you think that this whole situation, bringing out everything, the discrimination that’s happened in the Department of Agriculture and what’s happening with Ms. Sherrod, do you think that that would push forward the issues of Cobell and Pigford for there to be funding in Congress to happen soon? MR. GIBBS: Well, look, I can’t divine what happens in the House and the Senate. I will say this. I think one of the reasons I just gave Steve the answer I did is I don’t think you need this event to tell you that what happened at the department was wrong. The Secretary didn’t settle this case as a result of what had happened here, but as a result of what had happened. He made those decisions long ago. MR. GIBBS: Well, my guess is a lot more than four deadlines have been missed over the course of 15 years, April. And I daresay that discrimination goes back a lot farther than that period of time. Obviously the House and the Senate are working through a number of issues on this, and the President remains committed to ensuring that that settlement is done. Q You say “a teachable moment” -- this is a teachable moment, and you don’t necessarily need a teacher, but it’s a heart issue. President Clinton, when he had the conversation on race, talked about the fact that this was a heart issue, and sometimes trying to navigate through heart issues, you may need someone. I mean, it’s taken all this time and we’re still at a point where we’re still dealing with racism and discrimination. MR. GIBBS: We’re going to be dealing -- look, I think that’s going to happen for a long time, April. It’s not going to -- I don’t -- the President of the United States, regardless of his race, I don’t think would come out here and tell you that as a result of him or his election or his time here that racism and discrimination will end. While I don’t -- I can’t imagine anybody would want to see it continue, this is something that this country has struggled with for a very, very long time and will continue to do so. MR. GIBBS: But I will say this. I don’t think that anybody can doubt, April, that each day and maybe as a result of this we make a little progress. And I think that in and of itself is probably the most important point. MR. GIBBS: No, no, let’s be clear. The President -- I hate to be nitpicky, but -- well, it’s in the readout. The readout says that -- I don’t have it in front of me, but that based on the experiences that you have and that -- this is an opportunity to continue to -- if you want to, to continue to work for progress on the issues that you know that are important to you. That’s her decision. That’s something that she will discuss again with the department and will discuss, I assume, if need be, with Secretary Vilsack. Q But the hope is for her to take that job? Q You don’t describe that as lobbying? Q Does he want her to take the job? Q Yes, is the hope for her to take that job? Q Is the hope for her to take the job? MR. GIBBS: I think I just answered that. Q Robert, Andrew Breitbart has been pretty unrepentant in this instance. Today, he spoke with CBS and he said the administration threw her under the bus. Last night on CNN, Ms. Sherrod suggested that she might consider a libel suit. Do you think that there ought to be consequences for Andrew Breitbart for what he did in this? MR. GIBBS: I bet there -- both in this town and in many towns across the country, there are very good lawyers. MR. GIBBS: No, no, no, no. (Laughter.) Look, I said earlier that something that is not uttered in this town and probably not uttered enough is, “I’m sorry and I made a mistake.” Now, everybody has to look in the mirror and live with their own conscience about what was done and what they’ve done to rectify that. This is an individual who has I think on several different occasions come up with different ideas about what the video was or wasn’t supposed to be. And I’ll let news organizations discuss their airing of it and the way they reacted to it. I’m not going to speak for him or for them. But I think the administration has taken responsibility for its actions. And do I think this episode would be a more teachable moment if he apologized to her? Absolutely. Sam -- or do you have one more? Q Yes, one more. You mentioned before that the President talked about his book with Ms. Sherrod. Which part? MR. GIBBS: No, no, I don’t -- Glenn, they didn’t get that detailed. He simply said that -- I think they both had -- she had talked about and he had written about experiences that in some ways were similar. MR. GIBBS: Well, I mean, look, I will say that the President has done a number of events on small business. He’s done a number of events on the increase in credit. We discussed yesterday the comments that the Fed Chairman had made, and one of the Fed Chairman’s comments from last week was that we need to get more credit to small business. We hear a lot of talk on Capitol Hill, rightly so, about helping small business. The Senate will have an opportunity, as I understand it, in a standalone amendment to vote for providing necessary and needed capital to community banks to lend to small businesses in communities all over this country to create jobs. And I said to Chip earlier that governing is about making choices. It was about choices this week when you had to decide whether you’re for or you’re against extending unemployment benefits for those that have lost their jobs as a result of the greatest economic downturn in our life -- in many of our lifetimes. People had to make a choice about whether they were for the rules that governed Wall Street in September of 2008, or whether we think there ought to be a new set of rules going forward. And it is likely either later this week or next week, people are going to get to decide whether we should have -- give more capital to small businesses to lend -- or to banks to lend to small businesses to create jobs, or not. They’re very simple choices. They will illuminate many of the choices I think that voters will get an opportunity to make in November. Q Should we expect to see, I mean, the same kind of visibility and aggressiveness we’ve seen on -- probably not on financial reform, but at least on the unemployment? MR. GIBBS: Well, I think the President was pretty aggressive on financial reform, I think the President laid out clearly what was at stake in unemployment benefits, and I expect that he’ll do so as we get closer to the vote on small businesses.

2019-04-21T12:56:38Z

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/photos-and-video/video/press-briefing-20100722

A foreboding wind was blowing, and the red, feather-shaped banners whipped about in the breeze. The insignias of the Horde danced wildly on the crimson fields. The dull roar of the Veiled Sea cast a thin curtain of white noise that slightly dampened the proceedings on shore. The sky was a shade of light gray � a thin film of cloud covering the firmament. This theme of color was reflected also in the gray rocks cropping up all around from the gray dusty soil. Hearty, pale green vegetation clung closely to the dull rock, tormented by wind and lack of water. The few shrubby trees were stunted and twisted by the constant sea-gale. A fine briny mist permeated the air, and every time one inhaled, there was a hinted scent and taste of saltwater. Except for the wind, Shadowprey Village had come to a standstill. Not a soul moved save to breathe. It was in this setting that the Betrayer roughly clasped a wicked, clawed hand around Jeremiah�s chin, squeezing his cheeks into a grotesque contortion. Jeremiah Cross was a twenty-something human of average height and build kneeling on the hard-packed gray sand on the slope of Shadowprey Village. Sweat-drenched brown shaggy hair fell onto mail-clad shoulders. His blue eyes whizzed widely in their sockets. In his peripheral vision he could see the forms of trolls, tauren, naga and blood elves lying prone, crusted in drying blood. How did it come to this? he wondered briefly. The fearsome hand tightened its grip cruelly, drawing blood as sharp, black claws dug into soft flesh. Jeremiah was forced to look into the face of his captor. This was by no means the first time that Jeremiah had beheld the face of Illidan Stormrage, but familiarity did nothing to lessen the terrific and visceral effect of that harrowed visage. Demonic wings encircled the two of them in a partial, leathery tent. In the suffocating shadows, Jeremiah could see a thin, dark cloth was bound across his eye sockets, and a glowing fel light emanated through the wisp of cloth from the twin points of where his eyes should have been. His jaw was chiseled and his nose was angular, like any night elf man. Long pointed ears jutted about a foot from his skull and his raven hair was bound only by his dark bandana. Jeremiah could feel the heat of the demon�s blood that coursed through Illidan and could see its effects. Large, jagged horns had erupted from his forehead and curled upward and backward again, and sharp hooves that left prints of flame had replaced his feet. Evil tattoos glowed in unnatural blue-green patterns across his chest and arms. Jeremiah gulped audibly, but did not waver. He narrowed his eyes, �You�ll have to take it off my dead body, demon. I didn't endure the tortures of your Black Temple only to hand it to you at your request!" Jeremiah smiled inwardly as his mind went to Durgen. He wondered how his orc friend had fared. Light�s speed to you, he thought. �The orc!� exclaimed Illidan, anger etched onto his face. Thunder pealed nearby. Jeremiah�s stomach sank down to the rocks below him. He couldn�t have read my mind! His leathery wings rustled as he strode toward Jeremiah, claws outstretched. Jeremiah thought one last prayer to the Light, and thought one last thought about Durgen and his brother. Then he closed his eyes. You have to turn on Coding for that to work, Saranus. Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 6:04 pm Post subject: It begins! Entering Ashenvale Forest is like entering a dream. The sensation is similar to being out on a perfectly clear day when a sudden cloud comes and obscures the sun as if from nowhere. Except, in the case of the forest, the feeling was pleasant rather than depressing. The air in the forest wraps around those who enter like a soft covering inducing a feeling of safety and contentment without being stifling, for the forest floor was quite cool under the shade of the leafy boughs. As the young orc, Durgen strolled along contemplating these pleasant thoughts, his thick hand slipped unconsciously (as it often did during the past few days) into the pocket of his rough leather britches. He rubbed the folded piece of parchment within between his green fingers. Inexorably, he pulled out the parchment and without thinking, unfolded it and held it up. It is in these dark times that the assistance of our bravest fighters is most direly needed. It is imperitive that you should follow in the footsteps of your noble ancestors and do your duty to your clan, your country and your people. You shall follow these instructions to the letter, without question and without deviation. The instructions are as follows. Durgen Tharlak -- you are to travel north following the Gold Road into Ashenvale Forest. In the wood, you must report to the outpost of Splintertree. A room has already been arranged for you in the outpost's inn. The innkeeper will admit you upon seeing the seal to this letter. Upon your arrival, you are to await instructions from an agent who will be in contact with you. Durgen's hooded eyes scanned this missive without really seeing what was written. He rubbed his fingers on the parchment. Fine parchment. Something orcs usually didn't bother making. It was penned in a fine red ink. Durgen also made a mental note of the outdated old-orcish salutations used in the epistle. The pecularity that he noticed first and still troubled him was the handwriting. The first paragraph and the signature were written in a neat, formalized fashion, yet without unessecary flair. The second paragraph, however was written in an untidy, but legible scrawl. The parchment, he surmised, was probably of goblin-make seeing as how the humans were not likely to export stationary to their enemies. The most common paper used by the orcs (if they bothered to write at all) was a rough construction made from the woven bark fibers of the spiked trees native to Durotar, and was written on by a bit of charcoal. The parchment indicated that Durgen's particular note came from someone fairly high up in the government. He could also tell that the note was written by at least two people judging by the two different handwritings. The red ink was also indicative of a high status. Usually, only the very rich could afford ink. The handwriting had puzzled Durgen a good deal over the previous days. Why would someone (probably an official scribe, another rare commodity among the orcs) write a very neat and concise letter to have it interrupted by another writer? The realization struck Durgen for the first time. He was the first person to have read the letter in its entirety besides the author of the second paragraph. This letter was top secret. Not even the scribes who had written the first paragraph had seen the whole letter. What this meant, Durgen did not know. All he knew was that this note was extremely important if the secrecy surrounding it was any indication. Durgen was suddenly very glad that he had not shown the letter to anyone back at the Crossroads inn. All of his thoughts over the past few days were pervaded a slew of unanswereable questions. Why? Why was Durgen chosen for this obviously important quest? Why wasn't he told any details? How did he fit into the scheme of things? When would his questions be answered? The greatest question in his mind, though, was "who?". Who wrote the second paragraph? Who would choose Durgen over anyone else? Who had seen in him the ability to carry out a mission that he himself could not? And that was how Durgen ended up sauntering along the gray stones of the Ashenvale path. Placing the letter back in his pocket, Durgen returned to the world around him. He silently reprimanded himself for not coming to Ashenvale before. Tended for melinnia by the mysterious night elves, the trees had grown to immense proportions. Sickness was unknown beneath the cloud-scraping boughs. Neither insect nor pest was known to gnaw on the wood; no worm chewed on the leaves. The girth of the trees is so vast that were the trunk hollowed out, an entire family of orcs could comfortably reside within. The forest floor was so covered by an intertwining carpet of gnarled roots and fallen leaves that not a single patch of soil was visible from Durgen's vantage point on the pathway. Through breaks in the canopy above, broken shafts of sunlight filtered down through the leaves onto the ground far, far below. Sporadic eruptions of flora were strewn about the forest, bursting out from the patches of light created by the sunbeams. Durgen walked along the stone path, an ant among giants. As he wandered, he marvelled at the magnificence of the ancient wood, and caught himself wondering in annoyance how his brethren could possibly mar such incredible beauty by chopping it down. Lost in thought, Durgen had unknowingly come to a stop in the middle of the road. Snapping out of his reverie, he remembered where he was going. According to his brief and vague directions, Splintertree Post was north along his current path. The day passed as Durgen continued his northward march. If the canopy of the trees was not so thick, shadows would have begun to lengthen. As the day passed, so did Durgen's comfortable disposition. As evening wrapped the forest in a hazy violet glow, an ominous feeling began to creep over Durgen. Unable to locate the source of the odd sensation, he pushed it from his mind as he continued. It seemed every square inch of surface area was covered in something living. Durgen started as he realized that he had seen what appeared to be a large mass of moss-covered wood walk into a small pond to his left. Shaking his head, he remembered tales told by the venerable orcs who were veterans of the Battle of Mount Hyjal--the very trees came to life and fought the demons with Nature's primal fury. The creature descended into the small pond. The reflection of the boughs far above the surface created a sense of incredible depth. With slow and deliberate movement, the tree-beast lumbered through the water, disturbing its pristine surface. The creature stopped once and turned. Small eyes looked around passing over Durgen and settling on a spot ahead of him on the path. Turning back around, it waded out until the water closed over its and it was lost in a flurry of bubbles. A few seconds later the pond returned to perfect stillness. Again the feeling swept over him, and this time he knew what it was. Trying not to be too obvious about it, Durgen looked all around him. He thought for a second that he saw a pair of glowing eyes, but when he whipped his head around for a double-take, he saw nothing but a leafy bush in the dusky forest. Durgen narrowed his eyes and his axe-hand went to his weapon and tightened around the haft. His heartrate quickened. The peaceful forest by day had suddenly become nightmarishly forboding. A slight tingling of fear began to creep around the edges of Durgen's mind. If something happened to him out here, no one would ever find him. If he shouted for help, he imagined the forest would absorb the sound as it had never been uttered. If he died... he would be utterly lost -- the forest would swallow him. His morbid thoughts served to speed his pace. He pulled the hood of his travelling cloak over his head. The indistinct sense that he was being watched and followed never left him as he journeyed northward, however nothing yet had happened when he reached a fork in the road. Durgen wished he had paid more attention to geography lessons in Academy. He had absolutely no idea where he was in the vast reaches of the forest. Because of the thick canopy, he could not even discern the direction he was facing. All he knew was that when he left the Crossroads, he was going north, and he had never left the road. Finally after about another hour, Durgen came to a fork in the road. The sky was almost completely dark and Durgen could see patches of starry sky above him. He looked to his left and right. Both directions looked exactly the same -- enormous tree after enormous tree. He racked his memory for any indication of the correct path. Was the Horde influence in Ashenvale centered in the eastern part of the forest? Or was it to the west? Durgen vaguely remembered from his history lessons that the Warsong clan had crashed into the ancient forest from the south and established exstensive lumber harvesting operations. They immediately clashed with the Night Elves and killed their demigod, which led to a certain amount of enmity between the two races. Durgen finally surmised that, according to reason, the outpost must be to the east, since going westward would inevitably take one further into Night Elf territory. Following his hunch, Durgen took the path that led off to his right. If I don't find the outpost, then I'll just ask someone at one of the lumber camps for directions, Durgen reasoned. The night was vastly different in Ashenvale from the night in just about any other place. In other places, a full and deep darkness came with the setting of the sun. In Ashenvale, the wood was still aglow somehow. It was by no means bright, in fact it was rather dusky, but the fact remained that it was much lighter under the leaves of the trees than it should have been. Even a full moon could not produce that much light. As night enveloped him, Durgen's feeling of unease grew to the point to where he thought he saw glowing eyes around every bend and heard whispers behind every tree. Finally, after what seemed to be several miles of growing paranoia, Durgen saw light and heard voices. It was not the eerie, mystical light of the nighttime woods, but the cheery glow of flames. And the voices were not anonymous whispers, but the hearty laughter of merry voices. Durgen identified the low rasp of an orc woman and the deep boom of a tauren along with several other orcish voices. A bonfire came crackling into view as Durgen rounded a final hillock. A small group stood chatting around the fire as the sparks flew up among the leaves. They stood close not so much for warmth, Durgen thought, than as to put their backs to the mysterious forest. Durgen was practically running toward the camp in relief when a large, blunt object struck his temple. Durgen saw stars and then... darkness. Images swirled before Durgen. He saw orcs for sure, and fire. He heard voices, but could not tell what they were saying. The images became stranger. He saw bear-men and pig-men -- strange creatures that lived on the edge of stories. Then the strange visions faded until Durgen could barely see them; except for one in particular. Durgen saw what he recognized as a night elven man, robed in green and brown, and extending his arms out as if searching for something in the dark. The night elf's eyes landed on Durgen and grew wide with surprise and a little bit of fright. There was another expression on the face too--recognition. Then, quite suddenly, everything went dark again and Durgen forgot what he had seen. The next thing he felt was heat on the left side of his face and body. He realized he was conscious, but kept his eyes closed when he heard voices. "You had to knock him out did you, Gurk?" said a deep voice. There was a grunt that Durgen assumed was the reply. The voice spoke again, "Looks to me like a bit of a runt. Does anyone here know him?" There was a general murmering of "No"s followed by a short silence. The female orc voice broke it. "I've seen this orc before. I do not think he knows me." Durgen couldn't help it. He opened his eyes and turned toward the source of the voice. At his feet stood a very formidible-looking orc woman. In any case she was at least a head taller than Durgen, and he had never seen her before in his life. Their eyes met and the woman's eyes grew wide and startled for a split-second before being masked by indifference. Durgen blinked. "Ah, you've recovered," said a good-natured looking tauren to Durgen's right. "Gurk would apologize, but i think he is incapable." The tauren indicated a very thick, very stupid looking orc who was holding a large wooden mallet. Durgen stood as he rubbed a rising bump on his skull, swaying slightly. "In Gurk's defense, it was very unwise of you to come running toward us out of a hostile forest like that," said the woman, speaking directly to Durgen for the first time, "You would do well to announce your arrival next time." Durgen grinned nervously at her. She did not return the smile. The tauren spoke again, breaking the awkward silence "That is true, friend, what the young orc did was unwise, but it is also unwise for his attackers not to introduce themselves." He looked at Durgen and recited, "Throm'ka, warrior. Welcome to our neck of the woods. " He made a wide sweeping gesture with his hands and chuckled dryly. "My name is Saranus. I am currently the captain of the Ashenvale Expeditionary Force, and my colleague here goes by the name of Gurda." He paused for a moment and averted his eyes as he spoke again. "She's an apprentice shaman sent up here for some training." He quickly changed tack. "This is your first time in the forest." It was a statement, not a question. "A bit spooky the first night, huh?" He gave Durgen a friendly smile and a wink. Durgen felt a little embarassed to be treated this way in front of a group of such obviously hardened warriors. However, none of them seemed to care. He nodded, "Just a bit. I thought that I kept seeing eyes." "You probably did," Saranus said, "The night elf outrunners hide in the woods and spy on our movements, but I've never heard of them attacking a traveller unprovoked. As far as I'm concerned, they don't serve much of a purpose." He suddenly shouted at the trees. "You hear that! No purpose!" He chuckled. This time it sounded genuine. Gurda smiled slowly for the first time, exposing sharp fangs. "Ah, well. It takes some getting used to. The woods are filled to the brim with ancient magic, but over time I've come to appreciate the mysteriousness, even if i don't really understand it. Anyway, you didn't come all this way to have an evening chat around a campfire. I assume you want to go to Splintertree." "Do you know where it is?" Durgen asked. "Oh, it's less than a mile down the road from here in a ravine north of it." "Thanks," said Durgen unenthusiatically. He was not looking forward to another trip through the "spooky" woods, regardless of whether his watchers meant him harm. Saranus seemed to know what he was thinking. "Don't worry, Gurda and I will be coming with you. We can make it in about twenty minutes if we make good time." He said. "I don't need your protection," said Durgen, a little harsher than he intended, and not really meaning it. The big bull laughed a deep booming laugh. "I don't doubt it. However, I need to place an order for new cartwheels" He pointed to a delapidated wagon, "And Gurda here has business of her own to attend to at Splintertree. Besides, the inn is a very good source of gossip and information regarding goings-on in the forest. The talk in that bar has saved my hide more than once. And the ale isn't half bad." "Well, shall we?" asked Durgen. "We shall," growled Gurda. The trio set off, resuming the ancient paved path. Saranus took the journey as an opportunity to fill Durgen in where his schooling had left off. As the firelight faded into the forest behind them, Saranus commented on the deplorable state of Durgen's education. The orc and the tauren walked beside one another on the path. Gurda walked a few paces behind them, saying nothing, but listening intently. "Honestly, they think that they can strap an axe to anyone and make a soldier. They don't (or won't) realize that not everyone is a soldier," Saranus said, "Thrall understood that once. I think he probably still does, but he has to make compromises to keep the clans happy." Durgen was surprised by this insight. He had never thought of Thrall as anything but the all-powerful warchief. He continued with his story, "Yeah, Academy wasn't too fun for me. As you can probably tell, I'm not a large orc, so the life of a warrior didn't seem to fit. Shamans have to be able to do magic, again ruling me out. My masters thought for a while that my size would make me a good spy or rogue. It didn't. I'm too clumsy to be stealthy." Saranus looked intently at Durgen and shook his head, "Those knumbskull beaurocrats in Orgrimmar think they know how to raise our children. If someone doesn't fit into the preconcieved mold of a soldier then they are deemed worthless." He frowned, "Anyway, I think this is the perfect opportunity for a history lesson. Context and perspective are extremely important in a world ruled by mistrust and animosity." He proceeded to inform Durgen of the state of affairs in the forest. He used a lot of military terms and phrases, some of which Durgen did not understand (he had left Academy early). He felt it would be rude to interrupt so he remained a silent listener. Behind them, Gurda apparently had the same idea -- she hadn't spoken a word. Of all the various regions of the world, Ashenvale forest remained one of the most hotly contested. In the continuing confilct between the Alliance and the Horde, little headway had been made on any front. The war had lasted for over ten years without either side gaining any sort of advantage over the other. The two factions rarely engaged in open, pitched battle. It was a was a war of misunderstanding, lies, and subversion. It seemed for a while like the leaders wanted peace, but ultimately, but people's intolerance for their enemies far outweighed a hope for peace. In Ashenvale, skirmishes broke out almost daily between the orcs and the night elves. The sides were so evenly matched that the forest was divided between them. The other races of the forest were forced to its edges to avoid the conflict. A small stream running off of Mount Hyjal known as the Falfarren marked the boundary between the territories. The night elves held everything to the west, and the orcs held everything to the east. The camp where Durgen had met Saranus was about halfway between the Falfarren and Splintertree, the Horde's main base of operations in Ashenvale. Saranus told Durgen of a terrible but victorious battle (one of the last real battles of the war) where Horde forces finally managed to oust the night elves from their Silverwing Outpost, their last defense on the Horde's side of the Falfarren. Unfortunately,it was a battle inspired by vengeance. A large force of night elves had utterly destroyed a small camp on the western coast known as Zoram'gar. Everyone there was killed. The two outposts were effectively traded via two bloody battles. It was still a stalemate. That, Saranus said, was the ultimate evil of this war -- the needless, seemingly pointless loss of life. Splintertree itself was built toward the end of the Third War, just before the Battle of Mount Hyjal. The Warsong clan had crashed into the forest and begun felling the titanic trees to fuel their war effort. They established Splintertree as a forward base in the mysterious woods. In the aftermath of the great battle, the orcs continued to occupy their posts as well as their lumber operations, much against the will of the night elves (who, at that point held a tenuous peace with the Horde). When this peace crumbled, the night elves and orcs entered into a state of mutual enmity. Then, when the night elves aligned themselves with the Alliance, all hope of a peaceful agreement was lost. Soon, the Alliance and Horde entered a state of open war. Saranus's purpose in the midst of this was to scout potential locations for new outposts and defensive structures in the forest. So far, they had been mostly unsuccessful -- the camp the trio had just left was the only fruit of the endeavor, and even then, plans for expansion and construction seemed far away. The forest was simply to crowded and full of life to have room for more settlements. After this, Saranus was quiet, thinking. Durgen's mind wandered as he looked around him. He noticed Gurda walking behind him, silent as a stone. "Awfully quiet aren't you?" he asked with a smile. Again she did not return it. Durgen's smile faltered, "You haven't said anything," he persisted, "Tell me something about yourself." "Saranus already told you. I'm a shaman in training. I do not wish to go further into it," she replied shortly. Saranus chuckled and exchanged a glance with Gurda, "If you really want to know, she's in the forest to commune with spirits or some such nonsense. She's quite new to all this, and I suppose she was sent to me so I could keep an eye on her." His eyes twinkled at her. She glowered at him. In the next second the looks had faded. Durgen might not have been a genious, but he did know when he was being decieved. Why were they being so secretive about the orc woman? It was decidedly strange that a young shaman would keep her rites of passage a secret. Shamans were almost always very proud of their progress in their training--young shamans always showed off their newly-made totems at every chance. First the letter, now these two people were keeping secrets from him. Durgen dismissed it as a coincidence and shifted his attention back to Saranus, who was relating a harrowing tale about a battle with saytrs encamped to the north. Finally, the orange glow of firelight could be seen bouncing off the trees and making eerie patterns of shadow and light. As the two orcs and the tauren rounded one last bend, Splintertree came into view. The light they had seen was produced by a number of torches staked into the ground round the base of a tall watch tower. Durgen could see the huddled forms of orcish guards at the top, crouched against the night. They stepped off of the ancient pathway onto a path rutted by cartwheels and well worn by a wide variety of feet (and hooves). The path descended into a narrow ravine that ran adjacent to the main road. Durgen looked ahead. In the distance, a few hundred yards away was a tall palisade wall in the middle of which was a small gate. Two more watch towers flanked the gate. Two guards approached the travellers, and seeing a wave and a nod from Saranus motioned them onward. They descended the shallow slope into the ravine until they reached the gate, at which point, the ground sloped upward again, into the outpost. Its going well. I really like your description of the forrest. It really does do it just. As Durgen passed through the gate, he looked with interest at the outpost that was Splintertree. He was almost immediately interrupted by a bent, very ragged looking troll. He held out a small metal pendant attached to a leather cord. "The forest be evil. You'll be wantin' a magic pendant to ward off the evil spirits. Only one gold piece and your troubles will cease." Durgen stared dumbly for a second. The forest had been rather strange. It could have been evil spirits, he thought. As his hand began to reach for his money pouch, a thick fingered hand grabbed him firmly by the crook of his arm. "They're all fake. Trust me," Saranus whispered into his ear. The troll curled his lip and shoved past them looking for another victim. Durgen looked around. Suddenly he noticed there were lots of huddled, becloaked forms loitering around the gate. They were all holding what looked like various talismans and trinkets and looking at the trio with hungry looks. "Rubbish. All of it. These peddlers will rob you blind with their circular pieces of tin if you aren't careful. They exploit people's superstitions regarding this confounded forest," Saranus informed him. "Duly noted," nodded Durgen, "Don't buy the fake trinkets." Durgen's eyes resumed their original task of exploring their new surroundings. The path they were on sloped upward entering a cave or mine built into the crook of the ravine. To the left and right, steep slopes of rock and earth formed natural walls which converged at the far end at the cave. Thus, the outpost was surrounded on three sides by the cleft, and the remaining gap was spanned by the palisade wall. Enormous trees rose from the lip of the cleft. Their branches stretched out horizontally to form a roof high above the outpost. Altogether, the post felt rather cozy, due, in part, to the presence of the familiar, crude orcish buildings nestled into the ravine. As he climed the slope, Durgen passed the outpost's wyvern station. The great beasts looked at him with expressions of utter boredom. A rather dumpy orc woman fussed over a wyvern's torn wing, while the particular specimen appeared to be decidedly annoyed. Durgen quickly identified the inn as the building from which came the raucous laughter and cheery yellow light. He looked longingly at the banner-adorned chimney. He could almost taste the ale. A good, long lie-in would be perfect, he thought wistfully. He stepped through the threshold and immediatly headed toward the bar, licking his lips. "Not tonight, kid," Gurda said grabbing onto his shoulder, "There are more important matters to attend to." Durgen stared quizzically at the shaman. What was the meaning of this? Durgen had agreed to travel with her and the tauren, but after they arrived... That was surely when they were intended to part ways. Saranus made his way to the bar unimpeded. "Wha-?" was all Durgen managed to annunciate. "You'll understand in a few moments." said Gurda, "Come with me." He followed her past the bar (the alluring scents of alcohol and roasted meats filled Durgen's nostrils) and into a cutained-off area. Before passing behind the curtain, he saw Saranus wink at him from his barstool before putting back a tall flagon of mead. Durgen glared jealously at him before being yanked into the partitioned area. A bent figure sat on a pile of cushions before them, draped by numerous cloaks and blankets. Two wizened hands reached up and pulled back its hood. Durgen started with surprise. Before him sat the oldest tauren crone he had ever seen. Her sunken eyes lifted to meet Durgen's. He wanted to look away but couldn't. There was something compelling about the old tauren that he could not identify from her cracked and brittle hooves to her broken and splintered horns. She clutched a worn, whithered-looking branch with both hands. "The letter. Bring it to me," She said in a wavering voice. She held out a tremulous hand. "What? How do you know about my letter?" Durgen asked, "Who told you about it?" "Does it not say that you will be contacted upon arrival?" She said raising a wrinkled brow. "Wait. You.. you're my contact?" He asked. He looked at Gurda. She was starting intently at the old creature before them, arms crossed. "That is correct," said the crone, "Now, show it to me. Please." Slowly, Durgen reached into his pocket and pulled out the folded parchment. He hesitated for a brief moment, then placed it in her outstretched hand. She scanned it breifly and rubbed the parchment between her bony fingers. "Ah," She sighed, "So you are the one, then." Hmm... very interesting. I like, I like. It's all too rare that a WoW-related fanfic catches my attention, but this one has done it for me. Durgen stood, not knowing what to expect. For what seemed like hours, the old tauren's eyes seemed to stare blankly at empty space. Just as he was opening his mouth to say something, the crone looked back at him. "Tell me, young one. What do you know of your birth?" The question startled Durgen. What was this about? He was on a mission for the Horde. What did his past have to do with it? He shot a quizzical look at Gurda. She shook her head slowly. Durgen felt very lost. "Well," He began uncertainly, "I don't know anything about my birth. Actually, I don't know my parents. I was an orphan." The old one nodded. "Yes, that is what is known to me. In that case, tell me about your childhood." Another tough question. Durgen hadn't thought about his childhood for many years. He was beginning to feel the early stages of anger. Was this what this whole thing was about? Finding out about his past? It was ridiculous, a complete waste of time, Durgen thought. However, his anger was stifled by a meaningful glance from Gurda. He grimaced before continuing. It was difficult to relate a past to two strangers when he himself was also hearing for the first time in years. "My first memories, I guess were from the orphanage in Orgrimmar. We slept in hammocks, and didn't have a lot to eat. There wasn't a lot of sympathy for orphans back then. Just keep 'em alive until their old enough to be a soldier." His face hardened, then softened again, "Anyway, one summer, Thrall passed an order declaring that the first week of May would be Children's Week. I remember travelling around with a tauren druid for a week. She said that she was my Friend and I was her Ward. She bought me sweets and took me to a lot of places that I can't really remember. The next year I did the same thing with an orc and his two troll companions. I remember having lots of fun sitting around campfires with them singing and drinking my first ale. Every year after that I always looked forward to Children's Week. I never had as much fun as I did with the orc, but I never regretted going. "Then, when I was fourteen years old, and it was almost time for that year's Children's Week, my old matron, Burka, came to me while I was lying in my hammock. She was crying, and she told me I had to get up. That someone was here to see me. I was so excited, I barely noticed her tears. I thought my Friend had arrived early and ran to the door. I ran hard into a thick, evil looking orc. I think I must have hurt him because he grabbed me by the neck and took me outside. I tried to apologize, but he just told me to shut up. That he didn't have time for my snivelling. That was the last time I saw the orphanage as a child. "The big orc brought me to the Academy. And that was where my childhood ended. There were a lot of other boys there my age. Some of them were scared like me, but most of them acted really tough, forming gangs and beating up the outcasts, like me. Training is not a pleasant memory for me. I didn't fit in anywhere, and it didn't seem like I'd be good at anything. Eventually, my masters abandoned me as a lost cause, and I was discharged from the Academy. "From there I went back to the orphanage. A new woman was in charge, and when I asked for Burka, I was told that she had died. I left pretty depressed and ended up apprenticing at a leatherworker's shop down on the Drag. After that I held a lot of various jobs that didn't last too long. And to make a long story short, that's how I ended up at the Crossroads inn when one day a letter came for me in the mail." Durgen became quiet for a moment, staring at the floor. The old tauren spoke again. "That is a sad tale young one," she said, "You have suffered many things that you should not have endured. However, I believe that in time, you will realize that your past has made you strong." Durgen didn't know what she was talking about. Every time he thought about his past he felt decidedly weak and abandoned. "Do you know nothing of your parents?" She asked him.

2019-04-24T16:42:28Z

http://www.albatrosbits.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=40&start=0

1) The ease with which I can make a custom type. I was previously making modules using Christoc, which was fine, but now I specify a content type and make it instantly in the cloud. 2) This is a truly headless CMS, though using it as such takes a bit of setup. By making API calls, I will be able to skip making visualizers and keep my content completely separate from having to make pages. 3) For when I do need to make pages, the visualizers are a nifty way of showing this content - they are using the Shopify Liquid Content templating system which is a fully featured (if at times slightly odd) templating engine. 4) The DNN support is amazing, so different from other CMS' I have used in the past. I have bothered these poor people with so many questions and they have always been great. These dislikes are temporary, solved by the product maturing to the stage where they allow unwashed peasants like myself into their content by direct API call. 1) Cost of being bleeding edge, I do not have an API key so I cannot use the EVOQ content without a visualizer right now. That ability drops with the 9.1.1 release, due out this week. 2) No inherent way to import content out of the gate. They have an import export tool coming but because of timing I will have to whip up something myself. When I get the key they have an example made with excel that I can use. 3) Minor gripe. I want objects to be able to reference themselves. As an example, if I was building a menu, I do not want a content type for level 1 another for level 2 etc - I want a content type menu-item which can have children of itself. Then I can easily build a menu. As I say, minor gripe but it has made me use the old DDRMenu module instead because I don't want a splattering of Content types for different menu levels. While I am still in the implementation phase, I am super excited for what this offers. One of AEM's newest boasts is that you can use it headlessly - and I think their methodology is kludgy. Sitecore you would have to make all the services yourself, last time I did so I had to do it using SOAP, blurgh. We are making a new Angular4 site so I will be using a microservice to pull pure data by url. I can then package it up as json objects, which it needs. To see some of the things this makes possible, go look at what dnn people are doing internally with it http://www.builtwithdnn.com/ ... tantalizing! Other than the fact that it is a CMS, there isn't much to like. It is just better than hand-coding. I suppose because you can add and edit content using their rich-text window, that's something to like. But when you compare it to other CMSs on the market vs the price, that rich-text entry and edit is just a barrier to entry in this segment. It is very hard to use, and features and capability are always behind the CMS pack, let alone the user interface. It is hard so say what I dislike the most because I dislike almost all of it. Don't bother with this software unless you have lots of money, like a hard-to-use interface, features that are behind open-source CMS and other paid CMS applications, and want to pay high prices for developers which are very hard to find. It is the CMS platform for one of the web sites I manage, inherited from the previous manager. Easy to switch to source code editor. Editor UI makes sense and is easy to understand. Templates and modules can be cumbersome to work with, compared to other CMS. WYSIWYG editor is finicky. Take time to weigh the pros and cons of using Evoq Content versus Wordpress. Setup and maintenance is not as intuitive as other CMS options. Themes, plugins, and other add-ons can incur a significant cost compared to other CMS options. The developer community surrounding Evoq Content is not as large as other CMS options. "fully extensible & Functional enterprise class dotnet based CMS" 1. Very modularized. Easy to build modules and deploy. 2. Most of enterprise CMS features are already built in. 1. Very hardware intensive.. does not work on most of the SHared hosting. Requires VPS hosting. Minimum startup RAM is 1500MB. 1. If you are looking for an opensource Dotnet based CMS, this is the software for you! 4. Since it is a CMS, our customers themselves can maintain their content thus reducing the expenses and time to take an information live. "Making IT and Marketing Happy" Our editors range from seasoned programmers to people editing a web page for the first time. Evoq Content gives the editors a straight-forward, simple approach to managing content. The learning curve for the CMS is relatively low. Ease-of-use for the average editor does not come with a trade-off of being weak for the IT team. In short, it is the CMS sweet spot of capabilities and ease of use. When a customization is needed, our IT team is able to implement changes easily to meet our business needs. Our marketing team continues to leverage the built-in tools that are continually expanding. Finally, our IT team, which is small and kept busy, leverages the Enterprise service to get results as efficiently as possible. The DNN team has been very responsive to suggestions, debugging, and advice. When you are a solo administrator, you will benefit from their expert knowledge. In DNN Evoq Content 8, the Page Settings URL Management tool is not as resilient as it should be. On several occasions, editors have accidentally created redirect loops. After you decide to use DNN, the Enterprise service was extremely helpful to getting us up and running. Forums are improving, but being able to address specific issues we encountered within our internal environment was extremely helpful. The Annual Summit meetings are also a great place to learn a lot about the CMS. Our site is used for external marketing as well as internal communications, Ease-of-use is priority #1 (for the developers and the editors). "DNN for Managing an IIS Farm" note: the likelihood of recommendation is dependent upon the size of the environment in question. I have a "leaning" towards DNN being more applicable to smaller, one node(web head), environments. A very capable content management system for smaller environments, for sure. It's quite easy to manage modules and specific page content. I have to admit, from a systems administrative perspective, I do not manage the content as other departments do, however. I deploy code through DNN and perform basic operations through the DNN portal, in conjunction with deployments, but our marketing team is much more involved in day-to-day management of the DNN content. From my perspective and past experience, DNN management of a web farm of IIS servers is, to put it simply, a bit buggy. We have had, and still do have, consistent issues with having massive syncing between web heads after making small changes on the DNN portal. These result in negative customer experiences. To DNN supports credit, we have worked quite extensively on this issue, and I need to pick that case up again, as I set it aside some time ago to move onto other "fires". Dynamic/constantly changing web content. Our marketing team is able to update the site at will, will only small quirks here and there. "DNN Developer, Designer and Adminsitrator" As a developer the feature that I like best is the ability to extend the core functionality through the development of custom modules. I have always thought of DNN as much more than a CMS but rather a full web application framework. I also have to mention that I have had nothing but excellent support provided by DNN support - they go above and beyond on a regular basis. And of course, you can't speak about DNN without mentioning the DNN community. The DNN community has traditionally been an incredibly valuable resource regardless if you are just starting out or are a seasoned developer - there's always support to be had from the general community. Download trial, watch a few inro videos and test it out for yourself. Also, contact the general DNN community through various online forums to see how supportive the community is. Evoq Content has provides an efficient and flexible platform for managing and publishing content. Our marketing team love the ease at which dynamic content can be published on a regular basis as well as the ease at which static content can be updated when necessary. However, the flexibility in extending the platform, either through the utilization of commercial modules or the development of custom ones, has provided us the biggest benefit. Evoq is a great one stop CMS for education. The interface is user friendly and even the technical novice can add content quickly. Should an issue arise, Evoq's support team is one of the best in the industry. They are quick, courteous, and responsive. I would highly recommend Evoq if you entity is looking for a efficient and affordable CMS. The one feature I do not like of the Evoq Content is the Content Manager flyout. If you want to give a user permission to add a new page to the website, you have to give the user full Content Manager rights. This issue is being resolved in version 9.0. The biggest benefit of Evoq Content is ease of use. For a school district that does not want to have a single point of contact updating all school sites, the ease of use to be able to distribute responsibility is a big plus. And, if you have an in house development team, the software can be further customized to meet any of your needs. The support staff is what I like best. They are very knowledgeable and helpful. They respond very quickly. Not once have I had an issue that was DNN related that they couldn't fix. I administrate our site. For the most part everything is very smooth and I don't have to do much. I spend a lot of time working on the server itself, very little time is spent on DNN. Once you get upgraded the product is stable. However, the process of upgrading can be problematic at times. There have been times during an upgrade where things break. The good thing is the DNN support staff can usually figure out the problem quickly and fix the issue. This does not really have to do with the DNN product itself but it is something to consider. The following is not true of all third party modules. When using third party modules be weary. Chances are good you will have problems with them. These modules can cause problems with the DNN software too. On occasion I have run into issues with the third party module's support people not helping fix a problem their module caused. The other issue with the third party modules is the company that develops them will at times just stop development on them so you become reliant upon their module and then it becomes outdated or no longer useable. There have been times that the third party module becomes open source. I have never had any luck with open source modules. So with the thrid party modules when they break you may end up scrambling to find something else to replace them. We have constant need of changing the content. We are constantly adding new content, editing content or deleting old content. We are constantly changing things. DNN makes all of this easy. "Powerful, extensible CMS that can come at a cost to performance" DNN Platform (recently renamed from DNN Community edition) is a very powerful open sourced CMS solution for anyone that is familiar with the .NET stack. Extending the framework through modules is straight forward, skin creation is relatively easy and aided through the use of skin objects, and a healthy user community base to reach out to for guidance or support. DNN has been becoming slightly more bloated over the years, and uses a lot of system resources on the server side even when idle. It can also be very chatty with the database. The development team has been working as of late to improve the performance and hogging of resources though. From brochure sites to advanced Web 2.0 applications, we have utilized DNN from every end of the spectrum and its been able to handle everything we've thrown at it so far. "Best customizable CMS with module development" 1- The method of module development for customizing cms modules and create new modules for add new features to cms. 2- The user experience of management ui and simplicity in working with it. 3- The open source of core platform. 4- Support of develop customizable themes. 1- Lack of training materials for module development provided by dnn or third party communities. 2- Need heavy physical resources. DNN Evoq give great built in tools for create any type of portal with simplicity if administrate and customize them through module development and large number of people in community. Thanks for the review, Anas. Regarding your comment about documentation: earlier in 2016, we launched the DNN Documentation Center, a central documentation source for DNN administrators, developers, designers and content managers. You can find it here: http://www.dnnsoftware.com/docs/. Have a visit and let us know what you think - thanks! "Been a DNN Developer for 3+ years" I like the built in ability to extend the DNN core. It makes integrating custom development pieces much easier. There are some pieces that could use some improvement. The standard search is not the greatest, but the ability to integrate 3rd party search options really helps fill in the voids that the core lacks. I would recommend giving DNN Evoq a serious consideration for your business needs. The flexibility and security that come with the DNN Platform are unmatched by any other CMS. As a developer, I work with many different business problems for different companies. DNN has been able to accommodate all business problems that I have crossed thus far. I like the simplicity the best because it makes it incredibly easy to upgrade content. I dislike the simplicity just as much if not more than I dislike it. The way it is set up does not allow for the use of certain modules that are not approved by their network. It also does not like to always save your work when you finish. Also, when copying and pasting from a word document into the website, it completely messes up the formatting making one go back and spend more time reformatting the text. It allows for the easier finding and use of our site. "Content management that offers a plethora of features" Managing business websites. Some of the benefits are being able to edit, add, and remove content on demand. "DNN Evoq "The Game Changer"" The DNN Evoq platform has empowered our marketing team to provide agile, real-time, content rich information through our website. This gives us the enviable ability to quickly identify a market need, build, and go live - all without the need for any additional technical support. This flexibility is a complete game-changer! We've not yet had the chance to install the latest update, so it would be unfair to some note some smaller details around the user interface. From what I've seen in the demo many of those items are addressed, as well as providing a significant leap into a more elegant build environment. If your marketing team (or other business unit outside of IT) needs to be able to "self-serve" for daily building and content management, I'd highly suggest you look at the DNN Evoq solution. Because we are fortunate to have in-house developers, we were able to really create a deeply branded, custom site. However, many of the off-the-shelf skins offer great options too. The positive impact on our Key Performance Indicators continues to build. These metrics, along with our site recently being named the Best Education Website in the Internet Advertising Competition, presented by the Web Marketing Association, confirms that our DNN Evoq choice created a strong platform for success. "DNN/EVOQ integration at Lincare Holdings" A large amount of support from the community and company. The built in tools sets for authentication, workflow, and change management, were easily integrated with our existing systems. Providing our business units with the ability to make changes in an intuitive web interface increases the speed to market or our new DME products. We we're initially limited to SPA module development and we're unable to leverage our in house MVC .NET programmers. Then the DNN 8.4.1 update allowed us to integrate our MVC Modules for our National Location finder and custom reorder forms. Use the DNN blogs and document repositories to find the answer to just about any DNN question. We have 20+ DBA subsidiary companies that each requires it own brand and marketing platform. DNN/EVOQ allows us to manage the content in one location and provide access for the individual organizations to complete their own updates. We can maintain a separate look and feel for all our companies and still share common content across multiple sites. We have experienced an increase satisfaction in our individual business managers and an increase in overall customer satisfaction. "King of the CMS mountain, is there anything this platform can't handle?" I've been using DNN since version 3 and Evoq since about version 5. I've not yet found a an area where I could say, "I wish DNN would do this." I've had to get creative in some instances to provide a solution to a particular problem, but it's never been about what the platform can do, only about how it's used. Out of the box, the core modules are great, but when you add in some from the store or free modules like OpenWebStudio the possibilities are endless in what you can do and it only seems to be getting better with each new version. The community and support network surrounding this product is outstanding. The price tag for the editions above community can be a bit steep, in my opinion, for the feature set that each version brings. However, for Evoq Content, it seems fair for the outstanding support, access to manuals, and first access to latest stable versions. Evaluate the community package as well as Evoq. The Community edition will more than likely handle most business needs. For those requiring additional support, Evoq Content is great. You'll pay for the support, but it's worth it to have someone to call if you run into problems. One of the main issues we had prior to installing the CMS was being understaffed meant not always quickly addressing requests for updated content across several sites. To help with this, DNN provided us with the ability to assign and train Web Admins for each site and help spread the work load. Now individual departments keep their sites up to date in a timelier fashion. "Perfect CMS with a great market place to download modules" I like how easy it is to get going with a bunch of templates and modules for every use case you could need. You can also get mobile responsive skins too. We found it very easy to export a template and load into another site, therefore making it easy to make a quick portfolio of websites for the company. As well as liking the modules, you don't find many that have a great UI on the backend for the admin users who update the content. The licence was a bit of an issue for us because to be able to achieve high availability in the Cloud, you sometimes need to have two instances of your site available and then load balance. However, the licence was per IP address, so if you had two instances of your site, you had to pay for two licences. I am not sure if DNN has fixed this now though. Start with the light version to get a feel for it, if you like then you can buy the pro version. Also, go to the market place and check some of the modules there before custom building your own. Its possible to buy a really decent module for less than $100 which is likely to have been tested which saves you lots of time and money. Create a template website and then replicate it many times. Pay for one licence and re-use multiple times. Create single sign on easily. The business I was working at had 50 venues, and didn't want to pay for 50 websites, but instead create a few templates and then cookie cut those. For me the best thing about DNN is the ease and speed at which I can implement a fully functional web portal that is complete with user/role based security. Also that I can see immediately see what my changes to the site and it's content look like after editing right from the same UI. No need to log out of the back end. The other OUTSTANDING aspect of DNN is the amazing community of users in the ecosystem. I have been able to go from knowing nothing about the platform to being VERY comfortable in all aspects of it's use, largely due to the willingness of other community members to help and their extensive contributions in the way of documentation and tutorials. When I first started using DNN back in 2009 there were some security and performance problems that have since been resolved. At this point, I honestly can't think of anything significant I could say in the negative about DNN. I would STRONGLY recommend the DNN Community Platform to anyone who is looking to develop a serious and professional online presence that requires little to no coding experience. On the other hand, if you are a seasoned developer, you will find the DNN platform offers a very robust foundation to develop and implement your own custom web based applications and modules. I am a front end web developer (learning to be a back end developer as well) and being able to roll out a fully functional website for my clients in a matter of days rather than weeks or months has greatly improved my bottom line. I am a one man shop a this point and because of DNN I have been able to triple the number of clients I serve without hiring any additional staff. "Powerful, Convenient and Extensible but Sometimes Frustrating" Using DNN, I can produce a modern, subscription, website in a weekend. My site will contain an elegant skin, a graphic rotator, the ability for people to register, basic social media functions, a menu that changes as different users log in, a newsletter broadcasting ability, lots of content, pop-up windows, blogs and articles. That's a lot of functionality for free and for someone who is not a professional web developer. You can see an example of such a site at agilethinking.com. This site is built on the free edition of DNN Community supplemented by both free and purchased modules. In considering DNN, it is important to realize that there is a large community of module developers. There are many free modules available (http://dotnetnuke.codeplex.com/) and a large number of paid ones as well (http://store.dnnsoftware.com/). A bit of web research will enable you to identify the reliable and creative developers whose modules make this platform especially flexible and powerful. In short, DNN enables you to create a professional, highly interactive site without the need to write code. You can control the look and feel through the skin you use and enhance the functionality through purchased modules. If you are more technical there are several rapid development tools available that will allow you to create your own custom modules (for example XMod Pro ) and if you are a developer (or hire one) you can code custom modules in C# or Visual Basic. DNN started out as an open source project but like other open source products now has commercial versions. While the company has made good on its promise to continue developing the Community edition, the support often feels haphazard and spotty. Some bugs persist for a long time. Some open source products seem to have a more active and welcoming user community than you will find at DNN. Within the DNN community, there is a bias toward developers. If you know how to code and are comfortable with .NET and Microsoft servers you'll be fine. If you, like me, are less technical you may find that some aspects of DNN are frustrating. This is not to suggest that the hurdles are insurmountable but some things you may want to do require you to change files on the server rather than being able to manage them from within DNN. There is help available. If you are on your own, you can subscribe to DNN Creative or DNN Hero both of which produce instructional videos on a regular basis. A company like Managed.com will install, host and provide excellent service for your DNN site, And there are many consulting companies that will help you as well for a fee. Despite my frustrations, I have been a loyal DNN user for many years. I am not a developer and want to be able to create powerful and attractive web presences quickly and easily. DNN fills this need. If you lack technical or web development skills, you will be fine as long as you stick to the basic platform functionality extended by free and purchased modules. You can do a lot. If you have more complex custom needs bordering on needing to create a web application, consider hiring a DNN consultant. If any of these describe your business you should consider DNN. You have a business which requires a web presence. You are delivering content or need an eCommerce platform. You want users to be able to register and want to show different classes of users the different content. You want to empower some users to create and manage limited content. You want to be able to send out newsletters to users based on their role. You want basic social computing functionality like groups, discussions, voting, a news feed. You want blogs and articles. You want multiple languages. If you plan to resell a product based on DNN, note that it is licensed using the MIT license which is extremely favorable and places few restrictions on you. This is unusual in the open source community. I like how easy it is to use. The interface looks good. Building skins is very easy. Lots of bugs are constantly discovered and added to the product through upgrades. We have used it for many years and have never had a bug free experience. We provide website content management to a University environment. "A Solid Performer that Could Use a Bit of a Diet" It's really easy for our clients to use. Compared to other CMS systems we offer, DNN takes much less training for the client to be up and running making changes to their web site. Also, I like the flexibility of the platform. If we build the site on DNN we can be confident that we'll be able to handle just about any request the client might have in the future. It's big. There is a lot of complexity to the system and it probably does take a bit more skill to setup than the others. This can also result in slow response times if you don't have it on good hardware and properly configured. I'd look at this product for flexibility and ease of use for the end user. If you do go this route invest in some knowledge to get it up and running correctly. We use it as the "platform" for all the web sites and apps that we build. "DNN framework one of best Web CMS.." I have worked extensively using DNN Framework to develop customize CMS application using .NET Framework, Silverlight, Visual Studio etc. Its very much flexible to inject customize modules and at the same time taking advantage of existing modules and cross cutting concerns like security, logging etc. It has various interception points where we can add custom aspects as per requirement. The project was a big success in a very short span of time. As a Architect, Designer and developer i recommend everybody to try any DNN framework. We struggled a lot while upgrading the version of DNN. So backward compatibility can be improved so that the existing modules are not changed to cater new versions. As a Architect, Designer and developer i recommend everybody to try any DNN framework and take advantage of existing and customized module without wasting time to develop various aspects and cross cutting concerns like security, db connection, logging, alerts and communications. As we can inject customize modules using C# or VB.net.. It can cater any business problems. "Powerful development platform in the .net environment" It is build on the Microsoft environment. If that is where you operate, this is a great environment. The best thing about DNN for me is that it is one website platform that we can make do just about anything. The CMS aspects are fine and the fact that we have access to the full .Net programming environment means that we have the ability to build just about any website or web application on the DNN platform. The primary benefits are having to learn only one platform.. The ability to create custom modules or to purchase 3rd party modules provides all of the functionality that anyone could ever need for a website. Third party skins extend this to designs that can be purchased too. The admin functions for end users are not the most friendly. Experiences users have not problem at all but the interface is confounding to some new users. There is some opportunity for confusion between the paid (commercial) versions of the product and the free, open source editions. My experience is almost exclusively with the open sources version. They perform very well. The company proclaims their commitment to the open source platform but their 'for profit' mission sometimes causes confusion among their users. I have a web development company. Virtually 95% of the websites we have build over the last 4 years have used the DNN platform is a significant way. There is a great deal of functionality that does not need to be recreated or re-integrated for each project. The platform is stable and robust. "Perfect Application framework to large kind of business solutions" Complete customization, adaptable module integrations, datadriven solutions. I've never found a kind of problem that I cannot implement in DNN. Few "beautyfull" marketing-ready themes. And quite expensive themes in the marketplace. It's a perfect application framework to bridge CMS and datadriven requirements. The problem was finding a complete fullstack solution framework to adopt in my agency to deploy any kind of marketing/business solutions to my clients. DNN is a perfect, powerfull, completly adaptable tool for rapid devolpment any kind of project. "Spoiled Product By SaaS Monetization Strategy" Evoq Content makes it painfully easy for someone with an extremely shallow technical skill set to oversee large corporate web assets. There are also many nice controls around user permissions so for larger organizations whom have a stringent process for making content updates it is also a viable solution. The localization for multi-lingual / multi-national websites is a nice plug & play way to tailor-fit experiences for many cultures. There are many go-to plugins available which have been rolled into Evoq Content so that you don't have to piece-meal them during configuration. It insists on hosting on DNN's Windows Azure, which locks you into a re-occuring cost that previous versions did not require and gives you very limited access & control over your own servers. Great for non-technical individuals but a huge disabling factor if you have ANY internal technical staff. While Evoq Content lowers some technical infrastructure barriers to entry associated with a .NET web application stack, what you have to give up in terms of being able to customize (or even access) the experience, functionality, & code are not worth the cost. If it's exactly what you want - awesome! - otherwise you're going to be fighting up-hill to implement customizations. As far as extending or customizing any aspect of the Evoq platform it's a fool's errand. There database, file storage structure, & code are obstrificated to an unusable point and there is next to nothing when it comes to documentation. Evoq Content is setup for performing as a stellar demo to make sales to business teams, establishing re-occuring revenue in the form of hosting & licensing for DNN, & building in the up-selling of software development services to "custom" their product. If you want to set & forget a large website your business team will mostly be adding static content to - GO FOR IT! If your technical team owns the website, you have any custom functionality requirements, or want to own what you build - DO NOT BUY! In the corporate multi-national website the localization & multi-site management were huge benefits from DNN - unfortunately I understand that their licensing policies have changed where you cannot use a single install to management websites on multiple root domains which is a huge barrier to entry for any company managing multiple websites. "DNN is the best CMS. period. " I started using DNN since 2009 and also delivered few projects to my clients. The deliverables were landing and micro-sites with forums, e-commerce, etc. I was able to write custom modules with the help of good documentation and community support. I opted DNN as its very easy to use for non-developers. The expectations that one has by a CMS were met when combined with modifying content, skin and modules whether they are out of the box or custom solutions. When I started using DNN, I thought the documentation was not covered for all the parts. However, it has evolved a lot since then and now has good docs. It was a open source app before but the only quality learning material I got was by paying to DNNCreative site. It has many videos covering almost everything. I expected all this to be provided by the community itself instead of going to a third party service. If you are a developer, use your time to go through documents if you want to create some custom modules. Out of the box solution is good anyway as everything is GUI driven, so it is very easy to setup. You will need to spend some time to write something that is not available but before investing time on it, look for the modules available in the store as it may solve your needs. With addition to a proper landing site and other micro-sites, I had to provide forums, comment support, e-commerce modules that were linked to the APIs of the EPOS system at my client's location. I also added support of CRUD operations related to CRM data. Talking about micro-sites, it was very easy to deliver custom designs for each microsite. I like that is very simple to use, simple to extend and there are thousands of available modules available to use. Also there is a pretty big community so is easy to find help & support. The only thing that I dislike is that can be tough to move content from one install to another. I'm mostly thinking in a PREPROD / PROD environment where the users enter some content first and then want to push it to production. All type of business. As mentioned before, a lot of features coming out of the box, easy to extend, easy to use, and a LOT of modules available to buy and download for free. The best part of evoq is its awesomely powerful search engine. Many clients assume that a powerful search engine is an out-of-box feature of a CMS (Google ruined them ;) ), without considering the cost behind it. And now they will get it, just as they would like it to be. Nothing is discomforting, except a few browser issues (it's more like limitations of older browsers). You need to know if end client is asking for a Ferrari or a Fiat and evaluate evoq accordingly. It might be not the ideal solution for each client, but its worth giving a try (use free trial version). Providing a powerful CMS with equally powerful search engine. No rocket science, but sometimes its difficult to manage the expectations of end client. "EVOQ 9.0 brings DNN to the forefront of modern CMS'" DotNetNuke's Evoq Content 9.0 is a major upgrade from previous DNN verisions, bringing life to an aging CMS. A combination of excellent customer support, extensive yet adaptable module marketplace and user friendly solution interface enables users of various personas/roles to easily visualize, adapt and implement content. Cost Basis, "Liquid" content needs to be streamlined a little more, More base skins would be nice. Web Content Management, Website Analytics, Digital Asset Management, Marketing and centralizing a business's programs. "DNN is our platform of choice for building websites for clients all over the world!" On-page admin functions and editing. The ability to create multiple portals on a single DNN instance. If there's one area where has DNN fallen short, it's ecommerce. But now, thanks to Will Strohl and Hotcakes Commerce, even ecommerce is a pleasure with DNN! The DNN framework allows us to create custom applications and experiences for a wide variety of use cases and customers with specific business problems. The huge benefits of using DNN that we've realized is the flexibility to create web solutions for just about every scenario you can think of. I can do any web solution including extranet and intranet solutions. Since it is on top of Microsoft Technologies there are no limits in the customization of the solution at any level. There are no barriers in the implementation of any UX. The integration with Telerik is awesome. It doesn't have advanced options to manage users and pages. There is no way to share users and roles between portals. The security and extensibility of the platform allows us to sell solutions build in DNN with confidence. From SMBs all the way up through enterprise level clients, I know that DNN will perform. As easy as the DNN CMS is to use, the occasional small business still compares it to WordPress in ease-of-use (which is often spawned by their familiarity with WP). We're able to confidently put solutions together in DNN for our clients that are reliable, easy-to-use, elegant, and which scale to whatever need they have. Evoq Social, looks smooth and really easy to manage. I've done an simple test and not really in deep. One think I noticed which should be improved is the API integration. Create web platform for different company within different requirement, the main think customer ask is the analysis and reporting system, which I found here really good. Support is very responsive and knowledgeable. Installation and upgrade process seems a little to complicated compared to other content management systems. Fluid/Responsive content and better options for layout. We hope to take advantage of the analytics dashboard as well. "Could be great but it is not." Overall features, good community, availability of modules and themes. Performance and user experience. It's too slow and too difficult to manage for the end user. I can cover almost all business scenarios. "A grassroots developed CMS System with high security " The website's security level of access is easy to use and administer. It's not as easy as to use if you are a wiziwig user. You do need to have some technical skills. Trying to run an eCommerce site is a bit difficult to use. DotNetNuke is an excellent competitor to Joomla or Mambo (both typically run on non-Windows OS'). Because it is for Windows, you have less of a free community and more pay for everything (addons, etc.). You also have the overhead of the Windows OS on top of the CMS. If you are a Windows shop, DotNetNuke is a great CMS, I would not recommend it unless you are a Windows shop, but I am biased towards Linux. * We monitor all Evoq Content reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. Validated reviews require the user to submit a screenshot of the product containing their user ID, in order to verify a user is an actual user of the product. Hi there! Are you looking to implement a solution like Evoq Content?

2019-04-18T23:02:17Z

https://www.g2.com/products/evoq-content/reviews

A sole assembly which includes a heel cradle configured to cradle a heel of a human foot when the human foot is rested within the heel cradle, a rigid upper plate including a first part connected to the heel cradle and a second part located farther from the heel cradle than is the first part, a lower plate including a first part of which is connected to the first part of the upper plate and including a second part which is connected to the second part of the upper plate, an oblong gap located between the upper plate and lower plate and between the first and second parts of the upper and lower plates. A sole assembly including an upper plate and a lower plate stiffer than the upper plate and attached to the upper plate so as to form an oblong gap. Also, a shoe including the sole assembly. The present invention relates to a device that supports a person's foot, and more specifically, to a shoe sole assembly having a spring mechanism for storing and releasing mechanical energy during the gait cycle. Footwear has often incorporated various methods of absorbing impact energy generated while a person walks or runs. Specifically, sponges or cushion materials are often used to absorb and dissipate energy throughout the wearer's gait cycle. However, in order to achieve sufficient cushioning, a large amount of cushioning material that substantially covers the entire plantar region of the shoe may be necessary. This creates a thick and heavy sole structure that adds weight to the shoe and prevents air flow to the plantar region of the wearer's foot. Cushion material may also become compacted over time and lose its cushioning effect, and does very little to store energy for use during the gait cycle. Shoe makers have also created “through-holes” in the cushion material that extend from the lateral to medial sides of the shoe sole in order to reduce the weight of the shoe. However, as these conventional through-holes are typically mere vacancies created in the cushion material, they do not provide effective air flow to the plantar region of the wearer's foot. Moreover, conventional through-holes do not provide a structure for effectively storing mechanical energy. Various spring elements have been used in footwear in an attempt to store impact energy for use during the gait cycle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,878 discloses a spring assembly including a first spring element that extends over a large area of the shoe sole, and a second spring element attached to the first element in a midfoot region but spaced from and opposing the first element in a heel region of the shoe. The opposing first and second spring elements form a tension spring in the heel region of the shoe. However, this spring assembly is complex and requires large and highly resilient components that are too heavy to be of practical use for most shoes, particularly athletic shoes. While simple and light-weight plastic-type assemblies have been implemented into footwear, these structures have generally been used to provide rigidity to certain regions of the sole and cannot efficiently store and release energy during the gait cycle. For example, U.S. Patent Publication 2003/0005600A1 discloses a plastic shank member embedded in a midfoot region of a shoe sole. The shank member is a substantially rigid sheet of material closed to form an oblong cross sectional shape. Placement of the shank member in the midfoot region of the midsole provides greater rigidity to this area of the midsole so that the forefoot of the midsole is more bendable. However, the shank is not disclosed as a spring element for storing and releasing energy during gait. Furthermore, the present inventors have recognized that when any type of energy storage device is implemented in footwear, foot placement within the shoe during contact with the ground is important to realizing a spring effect. Moreover, if the foot is improperly placed relative to the energy storage device, the device may interfere with the natural sequence of pressure distribution of the foot during the footstep, thus resulting in foot discomfort. For example, in the heel area, the heel of the foot tends to break contact or at least reduce pressure on the heel portion of the sole of the shoe when the foot is lifted. Accordingly, the heel of the foot may drift within the shoe and not impact the sole of the shoe in the optimum location for cushion effect and energy storage. Conventional shoes have not recognized this importance of heel placement, and thus have not provided comfortable and efficient energy storage mechanisms. Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to address at least some of the above described and/or other problems of conventional footwear. Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple, light-weight footwear spring element for effectively storing and releasing energy during the gait cycle. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a footwear mechanism for effectively positioning the wearer's heel in relation to a sole spring element in order to enhance efficient storage of energy in the spring at impact. Any of these and/or other objects can be provided by a sole assembly according to the present invention. According to one aspect of the present invention, a sole assembly is disclosed including: a heel cradle configured to cradle a heel of a human foot when the human foot is rested within the heel cradle, a rigid upper plate including a first part connected to the heel cradle and a second part located farther from the heel cradle than is the first part, a lower plate including a first part which is connected to the first part of the upper plate and including a second part which is connected to the second part of the upper plate, an oblong gap located between the upper plate and lower plate and between the first and second parts of the upper and lower plates shaped such that a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a first direction, measured from the first part of the upper plate to the second part of the upper plate, is greater than a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. According to another aspect of the present invention, a shoe is disclosed including: an upper portion; and a sole assembly including, a heel cradle configured to cradle a heel of a human foot when the human foot is rested within the heel cradle, a rigid upper plate including a first part connected to the heel cradle and a second part located farther from the heel cradle than is the first part, a lower plate including a first part which is connected to the first part of the upper plate and including a second part which is connected to the second part of the upper plate, an oblong gap located between the upper plate and lower plate and between the first and second parts of the upper and lower plates shaped such that a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a first direction, measured from the first part of the upper plate to the second part of the upper plate, is greater than a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. According to another aspect of the invention, a sole assembly is disclosed including: an outsole located on a side of the sole assembly and configured to support the sole assembly, a cushion material located next to the outsole, a means for cradling a heel of a human foot when the human foot is rested within the means for cradling, and a means for storing energy generated during walking connected to the means for cradling. According to another aspect of the invention, a sole assembly is disclosed including: a rigid upper plate including a first part and a second part and having a first stiffness, a lower plate having a second stiffness greater than the first stiffness and including a first part which is connected to the first part of the upper plate and including a second part which is connected to the second part of the upper plate, an oblong gap located between the upper plate and lower plate and between the first and second parts of the upper and lower plates shaped such that a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a first direction, measured from the first part of the upper plate to the second part of the upper plate, is greater than a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of an upper plate and heel cradle according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe incorporating a sole assembly according to one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention. As seen in this figure, the shoe includes an upper 1 attached to a sole assembly 2. The upper is preferably made of durable sheets of non-elastic material such as leather, canvas, synthetic material or any other upper material known to those skilled in the art of shoes. In a preferred embodiment, the upper is a breathable nylon mesh material reinforced with outer layer regions of nylon netting. The upper 1 may be attached to the sole assembly 2 by stitching, adhesion or any other method known in the art. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the sole assembly 2 includes a spring mechanism having an upper plate 3 and a lower plate 4 in contact with one another to form a gap 11 through the sole assembly 2. Also included is a heel cradle structure 5, and rear and front cushion materials 6 and 7 respectively. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the rear cushion material 6 includes a through hole 9 that works with the gap 11 to facilitate air flow to the bottom portion of the sole assembly as will be further described below. An outsole 8 is formed on a bottom portion of the cushion materials 6, 7 as will also be discussed below. FIG. 2 and 3 show a medial and lateral side respectively of the sole assembly 2 shown in FIG. 1. As seen in these figures, the upper plate 3 and a lower plate 4 are connected to one another so as to form an oblong shaped gap 11 that extends as a hole from the lateral to medial side of the sole assembly 2. The upper plate 3 is concave facing downward and extends longitudinally from a heel region to a metatarsal region of the sole assembly 2, while the lower plate 4 is concave facing upward and connects to the upper plate 3 at the heel and metatarsal regions respectively. However, in alternative embodiments the upper and or lower plates may be flat or concave in the opposite direction, and may be further contoured to fit the shape of a human foot. Further the upper plate 3 and lower plate 4 may be attached by any of various methods, such as, for example, by adhesive, heat bonding, ultrasonic welding or mechanical connection etc. In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, the gap 11 extends approximately 10.5 cm longitudinally along the sole assembly 2, and is approximately 1.2 cm high at a middle point of the gap, however dimensions of the gap vary according to the size of the sole assembly 2, and/or according to the spring effects desired. In one embodiment, the gap is approximately 25-35% of the length of the sole assembly 2. Preferably, the length of the gap (not considering curvature) is from approximately 100 mm to 130 mm, and the height is from approximately 5 mm to 14 mm. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the upper plate 3 is more flexible than the lower plate 4. Specifically, the upper plate 3 has a thickness of approximately 3 mm, and is formed with medial and lateral sidewalls 3 a and 3 b that provide some rigidity to the upper plate 3, while the lower plate 4 is approximately 1.5 mm thick and generally planar along a transverse cross section. However, the upper plate 3 is made of a relatively flexible material such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), while the bottom plate is made of a stiffer material such as carbon fiber or KEVLAR® (poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide) etc., which have a higher tensile strength and flexural modulus. The present inventors have discovered that the softer TPU used in the upper plate 3, provides a cushioning effect while the more rigid carbon fiber lower plate 4 provides excellent energy storage characteristics. In alternative embodiments, the thickness, structural design and/or the material composition of the plates may be varied to provide upper and lower plates having the same or different stiffness properties. Further the upper and/or lower plate can be designed to have localized stiffness properties as will be further described below. One benefit of using carbon fiber in the plates, especially the lower plate 4, is that because the carbon fiber is very strong and stiff, the lower plate 4 can provide the desired spring effect with a reduced thickness relative to other materials. Thus, the vertical dimension of gap 11 is increased without increasing the overall height of the sole assembly 2. This increase allows a greater range of travel between the upper plate 3 and the lower plate 4 within a given overall height of the sole assembly 2. In other words, with one or both plates made of a high stiffness material such as carbon fiber, the range of travel between the plates can be maintained while the sole assembly can be made shorter in height than would be possible with other materials. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the heel cradle 5 is integrally formed with the upper plate 3, and the lower plate 4 connects to a middle region of the heel cradle 5. Thus, a portion of the upper plate 3 extends beyond the contact point with the lower plate to form a cantilever portion 5 a, which is contoured to cup or cradle the wearer's heel. As seen by the dashed lines in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rear cushion material 6 overlaps the bottom of the cantilevered portion 5 a in order to provide support for the portion 5 a The heel cradle 5 also includes a substantially flat and flexible strip portion 5 b that is in flush contact with an outer surface of the upper 1 of the shoe to provide comfortable support for the heel, while a more rigid portion 5 c overlaps the strip 5 b and is made integral with the upper plate 4 to provide reinforcement of the strip 5 b. As best seen in FIG. 4, the rear portion of the heel cradle 5 includes a rigid wall 5 d that is integral with the cantilevered part 5 a and the reinforcing portion 5 c. The wall 5 d provides strong support for the heel at impact during, for example, running. The portions 5 a, 5 c and 5 d of the heel cradle are preferably made of the same material as the upper plate 3. The reinforcing portion 5 c (and strip 5 b beneath it) extend from the rigid wall 5 d along the lateral and medial sidewalls of the upper 1, and are contoured to approach the upper plate 3 as they run forward toward a midfoot region of the sole assembly 2. Thus, side portions of the heel cradle 5 include an opening 18, which can allow some air flow through the upper 1 to the heel region of the shoe interior. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 and 14, the heel cradle 5 extends approximately 3.7 cm up the sidewall of the upper 1 at a maximum, and extends approximately 7 cm along the sidewalls from a rear of the upper 1. It is to be understood, however, that the portion of the heel cradle 5 overlapping the upper 1 can have varying dimensions for different size shoes and for different shoe types, as long as the overall heel cradle structure 5 supports the heel to enhance centering of the wearer's heel during use. The addition of the heel cradle 5 can enhance the effect of the spring mechanism by improving a position of the wearer's heel as the heel of the foot lifts and descends during walking or running. The present inventors have realized that by consistently centering the heel of the foot in relation to the sole assembled, the upper plate 3 and lower plate 4 more efficiently store and release energy during gait. Furthermore, proper positioning of the heel allows the sole assembly 2 to smoothly accommodate the natural gait of the wearer and to provide support where needed. To achieve proper positioning of the heel of the foot, the heel cradle 5 is typically added to the shoe on the outside of the upper 1 as shown in FIGS. 1-4; however, the heel cradle 5 may be formed inside or as an integral part of the heel region of the upper 1. Further in the non-limiting embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 14, the heel cradle 5 is an integral part of the upper plate 3. One benefit of this arrangement is that the heel cradle 5 not only centers the heel of the foot on the upper plate 3, but flexes as the upper plate 3 flexes. In another non-limiting embodiment, the heel cradle 5 may be a separate component and attached to the upper plate 3 via any of the various joining processes discussed above regarding connecting the plate. Additionally, the heel cradle 5 may be made of a different material than the upper plate 3. Accordingly, the stiffness of the heel cradle 5 may be made different from the plates by changing the material or by changing the dimensions of the heel cradle 5. As shown in FIG. 14, the heel cradle 5 may include openings on the sides to provide ventilation to the heel region. Additionally, in embodiments where the heel cradle 5 is external to the upper 1, the heel cradle may provide an aesthetically pleasing design. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 14, the area between the openings 18 and above rigid wall 5 d is slightly lower in height than the area above openings 18. This enhances the fit of the heel cradle 5 to the Achilles tendon area of the heel. As seen in FIGS. 1-4, the rear cushion 6 supports the upper plate 3 and heel cradle 5 in the heel area, and supports the lower plate 4 from the heel to approximately midfoot, while front cushion 7 supports the forefoot. Cushion material 6,7 is preferably made of a resilient, shock-absorbing material such as, for example, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). Rear cushion gap 9 is provided to support the cantilevered portion of the upper plate 3 and heel cradle 5. The presence of the rear cushion gap 9 may improve the flexibility of the heel of the shoe while decreasing the weight of the shoe and improving air flow directly around the heel of the foot as will be further described below. In some non-limiting embodiments, the rear cushion gap 9 may not be present, may be shaped differently than as shown in FIG. 4, or may include multiple smaller gaps. The rear cushion 6 is coupled to the front cushion material 7 to provide a planar surface for attaching the outsole 8. The outsole 8 is preferably implemented as a layer of deformable rubber material that contacts the ground when the shoe is in use, and preferably includes treads that are designed to grip a variety of ground surfaces. As seen in FIGS. 2-4 the outsole 8 is shown as curved along a contour provided by the sole assembly 2. Such contouring accommodates a natural human gait by providing a smooth flow from heel to toe as the foot twists during walking or running. Details of the outsole 8 are discussed below. The present inventors have discovered that the sole assembly of the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 provides a simple and light-weight footwear spring element for effectively storing and releasing energy during the gait cycle. Further the heel cradle can effectively position the wearer's heel in relation to the sole spring element in order to enhance efficient storage of energy in the spring at impact. It is to be understood, however, that the spring mechanism may be used to provide improved spring characteristics without the need for the heel cradle, and the heel cradle can enhance the energy storage and release characteristics of springs other than that shown in FIGS. 1-4. Still further use of the absorbing material 6, 7 can absorb and dissipate impact shock during heel strike, and operate to dampen the spring effect of the spring mechanism of the sole assembly 2. Specifically, prior to heel impact of the gait cycle when the heel is not in contact with the ground, the heel cradle 5 can provide lateral support for the heel and maintain a substantially center position of the heel on the sole assembly 2. A downward force created from heel contact to the midstance portion of the gait cycle is applied to the upper plate 3. This causes the upper plate 3 to deflect in elastic deformation downward toward the lower plate 4, thus storing the energy of the applied load. This stored energy is then released during the windlass phase of the gait cycle when the foot locks into place and moves from midstance to toe off. This creates a natural propulsion sensation to the wearer. The absorbing material functions to absorb and disperse shock forces in order to cushion the foot during this gait cycle, and can further dampen the spring effect of the spring element to provide a smoother feel. FIG. 5 shows a bottom surface of a sole assemble in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As seen in this figure, cross-section lines 7-12 are shown to define the cross-section planes of FIGS. 7-12 respectively. As also seen in FIG. 5, the outsole 8 is substantially continuous from the rear to the front of the sole assembly 2. However, in other embodiments, the outsole could be two or more separate parts, e.g., a rear part and a front part separated by a gap or flexion area The outsole 8 includes a tread portion (designated by number 8), which can be made of various tough, flexible materials such as, for example, carbon rubber, and is designed to provide gripping of various surfaces. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the tread portion 8 is implemented as a substantially planar sheet of rubber having serpentine raised edges and grooves that extend in a longitudinal direction. The tread portion 8 includes a plurality of small holes 8 a therein at a forefoot region of the sole assembly, and a larger hole 8 d extending from the heel to midfoot region of the sole assembly 2. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the tread holes 8 a correspond to holes 8 b in the absorbing material 7 to provide front ventilation holes 8 c in the bottom of the shoe to permit air flow to the forefoot interior of the shoe. Similarly, the hole 8 d corresponds to hole 8 e provided in the rear cushion 6, hole 8 f provided in lower plate 4 and hole 8 g provided in upper plate 3, such that a heel ventilation hole 12 allows air flow to an interior of the shoe. Although the holes are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 as having a teardrop shape, other shapes are possible. Additionally, not all of the upper plate 3, lower plate 4, or rear cushion 6 need to have similarly shaped holes. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 14, the holes may have a mesh or reinforcing structure added. FIG. 6 shows a top surface of the sole assembly 2 at the interior of the shoe. As seen in this figure, the sole assembly 2 includes an outsole 8 having a front cushion 6 provided at a forefoot region thereof, and a rear cushion 7, lower plate 4 and upper plate 3 sequentially stacked on a heel to mid-foot region of the outsole 8. As also seen in FIG. 6, the ventilation holes 8 b and 12 extend to the interior of the shoe. The ventilation holes 8 c and 12 preferably include a screen or mesh material that permits air flow into the shoe while keeping debris from entering the interior of the shoe. Thus, the sole assembly of FIGS. 5 and 6, is designed to permit substantial air flow from an exterior of the shoe to a plantar region of the wearer's foot. This is further enhanced by the cushion gap 9 in the absorbing material 6 and the gap 11 in the spring mechanism, which allow free flow of air around the heel portion of the shoe and to the ventilation hole 12. Further ventilation holes 8 a and 12 reduce the weight of the sole assembly, while enhancing the performance characteristics of the shoe by guiding the heel to center strike upon impact. FIGS. 7-12 show various cross sections of the sole assembly of FIGS. 1-6 in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal cross section of the sole assembly of FIG. 5. As seen in FIG. 7, the upper plate 3 is formed of TPU depicted by a diagonal cross sectional marking, while the lower plate 4 is formed from carbon fiber depicted by a vertical-horizontal cross sectional marking. Areas 14 and 15 show a contact region of the upper and lower plate at a heel and mid-foot region respectively. Further, the upper and lower plates include a break at this cross section due to the hole 8 g in the upper plate 3 and the hole 8 f in the lower plate 4. As also seen in this figure, the absorbing material 7 at the metatarsal region of the forefoot includes a cavity having a second absorbing or cushioning material 20 provided therein. In one non-limiting embodiment, cushioning material 7 and 20 preferably have different durometer hardness ratings. However, in a preferred embodiment, the cushioning material 7 and 20 are comprised of the same material. FIG. 8 shows a cross-section of the outsole 8 taken along the section-line as defined in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 8, the first foam material 20 provides a cushion across the metatarsal region of the foot. Below the first foam material 20 is forefoot absorbing material 7 and the outsole 8. In one non-limiting embodiment, the upper plate 3 and lower plate 4 do not extend to the cross-section shown in FIG. 8. By not placing the plates in the region of this cross-section, natural flexure at the ball of the foot occurs independently of the upper plate 3 and lower plate 4. In another non-limiting embodiment, the upper plate 3 and lower plate 4 are formed such that they are present in the metatarsal region, but are structured to allow flexure at the ball of the foot as needed. It should be noted that the upper plate 3 and lower plate 4 may be made longer or shorter depending on the particular needs of the wearer. In some cases, the plates may be made shorter and moved closer to the heel of the sole assembly 2. In other cases, the plates may be moved forward, either by lengthening the plates relative to the length of the sole assembly 2 or by moving the plates themselves forward. FIG. 9 shows a cross-section of the outsole 8 taken at the section-line as defined in FIG. 5. In this view, the first foam material 20, absorbing material 7, and outsole 8 are present as shown in FIG. 8. However, as section-line of FIG. 9 is closer to the middle of the outsole 8 than section-line of FIG. 8, upper plate 3 and lower plate 4 are shown on the right and left sides of the outsole 8. In this non-limiting embodiment, the upper plate 3 and lower plate 4 are Y-shaped or have extended parts on their right and left edges as shown in exemplary FIGS. 13 and 14, which will be discussed further below. Thus, in the cross-section depicted in FIG. 9, only the extended parts appear. The upper plate 3 and lower plate 4 plate make contact in the region of section-line of FIG. 9. As discussed above, the plates may be attached through various methods, including mechanical attachment. As also by a comparison of FIGS. 8 and 9, the sole assembly 2, upper plate 3 and lower plate 4 are thinner towards a center of the shoe. Alternatively, the upper plate 3 and lower plate 4 may have uniform widths as measured horizontally across the shoe. When the widths and thicknesses of the plates are uniform, the plates may easily be formed by simple extrusion. However, in order to enhance response of the plates as a foot travels from heel to toe during a footstep, the plates typically have a varying width (and possibly thickness as discussed below) along their length. In addition to altering the performance of the plates during deflection, such curvature allows the plates to fit beneath the contours of the foot and enhances aesthetic appeal. FIG. 10 shows a cross-section taken at the line as defined in FIG. 5. In this non-limiting embodiment, the upper plate 3 is shown as having a concave shape pointing upward to form sidewalls 3 a and 3 b which can prevent the foot from slipping from side to side. A comparison of FIGS. 9 and 10 shows that the upper plate 3 and lower plate 4 have separated and have formed the beginning areas of the gap 11. Additionally, foam material 6 is shown, which makes up the rear cushion 6 shown in FIGS. 1-4. FIG. 11 shows a cross-section taken at the section-line as shown in FIG. 5. As this section-line is further back from the front of the shoe than is section-line of FIG. 10, the vertical dimension of gap 11 is larger. Additionally, the concavity of the upper plate 3 has decreased. Finally, FIG. 12 shows a cross-section taken at the section-line as shown in FIG. 5. Although other locations are possible, an optional rear cushion cavity 9 is shown in approximately the center of the shoe. The presence of the rear cushion cavity 9 allows more flexion in the center of the upper plate 3, especially if the upper plate cavity 12 and lower plate cavity 10 are present, and permits air flow as previously described. Further shown in FIG. 12 are the vertical protrusions 19 present on the upper plate 3. In this embodiment, the vertical protrusions 19 are the remnants of the concave-upward parts of the upper plate 3. However, the vertical protrusions may be formed separately from the concave-upward parts of the upper plate 3. In fact, it is not necessary for any other part of the upper plate 3 to be concave upward in order for the upper plate 3 to include the vertical protrusions 19. The sole assembly of FIGS. 1-12 has been described as having a neutrally-positioned plate that generally allows for the high-arched, rigid foot-type to apply consistent pressure through the gait cycle and receive the maximum cushioning and spring effect. In this embodiment, the material and thickness of each of the upper plate 3 and lower plate 4 is substantially constant and symmetrical across a respective plate to provide little variation in stiffness properties across a respective plate. However, alternative embodiments may be implemented to accommodate different foot types. For example, an asymmetric design to give greater support on the medial (inside) portion of the shoe to better support a medium-arched semi-flexible foot as it pronates inward. Similarly, maximum support on the medial side of the shoe may be needed to support an extremely flexible and low-arched foot type. The medial side material would need to be very stiff and noticeably less flexible, as the general body-type for this kind of foot-type is much larger, thus exerting more pressure on the spring device. The stiffness would eliminate the potential for collapse in the midfoot. Such asymmetrical levels of stiffness can reduce foot pronation. For example, human feet naturally rotate or roll inward during walking, i.e., the feet pronate. Over-pronation occurs when the arch of a human foot collapses upon weight bearing. Problems associated with over-pronation include soft-tissue inflammation and joint stress. To avoid over-pronation, shoes with augmented arch supports have been designed. However, the augmentation may undesirably add to the overall weight and height of the shoe. Additionally, as the augmentation is typically designed merely to prevent collapse of the arch of the foot, the augmentation does not efficiently store energy during walking or running. Thus, rather than augmenting the arch of a shoe with thicker padding which in turn would increase the weight and height of the shoe, a particular part of the foot such as, for example, the arch area of the foot, may be preferentially supported by altering the stiffness characteristics of the plates, either by changing plate geometry or by changing materials. FIG. 13 shows a general shape of the upper plate 3 and lower plate 4 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As seen in this figure, the plate 40 includes front wings 42 and a through hole 44, which generally divide the plate 40 into a medial side 46 and lateral side 48 having a boundary indicated by the vertical dashed lines in the figure. In one non-limiting embodiment, a portion or all of the medial side 46 of the plate 40 may be made of stiffer material than a portion of the lateral side 48. For example, part of the medial side of the plate may be fabricated from carbon fiber or other material while the remainder of the plate may be made of relatively more flexible TPU. In one non-limiting embodiment, the carbon fiber may comprise one or more separate inserts 24 attached or placed inside the plate as shown in FIG. 13. The insert 24 may be replaceable to enable one to customize the shoe for a particular wearer or use. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/709792 discloses various methods of measuring a characteristic of the wearer in order to determine a footwear component such as insert 24 suitable for the wearer. This provisional application is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. In another non-limiting embodiment, the inserts may be integrally formed into the plate during the manufacture of the plate. Various methods of stiffening particular portions of the plates exist. If the stiffness of the plate depends largely on the number of fibers present in the material, such as it typically does with fiber-glass or carbon fiber materials, the density of the fibers in a part of the plate may be increased or reduced during manufacture to affect the stiffness in a particular area. In yet another non-limiting embodiment, the chemical composition of the plate may be altered in various parts such that the stiffness changes. Further, the thickness of the plate 40 may be increased on the medial side 46. As the stiffness of a cross-section of a plate is proportional to the cube of the thickness of the plate, even a small change in the thickness of the plate will have a large affect on the overall stiffness of the plate. Thus, grooves, ribs, and plates with gradually varying thicknesses may be used to affect the localized stiffness of the upper plate 3 or lower plate 4 or both. Still further, the medial side may be asymmetrical in shape as shown by the phantom wing extension 50 on the medial side, which may stiffen this area. As shown in FIG. 13 wings 42 are typically positioned on the medial and lateral sides of the plate 40. In FIG. 14, the wings 42 are shown on the upper plate 3 as slightly tapered protrusions extending toward the toe area. Thus, the wings 42 enhance stability of the sole assembly 2 by stiffening the outer portions of the sole assembly, but add less weight than would a shape in which the area between the wings 42 is filled with material. Accordingly, the stiffness of the metatarsal region can be enhanced with little added material. Wings 42 added to the lower plate 4 achieve similar results. Additionally, the tapering shape of the wings 42 in the vertical direction provides enhanced ability to attach the lower plate 4 and upper plate 3 to the rest of the sole assembly 2, i.e., the taper provides a fillet shape in the connection area. In addition to asymmetry of the upper and lower plates themselves, the spring assembly may be positioned differently within the sole assembly to accommodate different foot types. For example, moving the spring mechanism forward or back may change a performance characteristic of the sole assembly. For example, a smaller system that is closer to the heel may work better for a mild overpronator. As another example, moving the system forward may create the best forefoot cushioning in a shoe. Still further, material and design variations may be implemented to provide a lower midsole height. Clearly, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. an oblong gap located between the upper plate and lower plate and between the first and second parts of the upper and lower plates shaped such that a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a first direction, measured from the first part of the upper plate to the second part of the upper plate, is greater than a gap dimension between the upper and lower plates in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. 2. The sole assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one insert attached to at least one of the upper plate and lower plate. 3. The sole assembly of claim 2, wherein the at least one insert is located in the lower plate. 4. The sole assembly of claim 3, wherein the at least one insert includes a material with a stiffness greater than a stiffness of a material comprising the lower plate. 5. The sole assembly of claim 4, wherein the at least one insert comprises at least one of carbon fiber and poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide. 6. The sole assembly of claim 4, wherein the insert is located nearer to a medial side of the lower plate than to a lateral side. 7. The sole assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper plate and lower plate are comprised of different materials. 8. The sole assembly of claim 7, wherein the lower plate comprises carbon fiber. 9. The sole assembly of claim 7, wherein the lower plate comprises poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide. 10. The sole assembly of claim 1, wherein the heel cradle comprises a different material than the upper plate. 11. The sole assembly of claim 1, wherein the heel cradle and upper plate are a continuous piece of material. 12. The sole assembly of claim 11, wherein the heel cradle is vented. 13. The sole assembly of claim 12, wherein the heel cradle is partially directly supported by the upper plate and partially directly supported by a cushion material. 14. The sole assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper plate is asymmetrical about a vertical plane that passes through a center of the heel cradle and a center of a toe of the sole assembly. 15. The sole assembly of claim 14, wherein the lower plate is asymmetrical about a vertical plane that passes through a center of the heel cradle and a center of a toe of the sole assembly. 16. The sole assembly of claim 15, wherein the lower plate has vertical protrusions that support walls of the heel cradle. 17. The sole assembly of claim 1, wherein the lower plate includes a cavity. 18. The sole assembly of claim 17, wherein the upper plate includes a cavity at least partially overlapping the cavity of the lower plate. 19. The sole assembly of claim 1, wherein a medial side of the lower plate is stiffer than a lateral side of the lower plate. 20. The sole assembly of claim 19, wherein a medial side of the upper plate is stiffer than a lateral side of the upper plate. 21. The sole assembly of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the upper plate varies from a portion of a medial side to a portion of a lateral side. 22. The sole assembly of claim 21, wherein the thickness of the lower plate varies from a portion of a medial side to a portion of a lateral side. means for storing energy generated during walking connected to the means for cradling. 26. The sole assembly of claim 25, wherein the upper plate and lower plate are comprised of different materials. 27. The sole assembly of claim 26, wherein the upper plate comprises TPU and the lower plate comprises carbon fiber. 28. The sole assembly of claim 26, wherein the upper plate comprises TPU and the lower plate comprises poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide. 29. The sole assembly of claim 26, wherein the upper plate has a greater thickness in the vertical direction than the lower plate. 30. The sole assembly of claim 29, wherein the thickness of the upper plate is 3 mm and the thickness of the lower plate is 1.5 mm. 31. The sole assembly of claim 26, wherein the lower plate includes an insert. 32. The sole assembly of claim 31, wherein the insert is disposed on a medial side of the lower plate and comprises a material having a different stiffness than material of the lower plate. 33. The sole assembly of claim 25, wherein the upper plate and lower plate include wings projecting toward a toe region of the sole assembly. 34. The sole assembly of claim 33, wherein a wing on a medial side of the upper and lower plates is longer than a wing on a lateral side. 35. The sole assembly of claim 25, wherein the lower plate includes a cavity. 36. The sole assembly of claim 35, wherein the upper plate includes a cavity at least partially overlapping the cavity of the lower plate.

2019-04-24T06:31:11Z

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20070101617A1/en

This guide was built to serve as a comprehensive resource to using .htaccess. The .htaccess file is a configuration file that affects how a web server responds to various requests. It is supported by several web servers, including the popular Apache software used by most web hosting providers. .htaccess files operate at the level of a directory, allowing them to override global configuration settings of .htaccess directives higher in the directory tree. Why is it called .htaccess? These files were first used to control user access on a per-directory basis. Using a subset of Apache’s http.conf settings directives, it allowed a system administrator to restrict access to individual directories to users with a name and password specified in an accompanying .htpasswd file. While .htaccess files are still used for this, they are also used for a number of other things which we’ll cover in this guide. Where is the .htaccess file? In theory, every folder (directory) on your server could have one. Generally, though, there is one in your web root folder — that’s the folder that holds all the content of your website, and is usually labeled something like public_html, www or httpdocs. If you have a single directory that contains multiple website subdirectories, there will usually be an .htaccess file in the main root directory and also one in each subdirectory (/sitename). Why can’t I find my .htaccess file? On most file systems, file names that begin with a dot ( . ) are hidden files. This means they are not typically visible by default. But they aren’t hard to get to. Your FTP client or File Manager should have a setting for “show hidden files”. This will be in different places in different programs, but is usually in “Preferences”, “Settings”, or “Folder Options”. Sometime you’ll find it in the “View” menu. What if I don’t have an .htaccess file? First of all, make sure that you have turned on “show hidden files” (or its equivalent), so that you can be sure you actually don’t have one. Often, .htaccess files are created automatically, so you will usually have one. But this isn’t always the case. Start a new file in a plain text editor. Save it in ASCII format (not UTF-8 or anything else) as .htaccess. Make sure that it isn’t htaccess.txt or something like that. The file should have only the name .htaccess with no additional file extension. Upload it to the appropriate directory via FTP or your browser-based file manager. Using .htaccess files to specify error documents is very simple, one of the simplest things you can do with this feature. When a request is made to a web server, it tries to respond to that request, usually by delivering a document (in the case of HTML pages), or by accessing an application and returning the output (in the case of Content Management Systems and other web apps). If something goes wrong with this, an error is generated. Different types of errors have different error codes. You are probably familiar with the 404 error, which is returned if the document cannot be found on the server. There are many other error codes that a server can respond with. If you don’t specify any type of error handling, the server will simply return the message to the browser, and the browser will display a generic error message to the user. This is usually not ideal. Create an HTML document for each error code you want to handle. You can name these whatever you like, but it’s helpful to name them something that will help you remember what they’re for, like not-found.html or simply 404.html. Then, in the .htaccess file, specify which document to use with each type of error. Notice that each directive is placed on its own line. And that’s it. Very simple. Most content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, and most web apps, will have their own way of handling most of these errors codes. The original purpose of .htaccess files was to restrict access to certain directories on a per-user basis (hence the name, hypertext access). So we’ll look at that first. Usernames and passwords for the .htaccess system are stored in a file name .htpasswd. It’s important to realize that the password stored in the file isn’t the actual password used to log in. Rather it is a cryptographic hash of the password. This means that the password has been run through an encryption algorithm, and the result is stored. When a user logs in, the plain-text password is entered and run through the same algorithm. If the input is the same, the passwords match and the user is granted access. Storing passwords this way makes them more secure — if someone were to gain access to your .htpasswd file, they would only see the hashed passwords, not the originals. And there is no way to reconstruct the originals from the hash — it is a one way encryption. bcrypt — This is the most secure, but also the slowest to compute. It is supported by Apache and Nginx. md5 — This is the default hashing algorithm used by current versions of Apache. It is not supported by Nginx. crypt() — This used to be the default hashing function, but it is not very secure. You can create an .htpasswd file, and add username-password pairs to it, directly from the command line or SSH terminal. The command for dealing with the .htpasswd file is simply htpasswd. To create a new .htpasswd file, use the command with the -c option (for create), then type the path to the directory (not the URL, the actual path on the server). You can also include a user you want to add. This creates a new .htpasswd file in the /etc/ directory, and adds a record for a user named johnsmith. You will be prompted for a password, which will also be stored, using the md5 encryption. If there is already an .htpasswd file at the specified location, a new one is not created — the new user is simply appended to the existing file. If you’d prefer to use the bcrypt hashing algorithm, use the -b option. If you don’t feel comfortable using the command line or SSH terminal (or if you don’t have access to it for some reason), you can simply create an .htpasswd file and populate it using a plain text editor, and upload it via FTP or file manager. But then you’ll need to encrypt your passwords somehow, since the htpasswd command was taking care of that for you. There are many .htpasswd encryption utilities available online. This gives you several options for hashing algorithm and password strength. You can simply copy-and-paste the output from there into your .htpasswd file. You don’t need to have a separate .htpasswd file for every .htaccess file. In fact, you shouldn’t. Under most normal circumstances, you should have one for your entire web hosting account or main server directory. The .htpasswd file should not be in a publicly accessible directory — not Public_HTML or www or any subdirectory. It should be above those, in a folder that is only accessible from the server itself. Each directory can have its own .htaccess file, with its own set of users which are allowed to access it. If you want anyone (including non-logged-in users) to access the directory and its files, simply do nothing — that is the default. The first line specifies the path and file name to your list of usernames and passwords. The second line specifies a name for the secured area. This can be anything you like. The third line specifies “Basic” authentication, which is what you usually need. The <Limit> tag specifies what is being limited (in this case, the ability to GET or POST to any file in the directory). Within the pair of <Limit> tags is a list of who is allowed to access files. In the above example, any valid user can access files. If you want to restrict access to a specific user or few users, you can name them. You can also put users into groups and allow access based on group. This is done by adding another file which specifies the groups. Using .htaccess and .htpasswd to resrict access to certain files on your server only really makes sense if you have a lot of static files. The feature was developed when web sites were usually a collection of HTML documents and related resources. If you are using a content management system (CMS) like WordPress or Drupal, you can use the built-in user management features to restrict or grant access to content. SSI, or Server Side Includes, is a light-weight scripting language used primarily to embed HTML documents into other HTML documents. This makes it easy to re-use common elements, such as headers, footers, sidebars, and menus. You can think of it as a precursor to today’s templating and content management systems. This should enable SSI for all files that have the .shtml extension. The benefit of doing this is that you can use SSI without letting the world know you are using it. Also, if you change implementations in the future, you can keep your .html file extensions. The downside of this is that every .html file will be parsed with SSI. If you have a lot of .html files that don’t actually need any SSI parsing, this can introduce a lot of unneeded server overhead, slowing down your page load times and using up CPU resources. If you don’t want to parse all .html files, but you do want to use SSI on your index (home) page, you’ll need to specify that in your .htaccess file. That’s because when the web server is looking for a directory’s index page, it looks for index.html, unless you tell it otherwise. If you aren’t parsing .html files, you’ll need your index page to be named index.shtml for SSI to work, and your server doesn’t know to look for that by default. This alerts the web server that the index.shtml file is the main index file for the directory. The second parameter, index.html is a backup, in case index.shtml can’t be found. You can use .htaccess to block users from a specific IP address (blacklisting). This is useful if you have identified individual users from specific IP addresses which have caused problems. You can also do the reverse, blocking everyone except visitors from a specific IP address (whitelisting). This is useful if you need to restrict access to only approved users. The first line states that the allow directives will be evaluated first, before the deny directives. This means that allow from all will be the default state, and then only those matching the deny directives will be denied. If this was reversed to order deny,allow, then the last thing evaluated would be the allow from all directive, which would allow everybody, overriding the deny statements. Notice the third line, which has deny from 789.56.4. — that is not a complete IP address. This will deny all IP addresses within that block (any that begin with 789.56.4). You can include as many IP addresses as you like, one on each line, with a deny from directive. The reverse of blacklisting is whitelisting — restricting everyone except those you specify. As you may guess, the order directive has to be reversed, so that that everyone is first denied, but then certain addresses are allowed. You can also block or allow users based on a domain name. This can be help block people even as they move from IP address to IP address. However, this will not work against people who can control their reverse-DNS IP address mapping. This works for subdomains, as well — in the previous example, visitors from xyz.example.comwill also be blocked. A referrer is the website that contains a link to your site. When someone follows a link to a page on your site, the site they came from is the referrer. This doesn’t just work for clickable hyperlinks to your website, though. Pages anywhere on the internet can link directly to your images (“hotlinking”) — using your bandwidth, and possibly infringing on your copyright, without providing any benefit to you in terms of traffic. They can also hotlink to your CSS files, JS scripts, or other resources. Most website owners are okay with this when happens just a little bit, but sometimes this sort of thing can turn into abuse. Additionally, sometimes actual in-text clickable hyperlinks are problematic, such as when they come from hostile websites. For any of these reasons, you might want to block requests that come from specific referrers. The .htaccess directives that accomplish referrer-based blocking rely on the mod_rewriteengine. This is a little tricky, so lets walk through it. The first line, RewriteEngine on, alerts the parser that a series of directives related to rewrite is coming. The next three lines each block one referring domain. The part you would need to change for your own use is the domain name (example) and extension (.com). The backward-slash before the .com is an escape character. The pattern matching used in the domain name is a regular expression, and the dot means something in RegEx, so it has to be “escaped” using the back-slash. The last line is the actual rewrite rule. The [F] means “Forbidden.” Any requests with a referrer matching the ones in the list will fail, and deliver a 403 Forbidden error. One of the more annoying aspects of managing a website is discovering that your bandwidth is being eaten up by non-human visitors — bots, crawlers, web scrapers. These are programs that are designed to pull information out of your site, usually for the purpose of republishing it as part of some low-grade SEO operation. There, of course, legitimate bots — like those from major search engines. But the rest are like pests that just eat away at your resources and deliver no value to you whatsoever. There are several hundred bots identified. You will never be able to block all of them, but you can keep the activity down to a dull roar by blocking as many as you can. Here is a good security solution for WordPress websites. When a request is made to a web server for a URL which does not specify a file name, the assumption built into most web servers is that the URL refers to a directory. So, if you request https://example.com, Apache (and most other web servers) is going look in the root directory for the domain (usually /Public_HTML or something similar, but perhaps /example-com) for the default file. The default file, by default, is called index.html. This goes way back to the beginning of the internet when a website was just a collection of documents, and the “home” page was usually an index of those documents. But you might not want index.html to be the default page. For example, you might need a different file type, like index.shtml, index.xml, or index.php. Or you might not think of your home page as an “index”, and want to call it something different, like home.html or main.html. The way this works is that the web server looks for the first one first. If it can’t find that, it looks for the second one, and so on. Why would you want to do this? Surely you know which file you want to use as your default page, right? Remember that .htaccess affects its own directory, and every subdirectory until it is overridden by a more local file. This means that an .htaccess file in your root directory can provide instructions for many subdirectories, and each one might have its own default page name. Being able to place those rules in a single .htaccess file in the root means that you don’t have to duplicate all the other directives in the file at every directory level. One of the most common uses of .htaccess files is URL redirects. URL redirects should be used when the URL for a document or resource has changed. This is especially helpful if you have reorganized your website or changed domain names. 301 means “Permanently Moved,” while 302 means “Moved Temporarily.” In most cases, you want to use 301. This preserves any SEO equity the original URL had, passing it on to the new page. It also will cause most browsers to update their bookmarks. Most browsers will also cache the old-to-new mapping, so they will simply request the new URL when a link or user attempts to access the original. If the URL has changed permanently, these are all desirable results. There’s very little reason to use 302 redirects, since there’s usually very little reason to temporarily change a URL. Changing a URL ever is undesirable, but is sometimes necessary. Changing it temporarily, with the plan to change it back later, is a bad idea and is almost always avoidable. All the examples in this section will use the 301 redirect. There are two different ways to “change” a URL with .htaccess directives — the Redirectcommand and the mod_rewrite engine. The Redirect command actually sends a redirect message to the browser, telling it what other URL to look for. Typically, the mod_rewrite tool “translates” one URL (the one provided in a request) into something that the file system or CMS will understand, and then handles the request as if the translated URL was the requested URL. When used this way, the web browser doesn’t notice that anything happened — it just receives the content it asked for. The mod_rewrite tool can also be used to produce 301 redirects that work the same way as the Redirect command, but with more options for rules — mod_rewrite can have complex pattern matching and rewriting instructions, which Redirect cannot take advantage of. The relative URL is relative to the directory containing the .htaccess file, which is usually the web root, or the root of the domain. If you have moved your directory structure around, but kept your page names the same, you might want to redirect all requests for a certain directory to the new one. What if you entire site has moved to a new URL? Easy. Increasingly, websites are moving away from the www subdomain. It’s never really been necessary, but it was a holdover from the days when you most people who operated a website were using a server to store lots of their own documents, and the www or “world wide web” directory was used for content they wanted to share with others. These days, some people use it, and some people don’t. Unfortunately, some users still automatically type www. in front of every URL out of habit. If you’re not using www, you want to make sure that these requests land in the right place. To do this, you’ll need to use the mod_rewrite module, which is probably already installed on your web host. Do you see the problem with that? It redirects all subdomains to the primary domain. So not just www.example.com, but also blog.example.com and admin.example.com and anything else. This is probably not the behavior you want. But what if you are using the www subdomain? You should probably set up a redirect to make sure people get to where they’re trying to go. Especially now that fewer people are likely to automatically add that www to the beginning of URLs. You just reverse the above code. Several guides on .htaccess redirects include instructions on how to make 404 errors redirect to the home page. This is a good example of how just because you can do something, it doesn’t mean you should do something. Redirecting 404 errors to the site’s homepage is a terrible idea. It confuses visitors, who can’t figure out why they are seeing the front page of a site instead of a proper 404 error page. All websites should have a decent 404 page which clearly explains to the user that the content couldn’t be found and, ideally, offers some search features to help the user find what they were looking for. Why use .htaccess instead of other alternatives? You can set up redirect in PHP files, or with any other type of server-side scripting. You can also set them up within your Content Management System (which is basically the same thing). But using .htaccess is usually the fastest type of redirect. With PHP-based redirects, or other server-side scripting languages, the entire request must be completed, and the script actually interpreted before a redirect message is sent to the browser. With .htaccess redirects, the server responds directly to the request with the redirect message. This is much faster. You should note, though — some content management systems actually manage redirects by updating the .htaccess programatically. WordPress, for example, has redirect plugins that work this way. (And WP’s pretty URL system does this as well.) This gives you the performance of using .htaccess directly, while also giving you the convenience of management from within your application. There is no reason that someone should be able to view your .htaccess file from the web. It is never a needed document. Moreover, there are some big reasons you should definitely not want people to see your .htaccess file. The biggest issue is that if you are using an .htpasswd file, its location is spelled out in the .htaccess file. Knowing where to find it makes it easier to find. Moreover, as a general rule, you don’t want to provide the public with details about your implementation. Rewrite rules, directory settings, security — all of the things that you use .htaccess for — it is a good security practice to hide all of this behind-the-scenes at your web server. The more a hacker can learn about your system, the easier it is to compromise it. MIME types are file types. They’re called MIME types because of their original association with email (MIME stands for “Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions”). They aren’t just called “file types” because MIME implies a specific format for specifying the file type. The type attribute refers to a specific MIME type. Sometimes you’ll find that your web server isn’t configured to deliver a particular type of file. It just doesn’t work — requests for the file simply fail. In most cases, you can fix this problem by adding the MIME type to your .htaccess file. If you want to associate several different file extensions with the same MIME type, you can do that on a single line. Here is a not-quite-complete list of file formats and associated MIME types. If you are managing your own website, and you know what file types you publish resources in, then there is no need to paste this entire list into your .htaccess file. However, if you run a site that many other people are contributing and publishing content to, you may want to simply allow a large number of file types this way to make sure no one has a bad experience. This is especially the case if you run a site where people might be specifically sharing a lot of files, for example a file sharing site, a project management application (where many files will often be attached to project), or a web app that handles email. Hotlinking is the practice of linking to resources from other domains instead of uploading the content to your own server and serving it yourself. Say you find an image on a website that you really like, and you want to use it on your site. Ignoring copyright issues for the moment — you could download the image, upload it to your website, and embed it on your page like normal. But if you were lazy, or trying to save bandwidth, or didn’t know how to upload a file, you could just embed it directly form the original file. That’s hotlinking. It also happens with CSS and JS files, but images are the most common. Some websites/hosts don’t mind at all if you do this — you can hotlink images from Wikipedia without anyone being upset. And some websites encourage it in one form or another. For example, JQuery provides their JS libraries via a CDN (Content Delivery Network), so you can hotlink directly to it without having to upload it and serve it from your own server. But many web host consider hotlinking to be a form of bandwidth and resource stealing. To be sure, if you are running a relatively small site, you can’t afford to have thousands, or tens of thousands, of requests being made every day for resources that have nothing to do with actual visitors to your site. If you are having a problem with hotlinking, you can disable it with some mod_rewrite rules added to your .htaccess file. Be sure to change example.com in the third line to your actual domain name. This will catch any requests not coming from your domain, and then check if it matches one of the specified file extensions in the fourth line. If there is a match, the request fails. If you want to add other file extensions, you can simply edit the last line. If you want to let the world know why their hotlinking has suddenly stopped working, you can replace hotlinked images with a special image with a message like, “We hate hotlinking!” or “Original Content Available at https://example.com”. What happens if you have a directory full of documents or other resources, no index.html file, and no default directory page specified in the .htaccess file? In many cases, the result will be a generic directory listing of all the files in the directory. That’s right. If you have a folder in your hosting directory labeled /images, and it has no index.html page, when someone navigates to https://example.com/images, they will be able to see a list of all the images on your site. That’s the default behavior of most web servers, and it makes sense from the standpoint of the original conception of a website as simply a place to keep and share documents. But this is not the desired behavior for most sites. Many web hosting accounts will have disable this already as part of their global configuration. But not all do so. If your web server has disabled indexes as part of global configuration, but you do want them, you can enable them with the reverse of the above command. If you want to show directory listings, but you want to hide certain file types from the list, you can do that too. CGI, or Common Gateway Interface, is server-side method for including non-HTML scripts (like Perl or SSI) in web pages. Typically, CGI scripts are stored in a folder labeled /cgi-bin. The webserver is configured to treat any resource in that directory as a script, rather than a page. The problem with that is two-fold: – URLs referencing CGI resources need to have /cgi-bin/ in them, which places implementation details into your URL — an anti-pattern to be avoided for a number of reasons. – a complex website may need a better organization structure than simply having a ton of scripts jammed into a single /cgi-bin folder. If you have other file extensions you want processed as CGI scripts, you can add them in the first line. Most of time, you put scripts in your web directory because, well, you want them to be run as scripts. But sometimes that isn’t what you want. Sometimes you want to display the source code to public visitors, instead of running the script. This might be the case if you run a file sharing service or a code repository site, and you want people to see the source code and be able to download it, but the scripts are actually part of your site’s functionality. This can be done in your .htaccess file by removing the script handler for certain file types and replacing it with a handler for text. Alternatively, as mention previously, you could force files with these extensions to be downloaded automatically, rather than displayed. Be careful with either of these, though. If you only want some files to be displayed this way, but are still using these scripts for the rest of your website, your going to have a bad time if you put that directive into your web root’s .htaccess file. A better practice would be to place all such “display only” scripts into a single directory, and then place the directive into an .htaccess file there in that folder. Sometimes you need to tweak PHP’s settings. The right way to do this is in a file called php.ini. Unfortunately, not all web hosting companies allow their customers to edit the php.ini file. This is especially true of shared hosting providers, where a single installation of PHP may be running hundreds of web sites. Fortunately, there’s a workaround — you can embed php.ini rules into your .htaccess file. Not all PHP settings can be specified in .htaccess files. For example you can not disable_classes this way. For a complete list of all php.ini settings, see the official php.ini directives guide. Editing your .htaccess file for the first time can give you sudden feeling of immense power over your web hosting environment. You suddenly feel like a sysadmin. Unfortunately, this power can go to your head, and you may find yourself using the .htaccess file in ways that aren’t really the best. When you need to do something that seems like an .htaccess sort of job, there’s basically two situations where you should put that directive somewhere else. Whenever possible, the types of directives you can place in an .htaccess file are better off being place in the httpd.conf file, which is a configuration settings file for the entire server. Similarly, PHP settings more properly belong in the php.ini file, and most other languages have similar configuration setting files. Placing directives further upstream, in the httpd.conf, php.ini, or other language-specific configuration file allows those settings to be “baked-in” to the web server’s parsing engine. With .htaccess, the directives have to be checked and interpreted with every single request. If you have a low traffic site with only a handful of .htaccess directives, this isn’t a big deal. But if you have a lot of traffic, and a lot of directives, the performance lag can really add up. Unfortunately, many shared hosting providers do not allow customers to access the httpd.confor php.ini files, forcing users to rely on the slower .htaccess file. This provides a double-penalty when compared to custom VPS configurations because shared hosting is also generally low-powered. This is one of the reasons that a site with respectable traffic should probably be on a VPS plan instead of shared hosting plan. If you are using a good Content Management System (CMS) such as WordPress or Drupal, some of the things you might do in an .htaccess file — such as redirect URLs or block IP addresses — can be done from inside the application. Often, this works in conjunction with the .htaccess file, with the application programmatically adding directives. When this is available, it is usually best to accomplish these tasks from inside the application, rather than editing the .htaccess file yourself. You are less likely to introduce bugs and incompatible directives if you use a well-tested, open source plugin, rather than editing it yourself. Messing around with your .htaccess file can be great — but it can also cause your server to seize up and start delivering 500 Internal Server Error messages. Here’s a few ideas to help you through that. This should go without saying, but — sadly — it’s a lesson many of us have to learn over and over again. Do one thing. Then test it. Then do another thing. Test that. If you do several things all at once, and then something fails, you won’t know which directive is causing the problem. Along with doing only one thing at a time, you should save your file between each thing you are trying. Your saved archive needs to be restorable. This isn’t Microsoft Word where you can just Undo — you need a saved copy of your file. You should always have the latest working version available in case you mess something up. Always, always, always have the ability to restore to a working version. This is easiest if you some kind of source management system like Git. You can commit after each change, and roll back if you run into any problems. If you do run into a problem, and you’re having a hard time figuring out why, check your Apache error logs. These often provide valuable information about where to look. Developer forums and Q&A sites like StackOverflow are invaluable tools for even the most seasoned developers and sysadmins. And don’t forget Google. Often, the difference between a bad web master and great one isn’t knowing the answer, its knowing where to find the answer. Sometimes you made a typo. Sometimes you have an esoteric and confusing problem caused by a confluence of unpredictable factors. Most problems, and the really frustrating ones, are the ones in the middle — the simple, everyday problems that are easy to fix if you just knew about them. Here’s a few of those. There is only one way to spell .htaccess — it has to begin with the dot, and it must be in all lowercase letters. It seems dumb, but if your .htaccess file isn’t doing what you expect, that should be the first thing you check. Some shared hosting providers disable .htaccess altogether. Others allow it, but restrict certain directives from being used — they’re just ignored if included. Similarly, even on VPS plans or your own dedicated servers, .htaccess might be disabled. If you have access to the httpd.conf file, or other server settings, you can check this yourself. If you find the directive AllowOverride None, you found the culprit. Replace it with AllowOverride All. If you don’t have access to your httpd.conf file (because you’re on shared hosting, for example), you may need to contact your hosting company’s tech support and see if they can enable it for you, or offer you suggestions on ow to accomplish what you’re trying to do in a different way. If you have multiple nested directories, it’s possible for each one to have its own .htaccess file. Every .htaccess file from the root, through each nested directory, applies — they are read in order, descending down the directory tree. If you set something in your root directory, and then something in subdirectory overrides it, the directive in the .htaccess file closest to the requested file will take precedence. ExpiresByType image/icon "access plus 1 month" ExpiresByType application/icon "access plus 1 month" A good strategy is to use .htaccess to restrict POST requests to commonly-abused URLs by referrer. Basically, if the referrer isn’t your own website, you just discard the request with an error. Otherwise, the website (CMS) has to fire up to deal with the request, even if it’s a nonsense request. So it’s a redirect, back to the same page, to check for a real browser instead of a bot. It’s a redirect to their IP, which will almost certainly kick out an error message. You basically want to redirect the traffic anywhere but your server.

2019-04-22T20:16:15Z

https://getbutterfly.com/ultimate-htaccess-guide/

The deVere Group. Enough is enough! Readers: If you are looking at pensions can I suggest you read this informative and impartial article first. Also, if you are thinking about talking to this company (or any other company of it’s type) about any sort of financial investment do a bit of Googling for complaints first, do some serious digging before you sign anything with anyone! Caveat Emptor! Alan, along with Elle, is the owner of Spain Buddy. He was born in the North of England (Lancashire) and travelled extensively before eventually settling in Almería. Alan has 3 sons from the first of his 18 marriages, (Sam, Joe & Ben) who are all now adults. You can read more articles by Alan on his personal blog at AlanGandy.com and see more of his photography on his photography website as well as on Flickr and Instagram. Also, for less than the price of a cup of coffee each month you can help support Alan's photography (and get some freebies into the bargain). Click here to visit his Patreon page to find out more. Help preserve the Spanish landscape (and the planet) doing something you do every day! Some quite interesting reading and a collection of links on this page. Amazing what two minute of digging around can turn up….. I understand how cold calls can get very annoying I get many myself however your comment “I know some people can’t get proper jobs and have to work for companies like this” I don’t agree with, a job is a job as far as I can see this is not a boiler room company ripping people off. Well, I for one wouldn’t do it. Boiler room: I’m not so sure having read some of the links one the page linked in my previous comment, stretching the definition a little I know. I wouldn’t deal with them that’s for sure, I’ve seen and read enough that in my opinion they might be questionable. Let me put it this way, our number is ex-directory and also registered with Listas Robinson (the Spanish equivalent of the telephone preference service) they should not be calling in the first place never mind blatantly ignoring repeated requests to leave us alone. Devere does worse damage than boiler rooms. Most people are skeptical of boiler rooms and won’t hand over all their life savings for “investment.” But many are conned by deVere into handing over all of their savings to be locked up for 25 year in high fee funds and completely inappropriate structured products, with high penalties for trying to get out should they figure out their mistake. The damage (amount lost) is far worse than a small punt on a boiler room’s speel. deVere can destroy people’s lives. It amazes me how little research people do on these pension and investment companies before handing over their life savings! I used to think that way too until I met people who had been scammed by deVere and their ilk. Sadly these groups are predatory. False advertising is their standard operating procedure. Expatriates used to a reasonably well-regulated financial services industry in their home country tend to believe the b***sh** of these bastards. I’ve seen too many victims now to think it’s entirely their fault. The regulators need to step up to the plate and start cleaning this up. I wonder if deVere Spain is even operating legally? Pissed off with deVere? They voluntarily offered an email to a friend to complain to. Have fun, will! I work in the industry. Unlike any deVere people I am qualified, regulated and above all else ethical! I am always coming across people who have dealt with deVere, asking me to “right the wrongs”….. which isn’t always possible. They are a disgrace to our industry and I would recommend everyone giving them a wide berth!! If anybody needs further confirmation just spend an hour on the Internet searching deVere or Nigel Green who owns the company. One hour of your time against being financially ruined???? Always worth adding the word complaint or scam in the search, although you will find plenty without them….. even when they pay ££££’s a year to have negative comments about their company removed from the net! Frankly I’d be wary of pretty much anyone operating over here, not just deVere (PB being another point in case when it comes to unethical direct sales). It never ceases to amaze me just how little due diligence people do when risking their life savings. Absolutely. But not just deVere, anyone in the financial services sector should be examined with a fine tooth comb. Devere sound terrible. I feel that if you require any form of financial advice it makes absolute sense to use advisors who are properly regulated in the UK. Otherwise, what protection and peace of mind do you have? I would also personally insist that any such company have a long track record of dealing with ex-pats and of course, do your research before anything! I agree. All of my business comes from referrals from existing clients. If you do the job right then the referrals come naturally. I wouldn’t recommend trusting anybody because they seem to “be nice”. Ask for references, research online and above all take your time with any decisions. The sharks tend to push you for a quick decision. ‘youdontknowhalfofit’ The very fact that you have remained anonymous and made no attempt to ‘sell’ either yourself or company suggests to me you are one of the good guys. Thanks for that. Dave (and anyone else reading): There’s a number of links in the pensions article above to help checking people out. Seems from what I’ve seen they all claim to be regulated. Not that I believe it matters much here, and so many of them appear to be ‘piggy backing’ the licences of other companies. Absolute minefield. As suggested above referrals have to be the best place to start. I work for deVere spain as an adviser and want to give some feedback because I recently lost a potential partner for business seminars due to some bad press relating to deVere and the alleged phone-calls. Some background first and in reply to youdontknowhalfofit ; I have 20 years UK IFA experience, my senior colleagues at deVere and I are all qualified to UK standards, I myself have had FPC for many years and CeMap but deVere insisted I obtain my DipFA or DipPFS and R02, R03 as a minimum before letting me out of close compliance supervision, even then 100% of my cases are checked before business is allowed to proceed. Of course, until legislation improves in Spain, there are no required qualifications. As for DeVere group or deVere and Partners, We are registered both in the UK with the FCA (deVere and Partners (UK) Limited 469151http://www.fsa.gov.uk/register/firmPassports.do?sid=188346) and the CNMV (deVere and Partners (UK) Limited 2297 http://www.cnmv.es/Portal/Consultas/ESI/ESISExtranjerasLP.aspx?numero=2297&tipo=CLP) plus the DGS in Spain (deVere Spain J2807 http://www.dgsfp.mineco.es/regpublicos/pui/pui.aspx) so is one of only two ex-pat adviser firms that I know of that are regulated here in Spain. There are no providers or plans that I am aware of that tie the client in for any more than 5 years, charges are transparent and normally there is no direct charge to the client. Naturally, we have global competitors and we are aware that competitor firms employ staff and incentivise publicists to anonymously churn out negative comments. However, we did operate a call centre and still have a handful of staff making calls to professionals and ex-pats who they have prospected from the internet and local business guides, in the past the Do Not Call system was not as effective as we would like. The objective of the phone-calls is simply to explain about the service with a view to inviting potential clients to seminars or have a no obligation meeting with a consultant, we never transact business over the phone. Should you receive any phone-calls simply ask to go on the Do Not Call list or simply ask to ring with regulatory updates occasionally if you prefer, provide all contact numbers that you wish to add to the Do Not Call list and your number will be added to the system. Also deVere have added a warning on the FCA website, we are aware of a clone firm pretending to be from deVere group making harassing phone-calls. The genuine emails from deVere group will have a ‘-‘ as follows [email protected] therefore I would suggest asking for a confirmation email before agreeing to any meeting or discussion. Finally, courtesy is appreciated and should be expected from any of the deVere staff. Your feedback is appreciated. There is only one thing I will take exception to in your response, no actually two. Both related. Firstly: Your use of the word alleged. This article refers to ACTUAL rather than alleged phone calls received repeatedly over time form you company by myself and my wife. I despise the cold calling nature of your company and as stated will never deal with your company simply on that basis. Secondly: I do not expect to have to contact your company to put my numbers on a ‘remove list’, my numbers are as stated registered with Listas Robinson. I should on that basis NOT receive cold calls.I have REPEATEDLY instructed your callers to remove me from your lists, but still the calls come. Perhaps they do remove them at the time. I stand completely by my original article as it is based purely on my personal opinion and experience. As for licensing etc that you have dealt with in reply to the links. I’m really not qualified in any way to comment, which is why I have published your comment in full and totally unchanged. I trust that you can take that as a gesture of balance, and as your right to reply. Thank you for publishing my previous comment. I agree with you that cold calling, especially when requested not to, is poor business practice however the systems used in most call centres rely on the phone number being added to a Do Not Call list or DNC. Should you receive a call from the legitimate deVere your number will have been obtained through publicly available sources including marketing companies and social media. If you have several phone numbers and send an email to the email address provided you should not receive any further calls. The lady trying to speak over you may have been trying to make that point though understandably you thought it appropriate to cut her short. You have my personal email now too and I would be happy to speak with you directly. Thanks again for showing balance by publishing what is factual information relating to the genuine Devere group and devere-spain.es. You’re welcome. It is only fair… I’m a firm believer in balance and freedom of speech on all sides. The ‘lady’ speaking over me was rude and unpleasant and continued her pitch with any regard for my wanting to stop here. She was an embarrassment to your company in every possible way. I will not spend my time – which has a value – to stop your company or any other pestering me. Can I send you an invoice for time wasted up to now? The likes of Listas Robinson and the Telephone Preference Service in the UK exist to prevent unwanted cold calls. Whilst farming numbers from ‘publicly available sources’ (and adding all and sundry in LinkedIn) your people should be running the numbers they collect past such lists and filtering out my numbers. That’s the raison d’etre of these services. I believe it to be the responsibility of companies like yours who use cold calling techniques to comply with the spirit and any legal obligations of these services. It is not for us, the recipients of unwanted calls, to be asking dozens if not hundreds of companies not to intrude. Despite repeatedly instructing your callers to remove me this has not yet happened. Your calls thus far have been so far at best unwanted and intrusive through to the one described above which was offensive and appalling. I appreciate your comments, but the ‘sharp end’ of your operation is not good in my experience. You obviously are trying to appease me in some way here, but as I’ve said because of this I am not and never will be a prospect for your company. However, that said I’d like to lay down a challenge to you as someone who is coming across as trying to remedy the situation. Are you a gambling man? Here’s the challenge: Can you use your influence (without me spending my time contacting your company for all the reasons I have explained) to ensure I (or my wife) never receive another phone call from your company, no more LinkedIn requests or any other contact? Everyone’s time is valuable including your own, my objective is to give balance rather than appease anyone; deVere as a professional firm don’t want you or anybody else to receive unwanted phone calls but at the same time, communication has to begin somewhere. I personally believe an email or ‘contact request’ should precede any phone-call but my opinion is not important. Our industry and the company I work with is much maligned by individuals or groups who see it fit to generate anonymous, malicious misinformation for their own commercial benefit – you have vented your frustrations in the public domain but you have added your name and your complaint seems genuine. My relationship with a potential business associate has been potentially irreparably damaged as a consequence of some of the comments posted which have been shared directly with me. 1) I can’t prevent anybody trying to contact you via linked-in, you can change privacy settings I believe. 2) Without a list of the phone numbers I cannot prevent calls to numbers deVere do not have registered as Do Not Call. I can make every effort to make sure any email you send to me directly is actioned. Genuinely I can only give my point of view and I understand your frustrations, I do not know for sure that it was the genuine deVere making the calls for the reasons outlined in my previous reply – I will do everything in my power to help you though. You say “seems genuine”? It is genuine. No secret who or what I am. Nothing to do with your business, just pi**ed off with the harassment. I shall continue to report all contact from deVere on LinkedIn as spam. The list of numbers is available from Listas Robinson and the TPS, which your company has an ethical (I’m not certain but also quite probably a legal) obligation to comply with. Which implies that your company does not have a system robust enough to ensure ‘no future contact’. In good faith though, I will mail you personally the numbers and lets see what you can do? Deal? I understand your point of view and of course I will action your email. There was no intended implication in terms of the company systems; I would not gamble against the potential failings of systems in general – I am registered with TPS in the UK yet you wouldn’t believe how many accident or miss-sold PPI claims I am eligible for? All data should legally be TPS screened before calling UK numbers from the UK. Listas Robinson is intended to reduce commercial mail and calls although my personal understanding is that they (Listas Robinson) have no legal standing. Social media changes the legal landscape’ a contact or ‘friend’ is in essence an acceptance to communicate. There is no excuse though for rudeness or harassment from anyone. Back to the issues you have raised. My livelihood relies on integrity and good will, I live in a relatively small community who read comments posted on your site and others like it and judge me at least in part by my association with the company. I don’t want you or anybody else feel they have been harassed in any way shape or form and will action your email tomorrow which should sort the problem.. I would ask that anyone experiencing the same issue you have reported use the email supplied at the start of this post, specify your name and associated phone numbers and ask for them to be added to the Do Not Call list. Also please make a note of any person who tells you they are from deVere, ask them for their email address and it should contain a ‘-‘ e.g. [email protected]. That way we can speak directly to the caller and ensure we do everything possible to avoid future calls. Thank you for publishing my comments. I most certainly don’t have any friends or contacts at deVere. Random attempts to add me via any social media platform are immediately reported as spam. Phone number, ex-directory, always. Listas Robinson, Never allow ‘partners’ and such to email me…. I should be water tight. I do this ‘internet thing’ for a living. I know the law, and I know how it – should – work. It’s only fair. I hope you feel that we have given you reasonable opportunity to answer your critics. I appreciate there are always two sides, and many different individuals in an organisation like yours. It’s for the reader to make their own opinions, not for me to only allow comments from one side of an argument. They sell very high charged savings plans that are not allowed in the UK (Generali Vision Plan) and they have received lots of bad press about this. It’s fair to say that there are lots of buyer beware pointers here. To the Devere advisor – with respect, if you are losing business through bad press, may I suggest that you move to another company? My comments do not represent deVere group or deVere spain e&eo. I will do my best to provide evidence to support to my comments. Regulation and qualifications – My previous posts cover your points relating to UK qualifications and regulations. The sources available to ‘Dig’ generally are at best inaccurate at worst fabricated although on occasion get published in the broad sheets or tabloids. Daily mail: deVere are a global group and have a high profile presence in the world’s press – do any of the other financial advisory firms you know have the same presence? Naturally deVere has attracted good and bad press. https://www.devere-group.com/deVere-News/PressReleaseList.aspx . however the negative seems to be the focus of this board. Panorama – the programme features one incidence of a well publicised case and fails to point out that deVere compensated the clients fully. The incident dated back to the early days of deVere. With thousands of clients and hundreds of advisers, inevitably there will be mistakes however times have changed and the improvements in regulation and compliance systems and controls are there to minimise the risk of mistakes happening. Generali Vision – we are not in the UK. All products sold in any jurisdiction have to be compliant in that jurisdiction – there are multiple providers including Generali, incidentally a leader in their field, and the charging structure can be found on their website. Devere are paid directly by the provider. Relative to the UK the charging structure may be high but appropriate for each jurisdiction. Cold Calling – Covered in earlier posts and historically controls were poor. Summary; The previous comment by Dave Mongomery is an example of the rumour mill in action “They have been booted out of lots of countries including Belgium & Luxembourg” – where is your evidence and is the source credible?. I chose to work for deVere for a number of reasons, including standard of training and support, regulatory status, non-biased charging structure, incredible product range that simply are not available to other smaller firms. The controls in terms of police checks, qualification checks and due diligence is exceptional and with respect, should the negative press have a credible source and evidence, I might consider your suggestion. In the meantime, I will continue to provide an honest opinion. Ex-pats have a tendency to make a direct comparison with the UK in terms of products, charges etc. As an example, UK ISA’s are not tax efficient in Spain and are not available in Spain. The UK have a completely different legislative framework to Spain and the rest of the world where the providers themselves set the charging structure of their products and commission is used to ‘incentivise’ all firms. Devere adopt a neutral approach to ensure there is limited commission bias. I am interested to know how the Do Not Call system has worked so far – Have you had any further calls from deVere Alan Gandy? Another issue that has recently come to light – Chase de vere and Devere Group are separate entities entirely and have no common link. Much of the negative press I have seen relates to Chase de vere. Hi Devere IFA, your firm has definitely been booted out of Thailand. That I know first hand. deVere in Thailand tries hard to pretend that it has acquired a legal Thai firm. But that appears to be – at best – wishful thinking, and at worst, complete deceit. The acquisition was never approved by the local regulator. Not a single devere “adviser” has a license in Thailand, nor ever has had one. If you have any different information, post it here. I’d be especially interested in the name of even a single deVere Thailand employee that you think is (or has ever been) licensed to sell offshore investments or even give investment advice. None so far…. I’ll be in touch if they start coming again. Let me put some of your wrong/erroneous info right here. Upfront: I am a fully licensed financial advisor in Germany catering to Expats. I am currently helping several of them taking legal steps against DeVere Germany for malpractice and illegal advice (i.e. without proper licensing). 1. In Germany it is entirely illegal to cold-call a private person, either at home or their place of job/business. Not on a reference (which is usually bogus anyway if challenged). It requires the explicit permission of the called person upfront. Still – and in full knowleged of this. DeVEre Germany has regardlessly used cold-calling as the modus operandi and still does. You guys simply don’t care about laws and regulations, that is the simple truth of it. 2. Here in Germany DeVere has no license to offer investment advice at all. The old one run out in July 2013 and you guys could not get a new one as it would require proof of skills as financial advisor for all local advisors. The only thing left in Germany is a license as insurance broker…and this will hopefully soon be terminated by the German authorities. In many other countries you have acted without proper license or bogus claims of licensing. The British FAC is currently looking into this as well according to my knowledge, especially abuse of passporting rights for cross-border activities. 4. Generali Vision is located on Guernsey. They have – as confirmed by the Belgium and German authorities – no license or right to be sold or offered within the EU. Because the EU passporting rights do not apply to them. On top of that German laws (and me thinks EU directives as well) require that the initial costs for such a plan be disclosed in full EUR before (!) a contract is signed. this is never the case when DeVere sells these plans. Which is why the entire sales-process is illegal in Germany as it is (I can’t judge for Spain as I do not know the legal regulation there well enough, but EU laws also apply to Spain, obviously ). The list of countries where DeVere was banned/kicked out is a long-one around the world . I am working eagerly on trying to making Germany the next country where the DeVere sales practice is finally banned. Unfortunately there are so many spin-offs that it is sometimes hard to keep track of all of them. But they, too, will eventually be brought down. For consumers there is only one cause of action: check the actual regulation for insurance or investment advice in the country where you live and do not just trust it when an IFA says so. Check the online registrations lists and make doubly sure you’ll understand the licenses in full. Furthermore, check any quotes you get for full disclosure of costs (i.e. commissions ) involved. If you don’t get transperent information, stay away. Since DeVere and others also often gives wrong information about “tax advantages” of their offshore pension plans or executive investment bonds, have your tax advisor check into this before you sign anything. Don’t do a QROPS without unbiased advice of a licensed UK-based specialist first – you might be losing a lot of guarantees for your pension and exchange it for risky and dubious investments. At least here in Germany the “structured notes” that DeVere loves to put into EIBs and other such products for an QROPS transfer are considered thru a large number of high court decisions as entirely unsuitable for pension planning do to their inherent risk of total capital loss. DeVere’s expansion strategy is mostly/partly by a process of merger or acquisition – that is to say that DeVere will purchase or merge with usually the locally larger established firms and take them on as part of the group, bring in new systems and controls, branding, training and development etc. Unfortunately, despite full due diligence, the acquisition and merger strategy has inherent risks in the sense that by taking on a client bank and personnel in an environment where there are little or no required adviser qualifications and limited regulations, DeVere often also have no choice but to take on the liability for reputation and advice given by the acquired firms current and previous advisers. Regulations in Thailand are far from straightforward, DeVere rely on legal advice from the best in the world but even then, the regulations have to be translated into English language and/or interpreted. Most IFA firms in the UK will tell you that even the nature of FCA rules and regulations are often vague and have to be interpreted by the firm. I can find no evidence to support Andy’s comment ‘The acquisition was never approved by the local regulator’ – You will notice in the case of Thailand, the company name is still Broadgate Investment Advisory Securities (Thailand) Company Limited. https://www.devere-group.com/globalpresence/globalpresence.aspx. Broadgate are registered in Thailand: Broadgate Investment Advisory Securities (Thailand) Ltd is licensed by the Thai Ministry of Finance and regulated by the Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (according to their website). Ministry of Finance no : SD03-0048-28. SEC license no : D06-0048-18. I guess it is possible the Thai regulator did not approve the acquisition but I do not speak Thai or have direct access to the legal team deVere used so I would ask Andy – you stated you know as a ‘Fact’ – are you another one jumping on the band-waggon of deformation or do you have any evidence to support your ‘Fact’ that you (Andy – comment above) ‘Know for a fact’? In the past, DeVere in my opinion have been too quick to re-brand to ‘deVere’. On the reverse, where business levels or demand is low, or regulatory procedures create an unworkable environment (for example overbearing or unmanageable staffing or capital adequacy levels or local government levies where costs massively outweigh potential gains) – DeVere may chose to move out of a location that just simply offers little or no commercial benefit – for example, lack of competitive edge or beneficial terms for the client (such as limited tax efficient product availability or range locally compared to the established private banking sector). DeVere are unapologetically a business and have a general philosophy to be and work with the best in the industry. Many of the blogs are known to have been posted anonymously by former staff; where deVere have made the decision to ‘eject’ or lose some acquired personnel for a variety of reasons, I would expect poor standards or questionable history as some of those reasons. In emerging markets deVere will take on good communicators to train as advisers, usually with client facing experience from consultancy and yes sales environments who are willing and able to travel and live abroad, due in part to the limited experienced personnel available local. I still have ongoing training myself – Devere continually invest in their staff and will train all of them; In my opinion the quality of training is high usually to an internationally recognised standard but local qualifications may not be the typical UK DipFA or DipPFS for example; adequate non the less for recommending a limited range of products (Remember – UK qualifications are only usually relevant in the UK! but a tool for credibility and demonstrable ability, no doubt). UK qualifications may be recognised but irrelevant in terms of some overseas jurisdictions. The advice DeVere Spain gives, even prior to legal requirements to do so, for UK pension transfers, is usually done through a highly qualified team in the UK and regulated in the UK, the adviser based locally, even if highly UK qualified, would simply introduce the pension business. Other firms in Spain have to now use external providers to do the same. Often, take Thailand as an example, especially where no dual tax agreements are in place with commonly used offshore jurisdictions, new products have to be developed specifically for that jurisdiction because the usual international products simply have limited tax benefits, for example due to no dual tax agreements and simply do not meet the requirements for international clients, charges on those products will invariably be more expensive than the UK for example. Product regulations are often non-existent in some parts of the world. Opinion and comparisons are often shared on here but with UK based experience rather than an international knowledge. UK based advisers or former UK financial body examiners who have retired to Spain for example often comment with a UK mentality or perspective – when I came to live in Spain, as a UK adviser I considered ‘naked’ investments to be more appropriate than offshore bonds in Spain due to charges for international bonds (typically around 0.5 to 1% per annum in addition to initial and fund charges) but with local taxation realised that despite charges, the taxation advantages in Spain (limited tax on growth, tax on profit elements on withdrawal as one) offer significant potential benefits for most UK clients who are or will be tax resident in Spain. I do not know anybody personally at the Thailand office and without checking their certificates I don’t know what qualifications they have, I do know deVere will act quickly to be as regulated as possible in any area they cover and use the world’s best legal teams to advise and will suspend operations – by choice to avoid any breach of local or international rules. What I do know is that the compliance and oversight procedures here deVere Spain are 100% as stated in earlier blogs – I don’t really see the relevance of Thailand or other overseas businesses here in Spain other than to fuel a general message that DeVere are the big bad demons of financial services. I gave a link in earlier posts to show our FCA / CNMV and DGS registrations – also there are no complaints registered to the business on the FCA register -DeVere Spain have liability insurance with AIG Europe – these are indeed FACTS. In summary, there are good and bad in everyone but it would be wise to get out of your UK mentality bubble – YOU ARE NO LONGER IN THE UK (unless you live in the UK – sorry, did not mean to exclude you UK readers x) – I would strongly recommend 1. Speak with an adviser based in the country that you are or will be tax resident (remember in Spain if you are here more than 182 days, in most cases you have an obligation to pay tax in Spain and become tax resident by default). 2. Ask for and see evidence of qualifications and/or evidence of training or experience from any adviser or firm you speak with – (New starters have to start somewhere and may be under supervision therefore request evidence of supervisor qualifications) 3. Work with a company that is registered and regulated locally and where appropriate with the UK FCA too 4. Has financial ability and appropriate liability insurance to make financial redress to mistakes if and when they are made. 5. Base your choice on FACTS relating to your country of residence. 6. If you have any concerns about the nature of initial contact, have the courtesy to think of the person making that communication as a person; allow them a minute to deliver there message and communicate politely with them 7. Listen to the people trying to help you – you may learn something you didn’t know before and you may gain some value at the expense of a small part of your valuable time (Not just yours Andy but everybody). Talking of time, I am going to sign off from adding to the this thread – I have provided my personal email to the site owner, have directly addressed his issue with deVere Spain to the best of my ability and I am genuinely interested in providing balanced feedback or assistance to any of you resident here in Spain. I would urge you to contact directly any firm that you are unhappy with and help them to help you. As one final note: You should expect courtesy from the company too, Alan Gandy felt one lady in particular was rude which is simply unacceptable to me, never mind deVere. I will personally assist anybody where they have experienced anything other than professionalism from anyone associated with deVere Spain because my business depends on it, I also know I have the backing of a fantastic team who will assist me to assist you. I have extended that courtesy to Alan and will do the same for any individual or collective with genuine gripes. 1. I do not know the laws of Germany so cannot comment re ‘cold calling’ or unsolicited introduction mail/email – maybe you would kindly send a link to current laws I will do some research myself or forward to me via the mediator of this thread – Previous comments give my view on the whole ‘cold calling’ issue. For a balanced debate where possible I will provide support for my comments, all of the blogs out there make spurious claims – I don’t know whether they have any foundation but they all share one thing in common, they fail to provide evidence and other IFA’s are quick to fuel the fire. I appreciate Pat, you may have evidence that you cannot provide on a blog but feel free to pass on any via Alan Gandy, the site moderator – The worlds largest firms work with deVere and would cease to do so I would imagine if what you are saying is true – I would move away from deVere if I found hard evidence that what you say is true but I can’t seem to find any. Now I really have to get on with some work…..thank you again Alan for posting my replies. My comments are my own opinion and views and not approved by DeVere Group or DeVere Spain e&eo. No doubt, being a large firm, deVere will have some. —-and then you see a pattern. One time could be a simple mistake or oversight, twice would call for a very serious review of compliance procedures in the company. This often shows: DeVere does not care for license. Again, this does not look like a single individuum overstepping the line but like a special climate at DeVere. your 5: I am not doing DeVere’s homework. Selling structured notes in Germany requires a banking license which they don’t have. Selling them as part of pension plans is liable for malpractice claims – DeVere would lose every court complaint about this, especially if prior dissolving a safe UK company pension scheme. Securities Law in Thailand is in fact quite straight forward and readily available in English. If deVere had any difficulty in understanding the English, it could have contacted the SEC (regulator) directly years ago (as I have) and gotten clarification on any point. Or if deVere preferred it could have consulted with any international law firm such as Baker McKenzie or Clifford Chance and gotten clarification. deVere instead side-stepped the law entirely and set up an illegal entity selling offshore products to expatriates in Thailand. As it became clear deVere would run into trouble, it announced that it had taken over Broadgate. It’s very easy to see that the Thai takeover deal wasnt’ approved and didn’t go through. Just check the Thai SEC website – it’s all there in plain English. Broadgate is still owned by its original shareholders. None of the deVere salespeople have licenses in Thailand – just do a simple search. Sorry to burst your bubble. In Thailand deVere has been breaking the law. That’s why deVere is on the Investor alert list. It doesn’t own Broadgate. That’s why deVere is not listed as a shareholder of Broadgate. No deVere personnel have any licenses in Thailand – that is why if you search for any of them by name they do not come up. The Thai SEC has started to file criminal complaints against people giving advice in Thailand without licenses. If nothing else, I hope that clarifies things for your company and its personnel operating illegally here. I do not see what this has to do with Spain, I acknowledge the articles have some sensational commentary but you have not provided any evidence to support your comments. You have made sweeping assumptions and claim to have evidence when all you can produce to support your claims are broad sheet headlines knowing that readers see the headlines but rarely read the complete article. 1.2. 4 Where is your evidence of any high court rulings against deVere, any evidence of outlawed products or incorrect registrations, or any reprimands for cold calling that you say you have first hand knowledge of? deVere Germany GmbH is registered in the local court of Frankfurt am Main under HRB 55281. It is registered with the insurance broker register (http://www.vermittlerregister.info registration no. D-8HD0-NHM21-08). deVere Germany GmbH has a license according to sec. 34d German Trade Act (insurance broker), supervisory authority: Industrie- und Handelskammer, Frankfurt am Main, Börsenplatz 4, 60313 Frankfurt. Can you provide evidence e.g. copy of the law or a statement from a governing or regulatory body that proves the above licence does not meet German licencing requirements. My objective again is to provide balance. What does a sexual harassment case based on a singular accusation in the USA have to do with Spain?? deVere have hundreds if not thousands of employees – statistically 1 in 1000 of any demographic could be a bad egg – of course the article you posted states an allegation without evidence. I can’t comment but I know I did not take part :) and I accept deVere will attract news, good and bad. Thanks again to Alan Gandy for publishing comments without prejudice. (My comments are my opinion and not approved or shared by deVere group or deVere Spain S.L. e&eo). And as I said before, there were issues with clone firms pretending to be devere, deVere have published their own response to information on blogs available on the deVere website. Maybe in the past deVere screwed up – I don’t know. I don’t really know the situation in Thailand however the regulations in Asia have improved in recent years – I still have not had any evidence that the Broadgate purchase was turned down by the regulators – just blogs. My experience of DeVere Spain is nothing but professional from an insider point of view and my personal impression of the group as a whole is positive. Little confused by the last post by DeVereIFA as the points about regulation have confirmed what Patrick stated. @Christopher Lean – Hi Christopher, again this is a post for Spain but I am intrigued: Answer – not at all – I have posted deVere’s permissions in Germany, they are licenced under pass-porting permissions for investment advice and under local arrangements for insurance products – Are you saying the permissions are not correct? please provide evidence – I cannot find any information to confirm that their permissions are not adequate for Germany? Kindly note that deVere also has its registrations added to the ESMA (European Securities and Markets Authority) in preparation for MiFID 2 (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II) currently being updated by the authorities. MiFiD amendments were valid from 2007 and new proposals MiFID 2 are due in 2017 for those of you who are interested. Goodnight and thank you again. All the original shareholders are listed, not deVere. You’ll find only one person, a Thai national, who is licensed and working for Broadgate. No one from deVere. You can also check out the type of license that Broadgate has. Even if deVere did acquire it (which it did not), Broadgate is not authorized to sell offshore insurance wrapped investments to Thai residents. This is essentially how deVere’s earns its revenue, or am I wrong and your firm does something else? Meanwhile, deVere Group and deVere & Partners (Thailand) Limited have been on the Thai SEC’s Investor Alert list since 2014 :http://market.sec.or.th/public/idisc/InvestorAlert.aspx?lang=en&reportcode=PP07&table=T01 The website the SEC lists is your firm’s website, not some clone firm. If deVere still has any doubt about Thai securities law and for some reason doesn’t want to speak directly to the Thai SEC (who speak perfect English), as I suggested before, try hiring an international law firm with a Thai office like Baker & McKenzie or Clifford Chance. Their lawyers are fluent in the law and in English. As Pat notes above regarding Germany, selling risky offshore structured products inside people’s pension plans is not a practice that would be acceptable in Thailand. deVere nor any firm would not receive a license to do this. By the way the law in Thailand has not changed recently. The SEC Act has been in place since 1993. It is only in recent years that expats have begun to complain and give evidence to the Thai SEC. Sadly all too many expats were unaware of their protection under Thai law and many departed Thailand without filing a complaint. That has changed, not the law. I am just following this discussion, nothing else. I simply said I was confused as you and Patrick refer to the same types of licences, albeit from a different angle. The permissions are what they are and they state what activities they cover. If you have an establishment of a branch passport ( as above ) from the FCA, then the staff in Germany would be covered to give investment advice. If I am reading this incorrectly, then I have no issue with someone clarifying this. @Andy – as I said before, my interest is in Spain, all I know about Thailand please refer to previous posts. More than happy to give you the evidence and proof that you seem not wanting to ackknowledge. And yes, I am talking about Germany and other countries (mainly EU memberstates) where DeVere blatantly violated regulations rules and consumer protection laws…but this is mainly to underline that this company is not the great international financial advisor you try to paint them. As to the legal situation in Spain, I do not know – but will inquire as I have years of experience in finding out what lies behind the typical smoke screens put up by the likes of you. – careful reading may be helpful before you try to twist my words around in order to muddy the water: I have not claimed that there are high-court decisions against DeVere in Germany (yet). What I have claimed – and everyone with just a little bit of German and some Google-capacity can find out – is that structured notes are not suitable for pension planning by German law. Here are just some such examples of court decisions by the German BGH (Federal Court – highest level below Supreme court). This list could be continued at nauseam. This is why strcutured notes are not suitable for pension planning, least of all for QROPS. – Licenses of DeVere in Germany: thanks for posting the link to the public registry of the FCA. Now everybody can see that you either have no clue about what you say or simply try to mislead people. Both passporting right for Germany are cleary stated as Outward Services (both for insurance IMD and financial advice MIFID). Outward Services means DeVere UK has only a permission to offer cross-border services, meaning you can advice people/clients in Germany FROM your UK office by phone or email or the odd short visit in Germany – but you are not allowed to run a branch/estbalishmend in Germany under this permission. However, DeVere Germany is a Germany based corporation and DeVere website claims to have offices in Frankfurt and Hamburg (and used to have in Munich). Several “advisors” of DeVere are locally present permanently (and claim do be so) for many years already in Germany. this clearly has nothing to do with “Outward Services” but would require “Outward branch”. And the FCA makes explicitly clear that you have to apply for the right form of what you want to do under the freedom of services. Consequently DeVere is misleading the FCA about their activities in Germany (and other countries) by using the weaker/cheaper passporting rights of “Outward Services” instead of “Outward Branch”. Again, this is no rocket science and DeVere cannot claim ignorance here. In Germany there is DeVEre Germany GmbH. It was established in 2009. For years it only had a license for financial advice under provision § 34 C GewO from IHK Frankfurt. At the same time it was giving insurance advice (most offshore pension plans are life assurance products and require thus a license for insurance advice) in Germany without proper licensing, claiming to be under Belgium license. The Belgium authorities gave us in writing that this was incorrect. Ever since March 2013 DEVere Germany has now, as you correctly state, the relevant license for insurance advice under § 34 D GewO from the IHK Frankfurt. Which shows also that all the time before DeVere Germany was acting illegally when offering insurance advice. But since July 2013, DeVere Germany is without license for financial advice. because ever since investment advice requires a new license under provision § 34 F GewO. Which requires among other things proof of qualification of each advisor and person residing in Germany to offer financial advice on behalf of DeVere. A simply glimpse in the online registry in Germany for that will show the lack of this important license. Consequently DeVere advisors in Germany are not allowed to offer any investment advice at all – and clients foolishly enough to take such advice have no recourse to an indemnity insurance as required by law. For a market that DeVere has claimed to be very important like the German one, this is one very poor compliance of the laws in Germany – which are there for consumer protection, mind you. Now, for any advice on structured notes, a special banking license is required under German law – because these are, as expressed above, high-risk investments. This license is § 32 KWG and and DeVere Germany has not such a license either. So any advice offered in Germany including structured notes is massivly illegal. GEnerali Vision: as said above: The beloved cash-cow of DeVere for “pension planning” is the Generali Vision plan because of its high initial costs which convert nicely into high commissions. Generali Vision is a product of Generali International Ltd. which is located in Generali House, Hirzel Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands. Since the Channel Islands are not part of the EU, they would need to apply for a license in at least one EU-memberstate and then might possibly passport into other EU-memberstates. This never happened. Consequently the Belgium authorities informed us that the sale/distribution of Generali Vision is illegal throughout the EU as no such license was ever granted. And the Ombudsman in Belgium informed a client that because of this no indeminity insurance would step in to pay out in case of malpractice even if and where DeVere might have a correct license as insurance intermediary. Under German consumer protection laws, clients have to be informed about the costs for an insurance product in full EUR with the quote. I have never seen such a legally compliant quote by any DeVere “advisor” in Germany…and I have seen plenty. Which is understandable because no-one would sign a 25-year duration plan with Generali Vision if he’d be properly informed that the first 23 monthly premiums (and what amount this generates) are entirely going into costs/commission and will thus be lost if you need – for whatever reasons -cancel early. – DeVere UK has no license from the FCA to offer advice IN Germany thru a branch/establishmend as shown on the FCA registry. -DeVere Germany did not have a required insurance intermediary license for 5 years of its activities in Germany, falsly claiming to be under Belgium license. It has now since March 2013 a license as insurance intermediary but NO license whatsoever for investment advice in Germany, especially not for structured notes. – German courts have ruled often and all the way up to the BGH that structured notes are high risk investment and thus unsuitable for pension planning and conservative investors. I don’t believe that other EU countries will have a much different stance on that. – Generali Vision pension plans are not licensed to be offered in the EU as they are located on the Channels islands which are not part of the EU – hence no passpoprting rights are available but rather a formal license must be obtained by at least one EU memberstate. Last but not least to show how inadequate advice by DeVere at least in Germany is: DeVEre advisors in Germany have sold and still are selling EIB (Executive Investment Bonds) from Old Mutual and other similar products to residents of Germany, claiming it to be tax efficient and helping to save taxes in Germany. The contrary is correct as many DeVere clients just found out to their horror when audited by German tax authorities. Because the life assurance umbrella of these EIB is offering insufficient risk-coverage for death under German laws, they fall under what is deemed “transperent taxation” in Germany. I.e., profits from selling funds or matured structured notes have to be reported for taxation in every calendar year. All thos resident in Germany who believed in DeVere expertise are now facing serious penalties for tax evasion for the past years when they did not report these profits in their tax declarations. Great job, you guys ! Anyone wanting to have a clear pucture of what DeVere has been doing and is still doing: please check “pissedconsumers”, search for DeVere and scroll by their blanket ” we are good and did not wrong” comments down to the complaints. It will open your eyes. @Andy – Why do you persist on Thailand? some of your information appears to me to be incorrect – here is the SEC registration clearly showing the permission for investment advice AND the shareholders. Please may we stick to Spain . If you quote legal documents, please make sure you understand what they mean. As your quote from MIFID directive clearly shows, there is a difference between estbalishment of a branch or free provisions of services. Both passporting rights can be applied for with the FCA, but they trigger different responsibilities to the host country and its regulation. So, to make this finally clear again: DeVere UK has not a license to offer advice in the form of branches/establishment in most EU memberstates. It can only offer advice FROM UK into these countries as a cross-border service. PS: since you are insinuating – a typical DeVere spiel, by the way – that I have “business interest” in spreading this info about DeVere: while I do offer full-fledged holistic insurance and financial advice to Expats in Germany, I do not offer ANY of the products that DeVere loves to sell here. Because they make no sense to residents of Germany, are far too expensive and simply unsuited for the vast majority of Expats in Germany. Therefore we are playing on totally different levels here and I don’t count sales-organisation like DeVere as a competition at all. I am just sick and tired by their constant and blatant abuse of laws and consumer protection rules in Germany. that’s all. This is about deVere’s business practices. Many locations have been brought up as part of this discussion. I happen to know a lot about Thailand specifically. I am very happy to share my knowledge about what I know about Thailand in exchange for what others are posting about other countries. Yes, the link you posted shows clearly the shareholders of Broadgate. Look closely and note that the shareholderrs are not deVere. They are the original shareholders of Broadgate. as expkained above, Chris: DeVere UK has only passporting right INTO Germany for cross-border services. The passporting granted by the FCA is for “Outward Services” only. Hence the established branch in Germany is not covered under this license at all. That would require “outward branch”, which DeVere has for a few EU-countries but certainly not Germany (as both the FCA registry AND the BAFIN (German finance authority) registry show. Since DeVerer Germany GmbH is a legal entity under German law the prevailing opinion amongst legal experts is, that it would not fall even under “outward branch” either – but I would allow for some legal interpretation room here. Yet, since there is no passporting license for “outward branch”, it is rather an academic question in the end. DeVere Germany has a German license as insurance intermediary (which shows that they, too, believe in the need for local licenses) but not for investment advice. Consequently all Germany based advisors offering investment advice are doing so illegally. Period. now I just wonder when Andy is going to get the usual threatening letter by DeVere lawyers to erase this thread at once…. because this is what they usually do (as I could see both in Germany at Toytown and Switzerland (Expat-Forum) in order to avoid that negative but factual information can be found in the internet. Patrick, thanks for the clarification. I merely referred to the links that deVereIFA provided himself and your comments which, as I said, appeared to confirm the same thing. I could find no evidence of an outward branch on the FCA website. Please be respectful, I am not attempting to muddy any waters I replied to all of your comments with evidence from credible sources. To ensure my understanding is correct I have also written to the FCA for their confirmation to add to the factual evidence I have provided. Patrick to say that structured notes are inappropriate for pensions in my opinion is narrow minded – several structured products with Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, UBS etc. offer capital protection, deep barrier and quarterly income, yes returns are subject to the providers solvency – should two of the world’s largest e.g. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs collapse there would be far wider implications for all; to site the collapse of Lehman Brothers as justification for high court rulings involving deVere is pretty tenuous don’t you think? – any reasonable IFA would recommend provider diversity to minimise exposure to the collapse of one institution which is clearly an inherent investment risk. Have either of you a copy of any letter from any solicitor acting on behalf of deVere, really? QDeVereIFA: I am not sure if you really do not understand what you write and quote here and thus just preach what you have been (falsly, I must add) told or if you just try to “muddy the waters”. Either way, you are wrong. I have asked the British FCA in Spring of this year if DeVere UK (and a few others I don’t want to name here who act similarily ) who has only passporting rights into Germany by “outward services” are allowed to run a branch/estbalishment under this passporting licenses. So, sorry mate – you are utterly wrong. Nothing has change in 2011 which would suddenly allow you guys to run a branch in Germany outside German rules and regulations AND without proper authorization by the British FCA. Ok, try to understand: it is not me who says so, it is German courts on numerous occassions, such having established a pretty clear guideline to this regards. It has nothing to do with narrow-minded or not. if you (not YOU personally but DeVere advisors in Gemrany) offer investment advice in Germany, you should know German laws, German rules and even more so German taxation rules which make most of the structured notes underneath a life assurance umbrella pointless anyway. Nobody I know has even weeks before the bankruptcy of Lehman Bros evere though they could go belly up. Which was a mistake as everyone knows now. Same applies to any other large bank as "guarantor" of the structured note. There is no guarantee that any of the banks you name will survice another financial crisis like the one we had when Lehman Bros crashed. Too big to fail will not be a safety line in the future anymore. But that is all neither here nor there: if you fully and transperently tell your clients: look, there is the risk that all your money can be lost in this investment if you transfer your capital from your safe UK pension into my QROPS solution and he gets that in writing (including the costs you are producing directly and with kick-backs from the funds and banks as required under most EU laws and rules) and a client still decided to do so….fair by me. But of all the DeVere advice documents I have seen, that simply never happens. I even have a recording from a call a client of mine took with a DeVere advisor in Germany who told him that structured notes where an entirely safe product. Which they simply are not. this is seriously misleading clients and the cases I know which are being just now started in Germany against such bad advice will cut thru the courts in Germany like a hot knife thru butter. Structured notes are an extremly risky investment, only suitable for very risk affine and experienced investor. Anyone who has a more conservative stance on his investments and wants to protect his capital ought not be advised to sign up with anything like that. This is what a really professional and ethically sound investment advisor adhers to. Sorry for having to point that out. I could obtain one from a couple of website here in Germany and elsewhere, but what would be the point? Even more so: DeVere tried to supress the negative publicity on "PissedConsumers" in the US with a law suit….and miserably failed so because in the US the first amendment is something precious and not easily discarded. The Japanese regulator has updated its “List of non-registered or non-authorized entities with the FSA” for the month of July by adding 4 more names. At the top of the list of new additions is: “(1) deVere Group Tokyo K.K. As you can see, DeVere Japan is listed both as violating cold-calling AND as non-registered or non-authorized entities with the FSA. So, we have violaitons in Thailand and Hongkong, now in Japan and as reported by me in teh recent past in Switzerland, Belgium and Germany. And you still claim this to be a simple oversight or mistake? I smell a mode of operation….. I have read through the comments with extreme interest. Biggest is not best. I have many years experience in financial services. De Vere sent me to Malta – at my own cost – but paid accomodation. A five day course was held including about ten others, of whom maybe two had experience in financial services. Investments was by far and away the main priority. Which goes against the title IFA (Independant Financial Advisor) as life and disability cover is for all intents and purposes not covered. Holistic planning? My foot. Most qualified for postings to various branches and countries. Not me. No boot camp for me, thank you Sir. The course trainer thought she was the bees-knees but was caught out lying – not just by me, but the others attending. They shovel drivel in. If you make it, great. If not, out. Not much time. Their reputation is scandalous and the authorities should ban companies like them, who make their sole mission to generate as much commission as possible. The deveregroupinfo.com page doesnt seem to work. Is this the correct URL? They are operating in Manila, Philippines now too….watch out! I’ve just signed up with this company to move my pension funds to a QROPS arrangement including an investment bond. I’m getting really worried now, reading all this negative stuff about the firm and that investment bonds are only advised because they pay high commission, when my advisor told me they don’t get paid by commission. Does anyone know if this company are properly regulated in France, as I have been told they are? I haven’t been given any information about any ‘cooling off period’ so I don’t know if I can get out of this arrangement now, without it costing a lot, having signed only a couple of days ago? I’m no expert, this thread started from my frustration with their sales methods. However, common sense would suggest that they’re getting a commission and/or fees from somewhere (i.e. you) along the way. I doubt they aren’t just advising out of the kindness of their hearts. Product charges same as going direct – no broker fee or ‘service’ charge. Speak with your adviser if you have any concerns. Do not touch this company (or Blacktower, a clone) with a barge pole. You invest then see the value if you cancel a few days later and realize their aim, to write lump sum investments. Their agents know nothing about life or disability cover. They churn out advisors and discard them just as quickly. Ask what their agent turnover is. Why are they hiding behind other companies to access clients in Europe. And the sexual harassment at Blacktower? I have not given my correct email because of recriminations. Deb, put on hold immediately making any moves until you have all your questions answered. Ask deVere for full disclosure of all fees and commissions involved in their recommended course of action, including not just deVere’s compensation, but all the fees and commissions associated with the QROPS plan, any insurance provider (such as R360, Generali, Skandia, etc), the products they are suggesting (structured products – understand fully what these are and their high fees, the upfront commissions of the mutual funds inside the insurance plan as well as their annual running fees, etc). Please post back what you learn about all the fees and commissions involved and whether deVere’s is regulated in France here. I used the name and email which are fictitious as both companies carry a lot of power and clout. I have written to you before and am worried about recriminations. Was an employee. If you want to cancel, do so immediately. It will take them a while to process the application. It will also take a while for your current pension provider to transfer the assets. What platform did they use, was it an Old Mutual Bond? If so he will be paid commission. A question. Should someone find themselves in the situation of needing/wanting to cancel, are they able to stop the transfer by contacting the existing holder of the funds? We will always respect anonymity. Deb, checking the regulator in France’s website – I don’t see deVere France listed as being regulated. deVere UK has some cross-border permission to do business in France, but you’d want to make sure that you are working with deVere UK and its people (check your service agreement). On fees/commission, there are multiple layers you’d be paying. There are ongoing QROPS level fees, then ongoing insurance policy level fees, then the fees/commission of the underlying products inside the insurance policy (both initial charges and ongoing). Get a full breakdown of all of these fees. Some of it ends up in deVere’s pockets, some in each of the other entities along up the food chain. Pension transfers typically take 6-12 weeks to complete so yes you could just contact the transferring out scheme and tell them to block it, but as I said do this ASAP as the bonds have tie in periods and exit penalties, once it is in, it is in. I didn’t realise these replies were here, sorry. I did find DeVere France on the UK database as being authorised for dealing with insurance. They are registered in France for insurance and pension products under one guy’s licence number. The address he used in his advice letter is on the DeVere website and there are testimonials on there for him so I’m trying not to worry that he doesn’t even work for the company. Yes, it was an Old Mutual European Executive Investment Bond. I started worrying when I noticed that his advice letter actually advised me to use the Old Mutual European Portfolio Bond but the brochure he gave me was for the EEIB. When I looked up the difference, the EEIB isn’t available in the UK, which make me worry that it’s because it’s somehow been outlawed there. I’m really worried that my funds may somehow have already gone. Is there any chance my pension providers in the UK would have transferred the funds that quickly, when I only signed on Thursday afternoon? Ironically I was originally working with Abbey Financial Solutions who are based in Spain and this guy told me that they weren’t regulated in France and so I should work with a respectable company like deVere, who are. It takes a while to transfer so contact both your existing pension provider and Devere if you want to stop the transfer. Pension firms are notoriously slow at transferring out so it would be unlikely they have started the process. Just for your information, the Old Mutual Bond pays 7% up front commison, 4% goes to the adviser. So for a £100,000 pension that is 4k in his back pocket. Nothing necessarily wrong with this but it’s shocking if he isn’t declaring this. How much is your pension worth? Is there a reason you are doing a QROPs rather than a UK Sipp?? Sipps are cheaper. In the first instance, speak to your adviser with any concerns, there is a cooling off period but base any decisions on facts. Much of what you read in blogs for example is opinion and rarely will you find evidence to support claims made. DeVere offices world-wide are part of the DeVere group. Each office is also an individual business which is registered in the local territory. https://www.devere-group.com/footer/RegulatoryDisclosures.aspx in France and Spain for example, deVere have professional indemnity insurance in the locality plus the financial wealth to pay redress when mistakes happen and inevitably they do. Speaking as an adviser from DeVere Spain, the pension trustees used are registered on the ROPS list with HMRC, the bond providers are independent from deVere e.g. OMI, SEB etc etc and charges are transparent. In fact where other firms charge a ‘Service’ fee or ‘AMC’ deVere generally do not – Due to size, deVere negotiate larger fixed fee deductions from the providers themselves. You should be provided with all the terms and conditions and charges relating to the products you have chosen even down to individual funds. I noticed several comments on here encouraging you to cancel your application – I would encourage you, as Andy has done, to consider how the charges with deVere compare to other firms and ask your adviser for clarity. If the adviser is unable to explain the charges or confirm them in writing, I would be concerned. Also compare the charges to those on your UK pension fund – we seem to forget that the UK adviser and providers all make money from somewhere, ask your scheme provider for a breakdown of charges too. As a direct result of your comments here, a DNLI or “Do Not Linked-In” list has been created within DeVere Spain – I will add your details. Hopefully you have not had any phone-calls since we last spoke? Phew, all cancelled. I’ve confirmed too that the advice he gave me was bad for me personally, incorrect in some respects and misleading in others. I’ve found out so much bad info about this company this weekend I’ll be steering clear of them from now on and I recommend everyone else to do the same. Incidentally I’ve spoken to a proper French qualified and registered and also UK qualified independant financial advisor this morning and asked what they would recommend and though they said now is a bad time to do it (best wait until I’m 55 so I can take the thirty per cent out before investing the remainder, so I don’t end up paying fees on it for the ‘initial period’) that if I did do it, they would recommend basically what Abbey Financial Solutions discussed with me, though their fees for it would be cheaper than Abbey’s and they have a better agreement with the provider about taking money out with no exit fees. SIPPS wasn’t even mentioned – he said I really needed to get my pension fund out of the UK. He specifically said he would receive no commission and I’ve had this repeated to me since, so are you sure about that? I’m not sure I should mention the value of my pension fund on a public thread but I’ve since read that it’s not enough to consider a QROPS, though he said it was well over the amount where I should consider it. Could you get my email address off Alan so I can be more specific in private? Deb, your email is not visible anywhere in the thread. Nor is anyone else’s. Please could you clarify who Devere have negotiated fee deductions with. Ie which providers? Please do not print my name. Another company to investigate is Blacktower, virtually a clone of De Vere and who have quite a few ex-De Vere employees working for them, eg Paul Howard, Mgr Italy, who has not retained one employee he has hired but either fired them or told them to resign. And I have been told by an ex-Blacktower employee there were sexual shenanigans in their head office not too long ago. Howard, of Italy, has huge upfront fees directly deducted from client capital. And never writes life cover, disability, even when it should, but aims only for the lump sums. I would like to thank Alan Gandy for the opportunity to comment on this site however similar to many posts by adding comments, with evidence, to balance some of the criticism posted simply provides the opportunity for others to post disinformation for their own commercial benefit – for example, citing licencing issues in Thailand and a case relating to a single individual based in the USA as a damning indictment toward all DeVere advisers – Now Blacktower seem to be receiving the same, anonymously of course. @ Deb, hi Deb, an example of fees would be with Provider X, the direct charge to you would be Y without using an IFA. With DeVere, the charge to you would still be Y however a percentage of Y goes to DeVere. In terms of fund charges, the same as you will find on Morningstar or Trustnet – again, the IFA gets a percentage. Agreed, it may be that DeVere gain a larger percentage than other adviser firms but this is due to its commercial strength and has exclusive products with the largest fund managers like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and UBS for example which clearly is an advantage for the client. This will be my final post. I would simply ask anybody making decisions based on comments look at the facts and genuine evidence. Check the qualifications of your adviser – (example, I found an adviser recently claiming to be a graduate of Harvard business school with a degree in economics, his certificate was false) and check the registers of the regulators in your area. Check the source of any information you chose to process as fact. Should you have any concerns ask for evidence and speak with your adviser. Thank you once again Alan and all, I wish you well. @Chris, Hi Chris, to clarify – the fee to the client with the providers mentioned in my previous post would be the same as going direct. For example a bond provider charging 1.5% per annum for the first five years, the charge would be the same to the client going through DeVere, deVere do not add a ‘Service’ charge but does receive payment from the provider. The individual adviser remuneration is the same from provider to provider to avoid bias. I cannot list all the providers, there are too many. …and no, no phone calls thank you. I wasn’t that lucky…….. I invested through a “good friend” in Mallorca in 2007 who worked for DeVere & Partners, and have now lost more than half my investment(55K) and built up a commision debt of more then 7000eur according to last fact sheet from OMI. My lawyer sent his letter by burofax to DeVere Spain who answered they had nothing to do with this investment as they were registered in Sep 2007 and I invested in May 2007. OK let’s put some meat on the bones. The following applies to Blacktower, AES, Devere, Continental Wealth and Blevins Franks, hereafter, the FA(Financial Advisory). These companies should all be avoided! Here’s why. Firstly, they do not use qualified advisors, they use ex-salesmen to sell financial investments wrapped in an insurance wrapper. Why? Because they aren’t regulated to offer financial advice, only sell insurance, so they have to put their financial advice within an insurance wrapper. Firstly, this wrapper costs clients a HUGE amount – 1.75% per year – which results in an upfront payment of 6.5% to the firm selling it. Secondly, rather than being independent, these FAs use their own ‘approved’ funds. What this actually means is charging the clients an unnecessary fund entry charge of 5%, all of which goes direct to the FA, to buy a fund which hasn’t been chosen because it’s any good, but because the FA have an agreement in place with the fund house to sell this fund and for that entry fee to be passed onto the FA. For this fund you’ll pay another annual fee, around 1%, half of which will go to… yes, you’ve got it, the FA firm! Adding up. In nearly all cases these fund houses form relationships with the FA because they wouldn’t be able to sell their funds any other way, because they simply don’t compare with better managed funds. Not done there. Some of the above firms also feel it’s appropriate to charge an annual advisor fee… add another 1% onto your annual bill. So, Mr DevereIFA, you’re posting on this forum claiming to be open and honest about regulation, cold calls etc, but you’re failing to explain what the serious problem with your company is. Funds that make no money, coupled with fees that add up to as much as 20% over a 5 year period. So even if your funds made 4-5% a year, which in most cases they don’t, your clients still wouldn’t make any money, which is surely what they came to you in the first place for? The problem those FAs are creating, is that because Spain has complex tax, inheritance tax etc laws, people genuinely need financial advice and should benefit from it. But there’s so little trust connected to financial services that the legitimate companies find it very hard to gain the trust of their clients, and ultimately people in Spain end up breaking the law regarding their finances because they’re afraid to seek professional help. There are honest FAs out there. My advice is due diligence. Ask for all the fees to be written down on a plain piece of paper and signed by your FA. So the bond fee, if you have a bond (these are very useful in Spain if from a reputable supplier with low fees), the fund fees (one trick the above FAs use is they add the funds a month after you’ve signed up and don’t tell you about the fees until it’s too late). Fund fees should state an annual charge and whether or not there is an entry charge. Also check whether or not they will expect an advisor fee on top. My advice would be total fees should never exceed more than 2.5% PA averaged out over the first 5 years – including any advisor/set-up fees. So get all the fees for 5 years, add them up and divide them by 5. If they’re over 2.5% PA then ask for an explanation. FAs and the Finance Institutions have to earn money, but fees in addition to this are totally unnecessary. There’s no need for greed. Ask for details about the investment recommendation BEFORE you sign anything. To reiterate, all fees, fund performance, size etc. I would personally only use funds from large, well known companies with a track record. Fund performance often relates to risk. You want to see steady, consistent returns, 6-8% year on year, possibly even lower. Don’t be seduced by returns over 9% – the only way these are achieved is through higher risk. Unless you are prepared to make losses these won’t be for you. If you’re careful you can still get good financial advice out in Spain. My charging structure was called AV279 and this policy was a Skandia(OMI) product. Funds are still frozen. When I asked DeVere, OMI and Frontier the difference between frozen funds and funds closed to dealing, I never get an answer. Since 2008 these funds have not been trading , half the value has disappeared, so what is there to be managed? All I can say this was a very unfortunate investment for pension days. Oh deVere….I worked for them for a very, very, very brief period. Now, I’m not saying all advisors there are bad, there are a few who have great experience and genuinely care for their client’s and don’t just vanish after astonishingly high commissions are in their back pocket. I now work for another firm, where we unfortunately have a lot of clients approaching us to recover the affects of poor and advice on their pensions provided from deVere. Not all advisory firms are bad though, just some due diligence on the firm needs to be taken when getting advice or being approached:) Stay safe out there! I was contacted by deVere a few years back, they had called my company switchboard and asked for me. They claimed that they had been mandated by my employer to help expats with financial advice, and had been given my name (yet still had to call the switchboard in a city hundred of miles way to reach me?). Their claim was a lie, I checked with our personnel group who had never heard of them, nor any such mandate. Based on the almost simultaneous attempt to connect with me in LinkedIn, I assume they’d got my name from there and simply called head office on spec. I had taken their first call, and told them I wasn’t interested, but they have made repeated attempts to reach me. Initially through the switchboard but when I persistently refused to let the operator put them through they now seem to have my direct line. So far they don’t seem inclined to talk to my voicemail, so I’m happy to let them waste their time. If their harassement gets more direct I’ll report them to our company legal group, who are not shy about dealing with shysters. I have no idea whether devere are the Ponzi-scheme scammers they are reputed to be, or simpy pushy used-car-salesmen types who’ll stop at nothing to get a sale, but either way I’d recommend avoiding them. I strongly suspect that if and when their schemes go wrong, the last we’ll see of them is their dust as they head for the Bahamas with everyone else’s money. I lost a shitload of money to these lying scoundrels! This happened in 2010. After trying unsuccessfully to get some reprieve, I finally gave up, and simply decided to let it go. Over the years, I’ve seen literally hundreds of reviews, complaints, rants and raves, etc, about DeVere and Generali. These never interested me. What did interest me, however, were those individuals who decided to stop talking, and actually take some action against these fraudulent companies. When I was seeking “reprieve”, I actually went as far as hiring a lawyer in London. I myself reside in Sweden, but I decided that a UK-based lawyer would be in a better position to put the screws into these clowns. My lawyer was ready to take on the fight. But, he advised me that it would not be worth it — mainly because : the cost of the legal battle alone would be 2 or 3 times more than the money what I had lost to DeVere. His advice : find other people like myself, who also lost their savings………..organize ourselves into a group……….and launch a legal fight! This way, we could all split the legal costs. And, more importantly, DeVere would have to take us seriously if there were a large number of us beating down their door in court !! I set up groups on Facebook; I even created a website for this purpose. But, none of this ever got anywhere. Why?? Because, there were many people who were all about “talking” and ranting, and raving about DeVere. But, when it came time to step up, and get ourselves together, so we could actually DO something about it, none of them were willing to do anything! Eventually, I realized I was wasting my time, and simply dropped the whole thing. I would definitely be interested in joing your camapaign. I am in the UAE and they are very active here. i am sure there are hundreds of expats who have been ripped off by them. I have written to the BBC Money Box Live and Money Saving Expert. please tell me how I can sign up. I work as an IFA for an independent office in Spain and am appalled at the lack of qualifications and more worryingly knowledge and ethics of many of the employees of these ‘biggest in the world for a reason’ firms. If you want transparent pricing, people like myself will invest the upfront commissions into your investment and charge you an annual fee, therefore aligning our commercial interests with yours. All companies are able to do this but don’t tell you about it and don’t offer it to you as this would mean entering into a long term relationship with you as opposed to making a quick buck and leaving you to go alone in the future. Those big companies don’t offer quality, they offer a quick fix in the same way as big fast food chain like McDonalds will fill a hole by providing a generic hamburger meal deal, one size fits all product not tailored to your needs and without any service levels or recognition as a valued client. Personally I’d rather go to a nice family restaurant where the chef will prepare something that is to my taste with the best ingredients based on my needs, who will want and be interested in my feedback and will create a good atmosphere and level of trust and respect so that I’ll want to keep going back! Your life savings cannot be replaced once they’ve gone so be very careful before you sign anything. Shop around and get second and third opinions, and don’t sign up for anything that you don’t understand. A good qualified, ethical and knowledgeable IFA will be able to explain both the product that they are recommending as well as the reasons for choosing them for you and should be able to do so in layman’s terms and if they can’t I wouldn’t trust their judgement. Don’t invest in anything that you are not 100% confident with and take your time to feel confident with them, ask as many questions as you can, it may be a bit geeky but real professionals are actually very interested in their field and love to educate others too. Many companies use salespeople who have only limited knowledge of the products that they are recommending based on sales pitches provided by their management and training teams. You wouldn’t buy a car from someone who knows little or nothing about them so why would you chance your life savings, children and grandchildren’s future on the advice of a salesperson? Be smart and don’t ever be pressured into signing something you’re not 100% happy with. If people try to push you or tell you that the product is only available for a limited time then that is a sure sign that they are trying to pressure you and don’t want you to seek a second opinion as they’ll be found out for the fraudsters that they are. For the underlying investments that will make up your investment stick with well known names and if you are not an experienced investor steer clear of structured notes (the IFA will get upto 7% commission on these) and any alternative funds that don’t have daily pricing and cannot be exited at any time (these too have high sales commissions for a good reason, they don’t sell themselves). Choose someone who will give you regular reviews and who will keep an eye on your investments and keep you up to date on their performances and any changes that you could consider for them. You are going to have to pay fees at several junctures, this is an unavoidable part of investing, however the amount you pay and the way it is done varies drastically. Tracker funds offer lower maintenance fees and historically outperform more expensive actively managed funds and such ones as as FTSE 100 tracker fund is ideal for low maintenance long term investors. My pricing structure is based on an on-going advisory fee on the overall total of your funds so the better they perform the more I earn which makes it in my interest to get the best performance for you as possible. Also by paying the commissions from the tax wrapper providers to my clients, I create an instant uplift in the value of your investment, lay the foundations for a long term relationship and make it necessary to keep a close eye, i.e. actively manage, your investments. There are a few of us honest and qualified advisors in Spain and if you shop and ask around you will find us. I’m not leaving any contact details here as I’m not touting for business but I work on the Costa del Sol where there are a number of not so reputable firms whose work I often try and unwind, I’m just trying to pass on some quality free advice to fellow ex-pats so that you can avoid the sharks that have bitten so many of us in the past! I would also join you in this campaign. Got screwed by them in Mozambique and now they had closed their offices here and ran away. deVere Spain has yet again tried to contact me. I have told them not to contact me again under any circumstances but they continue to persist. I even had some school leaver try to connect with me via LinkedIn. I’ve tweeted my outrage, but they don’t respond to tweets. This is a diabolical company. If this was the UK I’d be pursuing the FCA for a penalty. To be fair to the one deVere employee on this thread. He did contact me privately and did get us on their No Contact list so I can confirm it does exist, and it worked. Well, apart from one recent call from someone who likely doesn’t follow their own procedures on this. Lucky for them my wife answered and dealt with it politely (I would have dealt with it differently). I live in Thailand and am a client of these guys and have had a reasonable experience so far. After reading this thread I got a bit spooked and checked with the SEC, this company is registered and not on their watch list. I also checked on my advisor, turns out he is also licensed and has his own licence number that is different to the company one. Luckily I don’t only believe what I read on blogs and go and look for the real answer from the source. DeVere UAE or are they? One minute they are PIC deVere then PIC is nothing to do with deVere then deVere are in the UAE but not licensed as they are one of the few companies that when the Central Bank ceased licensing failed to get a new license just a letter saying the approval process underway – that was 6 years ago. OK, so to respond to DEVEREIFA, regardless of your apparent qualifications – tbh i doubt any reputable qualified IFA would work for devere, you fail to mention that devere have a limited fund list they can use – that is a list of less than 10 funds in the whole world that they allow their advisors to use. Those funds ALL pay hidden commissions to devere, 5% up front and ongoing annual commissions. The funds themselves are closely linked to Nigel Green, are in the lower quartile with regards performance – in other words in the worst 25% of funds in that category in the world. The only way they can encourage people to use them is to pay hidden fees to IFAs, so you guys flog them to unwitting clients who have no way of knowing they are being sold a load of rubbish at extortionate fees. How do I know this? Well I stupidly worked for devere for 3 months, but as would any moral person, i left as soon as i knew all this. How can you call yourself an IFA when you know fully well that you cannot be INDEPENDENT when your company will only allow you to sell a very limited suite of sub-par products? One of your very vocal IFAs, a XXXX of devere Spain, claims to have been working in financial services since 2005, despite having only joined devere in the middle of 2015. His previous job? Estate agent. His job before? Car salesman. On his facebook XXXX claims to look after £1m of clients money – that is petrifying!! I would add that everything I’m saying here is open source and verifiable on the internet, all factual taken from XXXX’s own facebook and linkedin. XXXX is not registered with any of the professional bodies that would suggest he has any qualifications, and non are listed on his linkedin. The simple fact is, there are good IFAs in Spain, who follow the UK model – they are non-tied, they are industry experienced and they do not receive hidden fees from fund houses so can choose the best options for their clients. Devere are NOT one of those companies. I know because in 3 months i learnt how NOT to do the job, I learnt that the first sales job devere do is on their advisors. Every month devere run competitions to incentivise their advisors to SELL certain financial products! This practise is totally illegal in the uk. Again, how can a product be correct for a client’s personal circumstances if it only sold so the IFA can win a prize? Last month the winners all got a luxury 5 star trip to vegas, later in the year the prize is australia – all for selling one particular product to unwitting clients. DEVEREIFA, if you knowingly sell this limited suite of products to your clients, knowing they are not the best funds in the world, or indeed in the top 75%, then you are choosing your own wallet over those of your clients who worked their entire lives for their savings. I hope this is a moral quandary for you. Oh and just to clear things up… devere are NOT regulated in spain. They are only registered with the DGS to sell insurance products. They are NOT licensed or regulated to give financial advice. devere are not regulated when giving QROPS advice either as this is an unregulated industry and they cannot passport their DGS regs to malta/gibraltar. They simply refer QROPS business to trusts. Basically they are life insurance salesmen who make their clients sign an investment waiver- the clients unwittingly sign away any responsibility devere might’ve had for the underlying investments. There is no thought in the investment advice, simply ‘in-house’ funds they are told to sell by Nigel Green. Ben1978, they weren’t licensed in Thailand for years and there is proof of that, also that both devere and devere Group were on the Investor Alert list in Thailand. Even now only a very few of their literally dozens and dozens of foreigners claiming to work for devere in Thailand actually have licenses. Hi Alan – I work in the industry and completely agree with your comments regarding companies ‘claiming’ that they are licensed. In some cases they can get away with it, particularly in more remote destinations….but if you want to be ultra safe check with the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) in the UK. If a company is licensed and regulated by the FCA then they will have to conduct business in an ethical and transparent manner. 10 Years ago a “friend” Mr. XXXX from DeVere Barcelona sold me a 50K OMI insurance linked to two Frontier funds. They were longterm low risk funds linked to property in London. Some months ago I managed to get out 15K after all the mgmt fees were deducted. I have spent a considerable time trying to get info like funds portifolio etc. without any luck. When my Spanish lawyer wanted to take DeVere Spain to court, mr. XXXX said they were not the correct DeVere as they registered their company some months after I invested. DeVere Group and OMI admit no responsebillity for this investment. Of course they are not on the FCA register, the FCA only covers financial services being sold within the UK and deVere work with expats in other countries, so the FCA would have no interest in them and vice versa. You would need to be checking if they are registered with the financial service authorities within the country that they are working, in your example Spain. The fact that they are not on the FCA register is about as relevant that they are not registered with the Association of Ventrilaquists!!! for all the alternative funds and fantastic I.F.A. there are only two investments most should do. 1) Property. Preferably UK. But abroad if you do you d.d. and accept higher risks. 2) Index funds..US Vanguard. The returns on this past 10 years have been outstanding. I think Vanguard charge about 0.5% annual management fees. Shove the rest……but people love “exotic, different, complicated..” and the scammers know this. Nothing else outperforms these. Now save your-self from the B*S* and look into those two. When will my comments be PUBLISHED, so I can contact other potential candidates, who would join me in my class-action suit against Devere and Generali=?? I was scammed out of several thousands of euros by Devere & Partners, who sold me a so-called Generali Policy. This happened as far back as 2010. I know that there are literally thousands of people who have fallen prey to this scam. The problem is: a lot of people seem to want to TALK about it; but nobody is interested in actually doing anything about it. I went as far as hiring a lawyer, who was based in London (UK). Mainly because that’s where DeVere was when they stole my money! My lawyer understood my situation, but he advised me that to let it go, because: the legal fees alone would exceed the money which Generali had stolen from me. His advice: find as many people as you can, who were also scammed, and organize ourselves into a group. Then, launch a legal battle. I have been searching for anyone who is interested in taking this matter further. But, so far, have not found anyone with the balls to get up and fight these animals! As in: launching a legal attack on Generali and somehow getting back the money they stole from us. !! Alan is currently away and he is the one that approves/rejects any comments on this article. Once he returns he will approve your comment, or contact you to let you know why not. Not all comments are published due to legal reasons – but Alan is well on top of all that. Sorry that I can’t be of more help in the meantime. Anyone from Zimbabwe? lied to and misguided by Devers ? Want to thank you for this thread, it really came in useful. Was cold-called in Pakistan on Friday by a sincere-sounding, polite young salesman from deVere Malta and am so very grateful I found the comments here when I searched the web for my due diligence about them (I especially recommend the Bloomberg article that Mr. Montgomery posted the link to, it’s easy to read & comprehensive). The caller said they’d help me find out the status of my UK pension for free if I signed a Letter of Authority, & would be connected to an advisor who would charge for any services I decided to use after that, which sounded fair, but after reading about them in various articles won’t be using the group.

2019-04-25T00:00:13Z

https://www.spainbuddy.com/the-devere-group/

People use paint to coat various types of furniture, wooden home building such as poles and even house frames. The strength of a paint product depends on the formula it uses. If you choose a paint product with a bad formula, it will have a faster breakdown speed. you must do the recoating process in about one year. It takes your time and you should spend more money. You must remove the coating layer or the old paint then finishing from the beginning again. You get another problem if your frame is damaged either by mold or by termites. You never know the best paint product so you have the reasons to visit us. The wrong layer of paint can also cause more problem. Frames are usually made of wood, metal, and glass. However, most wood materials are often used because wood has a mass or shape that adjusts the weather. When it’s cold, the wood will shrink while when it’s hot the wood will expand. These advantages make wood not quickly damaged. 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But there are ways and tricks too so that the paint can stick perfectly and not easily peel or bubble. This method is also often done by artisans of wall painting and even many people have already tried it. To shorten the time, here are the steps you can follow! With an age that is quite old, of course, the paint will experience changes especially in the power of elasticity, faded colors, and even those that peel off. So the first thing you need to do is to pay attention to the paint changes on the wall, if it’s still good, you can immediately repaint. Actually, these tips are still related to the first point that observed damage to wall paint. Because of age, sometimes bumps, dust, or other dirt that sticks to the wall. So clean it first (you can also sand it a little) and pay attention until the surface of the wall is completely flat and clean from dust. Glue is one of the alternative materials that you can use to increase adhesion and make the paint shinier. 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This condition requires sedatives that must be purchased with a doctor’s prescription. Internet pelosok kini menjadi program yang cukup gencar dilakukan. Indonesia memiliki wilayah yang sangat luas, tetapi sayangnya jaringan komunikasi belum mencakup seluruh wilayah. Masih banyak wilayah pelosok yang belum memiliki akses internet, sehingga dapat dikatakan daerah tertinggal. Daerah pelosok yang belum memiliki akses internet biasanya terhambat oleh infrastruktur yang masih sulit dilewati. Sementara untuk membangun titik komunikasi membutuhkan transportasi dan peralatan yang cukup banyak. Oleh karena itu, pemerintah mulai berbenah dan bekerja sama dengan berbagai pihak agar daerahnya tidak tertinggal informasi temukan ini. Mungkin ada pertanyaan mengapa warga pelosok memerlukan internet? Bukankah tidak ada yang bisa digali dari daerah tersebut? Bukankah daerah itu cukup sulit dijangkau? Hilangkan pola pikir seperti itu. 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It can be said to be true, and can also be said to be wrong, depending on how to interpret the addiction. As we know that in coffee there is a caffeine content that stimulates the nervous system. Caffeine does not cause addiction. Even if you want to drink two to four glasses of coffee it won’t make you addicted like alcohol or illegal drugs. Some people often say that if you drink coffee, then you will find it hard to sleep at night. Energy stimulation triggered by caffeine in coffee is considered a factor that triggers insomnia. This can be said to be wrong, because after drinking coffee in the morning or afternoon, caffeine is directly produced in the liver and then removed from the body in only 4-5 hours. So, caffeine only lasts a minute in the body. No matter you want to consume as much as 2-3 glasses of coffee a day, you will not suffer from insomnia. Somehow, it would be better if you avoid coffee 6 hours before the time you sleep at night. The myth that is widely circulating in the community says that drinking coffee regularly can cause cancer. From there, a lot of research was done to find a correlation between coffee and cancer, and the results? Nothing! Some studies have found that those who drink coffee regularly have a lower risk of cancer because coffee contains antioxidants that can help fight cancer. In a house, you can certainly find various types of carpets. in fact, usually, in every room in a house, there is one type of carpet owned. Carpets can indeed make the atmosphere of the room more comfortable and can make the room more enjoyable to live in. For this reason, many people use carpets in their homes. However, to clean the carpet, you can use the services of the tile cleaning north shore so that your carpet is always clean and there are no germs there northernbeachescarpetcleaning.com. Entering the bedroom, the expected feeling is certainly comfort because the bedroom is a private space where you can do anything and be yourself. Get extra comfort by installing carpets on the entire floor of your room. So that when you step into the bedroom, you will be immediately greeted by the softness of the carpet that is comfortable for your feet who are tired of doing activities all day. You can also lie on the floor of a carpeted room comfortably while reading a book or playing a gadget. Of course, you do not want to disturb the occupants of other homes while you are active in your room, such as when you set music loudly to reduce fatigue. To reduce the risk of sound interference for people who are outside your room, attach a carpet that is thick enough on the floor of your room. You can consult the carpet seller, what kind of carpet is the best to reduce noise. Do you have a spacious bedroom and want to divide it into several areas? Because the use of bulkhead will take place and seems too stiff, then you can rely on carpets. For example, you want a comfortable reading corner, specify one side or corner of the room that can get enough sunlight during the day, then install a carpet with a size that is not too broad as a marker of the area is your reading area. On the carpet, you can put a bookshelf, some soft pillows, and a small table for putting drinks or snacks. For those of you who will go to Thailand and plan to go to Phuket, then you should know that there are many activities and interesting places that are there. One interesting activity even for foreign tourists is playing golf. In fact, phuket golf is very famous in there are many people who carry out these activities. For those of you who like sports, this will be a fun activity for you. Not much different from other tourist attractions, what better tourists before visiting a place, need to find out how the weather in that place. Strong winds in the sea will force the Friends to abandon all plans for launching the island. If you want to travel to Phuket, the best time is from December to March, where the weather is not so humid, and there is a breeze that makes it comfortable. Temperatures around 75F to 89F (24C to 32C). You better not to visit Phuket around April and May, in that time you will feel the hottest temperature with temperature levels from 80F to 95F (27C to 36C). Phuket is a place where it’s difficult or can’t find public transportation. To get out of the airport, friends can rent a car, or take a taxi. How about traveling from places to places in Phuket? Friends can use the TukTuk, or take a private taxi. If a Friend has been to Thailand, he must have seen the TukTuk before, a vehicle driven by a bicycle in front, and directed the passenger to the rear. Of course, we know that in golf, the most important equipment we have is a golf club. This is a tool that will help us hit and put the ball into a hole in the golf course golf savers. When it is not a layman, golf clubs are also referred to as golf clubs and there are various types that need to be known. On the other hand, we’d like to recommend you to play at the finest bangkok golf course whenever you visit Thailand on your next vacation or business trip. Irons – In a set of golf clubs, an irons set consists of numbers 5-9 where pitching is added. When the number is getting bigger, the shaft is shorter, but the result of the swing is farther away using the long shaft. In the set, number 7 iron is known to produce blows more than 120 meters away. Woods – Usually it can also be called a driver where its use aims to get a long distance swing result. In general, there are 1-3 for this wood, but only 1 has no problem and just enough. The swing for wood 1 is known to be able to reach more than 200 meters. Hybrids – It can also be said that hybrids are a blend of irons and woods. To produce long-range blows, hybrids can be relied on like woods. It’s just that indeed for hybrids its use can be outside of tee-boxes and woods only inside. Putter – Golfers consider this putter as a striker when compared to the position of a soccer player. The task of this putter’s main function is as a put in the hole scorer in the green aka the penalty box. Because the shape and weight of the head on the putter are very diverse, then pay attention to the usage according to their respective goals. Wedges – Actually, wedges also include irons, but wedges are more special because the head has a different tilt or loft. Loft that is on the wedges actually even more sloping than the irons. swing lob with wedges can be done at a short distance to direct the ball to the green. Sand Wedge is a multifunctional and more popular type of wedge. They say breakfast is the most necessary meal. Unfortunately, it is often the most monotonousa cup of coffee and a sandwich that we choose to have. Meanwhile, making an interesting breakfast menu is not so difficult. Let the daily breakfast menu be simple, and the dishes in it fast food. Weekend breakfasts can be late and lazy, which means you can spend more time preparing them.We have prepared several different options for breakfast menus, balanced and uncomplicated. Try to use them. You can create your own breakfast menu. Save them in your cookbook and put the appropriate label, for example, “quick breakfast”. On it at the right time you will quickly see all the recipes that are suitable for a quick breakfast menu. To know more aboutBojangles Breakfast hours, seek help online. Good breakfast a hearty, healthy breakfast from a nutritionist is similar in its purpose to a battery that will charge you with energy all day. Its absence can badly affect a person’s social, mental or physical activity during the day. This is explained by the fact that the body after a night’s sleep has time to “get hungry” and for its proper operation it is necessary to replenish its energy reserves. People who have a good breakfast in the morning are less susceptible to stress, problems with immunity and are able to work more productively during the day. Also, regular breakfasts can normalize hormones and blood sugar levels in humans. The distribution of the nutritional elements of a proper breakfast, according to the recommendation of nutritionists, is carried out according to the formula, in which 50% is allotted to the share of carbohydrates, 30% proteins, and 20% fats. Want To Log Off? Native Advertising RelapFor breakfast, you should eat complex carbohydrates, the splitting of which requires a long time. To know more about Bojangles Lunch Hours ,seek help online. Thanks to the convenient navigation system on the Bojangles website, you can quickly and easily pick up a breakfast item with breakfast being served during breakfast hours and go through the drive thru and indulge. In order to do this, it is enough to go to the above site and then in the special fields specify the city that you are going to visit. When choosing a fast food restaurant in another state where you stay and spend your holidays, you should take into account your own wishes and requirements for a place that will become your home for a while. The main criteria for choosing a fast food restaurant are often the presence of a good breakfast menu, the convenient location of the food menu itself, as well as the presence of breakfast included in the price. On a functional Internet hotel search service Bojangles website is to find a hotel with breakfast is easy. In the upper right corner of the web page opened by us there is a very convenient and functional “Advanced” key. It is with its help that it is possible to install a filter for fast foods with breakfast. Those diagnosed with diabetes can change lives. However, being aware of conditions is the first step towards effectively managing it. In this article I discuss how diet, exercise and natural medicines can help control your diabetes. blood sugar management with healthy diet, If you go and see a nutritionist they can help make a diabetic food plan for you that will keep blood sugar levels (glucose) even. This new diet will likely be different for your previous one and you need to take the following into consideration, You will need to avoid refined sugar because they make you spike the glucose level. However, there are many no-sugar food varieties available to you.You will need to eat several times a day to maintain your blood sugar levels even throughout the day. blood sugar management you will need to keep an eye on triglyceride and fat intake. This can be achieved through low fat eating plans. You will need to increase the intake of complex carbohydrates (wheat, barley and rice) because they are processed at a slower rate than simple carbohydrates (such as refined sugar). You will need to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to keep your glucose levels even. blood sugar management by keep checking the amount you drink alcohol. If your diabetes is not completely under your control, you should avoid alcohol completely. If it is under control then; a diabetic can safely consume 1-2 alcoholic drinks per day, a diabetic woman can consume 1 alcoholic drink per day and diabetes that is 65 or more can consume 1 alcoholic drink per day. blood sugar management modifying your diet in a very effective way to keep your glucose levels even and control your diabetes. However, you might also try naturopathy (natural medicines to treat diabetes). If you decide to experiment with the naturopathic approach it is very important that you consult with your doctor first. If your doctor is OK, then try the following, Consume more fish oil, Borage oil and Omega 3 oil. Research has shown that fatty acids can help you regulate your fatty acid metabolism is damaged, reduce complications and cardiovascular assistance against diabetes. blood sugar management by water carries out and absorbs heat so this is a good way to reduce glucose levels.Try massage and reflection. The right massage will help you relax which in turn controls your diabetes. Hopefully, this article has opened your eyes to ways that you can manage your diabetes. Changing your diet is the best way to manage your condition and naturopathy offers several unique alternatives for you to consider. Whichever way you choose to manage your diabetes, it is key so that you consult a professional doctor and nutritionist before applying real changes. Children need the best school uniforms for maximum learning in school. We believe you agree with this. Have you tried to provide the best uniform for children? If not, then you have to do it now. You may still be confused about what things should be considered when buying uniforms for children in order to get goods that are in accordance with their wishes. The size of school clothes is very important so that children feel comfortable wearing it. Of course, we already know that wearing clothes that don’t fit properly will feel very uncomfortable. Clothing that is too big or small will also affect the appearance of the child while in school. Well, To avoid the size-related problem, it would be better if you measure or have an estimate of the right size for your child, or you can also look for a slightly larger size but not to greatness. Because indeed the size made is seen in general. Unlike Iflix, netflix change country does not have download functionality for offline viewing. It would be difficult if you want to take it on a long journey, especially on the airplane. With Netflix, you can download the video you want to watch through an Android or iOS device. It can store up to 10 titles and is stored for 7 days, before being deleted automatically. So, users can download ready through a Wifi connection, and do not worry about the connection to watch while on the street. Although Netflix is ??now officially in Malaysia, you still have not full access to its content library, as enjoyed by users in the United States. Popular TV shows like Friends, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., House of Cards, Big Bang Theory, Flash and Agent Carter, cannot be watched in Malaysia. But you can still enjoy some other exclusive titles like Daredevil, Marco Polo, Orange is the new Black and Jessica Jones. In this case, Netflix is ??more relevant to users in Malaysia. In fact, Netflix has local content like Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. You can also choose subtitles and languages ??while watching. In short, you will not have full experience using Netflix in Malaysia. This is because there are local broadcast rights, which vary by country. If you want the best of Netflix, it seems that the VPN is still relevant to finish it. For those happy with a series of politics like House of Cards and FBI serials like Criminal Minds, then you can get them through Mindhunter. It’s fair to say that, as David Fincher, who is the producer of the series of House of Cards, also holds the same position in the new series. Mindhunter is based on the book by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker in 1995 entitled Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit. Although the book tells of the real story of a Special Agent named John Hammer for 25 years of career, the TV version of Mindhunter will tell about fictional FBI agents. Separated in 1979, two FBI agents, Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) and Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) were interviewing suspects of serial killings to help them solve the case. New people meeting: Whether you are learning English or traveling, of course you meet new people and interact with them. Traveling but not meeting new people? Aha, it could be just around your home complex. That’s not traveling by name. Traveling is when traveling or traveling to a place that you already know or have never been traced. Meanwhile, check out the recommended b1 test booking if you want to get the UK visa soon. Let alone at the destination, when arranging the trip will meet many new people. For example, people at the immigration office when making passports or Ms. Mas who serve airline ticket purchases, and so on. There is no doubt, when you are traveling you will meet and interact with many new people. What about learning a foreign language? When learning a new language, meet and interact with new people. “Ah, not really. I interact with my classmates. “That doesn’t mean I’m learning English. What? You are not deep in it. But, doing duty as a student is to take lessons at school. What is the difference? Following lessons and learning is really different. If you take English lessons, you do what the teacher tells you to do, do assignments, read, write, etc. Everything is done because you are a student and to get good grades. While learning foreign languages is when the desire to increase knowledge and practice comes directly from yourself. You will really do it when you have a goal you want to achieve after being proficient. See the difference between the following lessons and learning because you have a purpose? Well, when we are serious about learning English, we have to meet new people. From new people, we learn and absorb more things like accents, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, etc. In fact, the best way to be proficient is to get out and practice with new people. When was the last time the practice of speaking English with new people, Caucasians or foreign tourists? You will at least worry if one day you have to take a vacation or leave your house for a long time but you don’t need to be confused, the most important thing is to always be vigilant and use 4 tips to maintain the security of your home below. In the meantime, contact the company of Car Keys Dublin whenever your car door lock has been tempered by an unauthorized person important link. 1. Close and lock the window. Doors may be the main focus, but windows should also be our concern because usually, thieves use windows to enter the house. Don’t just because a device like an air conditioning machine happens to be perched on a second-floor window does not mean that robbers lose their minds and keep looking for entry even if we close and lock all windows, or make sure there is additional security at the place if that is possible. Whether you have been in an apartment building for years or have just moved into a house, it is important to find out who belongs to the neighborhood, so you might at least be able to ask for their help to take care of your home. Plus, people more often ignore each other in the world. So it makes sense if you talk to your neighbors and socialize. 3. Keep the key in your hand. Whether you live in a big house or a narrow studio apartment, walking until the door is late at night while groping through someone’s pocket or bag is attracting unwanted attention. Home security is more than just keeping people out of the house, but also about keeping safe wherever you are. Don’t make this mistake. Keep your LCD television so that it is not easily visible and striking so that it attracts the attention of people out there, use a curtain or match the state of your home so that unauthorized outsiders cannot see. If criminals cannot accurately see the condition of your home, then they will likely have trouble and think so many times to rob your house. The easiest way we can take care of a watch so that it is durable is to store it in a dry place with a normal temperature in the room. If you put a place that has a certain room temperature (air-conditioned room, a room that is exposed to direct light), then the temperature will automatically affect your watch. Keep your watch in a container, or a special watch box. You should keep your popular watch, like the bulova watch in a special watch box to make it safer. Clean your watch with a wet tissue, but not a tissue that is too wet or wet with water. because if you only use ordinary tissue, it will make a scratch on the glass of your watch. A good wet tissue that doesn’t make a scratch is wet tissue that is used to clean the baby’s skin. Let it dry without using a dry tissue or dryer (dryer), because the hot wind coming out will affect the components in your watch. All married people certainly agree that there are many choices and problems that will come to the wedding. Many people feel that marriage is a very difficult thing to do. How come? You have to live with someone forever. This means you also have to take all decisions with mutual agreement. Unfortunately, not everyone can do it and end in divorce. If this has happened, then all you can do is use the services of the oklahoma city divorce attorney . After the divorce is complete, it’s not the time for you to blame the divorce. You must be able to take responsibility for what will happen after your divorce. Gather support from your family and closest friends who can help you deal with the divorce process. There is nothing wrong with consulting lawyers or divorce mediators. One simple way that you can stay strong in the face of divorce is to control your emotions and how to behave in front of your ex-husband or wife and also in front of your children. You also need to maintain attitude in the face of various divorce processes that are not easy. You certainly are old enough to know what lessons you can take from the divorce case. Whatever causes underlying your divorce, you must be able to take lessons from it. Job centre online is a vital resource when you are looking for work. This is very difficult to come by if you are looking for a temporary job while working full time and it must be managed wisely if you are unemployed and find yourself with too much time my online job centre . Setting your time to improve your prospects can be difficult at first, but it must be quite simple once you have developed a habit. Job centre online is perfect for those who are looking for work while still working as focusing on finding longer jobs that focus on finding the best jobs. Schedule your work searching on a weekly basis. Don’t try to squeeze your search for work to be fully eating day. Find your free time available, and schedule regular job searches. If you accidentally lost your search for a job due to an emergency, wait until the next job search is scheduled. Instead of desperately making time to find work, find out your schedule and do as much as you can to stay with it. After finding a habitual job, you have to find the time you have organized to do that is not the time you missed as much. Job centre online suggest that you have to spend more of your backup money on every aspect of your life as you spend in your spare time on the same aspects. This means that if you have love for a car that takes up to 10% of your life, then 10% of your reserve money should go towards passion, such as by contributing to car loans for sports cars. If this is applied to find work, then suddenly additional value is placed at that time. If you spend money on developing your ability to find work, increase the value of that time which might make you prioritize more. There’s no need to spend very much to achieve this effect, either, as things like continuing development don’t always cost very much. Manajemen gudang adalah hal yang sangat penting dalam kelangsungan bisnis sebab gudang berkaitan dengan penjualan. Manajemen yang buruk akan mengakibatkan barang-barang yang berada di rak gudang tidak sesuai dengan penjualan dan berakibat pada kerugian. Di sinilah pentingnya manajemen pengaturan gudang, baik dari pemilik bisnis maupun pekerjanya. Apalagi jika menjalankan bisnis ritel yang memiliki banyak item untuk disimpan. Jika tidak cermat, maka bisnis tersebut akan mengalami kerugian skala besar. Buatlah jadwal pembelian terhadap produsen barang sehingga memudahkan Anda dalam melakukan forecasting dan lain-lain. Forecasting adalah pengaturan barang yang berada di rak gudang untuk memastikan barang-barang tersebut tetap berada di tempatnya atau tidak mengalami selisih dengan penjualan. Setelah mendapatkan jadwal persediaan dengan para supplier, Anda dapat menghitung biaya yang telah dihabiskan. Beberapa mungkin bertanya mengapa budgeting tidak dilakukan di awal agar lebih mudah menghitung. Jawabannya adalah jika diletakkan di awal, maka tidak akan sesuai dengan kebutuhan di pasar. Sebagai pemilik bisnis ritel yang menyimpan berbagai jenis barang, Anda harus tahu cara menyimpan stok yang benar sesuai karakter barang tersebut. Sebagai contoh adalah barang yang dijual memiliki nilai yang berharga namun ukurannya kecil. Maka lebih baik diletakkan di tempat yang mudah terlihat agar dapat terus dipantau. Selain mengenali karakter barang, Anda juga harus mampu mengatur tampilan gudang. Hal ini sangat penting bagi Anda yang memiliki bisnis ritel yang barang-barangnya memiliki masa kadaluarsa. Untuk memudahkan pengecekan, Anda harus mengatur agar produk yang keluar dari gudang adalah produk dengan kadaluarsa yang paling awal. Tata letak yang rapi juga akan memberikan keuntungan efisiensi waktu pencarian barang. In pushmoneyapps.com/top-internet-marketing-products-by-aidan-booth-steve-clayton/ there are many worksheets available on the apps that you can use to help you put plans in writing. Some of these planners involve working with calendars to set sub specific goals to reach in weeks or months of time. Some worksheets are based on an action plan and what needs to be done next in accordance with priorities. They may not have a time limit attached to them, and you only need to check off what you do as you do them. pushmoneyapps.com/top-internet-marketing-products-by-aidan-booth-steve-clayton/ is a world of testing and trials, and continually modifying things is really needed for a business to succeed. If you have decided this year will be a year that you see a big difference in your business, then you will need to break your actions into a period of time to ensure that you reach your goals this year. If you don’t take the time to make this plan and time the formula to follow you will find yourself lost and overwhelmed by the information and actions that need to be taken. Thinking about a plan well will help you focus more and be able to handle distractions much better. The action calendar settings are easily modified and you must be flexible with that. There is nothing on the Internet the world of marketing is written in stone, and if you find that changes are needed then go ahead and make changes. pushmoneyapps.com/top-internet-marketing-products-by-aidan-booth-steve-clayton/ plan can be changed and changed at any point of the trip if you find there is a faster route to get to the final destination. An imperfect plan is at least the starting point. You have put where you are and where you want to go. Between two points is a different way to get there. During your trip to your destination, because you follow your plan, you might see something that will help you reach your goals faster. If you do it, it must be done. Keeping this in mind when you make your plan will help you get it done. For sure, your view of a private investigator rock hill sc is one that constantly brings with him weapons, tracks criminals and gets his girl at the end. That’s right pretty romantic? Sure is. But you must know that private investigations are far more than that. More than saving someone from being killed or retaliating because of the self-realization of things that have affected a person’s life. Private investigator might see it as a Great job, another an adventurous style while some people choose not to think of their lives as private investigators as this work seems to free them close to their graves. Well, everyone has the right to their own beliefs. But the truth still remains the truth. Previously, private investigations were said to be limited to boring goods. Before the emergence of James Bond films or the concept of Mission Impossible, private box investigators were only to stalk the various individuals they were employed for stalks. Investigators, especially those who are good, have an established database of back ups who can dig into documents that are public domain. If your personal investigation team is good enough, they are able to violate various systems that hold important evidence regarding the case. Private investigator can conduct surveillance or supervision. However, with the development of complexity, private investigation companies now continue to be more confusing cases than their predecessors. There are various types of private inquiry work. If you are considering looking at private investigations as life in the state of Texas, you might find this article useful. One classic technique that is being used by private investigators is supervision. This is the process of collecting important data through actual observation. Usually, this is done in secret and must not, at each level, reveal some clues that will trigger suspicion. This is probably one of the longest methods used in trading. Usually it continues for several days and even months, surveillance is the process by which the subject is truly observed which results in extraction of details. When camping, there is a good chance that your items will get dirty. If you know this ahead of the actual trip, you can prepare for the inevitable and get yourself some extra supplies. Have fun on your trip and don’t worry about getting messy; it happens. When you’re home, you can be normal again. Sitting too long will certainly make your back and some parts of your body feel pain. This often happens and is felt by office workers who work in front of the computer. For that, what they really need is the right office chair. You can use the ergonomic office chair to feel maximum comfort in the office and while working. Selection of suitable seats is an important step in preventing health problems in people who work in a sitting position. Then, what is meant by ergonomics? In ergonomics, sitting is seen as a special activity influenced by the way people work. Not only that, but it is also influenced by interactions with their work environment. Please note that a chair that has a good design will allow users to sit in a balanced position. For that, do not be surprised if there are many office employees who need ergonomic chairs during their work. Are you currently planning to renovate a bathroom? The bathroom is an important part of a house. Did you make the decision bathroom renovations choice that you will choose to implement in your renovation project? Here are some things that you need to consider to ensure that the result of your bathroom renovation will be as well as you expect. It is highly recommended to put the bathroom downstairs. This is so that the plumbing business becomes simpler. However, if you really need a bathroom or toilet upstairs, make sure it is not a kitchen below. A stuffy and smelly bathroom is a result of poor air circulation. Don’t forget to make sure there is a separate flow of air in and out so that the air in the bathroom is maintained. The problem is not a few people who build bathrooms under the stairs. The house is also in a very dense location so that there is no remaining open land to supply fresh air and remove the stuffy air. If this is the situation you are facing, try to install a two-way exhaust fan. Install on the door frame or ceiling if on top is empty space. This fan will pull out the stuffy air. Change the direction of rotation for air supply. In feng shui, the flat ceiling will make the circulation of positive energy in the bathroom more optimal. In addition, there should be no protruding ceiling so as not to disturb the flow. Toilet placement can be a dilemma problem, especially for those who live on narrow land, including flats and apartments that repair the toilet position is no easy matter. If you work with professional bathroom contractor who has years of experience, you will have the chance to get the advice. This means that there is nothing to worry about the closet placement or location.

2019-04-25T19:42:32Z

http://www.campusvetclinic.com/2019/03/

In today’s episode, we talk about how we help Jennifer overcome fears and create a plan to quickly grow her membership by the end of the year. Jocelyn Sams: Hey y’all. On today’s show, we help Jennifer take her education business to the next level. Shane Sams: Welcome to the Flipped Lifestyle podcast where life always comes before work. We’re your hosts, Shane and Jocelyn Sams. We’re a real family that figured out how to make our entire living online. And now, we help other families do the same. Are you ready to flip your life? All right. Let’s get started. Shane Sams: What’s going on everybody? Welcome back to the Flipped Lifestyle podcast. It is great to be back with you again this week. We have a beautiful day in Kentucky and we have an amazing guest. Another member of the Flip Your Life community. On the show today, we want to welcome Jennifer Bradley. Jennifer, welcome to the podcast. Jennifer B.: Thank you so much for having me. I’m so excited to talk to you guys. Jocelyn Sams: It is great to talk to you again. Jennifer is someone we have actually met in real life, which is really exciting. You guys know that I love it when we have people on that we have met in real life. This is a really good show for me. Shane Sams: And I was telling Jennifer off air, we may know Jennifer better than anyone who has ever been on the show because she’s also a member of our all-access mastermind. I literally talk to Jennifer every single day on Voxer. Jocelyn Sams: And we chose Jennifer to be a part of the podcast because she is a community member who believes in posting her success. Shane Sams: And taking massive action in her business. Jocelyn Sams: When we look for people to be a guest on the podcast, we look for people who are really taking action, who are letting other people know about the successes that they’re having. And that is why she’s here today. Jocelyn Sams: Let’s jump into a little bit of that. Start out by telling everyone about who you are and a little bit about your background and your business. Jennifer B.: I’m Jennifer Bradley and I’m from Michigan. I have three little kids at home. Ages seven, four and two. And then I’m married to my high school sweetheart. My business is I’m a speech therapist. I started out selling on a third-party platform Teachers Pay Teachers. I’d just sell therapy materials that I have created. I recently, about a year ago, turned it into a membership platform. I have all of my therapy materials in one area for speech therapists to use. Shane Sams: And how has that gone? I know a lot of people that is a scary transition. They’ll go to a third-party marketplace, they’ll make a little money online, whether it’s putting a book on Kindle or selling something on you-to-me or in another place like that. Then it’s like, “Oh, man. If I go offline, how am I gonna find customers?” All that thing. How’s your membership going? Jennifer B.: It’s going great. At first, it was a little scary. A little bit daunting to have my own website and send traffic there. But I’m really seeing the benefits now because I own it and as a third-party website I’m on there and I have no control of changes that are made. Since I’m always selling one-off products, I have to continuously sell and sell because most of my products range from $3 to $10. Where the membership is growing now, I’m having members and I’m in charge of my own destiny. It’s been an amazing transition. Shane Sams: How many members do you have now? Jennifer B.: I have 380 members now. Shane Sams: Oh my goodness. That’s insane. Jocelyn Sams: Yeah, that’s awesome. Shane Sams: Just think about what you said out loud. We don’t get too far into numbers for people, but I’m gonna paint the picture here for everybody. What if you had 380 people paying you 25 bucks a month or 50 bucks a month or 100 bucks a month. That’s a crazy amount of customers and really all they’re doing is logging into a community and getting access to your resources, right? Jennifer B.: Mm-hmm. Yeah. They just log in. They have access to all my therapy materials that were on TpT. Shane Sams: But we sat down at Flip Your Life Live last year and I worked with you at our table for a little while. You were telling me so many amazing things that I hear from so many people, “Oh, my gosh. I was afraid.” You had something making money. This third-party marketplace. It was making good money too, right? Shane Sams: And you’re like, “Oh my gosh. What if I stop promoting that? Is that gonna die? Am I gonna give up a good thing? A bird in the hand is better …” All those fears that we have. I remember we were talking about your promotion strategy and you were still really promoting even the third-party marketplace. I looked over and I’m, “But the membership’s making as much money as that. Why would you just not promote the thing that’s passive and create stable predicable income?” And we were like, “Yeah. That’s probably what I should do.” Right? Jennifer B.: Yeah. I needed you to knock some sense into me because I was only pretty much promoting TpTs little one-off sales. Since starting to work with you guys, I have gone up almost 100 members in a month. I needed that. Jocelyn Sams: Okay. That’s awesome. Shane Sams: That’s why we love bringing success stories on because most of the time people know what to do and they do just need to talk it through with somebody and see the fork in the road and be like, “Yeah, I’ve been down this road 100 times. I’m telling you, it’s the right thing.” But the most important thing is you actually took action on it. That’s why you got 100 members in a month is because you said, “Yeah. That’s the path I need to go down. I just need to hammer down on it.” And that’s what we love about you, Jennifer. ‘Cause you put in the work. You do what it takes. It takes some risks. It takes a little discomfort at times to make it to the next level. Shane Sams: We were just meeting with our live event coordinator for next years live event. We were like, “Could we double or triple the amount of people who come to Flip Your Life Live?” I looked over at Jocelyn and I said, “This feels really scary. Though, it’s probably right.” That’s where you were. Do I go all in on the membership and leave behind what got me here to get to the next level? And that was scary, wasn’t it? Jennifer B.: Yes, it was very scary. Because TpT was a big income for me. To just let that do its own thing without promoting it was a very big jump. But it’s been working out really well. Shane Sams: Now, you’re full-time online. I know you do go in to the school every once in a while just for a couple hours to keep your toe in the water, but you are full-time online correct? Shane Sams: Well, I just want to first, before we got on, ’cause we’re gonna try and help you get to the next level. That’s always our goal. There’s always a next level. There’s always a way to raise the bar. But congratulations for flipping your life because it takes a lot of energy and effort and courage while you’ve got three kids under the age of seven at home to do what you’ve done. And we never want to shortchange that. It’s so easy to get complacent and it’s so easy to always look ahead. But sometimes look back and say, “Wow. I’ve done something that 90% of people are not doing.” And you’ve done a great job of that, Jennifer, so congratulations. Jennifer B.: Thank you. Thank you. Jocelyn Sams: I think that it’s important to recognize that Jennifer didn’t wave her magic wand to make all this happen. There was a lot of hard work and energy that went behind it. But I think that in hindsight you would say that it was worth it. Jennifer B.: Oh, yeah. Definitely. I didn’t watch TV for three years, but it paid off in the end. Shane Sams: What brought you to the Flip Your Life community? Jennifer B.: I heard you guys on Pat Flynn. I had been a part of another membership community to grow memberships. It was a great community, but it wasn’t as family focused. It was more technical focused. I liked that you guys had the technical part but also you were a family. You were a husband and wife team. It was very focused on the community and the members helping each other and I really liked that aspect of it. Shane Sams: You know, that’s one reason we started the Flip Your Life community in the first place. Because when we were out trying to start our online business, we found the same thing. We found a lot of courses. We found a lot of people telling you how to do things. But we didn’t find anywhere where we felt like people were focused on the real issues that were holding us back. The things that held us back were not we couldn’t grind though and figure out WordPress or we couldn’t grind through and figure out how to take payments for a product. Those are all solvable issues. It was we’ve got a four-year-old and two-year-old and they’re screaming while we have 30 minutes to work. What do we do? We had to stumble through all those problems ourselves and when we decided to start teaching this, we were like, “That’s where we need to focus our energy. Helping people deal with the real issues that hold them back. Shane Sams: It’s why we love people that come on with three, four, five, six, even seven kids. Because it just proves out there, look, Jennifer has three kids. Jennifer has a life. Jennifer was working. She built a business online. There you go. Why are you not doing that? I just want to encourage anybody that hears this. You can do this while raising a family working full-time. You just gotta take the inspiration and do it. Jennifer B.: That’s what I liked. You guys talk a lot about the mindset and the fears. I think that was more my big thing. Getting over that stuff than anything. Jocelyn Sams: That’s one thing that we’ve just really learned through the years of doing this. Usually, things boil down to something that we’re afraid of. Maybe it’s something that we think we can’t do. Or some kind of self-limiting belief is what causes a lot of people’s issues. Jocelyn Sams: Let’s dive into that a little bit. Let’s explore what’s going on with you as far as what is holding you back right now? If you were to look at something and say, “I’m worried about something. Or I’m afraid I can’t do something.” What might that be? Shane Sams: ‘Cause the fears do not go away just because you become successful. In fact, they may get bigger and you just have to keep overcoming that next obstacle. That next fear. That next mindset issue every step of the journey. I don’t want anyone out there to say, “Wow. Shane, Jocelyn and Jennifer have made it. They’re never afraid again.” Right? We all have fears that are holding us back. What’s challenging you right now? Jennifer B.: I think the fear of overall being judged by selling things or I’m being too pushy and just having that being judged by the speech community. Because it’s a smaller community of professionals. So, I don’t want to have … I’m afraid of getting judged about being that pushy sales person I guess. Jocelyn Sams: I totally understand that. I’ve definitely gone through that as well. I think in the education space especially you can have these types of fears because a lot of people offer things for free because it’s education. You have this mindset that, “Oh, nobody wants to pay for anything.” Things like that. Would you say that that is part of it? Jennifer B.: Yes. Definitely part of it. Like I should be giving away things for free instead. Shane Sams: What happens here is it’s a lot like everything else in our society in 2018 basically. The loudest voices come from the fringes. Right? And when you get the person who’s really bitter and is a taker and wants everything free and really doesn’t respect. I find that a lot of people that write us hate mail or something because we charge for our products or something like that, they’re usually coming from a place of disempowerment and they’re really mad and bitter. And they almost feel entitled like someone should either give them everything or maybe they’re just frustrated and they can’t achieve it and they wish they could have it, but they’re not really willing to do what it takes, so they want to complain about it. Right? Shane Sams: What we have found is those loud voices from the fringes are the ones that derail us the hardest. We look at our comments all the time. We look at our Facebook posts. We look at the emails that we receive. We look at our … Even our reviews on our podcast on iTunes. Probably 1% of them are actually complaining or actually negative. But they are so loud and so mean that they just override … You have 300 and something people paying you money every month without complaining. But that one comment on the webinar in the chat box … wants to make you just bash your head through the wall. Jocelyn Sams: And find value in it. Shane Sams: And find value in it. And not only that, have found a way to believe in themself enough to bet on their own life. To bet on their own future with their money and their time. Those are the people we’ve got to really focus on. Because if we focus on the bad people that are judging us, how can we help the good people that aren’t? Shane Sams: We struggled through this when we were about to host our live event. We were like, “Who are we to host a live event? Everybody else goes and speaks at live events. You have 10 speakers on stage. We were like, “No, we’re gonna host our own. We’re gonna speak on stage for two straight days and interact with over 100 people. That’s what we’re gonna do.” We had some negative comments. We had some negative things that we had to deal with. But look at all the good that came out of that live event. Just for you and for other people. If we listened to those negative voices, then we don’t get to help all the people that really need it. Jennifer B.: Yeah. That makes sense. Yes. Jocelyn Sams: Sometimes it’s hard to listen to that voice. Especially when you have these people who are saying, “Oh, well, your product’s too expensive.” Or, “I don’t want to join your membership because it should be free. I can get better stuff like this for free.” Well, you know what? That’s fine. They’re not your people. Shane Sams: Go do it, dude. Jocelyn Sams: Go for it. Do it. Spend your time looking for it. It is out there. But if you want to spend your time and effort doing it, then you’re not my customer. I think that it just takes a little bit of time just to get used to the idea. It used to bother me a lot more than it does now. When somebody would be super negative or say something that just bothered me or whatever. It doesn’t bother me as much anymore. I think just being okay with everything not being perfect. Shane Sams: And also too, Jocelyn and I are bothered by hate in different ways. I really bow up and want to fight them. I write them back sometimes and I’m, “Bring it. Let’s go. I’ll joust with you.” And Jocelyn, it gets her really, really down. Like, really, really down and doubting. But it does affect us both really negatively. The biggest thing that we’ve learned over the last couple years is you gotta ignore it. You just gotta ignore it. It’s gonna come. You have to accept it, that it’s gonna happen. And the more you can delete it, the better. Right? Shane Sams: You just gotta let that go. Because, gosh, you just can’t make everybody happy. You know that. You’re selling to schools. Jennifer B.: Mm-hmm. And yeah, I’m like Jocelyn in that it gives me doubts. I’m like, I can’t be scared to do things. You had told me to send out three emails a week and I thought I was gonna get a bunch of hate mail from people. I think I overreacted about that. So, I’m trying to get my head around the fact that I’m just overthinking. Shane Sams: Once you get over the fact that it’s going to happen, that doesn’t really make it easier to deal with, but you can create systems. That’s the real practical thing that we’ve done to shield ourselves from it. It’s really important once you have enough money to get someone to take some of that off of you. You need a customer service person. Or if you have a business partner, like Jocelyn, before we could afford customer service, I would check the messages first to delete the hate mail before Jocelyn saw it because it was such an energy drain on her. Right? Shane Sams: And that’s gonna create more energy drain. Jocelyn Sams: Yeah. “This person’s a jerk, don’t join their community.” You don’t want that to happen either. One of the things that I do to deal with this, especially when I was still answering my own customer service a lot, is I would say, “Okay. Well, what’s the worst thing that can happen? If I send out this email asking people to buy something, what’s the worst thing that can happen?” Well, the worst thing is maybe someone would say, “This is a rip off. It’s way too expensive. And this website is a joke.” Then I would write a little response to that. And it would say something like, “Hey. Thank you for your email. I understand that you think that the product is too expensive. I totally understand. There are lots of free resources available online. Feel free to use those and I appreciate you writing in.” Or whatever. That way, my mind had already dealt with it. Shane Sams: It’s a canned response. Sends the same thing back to everybody, so she doesn’t have to waste any energy. But she also feels like she answered the person that was mad at her. Jocelyn Sams: For me, I felt like I was prepared for it that way. And really, I only had to send it out one or two times. In my head, I’m thinking I’m gonna get 100 responses that say this and I got two. Shane Sams: Let’s put this in context too because sometimes the criticism that we get is harder than we think it is. Right? What’s the meanest thing anyone’s actually ever said to you in your customer service? What’s the meanest thing that you can remember right now, seriously, that anyone has ever said to you? Shane Sams: It’s like that fear of something that could happen has almost over … You can look back and say, “Literally, that has never happened to me.” My mom, I was sitting there last night at my mom’s house. And it’s almost Halloween when we’re recording this. My mom was like, and God love her, “Now, you’re gonna take the kids’ candy up to the hospital right?” I was like, “Why would I do that?” She goes, “Well, they’ll run that right through the x-ray machine to make sure nobody’s putting razorblades in your Reese’s cups. I said, “Mom. Let’s be honest here. Do you know any human being, in person, that that’s ever happened to?” She said, “Well, no. But I read about it in the paper one time.” Right? We laugh at that. You know what I’m saying? We hear that one thing or we imagine that one scenario and it becomes this overriding thing in our life that we think’s gonna happen and then it’s almost real. And then keeps us from doing something that could cause that. Right? Jennifer B.: Mm-hmm. But yeah, I like that idea to pre-make your emails. I feel like that would make me feel better. Jocelyn Sams: Yes. It’s just one less thing to think about. You just know that if that situation happens, you have a response for it. You don’t even have to think about it. You can just put it outside your mind. Shane Sams: And your brain will deal with it. Jocelyn Sams: One thing to remember is just that people … There’s always gonna be someone who doesn’t like you. If everyone likes you, then you’re probably not polarizing enough. You need to find someway to make it, not controversial, but just let your real personality come out. If you’re not doing that, then people probably aren’t really connecting with you. Shane Sams: That’s an actual email. Jocelyn Sams: Who reads their hate mail on the air? Nowhere but the Flipped Lifestyle podcast. Shane Sams: But that guy sent that around and was so bitter and hateful and he didn’t look up and say, “You know, these guys have 4,000 posts in their success stories forum.” Think about that. He was so blinded by his own bitterness that he just had to be hateful instead of realizing that we had something that could possibly help him. That’s what you’ve got to … Your materials not only are helping teachers have the better work experience, helping them be happy at work, helping them be happy at home because they’re not spending time on lessons, and think about all the kids and people who are gonna be impacted over the years by all the lesson plans that you’re putting out there and everybody out there who’s doing something with their life and putting things out on the internet, you’re bringing value to the world. Never let those negative voices hold you down. Okay? Jocelyn Sams: All right, Jennifer. We’ve talked a little bit about what’s going on inside your head. What can we help you with as far as working on the nuts and bolts of your business to help you move it forward? Jennifer B.: I am the type to see something and want to do it. So, I buy too many courses because I want to prefect this and I want to perfect that. I’m just everywhere with everything and I don’t know where to focus my time. Do I focus my time on blogging more? Do I focus my time on creating ads? Do I focus my time on Instagram or email marketing or … I’m all over the place with what I should do next I guess. Shane Sams: What do you want right now? What do you want to spend your time on and where do you want to go? The easiest thing to do is set a member goal or a money goal. Right? Then how do I get there, or how do I want to get there? What is your next goal right now for you? Jennifer B.: My goal would probably be I would love to have 500 members by the end of the year. Yes, that’s my goal. Shane Sams: We’ve got about two months to get there. That’s good. Ambitious goals are what you need. You want to stretch. Right? Shane Sams: How do you want to get there? If you said, “Man, any path I pick will work. Anything I do will work because if I put the effort into it and I’ve got a plan, if I execute the plan, it will work. What’s your easiest path mentally to get there? Jennifer B.: Probably for me probably more Facebook ads or Instagram ads ’cause I know them decently. It’s an easier way for me to, I think, to advertise I guess. Jocelyn Sams: Okay. So, really that means that you think that you need to either promote to your current audience or grow your audience. Which one of those would you say is accurate? Or both? Jennifer B.: I think grow my audience. I recently got an email from somebody telling me that she was so excited to join. That I need to promote more because she didn’t know about me. I guess that’s them telling me. I feel like I need to get my name out there a little bit more. Shane Sams: Okay. This is a very similar place that we found ourselves earlier this year. Okay? I just want to go back to what we just said because it’s really important for anybody out there listening about working backwards. You said 500 people. And then we said, “What’s the best way to get there?” You said Facebook ads. Right? And then that led to an anecdote that proved it in your system. You have a person that told you, a customer, that was, “Wow. If I’d known about you sooner, I’d have done this.” And you’ve been in the game a little while, so you’ve got plenty of things that you’ve already done that you can go ahead and promote. It’s not like you’ve gotta reinvent the wheel every day or create new blog posts or create new content. You just have to activate all this amazing stuff you’ve already got. Shane Sams: But working backwards from the goal, your plan is basically, “Okay, I need to get 100 more members. I need to promote my most popular stuff to new people on Facebook.” That’s it. That’s all you have to do for the rest of the year. You don’t have to create anything new. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You’ve just gotta go do that. Jocelyn Sams: It may also mean some repurposing. What I mean by that is can you create a short video about one of the things you’ve written a blog post about and post it on YouTube? Shane Sams: Our priority list always goes in this order. We look at every task and we dive down into tasks. Yesterday Jocelyn and I were planning out November and we said, “What is our goal for November?” Well, we have to get our Black Friday sale ready, which we’re gonna be selling our videos from Flip Your Life Live, the video package. We said, “Okay, what do we have to do? What are all the tasks that we have to do to get that done and repurpose that content into a product?” So, we’re wrote down all those tasks. But then we look at those tasks … For us, the next step is for me and Jocelyn is we say, “Okay, who’s gonna do what?” But for you, you’re just like, “What order am I gonna do the tasks.” Right? Shane Sams: But back up a little bit. Before we decided that was the thing we were doing in November, we had four other things that we could do that would do different things. Like making YouTube videos, making podcasts, doing all these things. We always give them little … We draw little icons behind them. We say, “This one would make money immediately. What’s the fastest one to make the most money? This one would keep current customers happy. This one would be promotion. This one would be a process that we could delegate. This one might be something that we have to do on a repeated basis.” The things that do money always win. Shane Sams: When you tell me, “Well should I make more blog posts?” My first question is, does it make you more money? Maybe in the long-term. But you already got blog posts that you can promote. Why not just promote them and send that to your list? Now it’s making money and it’s promotion. You’re ready to go. That’s how you have to look at things. What makes me the most money this quarter. Period. Do that. If everyone just makes that decision, your long-term plans will automatically stack up and work in your favor because you’re making money as you go. Jocelyn Sams: And be decisive. Usually the reason that people bounce around from course to course or community to community is because they’re not really decisive on what they want. Truth be told, they don’t really believe in themselves to do whatever it is that they’ve set out to do, so they think, “Oh, well, if I just take this ads course, this is gonna solve all my problems.” No. You already have everything that you need to be successful. Stop hiding behind courses and do the work. Jennifer B.: I have like 10. Shane Sams: This was $1,000 too by the way. This was not a cheap course. Jocelyn Sams: Nothing against this particular program or this particular person. I don’t know anything about them. But I’m like, “No.” This person has probably taken 100 courses. They have implemented some things, but I’m like, “You already have all the knowledge, all the information that you need. It’s right there. You don’t need another course. Stop hiding behind courses.” Anyway, that’s what I’m trying to say is that you already have everything you need. If you are not taking action, you need to do a little bit of internal work. What is stopping you? What is making you think you can’t do it? There’s something inside that’s making you want to take another path or basically just delay the inevitable. Stop delaying it. Get the work done. Shane Sams: This worked. This worked. Why would I not just do it over and over. And I get the feeling that you’re like me. Sometimes we get bored with the, with what’s working. Shane Sams: But just do it. Just keep doing that. Keep shooting free throws and keep scoring points. Because that’s all you gotta do to win. Jocelyn Sams: Sometimes it’s easier to look for an alternate path than to stay on the path that you’re already one. Jocelyn Sams: And it also requires some work. There’s some brush in the path. You’re gonna have to clear that off. There’s some things that you’re gonna have to do. But if I just find another path, it might be better. Jennifer B.: I think you guys both hit it. I think sometimes my fear of the getting judged thing and not selling I’m like, “Oh, I’ll buy a course to do that. To learn how to do that more.” And then Shane, like you just said, I think sometimes I get bored to. I’m like, “Ooh, this course looks good. I’ll do this.” And I have 10 courses that I haven’t taken yet. Shane Sams: Oh, without question. I buy books all the time and I’ll read a chapter and I’ll get really excited. But then I get bored. I don’t even do what the chapter told me to do. Jocelyn Sams: We seriously probably have over 100 books on our bookshelf. We’ve probably read about half. Shane Sams: The shelf is ending in the middle. Right? And I’m not saying that’s not valuable. We get things out of them. But it’s … I bought this book the other day about YouTube. And I know our YouTube strategy. We have a plan for next year. It’s repurpose it. We have over 1,000 videos of questions we’ve answered over the last few years on online business and we want to roll those out onto YouTube individually. We have a live strategy to answer questions from the community. One a day or one every other day. And then put that question as an answer. We’ll take that answer, give it to the person who asked the question, who’s a member, but then we’ll just do it on YouTube, so it’s more content. Shane Sams: I know this strategy. I know it’ll work. The numbers don’t lie. I’m looking at the stats and I’m like, “Okay, well, we’ll have 1,000 videos by the end of next year. If all those videos are getting 10 views a day, we’re getting 10,000 views a day.” It’s not hard. And then we just pitch something at the end. That’s what we have to do. But I bought this book about YouTube ’cause I’m looking for the magic. When really, the magic is roll up your sleeves and do it and a year from now amazing things will happen. Jocelyn Sams: Imperfect action always beats no action. Shane Sams: That’s right. That’s right. Shane Sams: And the book was so bad. I’m not gonna name names. But this book was, “Start your channel. Create a playlist.” There was nothing. It was supposed to be the best book ever. The reviews. All these experts were on the front saying it was the most important YouTube book that had ever been written. And it was literally like, “Start your YouTube channel.” That’s what the whole book was about. We’re always looking for the magic pill, but the magic pill is us. The magic pill is work. Just gotta do it and grind. I’m gonna help you create a lot of Facebook ads between now and the end of the year. Jennifer B.: I know. The things that you’ve been giving me since I joined your private coaching, I’m like, “This is scaring me.” But it’s all good. Shane Sams: But it’s all worked, right? Shane Sams: It’s all worked so far. Jennifer B.: 100 members in a month. Jocelyn Sams: All right, Jennifer. I’ve really enjoyed our conversation today about just the different fears, mindset issues and trying to move forward in your business. What is one thing that you plan to take action on in the next day or so based on what we’ve talked about here today? Jennifer B.: I am going to do the working backwards thing where I’m gonna figure out how I can get another 120 members by December 31st. The specific tasks that go into that. I know it’s ads, but I gotta figure out my strategy for it. Shane Sams: The most important question in any ad strategy is where you’re sending people. That’s something that me and you can hash out in the private mastermind. What are we going to promote? We’re not gonna promote 40 different things. We’re gonna figure out a good strategy and stick to it and just promote it over time to beat those members out of the bushes. Okay? Shane Sams: All right. What an awesome call, Jennifer. Man, that was just some amazing stuff and you have an amazing goal that’s gonna take you forward. Before we go, Jocelyn and I love to share a bible verse with all of our listeners. We get a lot of our inspiration in business and in life from the Bible and we’re super excited today because Jennifer has a verse that she would like to share with everybody listening to the podcast. Jennifer B.: All right. The one I like is the Proverbs 21:5. It is the plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Shane Sams: Ooh. That is deep. Jocelyn Sams: I love it. I think that it really echos what we’ve talked about here today. There is no magic wand, there is no magic pill. If you are going to live the life that we live, you’ve gotta do the work. Shane Sams: That’s such a clear example for all business owners. The plans of the diligent. That means you plan it and then you do the work. Right? But then the plans of the hasty, they’re just trying to look for the magic pill and they fail. What an awesome verse. Listen, thank you for sharing that verse today and thank you just for being so transparent. Coming on the show and sharing what you’re doing and all the members and really being open and honest with your fears. That’s gonna resonate with somebody today. That’s gonna help somebody else move forward in their business. That’s what we’re all about. Throwing that pebble in the pond and letting that ripple out. Thank you Jennifer for sharing your story today. Jennifer B.: Well, thank you guys for having me. This has been amazing. I have some work to do. Jocelyn Sams: All right guys. If you need help building your online business, getting those members just like Jennifer did, we would love to have you inside our Flip Your Life community. The first 30 days are totally free and you can learn more at flippedlifestyle.com/free. We hope to see you inside the community real soon. Shane Sams: All right guys, that is all the time that we have today. Thank you so much for tuning in to the Flipped Lifestyle podcast. We will see you next time. Between now and then, get out there and do whatever it takes to flip your life. We’ll see you then.

2019-04-24T09:00:38Z

https://flippedlifestyle.com/podcast260/

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Witnesses: Nathan Bostock, Head of Restructuring & Risk, RBS, Eric Daniels, Former Group Chief Executive, Lloyds Banking Group, Stephen Hester, Chief Executive, RBS, and Tim Tookey, Group Finance Director, Lloyds Banking Group, gave evidence. Chair: -y ou hope, be for e a parliamentary select committee . I am going to start with a very general question. The Bank of England made this estimate of the cost of the subsidy to the UK taxpayer, so theoretical underpinning costs, and they came to £100 billion, across the banking system, as the 2009 cost to the taxpayer. From your point of view, as two leaders of two banks, what value for money has the taxpayer got for that £100 billion underpinning and some direct investment? Q106 Chair: So you do not accept the Bank of England figure? Stephen Hester: No, I do not accept the Bank of England figures. I am not an economist and I am obviously not an econometrician, but research that we have seen, which I think will be published in the coming weeks, and I will provide you with a copy if and when it is, comes up with dramatically smaller figures. Stephen Hester: I have seen figures that are less than a 10th of that amount. But my point is not that one figure or another is accurate. I would accept that there has been an implicit subsidy. One can debate the size of it; I believe it is much smaller. Q108 Stephen Barclay: Have you published those figures that suggest it is less than a 10th? Chair: They are publishing on Friday. Stephen Hester: I have seen work in progress, but as soon as there is something that is finished we can certainly make it available. But the second point that I would make is that all of these figures are backward looking, however you would calculate it, and clearly one of the most important things that is under way is the reform of the banking system, such that it no longer has any implicit subsidy from taxpayers in any country, whether here or otherwise, and if one forward-projects the dramatic increases in capital for banks in liquidity and the other reforms like living wills and resolution, I believe that we will get to the place that we should be at, where there is no longer an implicit public subsidy, and we are certainly very supportive of that being the case. Q109 Chair: The job of this Committee is to follow the taxpayer pound and to assure the public that we have had value for money for the investment of that taxpayer pound. The figure that we have been working with is £100 billion-let’s not quarrel about the figure-but whatever it is, £10 billion is still, were that correct, a fantastically substantial amount. What value has the taxpayer had out of both the implicit and explicit investment that we have made since the financial crisis? Stephen Hester: Again, I think that there are many different ways to attack that issue. Of course there are series of direct and ongoing receipts that the taxpayer has had through fees paid to the Bank of England and to the Treasury for explicit liquidity support: fees paid on the Asset Protection Scheme, and so on. Hopefully there will be handsome returns from ownership of the shares of RBS and Lloyds, but that is obviously to be seen in the future. Over and above that you then move into broader societal issues about whether the functioning of the financial markets has a benefit to all of society or not, and I think it does. I want to be very clear: my point is not that you can do a mathematical calculation and say, "All is fine." My point is the contrary: all is not fine, such that reform is needed, such that these implicit subsidies disappear, however you might argue about the numbers. Eric Daniels: On the methodology that I understand was behind the £100 billion number, I would somewhat agree with Nick Macpherson who said it depends on the day that you do it. Q110 Chair: It is a 2009 figure. For 2008, the Bank of England said it was a £10 billion implicit and explicit subsidy, total subsidy. But 2009, it was £100 billion. So they looked at calendar years. Eric Daniels: The way in which they approached it was to look at the difference between the standalone rating and the cost associated with funds as a standalone institution versus the support rating. They took that differential and used that as the basis for the calculation. What I would say is that no bank today, or during 2009, was able to raise money at the support rating. The actual cost of funds to the bank was at the standalone rating. I think the idea that using that differential to calculate the socalled subsidy is simply not correct. I challenge the assertion. Q111 Chair: Accepting the challenge, nevertheless we all accept that there is a substantial investment by the taxpayer in supporting the banking system during the banking crisis. Did the taxpayer get value? Eric Daniels: I think I can only repeat what Stephen said, that the explicit support that was given-whether it was liquidity support in the form of CGS or SLS-was, in fact, at very attractive rates for the taxpayer. The investment in the equity of the banks, as Stephen said, remains to be seen, but I think we all believe that the taxpayer will get a very handsome return for that investment. Q112 Stephen Barclay: Just sticking with the Bank of England research, that also commented that the dominant influence in the lack of lending to companies was the reduction in the supply of credits by the banks. Do you accept that finding? Stephen Hester: That would not be the data that we have. I think that the data that is pretty consistent all around the world is that post-recessions, what happens-in the generality, of course; there are individual cases that are different-is that people try to get their borrowing under control. Savings rates go up, deleveraging happens, borrowing goes down, and so in every industrialised country around the world you saw an increase in savings rate, a paying back of borrowing as people desire to be more conservative, and I think that is by far the dominant effect on the lending. Q113 Stephen Barclay: Absolutely, the Bank of England cited a number of factors, but within those various factors they said the dominant one was the one I cited. Given that they have access to a wider data set than you do, and they can request your data, and they can request data from the regulator, why do you think, in your opinion, the Bank of England got it wrong? Stephen Hester: I do not think my position here is to per se criticise the Bank of England, and indeed I do not have in front of me line by line, if you like, the report that you are citing, with all its context, but all I can say to you is I believe that the dominant influence-not the only influence, but the dominant influence-in the reduction of lending has been people’s desire to borrow less in the context of an uncertain economic outlook. Q114 Ian Swales: On this topic, Mr Hester, you talked about the implicit subsidy, based on the Chair’s first question, and you seem to be suggesting in one of your remarks that you would see, in effect, that disappearing. Now, as I understand it, one of the main factors behind that is the Government standing behind deposits in the banks, and in effect standing behind international operations as well as UK operations. When you say you see that disappearing in the future, by what mechanism do you think that is going to happen? Stephen Hester: The mechanisms, if you like, that are under way-well advanced, in fact-can possibly be divided into two categories. The first is banks holding huge amounts more capital and liquidity reserves, quite properly-obviously I am not here to defend the past, since I have only been in post two years-and that means that the likelihood of banks needing external support once those reforms have been fully worked through, the Basel III process, dramatically falls. Then secondly, there is a huge change in what happens in the less likely circumstance that a bank nevertheless fails in the future. What the last crisis unveiled, and I have spoken about this a number of times in advocating reform, is that it was quite hard to pass on losses, pass the shareholder to creditors, which is normally what would happen in any other company, and the state found itself jumping into the middle. There are a whole series of parts of reform around things called CoCos and things called bailins-sorry to use technical terms-resolution mechanisms, changes in legislation, living wills. There are a series of things in this category that the world’s regulators are advancing, designing and changing, such that in a future crisis not only would a bank be less likely to go under because they had more strength to start with, but there then would then be a smoother recourse to creditors, as opposed to Governments, and not the need for Government intervention. So the combination of those, plus banks managing themselves, learning from the crisis, getting out of risk position, should get us to the position where Government support of the capital variety, is not needed. There will always be a role for central Bank liquidity support, but there should not be a role for capital support, and that is why I have always advocated that these reforms take place. I think we are going in absolutely the right direction, and as they bite that will be the result. Q115 Ian Swales: On a specific, then: retail depositors. Do you see the Government’s scheme to support retail depositors disappearing in this new world that you are describing? Stephen Hester: Obviously retail depositors, or the retail deposit insurance, is funded by the banks through levies. That is true here, it is true in the United States, but I cannot speak for every country. So although the Government can offer an overdraft, in the end it is the banks that pay for that scheme. My guess is that scheme will stay; you could argue for its enhancement, but it has already been enhanced. You can clearly have a debate about its size, but quite properly it is paid for by the banks. Q116 Chair: I want to get you back to this value to the taxpayer. I want to get you back to the value. You believe you have value in the sense that you are paying for the money that we, the taxpayer, are lending you. One of the aspects of the deal, and it would be good if you could both answer this, was that we wanted to keep lending going, both mortgage lending and business lending, and both of you abysmally failed in 2009. RBS was £22 billion short on the business lending and Lloyds £8 billion short, on the figures that we have in front of us. 2010 looks a bit better, but only because we have changed the goalposts, so instead of looking at net lending we are looking at gross lending. I would have hoped one of the ways we could measure value for money for the taxpayer would have been your role in securing growth in the economy, particularly through the SME sector. Why did you fail, and in that context how do you expect us to say you have given value for money? Eric Daniels: I think I would characterise our performances somewhat differently. I am very happy with the performance of Lloyds. We extended over £30 billion of new mortgage lending during the past year. We have helped over 50,000 first-time buyers. We have lent approximately £44 billion, I believe, to corporations and small businesses-£11 billion specifically to small businesses. We in fact exceeded our commitments to Government during this past year. Q117 Chair: Only because the goalposts have changed. I am sorry to interrupt you on that, but when the targets were first set they were net targets-that was 2009-and you both failed abysmally in 2009, which was a key year for growth. In 2010 you are doing better, I accept that, but only because we have changed, and presumably in your negotiations with the Treasury, you are now on gross targets, which I do not think are a terribly helpful measure, but I accept that they are the measure that has been set. Eric Daniels: I think that I would give you two responses. In the first place, we increased our net lending to businesses during the year, so this is not something where it is simply chicanery. Q118 Chair: What is your net lending to business in 2010? I have it down as a negative. Eric Daniels: I believe it is positive. I do not have the number to hand. Q119 Chair: What is it? Does Mr Tookey know? Tim Tookey: It was positive overall. Q120 Chair: What? A billion or something? I think our advice from our officials was it was still a negative. Q121 Chair: Can officials help? Tim Tookey: -for SMEs for year two. Q122 Stephen Barclay: Just whilst they are helping, can I just clarify that gross lending to a company can go up, whilst the actual money the company gets , the net lending , goes down? In other words, if I have a first loan with you worth £1 million, and that is under an existing loan agreement and I pay that back, because of the fee structure in terms of that loan, and I take a second loan from you worth £1.5 million, probably with higher fees, charged with more security, you would present that as gross lending of £1.5 million, but the actual money that I as a company would have from you would be £500,000. Do you accept that going to gross lending, which is the target for 2010/11, can give quite a misleading position as to the amount of the bank’s money that has been placed with a company? Eric Daniels: No, I do not believe it is misleading at all. I think it is a very accurate representation of the banks’ willingness to lend. The distortion that the net lending figure causes is, as Stephen pointed out earlier, in a recovery period, when you often see demand for lending go down a great deal, and so you see a lot of repayments. Companies want to get their balance sheets in order. What we see are two factors: one is lots of repayments among midsized companies, and among big companies not only repayments but also going to the capital markets directly. So increasing gross lending in that kind of environment I think speaks very well to the banks’ willingness to lend. Q123 Stephen Barclay: Did you not make those points to the Treasury when they set the target? Eric Daniels: There were lengthy discussions with the Treasury when we set the targets. Q124 Stephen Barclay: So some of those criteria would have been factored into the original target that was set? Q125 Stephen Barclay: So you signed up to them with very little thought having been put into them? Eric Daniels: No-if you will let me finish please. This was after a very complex negotiation on GAPs. At the 11th hour we were asked to commit to lending targets, which we did, but we also caveated those, because we were not given enough time to negotiate thoroughly. We basically agreed that it would be subject to demand-the demand had to be there-it was subject to liquidity, subject to having capital, and subject to creditworthiness. Those were the four conditions, and that was the agreement that we struck. It was not a lengthy negotiation: again, there was no time. Q126 Stephen Barclay: I t strikes me that there are relative priorities: on the one hand, the Government are saying they want you to lend more. On the other hand, every financial services party is saying they want you build your capital base up . The Bank of England is saying they want you to repay them more quickly, and your own remuneration is saying , "L et ’ s get the share price up, because that is what the bonuses will be paid on. " W hat is unclear to me is how you assess those relative priorities , or is it your argument that you can do all four at the same time? Eric Daniels: Is there a question there? Q127 Stephen Barclay: There are four different priorities there. One of those, which we are just looking at, is the lending priorities, which you have missed on the commercial lending. I am trying to understand how you prioritise the lending priorities vis-à-vis what strikes me as different priorities that have been set-your own internal remuneration priority for staff, compared with some of the Government’s other objectives and the regulatory objectives, which are pushing in other directions. How do you prioritise those different issues, or are you saying that it is your expectation you will deliver all four at the same time? Eric Daniels: I think you need look no further than last year. Last year Lloyds repaid some £60 billion of Government funding, first, increased its gross and net lending, increased its share price, working for the shareholder, and what was your fourth? Q129 Chair: Can I get an answer on that lending issue, because my note now tells me Lloyds did have a positive-apologies for that-but RBS had a negative on the net. Stephen Hester: Let me take up your points. I think the first point is that we should be very clear that since I have taken the helm two years ago RBS has done everything it can and continues to do to support its customers in the UK, and is, as a consequence of those efforts, not only lending very large amounts of money but substantially in excess of our national market shares, as was shown on the Merlin figures that were published last month. But if I could shed some light on an important apparent misunderstanding, the lending commitments were legally binding commitments, and if we had failed under them we would, could and should have been sued by the Treasury. My understanding is that the Treasury concluded there were not grounds to do that; i.e. there was no breach of them. I am not surprised that there was no breach of them, because I was heavily involved in the discussions at the time, when I had just arrived, with the last Government, which was obviously concerned to ensure that the recession was not exacerbated by a lack of confidence in financing markets. Stephen Hester: I am trying to explain, so I hope it will be helpful to you. The key concern of the Treasury and Ministers at the time was that there would be a disappearance of foreign lenders in the UK market and an artificial credit crunch as a result of the disappearance of people who were previously lending a lot of money, and that artificial withdrawal of funds would make the recession worse. That was the concern. What the intervention with Lloyds and RBS was designed to do was to give reassurance that, if the foreign banks all disappeared and if credit demand continued at a very high level, there would be adequate capacity from the domestic banks to make it. The way that the targets-at least I can speak for RBS-were calculated was on a back of the envelope assessment, on short notice, by the Government and Treasury, of the kind of figures that foreign lenders represented, what the gap in the market might be if demand did not go down and foreign lenders disappeared, and therefore what increment might be required. Therefore, we said that we would lend up to this amount if there was a demand on creditworthy terms. Now, in fact what actually happened was two things: number one, demand, as it did in every other country and as it does in every other recession, in fact fell-it did not stay at the high levels; and secondly, foreign lenders did not leave the market in anything like the quantum that was feared. Those were good things, and as a result the lending commitment was met, but was met without the full amount being required, either by borrowers or through the complete flight of foreign lenders, so that is in fact what happened. Chair: Nick wants to come in. We are going to have a vote in two minutes. Do you want to do it before the vote or after? Q131 Nick Smith: Very quickly: in both of your introductory remarks, Mr Daniels and Mr Hester, you talked about a handsome return for the taxpayers owning RBS and Lloyds’ shares. What is your latest estimate on what that handsome return will be? Q132 Nick Smith: I am sorry, I cannot hear you. Can you speak up? Eric Daniels: I do not believe anyone can call the stock market in what will happen in the future. I think all the signs are very good: Lloyds share price increased quite dramatically last year as we returned the bank to profitability. I would hope that, as we continue to enhance profitability, the share price will continue to rise. Q133 Chair: So you agree with John Varley that there is nothing-it sounds to me as we draw this bit to a close-for you to apologise for? Eric Daniels: I beg your pardon? Q134 Chair: You agree with John Varley, Barclays, that there is nothing to apologise for? It sounds to me, out of all this, that you are feeling fairly confident; you feel there is nothing to apologise for. Eric Daniels: I am not sure I can draw the connective tissue from one statement to the other, but if you ask me in general, are we remorseful, or is there a cause for concern in what happened during the banking crisis, I would say absolutely yes. We had clearly a lot of shareholders who were dependent upon our dividends. We clearly have not paid a dividend, and that is disappointing. Q135 Chair: Taxpayer? We are here representing the taxpayer. Eric Daniels: Again, as I stated earlier, I believe for the liquidity support that was granted, the CGS and the SLS, the banks paid at or above commercial rates, so the taxpayer did very well. In terms of the GAPs, which I understood was the primary subject of discussion today, in the case of Lloyds, we never formally entered into the programme, yet we paid £2.5 billion to the taxpayer to get out of the agreement, so I think the taxpayer did very well indeed on that. As for the shareholding, I think I answered that question. I believe that as our share price continues to go up, and the bank continues to become increasingly profitable, the taxpayer will do very well indeed. Q136 Nick Smith: Mr Hester, can you answer my question please, as we seem to be going through the middle of the banker’s fight back here: have you got an estimate on what the taxpayer’s "handsome return"-your phrase-will be? Stephen Hester: Obviously we have put out details of the fees we pay, but in terms of our future share price I am afraid I am actually legally not allowed to forecast it, nor is it prudent for me to do so, so I am afraid I cannot give you a share price for the future. Of course then it is not in our hands, not just what happens to the stock market, but whether, how, when and in what manner the Treasury, through UKFI, decides to dispose of the shares, so I cannot. Q137 Stella Creasy: Mr Daniels, can we come back to what the taxpayer can expect? When you do expect Lloyds to be paying corporation tax? Eric Daniels: That would be a profit forecast, which I certainly cannot give you. What I would say is that Lloyds is well on its way to absorbing the accumulated losses, and nothing would please me more than having Lloyds pay corporation taxes. Q138 Stella Creasy: So when do you expect to be profitable? Eric Daniels: We are in fact profitable. Q139 Stella Creasy: And yet you are able to defer that liability for corporation tax. Chair: We are going to go do a vote, and then we will come back and pick it up. I am really sorry that it gets interrupted in this way: it always provides a difficult session. But we will get into it when we come back. Q140 Chair: A pologies for that . We had a couple of votes, which is very disruptive, but that is how the cookie crumbles. I just want to get back to this issue of value to the taxpayer, which is our remit, which is why we are focusing on it. You have both really justified that you believe there has been proper value to taxpayer s from the fees paid in the schemes in which you have participated. I hope you have had a chance to look at the Report that formed the basis for our inquiry. Have you had that? I am assuming that that has been distributed to you. We have taken evidence on that from Treasury officials: Tom Scholar, who presumably you have dealt with a lot. In his evidence and in the Report, if you have a copy of it, both the Report and his evidence state that the fees were well below commercial prices to get the stability and confidence back into the market. Quite proper good objectives, but nevertheless below commercial charges. Let me just see what he said; this was in evidence to us: "If you look at what subsequently happened to the commercial price of providing a similar guarantee, yes it is true, as the Report says, that the commercial price remained higher for longer than people were expecting." So the price that the Government was charging was lower. If you accept that, and I see that Eric Daniels is frowning, but if you accept that, how do you still come forward and say that you think that there is proper value to the taxpayer-that we have been properly rewarded out of the Credit Guarantee Scheme, for example? Eric Daniels: If I may, Lloyds never entered into GAPs: we simply paid to leave the agreement that we had made in March, so I think the taxpayer got a very good deal. Q141 Chair: And what about you? You are well into it. Stephen Hester: Of course. Forgive me, because at different points, I thought we might have been talking about value to the taxpayer from different things: obviously the Bank of England numbers, the price at which shares were subscribed, or the Credit Guarantee Scheme, but as I understand you now, you are talking very specifically about the Asset Protection Scheme. Q142 Chair: I am now focusing on that. Stephen Hester: Got you. With respect to the Asset Protection Scheme fees, I think truthfully there was no-and indeed is no-private-sector equivalent insurance policy that was viable at the time that would allow you to say that the fee was high or low against something that was demonstrable. So by definition it is a matter of opinion. Clearly the board of RBS recommended entry into the scheme, and as a matter of legal duty could not have done so if it felt that the scheme in the round, in all of its terms, was wrong for its shareholders-82% of whom are of course, in the circular process, the Government-and so in that sense we did not feel that the fees were inappropriate. But what I would say is that the Asset Protection Scheme, we believed at the time we entered it, and we said so publicly, was unlikely to cost the taxpayer anything. The taxpayer, we thought, would make a profit. At every stage of reforecast, that continues to be our view. I believe it is also the view of those concerned in the Government, and that is entirely appropriate; it was an insurance policy and I think the taxpayer should make a profit out of it. I have no complaints about that, but it continues to be the case, and as I say I think the taxpayer will make a profit out of that scheme, but I cannot tell you that there was a definite market price which the fees were higher than or lower than; there was not. So it was one entered into by both parties at the time. Q143 Chair: And the Credit Guarantee Scheme, where, if I just read from the Report-I will try not to read the lot-"the fees charged to banks under the Credit Guarantee Scheme to guarantee new wholesale debts were designed to be on a commercial basis, but not so large as to prevent banks from using it, but sufficient to provide a reasonable return … However, we estimate the benefit"-I am skipping a bit, so apologies for that-"is substantially more than £1 billion." Stephen Hester: If you mean the benefit to the taxpayer, I do not know, but I know the taxpayer has made a big profit on it. Q144 Chair: I think it was to the banks. That is the benefit to the banks. Q145 Chair: It provided you with cheaper money. Stephen Hester: -was calculated in order to represent market prices. But it is also true that that guarantee was not otherwise available from someone else, and so one can have a debate about whether the market prices were theoretical or not. Q146 Chair: But it allowed you access to wholesale funding at a cheaper rate. Or probably wholesale funding full stop , and then wholesale funding at a cheaper rate. Stephen Hester: No, the cost of the wholesale funding plus the guarantee cost was calculated such that it was equivalent to the notional cost that you would have otherwise borrowed without that guarantee. However-and as a consequence the taxpayer has made a profit-what I am saying is that we are dealing in notional cost, and in fact that borrowing would not have been available in those amounts, and therefore it is impossible to know the counterfactual of what you would have borrowed at actually as opposed to theoretically. Q147 Stella Creasy: So you disagree with the Treasury, who acknowledge this subsidy and are reviewing the fees? Stephen Hester: -I do not know whether I am disagreeing with the Treasury or not. Q148 Stella Creasy: The Treasury recognise that they have subsidised you to the tune of a billion pounds. Stephen Hester: I am saying to you that the Treasury has made a profit, and the value of the guarantee was set in a way that was designed to be market priced. However, there was a degree of theory as opposed to practice to that because it was impossible to test, and indeed it is entirely probable, within the market conditions of the time, the theoretical prices would not have pertained, and so that is what I am saying to you. Q149 Stella Creasy: So there was a subsidy, then, essentially of a billion pounds? You would accept that it was not value for money for the taxpayers? Stephen Hester: Did the taxpayer make a profit? Yes. Was it calculated in a theoretically accurate way? Yes. Q150 Stella Creasy: Did you get a good deal? Stephen Hester: I think that the banks needed that support. The banking system needed that support. Stephen Hester: I think just because one side thinks it was the right thing to do does not mean to say it was the wrong thing for the other side. It could be right for both sides, and I would submit to you in this circumstance it has been right for both sides. Q152 Stella Creasy: So you think it is right for us to subsidise the banks to the tune of a billion pounds in the Credit Guarantee Scheme. Stephen Hester: I do not recognise that figure; what I am saying to you is I think it is right that the taxpayer has made a substantial profit out of this scheme, because the taxpayer was giving something valuable to the banks. Theoretically that was priced on an arm’s length basis. Whether in reality, and by what amount, it was not, I do not know. Q153 Chair: I have to say that I think you have to take a very narrow view of profit, because the wider impact of the banking crisis can hardly have been a profit. Can I move back to lending, because that was where we were? I just wanted to clear up that point. You both feel that you are lending well now. I have some quarrel with the way the target has been devised. Also, I did not want to intervene too much on you, Mr Hester, but I do have some quarrel to say you did not meet the target set in 2009. Okay, nobody took action against you, but you did not meet it. Recently we have had the Engineering Employers’ Federation report, which I assume you have seen and we have too, which accepts that cash is beginning to flow, but what they have said is that about a third of their companies are finding that the costs of borrowing have increased substantially, particularly-and this is the interesting thing-in the last couple of months. The impact will be more on SMEs than it will be on others, the larger FTSE companies, who can raise it through bonds and equities. Again, going back to our remit, the taxpayer’s interest, the deal is taxpayer puts money in, and what we hope to get out is better lending to businesses, and particularly the SME sector. What is your comment on the Engineering Employers’ Federation finding? Eric Daniels: I do not really have much to comment on; I disagree with it. The cost of borrowing for SMEs has not been this low for many years, and what we are seeing is, in fact, some increase off very low levels, which reflects the higher cost of funding for the banks. As we all know, the markets, over the past year, whether it was last May, last September or more recently in February, got quite jittery when the possibility of contagion from Greece, Spain or Portugal and so on was looming. So the cost of funding for the banks has gone up, and that is reflected in some part-not across the board, but in some part-in new lines and facilities for our customers. Q154 Chair: Do you want to add anything? Stephen Hester: The average cost of SME loans that RBS made last year was 3.5%, and, as Eric says, that of course, by historic standards, is extremely low. What is true is that relative to base rate there have been some changes, but if I can draw an analogy perhaps apposite to the moment, it is a bit like petrol prices going up, and the reason petrol prices have gone up is because the cost of buying oil, out of which petrol is made, has gone up. Exactly the same thing has gone on for banks: the costs relative to base rate for banks to get money has gone up, and so consequently that is passed on, even though the absolute rates are historically low. Mrs McGuire: O n this s ubject, I would quite like to just do a very quick follow up on what has just been said. Chris Heaton-Harris: Mine is as well. Q155 Chris Heaton-Harris: It might even be the same thing. First of all, thank you for coming, because it is not often a group of politicians meets someone less popular than themselves, so it is really kind of you to give us that sort of charitable feel. It is really a question to you, Mr Hester. I imagine most of us around this table have had constituents and companies write to us, small businesses especially, who are having problems securing loans, and in 2009 Peter Ibbetson, who is your Small Business Chairman, said that 93% of SMEs are currently able to roll over overdrafts at RBS at the same or lower rate. I was wondering, if he measured it then, what is that measure now? Stephen Hester: I do not have the precise percentage. I do not think it has changed a lot, but I am very happy to write to you afterwards to confirm that. But our overdraft price promise, which I think is the primary component of what was put in, remains in place. Chris Heaton-Harris: I am happy to pass over to Anne. Q156 Mrs McGuire: I would just like to question the 3.5% average. Obviously Mr Daniels did not give us a figure for Lloyds’ average lending to small companies. Frankly, 3.5% lending to small businesses does not chime with what we are hearing out there, and I am wondering whether or not there are other costs that need to be taken into account when small and medium enterprises are trying to access finance. I do not have permission to reveal some of the details here, but certainly the small businesses in my area did not give the impression-and it has been verified with your bank by me, through questioning the bank-that 3.5% was anything like what they had been asked to pay. Are there fees, or have the fees gone up? Have the securities that have been asked for gone up? Stephen Hester: Clearly the figure I gave you was an average, so there will be some above and some below. You are correct to say that for some kinds of borrowing, in addition to that there can be fees associated with taking out the loan, or whatever it might be. Q157 Mrs McGuire: Have those fees increased? Stephen Hester: And those fees, probably on average, have increased. Q158 Mrs McGuire: Once, twice? 50%, 100%? Stephen Hester: I think I can say with great certainty that, even when you take account of fees, the average cost of borrowing for SMEs is amongst the lowest it has been in decades. However, it is higher relative to base rate than it was, for the reasons that I have sketched out. Another way to think about it is, if you like, are the banks profiteering? In other words, are the banks taking, somehow, an inappropriate margin out of the middle between their cost of borrowing and the others? What I can say, again, is we publish our figures every three months on this, and if we take our Corporate Lending division, our UK division that lends to businesses of all sizes, the return on equity of that division has obviously been loss making through the recession and very low, and so is not a good advertisement for our shareholders, but has now got back to below our target, but roughly to 12%, which we think is roughly our cost of capital. So you can see no evidence either on the bottom line of profiteering, or indeed on the average for businesses. But it is certainly the case that, in the same way that petrol prices have gone up, bank input prices have gone up, and that gets passed on through different means. It has to be. Q159 Mrs McGuire: So if I say to you that a farmer in my constituency came to me who had previously had an arrangement fee to sustain his overdraft, or to maintain his overdraft, increased from £500, I think, if my memory serves me correctly, to almost £5,000, that would not be considered profiteering? I have to say to you, one of the arguments that is constantly put to Members of Parliament is that as a taxpayer I own 83% of this bank, and people feel that those dramatic increases in arrangement fees are perhaps hiding the true costs of borrowing. Stephen Hester: As I said, I think our numbers are very transparent, and you could look at them every three months, we publish them as to what our profits are, and what that is in each of our business lines, so you can see the aggregate. Of course, that does not tell you the answer for any particular borrower, but you can see what the average is. And again, using my petrol price analogy, petrol prices have gone up fast and a lot, but that was because oil prices went up fast and a lot, and exactly the same has happened with the cost of borrowing for banks, which in turn is, if you like, our goods that we sell to customers in the form of lending. Q160 Mrs McGuire: But they have not gone up 10 times. An arrangement fee from £500 to £5,000 sounds to me like a tenfold increase. Q161 Chair: Mr Daniels, do you want to add to that at all on this exchange? Eric Daniels: That is a very complete answer. Q162 Mr Bacon: We have heard different Members from different parts of the country. In my own constituency, which is in East Anglia, in Norfolk, I met with the Federation of Small Business on Monday morning, and the predominant theme that I was told about-it was really for them to talk to me, rather than me give them a speech-was the difficulty in accessing bank lending. Austin Mitchell: The same here. Mr Bacon: When I was first elected in 2001 that was not the case. I did not get business people banging on my door about that, nor in 2002, nor in 2003, and so on until the banks between them crashed the whole world in 2007/08. Obviously there have been huge problems since then-we are all trying to get out of the mess, you are all trying to get out of the mess. I do appreciate that you are being told to do things that are contradictory. I think Mr Barclay alluded to this earlier: you are being told to lend more; you are also being told to conserve your capital-your natural instinct, I suppose, is to protect your capital if you are not sure about the quality or the value of your assets-and you are also being told to strengthen your capital and improve your balances sheets, and it is very difficult to do all of these things simultaneously. In fact, some of them are obviously completely contradictory. But nonetheless it is the case that you are saying that there is a lot of lending happening, and we are all getting the message from different parts of the country that it is very difficult for business owners to access the loans that they need. I had one example of an individual who set up a business three or four years ago. He found it easier to access money then, when he was setting it up, than he does now when it is successful, cash generative, and he wants to invest in equipment because it will help him to get leading edge, blue-chip customers and help him to grow and possibly take on more staff. Why is there this disconnect between these two world views? Mr Daniels, do you want to start perhaps? Eric Daniels: I think that we have a couple of things to look at. One is: what is the real demand for credit? I know there are a lot of anecdotal stories, and if there is a particular member of your constituency that has an issue with Lloyds, I would very much appreciate it if you would write to, in this case, Mr Tookey, but we would be very anxious to hear about that in Lloyds. But I think if you look at the evidence it says that the actual overdraft usage or line utilisation usage-so in other words, we extend the line of credit and you can draw it down any time you wish to-is actually falling. So this is already preagreed, there is a preagreed price for it, the facility is there, but customers are not drawing down; they are drawing down less than they did before. So that says something about demand. The other thing that I would tell you is that, if we look at the market in 2006/07, which you alluded, to when your constituent was starting up, we had an awful lot of flaky lending in the marketplace. You need look no further than Ireland or Iceland or some of the continental banks that were very much in the SME market in the UK. They were in the mortgage market. It was a lending freeforall. So covenants came down, conditions were almost nonexistent, pricing was ridiculously low: that is not an appropriate way to bank. What was happening was we were seeing an awful lot of competitors-especially not the main competitors-changing conditions and changing the market, and an awful lot of people who probably were not really terribly creditworthy, and if we had been sensible as a society we probably would not have allowed them to get into debt. It was not good for them, it was not good for the economy and it certainly was not good for the banks. But that was the frenzy that we were in. Today we have hopefully all learned lessons. We have returned to some much more traditional practices and rules around prudence. Q163 Joseph Johnson: A question to Mr Hester and Mr Daniels please. You have both, to a greater or a lesser degree, got the dead hand of the state gripping the entrails of your respective organisations. Mr Hester, you have been quite explicit in recent weeks in identifying a certain amount of talent flight from your organisation. I would be interested to know to what extent you feel that is due to the large Government shareholding in your organisation. Stephen Hester: This is in some ways a difficult position, because I think we need to be crystal clear that RBS would not be here today were it not for support from the state, and so while some consequences go with that, I think it would be entirely unbalanced to not start with that recognition and say, if there are some consequences, the outcome is worth the consequences. So that would be my first answer. The second point I think is that all businesses, whether or not they are owned or partly owned by Government or by the state, I think have a duty, and it is good business practice, to try to be sensitive to the environment in which they operate, the communities that they serve, and there are sometimes tradeoffs in doing that, and I would like to think that a number of those issues would be true of us whether or not we had compromises, if you like, and whether or not we had state ownership. But in a sense there is a time for everything, and I think what I would say to you is that the time, I believe, is fast approaching when the benefit to both the state and RBS of the state privatising increases. Clearly the state can use the money in terms of budget deficit, and in terms of the symbolism of economic recovery that a privatisation would represent. In the case of RBS, there is the worry that RBS is somehow subject to different, more conflicting and more complex requirements than all of its competitors. So I think the right answer to this is not to, in a sense, bemoan the past-far from it, we have to be grateful for the past-but more to say the right way going forward, the winwin, is to advance privatisation when that is possible. Q164 Joseph Johnson: Can I put the same question to Mr Daniels, please? Eric Daniels: I do not believe that we have lost significant numbers of people. We have a natural attrition in Lloyds of somewhere around 10% of our people per year. We are not seeing anything really remarkably different from that. Q165 Joseph Johnson: Great . T he follow up question to both of you is what top rate of personal income tax do you think is consistent with London maintaining and perhaps enhancing its position as one of the world’s important financial centres? Austin Mitchell: It is an optional question. Eric Daniels: I would not begin to know how to answer that question. Q166 Joseph Johnson: You do not have a view? Eric Daniels: I could not begin to answer it. Q167 Joseph Johnson: In what sense? Eric Daniels: I have never studied it; I do not have a basis to offer an opinion. I think it is a complex subject, and if I were to give you an answer, it would superficial at best. Q168 Mr Bacon: How much truth do you think there is in the point-made by a parliamentary colleague of mine who used to be a swaps trader for many years-that a lot of this bonus culture is nonsense in the sense that lots of people would not leave London because they like London too much. London has too much to offer compared with virtually everywhere else. If you are out in Geneva at eight o’clock in the evening it is dead; there is nothing to do. Whereas in London there is plenty to do, everything to do, and it is one of the world’s greatest cities, and that in itself has a centripetal force that is probably more important than bonuses, and the talk that somehow you have to keep up the bonuses at the right level, otherwise everyone will suddenly up sticks and get on a plane, is overstated. Eric Daniels: Is there a question? Q169 Mr Bacon: Yes, the question is do you think it is correct that that is overstated? Eric Daniels: I think that that may not be the right measure. I might ask, "How does change happen?" It rarely happens with the bank: it happens over time and it happens on the margin. What we do know is that a particular bank hired more people in Singapore last year than they did in the UK. If you look at the rise of the Dubai financial centre, again, you are seeing more and more jobs going over there. It is not the middleaged derivatives trader who has two kids in school and so on: it is the young, up-and-coming 25-, 28-year-old who is looking to build a career, and they see that their prospects are brighter elsewhere. Q170 Mr Bacon: So you m ight not see it other than almost imperceptibly, but if you look back on it several decades later, you might suddenly realise there had been a very big change. Q171 Jackie Doyle-Price: I am just reflecting on what you particularly said, Mr Daniels, about the fact that risk had been in the price for many years in the run-up to the banking crisis, and that is what got us into this mess, and looking also at the targets and the caveats you have placed on it in respect of demand and creditworthiness. Where that takes me is, I am reassured from a taxpayer value-for-money point of view that the taxpayer is not just going to be standing in there supporting poor credit risks. But in that sense, to what extent are those targets having any meaning at all? For you, are they targets, are they aspirations, and how confident are you that you will meet those lending targets for businesses particularly? Eric Daniels: I am absolutely confident I will not since I am no longer in the chair. Q172 Jackie Doyle-Price: As a sector then, how confident, looking at it-can I then conclude that they are meaningless? Eric Daniels: I think that question might be better asked of Mr Hester, who has something to do with it. Stephen Hester: I think that the job of maximising support for customers in the UK is one that, in any event, the banks should be doing the most on because that is their business, and I believe the banks certainly-it is true of RBS-are doing even more than perhaps in any event they would be in response to the obvious needs of society, one manifestation of which is the political dialogue and the lending commitments that are associated with that. We can see that as an example in the context of RBS’s market share, but I see that every day in our internal workings. What, however, is unfortunately the case for those who would like a neater world is that no one can tell you today what amount of borrowing UK business can usefully use in the coming year, and we do not have a centrally planned economy, and even if we did I do not think you could answer that question. It is of course the case that an element of what is being done is to build confidence. I think this is a crucially missing bit of the dialogue: crucial to economic growth-and the UK is in trouble if we do not get economic growth-is confidence. There are lots of bits of confidence: a piece that the banks can help with is the confidence that if people have a good proposition, a bankable proposition, that money is there and people are trying to help them now. Banks have many flaws, there are many individual cases where I am sure they can do better, but I do think that we take it very seriously that it is our job to first give people confidence and second to back that up with substance where it is bankable. What we cannot do is, in a centrally planned way say, "That will definitely be amount of money x or y, and here you can have it regardless of whether you have the right proposition or not." But this issue of confidence should not be ignored, and I do think that one of the important changes in recent months is that people have realised that looking backwards all the time and recriminating all the time and, if you like, looking on the negative side of life, is not going to help us grow. It is very important to learn from the mistakes and put them right, but in the end what we need to be doing is looking forward, trying to get growth and wealth creation, and the banks have an important role to play in the business confidence to start with, and then in the provision of support when the right propositions come along behind that, and that is what we need to do. We are doing it imperfectly; we need to try to continually perfect that. Q173 Jackie Doyle-Price: And the continued presence of the taxpayer in the banking system is enabling you to do that, let’s be frank. One of the things you said is that you are doing more than perhaps you wanted to. What we have seen is-and you have both made this point in different ways-that many businesses have been reducing their credit exposure and turning to other sources of finance. To what extent is the taxpayer being asked to prop up the riskier side of lending? Stephen Hester: Although you could not often tell it from public debate on the subject, I do not believe, when you sweep aside the debating points, that Government is actually asking the banks to go back and do some more reckless lending. I do believe that most people think that the banks should try to lend responsibly and support their customers in that way. In that sense I think the banks are trying to both lend responsibly-as Eric has pointed out, in some instances that means differently than in the past-whilst at the same time trying within that envelope to support their customers. Certainly when I think of the people on the ground in RBS, and again I am sure there are many individual cases where we get it wrong so I am not in any way trying to say that we are perfect, they know that they have to try and find a way to support the customer. We do not always succeed. 85% of the time, if a small business asks us for a loan, we say yes. Sometimes with us that small business has to jump through more hoops than it might have done in the past: more covenants, more financial disclosure. Because the business may be weaker, it may be suffering with the recession; standards may have changed. One way or another we are trying to keep the same flow of money going as we did before, at least in terms of your likelihood of getting a loan. Q174 Jackie Doyle-Price: Are you pricing that risk effectively or is the taxpayer supporting that? Stephen Hester: Of course hindsight is a wonderful thing; the banks thought they were before and they were wrong. Right now the banks are trying to price risk effectively. Whether that is indeed what we will have done will take some years to find out, when you look in the rear-view mirror and find out what actually did happen to the economy and so on and so forth. That is certainly the intent. Q175 Chair: Mervyn King said rather worryingly in the interview he gave recently in the Telegraph, which I assume you also saw, "The search for yield goes on. Imbalances are beginning to grow again." You paint this rather rosy picture, but the Governor of the Bank of England appears not to agree. Stephen Hester: I do not know whether this was what he was meaning, because I was not present when he made the remark-I am always nervous about interpreting from newspaper articles-but I think the point is very important to understand, and I think we do all understand: what happened to the world was as a result of a series of unsustainable economic imbalances, many of which are still out there. The banking system had a big part in that but not a sole part in that. It is incumbent upon the whole world to keep working away at economic imbalances, whether it is, in the UK, our fiscal imbalance, our balance of payments imbalance, the imbalance of household saving versus borrowing, the imbalance that was in banks’ balance sheets. There are a whole series of these things which still have not been corrected and will probably take a lot of years to correct. That is why it is so important that all of us work together to do so. Q176 Chair: Take his comment at face value, which is the only way we can do it; it was in quotation marks so I assume that he did say it. "The search for yield goes on. Imbalances are beginning to grow again". You would challenge that, would you? Stephen Hester: I am not going to comment on remarks that I only read about in the newspaper. I think it is wrong to do that. All I can say to you is: the problem of imbalances in the world has not been fixed. To some extent the first steps of the cure made worse imbalances, because the first steps of the cure in some countries were to increase budget deficits and other kinds of imbalance which then subsequently need to be worked down. Q177 Chair: I do not think he is talking about Government budget deficits, he is talking about banks. If you do not want to answer it, say you do not want to answer it. Stephen Hester: I am doing my best to answer it. Q178 Chair: It is pretty clear to me. Mr Daniels, do you want to comment on that? Eric Daniels: I have nothing further to add. Chair: What does that mean? Do you think he was right? He is wrong? Q179 Stella Creasy: Let’s turn to something else he also mentioned in the article, which is a very big debate that is happening here in Parliament and something that I think all of us look at when we look at the value for money of the decisions that were made over the last couple of years to invest in the banks. We have not solved the "too big to fail" problem. In fact, let me quote from Mervyn King directly. He said, "We've not yet solved the ‘too big to fail’ or, as I prefer to call it, the ‘too important to fail’ problem. The concept of being too important to fail should have no place in a market economy". If your banks were to collapse, the Government would have to step in to protect your customers. As we have all talked about, many of our constituents are customers of yours and to prevent there being a contagion to other banks is something that we dealt with the first time. Implicitly you are still guaranteed by the taxpayer. What needs to be done to end the "too big to fail" culture? Is it to break you up into smaller banks? If not that, what else can be done? Eric Daniels: Think about what has happened over the past couple of years in terms of the much stiffer capital requirements; Core Tier 1 did not exist as a concept in 2008, and today all banks run with very high levels of shareholder capital, much higher than there has ever been in the past. In the case of Lloyds, we now carry 10% of Core Tier 1 and 15% overall capital. Those levels were unheard of a few short years ago. In addition to that there has been an enormous amount of work done on liquidity regimes. We all know that banks do not go bankrupt because of capital but rather because of access to liquidity. Again, an enormous amount has been done. The amount of liquidity that any bank holds today is many multiples of what they carried in the past. I think those are two important changes that should not be overlooked. In addition to that, I think there has been a tremendous amount of re-examination of the system of regulation, of understanding some of the risks that probably were not well understood before. That gives a better safeguard to society in terms of managing those risks. The final thing that I would point out is "too big to fail" is perhaps a misnomer, or perhaps does not aid understanding. What is probably more difficult is when a bank is enormously interconnected and complex. That is what makes a resolution regime very difficult. In the case of Lloyds, for example, we are a very straightforward business. The Bank of England has basically told us that they believe we are in fact straightforward; it is easy for us to be resolved, if you will. I do not think it is a bigness issue, it is a complexity issue. Q180 Stella Creasy: Just so I am clear Mr Daniels, you dispute the analysis of Mervyn King. Can I also check, then, whether you think there should be any concerns to us as taxpayers about the size of market share that Lloyds now has as a result of the changes over the last couple of years, that, in terms of competition for consumers, the dominance that you play within the mortgage and savings industry is not a problem? You do not see that there is a problem for us as consumers, that you are too big for the British market now. Eric Daniels: No. I think this is a very, very highly competitive market. It is a good deal less concentrated than many other markets, for example, Canada, Australia, and France. In fact it is less concentrated. I think that every study that I have seen has said that UK consumers get very, very good outcomes in terms of pricing. What really matters is not the size or concentration, it is the contestability. What you see in the UK is a lot of discounting. You see a lot of free offers, a lot of interest free periods and so on. That is because it is such a fiercely competitive market. A zero balance transfer on a credit card is a relatively common thing because the banks fight each other for market share. That leads to very good, top quartile consumer outcomes. I do not believe that the size of Lloyds or any other UK bank impedes competition. Indeed, the OFT is charged with looking and examining whether they think the consumers are getting a worse outcome because of the size or structure of the industry. Q181 Stella Creasy: So the Governor of the Bank of England is wrong and a 30% market share is not a problem. Mr Hester, what is your view about what the Governor of the Bank of England said? Stephen Hester: Again, I am not going to be tempted by your invitation into a slanging match with anyone as distinguished as the Governor of the Bank of England. Q182 Stella Creasy: I am not tempting you to a slanging match at all; I am asking your opinion. Are the British banks too big to fail? Stephen Hester: What I would say to you is as follows. Of course, coming in to RBS as I did at its point of near failure, it was of intense professional interest to me as to what caused failure; what to do about it; using RBS as a specific example, how to make banks safe again, in addition to what parallels there were in the rest of the banking industry. It was something I have spent a great deal of time on and thought on. RBS is, I hope, an exemplar of the things we needed to put right. I believe that I have been very clear that very substantial reform was needed in the banking system. What I have also been clear about, though, is my belief that size and shape are complete red herrings in this debate. When you look at the banks that were weakened and failed, or nearly failed, there is no pattern of size and there is no pattern of shape. In fact, the majority by far were small and simple: Bradford & Bingley, Dunfermline Building Society, Northern Rock. Think of, today, banks that are relatively weak: the Spanish Caixa and so on. Regardless of size and shape, it has been my view that the banking industry needed very substantial reform that would apply whether you are big or small, simple or complicated. As I said earlier on, but just simply to reprise it for you, the two components of that were to make each bank safer with more capital and more liquidity-Eric has spoken about that-then to put in place mechanisms that, even if despite that extra safety there was failure, you did not go to the Government for capital support, but you went through Co-Cos, bailouts, your own creditors in a resolution regime. I believe that when the current banking reform process has been completed and the international Basel Committee, on which the UK is well represented, is mid-stream, that we will indeed have achieved those goals and made banking safer for society as we should have done. That would be true whether you are a big bank or a small bank, a simple one or a complicated one. Q183 Stephen Barclay: Firstly can I say, I agree with Mr Hester’s comment that it is important that we learn from the mistakes and look forward. Could I just pick upon something that a senior executive at Lehman Brothers said to the Fed, or was quoted as saying. He said, "We do not know what the value of our derivatives liabilities are, and frankly neither do you". Just starting with Mr Daniels, what has changed in the way you managed your derivatives liabilities? Was it right to present those in terms of a net position and is that still the case in your approach; I am talking about how you manage your counterparty risk? Eric Daniels: I am not quite sure I grasped the question. You are asking "Have we changed the way in which we manage derivatives?" Q184 Stephen Barclay: What I am asking is: you as a senior executive have to understand what is on your balance sheets, the assets, what we as taxpayers have invested in and the risk that is posed to them. A lot of companies, in term of their derivatives trading, were presenting that in terms of net-you understand these issues very well-for example, in terms of the position between your trades with Barclays. There is a counterparty risk if Barclays goes down and there is a difficulty in terms of how that is quantified, how that is then studied. PRIN 3 and PRIN 4 and SYSC have certain requirements in terms of how you manage your liabilities there. What I am saying is there are clearly faults in the way it was happening two or three years ago. What has changed in your approach? Eric Daniels: I think one of the things that I should clarify before answering is that Lloyds is a commercial and a retail bank. While we will use derivatives, for example, in investment banking products, we use them only really for flow. In other words, if a manufacturer in the Midlands wants to hedge their interest rate-in other words they have a floating rate loan, and they want to lock in the rate of interest-we will sell them a derivative. Once we sell to them we have an open position. We lay that off within an investment bank. So for a very short period, what we will do is in fact have a derivatives exposure. But really the use of derivatives for us is mostly flow to serve customers. We do not use it as a trading position, a proprietary position. Do we in fact have some exposure to it? Yes, of course we do. What we do is we manage our limits very carefully, as we always have. Q185 Stephen Barclay: If you had been here three years ago you would have said you manage your limits. That was not my question. My question was, have you changed your approach? Do you still present that from a net position, or have you changed your approach in term of counterparty risk? Eric Daniels: Tim, I don’t know whether you have anything to add. Tim Tookey: We report this information gross. As Eric said, we manage it very tightly and we know what our positions are and how they are valued on a daily basis. On top of that we very carefully analyse the counterparty risk that you are referring to on the asset side of all exposures, whether that is the company in the Midlands that Eric was using in his example, or indeed the third party to whom the risk would have been laid off. Q186 Stephen Barclay: Perhaps you can help. I am a generalist; I am not an expert as you are in these matters. I just had a scan this morning of your preliminary report from a couple of weeks ago, and on page 125 it says, "The Group reduces exposure to credit risk by using master netting agreements … These do not meet the criteria under IAS 32", whatever that is. What that suggested to me was that you are presenting these in a way that does not meet international accounting standards. As I say I am not an expert, but why are you not presenting them in a way that meets international standards? Are you presenting them in the same way you would have done three years ago? Tim Tookey: I am very happy to confirm that we do present all of our financial information in accordance with international financial reporting standards. That is the basis upon which our accounts have been done since IFRS were introduced in 2005. Our auditors report publically on the basis of preparation of the accounts, and that is indeed what they have given us. Stephen Barclay: Sure, you go through the various legal checks before one signs those off. Tim Tookey: It is more than that. It is actually a certificate from the external auditors who obviously owe a duty of care to shareholders to ensure that we do indeed comply with international accounting standards. Q187 Stephen Barclay: You bring me very nicely onto the auditors; I was going to come on Mr Hester’s auditors in a moment, but it is timely. After 10 months of intensive work by the Treasury, the Accounting Officer of the Treasury had to seek a letter of direction because-it was before your time I accept-they were unable to confirm the validity of what your firm was saying in terms of the assets of the company. What does that say about the quality of the external audit work that was done? Stephen Hester: I think that the first thing I would say is that there were lots of things RBS did not do well. Our job is to improve on those things. One of the things that it did not do that well was to have perfect books and records, computer systems and so on and so forth. There are countless amounts of millions of pounds and man hours and management effort going in to improve that alongside the many other things that we are trying to improve. That would be the first point that I would make to you. The second point that I would make to you, in relation to the specifics that you are referring to-to which my first point also refers-is that the Asset Protection Scheme I think covered something like 3.5 million individual loans in RBS. No bank in the world, RBS or any other, ever had designed its systems to aggregate information in the particular way that was called upon by the Asset Protection Scheme and the different safeguards that a Government agency was used to getting. If I can give you a parallel, it would be a little bit like someone suddenly coming along the top of the UK Government saying, "We want to get every patient record from the NHS, every record from Work and Pensions and bring them together". Therefore there were imperfections in the systems but, simply, systems were not designed to gather information in that particular way. I believe that even though I think RBS needed to improve and has been improving, not for this reason but in general, it remains substantively the case that there have been no instances that threaten the taxpayer as it relates to APS. There is no prospect that the taxpayer is going to be on the hook for anything under this category or otherwise in APS, as we do not expect to claim. So I think as it relates to materiality, the Treasury were quite right to sign off and nothing has come out since that suggested that that was a misjudgment. Q188 Stephen Barclay: That is a different issue you are moving onto. First of all, Mr Tookey’s whole argument a moment ago was this was looked at by the external auditors. What that case demonstrates is a serious failure by the external auditor in all of this. Stephen Hester: Do you want me to finish or not? Q189 Stephen Barclay: You are suggesting it was perhaps the unreasonable request of the Treasury asking for information in a particular form that was different. Look at what Tom Scholar said when he gave evidence: "Given what we discovered about the quality of risk management and the poor systems and controls within the business, we were concerned that there might be other problems that had not come to light." He was not suggesting we were asking for information in a particularly unique format. The point is there was a regulatory duty under SYSC for you to manage your controls. You had external auditors who also were under a duty. Yet after 10 months of intensive work by the Treasury they could not rely on it. What I am trying to drive at in my question to Mr Daniels in terms of how they present their information on derivatives is, what has actually changed? What has changed in the way these are being done and in the way that these risks are being presented? Mrs McGuire: For example, do you still have 21 different IT systems, which was one of the issues raised by the Treasury? Stephen Hester: We still have lots of different IT systems. It will take many years for us to reduce them, and the work is ongoing to do so. If I may, I am not saying that RBS’s systems were up to scratch; I said to the contrary. What I am saying, though, is that the shortcomings that were pointed out were not of a magnitude to have led to losses to the taxpayer. Since I have come into RBS I have tried to understand whether there were things hidden in cupboards that were unknown that represented big risks and loss. Perhaps sadly, what I can say to you is that from the inside of RBS, what I discovered was really just a Technicolor version of what one could have seen from the outside. Indeed, though there were many of them, the specific shortcomings in the systems area have not led to material losses for either the taxpayer or our shareholders. The material losses, and they have been huge, came from big things, big misjudgments, big areas of concentration that were on display. Coming to your point on derivatives, I think the management of derivatives has substantially changed and continues to change across the industry but certainly in RBS. By the way, the overwhelming majority of losses that RBS will have suffered across the cycle-and it is true of other banks-comes from bog standard lending, not from derivatives. Derivatives was a tiny fraction of where the losses arose. Q190 Stephen Barclay: The report suggests a £1 million deterioration in three months on junk bonds. Stephen Hester: Junk bonds are not derivatives; they are loans, they are bonds. There has been a huge amount of work on derivatives to improve the ability, which was a problem in Lehman, to offset liabilities in a legal way if you like, netting agreements. There is a huge amount of ongoing reform to clear derivatives and trade them across exchanges and through central counterparty clearing. Then there has been a huge amount of work done by all banks, certainly by RBS, to refine valuation to make more conservative reserving and to improve the risk management overall. I can certainly say to you that there has been a great deal of work. It is ongoing. It is certainly true of RBS, and it is true of the industry as it relates to management of derivatives. Q191 Austin Mitchell: I want to move on to bonuses, which are effectively part paid by the taxpayer. I see that RBS paid out £28 million in bonuses to nine executives. We are told that this was done after exhaustive consultation with our shareholders, one of which is me. How was I consulted? How was the public consulted? How was the Government consulted on this? Stephen Hester: There are two forms in which that took place. Every year the remuneration policy and the remuneration decisions are up for vote and all the shareholders can vote as they chose on the remuneration report. Secondly, the objectives that are set both in the remuneration report and the objectives that are set for me have been reviewed each year by UKFI on your behalf. Thirdly, prior to the payment of bonuses at RBS, the Chairwoman of our remuneration committee conducted an extensive shareholder consultation, including UKFI and our major institutional shareholders, with a big fat presentation pack going through all the aspects of bonus policy and taking into account that feedback. That is the format in which the consultation has taken place. I think it is more extensive than was the case before. Q192. Austin Mitchell: It was given effectively by UK Financial Investments. Stephen Hester: I cannot speak for them as to what processes they go through to decide their vote, but obviously they are the holder of the shares in RBS and Lloyds. I think they undertake that task with great thoroughness. Q193. Austin Mitchell: Just in passing, I see from Private Eye, which is an infallible source on banking matters, that the head of UK Financial Investments is Mr Robin Budenberg who was a great giver of bonuses at UBS. He had his bonuses at UBS channelled through Jersey so he did not pay tax. Did you do that? Q194. Austin Mitchell: But the bank has lots of subsidiaries in tax havens like Jersey. Q195. Austin Mitchell: The taxpayer now owns lots of banks in tax havens doesn’t it? Stephen Hester: I think the population of the Isle of Man, where we happen to be one of the larger banks, would feel a little bit resentful if you were characterising them as all there because it is a tax haven. There are real economies in places that have got low tax rates, as well as high tax rates. Q196. Austin Mitchell: So these are just for tax avoidance purposes then. Stephen Hester: Do people live in the Isle of Man for tax avoidance purposes? You must draw your own opinion. Q197. Austin Mitchell: Profits made in this country, channelled through the Isle of Man , are done for tax avoidance purposes. Stephen Hester: As I was saying, I do not believe that RBS has been the subject of particular criticism as it relates to its aggressiveness on taxation. If you can show me contrary evidence, obviously I would be very pleased to look at it. We have signed up to the tax code and I think our affairs are completely in order. Q198. Austin Mitchell: Let me ask you about your bonus of £7.7 million, which is well beyond the dreams of your average PPE graduate when he leaves Oxford. Is it that you had produced some outstanding enormous profit for the bank or was it just that you are a greedy banker? What have you done for the £7.7 million? Stephen Hester: I think this is a subject that is perhaps inappropriate for me to go on about for long, because I do not set my own pay. That is set by my Board of Directors and in turn voted on by shareholders, including UKFI. As you well know it is at the low end of comparable jobs in the UK and globally, albeit at the high end of society if you want to put it in those terms. One can have a philosophical discussion about pay differential. Q199. Austin Mitchell: The taxpayers wants to know why we are paying, we are contributing, to giving you £7.7 million. Stephen Hester: Your job as a politician is to have that philosophical discussion. What I am charged with doing is to try to run a large bank, on which many customers depend, in which the taxpayer has a great deal of financial exposure, to the best of my own and my colleagues’ abilities. It is in the hands of others how they want to pay me for that. It is in my hands whether I want to do the job for that. I think by the standards of each profession, which is in the end how these things are measured, the governance process is gone through in a very thorough way. As I say, I am not going for a second to engage you in the philosophical discussion about pay levels in society. Fortunately that is not what I am charged with doing. I have to protect your investment. Q200. Stella Creasy: You do not have to accept bonuses though do you? Stephen Hester: No, you do not have to accept your salary either. Q201. Stella Creasy: A bonus is a different thing. Mr Daniels, have you accepted your bonus? Eric Daniels: No I did not. Q202. Austin Mitchell: That is a feeble comeback: that we do not have to accept our salary. £7.7 million is huge and the taxpayer is contributing to it, effectively. Stephen Hester: No one is forced to employ me. Q203. Austin Mitchell: Do you see these bonuses as an incentive to take risks at different levels in the banking industry? The bigger the risk you take, the bigger the bonus you collect. Stephen Hester: I think that it is extremely important that the incentives that go in any industry, but in this case in the bank industry, have been reformed. There has been very comprehensive reform. In fact, RBS has been amongst the leaders in doing that both in terms of alignment of incentives and their measurement, and the ability to claw them back if the incentives retrospectively are seen to go wrong. The UK today has, in those regards, the toughest regime in the world. I think RBS is at the forefront of that process. I do believe the issue of risk and misalignment of incentive has been very comprehensively addressed. What is clear is that there are parts of the banking industry which remain highly paid, and of course it is clear that that is a matter of controversy depending on where you look. Fortunately, that is not what I am charged with. What I am charged with is trying to run this bank as well as I can by the standards of its environment. Chair: I am going to stop that conversation because it can go on. I think others will have probably said it to you Mr Hester and to you Mr Daniels, but it is just very difficult in the situation. We come in, again defending the taxpayer. Our interest is not as the Treasury Select Committee. We are just here saying: did we get value for money from the money that was put in? I think, in the same way as we as MPs have had to understand the impact out there of some abuses of the allowance system by some Members of Parliament, you have to understand that the people are suffering from a credit crunch, which they feel you in large part caused; to then see large bonuses is a bridge too far. I think a sensitivity to that in whether or not you accept your bonuses is all we ask for; especially when we are in a position where the taxpayer continues at this point to prop you up, hopefully not for too long, but we do. I think it would just be nice to get a feel from some of the people that have benefitted from the bonus system that they understand that and respond to it, in the same way that we have had to respond as MPs to criticism of us. I think it is a very simple issue. Q204. Ian Swales: I would think it is very likely we will be voting down our own £1,000 pay rise on Monday as MPs. I do not know what people are doing around the table, but that is the discussion we will be having on Monday. My real question is, hopefully you have given us a lot of comfort in a way that things are secure and we are never going back to the days of two years ago. If we did, I think there is an element of saying: to what extent the UK taxpayer stood behind international operations of banks, to what extent that was justifiable and whether that should happen in the future. One of our colleagues who is not here was talking about breaking up the banks geographically which I think is clearly not the type of thing we should be asking industry to do. But the UK taxpayer, explicitly or implicitly, aids the banks, stands behind risk, possibly less so now and hopefully even less in the future. Should we get into that situation again, to what extent should the UK taxpayer be backing a huge international bank? Stephen Hester: I think that firstly, hopefully the UK taxpayer will make a profit not a loss from its support; in the event, it looks like that is going to happen. Secondly, I think one of the very positive things that came out of the negative of the world financial crisis is that the world did not turn in on itself and that protectionism in all its forms did not take over. The world realised that the future still lies in a small world where we trade with each other and where we exchange all sorts of goods, services, cultures and so on. That is particularly true in Britain because we are one of the world’s most open economies with the most to lose, of any economy, from a world that turned on itself, became completely nationalistic and pulled up the drawbridges. I would say to you, in my own view, with financial services, which is a huge part of the UK economy anyway, as with the whole of the UK economy, that it behoves us to encourage a global system in which all of us play a role. I think that was what happened in the aftermath of the financial crisis on all levels and it was the right thing to do. Q205. Ian Swales: If we had got it wrong and one of these large banks had actually crashed and burnt somehow after the taxpayer had stood behind it or rescued it-UK taxpayer money went in the direction of the Icelandic banks in effect for UK depositors. I know we have got corporate bails and so on, about foreign subsidiaries and we know some of the severe losses of some of your competitors over the Atlantic. I understand your point about global competition and the importance of financial services to the UK. But as the Chair keeps saying, we are here for the taxpayer. To what extent should their money be used for activities that take place overseas? Stephen Hester: The taxpayer should not. The whole point of the reform of the banking system is to make sure the taxpayer here, or in any other country, does not. I am a fierce advocate of the reforms that are in process, not complete, to do that. To my mind, the right answer is to ensure that the global financial system is reformed such that this is not an issue. The wrong answer is for countries to draw up their own drawbridges and isolate themselves from the world, whether in financial services or any other form of global trade. Q206. Ian Swales: That is one test we should be applying to the new banking world, that is the sort of area we have just been talking about then. Q207. Chris Heaton-Harris: In a way I look at you and I see a bit of John Galt from Atlas Shrugged, except John Galt was never really supported by the taxpayer. Can you see the point in time when RBS is a huge success again in the future? Is it within grasp even though it may take a number of years? Secondly, and just going back to a previous question, you said that there was a risk of misalignment of incentive within the system. Do you think it is right that the shareholder dividends were cut by up to 90% but staff payouts have been barely changed? Stephen Hester: Clearly we are putting in every effort that we can to make RBS a success again. We have set out a plan which we believe will do that. Two years into what I thought was roughly a five year process we are on or ahead of that plan by its different matrices. I believe that so far we have reason to be encouraged. That success needs to be measured in simple terms across three dimensions. As I see it, we have three simple roles although there is a great deal of complexity beneath them. Part of it is to make the bank safe for all constituencies; part of it is to continue to serve our 40 million customers; and part of it is to get some of the shareholder value back which of course is substantially about taxpayer value. Across those three matrices I think that we have made good progress in two years, but we have a few more years of hard work to go before we can say that the job is done, if you can ever say that the job is done. Nevertheless, I think so far so good is the right way to answer that question. Q208. Chris Heaton-Harris: What about the shareholder dividends cut by 90% but staff payments remaining roughly the same? Stephen Hester: We are not allowed to pay a dividend, even if we wanted to, by the European Union. That is a choice that is currently outside our control. Obviously we will review it once that has been lifted in the context of whether it is prudent to do so or not. Q209. Nick Smith: You mentioned Project Merlin and your commitments there. Mr Hester, you have already talked about committing to HMRC’s new code of practice on taxation, not just complying with the letter but also the spirit of the law. Are you confident that all your highly paid directors are not getting paid overseas to avoid paying their tax to us? Stephen Hester: I believe that to be the case, yes. Q210. Nick Smith: Is that the same for Lloyds? Q211. Stephen Barclay: Just on remuneration, again I think we are asking you to face both ways. We want you to retain your talent, we want you to return the company to profit and get the share price up so that we get our money back at the same time as we are asking you not to pay staff too much. There is an obvious inherent tension there. Can I just ask quickly, in terms of derivatives, does either bank sell derivatives to retail customers? Eric Daniels: Not that I know of. Stephen Hester: Not in a direct sense, although in an indirect sense I could give you an example. Q212. Stephen Barclay: Perhaps you could write a note on it to clarify. Stephen Hester: 25% of all farmers in the UK take out derivative products to hedge their farm payments in foreign exchange terms against Europe. A number of people take out investment products where returns are linked to the stock market, but have a protection if the stock market goes down. Q213. Stephen Barclay: I was thinking of things like complex interest rate swaps, and whether retail customers understand interest rate swaps if you are selling those to retail customers. Stephen Hester: I am happy to write to you about the answer that I have given. Q214. Mrs McGuire: Over the last two years there has been a great deal of public and private anguish in relation to the banks both at a personal level and at a corporate level. The taxpayer has invested an enormous amount of money. Dare I say it, some politicians have invested a great deal of their own credibility in looking to how we can support the banks through this. Yet when I look at the wider market, I still see share prices for both Lloyds and RBS at a level way below what one would expect for banks that are appearing to be successful. Why has the market not responded in a more generous way to some of the efforts that you have made over the last two years and some of the massive investment, and indeed insurance policy, that the British taxpayer has given you? Stephen Hester: I will have a little crack with RBS. I am afraid it is a glass half full/glass half empty answer. When we announced the situation that we faced after the financial crisis in January 2009, or in the middle of the financial crisis, our share price went to 9 pence per share. After the end of the first year, i.e. at the end of 2009, in round numbers it had gone to 30 pence, so it had tripled. At the end of this last year it had gone to about 40 pence, so it had gone up about another third. On the one hand I think the stock market has indeed measured progress back from the brink. On the other hand it is true that there are many issues still ahead of us. Going back to the answer that I gave earlier, RBS still has more risks in places than it should have. We are still an unfinished work of progress, and so I think the stock market is recognising that-which is specifically about RBS-as well as generally worrying about things that impact all banks like things happening in the Middle East, the eurozone, the path of the economy and the uncertainties over regulation. There is a combination of industrywide things that are a restraint on share prices and RBS specific things, which is why, while we have made very good progress from a starting point, we are still very much a work in progress. Q215. Mrs McGuire: Do you have a comment about Lloyds’ position given again the taxpayers’ investment? Eric Daniels: I thought that was a very complete answer. Q216. Chair: One final question Mr Daniels. You retired a couple of weeks back and I would just be interested in any observations that you have got, from that position, to leave with us from your experience of living through the banking crisis that would benefit the taxpayer over time. This is the final thing. Eric Daniels: I think so much has been written I am not sure I could really add to the body of knowledge. I think it was Stephen that said before that we saw huge global imbalances, whether it was in the US where we saw a huge increase in money supply, whether it was the lowering of credit standards and covenants in virtually every country. I think that the world wanted to see continued growth and we were willing to take more risk, consciously or unconsciously, to continue that growth. What happens of course is when you have those kind of imbalances you create asset bubbles. Throughout history you see asset bubbles, and when the bubbles burst it is very painful indeed. Hopefully we will learn from that. We will have seen much different capital levels, much different liquidity levels with the Basel reforms. I think what is also terribly important is that we recognise that if we continue to run the macroeconomic imbalances we will inevitably have bubbles and we will inevitably have another crisis. It may not be a banking crisis. We saw property prices boom in the US in the early 1990s and then we saw the LBO, leveraged buyout, crises and so on. Booms can manifest themselves across a variety of assets; the dotcom boom would be another example. What we have to do is be very careful in terms of our macroeconomic policy, and we have to address the issues with very specific changes in regulations, which I think is well under way. I do not think I can add too terribly much further than that. I am very hopeful that as a society we can have a very thorough debate about the role that banks play, we can have a very thorough examination of the causes for the banking crisis. Then at some point I think we need to move on and try and advance the economy, and try and advance society. I think that we do need to examine carefully what has happened over the past years, but at some point we should turn our attention to growing again and making this a more prosperous country. Q217. Austin Mitchell: Do you regret that you were bullied into taking over the Halifax and the extra strain that that imposed on the bank? Eric Daniels: I understand there is a wide range of opinion about it. I have always been steadfast in maintaining that I think this will be a very good deal for our shareholders. There has undoubtedly been short-term pain, but I believe if we look at the results of the past year, if we look at how quickly our impairments are coming down, and how quickly the Lloyds Banking Group has returned to health, this will be a very good deal for shareholders. Chair: Thank you very much indeed. Thank you to both of you, and I am sorry that we kept you waiting in the middle with our voting. Thank you.

2019-04-24T18:36:05Z

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmpubacc/c785-ii/c78501.htm

.,... More Than 20,000 Cast Ballots During c en w ..... Earlv Voting Period BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor The first of an n-day Early Voting period began on Monday, July 30th, in Hills borough County. During that period, which ended on Sat urday, August nth, 20,197 registered voters cast at the designated Early Voting sites. The Jimmie B. Keel U brary drew the largest num ber of voters and the lowest turnout took place at the North Tampa Public Ubrary. The votes totaled at each location are as follows: Fred B. Karl County Center, 795; Robert L. Gilder Elections Service Center, 1,091; Bloomingdale Library, 2,641; and C. Blythe C Andrews Library, 1,129. fE Other libraries where votes were cast include Jan Platt Library, 2,315; Jimmie B. Keel Library, 2,781; and New Tampa Library, 1,039; North c z c( c en w ..... it w > w Tampa Library, 565; Bruton Memorial Library, in Plant City, 1,435; Riverview Branch.Library,894;and SouthShore Library, 1,453 Registered voters also cast ballots at Temple Ter race Library, 1,503; Town N' Country Library, 974; Upper Tampa Bay Library, 944; and West Tampa Library, 638 The largest number of people cast ballots, 2,708 votes, took place on August nth, the last day of voting. The lowest number of votes cast took place on the first day of Early Voting with 1,256 ballots case on July 30th. Registered v oters who did not participate during the Early Voting period can cast ballots during the Primary Election on Tuesday, August 14th when the winner of some o f the local elections are expected to be deter mined. c w :::1: en :::i m Q. z tu ..J ..J m ..J w z FREE Professional Service The Florida Law States That You May Be Entitled To $1 0,000 For Loss Wages And Medical Care ... (PIP lllMIICe Needed) !z Service w Support and Help from the : beginning to the end. Spinal Injuries o Neck Pain Back Pain it Hip Pain Leg Pain Transportation Available Auto Repair Body Shop Specializing In: Car Accidents Pedestrian Incidents Motorcycle &,...;;tf6n+c! Truck Accidents Slip and Falls Bicycle Bus And More ... "Don't be victimized twice for an accident that wasn't your fault" Call Michelle B. Patty Local: 813-495-3702 Toll Free 1-866-352-4200 Go To You Tube and punch The Patty Shuffle CJ Avalable 24 Hours A /7 Days A Week ....... .. Hearing Set For Dual Election law svstem Last year, Elections laws for the majority of Florida residents changed. However, resi dents in the 5 counties covered by the Voting Rights Act are challenging the state's dual election systems. Last year, Republican Governor Rick Scott signed a law that changed voting rules. Two sections of the 20n law being chal lenged: the number of days allowed for Early Voting; and the section that requires that will force voters who change out of the county ad. dresses on Election Day to cast provisional ballots. Democratic State Senator Arthenia Local Joyner, theACLU and the National Council ofla Raza challenged the new law stating that the state violated rule-making requirements b y telling Supervisors of Elections in 62 coun ties to follow the new law. The other five counties, including Hillsborough County, are covered under the Voting Rights Act and must have approval from the Justice Department. Under the Voting Rights Act, the Depart ment of Justice has approved 77 other areas of the new law. Administrative Law Judge Thomas Crapps will hear the argument and issue a ruling on August 24th. Three Students Chosen As THA ScholarshiP Recipients ... Tampa Bay Technical High School Graduate BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor On Friday, three recent high school graduates will be honored during an awards luncheon. The Tampa Hous ing Authority is honoring the graduates as part of its Hous ing Heroes Scholarship Pro gram. The luncheon will take place Friday, at the Double Tree Hotel, 4500 W. Cypress Street, beginning at n a.m. The event will open with a silent auction. The theme for the lunch eon this year is "Achieve ment Results From Work Realizing Ambition." Adam Ant will per form at the event. Traditionally, the Tampa Housing Authority has se lected students who reside in public housing to receive the scholarships This year, dur ing their 12th Annual Schol arship Program, the organization has selected three students who reside in Hillsborough County. Ms. Courtni Jenkins is a 20n graduate of Howard .. Blake School of the Arts Graduate W. Blake High School. She will attend Hillsborough Community College. James Elisaint and Derrell Thompson are both graduates of Tampa Bay Technical High School. James will attend Florida International University in Miami. Derrell will attend West Florida University. All three are recipients of the Dr. Mar garet Fisher Housing Heroes Scholarship Awards. Jerome Ryans, Presi dent and CEO of the Tampa Housing Authority said, "We believe that assisting y oung people in our community will essentially provide a divi dend that will ultimately help the next generation of young men and women. It is our re sponsibility to make sure that scholarship opportunities like this one continue to flourish and expand. Ms. Lillian Stringer, Director of Public Relations for the Tampa Housing Au thority said, "It has been my desire to help those who have a passion for higher educa tion, but sometimes lack the ... Tampa Bay Technical High School Graduate financial and tangible sub stance to help get there. I was that young person that didn't think college was for some one like me until a teacher identified my potential and lit a fire under me that was not ever put out. Since the inception of the program, 45 students have received scholarships for a total of $90,000. In addition to the monetary award, each recipient receives a set oflug gage and a laptop with a car rying case. The Housing Authority has set a goal of raising $50,000 through ticket sales and the silent auction to sup port the scholarship pro gram. N Local -0 N Neighborhood -1-en ::) (!J leader Anends ::) c( c Maior Conference en w ::) 1-BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer Eastern Heights Neigh borhood Association and Crime Watch President, Sam Mobley, was the only repre sentative from Tampa to at. tend a big conference in Pensacola. From July 12, through the 14th, the Florida Neighbor hood Conference was held, with Florida Neighborhood Association Leader, Susan Ajoc, as the guest speaker. Mr. Mobley said repre sentatives from neighbor hood associations were able >to address major concerns in their community. a: "We talked about gang viLL olence, and how they are identified, said Mr. Mob c( ley. >-"We talked about the crime rate and what kind of ffi crimes are being committed ::) that are associated with gang 1-activity Mr. Mobley said drugs continue to be a problem in w the Eastern Heights area, and C he thinks law enforcement is doing a great job in respond ing to the concerns of resi dents in the area. ::) "I'm determined to get drugs out of my community. ..J City of Tampa Community liaison, Shannon Edge, and Sam Mobley stand with plaques given to them at the convention. This kind of activity affects property values and keeps nice families from moving in. I have rental property I haven't been able to find a tenant for in more than 10 years. The problem is the drug activity is being condoned by older adults or parents of the actual drug dealers. It seems they look out for each other." Mr. Mobley said he will continue to attend meetings with other groups, including the East Tampa Community Revitalization Partnership, with hopes of finding a solu tion to the problems in East ern Heights. ..J ::) m ..J w Revival! Revivalf z ;::: z w en c( c a: 0 ..J LL MT. TABOR M.B. CHURCH 2606 Grace Street Tampa, FL Pastor T.D. Leonard PL N US FOR OUR ANNUAL REVIVAL WORSHIP SERVICES! August 13-17, 2012 Preaching Week -7 p.m. Theme: "The l..ocal Church Needs To Return To Her First Love" Revelation 2:4 Evangelist: D. Sampso Paslor of Friendship Missionary Houston, TX Treasurer of the National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. Dr. Stephen Thurston, President Revival! Revivalf Olvmoic Gold Medalist Calls lutz Home In London, England be fore the final of the women s 4X100 meter relay race began, Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, and Carmelita Jeter made a promise that they would come out on top. The American women had been shut out of gold medals in 100 and 200 meter races, finishing behind the strong Jamaican women. But, it was not to be for the relay final. TIANNA MADISON From left to right: Carmelita Jeter, Bianca Knight, Tianna Madison, and Allyson Felix. Madison ran the open ing leg of the relay, handing the baton over to 200 meter gold medalist, Allyson Felix. Felix then handed the baton to Bianca Knight, who handed it 100 meter bronze medalist, Carmelita Jeter. When Jeter crossed the finish line, she automatically started pointing to the board that showed they had just set a new world record of 40.82. Madison is a native of Elyria, Ohio, but now calls Lutz, Florida home. She was greeted at Tampa Interna tional Airport by a large crowd who gave her hugs and kisses, and congratulated her. Middleton Head Football Coach Wants Students To learn School's Historv G. S. Middleton Head Footb _all Coach, Alonzo Ashwood, said he grew up listen ing to stories about the history of Middleton High School, and H. W. Blake High School. I've met with Pastor Ron Ellis (Exalted World Ministries), who graduated from Tampa Bay Vo-Tech but considers himself a member of the Class of 1971, and we talked extensively about the pride students had during that era. We also talked about life, spirituality, and how to change the culture at Middle ton. "Few people know that from 1934 until1956, Middle ton was the only high school Blacks could attend. When Blake came along, we had two, but that was it Coach Ashwood said what's needed now is the com munity support that existed On behalf of B.A.M. and Exalted World Ministries, Pastor Ron Ellis Oeft) presents Middleton Head Football Coach, Alonzo Ashwood, with a check for $500 for the football team during the school's era of greatness, prior to 1971. "I think we have to attack the mindset of our young peo ple, and talk to them about the history of both Blake and Mid dleton. We have to instill in them the same pride that was responsible for the success of hundreds of graduates from REVIVAL REVIVAL REVIVAL !!! IEITESIIIEIIIl CIIRCI U53IIIWI RUI liiiiTISISSI, R 33592 11131 98&-am PASTOR HENRY M. COCHRAN. JR. THE GREATER NEW COVER.VAN'T CHURCH SUMMERVILLE. SOUTH CAROLINA COME HEAR GOD' S MAN PREACHING AND TEACHING GOD'S WORD EVERYONE INVITED COME AND EXPERIENCE A SPIRITUAL REVIVAL! both schools." Pastor Ellis explained that an inadvertent result of the 1970-1971 Desegregation Plan was the separation of the students within the same com munity. "We lost the family iden tity. We also have to under stand that it will never be like it was then. Today we have kids living in the same com munity who don t know each other. "Through it all we made it though, and I'm proud to be in a position to help empower as many young people as I can." Pastor Ellis founded an organization called B.A.M. (Believe, Achieve, Maximize), and that made it possible for him to reach out to the players at Armwood during their first championship run. ""Today, I'm stretching out further to other schools. I'm going to start doing it at Mid dleton, and I'm committed to helping Coach Ashwood. Coach Ashwood said he hopes to get more former Tigers to join the Tiger Club and help bring back the pride and spirit. "I've been somewhat suc cessful in reaching out to a lot of the former Tigers from the 1970s and earlier It's impor tant for us to come together and so something great for the school, and help these kids get to college. Our principal, Owen Young, has done a great job and I credit his open-door pol icy for making the students feel more comfortable. Reporter Leon B. Crews can be reached at (813) 248-0724, or emailed at [email protected]. 0 Loca Painful Disease Hasn1 Stopped This woman's Mission >;' C( 0 en w :::::> 1-BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel StaffWriter Ronnie Terry can' t remember a time in her life when she wasn t involved in entertainment. With Roberta Flack as her god mother she wa s exposed to a lot of the industry from the inside and out. Aft e r giving birthday to h e r son in 2006, Mrs. Terry was diagnosed with fibromyalgi a a common syn drome in wh ic h a person has long-term, body-wide pain and tenderness in the joints muscl e s tendons and othe r soft tissues The dise a s e has also b ee n linked to RONNIE TERRY fatigue, sleep p roblems, headache s, d e pression and anx iety. 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When I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, it wa s blamed on some kind of trauma I'd suffered. The docto r s said it was a result of having my first child, but I believe it was from a 1995 car acci den t." Mrs. Terry said she 's had a long 5 years bringing attention to the disease, and how devastating it can be. Ronnie Terry i s a beau tiful dynamic former entertainment publicist turned model/ actress/ dancer /host, spokesperson On November 4th, she will be part of a cast coming to Tampa t o perfor m in the Carlos Davis written stage production, Holding On To What You N e uer Had. The play i s being promote d by Too Smooth En t ertainment, and will be at the Straz Center. Mrs. Terry said she s still being treated for fibromyal gia and she fights it all the time. "My husband and I decided to move to Atlanta so I could be closer to my family. Now I can deal with the dis ease. I was in a depression for a long time with the pain and I would have just given up if it weren't for niy son. acting and mod eling for about a year, and I'm looking forward to com ing to Tampa to appear with m y husband in the play. Mrs. Terry said she' s very excit e d about thi s pro duction, becaus e thi s is her fir s t l e ad i ng role. "Too Smooth and I have t alke d e xtensiv el y, and I didn t know at first I was the lead character. I found out what the play was about when I talked to him. I will be challenged in this role, and I enjoy working with my husband." Mrs. Terry said the play has a surmised ending and everyone will be shocked. Father And Daughter Share Common Goal VIcrORIA AND NAPOLEAN WRIGHT BY JULIA JACKSON Napolean Wright is we ll known for managing clubs and promoting in the Tampa community. H e i s also an aspiring actor, who started making films in the 1970s. He worked with celebrities like Ice-T and Bernie Mac. Following in his footsteps is his daughter, Victoria Wright, also known as Janu. She is an artist, songwriter, actress and starred in a film called "Sunshine." 'Janu' is currently work ing on a movie while attending modeling school and plans to graduate in RNC Octob er. Sh e g r a du a t e d fr o m Gary Adult S chool, attended Hillsboroug h Com munity Colle g e and h a s CD Speciali s t certification from Leary Tech 'Janu' enjoys working with children but her pas sion is acting and modeling. For more than 12 years she has made her mark in the rap industry. She has a thirst for acting and is doing all she can to pursue that interest. Her acting instructor, Mary Ann has given her much inspiration and she believes that with God on her side she can accom plish anything. Town Hall Meetings Focus On Convention Mayor Bob Buckhorn will host town hall meetings on three consecutive days this week. The topic of discussion will be the Republican National Convention. The three meetings will take place in different areas of the city. All of the meetings will begin at 6 p.m. and end at 8 p.m. All of the meetings are free and open to the public. On Tuesday, August 14th the meeting will take place at the Florida Aquarium in the Taylor Great Room, 7 01 Channels i d e Driv e On Tuesday, Augu s t 1 5 t h, Mayor Buckhorn will host ihe m eeting at St e t son University, in the S mith Court Room, 1700 N Tampa Street MAYOR BOB BUCKHORN On W ednes d ay, Augu s t 16th, the meeti n g w ill be h eld a t the Kate Jac k son Comm u nity Center, 821 S. R o m e Avenu e. T h e C i t y of Tampa w ill host t h e Republican Nationa l C o n ve n tio n from A u g u s t 27th throu g h A u g u s t 30, 2 012. w Organization Hosts First Fashion Show SirPass Events recently hosted their First Fashion Show, using the theme "Ambitious Elements of Style." The fashion show took place at the University of South Florida Embassy Suites. The event created excitement in the fashion industry. The organizers said, "We are combining various elements in the fashion world that are represented by the most ambitious entities to bring about a sophisticated and excitement filled event." (Photography.by Toby Scott, of Chow and Scott Keepsakes). "JS The Best" and DJ Dubble Up were ready to make sure everyone had a great time. ShaQueena Cole and Mataya Redding displayed some off their new products. CJ Brian Ross, Yoharis Valentin, Johana Eubanks, Jonquetta Williams, Suli Massa and Tiffany Torres, of"Hands 2 Hair By J" provided the finishing touches to the already lovely models. Sneaker And Fashion Show Held At MOSI Members of the Bay Area Society hosted the largest sneaker and fashion show in Florida. The event was held at the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI). The show was a sneaker wonderland for those who prefer this type of footwear. (Photography by Toby Scott of Chow and Scott Keepsakes). Justin, Joerod, and Jency showed off some of their custom made shoes to those in attendance. Christine and Carmen, of Se7en District, talked about the new line of products the company is offering this year. Steven Charboniel and Lennon Velazquez are excited about all the "Sneaker Heads" that came out to showtheir style. Bolt leads Jamaica To Olvmpic Gold In 4x1DO Relav Jamaica's Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt celebrate as they receive their gold medals after winning the men's 4XlOO-meter relay. c LONDON -Usain Bolt finally delivered what he had denied fans with his previous two victories at the London Games -a world a: record. I.L. The crowds packing the main stadium on Saturday < night erupted in wild cheers as Bolt took the baton from C Yohan Blake and ran m across the finish line to help i= Jamaica to victory in a > record 36.84 seconds in the a: 4x1oo-meter relay. He added that gold to the ones W he earned in the 100 and c w :I: 200. The United States got the silver in 37.04, matching the old record that Bolt helped set at last year's world championships. Trinidad & Tobago took the bronze in 38.12 after Canada, which was third across the line, was disqualified for running outside its lane. Bolt's latest victory makes him the first person to win golds in the 100 and 200 meters and the 4X100meter relay at consecutive Olympic games en m ;::) 0.. z i= w ..J ..J ;::) m American Wins Gold,. First Women's Boxing Medal Middleweight Claressa Shields defeated Russia's Nadezda Torlopova. American Claressa Shields, a 17-year-old with a megawatt smile, won gold in the 75-kilogram competition with a show of raw strength and aggression against her older Russian rival, Nadezda Torlopova, 33. It was a win for youth and speed over strength and experience Shields broke away from Torlopova in the second of four rounds by being faster on her feet. That approach frustrated Torlopova in the ring. By the third round, Shields had a five-point lead over Torlopova, and never looked back. Shields overwhelmed the Russian for a final score of 19-12. lSU'sDBOH Team For Violating Rules TYRANN MATHIEU Heisnian Tro ph y finalist Tyrann Mathieu was kicked off LSU s football team Friday for breaking an athletic department rule. The junior defensive back nicknamed Honey Badger for his tenacious style, small stature (5-foor-9, 175 pounds) and blonde streak of hair rose from obscurity to become one of college football's biggest stars last season He was a sleeper Reisman candidate as the Tigers won the Southeastern Conference championship and reached the BCS title game. But almost as quickly as Mathieu rose to fame and became the face of LSU football, the Honey Badger phenomenon ended in Death Valley. Athletic Director Joe Alleva said Mathieu, who was suspended for a game in 2011 after failing a drug test violated an athletic department rule and had his schol arship revoked. With Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, lakers' Four On Floor Shifts Balance Dwight Howard becomes the next great center of the Lakers. Will he have the same success as his predecessors? The Lakers are not a per fect team, nor are they fool proof picks to win the 2013 NBA title just because Dwight Howard now graces a roster that also includes Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash. Howard gives the Lakers the game s best two-way cen ter a lockdown defender who has led the league in rebounding in six of the last seven seasons and is capable of averaging 20 points per game. Johnson Released Bv Dolphins Following Domestic Banerv Arrest As the Miami Dolphins took the field for practice Sunday, Chad Johnson was getting out of jail. Hours lat er, he was out of work. The Dolphins terminated the six-time Pro Bowl receiv e r 's contract abou t 24 hours after he was arrested in a domestic battery case invo lving his wife. Johnson was released from jail on $2,500 bond earlier Sunday after his wife accused him of head-butting her during an argument in front of their home. Johnson was charged with simple domestic battery, a misdemeanor The confrontation came barely a month after Johnson married Evelyn Lozada, who is on the reality 1V show "Basketball Wives. The 34-year-old Johnson had been battling for a spot on the team after a disappointing season with the New England Patriots in 2011. Following Sunday's prac tice, coach Joe Philbin said he would meet soon with Johnson. Only five days earlier, Philbin said Johnson's roster spot could be in jeop ardy if he didn t temper his freewheeling behavior. Johnson annoyed the coach by frequently using profanity during a session with reporters. Johnson who recently changed his name from CHAD JOHNSON Chad Ochocinco -was arrested Saturday after Lozada confronted him about a receipt she found for a box of condoms, police said. According to an arrest affi davit, Lozada said she was taking groceries into their home when she found the receipt in the car trunk. When the two were seated back in the car, they began talking about the receipt and their marriage. That's when Johnson got upset and head-butted his wife, the report said. Lozada ran to a neighbor's house and called police. A responding officer said Lozada had a 3-inch cut on her forehead, according to the affidavit, w,4ile Johnson did not have any visible marks or bruises. When questioned by police he confirmed there was an argument over the receipt, but said his wife had head butted him. Gabbv Douglas Honored With Mural In Hometown GABBY DOUGLAS VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -Gabby Douglas is really big in her hometown. Really big and painted on a wall. The gold-medal-winning gymnast has a giant mural painted in her honor in Virginia Beach. And she loves it. WOW!!! This is amazing!! so honored, Douglas tweeted Friday from the Olympics in London, where the 16-year-old won two gold medals at the Summer Games. The mural shows Douglas holding a gold medal with an Anierican flag backdrop. It says "Way to go Gabby." Brothers Todd and Eric Lindbergh spent four days painting the 9-by-30 foot mural on the outside wall of a sports bar. Todd Lindbergh says he found out that Douglas was from Virginia Beach, and the idea behind the mural came the moment he saw her on television at a medals ceremony. ntertainment '! Young Jeezv Named Senior VP Jada PinkeD Smiih Covers SePtember Essence 'Malcolm X' Actor Dies At18 1-U) :::) 01 A&R At Atlantic Records C w Drake Passes Jav-z For Most Bill board R&B/Hip-Hop #1 Singles c w ::a: tJ) :J m :::) Q. z t= After snatching his first #1 single as early as 2009, Drake has surpassed Jay-Z for the most #1 s i ngles on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts in the 70-year history of Billboard. Drake's latest collabora-w ..J ..J tion with 2 Chainz, ''No Lie" rose to the top of the ..J R&B/Hip-Hop Chart to heW come his 10th No. 1 hit on the chart z Jay-Z scored his first R&B/ Hip-Hop #1 sin g le in 1995, with a t o tal of nine a: 0 ..J LL records in which he was the lead artist in four Lil Wayne is in third place with e ight and Kanye West trails with six. A SALON BARBER AN) FASNION NETWORK St:Rlf.S JADA PINKETT SMITH Jada Pinkett Smith continues to deny that her marriage to Will Smith is in turmoil. Her latest comments are to Essence magazine, which features her on the cover of its September 2012 issue. She insists she can t even fathom divorce since her husband is like another part of me. Jada Pinkett Smith on the Essence September 2012 cover. It's rumored that we' re g etting a divorce. But no. We re not getting a divorce Where am I going to go? That's my boo. It's like he 's another part of me. Bevonca Performs And Films Music Video At UN BEYONCE NEW YORK Superstar si nger Beyonce has sere naded a different New York City venue: The United Na tions Beyonce performed her song I Was Here on Friday in the UN's General Assem bly Hall in honor of World Humanitarian Day, which is Aug. 19. A music video of the performance will debut the same day. Beyonce sang in front of hundreds, including Julia Stiles, R&B singer TheDream and songwriter, Diane Warren, who wrote the song. Warren said in an inter view that she initially called Beyonce's husband, Jay-Z, and played the song for him over the phone. He quickly called Beyonce, and days later she recorded it. It ap pears on her album "4," re leased last year. LOS ANGELES -Albert Freeman Jr., fhe veteran actor who played Elijah Muhammad in Spike Lee's epic film Malcolm X ," has died. He was 7 8. Howard University con firmed his death Friday night, but details weren t im mediately available. Freeman taught acting there for years and served as chair man and artistic director of its theater arts Freeman earned an NAACP Image Award for playing Malcolm X's mentor in Lee's 1992 biogra phy. He also received an '""-"'"--.......,,. Emmy nomination for his JR. role as Malcolm X in the 1979 miniseries "Roots: The Next Generations." He won a best-acto r Daytime Emmy that year for his work as Capt. Ed Hall on the soap opera One Life to Live." Stevie J Gets Punched Bv Mimi Outside l.A. Nightclub Somebody needs to give Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta (LLHA) star, Stevie J a les son on how not to catch the fade As if the extremely en tertaining punch, kick and slap s, h is side-piece Joseline Hernandez gave him on Monda y 's (Aug. 9) episode weren't embarrass ing enough, he lost a battle with an open hand that just happened to belong to his ex, Mimi Faust. During a trip to Los Ange les, Stevie and Faust were headed inside the club when STEVIEJ AndMIMI FAUSf a photographer asked him who would win a fight be tween the cast of Basketball Wives and LHHA. He of course gave the wrong an swer: "Mimi and Joseline." Faust socked him, then took the cigarette out of his mouth for a quick puff. Naomi Makes Appearance After Receding Hairline Stir Naomi Campbell made international headlines, but not for her stunning looks. Campbell received intense media attention for sporting inches of hairless hairline when emerging from the water during a yachting jaunt. Pictures snapped of the 42-year-old supermodel vacationing in Ibiza shocked many as patches of bare scalp were revealed by the lack of coverage created by a wet weave. "With her h ai r pulled back in a ponytail, Naomi re vealedher incredibl y reced ing hairline, the result of her over-reliance on hair exten sions and weaves for most of her model ling career." EmbarressNAOMI ment over the CAMPBELL unflattering photos did not deter the beauty from stepping out to mix and mingle with athletes and celebrities at an Olympic charity event held in London. Wearing a hair piece that covered much of her baldness, Campbell hosted "an Olympic Celebration Dinner in partnership with Fashion For Relief. OJ Khaled Facing Eviction over S55k Rental Pavment DJ Khaled may be "the best," but maybe not at pay ing his bills. Khaled owes his landlord over $50,000 in unpaid rent, and has yet to settle his debt, which means that an eviction is imminent. Khaled rented a Miami apartment from Misci LLC. The agreement was that he would make 2 payments of $66 ,ooo each. While he han dled the first transaction, he failed to cover the entire bal ance of the second, causing the landlord to file court doc uments to have him kicked out of the unit. The 36-year old worked out a new deal to break up the rent into 3 payments, and shelled over $n,ooo. He was scheduled to drop the remaining DJKHALED $55,000 a month later. Misci gave Khaled a 3day notice to vacate the property, of which he report' edly refused. The company is suing to have him removed, and is seeking payment to cover their legal fees in addition to Khaled's outstand ing rental debt. " MS. ELLASTINE DIANA PITTMAN Graveside services for Ms. Ellastine Diana Pitbnan will be held Wednesday, August 15, 2012, at 11 a. m. at Orange Hill Cemetery, 4900 E. Chelsea. Ms. Ellastine Diana Pittman was born on February 21, 1966 and passed away August 9, 2012. She was preceded in death by: her father, Samuel Pitbnan; grandmother, Ella Riggins; grandfather, Willie Riggins; and sister, Theresa Walker. Left to mourn her loving daughter' s death is: her mother, Falstine Isaac; two sisters, Cheryl Hill and hus band, Daryl and Shirley Isaac; four brothers, Alan Riggins and wife, Rosa, Willie For man, Jr. and wife, Veronica, Charles Isaac and wife, San tera, and Derrick Isaac and fi ancee, Quinesia; nieces, Allison, Danaesha, Akari, Quiniyah, Marlena, Nickie, Tiera and Sharonda; nephews, Alan, Vearly, Don tae, Devin, Zavid, Daryl, Jr., Daniel, Santonio, Jay and Marice; aunt, Annie Bunch; two uncles, Willie Riggins of Detroit, Michigan, and Ronald Riggins and wife, Minnie; cousins, Mary Isaac, Carolyn Brown and husband, Sher man, Felisha, Vida, Tammy and Sharon; good friends, Tonya Pittman and Pat Taylor; and godmother, Janie Cohen. Arrangements entrusted to Stone's Memorial Funeral Home, Edward W. Stone, Jr., L.F.D. "A FANNIE B. STONE TRADIDONAL SERVICE" L.etourilmilytnkecareot:yourfiunlly. "We are the Jo!!yto a fine andqua)lly .,Nice" REVEREND JOSEPH WENDELL HARDY, SR. Homegoing celebration for Reverend Joseph Wendell Hardy, Sr. of Tampa, who passed away Thursday, August 9, 2012, will be held Thursday,Augustt6,20t2,at 1 p. m. at First Missionary Baptist Church of Highland Pines, 4711 E. 21st Avenue, Tampa, 33605, with the pas tor, Reverend Cleveland Lane, officiating. Interment will fol low in Rest Haven Memorial Park Cemetery. Reverend Hardy was a na tive of Quincy, FL, where he was educated in the public schools of Gadsden County. He was a resident of Tampa, for approximately 26 years. Reverend Hardy was a member of First Missionary Baptist Church of Highland Pines of which the Reverend Cleveland Lane is Pastor. He was employed by the Hillsborough County School Board as a Bus Driver prior to his disability retirement. Reverend Hardy was pre ceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Evelyn Hardy. He leaves fond memories with: his wife, Mrs. Annie Jo Hardy; 7 sons, Anthony Robert Hardy (Mary), Joseph Wendell Hardy, Jr. (Sandy), Ernest Darrell Calhoun, Gre gory Crevan Calhoun, Eugene Antwynn Hardy, Joseph Wen dell Hardy, Ill and Robert Taylor Hardy; 4 daughters, Ora Denise Smith, Martha Denise Hardy, Vernetta De lores Hardy and Terika Ann Hardy; 2 grandchildren, Courtney Calhoun and Ernest Darrell Calhoun, Jr.; 4 great grandchildren, Akhari Torik White, Zaimere Christopher White, Kayla J. Hardy and Aron D. Hankerson, Jr.; 2 sis ters, Clydeana Willis (John) and Debbie Freeman (Moses); niece, Dana Washington (Cedric); 3 nephews, Armand Bright (Brenda), Terrance Freeman (Rachel) and Bishop Eric Freeman (Coleen); and other relatives and friends. There wiD be viewing from 5-8 p.m., Wednesday, August 15, 2012, at Wtlsoll Funeral Home, 3000 N. 29th Street, Tampa, 33605. Friends are asked to assemble at the church at approximately 12:45 p.m., Thursday for the serv ice. "A WILSON SERVICE" www.wilson-funeralbome.com ...... .....,..,._ (813) 254-4918 JOHN HOWARD AND GRACE TILLMAN CLARK The family of the late John Howard and Grace Tillman Clark thanks Pastor Rev. Dr. David W Green, associate min isters, officers and members of Allen Temple AME Church for their faithful services. The family also thanks Rev. Eugene Garnett of Springhill M. B. Church, Rev. Beverly Lane of Bethel AME Church, and all or ganizations and persons who supported the family in their re cent loss with prayers, cards, and many other acts of kind ness. Love, from the children, Fred Hearns, Pearl Elaine Roberts and the family. National NY Cops Shoot Knile-Wieldinu Man Dead In Times Square DARRIUS KENNEDY NEW YORK CI'IY, NY New York Police Department officers shot 51-year-old Darrius Kennedy dead in the middle of Times Square Satur day afternoon after he allegedly refused to put down a large knife he was reportedly ing at officers and tourists. A reported 12 shots were fired at Kennedy after he al legedly advanced towards offi cers with the knife He was shot several times in the stomach and later died at a local hospital. The deadly encounte r began around 3 p.m when an officer reportedly noticed Kennedy smoking a joint When the cop tried to cuff him, Kennedy grew irate and pulled out a six inch blade. Kennedy allegedly began wielding it in the middle of Times Square. He was pepper spra y ed six times but it did not force Kennedy to give i n to officers de m ands a c c ording to NYPD official s H e w a s re pe at edly a s k e d t o put down t he k ni f e bu t r efus ed t o do so police officials said. ..... N 0 ..... N ELLEN J. DUHART In Loving Memory Of Our Mother, Our Dear Mom I know that everyone thinks their mother is the best, well let me just inform them all that we were the ones who were blessed. There's no other Mom like you, of that I am quite sure. For, no matter what the pain, you always had the cure. Most of all Mom, we thank you for showing us who God is so we could become the blessed women and men we are today. ., r-0 From, your blessed and highly favored family. c )> en Ohio law Expands Eartv Voting For Republicans, Cuts It For Democrats m z :j z m Ohio has made voting harder for Democrats and eas ier for Republicans. ThinkProgres The Nation magazine and MSNBC s Rachel Maddow reported this week that Ohio s Republi can Secretary of State Jon Husted has intervened in county by-county voting rules to break ties in county boards of elections siding with Re publicans who want to limit voting in large urban centers like Cleveland which are heavily populated b y Democ rats to work hours, while county boards in Republican leaning areas voted to allow ex panded early voting hours that will make casting a ballot eas ier. Starting October tst, voters OJ in Democrat-leaning urban ? centers including Cleveland r Columbus Akron and Toledo will now only be allowed to z vote between 8 am and 5 pm 'tJ on weekdays, when the majority of people are at work. The r board of elections in these en counties, which are split evenly ifi between Democrats and ReC publicans, was gridlocked over !;2 a Democratic effort to expand m hours. The Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted -4 stepped in to deny expanded C hours in these counties. But m Republican-heavy counties C have actually expanded early voting hours on nights and )> weekends, when most people have time to go to the polls Hair Braider Wins Lawsuit Challenging Utah Rules SALT LAKE CI'IY, UT -A Utah woman who braids hair to supplement her family's in come has won a federal lawsuit against the state over its li censing process for her craft, arguing state regulations vio lated her right to earn a living. A federal judge ruled this week that the state s requirement that Jestina Clayton get a cosmetology license to braid hair was unconstitu tional and invalid because regulations are irrelevant to Clayton's profession. Clayton, 30, sued l ast y ear after she f ound it would be ille gal to run a hair-braiding bus ines s without a license, i n part because of public and safety concerns. Clayton said she learned how to braid hair as a s-year-old in her West African home country of Sierra Leone, and she was doing it at her suburban Salt Lake City home to support her three children-ages 7 5 and 1 -while her husband finishes school. U.S District Judge David Sam in Salt Lake City said Utah's cosmetology licensing requirements are so discon nected from hai r -braiding "that to premise Jestina's right to earn a living by braid ing hair on that scheme is wholl y irrational and a violaC) tion o f her constitut ion ally m protected rights.

2019-04-20T10:22:27Z

https://digital.lib.usf.edu/SFS0024310/00491

Appendix 6: Misophonia Emotional Response Survey. [a] Misophonia Treatment Institute, Livermore, CA, USA. Misophonia is a condition in which a person has an acute emotional response of anger or disgust to a commonly occurring innocuous auditory or visual stimulus referred to as a trigger. This case details the effective treatment of misophonia in a young woman that included a counterconditioning treatment called the Neural Repatterning Technique (NRT), which combines a continuous positive stimulus and a reduced intensity, intermittent trigger. The treatment was delivered via the Misophonia Trigger Tamer smartphone app and all treatments were conducted independently by the patient. In this patient, the trigger elicited a physical reflex of contraction of the flexor digitorum profundus, which caused her to clench her fist. To enhance the effect of the NRT treatment, Progressive Muscle Relaxation was incorporated to increase her ability to deliberately relax the affected muscle during treatment. During NRT treatment sessions, the patient experienced a weak physical reflex to the reduced trigger stimulus but no emotional response. Her emotional response of misophonia was not treated, but when the physical reflex extinguished, the emotional response also extinguished. This case indicates that the misophonic response includes a Pavlovian-conditioned physical reflex. It is proposed that the trigger elicited the physical reflex and the physical reflex then elicited the conditioned emotional response that is characteristic of misophonia. Because of the conditioned reflex nature of misophonia, it is proposed that a more appropriate name for this disorder would be Conditioned Aversive Reflex Disorder. Received: 2015-03-24. Accepted: 2015-07-15. Published (VoR): 2015-10-16. Misophonia is a recently identified disorder in humans which is characterized by an extreme emotional response of anger or disgust to commonly occurring, innocuous auditory or visual stimuli (Edelstein, Brang, Rouw, & Ramachandran, 2013; Jastreboff & Jastreboff, 2002, 2014; Schröder, Vulink, & Denys, 2013; Wu, Lewin, Murphy, & Storch, 2014). The condition was first identified in 1997 by audiologist Marsha Johnson, which she named Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome (4S; Bernstein, Angell, & Dehle, 2013). The name misophonia, which means “hatred of sound” was proposed by Jastreboff and Jastreboff (2002). The name misophonia refers to the emotions evoked by the trigger stimulus rather than a general hatred of sound. Misophonia is a unique and discrete disorder that cannot be classified in the DSM-5 or IDC-10 (Schröder et al., 2013). With misophonia, specific auditory or visual stimuli trigger a response of irritation or disgust, which immediately escalates to anger (Schröder et al., 2013). Auditory triggers can be almost any repeating sound, but those commonly reported are eating sounds (e.g. lip smacking, chewing), nasal sounds (e.g. sniffing, breathing, snoring), and repetitive sounds (e.g. typing, pen clicking; Edelstein et al., 2013; Jastreboff & Jastreboff, 2014; Schröder et al., 2013; Wu et al., 2014). Visual trigger stimuli of repetitive movements (e.g. hair twirling, leg shaking) and movements associated with auditory triggers (e.g. jaw movement) are also reported (Jastreboff & Jastreboff, 2014; Wu et al., 2014). Emotions commonly reported in response to trigger stimuli are anger and disgust (Edelstein et al., 2013; Johnson et al., 2013; Schröder et al., 2013; Wu et al., 2014). Schröder et al. (2013) noted that anxiety was specifically not a response to trigger stimuli of the participants in their study, but participants reported actively avoiding exposure to trigger stimuli. Other researchers have reported anxiety as a common emotion of individuals with misophonia (Edelstein et al., 2013; Johnson et al., 2013; Wu et al., 2014). Although this seems to be a discrepancy, the anxiety of misophonic individuals could have been associated with avoidance behaviors, and so referred to as avoidance by Schröder et al. (2013). The physiologic response accompanying strong emotions was measured to validate self-reports of emotional responses to trigger stimuli (Edelstein et al., 2013). Skin conductance was shown to begin increasing 2 seconds after onset of trigger stimuli and continue increasing for the duration of a 15s trigger. Participants in this study also reported general physiologic responses associated with emotional arousal including pressure in chest, head, and whole body; clenched/tightened muscles; sweaty palms; difficulty breathing; and increased blood pressure and heart rate. Although the prevalence of misophonia in the general population is unknown, it was estimated at 3.2% based on comorbidity with other auditory conditions (Jastreboff & Jastreboff, 2014). Another study utilizing undergraduate psychology students reported 20% of participants had clinically significant misophonia (Wu et al., 2014). Misophonia can develop at any age, with a mean age of onset in childhood (Schröder et al., 2013). Once misophonia develops, it seemingly persists over the lifespan of the individual and often worsens with time (Schröder et al., 2013). The impact on the individual can vary from mild to debilitating and can cause severe problems in family, social, and professional life (Dozier, 2015b; Edelstein et al., 2013). Although misophonia is a chronic condition, it can vary due to other factors. Patients have reported that the severity of their misophonia is affected by their momentary feeling of well-being (Wu et al., 2014). Research on the etiology and nature of misophonia is limited by the lack of an animal model (Jastreboff & Jastreboff, 2014). Studies to date have focused on the stimulus-emotion relationship and physiological responses accompanying strong emotions (Edelstein et al., 2013; Schröder et al., 2013; Wu et al., 2014). The etiology and nature of misophonia has been ascribed to physiological abnormalities in the brain (Møller, 2011), general hyper-reactivity similar to sensory processing disorder (Schröder et al., 2013), and classical conditioning (Dozier, 2015b; Jastreboff & Jastreboff, 2014; Schröder et al., 2013). Most discussions of misophonia refer to the condition as an emotional response to trigger stimuli, with accompanying fight-or-flight responses, including both physiological arousal and behavioral activation as shown in Figure 1 (Bernstein et al., 2013; Edelstein et al., 2013; Jastreboff & Jastreboff, 2002, 2014; Schröder et al., 2013; Wu et al., 2014). Popular view of the misophonic response. Dozier (2015a, 2015b) identified a discrete muscle reflex in response to trigger stimuli, which occurred independently of the emotional response when the trigger stimuli were sufficiently weak (see Figure 2). Dozier proposed that the emotional response may be elicited by the sensation from the physical reflex, because of the observed direct relationship between the decrease of the physical reflex in treatment and the decrease of the emotional response in real-life (see Figure 3). Initial skeletal reflex response to a misophonic trigger stimulus. The trigger stimulus directly elicits a skeletal muscle contraction. Misophonia emotional response is elicited by the physical reflex. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the trigger stimulus elicits a response. Such a stimulus-response pair is known as a reflex. A Pavlovian conditioned reflex is generally viewed as being learned through a temporal pairing of a neutral stimulus (NS), which becomes the conditioned stimulus (CS), and an unconditioned stimulus (US), such that the CS becomes associated with the US and elicits a response similar to the unconditioned response (UR) elicited by the US (Lattal, 2012). It has been demonstrated that the critical pairing for conditioning to occur is the NS/CS with the UR (Donahoe & Vegas, 2004), rather than that of the NS/CS and the US. When a stimulus occurs 0 to 2 seconds prior to a skeletal reflex response, Pavlovian conditioning can occur (Furedy & Riley, 1987, p. 7), and that stimulus can then elicit a conditioned response. There have been no controlled studies on the treatment of misophonia, but there are several published case studies and summaries of patient outcomes. The most established method of treating misophonia is to add noise to the patient’s environment, which reduces the misophonic response to auditory triggers (Jastreboff & Jastreboff, 2014; Johnson, 2014). This is generally accomplished with a behind-the-ear sound generator that resembles a small hearing aid. Additionally, this treatment has incorporated protocols to promote active extinction of the misophonic response (Jastreboff & Jastreboff, 2014) or cognitive behavioral therapy to manage misophonia as a chronic condition (Johnson, 2014). Both methods have reported a high level of positive patient outcomes, but details on attrition, statistical significance, and effect size have not been reported. A case study of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat misophonia in a young woman reported remediation of impaired social functioning at end of treatment and at 4-months posttreatment, although the woman still found the trigger stimuli unpleasant (Bernstein et al., 2013). Another CBT case study reported successful reduction in maladaptive behavior associated with trigger stimuli in two adolescents (McGuire, Wu, & Storch, 2015), but no follow-up data was provided. A third case study reported using a counterconditioning treatment called the Neural Repatterning Technique (NRT) in a middle-aged woman by individually counterconditioning three auditory triggers and a visual trigger (Dozier, 2015a). This treatment paired a continuous positive stimulus with an intermittent, reduced-intensity trigger stimulus which resulted in a progressive decline in the strength of her physical reflex to the trigger stimulus (see Figure 2). The patient reported a decline in her emotional responses to real-life trigger stimuli which accompanied the decline in her physical reflex during treatment (see Figure 3). The patient reported a large reduction in the severity of her misophonia at the end of treatment, and at 4- and 10-months posttreatment. At the 2013 Misophonia Association Conference, a member of the patient panel reported virtually eliminating his misophonic emotional response by relaxing all of his muscles continually during a trigger situation (Martz, 2013). Discussion with the author revealed that this individual developed proficiency in progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) as a treatment for his general anxiety as a teenager, and for many years he relaxed his muscles immediately after triggers to suppress his emotional response. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is practiced by systematically tensing and relaxing 15 to 20 skeletal muscle groups (Borkovec & Sides, 1979). It has been demonstrated that individuals who practice PMR develop increased control of skeletal muscles, including a reduction in muscle tension during stressful events (Borkovec & Sides, 1979; Lehrer, Woolfolk, Rooney, McCann, & Carrington, 1983; O'Bannon, Richard, & Runcie, 1987). Daily PMR has been shown to be a benefit in treating anxiety disorders and improving well-being (Borkovec & Sides, 1979; Conrad & Roth, 2007; Dehghan-Nayeri & Adib-Hajbaghery, 2011; O'Bannon, Richard, & Runcie, 1987; Öst, 1987, 1988a). Applied Relaxation is an enhancement to PMR that incorporates PMR as the initial relaxation training (Conrad & Roth, 2007; Öst, 1987, 1988b). The second phase of training includes relaxing each muscle group sequentially without first tensing it. The final phase develops the skill of relaxing all muscles simultaneously. Applied relaxation is the technique which was ascribed as an effective management technique for misophonia by one misophonic individual (Martz, 2013). There is little absolute certainty about misophonia due to the sparse research on the condition, except the finding that typically innocuous auditory and visual stimuli evoke extreme, involuntary emotional responses in the misophonic individual (see Figure 1). Misophonia is a chronic condition that generally maintains or strengthens, so it is unlikely that the condition will abate without intervention. Of fundamental interest to this case is the view of misophonia as a conditioned reflex response and therefore subject to change through experience, as reported by two misophonia treatment providers (Dozier, 2015a; Jastreboff & Jastreboff, 2014). The physical reflex response of misophonia, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, identifies a characteristic that is germane to this case. The course of treatment was informed by the research on muscle relaxation which indicates that the daily practice of PMR provides broad wellness benefits in addition to developing improved muscle control. Miley (pseudonym) was a 21-year-old, single Caucasian woman. She attended university during the school year, but had just moved home for the summer. Her mother was divorced and lived alone. Miley reported having a generally positive relationship with her mother, except for the issue of misophonic triggers by her mother, which made living together difficult. Miley was not taking psychotropic medications. She presented for treatment by VSee video-chat and was well-groomed, articulate, and outgoing, with an overall positive attitude toward life which was reflected in her bright smile and cheerful demeanor. (VSee is a medical-grade internet video chat service that meets the confidentiality requirements for treatment of patients). Miley contacted the author by email seeking treatment for misophonia after she had self-diagnosed her condition based on internet research. She was far from the treatment facility, so assessment and treatment were provided by VSee. Although her misophonia caused extreme emotions and was a major problem for her at university, she requested help with the misophonic triggers from her mother, which specifically were sounds of chewing and scraping of utensils on dishes. She reported extreme emotions of anger and rage in response to being triggered by her mother, which prevented them from eating together. Miley reported that her misophonia began at about age 6 or 7, but her first concrete instance of a severe response to a trigger was at age 9. Her first triggers were her mother’s yawning and gum chewing, and a classmate yawning. She reported that her childhood seemed fairly normal to her. She viewed herself as overweight at age 6 and tried to diet at age 8. Her parents divorced when she was 8, but she didn’t feel overly affected by this or other life events. She reported that she was a sensitive child, who responded to her mother’s emotions and that her mother was often stressed. Miley reported that she had never been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or other mental conditions, and that she did not have any such tendencies. All assessment forms were downloaded from misophoniatreatment.com and submitted by email, including an informed consent. The questionnaires included the Misophonia Assessment Questionnaire (MAQ) and the Misophonia Coping Responses (MCR) surveys by audiologist Marsha Johnson, which she has used in her practice for over a decade. The MAQ contains 21 questions on time spent with various negative thoughts and feelings about misophonia. The rating scale is 0 to 3, with 3 being “almost all the time” and 0 being “none of the time” so the sum score can range from 0 to 63. Johnson (2014) used the sum MAQ score to rate patient misophonia severity as mild (1-21), moderate (22-42), or severe (43-63). Other questionnaires included the Misophonia Activation Scale (MAS-1) from misophonia-UK.org, Misophonia Physical Sensation scale (MPS) and Misophonia Trigger Severity scale (MTS) by audiologist Natan Bauman, and the Misophonia Emotional Response (MER) survey by the author. See Appendices 1-6 for the specific content of the assessments and patient responses. Presently there are no validated misophonia assessment instruments. The written assessment was based solely on the self-report of the client. Her responses supported her self-diagnosis of misophonia. Miley’s responses on the MAQ showed that she had a high level of preoccupation with misophonia, answering 16 of the 21 questions with “a good deal” or “almost all of the time,” and the other 5 with “a little of the time.” Her sum score was 49 at intake, which rated her misophonia as “severe.” Miley’s initial rating for her emotional distress to triggers was 9 on the MAS-1, and her physical sensation was 7 on the MPS. Her rating was 8 on the MTS, which is a combination of emotional and physical response severity (see Table 1). aValues are sum scores. bValues are maxima. cMultiple ratings indicate response variability. dMode = 1. eMode = 3. fMode = 0. On the MCR survey Miley reported that she usually responded to triggers with mild responses that indicated she was annoyed or upset, or by turning away or covering her eyes, putting on headphones, moving away from the sound, and leaving the room either immediately or after attempting to tolerate the sound. She reported often engaging in more aggressive responses, in that she would sternly ask the triggering individual to stop making the sound, verbally snap at the person making the sound, or use physical violence on the person making the sound. Her individual responses are shown in Appendix 2. Miley’s emotional responses to triggers were extreme. All of her responses on the MCR were “almost all the time” except for nonaggressive feelings such as wishing she were deaf, not wanting to offend, or feeling hopeless. She also rated herself low on feeling offended by the person making the sound and feeling disgust. Her individual responses are shown in Appendix 6. Miley’s responses on the assessments indicated that she was suffering from misophonia. To confirm this diagnosis, the therapist tested for an immediate physical reflex response to a single instance of a trigger stimulus (see Figure 2 and Figure 3). The therapist asked Miley to close her eyes and relax while he used a spoon and a bowl to make a trigger sound. The therapist’s first trigger sounds were intentionally too soft and short to trigger the patient. The therapist then increased the volume and duration of the sound until Miley reported that she was triggered. She reported that she felt the response in her hands and forearms as if to make a fist, which indicated that the muscle that contracted was probably the flexor digitorum profundus in her forearms. Misophonia is characterized as an involuntary response to a trigger stimulus. A counterconditioning treatment (i.e., NRT treatment) was reported as being effective in the treatment of specific trigger stimuli for a middle-aged woman (Dozier, 2015a) whose misophonic responses consisted of a physical reflex response to the trigger stimuli and an emotional response. It was posited that the physical reflex response mediated the emotional response, as shown in Figure 3 (Dozier, 2015b). The NRT treatment described by Dozier (2015a) focused on eliminating the physical reflex response without addressing the emotional response. In that case, reducing or eliminating the physical response reduced or eliminated the emotional response in real-life settings. The counterconditioning treatment was delivered in a weekly session with the therapist and with custom audio recordings for daily, independent sessions by the patient. A treatment app (Misophonia Trigger Tamer) was developed by the author for smartphones to automate the delivery of the NRT treatment. The app delivered a continuous positive auditory stimulus (music) and intermittently delivered the trigger stimulus. The app provided control for volume, duration, and rate of the trigger stimulus, which allowed the patient real-time control of the treatment. The app also had the capability for the patient to record and edit custom trigger stimuli, and use their choice of music for the positive stimulus. Delivery of the positive stimulus with the app is optional. The positive stimulus could also be provided by another activity such as a taking a walk or viewing photographs. Misophonia is reported to persist and often worsen with time (Schröder et al., 2013). Therefore, if misophonia includes a conditioned physical reflex response to the trigger, there must be a mechanism that allows Pavlovian conditioning to occur, such that the trigger-response reflex is maintained or strengthened. Dozier (2015b) posited that the pairing of the trigger stimulus and an increased intensity response can occur when the individual receives repeated triggers. Firstly, muscle tension may increase if the muscle affected by the trigger is not relaxed before the subsequent trigger stimulus, especially when the trigger stimuli occur at high rate. Secondly, a heightened state of anger and distress is experienced with misophonic triggers, and this generally increases muscle tension, which could also contribute to the maintenance of the conditioned reflex. To achieve the opposite effect, an individual would need to relax the affected muscle and remain calm while experiencing repeated trigger stimuli. As previously discussed, Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) has been demonstrated to increase deliberate control of relaxing a specific muscle; therefore, engaging in PMR for sufficient time to develop muscle control prior to the counterconditioning treatment may enhance the treatment effect. Relaxing muscles in response to triggers, as is taught in Applied Relaxation, might also reduce the emotional upheaval of a trigger situation, as previously discussed (Martz, 2013). Because of the broad benefits of daily deep relaxation, including reduction in anxiety, the author viewed PMR as a practice with the potential to enhance the therapeutic effect of treatment either directly or indirectly. The treatment design for this case was essentially an automated version of the NRT treatment presented in Dozier (2015a) with the addition of Progressive Muscle Relaxation to develop muscle control and Applied Relaxation during treatment and when exposed to real-life trigger stimuli. The initial session included the assessment and a discussion on misophonia including ways to manage the condition. The topics covered were 1) the reflexive nature of misophonia; 2) how to reduce triggers by adding noise to the environment; 3) the importance of not enduring triggers; 4) an explanation of the NRT treatment; 5) selecting a the first trigger to address in treatment; 6) selecting the positive stimulus for treatment; 7) verification that Miley had the capability to set up her smartphone for treatment; and 8) a discussion of Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Miley was instructed to download the Misophonia Trigger Tamer app from iTunes or Google Play, learn to use it with the tutorial videos, set up the playlist and trigger in the app, and practice PMR twice a day. Miley committed to performing the PMR exercise twice a day for the next week using online training video and guided audio downloads. She also committed to conducting four to six NRT 30-minute treatment sessions per week. All NRT treatments were to be carried out independently using the Misophonia Trigger Tamer app. All sessions with the therapist were to be conducted by VSee, which is a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant video-chat service. Miley performed PMR twice each day for the 7 days before the second therapist session. At this session, she reported that relaxing her hands had reduced her emotional response when she was triggered in public, but that adding noise to her environment had not been effective in reducing her misophonic physical and emotional responses at home. During the previous week she recorded a spoon-on-bowl trigger and edited it, so that the trigger sound began immediately at the start of the file. She also set up a playlist in the Misophonia Trigger Tamer with a mixture of calming and happy songs to use as the positive counterconditioning stimulus. The session with the therapist included discussion about how to set the app parameters for the NRT treatment and a 5-minute sample NRT treatment to insure Miley knew how to conduct the treatment and that the parameters were properly set. She was instructed to increase the volume and duration of the trigger to maintain a low physical response of approximately 1 on a 0 to 5 scale, where 0 was no reflex response and 5 was a real-world trigger response. Miley was instructed to complete the 30-minute NRT treatment session she started with the therapist, and to perform a 30-minute treatment each day. The therapist recommended that she keep her hands relaxed during treatment sessions and wiggle her fingers when triggered in real life. At the third session with the therapist, Miley reported that she had performed PMR every day and the NRT treatment on 3 days. She stopped after the third treatment because she no longer triggered to the recorded stimulus. She was instructed to use 2 other trigger recordings of the spoon-on-bowl sound and start a variety of chewing-sound triggers once she did not respond to the spoon-on-bowl triggers. She was instructed to continue daily PMR, relax her hands when triggered in real life, and continue with daily NRT treatments. At the fourth therapist session, which was 2 weeks later, Miley reported that she had performed PMR most days. She happily announced that her responses to the spoon-on-bowl and chewing triggers were gone for her recorded sounds, but still small in real life. At this point, Miley chose to terminate treatment. She had conducted the 5, 30-minute NRT treatment sessions and 4 shorter sessions. The total time was equivalent to 7 half-hour NRT sessions. The Misophonia Trigger Tamer app history log is shown in Table 2. There are 9 entries, indicating that Miley heard a total of 368 spoon-on-bowl triggers and 178 chewing triggers. The duration of the triggers was 0.9s for the spoon-on-bowl triggers and 1.3s for chewing triggers. The inter-stimulus interval was 21 seconds. The therapist followed up with Miley by email a month after she returned to university. She reported that her misophonia was still a significant problem, especially for yawning, which was both a visual and auditory trigger. She wrote that her response to yawning the previous semester was a 9 or 10, but this semester the worst she had experienced was a 5 and it was usually about a 3. (This verbal report did not reference any specific misophonia assessment scale). Miley completed the assessment forms and returned them by email for a 6-month posttreatment assessment (see Table 1). Her MAQ sum score had declined to 7, and three of those points were her response to the item, “My sound issues do not seem to have a known cause.” (See Appendix 1 for specific responses). The large reduction in her MAQ sum score is illustrated in Figure 4. Her responses on the MCR survey indicated that she had a greatly reduced overt behavioral response to triggers. Her predominant responses to triggers were to “hear a known trigger sound . . . and feel no physical sensation” and “calmly move away from the sound.” (See Appendix 2). She also reported greatly reduced emotional responses to triggers. On the intake MER survey, 20 of the 26 responses were “almost all the time.” At 6-month follow-up, her highest response was “a good deal of the time” for feeling that she must see the person making the sound. Fourteen responses were “not at all” and 11 responses were “a little of the time.” (See Appendix 6). This large decline in the emotional distress to triggers was consistent with the decline in her MAQ sum score. Her MAS-1 score was 4, with a note that 1 was the typical response. Her MPS score was 2, with 0 being a typical response. The MTS score for spoon-on-bowl triggers was 0, and the response for chewing triggers was 0-2. The MTS scores for non-treated triggers was 0 to 3 and 11. A second follow-up was conducted by email at 12 months posttreatment (see Table 1, Figure 4, and Appendix 1). Miley’s misophonia severity had increased as evidenced by the increase in the MAQ sum score to 12 and MAS-1 typical response rating to 3. She also indicated an increase the severity of her response to triggers that had not been addressed in treatment (MTS scores of 0, 1, 8, 11, and 12, indicating that she occasionally experienced rage in response to triggers). However, the triggers specifically addressed in treatment had completely extinguished (MTS score of 0). She also reported that she had been recently diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. Measure of misophonia severity (Misophonia Assessment Questionnaire sum score) over the course of treatment and follow-up. There were no complicating factors such as difficulty creating appropriate materials for homework sessions as previously reported by Dozier (2015a). The Misophonia Trigger Tamer app allowed Miley to personally adjust the treatment parameters in response to changes in her physical response to the recorded trigger stimulus, so treatment was maintained at the prescribed level. The app also allowed Miley to record real instances of her triggers, edit them, and use them for treatment. The treatment did place a sizeable time demand on Miley. She was very diligent in performing the PMR exercises during the first week, but was sporadic with the NRT treatments, conducting these treatments on only 8 of the 21 days from start to end of treatment. The lack of compliance to the number of NRT treatment session was irrelevant due to her high rate of progress with the treatment. There were few, if any, issues with access or barriers to care in this case. The automation with Misophonia Trigger Tamer app reduced the therapist time to less than half of that required to provide the treatment manually, thereby greatly reducing the cost of treatment. VSee video-chat allowed the treatment to be provided over a long distance, and there were no interruptions to service. This case includes a replication plus an extension of the treatment of misophonia reported in Dozier (2015a). The replicated issues of treating misophonia include the following: 1) the NRT treatment effectively ameliorated the misophonia in the patient; 2) there was a physical reflex response to the trigger stimulus as shown in Figure 2; 3) the physical reflex occurred independently of the emotional response during treatment; 4) the physical reflex acted like a Pavlovian conditioned reflex in the gradual decline to exposure; and 5) there was a direct relationship between the reduction of the physical reflex and the reduction of the emotional response in real-world experience after treatment, supporting the relationship between the physical reflex and the emotional response shown in Figure 3. This case extended the treatment of Dozier (2015a) by incorporating the Misophonia Trigger Tamer app as an automated delivery mechanism for the NRT treatment, PMR, and Applied Relaxation in the NRT sessions. Further support that misophonia is a conditioned response comes from the observation of spontaneous recovery by the patient. Spontaneous recovery of conditioned reflexes is a well-documented phenomenon, wherein the reflex decays during an active extinction process and then recovers with time (Lattal, 2012). The Misophonia Trigger Tamer app has precise settings for the volume and duration of the trigger stimulus in treatment. When the parameter values at the end of a treatment were used at the beginning of the next treatment, the response to the trigger was initially stronger than at the end of the previous treatment. This is consistent with spontaneous recovery of a conditioned reflex. Identifying misophonia as a conditioned reflex phenomenon has important implications for management, treatment, and research. Firstly, with Pavlovian conditioning, a neutral stimulus that occurs temporally with a conditioned stimulus can become a conditioned stimulus. For misophonia, this means that a nontrigger stimulus (e.g., jaw movement) occurring with a trigger stimulus (e.g., chewing sound) can become a new trigger. As noted in Dozier (2015a), a visual trigger will continue to be a trigger, even after the response to the associated auditory stimulus has been extinguished. The implication here is that individuals should be cautious about repeated exposure to trigger stimuli because of the possibility of acquiring new triggers. This is an issue for managing misophonia as a chronic condition and exposure to triggers during treatment. Any treatment that includes exposure to triggers should include techniques that effectively reduce the misophonic response or are devoid of consistent pairing of nontrigger stimuli with trigger stimuli. Secondly, viewing misophonia as a conditioned reflex rather than the result of a neurological defect has broad treatment implications. There is a large body of research on Pavlovian conditioning that may be applicable to the development and enhancement of treatment procedures (Donahoe & Vegas, 2004; Furedy & Riley, 1987; Lattal, 2012; Mowrer & Klein, 2000; Pavlov, 2003/1927). One simple application is that treatment should include techniques that will reduce a fundamental misophonic reflex rather than solely attempting to reduce the overt coping response of the individual. Jastreboff and Jastreboff (2014) reported achieving meaningful reduction of misophonia severity in patients with a treatment protocol that included in vivo counterconditioning experiences, along with other management techniques. Thirdly, there is an implication for research to understand misophonia. It has been proposed that misophonia is the result of a defective or malfunctioning structure in the upper brain (Møller, 2011), which is diametrically opposed to the view that misophonia is a Pavlovian conditioning phenomenon. Viewing misophonia as anomalous brain activity will bias the researchers toward looking for the cause of misophonia within the brain, compared to viewing misophonia as an aversive conditioned reflex which is a result of typical brain functioning and environmental experience. A case study has inherent limitations of generalizability and demonstration of causal factors. A controlled study is needed to demonstrate a causal relationship between the intervention and the reduction of misophonic symptoms. The patient’s initial physical misophonic reflex was a hand grasp, which seems easier to willfully control, and so may have facilitated response to treatment. Many individuals have a physical reflex that is more difficult to relax than a hand grasp. Additionally, the dependent measures were self-reports of the patient which is a limitation to the reliability of the data. The subject in this case demonstrated a high level of self-efficacy and motivation by seeking treatment, which could have been a factor for her rapid response to treatment. Furthermore, there was no formal assessment of comorbid conditions which could have an effect on the case. The forearm muscle contraction Miley experienced in response to triggers appeared to be an important factor in the manifestation of her misophonia. Identifying the specific physical reflex response in the assessment allowed her to increase the focus on that specific muscle in her PMR exercises. Relaxing a hand grasp is a common behavior, so it is likely that Miley’s ability to relax this muscle during treatment was not based solely on one week of PMR exercises. Control of the affected muscle seems to have contributed to an enhanced effect of the NRT treatment because she could willfully relax those muscles during treatment and when triggered in real life. Individuals with other muscle reflexes may require much more practice to gain control of the muscle affected by a misophonia trigger and hence receive the benefit of relaxing during NRT treatments. In both this case and that which was discussed in Dozier (2015a), the NRT treatment was effective in reducing specific triggers, but the reduction of treated triggers did not reduce non-treated triggers. By relaxing her hands in treatment, Miley developed a method of responding to real-life trigger situations that reduced her future misophonic response. This is supported by the decline in her response to triggers from her posttreatment assessment to the start of semester email report, and then the 6-month follow-up assessment at the end of the semester. In this case, Miley developed the ability to relax the affected muscles, and relaxing those muscles in trigger situations was a likely cause for the gradual reduction of her misophonic response for non-treated triggers. However at the 12-month follow-up assessment, she reported an increase in her emotional response to triggers, but she reported that her physical reflex response had remained low. Her increased emotional response to triggers may have been related to her recent diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder. This case demonstrated the successful use of the Misophonia Trigger Tamer app to deliver the NRT treatment. All NRT treatment sessions were conducted independently by the patient. Because the app gave the patient full control of the treatment parameters, proper training to use the app was essential. In this case, the patient was an intelligent, technically savvy university student. The training included tutorial videos, help from the therapist in setting the initial parameters for treatment, the guidance of an initial 5 minute NRT treatment, and learning how to adjust the trigger during treatment. The app allowed Miley to vary the intensity of the trigger stimulus within each treatment session to maintain the desired reflex response. Based on the success of the treatment, she did this well, but many patients will likely need more support and guidance. In this case, the NRT treatment did not eliminate the misophonic response to the trigger. At the end of treatment, Miley had no response to the recorded triggers, but she still had a weak response to the trigger in real life. This is understandable because the treatment setting was a different context than real-life, and conditioned reflexes are context sensitive (Lattal, 2012). It has been demonstrated with animal research that a conditioned reflex which is extinguished in one setting, can still occur in a different setting. The use of recorded vs. live trigger stimuli is a limitation of the NRT treatment. After the NRT treatment, sometimes a misophonic reflex will decline and extinguish in the real-life setting, and sometimes it will maintain at a substantially reduced level (Dozier, 2015a). It is also possible for the misophonic response to strengthen after treatment. If the response in real-life settings is unacceptably strong, then further counterconditioning treatments could be incorporated with a context that is closer to real life, including use of real-life trigger stimuli. In this case, at the 6-month follow-up, Miley reported that she had no trigger response to the spoon-on-bowl sounds, and a weaker trigger response to chewing sounds. It is plausible that she relaxed her hands in trigger situations, and this aided in the continued decline in her misophonic response to the treated triggers. This issue seems important when setting expectations with the patient on the goals of treatment. This case provides support for the use of the NRT treatment for specific misophonia trigger stimuli. This treatment may be used to reduce triggers from a single source (e.g., one person) or that occur in a single context (e.g., typing at work). Triggers should be treated sequentially, using at least three different recordings of each trigger. The patient responded extraordinarily well in this case. The treatment reported in Dozier (2015a) took over 5 months, and the patient in this study also responded well. An individual who responds more slowly may require a significantly longer treatment. The NRT treatment should enhance other treatments, such as an audiologist-provided behind-the-ear sound generator or CBT therapy, because it reduces the initial physical reflex of misophonia. This case demonstrated the importance of identifying the initial physical misophonic reflex (see Figure 3) and addressing the reflex in treatment. The therapist should help the patient identify the physical misophonic reflex as part of the assessment, which can often be accomplished by having the patient relax while hearing a single, short, quiet trigger. In this setting, the patient can often identify a specific physical response. Rarely can a misophonic patient accurately identify their initial physical reflex prior to assessment. Typically patients have reported some of the physiological responses that accompany the extreme emotional responses of misophonia as their initial physical reflex. The author has witnessed initial physical reflexes that include virtually every skeletal muscle and many internal responses (e.g., esophagus constriction, stomach constriction, intestine constriction, sexual sensation, nausea, and the urge to urinate). Many individuals have a reflex that affects several muscles (e.g., calves and toes, shoulder and neck, or several muscles in arm). Incorporating Applied Relaxation into the treatment protocol is highly recommended, with a focus on gaining control of the affected muscle. Prolonged use of Applied Relaxation may be critical to cases in which the treatment effect is slower. The NRT treatment addresses the physical reflex response of misophonia. The treatment parameters need to be set so that the patient perceives the physical response to the trigger. Some patients have reported a combined emotional and physical response using the Misophonia Trigger Tamer and have responded to treatment. Cases wherein the individual reported only an emotional response to the trigger during treatment have not shown progress. Some patients reported a pain or sensation in the ear. This can be caused by tensor tympani syndrome which accompanies severe misophonia (Jastreboff & Jastreboff, 2014). This should be considered an accompanying symptom of misophonia and not the initial physical reflex. The settings for the trigger stimulus in NRT treatment need to be high enough to activate the initial physical reflex. Tensor tympani syndrome will likely be eliminated by successfully treating misophonia (Jastreboff & Jastreboff, 2014). The Misophonia Trigger Tamer app is a means of delivering the NRT treatment for auditory triggers. Visual triggers are common in misophonia and often develop to visual stimuli paired with an auditory trigger. The Visual Trigger Tamer app can be used to provide the NRT treatment for visual triggers. The app uses a video clip for the trigger and allows video, audio, and pictures to be included in the playlist. The MAQ sum score provides a measure of the distress of an individual due to misophonia. This measure seems to be sensitive to the pervasiveness of trigger stimuli for the individual, as well as the severity of the response to individual triggers. For example, one patient used white noise and open ear headphones as the sole treatment. Her MAQ sum score dropped from 47 to 17 after one assessment and management session because the noise reduced the severity of the misophonic response so she felt no anger. Treatment should include some methods of escape and avoidance of trigger stimuli to have an immediate, meaningful improvement in the distress caused by misophonia. This is likely to aid in the effectiveness of the NRT treatment because the reflex is not continually strengthened through exposure to the trigger and the patient will have an overall improvement in well-being, enabling a positive emotional state for the NRT treatment. Individuals often seek the help of a psychological therapist for misophonia. In such cases, the therapist should consider all component parts of the misophonic experience. As shown in Figure 5, these parts are the trigger, the physical reflex response, the emotional response including physiological arousal, and overt behavior. The causal interactions shown with horizontal lines are those observed in this case, but it is likely that, in many cases, there are more complex interactions, as shown by the dotted lines. Parents generally seek help because of problems with overt child behavior. CBT or other talk therapy is often requested. Two case studies using CBT for misophonia reported positive outcomes (Bernstein et al., 2013; McGuire et al., 2015). It is recommended that a treatment plan address all component parts. Addressing only the overt behavior with enticing rewards seems contraindicated. Five distinct components of the misophonic response. Sensory processing disorder (SPD) or sensory over-responsivity shares similarities of symptomology with misophonia, and it has been suggested that SPD and misophonia are manifestations of a single disorder (Taylor et al., 2014). SPD manifests as over or under-responsiveness to stimulation from touch, taste, smell, vision, hearing, and movement, with tactile and auditory sensitivity being the most common (Reynolds & Lane, 2008; Taylor et al., 2014); and SPD auditory sensitivity is primarily to unexpected and loud noises (Schröder et al., 2013). Misophonia is generally limited to low volume auditory stimuli and visual stimuli associated with the auditory stimuli or repetitive movements. Therefore, SPD and misophonia can be viewed as different, unassociated conditions which may both result in an anger or fight-flight response (Schröder et al., 2013). Furthermore, we view the physical misophonia muscle reflex to trigger stimuli as additional support that SPD and misophonia area distinctively unique and different disorders. Misophonia is a relatively unknown condition that is a detriment or impediment to the lives of many individuals. Although many think of misophonia as a rare disorder it may afflict hundreds of millions individuals worldwide. There is a great need for fundamental research on misophonia as well as research to validate assessment instruments and establish empirically-validated treatments (Webber & Storch, 2015). Misophonia research seems to be limited by a lack of interested professors and by institutes who have committed research tracks for various neurological and psychological conditions. In this case, the debilitating effects of misophonia were ameliorated by treating a conditioned muscle reflex response to specific misophonic trigger stimuli and by the patient developing a generalized response of relaxing muscles when triggered. Although the patient experienced misophonia as an extreme emotional responses to specific environmental stimuli, it appears that her condition would be more accurately described as a conditioned skeletal muscle reflex response to specific environmental stimuli which in turn elicited extreme emotional responses. Likewise with the naming of this condition, misophonia focuses on the emotions of this disorder and diverts attention form a core component of the disorder, which is a conditioned aversive reflex. Further research on the components of misophonia is warranted. Aversive stimuli have been shown to evoke fight-or-flight responses in humans (Berkowitz, 1983; Berkowitz, Cochran, & Embree, 1981). These studies found that the aversive stimuli evoked a range of emotions that may not be reflected in overt behavior. Other research identified activation of the limbic system of humans in response to aversive odorants (Zald & Pardo, 1997) and to aversive gustatory stimuli (Zald, Lee, Fluegel, & Pardo, 1998). Such responses seem consistent with those of individuals with misophonia. Some individuals with misophonia have a weak physical reflex. In these cases, the physical stimulus is too mild to be comparable to aversive stimuli used in research studies; however, the stimulation of the physical reflex may elicit a conditioned emotional reflex. The physical reflex is intrusive, and difficult to not perceive. A person may apply distraction techniques to divert their focus from the trigger stimuli, but the physical stimulation is still perceived and could therefore elicit the conditioned emotional response. For these reasons, a more appropriate name for Misophonia would be Conditioned Aversive Reflex Disorder. Misophonia is generally viewed as a life-long, debilitating condition, which is disruptive to social and professional life, and becomes progressively worse with time. This case study treatment provides some encouraging results where the typical course of this condition was potentially reversed and apparently abated. It is hoped that the information presented here can supplement other work in developing treatment for misophonia to provide meaningful relief to those suffering from this disorder. The author did not receive any funding or financial support for the treatment development, treatment delivery, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The author is a private practitioner, with a “doing business as” entity of the Misophonia Treatment Institute. He is the developer of the Misophonia Trigger Tamer, the Visual Trigger Tamer, and Misophonia Reflex Finder apps, which are patent pending. Furedy, J. J., & Riley, D. M. (1987). Human Pavlovian autonomic conditioning and the cognitive paradigm. In G. Gavey (Ed.), Cognitive processes and Pavlovian conditioning in humans (pp. 1-25). Chichester, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons. Johnson, M. (2014, February). 50 cases of misophonia using the MMP. Paper presented at the misophonia conference of the Tinnitus Practitioners Association, Atlanta, GA. Lattal, K. M. (2012). Pavlovian conditioning. In G. J. Madden (Ed.), APA handbook of behavior analysis: Vol. 1. Methods and principles (pp. 283-306). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Press. Martz, K. (2013). Patient Panel. Presentation at the annual conference of the Misophonia Association, Portland, OR. Møller, A. R. (2011). Misophonia, phonophobia, and “exploding head” syndrome. In A. R. Møller, B. Langguth, D. DeRidder, & T. Kleinjung (Eds.), Textbook of tinnitus (pp. 25-27). New York, NY: Springer. Mowrer, R. R., & Klein, S. B. (Eds.). (2000). Handbook of contemporary learning theories. Howe, United Kingdom: Psychology Press. The sum of all scores of this assessment is an indicator of the severity of misophonia. Level 0 I hear a known trigger sound but feel no discomfort. Level 1 I am aware of the presence of a known trigger person but feel no, or minimal, anticipatory anxiety. Level 2 Known trigger sounds elicit minimal psychic discomfort, irritation, or annoyance. No symptoms of panic or fight or flight response. Level 3 I feel increasing levels of psychic discomfort but do not engage in any physical response. I may be hyper-vigilant to audio-visual stimuli. Level 4 I engage in a minimal physical response – non-confrontational coping behaviors, such as asking the trigger person to stop making the noise, discreetly covering one ear, or by calmly moving away from the noise. No panic or fight or flight symptoms exhibited. Level 5 I adopt more confrontational coping mechanisms, such as overtly covering my ears, mimicking the trigger person, make repeated sounds, or display overt irritation. Level 6 I experience substantial psychic discomfort. Symptoms of panic and a fight or flight response begin to engage. Level 7 I experience substantial psychic discomfort. Increasing use (louder, more frequent) use of confrontational coping mechanisms. I may re-imagine the trigger sound and visual cues over and over again, sometimes for weeks, months or even years after the event. Level 8 I experience substantial psychic discomfort and some violence thoughts. Level 9 Panic/rage reaction in full swing. Conscious decision not to use violence on trigger person. Actual flight from vicinity of noise and/or use of physical violence on an inanimate object. Panic, anger or severe irritation may be manifest in my demeanor. Level 10 Actual use of physical violence on a person or animal (i.e., a household pet). Violence may be inflicted on self (self-harming). Level 0 I feel no physical sensation. Level 1 I feel minimal physical sensation and can ignore it. Level 2 I feel some physical sensation but can often/always ignore it. Level 3 I feel some physical sensation but have difficulty or cannot ignore it. Level 4 I feel elevated physical sensation and usually cannot ignore it. Level 5 Feels elevated physical sensation, definitely cannot ignore it. Level 6 Feels elevated physical sensation, cannot ignore it and each incidence has an impact on person’s life. Level 7 Feels physical sensation as described above and cannot cope with it. Level 8 Feels physical sensation which can be best described as emotional pain. Level 9 Feels physical sensation which can be best described as physical pain. Level 10 Feels physical sensation which is overpowering and is causing physical pain. 0 I feel no physical sensation. 1 I feel minimal physical sensation. 2 I feel some physical sensation but can ignore it. 3 I feel some physical sensation but cannot ignore it. 4 I feel elevated physical sensation and have difficulty ignoring it. 5 I feel elevated physical sensation and definitely cannot ignore it. 6 I feel elevated physical sensation, cannot ignore it, and have negative emotions. 7 I feel physical sensation as described above, cannot cope with it, and have strong negative emotions. 8 I feel physical sensation which can be best described as emotional pain and causes very strong emotions. 9 I feel physical sensation which can be best described as physical pain and causes extreme emotions. 10 I feel physical sensation which can be best described as severe physical pain and overpowering emotions. 11 I have no physical sensation but immediately get angry at the person making the sound. 12 I have no physical sensation but immediately have rage at the person making the sound. Thomas Dozier is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (behavior scientist). He holds a Master of Science in Behavior Analysis and the Family from California State University, Stanislaus. He has researched and developed treatments for misophonia since 2012. He established the Misophonia Treatment Institute (MTI) in 2013 and serves as director. Misophonia Treatment Institute is a “doing business as” entity. Thomas H. Dozier is the sole proprietor of this entity. The goal of MTI is to promote research, development of treatments, and provide information and treatment for individuals with misophonia. In addition to his work on misophonia, Dozier works as a parenting coach to help parents apply behavior analysis to practical family problems.

2019-04-20T16:54:13Z

https://psyct.psychopen.eu/article/view/138/html

The list of links in "Cross references", above, to pages in Children of the Amphioxus is intended to provide general background to lamprey locomotion. Activities of identified interneurons, motoneurons, and muscle fibers during fictive swimming in the lamprey and effects of reticulospinal and dorsal cell stimulation. "1. Application of D-glutamate to the isolated spinal cord of the lamprey produces phasic activity in ventral roots, which is similar to that of the muscles of the intact swimming animal. Therefore, the isolated spinal cord may be used as a convenient model for the investigation of the generation of locomotor rhythms in a vertebrate. 5. Edge cells were only weakly modulated during fictive swimming. Their peak depolarizations occurred near the end of the VR burst ... Most giant interneurons were not phasically modulated during fictive swimming. 6. Repetitive intracellular stimulation of Müller cells during fictive swimming generally evoked an increased burst intensity in ipsilateral VRs and a decreased burst intensity in contralateral VRs. The cells M3, B1, and B2 also produced increases or decreases in the frequency of VR bursts. Repetitive intracellular stimulation of sensory dorsal cells could also change the intensities and timing of VR bursts. 7. This study is an initial survey of lamprey spinal interneurons that participate in swimming activity. Lateral interneurons and CC interneurons are active during fictive swimming and probably help coordinate the undulations of the body, but their roles in pattern generation are not known. The central pattern generator is subject to modification by descending and sensory inputs." "The central nervous system of the lamprey contains serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) neurones both in the spinal cord and in the brainstem. Endogenously released 5-HT from these systems modulates the pattern of fictive locomotion induced in the in vitro preparation; the burst rate is lowered and burst discharges become longer and of higher intensity. Local application of 5-HT, mimicking activation of the 5-HT systems, has a specific effect on the late phase of the afterhyperpolarization (AHP) in motoneurones and interneurones. 5-HT markedly reduces the amplitude of the late AHP without affecting passive membrane properties or the shape or threshold of the action potential. This 5-HT effect appears to result from a direct action on the calcium-dependent potassium channels underlying the late phase of the AHP. A reduction of the amplitude of the AHP will result in altered spike discharge characteristics, with potentiation of the response (discharge rate) to a given excitatory input in all neurones influenced by 5-HT. It is suggested that the modulatory effect of 5-HT on fictive locomotion can be attributed to its action on the late AHP and thereby to the potentiation of excitability in excitatory and inhibitory interneurones in the generator circuitry. This has been further corroborated in computer simulation studies of a network model, where the action of 5-HT was simulated by decreasing AHP amplitude, resulting in a slowing of the rhythm analogous to the effect demonstrated experimentally." "A great deal of our current understanding of the brain originated from discoveries made at the cellular and molecular levels. However, even with all of the pieces of information at hand, it is very difficult to sort out the relevant mechanisms responsible for the operation of a neural system. Thus, we must use experimental models that are simple enough to understand and yet sufficiently complex to capture essential features of whatever function we want to consider. On the other hand, we need to be able to test the relative contribution of these features and therefore must recur to computer simulations of system models. In this paper, we deal with the motor system used for ambulation. Locomotion is a universal pattern of behavior generated by a family of different neural control systems: (1) generation of the propulsion (rhythmic limb or trunk movements); (2) visuomotor coordination adapting the movements to the environment..." Neural networks that co-ordinate locomotion and body orientation in lamprey. "The networks of the brainstem and spinal cord that co-ordinate locomotion and body orientation in lamprey are described. The cycle-to-cycle pattern generation of these networks is produced by interacting glutamatergic and glycinergic neurones, with NMDA receptor-channels playing an important role at lower rates of locomotion. The fine tuning of the networks produced by 5-HT, dopamine and GABA systems involves a modulation of Ca2+-dependent K+ channels, high- and low-threshold voltage-activated Ca2+ channels and presynaptic inhibitory mechanisms." "The vestibular control of the body orientation during swimming is exerted via reticulospinal neurones located in different reticular nuclei. These neurones become activated maximally at different angles of tilt." Interaction between the caudal brainstem and the lamprey central pattern generator for locomotion. "Because of its remarkable simplicity and the robustness of the isolated preparation, the lamprey has been used as a model system to study locomotion and its central pattern generator. The function of the spinal cord is relatively well understood in this context, but the role of the brain or even the caudal brainstem remains less so. We here present a study of the interaction between the caudal brainstem and the spinal pattern generator for locomotion. We show that the interaction is highly complex, with both feedforward input from the brainstem to spinal cord and feedback input from the spinal cord to brainstem playing a significant role in the motor output during locomotion. The brainstem, when diffusely stimulated pharmacologically, can initiate fictive locomotion, or it can disrupt or alter the ongoing D-glutamate initiated motor output. The nature of the disruptions vary greatly, and can induce generalized irregularity, while the alterations can include accelerating or decelerating of the bursting. All behaviors are displayed with spectrograms of the motor nerve discharge. We also show that the unstimulated brainstem can disrupt as well as slow the bursting, but in a complex fashion. Finally, a slow episodic behavior initiated from the caudal brainstem is also described. This can be elicited either by D-glutamate to the brainstem or by ascending activity from the spinal cord pattern generator. Thus, we demonstrate that the interaction between the brainstem and the spinal cord during the production of locomotion is highly complex. The locomotion that is exhibited by the combined brainstem-spinal cord preparation is extremely variable. This is in striking contrast to the variability of the locomotor output pharmacologically induced in the spinal cord alone. The latter preparation exhibits remarkable regularity, or upon occasion, irregularity, but not the routine irregularity or the systemic up and down changes in frequency seen with the brainstem present. However, the pattern of frequency changes induced by the brainstem is not predictable, and remains to be understood." "... the interaction is highly complex, with both feedforward input from the brainstem to spinal cord and feedback input from the spinal cord to brainstem playing a significant role in the motor output during locomotion." A mesencephalic relay for visual inputs to reticulospinal neurones in lampreys. "Visual stimuli elicit motor responses in lampreys. These responses rely, in part, on the activation of reticulospinal (RS) neurones which constitute the main descending pathway in these early vertebrates. This study sought to identify and characterize possible mesencephalic relays for visual inputs to RS neurones of the rhombencephalon. The anatomical substrate subserving this function was investigated by iontophoretically ejecting cobalt-lysine, a retrograde tracer, in the middle rhombencephalic reticular nucleus in the in vitro isolated brainstem preparation of young adult Petromyzon marinus. Several populations of cells were retrogradely labeled in the brainstem. Of particular interest were the cell populations found on each side of rostral mesencephalon, located in the tectum and pretectum. There were, on average, 113 cells labeled contralateral to the injection site and 80 cells labeled ipsilateral to the injection site. The cells were morphologically similar on both sides, except that the contralateral group had larger cell bodies as compared to the group on the ipsilateral side. To determine whether the axons of the cells contacted reticulospinal neurones, electrophysiological experiments were carried out in which the region containing these cells was microstimulated. Large post-synaptic potentials were recorded intracellularly in RS neurones. Furthermore, microstimulation of the optic nerve on the same side as the recorded cell (i ON) evoked responses with a pattern similar to those resulting from stimulation of the optic tectum contralateral to the cell recorded (co OT), except for the longer response latencies. Local ejection of xylocaine (1% lidocaine hydrochloride) or CNQX (1 mM) onto the co OT reversibly abolished the responses evoked from stimulation of the i ON. There were no significant effects observed when the drug was ejected onto optic tectum ipsilateral to the cell. Taken together, the results from this study indicate that the crossed tectoreticular pathway is involved in relaying optic nerve inputs to RS neurones of the middle rhombencephalic reticular nucleus. Moreover, cells of origin of this pathway appear, in all respect, homologous to cells giving rise to the crossed tectobulbar pathway in other vertebrates." "Taken together, the results from this study indicate that the crossed tectoreticular pathway is involved in relaying optic nerve inputs to RS neurones of the middle rhombencephalic reticular nucleus. Moreover, cells of origin of this pathway appear, in all respect, homologous to cells giving rise to the crossed tectobulbar pathway in other vertebrates." See the paper for the links. "The sensory control of lamprey dorsal fin motoneurons was studied by using paired intracellular recordings combined with a morphological analysis. Dorsal cells innervating the skin of the dorsal fin and fin motoneurons were retrogradely labeled by injecting fluoresceincoupled dextran amines into the dorsal fin. Labeled motoneurons and dorsal cells showed close appositions, suggesting that the dorsal cells innervating the fin region make monosynaptic connections with fin motoneurons. By using conventional electrophysiological criteria, monosynaptic excitatory connections were found between fin dorsal cells and fin motoneurons. In addition, Lucifer yellow injection followed by confocal three-dimensional (3-D) reconstructions of monosynaptically connected pairs, revealed close apposition between dorsal cell axons and the distal dendrites of fin motoneurons. Each fin motoneuron received monosynaptic excitatory input from at least four different afferents. The amplitude of the monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)s was reduced by administration of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist DL,2 amino-5-phosphovaleric acid (APV). Sensory stimulation could also elicit di- or oligosynaptic inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)s, which were blocked by the glycine antagonist strychnine, resulting in the appearance of large monosynaptic EPSPs, which could induce action potentials." " By using conventional electrophysiological criteria, monosynaptic excitatory connections were found between fin dorsal cells and fin motoneurons." Organization of the lamprey striatum - transmitters and projections. "The purpose of the present study is to characterize the striatum of the lamprey by immunohistochemical and tracing techniques. Cells immunoreactive for GABA and substance P (SP), and positive for acetylcholinesterase, are present in the lamprey striatum. Immunoreactive (ir) fibers were detected by antisera raised against SP, dopamine, enkephalin and serotonin. These immunoreactive fibers were mainly located in the periventricular neuropil that borders the striatum and in which GABAergic striatal neurons distributed their dendritic arbors. Putative connections between the striatum, the ventral part of the lateral pallium, and the diencephalic motor centers involved in the control of locomotion were studied by using fluorescein-coupled dextran amines (FDA) as a tracer. The striatum projects to the ventral part of the lateral pallium (lpv), where GABA-ir cells and SP-ir fibers were also present. The lpv in turn projects to the ventral thalamus, which has descending connections to the reticulospinal cells involved in the control of locomotion. These results, together with previous findings of histaminergic and neurotensin projections, suggest that the lamprey striatum and its inputs with regard to neurotransmitters/modulators are very similar to those of modem amniotes, including primates, and are thus conserved to a high degree." "The striatum projects to the ventral part of the lateral pallium (lpv), where GABA-ir cells and SP-ir fibers were also present. The lpv in turn projects to the ventral thalamus, which has descending connections to the reticulospinal cells involved in the control of locomotion." Note mention of the "ventral thalamus". Differential effects of the reticulospinal system on locomotion in lamprey. "The main conclusion of the present study is that the proportion of RS neurons with different influences on the spinal locomotor network differs significantly among different parts of the reticular formation of the lamprey. The specificity of RS influences may represent a basis for modifications of the segmental locomotor output necessary for the control of equilibrium and steering during locomotion." Unfortunately, there's no mention of neurotransmitters, so it doesn't provide any insight into the roles of glutamate vs GABA in locomotion. "The forebrain, brain stem, and spinal cord contribution to the control of locomotion is reviewed in this chapter. The lamprey is used as an experimental model because it allows a detailed cellular analysis of the neuronal network underlying locomotion. The focus is on cellular mechanisms that are important for the pattern generation, as well as different types of pre- and postsynaptic modulation. Neuropeptides target different cellular and synaptic mechanisms and cause long-lasting changes ( > 24 h) in network function." "The forebrain, brain stem, and spinal cord contribution to the control of locomotion ..." "Behavioral studies in lampreys of the northern genera, Ichthyomyzon, reveal that sensory inputs initiate and modulate locomotion by activation of reticulospinal (RS) neurones. "The interneurones relaying afferent vestibular, trigeminal, lateral line, cutaneous and proprioceptive inputs are localized in the rhombencephalic region" This is another example of behavior which was initiated, not by the Substantia Nigra pars Compacta (SNc) and not by the rhombocephalon, but by sensory input relayed by interneurones in the rhombencephalon. This may turn out to be what is actually happening in most cases. The roles of spinal interneurons and motoneurons in the lamprey locomotor network. "The isolated lamprey spinal cord offers a relatively simple and convenient adult preparation in which to investigate how nerve cells generate behavior and in particular the rhythmic motor patterns of locomotion. Nerve cell classes can be identified and their cellular and synaptic properties characterized, and a simple model based on demonstrated synaptic connectivity can account for major aspects of fictive swimming. Clearly, however, much remains to be learned. In particular, the properties of the spinal neurons have been shown to change during swimming activity but relatively little is known about how these changes occur or the effects that these changes have upon the activities of the network. In addition, much remains to be learned about the cell types and their synaptic interactions as demonstrated here with the newly discovered feedback connections from motoneurons, which have not been previously taken into account in modeling of the lamprey locomotor network." Activity-dependent metaplasticity of inhibitory and excitatory synaptic transmission in the lamprey spinal cord locomotor network. A cellular mechanism for the transformation of a sensory input into a motor command. "The initiation and control of locomotion largely depend on processing of sensory inputs. The cellular bases of locomotion have been extensively studied in lampreys where reticulospinal (RS) neurons constitute the main descending system activating and controlling the spinal locomotor networks. Ca(2+) imaging and intracellular recordings were used to study the pattern of activation of RS neurons in response to cutaneous stimulation. Pressure applied to the skin evoked a linear input/output relationship in RS neurons until a threshold level, at which a depolarizing plateau was induced, the occurrence of which was associated with the onset of swimming activity in a semi-intact preparation. The occurrence of a depolarizing plateau was abolished by blocking the NMDA receptors that are located on RS cells. Moreover, the depolarizing plateaus were accompanied by a rise in [Ca(2+)](i), and an intracellular injection of the Ca(2+) chelator BAPTA into single RS cells abolished the plateaus, suggesting that the latter are Ca(2+) dependent and rely on intrinsic properties of RS cells. The plateaus were shown to result from the activation of a Ca(2+)-activated nonselective cation current that maintains the cell in a depolarized state. It is concluded that this intrinsic property of the RS neuron is then responsible for the transformation of an incoming sensory signal into a motor command that is then forwarded to the spinal locomotor networks." The intrinsic function of a motor system--from ion channels to networks and behavior. "The forebrain, brainstem and spinal cord contribution to the control of locomotion is reviewed in this article. The lamprey is used as an experimental model since it allows a detailed cellular analysis of the neuronal network underlying locomotion. The focus is on cellular mechanisms that are important for the pattern generation, as well as different types of pre- and postsynaptic modulation. This experimental model is bridging the gap between the molecular and cellular level to the network and behavioral level." Stimulation of the mesencephalic locomotor region elicits controlled swimming in semi-intact lampreys. "The role of the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) in initiating and controlling the power of swimming was studied in semi-intact preparations of larval and adult sea lampreys. The brain and the rostral portion of the spinal cord were exposed in vitro, while the intact caudal two-thirds of the body swam freely in the Ringer's-containing chamber. Electrical microstimulation (2-10 Hz; 0. 1-5.0 microA) within a small periventricular region in the caudal mesencephalon elicited well-coordinated and controlled swimming that began within a few seconds after the onset of stimulation and lasted throughout the stimulation period. Swimming stopped several seconds after the end of stimulation. The power of swimming, expressed by the strength of the muscle contractions and the frequency and the amplitude of the lateral displacement of the body or tail, increased as the intensity or frequency of the stimulating current were increased. Micro-injection of AMPA, an excitatory amino acid agonist, into the MLR also elicited active swimming. Electrical stimulation of the MLR elicited large EPSPs in reticulospinal neurons (RS) of the middle rhombencephalic reticular nucleus (MRRN), which also displayed rhythmic activity during swimming. The retrograde tracer cobalt-lysine was injected into the MRRN and neurons (dia. 10-20 microm) were labelled in the MLR, indicating that this region projects to the rhombencephalic reticular formation. Taken together, the present results indicate that, as higher vertebrates, lampreys possess a specific mesencephalic region that controls locomotion, and the effects onto the spinal cord are relayed by brainstem RS neurons." "Taken together, the present results indicate that, as higher vertebrates, lampreys possess a specific mesencephalic region that controls locomotion, and the effects onto the spinal cord are relayed by brainstem RS neurons." Heterogeneity of the population of command neurons in the lamprey. Fast and slow locomotor burst generation in the hemispinal cord of the lamprey. "A fundamental question in vertebrate locomotion is whether distinct spinal networks exist that are capable of generating rhythmic output for each group of muscle synergists. In many vertebrates including the lamprey, it has been claimed that burst activity depends on reciprocal inhibition between antagonists. This question was addressed in the isolated lamprey spinal cord in which the left and right sides of each myotome display rhythmic alternating activity. We sectioned the spinal cord along the midline and tested whether rhythmic motor activity could be induced in the hemicord with bath-applied D-glutamate or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) as in the intact spinal cord or by brief trains of electrical stimuli. Fast rhythmic bursting (2-12 Hz), coordinated across ventral roots, was observed with all three methods. Furthermore, to diminish gradually the crossed glycinergic inhibition, a progressive surgical lesioning of axons crossing the midline was implemented. This resulted in a gradual increase in burst frequency, linking firmly the fast hemicord rhythm [6.6 +/- 1.7 (SD) Hz] to fictive swimming in the intact cord (2.4 +/- 0.7 Hz). Ipsilateral glycinergic inhibition was not required for the hemicord burst pattern generation, suggesting that an interaction between excitatory glutamatergic neurons suffices to produce the unilateral burst pattern. In NMDA, burst activity at a much lower rate (0.1-0.4 Hz) was also encountered, which required the voltage-dependent properties of NMDA receptors in contrast to the fast rhythm. Swimming is thus produced by pairs of unilateral burst generating networks with reciprocal inhibitory connections that not only ensure left/right alternation but also downregulate frequency." "Swimming is thus produced by pairs of unilateral burst generating networks with reciprocal inhibitory connections that not only ensure left/right alternation but also downregulate frequency." Tectal control of locomotion, steering, and eye movements in lamprey. "The intrinsic function of the brain stem-spinal cord networks eliciting the locomotor synergy is well described in the lamprey-a vertebrate model system. This study addresses the role of tectum in integrating eye, body orientation, and locomotor movements as in steering and goal-directed behavior. Electrical stimuli were applied to different areas within the optic tectum in head-restrained semi-intact lampreys (n = 40). Motions of the eyes and body were recorded simultaneously (videotaped). Brief pulse trains (<0.5 s) elicited only eye movements, but with longer stimuli (>0.5 s) lateral bending movements of the body (orientation movements) were added, and with even longer stimuli locomotor movements were initiated. Depending on the tectal area stimulated, four characteristic response patterns were observed. In a lateral area conjugate horizontal eye movements combined with lateral bending movements of the body and locomotor movements were elicited, depending on stimulus duration. The amplitude of the eye movement and bending movements was site specific within this region. In a rostromedial area, bilateral downward vertical eye movements occurred. In a caudomedial tectal area, large-amplitude undulatory body movements akin to struggling behavior were elicited, combined with large-amplitude eye movements that were antiphasic to the body movements. The alternating eye movements were not dependent on vestibuloocular reflexes. Finally, in a caudolateral area locomotor movements without eye or bending movements could be elicited. These results show that tectum can provide integrated motor responses of eye, body orientation, and locomotion of the type that would be required in goal-directed locomotion." "These results show that tectum can provide integrated motor responses of eye, body orientation, and locomotion of the type that would be required in goal-directed locomotion." Note: At this point PubMed seems to have changed the results for this search. I need to review the references starting here to see if there is anything that I didn't find the first time through which may be useful. Descending brain-spinal cord projections in a primitive vertebrate, the lamprey: cerebrospinal fluid-contacting and dopaminergic neurons. "We used Neurobiotin as a retrograde tract tracer in both larval and adult sea lampreys and observed a number of neuronal brainstem populations (mainly reticular and octaval populations and some diencephalic nuclei) that project to the spinal cord, in agreement with the results of previous tracer studies. We also observed small labeled neurons in the ventral hypothalamus, the mammillary region, and the paratubercular nucleus, nuclei that were not reported as spinal projecting. Notably, most of the labeled cells of the mammillary region and some of the ventral hypothalamus were cerebrospinal fluid-contacting (CSF-c) neurons. Combined tract tracing and immunocytochemistry showed that some of the labeled neurons of the mammillary and paratubercular nuclei were dopamine immunoreactive. In addition, some CSF-c cells were labeled in the caudal rhombencephalon and rostral spinal cord, and many were also dopamine immunoreactive. Results with other tracers (biotinylated dextran amines, horseradish peroxidase, and the carbocyanine dye DiI) also demonstrated that the molecular weight or the molecular nature of the tracer was determinant in revealing diencephalic cells with very thin axons. The results show that descending systems afferent to the spinal cord in lampreys are more varied than previously reported, and reveal a descending projection from CSF-c cells, which is unknown in vertebrates. The present results also reveal the existence of large differences between agnathans and gnathostomes in the organization of the dopaminergic cells that project to the spinal cord." "We ... observed a number of neuronal brainstem populations (mainly reticular and octaval populations and some diencephalic nuclei) that project to the spinal cord, in agreement with the results of previous tracer studies. I'm interested in projections to the spinal cord. The above mentions the DLR but not the MLR. What is the interaction between them? Neural bases of goal-directed locomotion in vertebrates--an overview. The activity of spinal commissural interneurons during fictive locomotion in the lamprey. "Locomotor networks in the spinal cord are controlled by descending systems which in turn receive feedback signals from ascending systems about the state of the locomotor networks. In lamprey, the ascending system consists of spinobulbar neurons which convey spinal network signals to the two descending systems, the reticulospinal and vestibulospinal neurons. Previous studies showed that spinobulbar neurons consist of both ipsilaterally and contralaterally projecting cells distributed at all rostrocaudal levels of the spinal cord, though most numerous near the obex. The axons of spinobulbar neurons ascend in the ventrolateral spinal cord and brainstem to the caudal mesencephalon and within the dendritic arbors of reticulospinal and vestibulospinal neurons. Compared to mammals, the ascending system in lampreys is more direct, consisting of excitatory and inhibitory monosynaptic inputs from spinobulbar neurons to reticulospinal neurons. The spinobulbar neurons are rhythmically active during fictive locomotion, representing a wide range of timing relationships with nearby ventral root bursts including those in phase, out of phase, and active during burst transitions between opposite ventral roots. The spinobulbar neurons are not simply relay cells because they can have mutual synaptic interactions with their reticulospinal neuron targets and they can have synaptic outputs to other spinal neurons. Spinobulbar neurons not only receive locomotor inputs but also receive direct inputs from primary mechanosensory neurons. Due to the relative simplicity of the lamprey nervous system and motor control system, the spinobulbar neurons and their interactions with reticulospinal neurons may be advantageous for investigating the general organization of ascending systems in the vertebrate." " In lamprey, the ascending system consists of spinobulbar neurons which convey spinal network signals to the two descending systems, the reticulospinal and vestibulospinal neurons." Simple cellular and network control principles govern complex patterns of motor behavior. "Spinal interneurons are organized into networks that control the activity and output of the motor system. This review outlines recent progress in defining the rules that govern the assembly and function of spinal motor networks, focusing on three main areas. We first examine how subtle variations in the wiring diagrams and organization of locomotor networks in different vertebrates permits animals to adapt their motor programs to the demands of their physical environment. We discuss how the membrane properties of spinal interneurons, and their synaptic interactions, underlie the modulation of motor circuits and encoded motor behaviors. We also describe recent molecular genetic approaches to map and manipulate the connectivity and interactions of spinal interneurons and to assess the impact of such perturbations on network function and motor behavior." The lamprey locomotor network, arguably the ancestral doyen of vertebrate locomotor systems, generates a pronounced left-right alternation of motor output in each segment, while imposing a segmental phase lag that results in the propagation of an undulatory wave of motor activity along the body axis, from head to tail ( 5 ). This basic motor strategy is evident in most fish, in the larval stages of amphibia, and in a more limited form, in some mammals ( 8 , 10 , 6 , 11 ). Some 100 million years after the emergence of agnathans, the acquisition of pectoral fins – paired appendages that represent the precursors of the tetrapod limb – permitted aquatic vertebrates to use them for steering and move them in either alternating or synchronous modes during locomotion. Mammals, comparative newcomers that appeared on the scene only ?130 million years ago, have retained and embellished this versatile appendicular addition to the motor repertoire." "The first vertebrates to emerge, some 500 millions year ago" ... "Mammals, comparative newcomers that appeared on the scene only ?130 million years ago" A parallel cholinergic brainstem pathway for enhancing locomotor drive. "The brainstem locomotor system is believed to be organized serially from the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) to reticulospinal neurons, which in turn project to locomotor neurons in the spinal cord. We identified brainstem muscarinoceptive neurons in lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) that received parallel inputs from the MLR and projected back to reticulospinal cells to amplify and extend the duration of locomotor output. These cells responded to muscarine with extended periods of excitation, received direct muscarinic excitation from the MLR and projected glutamatergic excitation to reticulospinal neurons. Targeted blockade of muscarine receptors over these neurons profoundly reduced MLR-induced excitation of reticulospinal neurons and markedly slowed MLR-evoked locomotion. The presence of these neurons forces us to rethink the organization of supraspinal locomotor control, to include a sustained feedforward loop that boosts locomotor output." "The brainstem locomotor system is believed to be organized serially from the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) to reticulospinal neurons, which in turn project to locomotor neurons in the spinal cord. We identified brainstem muscarinoceptive neurons in lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) that received parallel inputs from the MLR and projected back to reticulospinal cells to amplify and extend the duration of locomotor output." "Discrete neural networks in the central nervous system generate the repertoire of motor behavior necessary for animal survival. The final motor output of these networks is the result of the anatomical connectivity between the individual neurons and also their biophysical properties as well as the dynamics of their synaptic transmission. To illustrate how this processing takes place to produce coordinated motor activity, we have summarized some of the results available from the lamprey spinal locomotor network. The detailed knowledge available in this model system on the organization of the network together with the properties of the constituent neurons and the modulatory systems allows us to determine how the impact of specific ion channels and receptors is translated to the global activity of the locomotor circuitry. Understanding the logic of the neuronal and synaptic processing within the locomotor network will provide information about not only their normal operation but also how they react to disruption such as injuries or trauma." See: Mesencephalic Locomotor Region for full Abstract, Related citations and Cited by's. Forebrain dopamine neurons project down to a brainstem region controlling locomotion. Motion with direction and balance.

2019-04-26T01:41:25Z

http://psychology.children-of-the-amphioxus.com/table-of-contents/lamprey-locomotion

In SQL, a number – i.e.: any signed, or unsigned, combination of the digits 0 to 9 – is either an exact numeric value or an approximate numeric value. A numeric value may be a <literal>, the value of a parameter or a host language variable or the result of any expression or argument (including a possibly qualified <Column name>) that evaluates to a number. Exact numeric values have a precision and a scale. The precision is a positive integer that determines the number of significant digits in the radix. The scale is a non-negative integer that specifies the number of digits to the right of the value’s decimal point. Exact numeric values are stored in one of the four exact numeric <data type>s: INTEGER, SMALLINT, NUMERIC or DECIMAL. Approximate numeric values, or floating point numbers, have two parts: a signed decimal number (the mantissa) and a signed integer (the exponent). The exponent specifies the magnitude of the mantissa, so the value of such a number is the mantissa raised to the power of the exponent. Approximate numeric values also have a precision: a positive integer that specifies the number of significant bits in the mantissa. Approximate numeric values are stored in one of the three approximate numeric <data type>s: FLOAT, REAL or DOUBLE PRECISION. A <numeric literal> is any number in one of two categories: the exact numeric integers and decimal numbers, and the approximate numeric floating point numbers. An <exact numeric literal> is either an integer or a decimal number and its <data type> is exact numeric DECIMAL, though it is compatible with the INTEGER, SMALLINT, DECIMAL, NUMERIC, REAL, FLOAT and DOUBLE PRECISION <data type>s. The <literal>’s precision is the number of digits it contains and its scale is the number of digits to the right of its decimal point. A valid integer <literal> is a signed or unsigned decimal integer with an implicit scale of zero, e.g.: -65 or 476. A valid decimal <literal> is a signed or unsigned decimal integer with an explicit scale (that can nevertheless default to zero), e.g.: 65 or -819.3 or .67 or -.02. In this example, we’ve shown the real and double precision numbers in a normalized form – with one digit before the decimal point. This is not mandatory, but strongly recommended. We also show a fixed number of digits after the decimal point so that maximum sizes will be apparent; in fact leading zeroes and signs, as well as post-decimal zeros are all optional. The one thing that is not optional is the letter “E” – always upper-case. The <data type>’s name: either INTEGER, SMALLINT, NUMERIC, DECIMAL, FLOAT, REAL or DOUBLE PRECISION. The <data type>’s scale (for exact numeric types). Whether the <data type>’s precision and scale are expressed in decimal or binary terms. The required syntax for an INTEGER <data type> specification is as follows. INTEGER may be abbreviated as INT; it defines a set of possibly signed whole numbers that have a scale of zero. [NON-PORTABLE] INT’s precision must be greater than or equal to the precision of SMALLINT but is non-standard because the SQL Standard requires implementors to define INT’s precision. FIPS says that INT should have a precision of at least 9 digits. OCELOT Implementation] The OCELOT DBMS that comes with this book defines INT as a 32-bit, signed binary numeric, i.e.: INT corresponds to the C long int data type. Thus, INT defines a set of values that are possibly signed whole numbers with a precision of 31 bits and a scale of zero, e.g., -6500 or 476673. [NON-PORTABLE] INT’s radix must be the same as the radix chosen for SMALLINT but is non-standard because the SQL Standard requires implementors to define whether INT and SMALLINT have a binary radix or a decimal radix. [OCELOT Implementation] The OCELOT DBMS that comes with this book defines INT and SMALLINT with a binary radix, i.e.: 2. This gives INT a valid range of -2,147,483,647 to +2,147,483,647. The required syntax for a SMALLINT <data type> specification is as follows. SMALLINT defines a set of possibly signed whole numbers that have a scale of zero. [NON-PORTABLE] SMALLINT’s precision must be less than or equal to the precision of INT but is non-standard because the SQL Standard requires implementors to define SMALLINT’s precision. FIPS says that SMALLINT should have a precision of at least 4 digits. [OCELOT Implementation] The OCELOT DBMS that comes with this book defines SMALLINT as a 16-bit signed binary numeric, i.e.: SMALLINT corresponds to the C int data type. Thus, SMALLINT defines a set of values that are possibly signed whole numbers with a precision of 15 bits and a scale of zero, e.g., -65 or 476. [NON-PORTABLE] SMALLINT’s radix must be the same as the radix chosen for INT but is non-standard because the SQL Standard requires implementors to define whether SMALLINT and INT have a binary radix or a decimal radix, i.e., 2. THis gives SMALLINT a range of -32,767 to +32,767. [OCELOT Implementation] The OCELOT DBMS that comes with this book defines SMALLINT and INT with a binary radix, i.e.: 2. This gives SMALLINT a range of -32,767 to +32,767. The required syntax for a NUMERIC <data type> specification is as follows. NUMERIC is a fixed-point numeric with a decimal precision and decimal scale that are equal to the explicit precision and the explicit scale given; it defines a set of values that are possibly signed decimal numbers with an optionally defined precision and optionally defined scale, e.g., or 65.73 or .6 or -819.3 or -.25. The optional precision, if specified, is an unsigned integer that defines the maximum precision of acceptable values. The minimum precision is 1. The optional scale, if specified, is an unsigned integer, greater than zero, that defines the maximum number of digits in the scale of acceptable values. It must be less than the precision and defaults to zero if omitted. You may define a scale for NUMERIC only if you also define a precision: if no precision is defined, the scale must default to zero. The required syntax for a DECIMAL <data type> specification is as follows. DECIMAL may be abbreviated as DEC and is a fixed-point numeric with a decimal scale that is equal to the explicit scale given; it defines a set of values that are possibly signed decimal numbers with an optionally defined precision and optionally defined scale, e.g., 65.73 or .6 or -819.3 or -.25. The optional precision, if specified, is an unsigned integer that defines the maximum precision of acceptable values. DEC’s decimal precision must be at least equal to the precision you define – compare COBOL, which allows “PIC S9(3) COMP-1” but might allot a full-word “PIC S9(5)” for internal storage. The minimum precision is 1. The optional scale, if specified, is an unsigned integer, greater than zero, that defines the maximum number of digits in the scale of acceptable values. It must be less than the precision and defaults to zero if omitted. You may define a scale for DEC only if you also define a precision: if no precision is defined, the scale must default to zero. The required syntax for a FLOAT <data type> specification is as follows. FLOAT is a floating-point numeric with a binary precision; it defines a set of values that are possibly signed floating point numbers. The optional precision, if specified, is an unsigned integer that defines the maximum number of bits (including the hidden bit) in the mantissa of acceptable values. FLOAT’s binary precision must be at least equal to the precision you define. The minimum precision is 1. [NON-PORTABLE] The minimum exponent and the maximum exponent for FLOAT are non-standard because the SQL Standard requires implementors to define FLOAT’s minimum and maximum exponents. [OCELOT Implementation] The OCELOT DBMS that comes with this book allows you to define an exponent ranging from -038 to +038 for FLOAT. The required syntax for a REAL <data type> specification is as follows. REAL is a floating-point numeric with a binary precision, i.e.: REAL defines a set of values that are possibly signed floating point numbers. For example, -1.27982E+15 or .465E-07. [NON-PORTABLE] The minimum exponent and the maximum exponent for REAL are non-standard because the SQL Standard requires implementors to define REAL’s minimum and maximum exponents. [OCELOT Implementation] The OCELOT DBMS that comes with this book allows you to define an exponent ranging from -38 to +38 for REAL. The required syntax for a DOUBLE PRECISION <data type> specification is as follows. DOUBLE PRECISION is a floating-point numeric with a binary precision, i.e.: DOUBLE PRECISION defines a set of values that are possibly signed floating point numbers. [NON-PORTABLE] The minimum exponent and the maximum exponent for DOUBLE PRECISION are non-standard because the SQL Standard requires implementors to define DOUBLE PRECISION’s minimum and maximum exponents. [OCELOT Implementation] The OCELOT DBMS that comes with this book allows you to define an exponent ranging from -038 to +038 for DOUBLE PRECISION. Throughout this section, we´ve shown examples of <numeric literal>s that conform to the various SQL <data type>s we´re describing. It is important to remember that your DBMS doesn´t see them that way. To an SQL DBMS, <exact numeric literal>s have a DECIMAL <data type> and <approximate numeric literal>s have a FLOAT <data type>. Now that we’ve described SQL’s numeric <data type>s, let’s look at some example SQL statements that put them to use. These SQL statements make a Table with four exact numeric Columns, insert a row, then search for any number less than -1. These SQL statements make a Table with three approximate numeric Columns, insert a row, then search for any number less than 50000. According to the IEEE Standard for Binary Floating-Point Arithmetic, “single-” and “double-precision” numbers are defined as follows. The most significant mantissa bit is assumed to be 1. It is not stored. You’d find the same specification in, say, an Intel FPU reference text or a C++ manual. But we found discrepancies when looking through documents for Java (where the exponent range is between -35 and +38), Delphi (where the exponent range is between -45 and +38 for single-precision and between -324 and -308 for double- precision), FIPS SQL (where the FLOAT exponent+size are 9+47 and the REAL exponent+size are 7+23). So, for portability reasons, it would be a good idea to avoid the extremes of the IEEE range. Most DBMSs support IEEE float formats because FIPS requires that the decimal ranges be supported and because the DBMS code itself is written in a language that supports IEEE floats. But never does an official SQL standard tell vendors “how to store the data”. So it might be that your DBMS actually uses the IEEE sizes or it might be that your DBMS actually stores float decimal literals (as xBase does) and processes with base-10 arithmetic. If so, the following information doesn’t apply to you. [Obscure Information] applies for the rest of this section. Note that the number is wrong (three thirds should equal 1). Increase the scale. Try again. You’ll never get the correct result because you can’t accurately represent 1/3 as a decimal fraction. If your Table has 1000 rows, then the conversion to binary happens 1000 times – cumulating the inaccuracy each time – and the conversion back to decimal happens only once, when the final SUM is returned. Rounding won’t save you, because the result – 99.45 – is good to the nearest hundredth. And you won’t check the result in your head. Yet the result is “wrong”. In theory, this arithmetic exercise is not a “floating point” problem. We introduced the inaccuracy by converting a decimal fraction to binary. Both fixed-point and floating-point binary fractions have the same danger of inaccuracy, because the danger lies in the fact that we’re dealing with binary numbers – not in the fact that we’re dealing with floating-point numbers. So, in theory, the same “wrong” result could be returned for a DECIMAL Column or a NUMERIC Column. In practice, though, the better SQL DBMSs won’t use binary fractions for DECIMAL or NUMERIC values. Instead, like COBOL with “PIC 9V99”, they actually store an integer with an implied decimal point – so the number 1/100 is, internally, 1. No conversion occurs because an integral number of hundredths are being stored, rather than a fraction. Because of this, for all financial transactions, both money and interest ought to be DECIMAL or NUMERIC. The frequency of definitions like: CREATE TABLE Table_1 (salary FLOAT); is a mistake, justified only by the fact that, in C or Pascal, it’s normal to define big or non-integer variables as floating-point. A number is compatible with, and comparable to, all other numbers – that is, all numbers are mutually comparable and mutually assignable. Numbers may not be directly compared with, or directly assigned to, any other <data type> class, though implicit type conversions can occur in expressions, SELECTs, INSERTs, DELETEs and UPDATEs. Explicit numeric type conversions can be forced with the CAST operator. In SQL, CAST is a scalar operator that converts a given scalar value to a given scalar <data type>. The required syntax for the CAST operator is as follows. The CAST operator converts values of a source <data type> into values of a target <data type>, where each <data type> is an SQL pre-defined <data type> (data conversions between UDTs are done with a user-defined cast). The source <data type>, or <cast operand>, can be any expression that evaluates to a single value. The target <data type>, or <cast target>, is either an SQL predefined <data type> specification or the name of a Domain whose defined <data type> is the SQL predefined <data type> that you want to convert the value of “scalar_expression” into. If you use CAST (… AS <Domain name>), your current <AuthorizationID> must have the USAGE Privilege on that Domain. CAST (NULL AS <data type>) and CAST numeric_source_is_a_null_value AS <data type>) both result in NULL. You can CAST an exact numeric source to these targets: exact numeric, approximate numeric, fixed length character string, variable length character string, CLOB and NCLOB. You can also CAST an exact numeric source to an interval target, provided the target contains only one datetime field. That is, you can CAST an integer to INTERVAL YEAR or to INTERVAL MONTH, but you can’t CAST it to INTERVAL YEAR TO MONTH. You can CAST an exact numeric source to a UDT target or a <reference type> target if a user-defined cast exists for this purpose and your current <AuthorizationID> has the EXECUTE Privilege on that user-defined cast. You can CAST an approximate numeric source to these targets: exact numeric, approximate numeric, fixed length character string, variable length character string, CLOB and NCLOB. You can also CAST an approximate numeric source to a UDT target or a <reference type> target if a user-defined cast exists for this purpose and your current <AuthorizationID> has the EXECUTE Privilege on that user-defined cast. When you CAST, an exact numeric value or an approximate numeric value to an exact numeric target, e.g., CAST (25 AS INTEGER), CAST (1.47E-5 AS DECIMAL(9,7)), or when you CAST an exact numeric value or an approximate numeric value to an approximate numeric target, e.g., CAST (25 AS FLOAT), CAST (1.47E-5 AS DOUBLE PRECISION) – your DBMS checks whether the source is a valid value for the target’s <data type> (or if a valid value (one that doesn’t lose any leading significant digits) can be obtained from the source by rounding or truncation. If so, then the source is converted to that target value. If neither of these are true, the CAST will fail: your DBMS will return the SQLSTATE error 22003 "data exception-numeric value out of range". [NON-PORTABLE] If your source value is not a valid value for your target <data type>, then the value CAST is non-standard because the SQL Standard requires implementors to define whether the DBMS will round or will truncate the source to obtain a valid target value. [OCELOT Implementation] The OCELOT DBMS that comes with this book truncates the source to obtain a valid target value. If the length of the result equals the fixed length of the target, then the source is CAST to that result. If the length of the result is shorter than the fixed length of the target, then the source is CAST to that result, padded on the right with however many spaces is required to make the lengths the same. If the length of the result is longer than the fixed length of the target, the CAST will fail: your DBMS will return the SQLSTATE error 22001 data exception-string data, right truncation. And if the result contains any characters that don’t belong to the target’s Character set, the CAST will also fail: your DBMS will return the SQLSTATE error 22018 data exception-invalid character value for cast. If your approximate numeric source value is zero, the CAST result is this character string: ‘0E0’. When you CAST an exact numeric value or an approximate numeric value to a variable length character string target or a CLOB or NCLOB target, your DBMS converts the number to the shortest string that represents that number. As with fixed length target, it strips off leading plus signs, leading zeros, and any insignificant decimal signs and trailing zeros. If the length of the result is less than or equals the maximum length of the target, then the source is CAST to that result. If the length of the result is longer than the maximum length of the target, the CAST will fail: your DBMS will return the SQLSTATE error 22001 “data exception-string data, right truncation”. And if the result contains any characters that don’t belong to the target’s Character set, the CAST will also fail: your DBMS will return the SQLSTATE error 22018 data exception-invalid character value for cast. [Obscure Rule] The result of a CAST to a character string target has the COERCIBLE coercibility attribute; its Collation is the default Collation for the target’s Character set. When you CAST an exact numeric value to an interval target, your DBMS converts it to the value of the interval’s single datetime field represented by that number – for example, CAST (25 AS INTERVAL YEAR) results in an interval of 25 years. If the number you’re casting is too large for the precision of the target – as in CAST (500 AS INTERVAL HOUR(2)` – the CAST will fail: your DBMS will return the SQLSTATE error 22015 "data exception-interval field overflow. When you CAST an exact numeric value or an approximate numeric value to a UDT or a <reference type> target, your DBMS invokes the user defined cast routine, with the source value as the routine’s argument. The CAST result is the value returned by the user defined cast. If you want to restrict your code to Core SQL, don’t use <Domain name> as a CAST target: CAST only to a <data type>. In SQL, when an exact numeric or an approximate numeric value is assigned to an exact numeric target, the source is first converted to an exact numeric value with the precision and scale of the target. When an exact numeric or an approximate numeric value is assigned to an approximate numeric target, the source is first converted to an approximate numeric value with the precision of the target. In either case, if the assignment would result in the loss of any of the source value’s most significant digits, the assignment will fail: your DBMS will return the SQLSTATE error 22003 data exception-numeric value out of range. [NON-PORTABLE] If the assignment of a numeric value would result in the loss of any of the source value’s least significant digits, the result is non-standard because the SQL Standard requires implementors to define the result using either of two options: (a) your DBMS may truncate the source to fit the target and then make the assignment or (b) your DBMS may round the source to fit the target and then make the assignment. [OCELOT Implementation] The OCELOT DBMS that comes with this book truncates the source value to fit the target. [Obscure Rule] Since only SQL accepts null values, when a null value is taken from SQL-data to be assigned to a numeric target, your target’s value is not changed. Instead, your DBMS will set the target’s indicator parameter to -1, to indicate that an assignment of the null value was attempted. If your target doesn’t have an indicator parameter, the assignment will fail: your DBMS will return the SQLSTATE error 22002 data exception-null value, no indicator parameter. Going the other way, there are two ways to assign a null value to an SQL-data target. Within SQL, you can use the <keyword> NULL in an INSERT or an UPDATE statement to indicate that the target should be set to NULL; that is, if your source is NULL, your DBMS will set your target to NULL. Outside of SQL, if your source has an indicator parameter that is set to -1, your DBMS will set your target to NULL (regardless of the value of the source). (An indicator parameter with a value less than -1 will cause an error: your DBMS will return the SQLSTATE error 22010 data exception-invalid indicator parameter value. We’ll talk more about indicator parameters in our chapters on SQL binding styles. ALL returns TRUE either (a) if the collection is an empty set (i.e.: if it contains zero rows) or (b) if the comparison operator returns TRUE for every value in the collection. ALL returns FALSE if the comparison operator returns FALSE for at least one value in the collection. SOME and ANY are synonyms. They return TRUE if the comparison operator returns TRUE for at least one value in the collection. They return FALSE either (a) if the collection is an empty set or (b) if the comparison operator returns FALSE for every value in the collection. The search condition = ANY (collection) is equivalent to IN (collection). With SQL, you have several other operations that you can perform on numbers, or on other values to get a numeric result. SQL provides the usual scalar arithmetic operators, + and - and * and /, to perform operations on numbers. All of them will be familiar; there are equivalent operators in other computer languages. If any of the operands are NULL, the result of the operation is also NULL. Because two dashes i.e.: -- means “comment start” in SQL, our example of a double negative has to be -(-occurrence_decimal) rather than --occurrence_decimal. Dyadic * and / have priority over dyadic + and -, but monadic + and - have top priority. It’s good style to use parentheses for any expressions with different operators. CASE expressions are good for taking error-abating actions in advance. SQL has no low-level debugging features, so sometimes you will need to force an error somewhere in a complex expression, to be sure it is actually being executed. For this purpose, insert code that would cause a numeric overflow. [NON-PORTABLE] An exact numeric value added to, subtracted from, multiplied by or divided by an exact numeric value yields an exact numeric value with a precision that is non-standard because the SQL Standard requires implementors to define the precision of the result. For all these operations, if the result of the operation can’t be exactly represented with the correct precision and scale, the operation will fail: your DBMS will return the SQLSTATE error 22003 "data exception-numeric value out of range". [OCELOT Implementation] The OCELOT DBMS that comes with this book gives the result of an arithmetic operation between exact numeric operands a <data type> and precision that matches the <data type> and precision of the operand with the most exact precision, e.g.: for an operation with SMALLINT and INT operands, the result is an INT. An exact numeric value added to or subtracted from an exact numeric value yields a result with a scale size that matches the size of scale of the operand with the largest scale, e.g.: for an operation with DECIMAL(6,2) and INT operands, the result has a scale of 2. An exact numeric value multiplied by an exact numeric value yields a result with a scale size that is the sum of the scale sizes of the operands, e.g.: for an operation with DECIMAL(6,2) and NUMERIC(10,4) operands, the result has a scale of 6. [NON-PORTABLE] An exact numeric value divided by an exact numeric value yields a result with a scale size that is non-standard because the SQL Standard requires implementors to define the scale size of the result. [OCELOT Implementation] The OCELOT DBMS that comes with this book gives the result of a division operation between exact numeric operands a scale size that matches the size of scale of the operand with the largest scale, e.g.: for an operation with DECIMAL(6,2) and NUMERIC(10,4) operands, the result has a scale of 4. [NON-PORTABLE] An approximate numeric value added to, subtracted from, multiplied by or divided by an approximate numeric value yields an approximate numeric value with a precision and scale that are non-standard because the SQL Standard requires implementors to define the precision and scale of the result. If the exponent of the result doesn’t fall within the DBMS’s supported exponent range, the operation will fail: your DBMS will return the SQLSTATE error 22003 "data exception-numeric value out of range". [OCELOT Implementation] The OCELOT DBMS that comes with this book gives the result of an arithmetic operation between approximate numeric operands a <data type> and precision that matches the <data type> and precision of the operand with the most exact precision, e.g.: for an operation with REAL and DOUBLE PRECISION operands, the result is a DOUBLE PRECISION type. [NON-PORTABLE] An approximate numeric value added to, subtracted from, multiplied by or divided by an exact numeric value (or vice versa) yields an approximate numeric value with a precision and scale that are non-standard because the SQL Standard requires implementors to define the precision and scale of the result. [OCELOT Implementation] The OCELOT DBMS that comes with this book gives the result of an arithmetic operation between approximate numeric and exact numeric operands a <data type> and precision that matches the <data type> and precision of the operand with the most exact precision, e.g.: for an operation with REAL and DOUBLE PRECISION operands, the result is a DOUBLE PRECISION. Let it grow. The result is DECIMAL(6) if the operation is addition and slightly more if the operation is multiplication. This choice has the advantage that it eliminates “overflow” errors. But there are still undefined areas: What happens if the DECIMAL precision is already at the maximum? What happens if the operation adds 1 to a SMALLINT – does the <data type> upgrade to INTEGER so that the increased precision is valid? Chop it. The result is DECIMAL(5), regardless. This risks failure on even the most innocuous operations, but it’s a simple rule to follow: output precision = input precision. Programmers can understand it. These choices are not mutually exclusive and your DBMS might make different decisions for different operations. will cause an error – be sure your source value fits in the CAST target. SQL lacks useful functions which in other languages are built-in, e.g.: the ability to detect NaN (Not a Number). SQL vendors are only obliged to define and to accept IEEE numbers. They can do arithmetic without paying any attention to the IEEE standard at all. In particular, some vendors may use the same routines for approximate numerics as they use for exact numerics, and exact is slower. Still, you can do the basic arithmetic functions – add, subtract, divide, multiply, compare – provided you take sensible precautions. We did this operation with an IEEE-compatible compiler: 1234.567 - 1234.000 The result was 0.5670166. Here, by casting to DEC(8,3) we first change the result 0.5670166 to 0.567. The second CAST casts this back to REAL, with a subsequent result of 0.5670000. Casting is a straightforward way to strip – unfortunately, it’s only useful if you know a lot about the data. By the way, don’t just transpose the operands. Order of expression evaluation varies. When doing floating-point division, keep in mind that there is such a thing as “negative zero” and there are floating-point numbers which are so small that you’ll get an exception when you divide by them, even though they don’t exactly equal zero. This makes it a little harder to test for “division by zero” errors in advance. SQL provides ten scalar functions that return a number: the <case expression>, the <cast specification>, the <position expression>, the three <length expression>s, the <extract expression>, the <cardinality expression>, the <absolute value expression> and the <modulus expression>. Only the last two also operate exclusively on numbers; these are described below. We’ll discuss the rest in other chapters; for now, just remember that they evaluate to a number and can therefore be used anywhere in an SQL statement that a number could be used. ABS operates on an argument that evaluates to a number. It strips a negative sign (if it’s present) from the argument and returns a non-negative number whose <data type> is the same as the argument’s <data type>, e.g.: ABS(-17) returns 17, ABS(17) returns 17 and ABS(0) returns 0. If the argument is NULL, ABS returns NULL. [Obscure Rule] ABS can also operate on an interval. We’ve ignored this option for now – look for it in our chapter on temporal values. The required syntax for a <modulus expression> is as follows. MOD operates on two arguments, both of which must evaluate to an exact numeric integer. It divides the first number by the second number and returns the operation’s remainder as a non-negative exact numeric integer whose <data type> is the same as the divisor_argument’s <data type>, e.g.: MOD(35,4) returns 3 and MOD(32,4) returns 0. If either argument is NULL, MOD returns NULL. If the divisor_argument is zero, the function will fail: your DBMS will return the SQLSTATE error 22012 "data exception-division by zero". MOD is new to SQL with SQL3. In the Standard, MOD stands for “modulus” but the result of this function is not actually a modulus – it is a remainder achieved “by means of a modulus”. SQL provides five set functions that return a number: COUNT(*), COUNT, AVG, SUM and GROUPING. All but COUNT(*) also operate on numbers (COUNT(*) operates on rows). AS do the set functions MAX and MIN also operate on numbers. Since none of these operate exclusively with numeric arguments, we won’t discuss them here; look for them in our chapter on set functions. In addition to the comparison operators, SQL provides eight other predicates that operate on numbers: the <between predicate>, the <in predicate>, the <null predicate>, the <exists predicate>, the <unique predicate>, the <match predicate>, the <quantified predicate> and the <distinct predicate>. Each will return a boolean value: either TRUE, FALSE or UNKNOWN. None of these operate strictly on numbers, so we won’t discuss them here. Look for them in our chapter on search conditions. When you’re defining a <data type> specification, think about whether you really need a numeric <data type> for the expected data. Don’t just ask: are the values always bunches of digits? For example, phone numbers are digits but if you define a DECIMAL <data type> for them you might lose a valuable piece of information – whether a leading zero is significant. Identification numbers are digits but if you define a DECIMAL <data type> for them you might have trouble calculating the check digit, which is usually based on a substring extraction. Instead, consider the question: will I ever need to do standard arithmetic operations on the data? If the answer is “no”, use a string <data type> rather than a numeric type. Once you’ve gone through the decision tree, calculate the required precision and scale by looking at all expected values. The “typical” SQL DBMS supports most of the standard numeric data types, but often uses preferred local names. Here are some lists of local types derived from vendor manuals. The correlation with the leftmost (“Standard”) column is sometimes imprecise. “ODBC” is not a DBMS but a spec. Other commonly-seen numeric data types include TINYINT (8-bit signed integer), BIGINT (64-bit signed integer) and SERIAL (integer that goes up by 1 for each new inserted row). Before we finish discussing numbers, it’s time to add something to our “SQL library”. To be worthy of addition to the SQL library, a routine must (a) be good clean SQL, (b) be callable from C and Delphi, (c) be actually useful in C and Delphi because it does something that those languages can’t and (d) have nothing at all do with “databases” – it should be available for use just like any general function library. Our addition to the SQL library for this chapter will be a calculator. It won’t match C and Delphi for floating-point arithmetic, but it will give more exact answers. Here it is. Pass: An arithmetic expression in the string lp_calculation. The string may contain any combination of numeric <literal>s (in valid SQL form), the operators * + * / MOD ABS and parentheses. lp_result: Result of expression (a string containing a number). lp_error: SQLSTATE and error message, if expression was invalid.

2019-04-20T01:29:04Z

https://crate.io/docs/sql-99/en/latest/chapters/03.html

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2005-12-05 Assigned to GENNUM CORPORATION reassignment GENNUM CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: CAIN, ROBERT C. A system for monitoring brain waves includes a detection electrode that is detects brain waves and is located on the part of the ear that is in or above the ear canal. The detection electrode also generates a brain wave data signal. A reference electrode is included in the system, and operates to detect a reference signal and to generate a reference data signal. A monitor is also included and receives the brain wave data signal and the reference data signal. The detection electrode and reference electrode form an electrode pair, and the monitor processes the brain wave data signal and data reference signal to generate neurofeedback. This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/624,316, filed on Nov. 2, 2004. This prior application, including the entire written description and drawing figures, is hereby incorporated into the present application by reference. The technology described in this patent document relates generally to the field of brain wave detection and monitoring devices. More particularly, it relates to monitoring brain waves from the ear. Brain waves or electroencephalographic (EEG) signals can be monitored in order to detect and diagnose numerous medical conditions. Brain wave detection and monitoring can also be used to detect what areas of the brain are functioning, and to some extent, detect what a person is thinking. This information can be utilized in many useful applications. Brain waves or EEG signals have been measured from various points on the scalp of a subject. Some devices use electrodes that are embedded within the patients scalp, while others use electrodes that are attached to the surface of the subjects skin. Embedding the electrode entails a surgically invasive procedure and attaching electrodes to the scalp can be aesthetically unpleasant. Furthermore, the electrodes are generally wired to a monitor that is located elsewhere on the body, and these wires and monitors are also aesthetically unpleasant, restrict movement, and the wires may become entangled. FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example system for measuring brain waves from the ear. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a human ear. FIG. 3 a is a diagram of an example system for measuring brain waves from the triangular fossa. FIG. 3 b is a diagram of an example system for measuring brain waves from the cymba conchae. FIG. 3 c is a diagram of an example system for measuring brain waves from area straddling the triangular fossa and cymba conchae. FIG. 4 is a diagram of a second example system for measuring brain waves from the ear. FIG. 5 is a diagram of a third example system for measuring brain waves from the ear. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-section of an example system for measuring brain waves from the ear canal. FIG. 7 is a diagram of an example system for transmitting brain wave data wirelessly to a monitor. FIG. 8 is a diagram of a second example system for transmitting brain wave data wirelessly to a monitor. FIG. 9 is a diagram of a third example system for transmitting brain wave data wirelessly to a monitor. FIG. 10 is a diagram of an example brain wave monitoring and alerting device. FIG. 11 is a diagram of an example system for measuring brain waves from the ear canal where the detection electrode and the monitor are combined in the same housing. FIG. 1 is an example of a system for measuring brain waves from the ear 1. The ear 1 offers a relatively inconspicuous location, and has been found to be a site where brain wave activity is detectable. Certain areas of the ear 1 such as the area above the ear canal 2 and in the ear canal 4 have proven to be a better locus for detecting brain wave activity than the lower part of the ear 6. In particular, the area of the upper part of the ear 2 called the triangular fossa 7 and also the area called the cymba conchae 9 have been discovered to have especially high brain wave activity, especially near the skull. It is believed that the thinness of the skull at this location is the reason for the higher brain wave activity readings. Additionally, the triangular fossa 7 and cymba conchae 9 both form a type of natural basket for seating an electrode or monitoring device on the ear. FIG. 1 shows a detected brain wave signal being communicated 8 to a brain wave monitor 10. The monitor 10 is also receiving a reference signal communication 12 from a brain wave reference source 14. The reference source 14 is typically an electrode placed in an area that displays little or no brain wave activity at all, or little or no brain wave activity of the same channel that is being measured. Examples of good locations for the reference electrode where there is little or no brain wave activity include the ear lobe, the outer part of the ear, the mastoids, and the chin. It is also possible to locate the reference source 14 in certain parts of the ear where brain wave activity is present but is not in the same channel of brain activity that the detection electrode is measuring. The reference source 14 serves as a ground for the monitor 10, enabling the monitor 10 to process the detection signal 8 into meaningful neurofeedback data by using the reference signal 12 as a zero point to compare with the detection signal 8. The brain wave monitor 10 receives the brain wave signal 8 and the reference signal 12, and processes these signals together, using the reference signal 12 as a baseline. The monitor 10 may also amplify the signals 8, 10 to obtain better data. After processing, the monitor 10 outputs neurofeedback, which will allow users and observers to gain valuable data about the brain function of the user. This neurofeedback can be made available to the user/observer in a number of ways, some of which are discussed in detail below. The monitor 10 may be located, for example, behind the ear, in the ear, on a pair of glasses, hanging around the neck, on a belt, in a pocket, or wholly detached from the user's body. FIG. 2 shows the various anatomical parts of the human outer ear 20. The outer ear 20 includes the ear canal 22, also referred to as the auditory canal, and the pinna 24, also referred to as the auricle, which is the entire area surrounding the ear canal 22. The pinna 24 serves to collect vibrations from the air. The ear canal 22 conducts those vibrations to the ear drum of the middle ear. The pinna 24 has various convex and concave formations. The outer edge of the pinna 24 has a prominent and curved rim called the helix 28. Running substantially parallel to the helix 28 is another curved prominence, the antihelix 30. The antihelix 30 widens and becomes less prominent at its upper terminus to form a triangular depression, known as the triangular fossa 31 (also referred to as the fossa triangularis). A narrow, curved depression located between the helix 28 and antihelix 30 is referred to as the fossa of the helix, or scapha 32. The antihelix 30 also curves around a semi-ovoid concavity called the concha 34. The concha 34 is divided by the commencement of the helix 35, (also known as the crus of the helix), into an upper part, the cymba conchae 36, and a lower part, the cavum concha 37. The concha 34 surrounds the ear canal 22 opening. Adjacent and partially opposed to the ear canal 22 opening is a pointed projection called the tragus 38. The antitragus 39 is located on the opposite side of the concha 34 from the tragus 38 and is also proximate to the ear canal 22 opening. A notch-like concavity, called the incisura intertragica 40, is positioned between the tragus 38 and antitragus 39. The ear lobe 42 is at the very bottom of the pinna 24, beneath the antitragus 39. FIG. 3 a is a diagram of an example brain wave monitoring system. A brain wave detection electrode 102 is positioned in the triangular fossa area 104 of the ear 100. In this example, the detection electrode 102 is partially situated underneath the helix 106 of the ear 100, in order to allow the electrode 102 to be positioned as close as possible to the skull. The detection electrode 102 is linked to a brain wave monitor 110, for example, by a wired connection 108. FIG. 3 a also depicts a reference electrode 112 that is located on the ear lobe 114 of the same ear 100 that the detection electrode 102 is located on. In this example, the reference electrode 112 is a clip, which allows it to be easily attached to the ear lobe 114. The reference electrode 112 is also linked to the brain wave monitor 110, for example by a wired connection 116. The monitor 110 performs processing and neurofeedback output functions. FIG. 3 b is a diagram of another example brain wave monitoring system. This system is the same as the system depicted in FIG. 3 a, except the detection electrode 102 is located in the cymba conchae 122. In this example, the detection electrode 120 is partially concealed by the crus of the helix 124. In another example, depicted in FIG. 3 c, the detection electrode 102 may be located on both the cymba conchae 122 and the triangular fossa 126, straddling the lower ridge of the triangular fossa 104. FIG. 4 shows a second example of a brain wave monitoring system positioned on a human head 150 having a left ear 152 and a right ear 154. A detection electrode 156 is located on the triangular fossa 158 of the right ear 154. A reference electrode 160 is positioned on the ear lobe 162 of the left ear 152. This example brain wave monitoring system is differentiated from the example shown in FIG. 3 partly by the fact that the reference electrode 160 is located on the opposite ear from the detection electrode 156. Locating the reference electrode 160 on the opposite side of the user's head may provide a better site for obtaining a reference signal that is more isolated from the brain wave activity channel that is being detected, and could increase the accuracy and usefulness of the neurofeedback. Both the detection electrode 156 and the reference electrode 160 are linked, in this example, by a wire 164 to the monitor 166, which is located in a separate housing behind the ear. The monitor may be secured to the back of the ear, for example, by a clip, a hook, or an adhesive. The housing of the monitor 166 may also be shaped so that it will be held in place by frictional and gravitational forces alone. The monitor is depicted as being located behind the right ear 154, but in another example may be located on the left ear 152, or situated on the pinna of either ear 152, 154. In another example, there is a brain wave monitoring system like the one shown in FIG. 4, except that it has a second pair of detection and reference electrodes. The second pair of electrodes is positioned on opposite ears from the pair of electrodes shown in FIG. 4. That is, the second detection electrode is positioned on the left ear 152 and the second reference electrode is positioned on the right ear 154. The second electrode pair, in one example, may be linked by a wired connection to the same monitor 166 shown in FIG. 4, or in another example, the second pair of electrodes may be linked by a wired connection to a second monitor, which may be located behind the left ear 152, opposite the monitor 166 of FIG. 4. In another example, the system depicted in FIG. 4 is combined with other electrodes located at other positions on the ear or on the scalp of the user, and each electrode is linked to the monitor 166. Referring now to FIG. 5, it shows a third example of a brain wave monitoring system positioned on a human head 200 having a right ear 202 and a left ear 204. A first combined electrode 208 is positioned on the triangular fossa 210 of the right ear 202. A second combined electrode 212 is positioned on the triangular fossa 213 of the left ear 204. These combined electrodes 208, 212, operate as both detection and reference sources and are processed relative to the opposite ear counterpart. That is, the detection source in the first electrode 208 is processed with the reference source in the second electrode 212, and the detection source in the second electrode is processed with the reference source in the first electrode. The first and second combined electrodes 208, 212 communicate with the monitor 214. The first combined electrode 208 sends a channel x detection signal 216 and a channel y reference signal 218 to the monitor 214. The second combined electrode 212 sends a channel y detection signal 220 and a channel x reference signal 222 to the monitor 214. The monitor 214 processes the channel x signals together, and the channel y signals together to output two sets of neurofeedback. The monitor 214 may also perform further operations on the data to average the two sets of neurofeedback. This dual arrangement allows collection of better neurofeedback than a single electrode pair would allow. In another example, the system depicted in FIG. 5 is combined with other electrodes located at other positions on the ear or on the scalp of the user, and each electrode is linked to the monitor 214. In another example, a second monitor is provided and channel x signals 216, 222 are transmitted to one monitor, while channel y signals 218, 220 are transmitted to the other monitor. Each monitor processes the signals separately. FIG. 6 shows a system for monitoring brain waves from the ear canal 252. A cross-section of the pinna 250 and ear canal 252 are presented. The ear canal 252 is an ovoid cylindrical passage that extends from the interior of the concha 254 to the ear drum 256. When measured from the surface of the concha 254 to the ear drum 256, the ear canal 252 is about an inch long. The ear canal 252 forms a gradual “S-shaped” curve and is directed, at first, inward, forward, and slightly upward, this is called the pars externa. The ear canal 252 then passes inward and backward, known as the pars media. The final part, known as the pars interna, passes inward, forward, and slightly downward. FIG. 6 shows a detection electrode 258 located in the ear canal for detecting brain waves. This location provides at least the benefit of hiding the electrode from view, thereby increasing the aesthetic appearance of the monitoring system. A reference electrode is also included in the system and may be located in an appropriate place as discussed above. The detection electrode 258 and reference electrode are connected to the monitor 260 that processes the signal. If a wired connection is used, a clear, translucent wire may be used to link the detection electrode 258 to the monitor 260. In another example, another detection electrode may be placed in the opposite ear and linked to either the monitor of FIG. 6 or to a second monitor. In yet another example, the monitor 260 and detection electrode 258 may be combined in a single earpiece wherein the electrode portion is located within the ear canal 252, and all or a portion of the monitor 260 is located outside the ear canal 252 and within the pinna 250. FIG. 7 is a diagram of an example wireless brain wave detection system. Wirelessly transmitting brain wave data will enhance the aesthetic appearance of the system, and prevent the problem of wires becoming entangled. An example of the wireless circuitry that can be used for this function is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/100732 titled, “Binaural Hearing Instrument Systems and Methods,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The system includes a detection electrode 301, and a reference electrode 302. The data gathered by the detection 301 and reference electrodes 302 is transmitted to a wireless transmitter 303 that has an antenna and communications circuitry capable transmitting, or may first amplify then transmit the combined reference and detection electrode signal to a monitor 304. The detection electrode 301 may be placed on various locations on a patient where brain wave activity is detectable, including, for example, the triangular fossa, cymba conchae, and scalp. The reference electrode 302 may be placed in various places where there is little or no brain wave activity of the channel that is being measured by the paired electrode. Furthermore, multiple detection and reference electrodes may be added to the system and linked to the wireless transmitter 303 that is wirelessly linked to the monitor 304. The monitor 304 could also be placed in many different locations on the user or the user's clothing, or could even be located apart from the user, however, the monitor 304 should be within the wireless communication range of the transmitter 303 to properly receive data. FIG. 8 shows a diagram of a wireless brain wave detection system that is similar to the example shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 8, however, there is a combination detection electrode and transmitter 310. Both a detection electrode 312 and a transmitter 311 are included in the same housing. Communications circuitry and an antenna are also housed in the combination detection electrode and transmitter 310. A reference electrode 315 is also part of the system, and is linked to provide reference signal data to the combination detection electrode and transmitter 310. The reference and detection signals are combined and the transmitter 311 wirelessly transmits a combined data signal to a monitor 317. The combined signal may also be amplified before being wirelessly transmitted. Other reference electrodes and detection electrodes may also be added to the system and linked to the transmitter 311 and monitor 317. FIG. 9 shows a diagram of a wireless brain wave detection system that is similar to the example shown in FIG. 8. However, in FIG. 9 there is a combination reference electrode and transmitter 320, rather than a detection electrode and transmitter 310. Both the reference electrode 321 and the transmitter 322 are included in the same housing, along with communications circuitry and an antenna. A detection electrode 325 is also part of the system, and is linked to the combination detection electrode and monitor 320 for transmitting detection signal data to it. The reference and detection signals are combined and the transmitter 322 wirelessly transmits a combined data signal to a monitor 327. The combined signal may also be amplified before being wirelessly transmitted. Other reference electrodes and detection electrodes may also be added to the system and linked to the transmitter 322 and monitor 327. FIG. 10 shows an example of a system for alerting a user or a third party about dangerous brain wave activity. It also has recording and communication functions. The system includes a monitor 400 that is linked to one or more detection electrodes 402 and one or more reference electrodes 404. The monitor 400 houses a preamplifer 405 that is linked to the detection and reference electrodes and amplifies the signal that it receives. The amplified signal is transferred to a processor 406 which converts the brain wave data and reference signal data into neurofeedback data. One possible type of processor that may be used is Gennum Corporation's part number GC5055, also the processor could be the processor disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/100732, titled “Binaural Hearing Instrument Systems and Methods.” The neurofeedback data is then analyzed by the analyzer 408 to determine whether the neurofeedback represents a significant neural event. A significant neural event may be anything that a user or observer wishes to be notified of or have a record of. This allows for many useful applications, some of which are described below. If a significant neural event is detected, then the analyzer 408 triggers a warning mechanism; an example warning mechanism may be an audible tone and/or a signal to a communication device. The audible tone warning is generated by a tone generator 410 and emitted from a speaker 412. This would serve to alert the user, as well others in the vicinity if the tone is set loud enough for others to hear. Alternatively, or in conjunction with the alert tone, the analyzer 408 can transmit the neurofeedback data or an alert signal to a communication device 414 by a wired or wireless connection 415. The communication device 414, for example, could be a cellular phone, a wireless telephone connected to a land line, or a mobile network device. A signal 415 could also be sent to an external device 413. Alternatively, or in conjunction with the above features, the analyzer 408 could send neurofeedback data of only the significant neural event to the feedback recorder 416 described below. As an alternative to or in conjunction with sending neurofeedback to the analyzer 408, the processor 406 may instead send neurofeedback data directly to a feedback recorder 416. The feedback recorder may record all neurofeedback data that is generated by the processor 406 and store it in memory 415, or if neurofeedback data is being sent directly to the analyzer, the feedback recorder 416 could accept neurofeedback data from the analyzer that represents a significant neural event and store only that data. The recording could be accessed by a wired or wireless connection 417 from a computing device 418 or a communication device 414. A computing device 418 may be, for example, a desktop computer, a personal data assistant, or a laptop. Accordingly, the neurofeedback could be transferred from the feedback recorder 416 at the user's convenience. A system such as the one shown in FIG. 10 and described above, could be very useful as an epileptic early warning device. Epilepsy affects approximately 50 million people world-wide and 10-15% of people who suffer from epilepsy are untreatable. Epileptics have significantly reduced freedom in their lives as a result of never knowing when a seizure will occur and may not be able to drive a vehicle or operate machinery. Epileptics may also be restricted from participating in such things as swimming or having a bath for fear of drowning while having a seizure. Also, epileptics may fear social situations or public places, because of the embarrassment that having a seizure in public could cause. An epileptic seizure is foreshadowed by a characteristic explosion of brain wave activity a few seconds before the seizure takes place. Normal waking consciousness results in slow wave 30-40 Hz, low voltage 20-30 μV eeg potentials. Seizures result in higher frequency and higher voltage 1000-2000 μV eeg potentials. The example system shown in FIG. 10 and described above could generate a warning signal to alert the user or a third party to the start of the seizure when the high frequency, high voltage brain waves are detected. The example FIG. 10 system can be applied to warn of oncoming seizures by programming or hardwiring the analyzer to recognize the characteristic brain wave activity of a seizure as the significant neural event. In turn, the significant neural event will trigger the warning mechanism, which will be either an audible alert generated by the tone generator 410 and speaker 412 or an alert signal that is transmitted to the communication device 414. In the event the tone generator 410 is activated, the warning tone emitted from the speaker 412 would alert the user, and if the volume is turned up, persons in the vicinity of the user as well. This would allow the user a few seconds or even minutes to get out of a dangerous situation, such as a swimming pool or a moving vehicle. It could also allow the user to request help from those around him, or to get to a private place where they will not be so embarrassed to experience the seizure. In another example, the tone generator 410, when triggered, emits vocal instructions that are loud enough to be heard by persons in the user's vicinity, and that state, for example, that the user is experiencing a seizure and requests help from those person in the surrounding area. This may be particularly useful for users who have especially serious epileptic seizures. In another example, in the event the signal 415 to the communication device 414 is triggered, it may cause the communication device, for example, to call 911, or some other telephone number, or it may send an alert signal to a central monitoring site. It could also send an e-mail or other type of electronic communication over the internet. The signal could also cause certain information to be communicated to the contacted party as a request for help, such as an explanation of the emergency nature of the communication, and an identification of the user, etc. In the event that the signal 415 to the external device 413 is triggered, it may cause the device 415 to shut down to minimize the chances of injury resulting from the seizure. For example, many automobile accidents are caused by epileptic seizures, and the damage from such a seizure could be minimized by signaling the vehicle to come to a controlled stop. Other types of vehicles and equipment could also be signaled to shut down when an oncoming seizure is detected. In another example system, a global positioning system indicator is located on or near the user, and is linked by a wired or wireless connection to the monitor 400. The user's location is then communicated as part of the signal 415 to the communication device 414, perhaps as part of a request for help. Another application for the example device of FIG. 10 would be in diagnosing epilepsy. A seizure can be reliably diagnosed to be epileptic if the brain waves during the seizure can be observed. Often it is difficult to get an eeg record of a seizure while it is happening, because the patient must be in a doctor's office or hospital and wired to an eeg monitor at the time the seizure occurs. Seizures are unpredictable and thus this is an unreliable and time consuming method of getting an eeg recording of a seizure. During this monitoring period the patient may also be induced to have a seizure by taking the patient off of their medication or by sleep deprivation or some other uncomfortable stimulus. With the example device of FIG. 10, however, the patient could go about their day outside the doctor's supervision, and a record of the seizure could be obtained whenever it naturally occurs. The brain wave data would be stored in the feedback recorder 416, and could be accessed by linking the monitor 400 to a computing device 418 or a communication device 414 by a wired or wireless connection 417. Applications for other medical conditions that involve brain wave functions are also possible with the system of FIG. 10. For example, applications for disorders such as schizophrenia, narcolepsy, migraine headaches, and sleep disorders could all have similar functions as the epilepsy example, i.e. the warning tone function, the brain wave recording function, and the communication function. The diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea may be another especially useful application of the example device of FIG. 10. The monitor 400 could monitor and record brain waves that are indicative of sleep apnea, enabling physicians to diagnose the disorder while allowing the patient greater comfort and mobility. Furthermore, the warning tone function could be used to alert severe sufferers of sleep apnea when they are not breathing. This would be done by programming or hardwiring the analyzer 408 to recognize brain waves that indicate the user has stopped breathing, and set this as the significant neural event. This would then trigger the tone generator 410 to emit an alert tone through the speaker 412. Applications for other uses that have definable brain wave patterns are also possible with the system of FIG. 10. For example, sleep and dream research, altered state research, stress management, relaxation training, and peak performance training. All these areas could benefit from at least the recording or communication functions of the example device of FIG. 10. Furthermore, the aesthetically pleasing and mobile nature of the device of FIG. 10 would encourage persons to participate in such research. Other applications, such as detecting brain waves for hands-free device control could also be made more aesthetically pleasant and mobile with the example device. It should be understood that whenever an element is discussed as being located on a left or a right ear, it may also be located on the opposite ear. It should also be understood that any of the examples disclosed may be combined with a further array of electrodes. For example, a third electrode known as a “common” or a “right leg driver” would be beneficially combined with all of the above examples. Furthermore, while various features of the claimed invention are presented above, it should be understood that the features may be used singly or in any combination thereof. Therefore, the claimed invention is not to be limited to only the specific examples depicted herein. Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. The disclosure may enable those skilled in the art to make and use embodiments having alternative elements that likewise correspond to the elements of the invention recited in the claims. The scope of the present invention is accordingly defined as set forth in the appended claims. As an example of an alternative embodiment, FIG. 11 shows another example of a brain wave detecting system. A human head 500 is depicted having a left ear 502 and a right ear 504, and a combined detection electrode and monitor 506 is housed in the pinna 508 of the left ear 502. A detection electrode 510 is also located in the right ear 504 as well. The detection electrode 310 is linked to the monitor portion of the combined electrode and monitor 506. Reference electrodes that correspond to the detection electrode 510 and the detecting electrode portion of the combined electrode and monitor 506 maybe located in the appropriate places that have been discussed in this specification. In another example, the combined electrode and monitor 506 of FIG. 11 also includes a reference electrode that corresponds to the detection electrode 510 on the opposite ear 504. The detection electrode 510 may also include a reference electrode so that it is a combined electrode like that depicted in FIG. 5. In yet another example, the ears 504, 502 may both contain a combined detection electrode, reference electrode, and monitor. In this case, each monitor portion would process a separate set of signals. the brain wave monitor including communications circuitry for communicating wirelessly. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the brain wave monitor is situated in a housing, and one of the detection or reference electrodes is also situated in the same housing. 3. The system of claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of said detection and reference electrodes, so that each reference electrode is paired with a detection electrode to form an array of pairs of electrodes. 4. The system of claim 3 wherein at least two of said pairs of electrodes include one electrode that is situated in the same housing as the brain wave monitor. 5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one detection electrode is located in a triangular fossa area of an ear. 6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one detection electrode is located in a cymba conchae area of an ear. 7. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one detection electrode is located in both a triangular fossa and cymba conchae area of an ear and straddling a lower ridge of the triangular fossa. 8. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one detection electrode is located in the area of an ear that is covered by a helix or covered by a crus of the helix. wherein the monitor is operable to process the brain wave data signal and reference electrode signal into neurofeedback, and to trigger a warning mechanism when a significant neural event occurs. 10. The system of claim 9 wherein the warning mechanism is a tone generator that generates an audible warning signal connected to a speaker. 11. The system of claim 10 wherein the audible signal is a request for help. 12. The system of claim 10 wherein the warning mechanism is an alert signal sent by a wired or wireless link to a communication device. 13. The system of claim 12 wherein the alert signal causes the communication device to dial an emergency telephone number. 14. The system of claim 13 wherein the alert signal further causes a request for help to be sent to the dialed emergency number. 15. The system of claim 12 wherein the alert signal causes the communication device to send an electronic message. 16. The system of claim 9 wherein the warning mechanism is a signal sent by a wired or wireless link to an external device. 17. The system of claim 16 wherein the signal causes the external device to shut down. 18. The system of claim 17 wherein the external device is an automobile. 19. The system of claim 9 further comprising a feedback recorder, wherein the neurofeedback is transmitted to a feedback recorder for storage in memory. 20. The system of claim 19 wherein only neurofeedback representing one or more of the significant neural events is transmitted to the feedback recorder for storage in memory. 21. The system of claim 9 wherein neurofeedback is transmitted by a wired or wireless link to a communication device. 22. The system of claim 9 wherein the significant neural event is the characteristic neurofeedback preceding an epileptic seizure. wherein the monitor is operable to process the brain wave data signal and data reference signal to generate neurofeedback. 24. The system of claim 23 wherein the detection electrode is located at the triangular fossa of an ear. 25. The system of claim 23 wherein the detection electrode is located on the area of a triangular fossa that is closest to a front part of a user's head and partially enclosed by a crus of the helix. 26. The system of claim 23 wherein the detection electrode is located at a cymba conchae of an ear. 27. The system of claim 23 wherein the detection electrode is located in the ear canal. 28. The system of claim 23 wherein the monitor further comprises a neurofeedback recorder that is operable to store in memory the generated neurofeedback. 29. The system of claim 28 wherein the memory containing the stored neurofeedback is accessible by one of a computing device or communication device via a wired or wireless link. 30. The system of claim 23 wherein at least one of the reference electrode or the detection electrode is included in a housing with the monitor. 31. The system of claim 23 further comprising: a plurality of said detection and reference electrodes, so that each reference electrode is paired with a detection electrode to form an array of pairs of electrodes. 32. The system of claim 23 wherein at least two of said pairs of electrodes include one electrode that is situated in the same housing as the brain wave monitor. 33. The system of claim 23 wherein the reference electrode and detection electrode are located on opposite sides of a user's head. 34. The system of claim 23 further comprising: a plurality of said detection and reference electrodes, so that each reference electrode is paired with a detection electrode to form an array of pairs of electrodes. 35. The system of claim 34 wherein within each pair of reference electrodes and detection electrodes, the reference electrode and detection electrode are located on opposite sides of a user's head. 36. The system of claim 35 wherein at least one reference electrode is contained in the same housing as at least one detection electrode, and the at least one reference electrode and at least one detection electrode are not in the same pair. processing the reference data signal and the brain wave data signal to generate neurofeedback. 38. The method of claim 37 wherein the step of detecting brain waves is done from the triangular fossa. 39. The method of claim 37 wherein the step of detecting brain waves is done from the cymba conchae. 40. The method of claim 37 wherein the step of detecting brain waves is done from the area concealed by a helix and a crus of the helix. 41. The method of claim 37 further comprising the step of analyzing the neurofeedback to determine if a significant neural event is occurring. 42. The method of claim 41 further comprising the step of triggering a warning mechanism when a significant neural event occurs. 43. The method of claim 42 wherein the warning mechanism is an audible alert tone. 44. The method of claim 42 wherein the warning mechanism is transmitting an alert signal to a communication device. 45. The method of claim 42 wherein the warning mechanism is transmitting a signal to an external device. 46. The method of claim 45 wherein the signal causes the external device to shut down. 47. The method of claim 46 wherein the external device is an automobile. 48. The method of claim 41 wherein the significant neural event is an epileptic seizure. 49. The method of claim 37 further comprising the step of recording the neurofeedback. 50. The method of claim 41 further comprising the step of recording the neurofeedback that indicates the significant neural event is occuring.

2019-04-25T14:36:57Z

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20060094974

The following Trading Policies and Procedures form part of and are included in the Application and Agreement that has been made with the Barter Business Exchange, Inc. By signing the Barter Business Exchange, Inc. Client Application and Agreement, Client agrees to abide by these Trading Policies and Procedures. The purpose of the following trade rules and regulations is to facilitate trading among Clients by promoting a system of good business practices and understanding of the guidelines set forth for all barter exchanges by the National Association of Trade Exchanges (NATE) and the International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA). NATURE OF THE PARTIES: The "Barter Business Exchange, Inc." hereafter referred to as "BBE", is a trade company that acts as a clearinghouse and third party record keeper of trade transactions among its Clients, which are businesses that contract with BBE to organize and facilitate barter of their goods and/or services with other Clients. "Client" is a business that has contracted with BBE to exchange its goods and/or services with other Clients and wishes to subscribe to BBE's record keeping and barter services. "Barter Broker" is the BBE employee whose function it is to assist Clients in the sale and purchase of goods and services. NATURE OF BARTER DOLLARS: A "Trade" is a barter purchase or sale of goods and/or services whereby payment is made in barter dollars posted to Client's account pursuant to these Trading Policies and Procedures. A "Barter Dollar" is an accounting unit used to record the value of trades. Ownership of barter dollars denotes the right to receive goods and services available within the BBE trade network. Barter dollars may be used only in the manner and for the purpose set forth in these Trading Policies and Procedures. One barter dollar is equal to one dollar in U.S. currency. Barter dollars will not be considered legal tender, securities, or commodities. Barter dollars may not be redeemed for cash. BBE disclaims responsibility for the negotiability of barter dollars. DEFINITION OF A CLIENT IN GOOD STANDING: A Client who conducts trades in accordance with these Policies and Procedures, is current in any monies owed to BBE, and has a valid Barter Card, is considered a "Client in Good Standing." Only Clients in Good Standing are entitled to the services of BBE. When a Client has by his or her conduct or misconduct displayed to BBE the inability to meet the standards set in Client's own industry relative to the quality of goods or services, or has been charged with the commission of a crime involving fraud or moral turpitude, or otherwise exhibits to BBE that the Client's reputation in the business community has been diminished, then for the protection of the remaining Clients, BBE reserves the right to restrict the use of Client's barter dollars to purchases only and shall restrict the rights of said Client to sell or advertise Client's goods or services for sale until such time as Client can exhibit to BBE that the standards expected in Client's own industry can be met. Expired debit cards shall remove a Client from being a Client in Good Standing. $100 REFERRAL BONUS: A referral bonus of one hundred ($100.00) barter dollars will be given to each Client who introduces and refers a new BBE Client. To qualify for the referral bonus, Clients must provide BBE with the following information about the potential Client: company name, owner's name, location, and phone number. Referral bonus is paid to Client when the new Client's Application and Agreement has been accepted and approved by a BBE Officer. BARTER CARDS: "Barter Cards" are printed plastic cards issued for identification purposes only. Client must have a barter card in order to make a purchase. Barter cards issued to Client's account shall remain the property of BBE and must be returned upon demand. Client is solely responsible for all charges made on barter cards issued to Client's account. BBE is not responsible for use of barter cards by unauthorized persons. The individual signing the Barter Business Exchange, Inc. Trading Policies and Procedures as well as any individual using a barter card personally guarantee any transaction as well as any cash service fees that may have occurred as a result of such transaction. Barter cards are issued to all authorized barter cardholders listed on the Client Application and Agreement free of charge. All requests for additional barter cards must be in writing and signed for by the Client. Additional barter cards for new authorized barter cardholders are free of charge. Clients will be charged a ten ($10.00) dollar cash fee for each replacement barter card. USE OF TRADE CERTIFICATES (DEBIT CARDS, GIFT CERTIFICATES and SCRIP): The following rules govern the use of Debit Cards, Gift Certificates, and Scrip. Once Trade Certificates are purchased, they cannot and will not be replaced if lost, stolen, or damaged. Trade Certificates should be used as soon as possible after they are purchased, and must be used before their expiration date. All tips, gratuities, and sales taxes must be paid in cash at the point of purchase by the buying client. BBE reserves the right to refuse to sell Trade Certificates to clients who have previously refused to pay the proper taxes and gratuities or have created other problems at restaurants or other selling establishments. BBE is not responsible if a business refuses to accept Trade Certificates and BBE will not make restitution for any cash charges that Client may incur. BBE will not extend expiration dates and/or buy back Trade Certificates that are expired. All disputes concerning the use of a Trade Certificates are between the Client and the business issuing the Trade Certificate, and BBE bears no liability in the event the issuing business refuses to honor the Trade Certificate or ceases to operate the business. HOUSE ACCOUNTS: "House Accounts" have prearranged the payment of their cash transaction fees with BBE. On the front of the Client's barter card, it will state that the Client has a "PRE-PAID DEBIT CARD”. The trade procedure for both the Selling Client and the Buying Client is the same as a normal trade account. These accounts are used for BBE employees, Client sub-accounts, Clients who are closing their account with BBE, and members of other barter exchanges who are spending within the BBE trade network. BBE reserves the right to deny the sale of a Pre-Paid Debit Card to any person for any reason. BARTER DOLLAR LOANS: Clients who have a negative barter balance (barter purchases and/or barter fees exceed barter sales) will be charged a monthly barter finance charge of one and a half (1.5%) percent (eighteen [18%] annually). Purchases by Clients must be limited to the amount of barter dollars in the Buying Client's account. Clients wishing to apply for a barter dollar loan may submit an application for approval. Clients grant to BBE the right and power to make barter dollar loans to any Client on terms and conditions consistent with Client's credit worthiness and ability to repay. BBE is under no obligation to extend credit at any time. Clients will be required to compensate BBE in cash on demand for any deficit amount in their barter dollar account resulting from purchases made without sufficient barter dollar balances or without prior barter dollar loan arrangements. RIGHTS OF BBE AND ITS SHAREHOLDERS: Client recognizes and grants to BBE the right and power to: 1.) Regulate and control the number of outstanding barter dollars with the trade network; 2.) Borrow barter dollars and spend them within the trade network. Such borrowing will be sufficiently collateralized by specifically pledged assets of the system pursuant to the guidelines established and imposed by the International Reciprocal Trade Association. BROKERAGE FUNCTION: BBE serves in a brokerage capacity by organizing and facilitating trades among Clients. Responsibility for the conduct of a trade is exclusively that of the two Clients participating in the trade. THE DUTY TO INSPECT GOODS AND SERVICES FOR QUALITY AND QUANTITY RESTS UPON THE BUYING CLIENT. Trades are entered into on a voluntary basis between the Clients. BBE assumes no responsibility for the quality, timely delivery, warranty or service being traded. Clients should exercise the same diligence entering into trades as normal cash transactions. Client does hereby indemnify and hold BBE harmless with respect to any claim, debt, or liability whatsoever, arising out of any trade exchange transaction wherein Client is a buyer or a seller. TRADE DISPUTES: BBE is functioning in a brokerage capacity and as a third party record keeper. BBE is to be held harmless on any liability question arising between Clients. Trade disputes are only between the Buying Client and the Selling Client and shall be settled by the parties themselves. Clients may wish to submit a "Complaint Form" to BBE. A copy of this Complaint Form will be kept in each Client's file and a copy will be mailed to each Client. If BBE receives more than two (2) complaints on a given Client for either poor performance or attempting to charge in excess of Client's normal retail prices, BBE reserves the right to terminate Client's account. AVAILABILITY OF GOODS AND SERVICES: BBE shall continue to solicit new businesses having goods and services to satisfy the needs of all Clients. BBE is committed to provide only those goods or services actually available in the trade network. Because of high Client demand and short supply, certain goods and services are available on a limited basis only. Requests for these goods and services will be placed on a "Waiting List." Buying Clients are responsible for contacting their Barter Broker if they wish to be placed on the waiting list. Clients with negative barter balances (purchases exceed sales) and/or past due cash fees will be removed from all waiting lists. BBE is not responsible if a Client cannot find specific products or services to buy from the other Clients. COMMITMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: is only responsible for commitments and representations made in writing by authorized BBE Officers. Barter brokers, agents, or employees of BBE have no right to bind BBE to any obligations or representations whatsoever without such written authorization. Client's account must have a positive barter balance. Client must give written notice to the BBE Trade Department. On Hold status cancels contractual commitments by BBE regarding exclusive territories or other applicable agreements. Clients who charge other BBE Clients cash for their products and services who have not notified the BBE Trade Department in writing that their account is “On Hold” prior to sale will be charged a twenty-five (25%) percent cash transaction fee on the total amount of the cash sale. TAXES: Selling Client shall charge the Buying Client the appropriate sales and excise taxes in cash and collect and record these on the BBE 3-part form at the time of sale. Under no circumstances will BBE be responsible to pay any sales, excise, use or other tax on behalf on any Client. Clients are advised that transactions involving barter dollars are generally treated as taxable events for federal, state, and local tax purposes. The declaration and reporting of all applicable local, state, and federal taxes resulting from trades rest solely with the Client. BBE is required by federal law to obtain the correct Taxpayer Identification Number of Client (who is required by law to provide such number) and to report all trade sales of Client to IRS on Form 1099B. Failure to provide the correct Taxpayer Identification Number may result in the imposition of backup withholding of twenty (20%) percent of the gross proceeds of each sale transaction, under federal law. Client agrees to hold BBE harmless for any actions BBE takes to comply with federal tax laws. Clients should seek professional tax advice. TIPS AND GRATUITIES: All tips and gratuities shall be paid in cash to the Selling Client at the time of purchase by the Buying Client. CASH TRANSACTION FEES: Client agrees to pay a twelve and one-half (12.5%) percent cash transaction fee based on the gross value of each purchase as agreed to on the Client Application and Agreement. Cash transaction fees are only charged to Clients when they purchase goods and/or services within the trade network. Selling Clients do not pay a cash transaction fee. An additional two and one-half (2.5%) percent cash transaction fee will be charged on all inter-exchange purchases (purchases made from other barter exchanges). If Client’s cash fees are sixty (60) days past due from issuance of statement, Client grants BBE, at that time, the right to permanently increase the twelve and one-half (12.5%) percent cash transaction fee on all purchases to a fifteen (15%) percent cash transaction fee on all future purchases. BBE may, at its option, require advance payment of Client transactions fees. WORK-IN-PROGRESS TRADE DEPOSITS: The following procedures apply to trades involving special orders, construction jobs, service work, or long term leases and other work-in-progress transactions. If the written estimate is more than five hundred ($500.00) barter dollars, Selling Client should obtain a work-in-progress deposit/down-payment in barter dollars in the same non-refundable manner as a cash transaction. This is done with a 3-part form and work-in-progress authorization number. Selling Client must obtain a work-in-progress authorization number from the BBE Trade Department BEFORE THEY START THE TRADE. BBE will only issue a work-in-progress authorization number for the barter amount in the Buying Client's account. BBE will not issue work-in-progress authorization numbers for Buying Clients who are not in good standing. Work-in-progress deposits and down payments are considered normal trades. Clients are required to follow applicable policies and procedures. Buying Client (Buyer) should contact his or her assigned Barter Broker to discuss all desired purchases. The Barter Broker will give the Buyer a list of available Selling Clients (Sellers) in the BBE network to fulfill the Buyer’s needs. If a Seller is "On Hold", the Buyer may ask to be placed on a waiting list. If the Buyer needs to purchase products and services that are not available, the Buyer should contact his or her Barter Broker to request that BBE recruit new members who do sell the desired products and services. It is the Buyer's responsibility to contact the Seller. Buyers must identify themselves as members of the Barter Business Exchange when they contact the Sellers. The Buyer must present his or her barter card at the time of purchase. However, if the Buyer is paying with gift certificates or scrip, it is not necessary to present a barter card. If the trade involves special orders, construction jobs, service work, or long-term leases and other work-in-progress trades, Buyer should ALWAYS get a written estimate from the Seller before authorizing work to begin. Buyer purchases the Seller's goods and services at the Seller's prevailing retail prices for 100% trade. However, all taxes and gratuities must be paid in cash by the Buyer to the Seller. At the time of purchase, Buyer must sign a completed 3-part form. The Buyer's account will be debited for the amount of the purchase when the authorization number is issued by the BBE Trade Department. Special Travel Procedures—a twenty ($20.00) dollar cash booking fee will be charged for all travel requests outside of North Carolina. Client must complete and sign a Travel Request Form to travel within the BBE network. Once a reservation has been confirmed, it CANNOT be cancelled for ANY reason. Client must have a valid, current barter card and be a Client in Good Standing in order to make a purchase. Client is solely responsible for all charges made on barter card(s) issued to Client's account. BBE is not responsible for use of barter cards by unauthorized persons. At the time of purchase, the Buyer must present his or her barter card. However, if the Buyer is paying with gift certificates or scrip, it is not necessary to present a barter card. Sellers will provide their goods and services at their prevailing retail prices for 100% trade to Buyers in good standing. Seller will provide all materials and labor on trade. Seller must collect all taxes and gratuities in cash from the Buyer. If Seller fails to call BBE for an authorization number at the time of sale. Seller must complete a 3-part form for each transaction. Each 3-part form must contain the following information: Seller's company name, Seller's account number, Buyer's company name, Buyer's account number, Buyer's signature, description of the goods and services traded, date of purchase, an authorization number or a work-in-progress authorization number, total barter dollars charged, taxes paid in cash, and gratuities paid in cash. In order to receive credit for the trade, the Seller must mail the top copy of the completed 3-part form to BBE. If the signed 3-part form is not submitted to the BBE Office within 30 days of issuance of statement, BBE has the right to reverse the trade, in which event; it will be the responsibility of the Seller to collect from the Buyer. Failure to follow these procedures will place responsibility for the transaction on the Seller and not on BBE. RECORD KEEPING AND ERRORS: All active Clients will receive a monthly statement of account online in the BBE Marketplace. Client's monthly account statement will be considered accurate as printed unless the BBE accounting department is given written notice of any discrepancies within thirty (30) days of issuance of statement. All copies of statements requested within sixty (60) days of issuance will be sent free of charge. All requests after sixty (60) days of issuance will be subject to a one ($1.00) dollar barter charge per statement. IRS audit of Client's account is subject to a twenty-five ($25.00) dollar cash charge per hour with a one (1) hour minimum. A cash administrative fee of fifty ($50.00) dollars cash for each trade transaction will be charged to any business or individual who provides BBE with an incorrect Taxpayer Identification Name and/or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and/or fails to submit any taxpayer number information. ADMINISTRATIVE FEES: An administrative fee of fifteen ($15) dollars cash and fifteen ($15) dollars barter will be charged to Client's account each month. The monthly administrative fee is due upon receipt of the BBE monthly account statement. Clients who request materials to be sent via certified mail will be charged seven ($7.00) dollars cash. JOINT AND SEPARATE LIABILITY: When the Client's Application and Agreement is accepted by a BBE Officer and an account is opened for Client in BBE trade network, the Client and individual signing for the Client hereby assume joint and separate responsibility for all purchases and fees as outlined on the Client's Application and Agreement and in these Trading Policies and Procedures. LATE PAYMENTS—FEES THIRTY (30) DAYS PAST DUE: BBE accounts will be deemed past due if not paid within thirty (30) days of date on statement. All fees and charges, including cash transaction fees, administrative fees, and other charges to Clients by BBE are compensation for services rendered in processing Client into the exchange system, operating the clearing house and brokerage functions, administering these Policies and Procedures, maintaining records, and facilitating Client's use of the exchange system. Client agrees to pay BBE the full amount of such fees within fifteen (15) days of issuance of the monthly statement; otherwise BBE shall charge Client a cash penalty on the outstanding cash balance at the rate of two (2%) percent per month on the unpaid balance, OR a ten ($10.00) dollar cash late charge, whichever charge is greater. LATE PAYMENTS ~ FEES SIXTY (60) DAYS PAST DUE: If cash fees are sixty (60) days past due from issuance of statement, Client grants BBE, at that time, the right to permanently suspend any loan agreements established between Client and BBE. If cash fees are sixty (60) days past due from issuance of statement, Client grants BBE, at that time, the right to permanently increase twelve and one-half (12.5%) percent cash transaction fee on all purchases to a fifteen (15%) percent cash transaction fee on all future purchases. LATE PAYMENTS ~ FEES NINETY (90) DAYS PAST DUE: Any account continuing in a delinquent status for three (3) consecutive months may be closed without notice by BBE. Barter dollars in the account will be forfeited and placed by BBE in its general operating account unless outstanding fees are paid. At any time in the future, the Client may reestablish the account and reclaim the barter dollars by: (1) Paying all cash fees owed on the outstanding balance, AND (2) Paying a processing fee of one hundred ($100.00) dollars cash. RETURNED CHECKS: Any Client that has a check returned to BBE by the bank will be charged a thirty ($30.00) dollar cash penalty. DIRECT TRADES: Direct trades between Clients to avoid cash transaction fees are prohibited, and if consummated are subject to standard cash transaction fees payable upon demand. Such trades WILL RESULT IN THE TERMINATION OF TRADING PRIVILEGES FOR BOTH CLIENTS INVOLVED. BBE reserves the right to publicly announce such terminations to the existing Clients. OVERPRICING: Clients will sell their goods and services at their prevailing retail prices for 100% trade credit. Selling Clients are not obligated to honor sale prices and may charge their prevailing retail prices. BBE reserves the right to inquire into complaints of overpricing. Violations may result in termination of Client's account. Buying Client is responsible for reporting all incidents of overpricing to the BBE Office. BBE has received more than two (2) complaints on a given Client for either poor performance or attempting to charge in excess of Client's normal retail prices. Client commits fraud against BBE or other Clients. Client is trading directly with other Clients without paying cash transaction fees to BBE. Client is not following the Trading Policies and Procedures. A client is not a Client in Good Standing as defined in paragraph 3 hereinabove. The filing of any proceedings or petition by Client under Federal or State law seeking protection from its creditors or any assignment made by Client, whether formal or informal, for the benefit of Creditors. The appointment of a Receiver or Trustee with respect to Client's business affairs or the filing of any involuntary proceeding against Client by its creditors. Client's loss or suspension of any license held by it which is necessary for Client's business operation. Owes outstanding cash fees due to BBE which are more than thirty (30) days past due. The trading privileges of the Client shall be reinstated immediately upon payment of such past due fees. Client ceases to be a Client in Good Standing. Client shall be given notice of such suspension. The trading privileges of the Client shall be reinstated immediately upon Client’s cure of the reasons for such suspension unless due to the nature thereof, BBE decides to terminate the Client for cause in accordance with the above Section 30. If Client has a positive barter account balance (sales exceed purchases) and is a Client in Good Standing, Client may stay active and spend the balance until purchases equal sales. Until barter dollars are spent, monthly administrative fees will be charged to Client's account. If the Client has a positive barter account balance (sales exceed purchases) and the Client’s Application and Agreement has been terminated by BBE, Client will be required to pay the twelve and one-half (12.5%) percent cash transaction fee or the fifteen (15%) percent cash transaction fee on the remaining barter dollar balance prior to spending the remaining barter dollars and will be issued a “Debit Card”. Further, such barter dollars shall be spent within ninety (90) days of notice to terminate the relationship with BBE. All barter dollars that are not spent within ninety (90) days from the date on the termination letter will be forfeited and placed by BBE in its general operating account. Barter cards must be returned immediately upon termination. In the event BBE incurs any costs or expenses to collect any sum due BBE from Client, then BBE shall be reimbursed by client for any such costs or expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees. In the event BBE is the prevailing party in any other controversy or proceeding involving Client, then BBE shall be entitled to the recovery of its costs, expenses and reasonable attorneys' fees in addition to such other remedies being sought therein. If a BBE member shall go out of business, any debt owed to BBE shall be repaid from the BBE Member Loan Fund directly to BBE and will become immediately due to BBE in cash. This payment constitutes a sale to the Client. BBE is required by law to report all barter income to the Internal Revenue Service on a 1099B. Client will then be sent to an attorney or collection agency. All barter and cash debts, including debts paid by the BBE Member Loan Fund, will become immediately due to BBE in cash. ADDITIONAL BUSINESS LISTINGS: Clients having more than one (1) business may be listed under an additional trade categories in the Barter Business Exchange Marketplace at no additional charge so long as only one account statement is required. Client having more than one business that requires separate account statements may open separate accounts for each business at no additional charge. Client will be charged a monthly administrative fee for each business having a separate account. ADVERTISING AND THE BBE MARKETPLACE: Unless otherwise stipulated between the parties of this Agreement, Client authorizes BBE to notify and advertise to other Clients and potential Clients the availability of Client's good and/or services. Applicant authorizes BBE to send broadcast fax and email advertisements to their business. SECURITY INTEREST: Client grants BBE a security interest in all barter dollars credited and to be credited to Client's account for the amount of all unpaid cash fees. In the event of the insolvency or bankruptcy of Client, all cash fees shall be due and payable in full. Upon the filing of positions under Chapter 7, 11, or 13 of the Bankruptcy Code or an Assignment for Benefit of Creditors, no trade shall be allowed until all cash fees due BBE have been paid in full. Should the Petition under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code be lifted by or against Client, or should the plan lifted pursuant to either Chapter 11 or 13 not provide for the full payment of all cash fees due BBE, BBE shall have the option, in lieu of filing as a creditor, of treating the barter dollar balance equal in value to the amount of cash fees owing and terminate the account, provided, however, that at such time as BBE does receive all of its cash in full, and in the event of discharge, pursuant to Chapter 7 notice is received from the Trustee that the barter dollars have been abandoned, BBE shall re-credit the barter dollars to the Client's account. ASSIGNMENT OF ACCOUNT: A Client's account is not assignable or transferable without BBE's express prior written consent. Barter dollars may not be advertised for sale without BBE's express written consent. In the event of bankruptcy or insolvency of a Client where assets of the Company will be sold, BBE has the first right of refusal to bid on barter dollars to be liquidated. FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS: Clients shall abide by applicable federal, state, or local laws, or regulations appropriate to any trade, and BBE shall not be responsible for any failure on the part of Clients to comply. Client agrees to hold BBE harmless for any action BBE takes to comply with applicable laws or regulations. WARRANTY: The sole and exclusive warranty made by the Selling Client is that it has title to such products free and clear from any lien or encumbrance. Other than set forth above, goods and services are sold "As Is, Where Is", with respect to any goods or services purchased by the Buying Client through BBE. Buying Client recognizes that such items are produced and provided by others and not by BBE or its affiliates. BBE makes no warranty either expressed or implied, by operation of law or otherwise and disclaims all liability as to the fitness, quality, delivery date, merchant ability, prices or any term of the trade transaction, and the Buying Client shall look solely to the manufacturer, distributor or retailer of such merchandise for any warranty. Buying Client acknowledges that any trade transaction in which it participates shall be on a voluntary basis. AMENDMENT OF TRADING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES: BBE may at its sole discretion change the Trading Policies and Procedures of these Agreements from time to time, by giving Client thirty (30) days prior written notice. Failure to give BBE written notice of objection thereto within such thirty (30) day period shall be deemed to constitute acceptance by Clients. By using the Barter Business Exchange Website and Marketplace, you agree to accept these changes, whether or not you have reviewed them. Also, purchases or sales after thirty (30) day notice period shall constitute Client’s acceptance of such amended Barter Business Exchange Trading Policies and Procedures and shall be subject to the provisions thereof without exception .All changes to this agreement must be in writing and signed by an officer of BBE. The Client Agreement and these Barter Business Exchange, Inc. Trading Policies and Procedures constitute the entire agreement between the Client and BBE and replace all prior agreements, if any, whether oral or written, between Client and BBE or any predecessor of BBE. Neither Client nor BBE have relied upon any representation or promise, which is not contained in the Barter Business Exchange, Inc. Trading Policies and Procedures. DISSOLUTION: In the event that the BBE trade network terminates or otherwise ceases to do business, all Clients in a negative trade position will pay amounts they owe in cash (one barter dollar being equal to one dollar in cash in U.S. currency) into a fund. The fund, less expenses, will be distributed pro rata to all Clients who are in a positive barter dollar position. Thus all Clients in a positive position will receive cash for their barter dollars to the extent that the funds permit. BBE shall not be liable to any Clients for cash or barter dollars beyond the distribution of such funds as aforesaid. ENFORCEMENT OF TRADING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES: Each and every term and provision combined in these Trading Policies and Procedures is severable from every other term and provision therein. If any such term or provision should be judged invalid, illegal, or unenforceable it shall not affect the validity, legality, or enforceability of the remainder of any other term or provision of the Trading Policies and Procedures. The remainder shall remain valid, legal, enforceable, and in full force and effect. In the event that legal action must be taken by BBE against a Client to enforce any provision of these Trading Policies and Procedures, BBE shall be entitled to recover attorney fees, costs, and simple interest at the rate of eighteen (18%) percent per year from the date of default until payment, and Client agrees to court venue chosen by BBE attorney. GUARANTOR PROVISION: The Client affirms that s/he is the owner / officer / agent of the member business entity and acknowledges that the establishment of Client’s account is conditioned upon the personal guarantee by the Client for the payment of debt incurred hereunder and the Client hereby personally and unconditionally guarantees payment of any and all debt incurred by his/her said business entity. All BBE members will be required to sign a personal guarantee for any debt which is currently, or may in the future become, due. The personal guarantee guarantees that any and all debt incurred by Client’s business shall be paid in a prompt and timely fashion. The personal guarantee is in addition to the contractual relationship between BBE and Client. For all accounts that are not paid-in-full within thirty (30) days following the termination date, a one and one-half (1 1/2%) percent monthly service charge will be added to the account. In the event that attorneys’ fees are incurred for collection with or without suit, the Client agrees to pay such fees plus court costs. If the client is a corporation, a LLC, or other business entity, the person executing the Client Agreement, to induce the granting of credit to the Client, and in consideration therefore, does hereby guarantee personally payment of all amounts owed to BBE, and hereby waives any requirement on the part of BBE to proceed with its claim against the business entity, either first or concurrently, as a condition precedent to bringing any action against such individual on the basis of this guaranty. The Client and individual signing the Client Agreement hereby assume joint and separate responsibility for all purchases and fees as outlined in the Barter Business Exchange, Inc. Trading Policies and Procedures. CLIENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND WARRANTY: Client acknowledges that he or she has read the current effective Trading Policies and Procedures, that such Policies and Procedures are made a part of the Client Application and Agreement, and that the Trading Policies and Procedures may be changed by BBE from time to time in accordance with the provisions of these Rules. Client warrants that it provided all information to BBE in good faith and that such information is accurate to the best of its knowledge. NAME AND TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER CHANGES: In the event that Client changes his or her legal name, company name, and/or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), applicant is required to inform BBE within ten (10) days. At that time, Client must complete a new Client Application and Agreement and Form W-9. BBE reserves the right at its sole discretion to suspend the trading privileges of any Client who has had a name or number change until BBE receives the new signed Client Application and Agreement and Form W-9. Once the paperwork is received, all barter and cash debts and/or credits will be transferred into the new account. ALL TRADES MUST BE IN BARTER DOLLARS: The barter dollar must be accepted for the total value of the transaction. Any exception to this policy, such as by way of example a trade transaction involving a cash component, must be approved in advance by BBE, without exception. BASIS FOR COMMISSIONS: On all transactions engaged in by Client through BBE, or for which BBE referred Client to a potential trading partner, the commission due BBE shall be based upon the full value of the transaction, regardless if the transactions is paid for by cash, cash/ trade blend, credit card, check, direct trade, or through another barter company in which Client is a member. WAIVER: BBE, in its sole discretion, may from time to time waive any provision of the Barter Business Exchange, Inc. Trading Policies and Procedures for any Client as it deems warranted in its sole discretion. Any such waiver, to be effective, must be in writing and executed by an authorized officer of BBE. It is understood that any such waiver shall be strictly limited to the specific terms of the written waiver document. Except as provided for by the foregoing, any failure of BBE to insist upon strict compliance with any particular term or provision of the Barter Business Exchange, Inc. Trading Policies and Procedures, or any delay or omission on the part of BBE to enforce any such term or provision, shall not constitute a waiver with respect to any such term or provision. BBE is unable to contact Client at the most recently updated contact information furnished by Client. BBE may, at its sole discretion, close the abandoned account, placing any positive trade dollar balance in the BBE General Operating Account. Website or the online BBE Marketplace for any reason whatsoever. or call (919) 469-5538 for personal assistance.

2019-04-19T07:18:45Z

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Gammex Inc. appeals the district court's entry of judgment on Dunbar Medical Systems Inc.'s fraudulent inducement claim, arguing that two clauses in the parties' settlement agreement or Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 11 bar that claim. Gammex further contends that the court erred in finding that there was no intent to perform at the time the alleged misrepresentationswere made, in awarding punitive damages given the existence of contract language barring the recovery of such damages, in awarding punitive damages given the elements of fraud had not been proved by clear and convincing evidence, and in awarding pre-judgment interest on both compensatory and punitive damages. We affirm the entry of judgment and the award of punitive damages, and reform the judgment solely to clarify the pre-judgment interest award. Gammex Inc. is a manufacturer of teleradiology equipment, which is used to digitize data from a medium such as x-ray film or ultrasound and to transmit those data to a remote unit for purposes of medical review and diagnosis. Until 1994, Ms. Linda Dunbar, president and sole shareholder of Dunbar Medical Systems, Inc. ("DMSI"), was an independent distributor of teleradiology equipment for Gammex.1 A by-product of the dissolution of the parties' relationship was a lawsuit, filed by Gammex on April 28, 1994, in which Gammex sought return of equipment and damages ("1994 Litigation"). In February 1995, DMSI filed a counterclaim asserting breach of contract, fraud, defamation, and various other claims against Gammex. Shortly before trial, the parties executed a Settlement Agreement. That Agreement is the focus of the case before us. Discussions leading up to the execution of the Settlement Agreement occurred between December 1995 and July 1996. In December, the parties participated in unsuccessful court-ordered mediation. Sometime thereafter, Ms. Margaret Lescrenier, a vice-president of Gammex, telephoned Ms. Dunbar to discuss settlement terms, including the possibility of transferring equipment to DMSI in lieu of cash. The district court found that in that conversation, Ms. Dunbar told Ms. Lescrenier that she did not want to consider older Courier II units because they had software and hardware defects.2 According to Ms. Dunbar, Ms. Lescrenier assured her that the units would be new and come from the latest run of fifty manufactured by Gammex and would be problem free. A follow-up letter dated February 1, 1996 faxed by Ms. Lescrenier to Ms. Dunbar listed various equipment, including ten Courier II units, that Gammex was willing to give DMSI. The letter gave a list price of the Courier II units of $10,000 each, a total list priceof all offered equipment of $203,600, and stated that " [t]he majority of the above equipment is new, never been used. Some of the Courier computers were demonstration units." On February 8, Ms. Dunbar sent a fax to Ms. Lescrenier that responded to the proposal. That transmission included a list of the same equipment along with dealer transfer prices. Ms. Dunbar's fax indicated that, based on the dealer prices, the actual value of Gammex's proposal was $44,654.25. Ms. Dunbar also stated that she did not "know what to do" with some of the listed equipment, and that there had to be a cash settlement along with the equipment package. These discussions were outlined in a fax dated February 26. That communication (1) explained the equipment substituted for the items for which Ms. Dunbar indicated she had no use; (2) made reference to an exclusive dealer contract, a definition of a sales territory, service arrangements, and assistance with advertising that were agreed to in earlier mediation proceedings, and (3) offered $50,000 in cash. The total list price associated with the new equipment package was $203,975, and again, the communication indicated that the majority of the equipment was "new, never been used" and that " [s]ome of the Courier computers were demonstration units." The fax also stated that Ms. Dunbar had "misstated the value of the equipment in the original list" in her February 8 response. Negotiations resumed in late April, when Ms. Dunbar's attorney contacted Gammex's counsel. By April, DMSI was no longer interested in maintaining certain relationships with Gammex,4 and it indicated that several aspects of the earlier proposals were no longer of value (e.g., a new distributorship agreement, assistance with advertising). Negotiations between the parties' counsel dealt, inter alia, with the amount of cash Gammex was to pay to DMSI, the equipment to be transferred (e.g., whether mouses and cables were included, whether a six-month warranty would be included, configuration and programming issues), the availability of documentation regarding the equipment, the availability of discounts on such items as replacement parts, responsibility for shipping and insurance costs, and the timing of the delivery of the cash and the equipment. Thus, the focus of the second stage was on the consideration Gammex was to give DMSI in return for DMSI releasing its claims. The parties eventually agreed to Gammex's releasing claims related to the 1994 Litigation, and transferring to DMSI the equipment listed in Ms. Lescrenier's second proposal and $70,000 in cash. The final agreement included three express warranties: (1) that Gammex "has good and clear title to the Equipment, and that the Equipment is free of all liens, mortgages and encumbrances at the time of shipment to Dunbar Medical"; (2) that the equipment "is either new and has never been used, or has previously been used as demonstration or loaner equipment"; and (3) that the "Equipment, at the time of shipment to Dunbar Medical, is working and operational in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications applicable to each item included in the Equipment." In return, DMSI agreed to release claims related to the 1994 Litigation. The agreement was signed by Ms. Dunbar, on behalf of herself and DMSI, on July 18, 1996; Charles Lescrenier, Gammex's CEO, signed the agreement on July 23, 1996. As per the agreement, Gammex transferred $70,000 to DMSI. The parties dismissed, with prejudice, their respective claims. Ms. Dunbar sent to Gammex instructions regarding how the Courier II units were to be configured and programmed. DMSI received equipment from Gammex, albeit after the date stated in the Agreement. After receiving the equipment, some of which was damaged in transit, Ms. Dunbar determined through testing that it differed in significant ways from what it had been represented to be. As a result, on November 11, 1996, DMSI filed in the 152nd Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas an action asserting breach of contract and fraud claims. Gammex removed the case on December 23, 1996 to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.5 In response to the district court's granting of Gammex's November 28, 1997 motion for a more definite statement, DMSI filed a first amended complaint on January 16, 1998. In that complaint, DMSI alleged breach of contract and fraudulent inducement, and sought $150,000 in compensatory damages, $600,000 in punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, and attorney fees. Gammex filed a motion for summary judgment on February 2, 1998, arguing, inter alia, that under the Texas Supreme Court's decision in Schlumberger Technology Corporation v. Swanson, 959 S.W.2d 171 (Tex. 1997), the Settlement Agreement barred DMSI's fraudulent inducement claim.6 The district court denied Gammex's motion on March 4, 1998, and also denied Gammex's subsequent motion to reconsider.7 A three-day bench trial began March 31, 1998. Gammex's motion for a judgment as a matter of law was denied. The evidence revealed that some of the highly technical equipment was not only not new, but outmoded, or defective, or had been used not merely for demonstration or loaner purposes. The ten Courier II units were not programmed as set forth by Linda Dunbar in breach of Paragraph 2.2 of the Agreement. The evidence, both testimonial and spreadsheet documentation, showed that upon arrival, none of the ten Courier IIs captured images off the digitizer or ultrasound and that the equipment did not meet specifications provided to Gammex by DMSI . . . . [C]redible testimony established that a large portion of the equipment was not new, but used, and some nonoperational or only partly operational. Despite Linda Dunbar's insistence that she wanted Courier II units from the last production run that did not have the hard drive and software problems identified in the state court suit, none of the equipment sent to DMSI was manufactured later than 1993, and most was manufactured between 1990-1992. It included old, discontinued models . . . . Some of the equipment had been used and taken back by Gammex as trade-ins or exchanges. The court also noted Ms. Dunbar's testimony that the August 1996 value of the transferred equipment was no more than $20,000. It held that as a result of Gammex's breach, DMSI was entitled to $150,000 in benefit-of-the-bargain damages and to $35,200 in attorney fees. The court went on to find that Gammex had fraudulently induced DMSI to enter into the Settlement Agreement. Ms. Lescrenier was found by the court to have knowingly made false statements regarding the transferred equipment's value, condition, and age. The court found that the estimates of the equipment's value were "deliberately and greatly inflated." Ms. Lescrenier's statements, which were found by the district court not to be expressions of opinion, were made with the intention of causing Ms. Dunbar to rely on them and settle the parties' dispute. Ms. Dunbar was found to have relied on Ms. Lescrenier's statements and to have been injured as a result. The court determined that Gammex's fraud entitled DMSI to $150,000 in benefit-of-the-bargain damages, and $300,000 in punitive damages. As a result of these determinations, the court ordered on November 23, 1998 that DMSI submit a proposed final judgment, and allowed Gammex to file objections to that proposed judgment. On February 22, 1999, the court entered final judgment, which, not surprisingly, reflected DMSI's election to recover under its fraud in the inducement cause of action. The court awarded DMSI $150,000 in compensatory damages, $300,000 in punitive damages, and pre- and post-judgment interest. Gammex timely appealed. Before us, Gammex challenges only the district court's entry of judgment on DMSI's fraudulent inducement claim, its award of $300,000 in punitive damages, and its award of pre-judgment interest on those punitive damages.8 In general, Gammex contends that (1) DMSI's claim is barred, either by the Settlement Agreement's terms or by Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 11; (2) the evidence does not support the court's finding of no intent to perform; (3) the Agreement bars the punitive damage award; (4) DMSI has not met its statutory burden in proving entitlement to such damages; and (5) the lower court improperly awarded pre-judgment interest on punitive damages. We note that Gammex does not challenge the lower court's findings that Ms. Lescrenier made the statements that are at the heart of DMSI's fraudulent inducement claim, that the statements included misrepresentations of fact, or that Ms. Dunbar relied on Ms. Lescrenier's statements. In assessing Gammex's arguments, we apply the well-established standard of review applicable to bench trials, examining questions of law de novo, and reviewing findings of fact for clear error. See Gebreyesus v. F.C. Schaffer & Assocs., Inc., 204 F.3d 639, 642 (5th Cir. 2000). Gammex contends that under Schlumberger Technology Corporation v. Swanson, 959 S.W.2d 171 (Tex. 1997), two provisions within the Settlement Agreement operate to bar DMSI's fraudulent inducement claim. The first is an "as is" clause, which provides that " [e]xcept as expressly provided for herein, the equipment is conveyed and transferred by Gammex to Dunbar Medical as is, where is, and with all faults, and there are no warranties which extend beyond the description of the equipment on the face of exhibit 'A' attached hereto."9 ¶ 2.2. The second provision, a merger clause, provides that the Settlement Agreement "contains the entire agreement between the parties, and no representations, inducements, promises, or agreement, oral or otherwise between the parties with reference thereto and not embodied herein shall be of any force." ¶ 4.2. The district court rejected Gammex's argument in its review of Gammex's motion for summary judgment. It distinguished Schlumberger from the case sub judice by noting that "while the agreement here may appear to Gammex to be an integrated one, there was no express, specific disclaim of reliance on Gammex's alleged statements and representations." We also reject Gammex's argument, but do so for somewhat different reasons. In Schlumberger, the Texas Supreme Court recognized the inherent tension between the principle that the " [p]arties should be able to bargain for and execute a release barring all further dispute," 959 S.W.2d at 179, and prior authority holding that clauses in contracts, including merger and disclaimer provisions, need not bar subsequent claims of fraudulent inducement. See id. at 178-79. The court held that "a release that clearly expresses the parties' intent to waive fraudulent inducement claims, or one that disclaims reliance on representations about specific matters in dispute, can preclude a claim of fraudulent inducement," but also emphasized that "a disclaimer of reliance or merger clause will not always bar" such a claim.10 Id. at 181. Because the parties should be able to rely on their negotiated disclaimer or merger clauses to resolve fully their disputes, the question for the court was "under which circumstances such disclaimers are binding." Id. at 179. For the answer to this question, the court looked to " [t]he contract and the circumstances surrounding its formation . . . ." Id.; see also Prudential Ins. Co. v. Jefferson Assocs., Ltd., 896 S.W.2d 156, 162 (Tex. 1995) (stating that, in determining whether an "as is" clause is unenforceable, " [t]he nature of the transaction and the totality of the circumstances surrounding the agreement must be considered"). We read Schlumberger as holding that particular contract clauses may, under certain limited circumstances, curtail the contracting parties' ability to challenge the contract's validity on fraudulent inducement grounds. Schlumberger gives us some indication of what those circumstances may include. That the negotiating parties in Schlumberger were represented by counsel, were experts in the subject matter of the negotiations, and were bargaining at arm's length were important to the court.11 See Schlumberger, 959 S.W.2d at 180. In addition, the court noted that at the center of the parties' dispute was the object of the alleged misrepresentations -- the value of the mining project -- and that the sole purpose of the unambiguous release was to end that dispute "once and for all." Id. We must assess whether Gammex and DMSI's Settlement Agreement "clearly expresses the parties' intent to waive fraudulent inducement claims, or . . . disclaims reliance on representations about specific matters in dispute." Id. at 181. The parties in the instant action were represented by counsel, and bargained at arm's length over the terms of the Settlement Agreement. The final bargain struck exchanged releases of claims for equipment and cash. Both parties could be considered extremely knowledgeable about the type of equipment reflected in the agreement -- one manufactured and marketed that equipment, the other was previously a distributor of the equipment. We nonetheless conclude that under the circumstances of this case, the "as is" and merger clauses do not bar DMSI's fraudulent inducement claim. The Agreement reflects that Gammex and DMSI specifically contemplated future, although not continuing, interactions with one another. DMSI had the right to send one employee to Gammex's offices for training on the Courier II and other equipment, Gammex was to provide DMSI free support by telephone for one year, and Gammex agreed to apply for one year its standard trade discount to DMSI's purchases of replacement parts and supplies. In addition to future interactions, the parties contemplated future disputes related to the Settlement Agreement. A punitive-damages provision in that Agreement presupposes a claim arising from or related to it. This suggests that the parties were not seeking to end all disputes between them "once and for all." Schlumberger, 959 S.W.2d at 180. Although these observations are not dispositive, they frame our analysis of the "as is" and merger clauses. As the Texas Supreme Court noted in Prudential Insurance, although an "as is" clause can negate a claim that a seller's conduct caused a buyer injury, see 896 S.W.2d at 161, such a clause is not always enforceable. See id. at 162. The court explicitly noted that fraud used to induce agreement was a circumstance that rendered that clause unenforceable. See id. ("A buyer is not bound by an agreement to purchase something 'as is' that he is induced to make because of a fraudulent representation or concealment of information by the seller."). The issue at hand is whether the "as is" clause demonstrates the parties' clear intent to waive fraudulent inducement claims or disclaim reliance on representations about specific matters in dispute. See Schlumberger, 959 S.W.2d at 181. We conclude that it does not. The misrepresentations in this case went to the condition of the equipment (i.e., its "newness" and its being problem-free). The contract specifically warrants that the equipment be either "new and . . . never . . . used, or . . . previously . . . used as demonstration or loaner equipment" and that it would be "working and operational in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications . . . ." The "as is" clause specifically excepts the other explicit warranties. Under these circumstances, we cannot conclude that DMSI, in agreeing to the "as is" clause, disclaimed reliance on Gammex's representations regarding the equipment's age or functioning, or intended to waive fraudulent inducement claims. Cf. SMB Partners, Ltd. v. Osloub, 4 S.W.3d 368, 371 (Tex. App. 1999, no pet.) (holding that an "as is" clause that specifically excluded other warranties did not apply to the purported misrepresentation and thus did not bar the fraudulent inducement claim). Gammex also argues that under the Texas Supreme Court's opinion in Padilla v. LaFrance, 907 S.W.2d 454 (Tex. 1995), Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 11 makes oral representations made in the course of negotiating a settlement agreement unenforceable.14 As a result, DMSI cannot rely on Ms. Lescrenier's statements to support a claim of fraudulent inducement. Gammex takes issue with the district court's rejection of this argument, contending that the court erred in concluding that because the Settlement Agreement was to be performed in less than one year, the statute of frauds does not apply. Like the district court, we conclude that Gammex's argument must be rejected, although we base our decision on different reasoning. In Padilla, the Texas Supreme Court faced the question of whether a series of letters between parties constituted an agreement that satisfied Rule 11's writing requirement. Analogizing to the statute of frauds, the court held that the letters evidenced a binding agreement, in part because they reflected "all material terms of the agreement." 907 S.W.2d at 460-61. Gammex wishes to use language within the Padilla opinion to require that all oral representations made in the context of settlement negotiations be in writing in order to be enforceable. See id. at 460 ("To satisfy the statute of frauds, 'there must be a written memorandum which is complete within itself in every material detail . . . .'" (quoting Cohen v. McCutchin, 565 S.W.2d 230, 232 (Tex. 1978))). Gammex contends that because oral settlement agreements are unenforceable as a matter of law, no claim of fraudulent inducement can be brought. It looks to Weakly v. East, 900 S.W.2d 755, 758 (Tex. App. 1995, writ denied), for support for this contention. We find Weakly distinguishable on its facts. In that case, plaintiffs alleged that defendants, in an effort to forestall the sale of the real estate to another buyer and to purchase that property at a lower price in a foreclosure sale, promised to purchase real estate with no intention of actually carrying out that promise. See id. at 758. The court found that the essence of the fraud claim was the oral promise to purchase realty. See id. Because a contract for the sale of realty is not enforceable unless in writing, and because the alleged fraud did not prevent the necessary writing, the court found that summary judgment in favor of the defendants was proper on the fraud claim. See id. Gammex's argument could have more force if DMSI was seeking to enforce as a contract an alleged oral settlement agreement between Ms. Dunbar and Ms. Lescrenier. Here, however, DMSI challenges the validity of the signed Agreement. Unlike the plaintiffs in Weakly, DMSI alleges that Gammex's actions constituted fraud in the inducement -- the writing, signed by the parties, was procured by Ms. Lescrenier's misrepresentations as to the condition of the equipment to be transferred. This allegation cannot be said to be an attempt to by-pass the statute of frauds via a fraud claim, or an attempt to enforce an otherwise unenforceable oral settlement agreement. DMSI's injury stems from Gammex's alleged violation of its independent legal duty not to procure a contract with DMSI through fraud. See Formosa Plastics Corp. USA v. Presidio Engineers & Contractors, 960 S.W.2d 41, 46 (Tex. 1998). Gammex seeks to distinguish Formosa on the ground that it involves a contract, rather than a settlement agreement. Rule 11 applies only to settlement agreements. Although it is clear that a settlement agreement must be in writing to be enforceable under Texas courts' interpretation of Rule 11, we must reject Gammex's attempt to rely on the scope of that Rule to negate DMSI's fraudulent inducement claim. We can think of no principled reason for distinguishing between fraudulent inducement claims targeting contracts and those targeting settlement agreements, and Texas law provides us with no cause to do so. Under Texas law, a party claiming fraudulent inducement must demonstrate (1) a material representation, (2) that was false, (3) that was either known to be false when made or was asserted without knowledge of the truth, (4) that was intended to be acted upon, (5) was relied upon, and (6) that caused injury. See Formosa, 960 S.W.2d at 47; DeSantis v. Wackenhut Corp., 793 S.W.2d 670, 688 (Tex. 1990), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 1048 (1991). "A promise of future performance constitutes an actionable misrepresentation if the promise was made with no intention of performing at the time it was made." Formosa, 960 S.W.2d at 48. Gammex contends that the district court erred in finding that Ms. Lescrenier intended not to perform at the time she represented that the transferred Courier IIs would come from the last production run and would be problem free. To support this contention, it points to the fact that the Ms. Lescrenier's proposals were not fully accepted in February, to evidence that Ms. Lescrenier relied on a list of available equipment prepared by Mr. Sopotnick, and to evidence that Ms. Lescrenier did not participate in the second stage of negotiations. Gammex urges us to conclude that the evidence supporting the lower court's finding of the requisite intent is "so weak that it creates only a mere surmise or suspicion of its existence," T.O. Stanley Boot Co. v. Bank of El Paso, 847 S.W.2d 218, 222 (Tex. 1992), and is thus insufficient. Our review of the district court's finding is limited. Under the Federal Rules, "due regard shall be given to the opportunity of the trial court to judge of the credibility of the witnesses." Fed. R. Civ. P. 52(a); see also Coury v. Prot, 85 F.3d 244, 254 (5th Cir. 1996). "The burden of showing that the findings of the district court are clearly erroneous is heavier if the credibility of witnesses is a factor in the trial court's decision." Id. at 254 (citing Village Fair Shopping Ctr. v. Broadhead, 588 F.2d 431, 434 n.2 (5th Cir. 1979)). In this case, the trial judge specifically noted her assessments of Ms. Dunbar's, Ms. Lescrenier's, and Mr. Sopotnick's credibility. We do not emerge from our review of the record with a "'definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.'" Concrete Pipe & Prods of Cal., Inc. v. Construction Laborers Pension Trust for S. Cal., 508 U.S. 602, 622 (1993) (quoting United States v. United States Gypsum Co., 333 U.S. 364, 395 (1948)). Evidence indicates that although Ms. Lescrenier was not an active participant in the last rounds of negotiations, her second February proposal was a basis upon which those negotiations built. Although Ms. Lescrenier indicated in her testimony that Gammex's inventory changed between February and August, when the equipment was shipped, Mr. Sopotnick testified that there was no change. He also testified that Ms. Lescrenier accompanied him when he reviewed the inventory to assess what equipment was available. Given this and other evidence in the record, we conclude that the district court's finding is not clearly erroneous. Because we conclude that the district court did not err in entering judgment on DMSI's fraudulent inducement claim, we turn to Gammex's challenges to the lower court's punitive damages and pre-judgment interest decisions. With regard to punitive damages, Gammex contends that the district court erred in not enforcing a contractual provision in which DMSI explicitly released claims for punitive damages, and that DMSI is not entitled to such damages because it has not met its statutory burden of proof. As to any and all claims that may be asserted by Dunbar Medical or Dunbar arising from or in any way relating to this Settlement Agreement, including but not limited to the Equipment, in no event shall Dunbar Medical or Dunbar be entitled to recover special, consequential or punitive damages, and recovery of special, consequential or punitive damages shall be absolutely precluded. Gammex contends that this language must be interpreted as a release of DMSI's punitive damages claim, and that because the clause was freely negotiated, it bars DMSI's recovery of such damages. In general, a party is not bound by a fraudulently induced contract. See Formosa, 960 S.W.2d at 46; Prudential Ins., 896 S.W.2d at 162. Underlying this rule is the notion that a party induced by fraud to enter into an agreement has not provided the assent necessary to make a binding contract. See Dallas Farm Mach. Co., 307 S.W.2d at 240; Edward Thompson Co. v. Sawyers, 234 S.W. 873, 874 (Tex. 1921) ("Contracts, though reduced to writing, are avoided when induced by material promises, never intended to be kept, not because one is allowed to vary his written contract, but because real assent is essential to a binding contract."). "One who is entitled to avoid an entire written contract because it lacked his assent can no longer be held bound by any of its stipulations . . . ." Sawyers, 234 S.W. at 874-75. Because a party is not bound by a contract he was induced by fraud to enter, we find inapplicable Memorial Medical Center v. Keszler, 943 S.W.2d 433 (Tex. 1997), a case Gammex relies upon to support its contention that the punitive damages provision is enforceable. In Memorial Medical, the Texas Supreme Court determined, inter alia, that a post-injury release of claims for gross negligence is not against public policy. See id. at 435. The settlement agreement and release at issue in the case were considered valid documents. See id. at 434 ("The parties . . . have not contested the validity of the release or claimed ambiguity or fraud in its execution."). Thus, the issue regarded the enforceability of a clause within the contract, not the validity of the contract. Here, we consider whether a clause in a contract otherwise unenforceable against DMSI may nonetheless preclude punitive damages. We hold that it cannot. Because DMSI was found to have been induced into entering the Settlement Agreement by Gammex's fraud, the district court did not err in concluding that the Agreement's punitive damages provision was not binding on DMSI. Gammex next argues that DMSI has not met its burden under section 41.003 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, and therefore is not entitled to a punitive damages award. Section 41.003(a) provides that a claimant prove "by clear and convincing evidence that the harm with respect to which the claimant seeks recovery of exemplary damages results from (1) fraud, (2) malice, or (3) wilful act or mission or gross neglect in wrongful death actions . . . ." Gammex attacks the lack of "clear and convincing" evidence supporting a finding of no intent to perform on the part of Ms. Lescrenier, and argues that this case exhibits neither the "evil mind," Transportation Ins. Co. v. Moriel, 879 S.W.2d 10, 18 (Tex. 1994), nor the "extraordinary harm," id. at 24, that are required under Texas law to award punitive damages. Gammex's reliance on Moriel and other cases building on its principles is misplaced. The cases cited each deal with allegations of bad faith. See State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v. Simmons, 963 S.W.2d 42 (Tex. 1998) (involving allegations that insurance company breached its duty of good faith and fair dealing); Universe Life Ins. Co. v. Giles, 950 S.W.2d 48 (Tex. 1997) (same); Moriel, 879 S.W.2d at 14 (same). As subsequent Texas Supreme Court decisions have recognized, Moriel "clarified the requirements for the imposition of punitive damages in a bad faith case." Simmons, 963 S.W.2d at 47; see also Giles, 950 S.W.2d at 54 (noting Moriel limits recovery of punitive damages in bad faith cases to, among others, those able to show fraudulent conduct in addition to bad faith). This is a fraud case. Under section 41.003(a), DMSI had the burden of demonstrating that its harm was due to Gammex's fraud. The statute defines fraud to be "fraud other than constructive fraud." Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. § 41.001(6). As the Texas Supreme Court has noted, " [a] finding of intent to harm or conscious indifference to the rights of others will support an award of exemplary damages. In [Trenholm v. Ratcliff, 646 S.W.2d 927, 933 (Tex. 1983)], this court held that a fraudulent inducement was enough to support at least a finding of conscious indifference." Spoljaric, 708 S.W.2d at 436 (internal citations omitted). DMSI did not also need to show malice, as the statute is explicit in providing that a claimant needs to show harm from fraud or malice. DMSI was required to show by clear and convincing evidence the elements of punitive damages provided in section 41.003(a). See Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. § 41.003(b). Clear and convincing evidence is "that measure or degree of proof which will produce in the mind of the trier of fact a firm belief or conviction as to the truth of the allegations sought to be established." Id. § 41.001(2). Gammex contends only that evidence is insufficient to support a finding that Ms. Lescrenier had no intent to perform when she assured Ms. Dunbar of the condition of the equipment to be transferred. We have considered the evidence under the clear error standard and have rejected Gammex's argument. It fares no better under the standard applicable here. Thus, we conclude that the district court did not err in awarding punitive damages. For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the district court's entry of judgment on DMSI's fraudulent inducement claim, and its award of punitive damages. We reform the judgment to clarify that pre-judgment interest at the rate of 10% per annum is to be assessed only on the compensatory damage award. See Krieser v. Hobbs, 166 F.3d 736, 747 (5th Cir. 1999). AFFIRMED in part; REFORMED in part. Gammex shall bear the costs of this appeal. In early 1989, DMSI and DataSpan, Inc. entered into an agreement whereby DMSI became an independent sales representative for DataSpan. Radiation Measurements, Inc. is Gammex's predecessor in interest. DataSpan was acquired by Gammex/Radiation Measurements in 1989. We refer to each of these companies as "Gammex." The Courier II is a stand-alone computer that runs teleradiology equipment. Ms. Dunbar later determined that in fact, the camera's manufacturer had earlier ceased production of the requested camera. The letter Ms. Dunbar's attorney sent to Gammex's attorney listed as part of Ms. Dunbar's settlement proposal that " [a]ll continuing or past relationships will be severed (except for the terms of the settlement agreement, the non-disclosure and software license agreements)." Jurisdiction is claimed under 28 U.S.C. § 1332. DMSI is a Texas corporation with its principal place of business in Harris County, Texas, and Gammex is a Wisconsin corporation with its principal place of business in Middleton, Wisconsin. The Settlement Agreement contains a choice-of-law clause that provides that the Agreement "shall be construed and governed by the laws of the State of Texas." Because Gammex's motion to reconsider raised a new argument -- that Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 11 barred DMSI's claims -- the lower court interpreted the motion as a supplemental motion for summary judgment that was ripe for decision given DMSI had responded. Gammex concedes that DMSI is entitled to recover $150,000 in compensatory damages on its breach of contract claim, and to receive $35,200 in attorney fees. It also concedes that DMSI is entitled to recover pre-judgment interest at the rate of 6% per annum on the compensatory damages award. The quoted language appears in all capital letters, in a bold-face type, at the end of the paragraph that lists Gammex's warranties with regard to the equipment. The court cited its opinion in Prudential Insurance Co. v. Jefferson Associates, Ltd., 896 S.W.2d 156, 162 (Tex. 1995), as describing some of the circumstances under which such clauses would not be binding. Included in those circumstances are where the contract was procured by fraud and where a seller's conduct obstructs a buyer's ability to inspect the condition of what is being sold. See id. The court also noted that " [w]here the 'as is' clause is an important part of the basis of the bargain, not an incidental or 'boiler-plate' provision, and is entered into by parties of relatively equal bargaining position, a buyer's affirmation and agreement that he is not relying on representations of the seller should be given effect." Id. The argument that merger or disclaimer clauses should be binding whenever parties to the agreement were represented by independent legal counsel was expressly rejected by the Schlumberger court. See 959 S.W.2d at 178. DMSI also sought additional language relating to a six-month warranty on the equipment. This was rejected. The description of the equipment to be transferred in the final agreement differs from the description in the documents exchanged by Ms. Lescrenier and Ms. Dunbar in including a reference to "loaner" equipment. This addition does not contradict Ms. Lescrenier's representations, however, as loaner equipment, although not new, could still come from the last fifty manufactured by Gammex and be problem-free. We note that the parties negotiated separate release clauses covering any and all claims "made in or based on or related to the claims made in the Litigation." The "Litigation" was defined as the action Gammex initiated in 1994. Thus, we do not read the release clauses as covering claims arising from the Settlement Agreement. Indeed, in a section of the contract separate from the "Releases" section, the parties included provisions relating specifically to the Settlement Agreement. Those provisions were the merger clause, the clause prohibiting recovery of punitive and special damages, and the choice-of-law clause. Under Rule 11, "no agreement between attorneys or parties touching any suit pending will be enforced unless it be in writing, signed and filed with the papers as part of the record, or unless it be made in open court and entered of record." Tex. R. Civ. P. 11 (West 2000). Gammex also contends that we should apply language from Boggan v. Data Systems Network Corp., 969 F.2d 149 (5th Cir. 1992), to hold that Ms. Lescrenier's statements cannot constitute actionable misrepresentations. See id. at 153 ("It is well settled that the negotiations and discussions leading up to the writing cannot displace the terms of the written agreement."). We decline to do so. Our decision in Boggan was in part based on the finding that the alleged misrepresentations were expressions of intent, rather than statements of fact, see id., and that statements such as "I think we have a deal" could not, under the circumstances, be considered actionable misrepresentations. In the case before us, the district court found that Ms. Lescrenier's statements were misrepresentations of fact, or promises made with no intention of performing. Each of these is an actionable misrepresentation under Texas law. See Formosa, 960 S.W.2d at 46-48. Gammex also asks that we reform the interest award to reduce the rate to 6%, as this was the rate DMSI requested. It does not contend that an award at the higher rate was erroneous, and thus we deny its request.

2019-04-19T16:17:12Z

https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F3/216/441/570341/

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So there you've got it: some convenient the way to retrieve all types of equipment-related tips with the convenience of an SQL remark. There are other new UDFs in DB2 UDB V8.2.2 that may return advice within the DB2 history file and the DB2 Registry. moreover, don't forget all those table services that IBM has been including due to the fact that the generable availability date of DB2 UDB V8.1. Paul C. Zikopoulos, BA, MBA, is an award-profitable writer and speaker with the IBM Database aggressive technologies group. He has greater than 9 years of event with DB2 products and has written a lot of journal articles and books about it. Paul has co-authored the books: DB2 edition 8: The legit book, DB2: The comprehensive Reference, DB2 Fundamentals Certification for Dummies, DB2 for Dummies, and A DBA's e-book to Databases on Linux. Paul is a DB2 licensed advanced Technical knowledgeable (DRDA and Cluster/EEE) and a DB2 certified solutions expert (enterprise Intelligence and Database Administration). at the moment he's writing a book on the Apache Derby/IBM Derby database. that you would be able to attain him at: [email protected]. DB2, DB2 usual Database, and IBM are logos or registered logos of international business Machines organisation in the u.s., other countries, or each. Java and all Java-primarily based emblems are logos of solar Microsystems, Inc. in the u.s., different nations, or each. Microsoft and windows are logos of Microsoft employer in the u.s., different international locations, or each. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open community in the u.s. and different international locations. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds within the united states, other international locations, or each. other business, product, and repair names can be trademarks or carrier marks of others. Copyright overseas business Machines agency, 2005. All rights reserved. The opinions, solutions, and tips listed here are from the creator's experiences and aren't supposed to signify legitimate verbal exchange from IBM or an endorsement of any products listed inside. Neither the author nor IBM is chargeable for any of the contents in this article. The accuracy of the tips listed here is in line with the writer's skills on the time of writing. Books that principally target certification are your most excellent guess. Their coverage matches what you will face on the assessments. different DB2 books will also be positive in pursuing your intention as smartly, however concentrate your effort on these designed to assist you certify. desk 3 lists DB2 certification books and different worthy tomes. you can discover enlightening studies by means of those people that have used the books for examination preparation posted on websites like Amazon or Barnes and Noble on-line , and you'll buy the books there as smartly. IBM's site also offers a certification booklist. My personal advice is the DB2 V8 certification guides written by means of Roger Sanders. every book covers one DB2 exam and comprises "practice questions" to hone your exam-readiness. The books hew strictly to what you need to recognize for the tests: they do not waste your time with extraneous cloth, and they don't depart anything out you deserve to be aware of (full disclosure – I don't have any financial hobby in these books however have acted as an unpaid reviewer and wrote a foreward to 1). Whichever certification guidebook you choose, you increase your probabilities of passing by supplementing them with complementary study resources. listed below are some suggestions. IBM presents two free courses that you deploy and be trained from on your computing device. both are GUI-primarily based and interactive. the primary is oriented to the DB2 developer cert (assessments seven hundred and 703), the 2d towards the Linux/Unix/home windows DBA checks (checks 700 and 701). down load both from IBM at http://www7b.application.ibm.com/dmdd/trainingcertification.html. These classes are superb. 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The different source for observe questions are the certification books with the aid of Roger Sanders mentioned earlier. The DB2 Developer domain has free DB2 tutorials, technical articles, and sections where that you could "ask the experts" and even "meet the specialists." Bookmark this web site for your browser as a correct choice for discovering DB2. you're going to need hands-on event with DB2 to circulate the checks. Get it at work, or install DB2 UDB V8 in your domestic computing device operating windows or Linux. which you could at once download DB2 UDB at no cost from IBM's DB2 Developer area (just click on on the IBM support and downloads tab at the suitable of the webpage). lots of the certification books for the core tests consist of a CD-ROM with a trial copy of DB2 UDB V8 for home windows PCs. The trial models shipped in the books have a distinct trial length of 180 days. The trial edition that is downloaded is 90-days. you could always reinstall the software in case your certification effort takes longer. in order for you any of the DB2 manuals, all include the product and are available should you installation the database from the CD-ROM. or you can download any guide for gratis from IBM in PDF format. that you could also obtain IBM redbooks on advanced topics by free down load from http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/, mainly DB2 redbooks.These internet sites assist you to order hardcopies, in case you so select. do you want school room training? My feeling is that IT pros experienced in the area through which they are checking out should not have it to move. however those new to their testing topic should still accept as true with it. The DB2 tests are tricky sufficient that it be impossible you are going to flow from publication discovering on my own. IBM's training web site can support you make a decision. IBM posts the legit check ambitions, suggested supplies, and training assistance, and short self-assessment tests. evaluation all of them to be sure your development is on course. The sources above offer you every thing you need to cowl these bases. the new tutorials will train you the basics of the DB2 products and tools, DB2 protection, and a lot greater. You need to make a FREE registration to view the tutorials. This tutorial introduces the basics of the DB2 items and tools, along with the ideas of information warehousing and OLAP. it is the first in a collection of six tutorials designed to support you put together for the DB2 UDB V8.1 family Fundamentals Certification (examination seven hundred). This tutorial introduces you to DB2 safety. you'll learn about DB2 authentication, authorization and privileges. it's the 2d in a collection of six tutorials so you might use to aid you put together for the DB2 UDB V8.1 family Fundamentals Certification (exam seven hundred). 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This tutorial discusses statistics types, tables, views, and indexes as described by using DB2 familiar Database. It explains the points of those objects, the way to create and manipulate them the use of Structured query Language (SQL), and how they will also be utilized in an utility. This tutorial is the fifth in a series of six tutorials for you to use to aid prepare for the DB2 UDB V8.1 family Fundamentals Certification (examination seven hundred). This tutorial will introduce you to the concept of records consistency and to the quite a few mechanisms which are used via DB2 commonplace Database to keep database consistency in each single- and multi-person environments. here's the last tutorial in a series of six tutorials that you can use to support prepare for the DB2 UDB V8.1 household Fundamentals Certification (examination seven hundred). Just memorize these 000-706 questions before you go for test. 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Their objective to accumulate the Questions and Answers isnt just to pass the exam before everything attempt however Really Improve Your Knowledge approximately the 000-706 exam points. 000-706 exam Questions and Answers are Printable in High Quality Study Guide that you may down load in your Computer or a few other device and start setting up your 000-706 exam. Print Complete 000-706 Study Guide, deliver with you when you are at Vacations or Traveling and Enjoy your Exam Prep. You can get to updated 000-706 Exam from your on line document whenever. Download your UDB V8.1 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows Database Administration Upgrade Study Guide immediately next to purchasing and Start Preparing Your Exam Prep Right Now! In late April 2005, IBM released an update, called Version 8.2.2, of the IBM DB2 Universal Database product (DB2 UDB). This update was inspired by functional enhancements for SAP environments, but the reality is that everyone can benefit from the works that has gone into this update. Traditionally, database administrators (DBAs) can get frustrated when trying to retrieve information about their database servers. On the one hand, they can use graphical tools such as the DB2 UDB Control Center to help them, but many experienced DBAs do not like to use graphical interfaces. Indeed, experienced DBAs tend to administer and maintain their databases using command-line scripts and so on. On the other hand, the typical method is not necessarily appealing either. Sure, many of the utilities that DB2 UDB exposes for the retrieval of system information are based on a C API, or some sort of DB2 UDB CLP command. This solves the problem of retrieving information from a graphical user interface (GUI), but involves programmatic or syntactical complexities. For example, if you want to get a snapshot of your database using a C API, you have to know how to programmatically call this API. Suppose you had development skills in the Java language, for example; you would have to use a JNI wrapper to call the C APIs provided by DB2 UDB. This involves yet another level of complexity. Assuming that as a DBA you are neither a programmer nor someone who likes to use a GUI, what options do you have? The SQL API, which DBAs are typically well versed in, represents a common ground by which DBAs can leverage the productivity of a command-line environment--without the complexity. Since the DB2 UDB V8.1 release, IBM has been working hard to expose more and more features through simple SQL that were once only invoked by a command-line or C API. DB2 UDB V8.2.2 adds three new user-defined functions (UDFs) that allow authorized remote clients to get details about a DB2 UDB server, including machine, product, and instance information, and so on. Before DB2 UDB V8.2.2, this information was only available via administrative APIs. These news UDFs are added to an ever-expanding group of table functions that return information about the operations of your system (for example, you can use a table UDF to return snapshot monitor information). These new UDFs are created when a new database is created at the DB2 UDB V8.2.2 level. If you already have an existing database and you have applied the maintenance stream for DB2 UDB V8.2.2 to your existing server, you can use the db2updt command to create these new routines. These new routines are defined in sqlescat.h and placed in the new db2envinfo library located in the sqllib/bin/routine directory. In this article, I will take you through the details of these new system information UDFs and give you examples of how to use them. The results of this UDF tell me that I have my DB2 UDB server installed on a workstation that is running a 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows 5.1 (which is Windows XP technology) and I have installed Service Pack 1. The host name of my machine, the number of CPUs (both physical and enabled with a partition if you are using one), and total memory (in MB) is also shown. The new SYSPROC.ENV_GET_PROD_INFO UDF can be used to return information about the actual DB2 UDB product installed on your server. You can see in this figure that I have DB2 UDB Enterprise Server Edition (ESE) installed on my server, it is correctly licensed, and it is installed at the V8.2 release level. The final new UDF, called SYSPROC.ENV_GET_INST_INFO, returns information about the instance of the DB2 UDB product installed on your server. So there you have it: some easy ways to retrieve all types of system-related information with the ease of an SQL statement. There are other new UDFs in DB2 UDB V8.2.2 that can return information in the DB2 History file and the DB2 Registry. Moreover, don't forget all those table functions that IBM has been adding since the generable availability date of DB2 UDB V8.1. Paul C. Zikopoulos, BA, MBA, is an award-winning writer and speaker with the IBM Database Competitive Technologies team. He has more than nine years of experience with DB2 products and has written numerous magazine articles and books about it. Paul has co-authored the books: DB2 Version 8: The Official Guide, DB2: The Complete Reference, DB2 Fundamentals Certification for Dummies, DB2 for Dummies, and A DBA's Guide to Databases on Linux. Paul is a DB2 Certified Advanced Technical Expert (DRDA and Cluster/EEE) and a DB2 Certified Solutions Expert (Business Intelligence and Database Administration). Currently he is writing a book on the Apache Derby/IBM Derby database. You can reach him at: [email protected]. DB2, DB2 Universal Database, and IBM are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. Java and all Java-based trademarks are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States, other countries, or both. Copyright International Business Machines Corporation, 2005. All rights reserved. The opinions, solutions, and advice in this article are from the author's experiences and are not intended to represent official communication from IBM or an endorsement of any products listed within. Neither the author nor IBM is liable for any of the contents in this article. The accuracy of the information in this article is based on the author's knowledge at the time of writing. This chapter introduces you to the backup and recovery tools that are available with DB2 universal database, and to show you how to both backup a database on a regular basis and restore a database if it becomes damaged or corrupted. Your knowledge of the various transaction logging features available. Your knowledge of the types of database recovery available (crash, version, and roll-forward) and your ability to demonstrate when and how each are used. Your ability to create and use database-level and tablespace-level backup images. Your ability to create and use full, incremental, and delta backup images. Your ability to return a damaged or corrupt database to the state it was in at any given point in time. Your knowledge of how and when invalid indexes are recreated. Your ability to suspend and resume database I/O and your ability to initialize a split mirror copy of a database. This chapter is designed to introduce you to the backup and recovery tools that are available with DB2 Universal Database, and to show you how to both backup a database on a regular basis and restore a database if it becomes damaged or corrupted. Although basic syntax is presented for most of the DB2 UDB commands covered in this chapter, the actual syntax supported may be much more complex. To view the complete syntax for a specific command or to obtain more information about a particular command, refer to the IBM DB2 Universal Database, Version 8 Command Reference product documentation. Recognizing the types of transaction logging available and understanding when each is to be used. Understanding how crash recovery, version recovery, and roll-forward recovery operations are initiated. Understanding how database-level and tablespace-level backup images are made. Understanding how full, incremental, and delta backup images are created and used. Understanding how invalid indexes are recreated. Understanding how split mirroring is used to backup a database. Understanding how I/O is suspended and resumed so mirrors can be split, as well as knowing how split mirrors are initialized. The initiation and termination of a single transaction defines points of data consistency within a database; either the effects of all operations performed within a transaction are applied to the database and made permanent (committed), or the effects of all operations performed are backed out (rolled back) and the database is returned to the state it was in before the transaction was initiated. When the COMMIT statement is used to terminate a transaction, all changes made to the database since the transaction began are made permanent. On the other hand, when the ROLLBACK statement is used, all changes made are backed out and the database is returned to the state it was in just before the transaction began. Figure 7-1 shows the effects of a transaction that was terminated with a COMMIT statement; Figure 7-2 shows the effects of a transaction that was terminated with a ROLLBACK statement. Figure 7-1. Terminating a transaction with the COMMIT SQL statement. Figure 7-2. Terminating a transaction with the ROLLBACK SQL statement. It is important to remember that commit and rollback operations only have an effect on changes that have been made within the transaction they terminate. So in order to evaluate the effects of a series of transactions, you must be able to identify where each transaction begins, as well as when and how each transaction is terminated. Figure 7-3 shows how the effects of a series of transactions can be evaluated. Figure 7-3. Evaluating the effects of a series of transactions. Changes made by a transaction that have not been committed are usually inaccessible to other users and applications (unless another user or application is using the Uncommitted Read isolation level), and can be backed out with a rollback operation. However, once changes made by a transaction have been committed, they become accessible to all other users and/or applications and can only be removed by executing new SQL statements (within a new transaction). So what happens if a problem occurs (for example, a power failure occurs or an application abends) before a transaction's changes can be committed? In order to answer that question, they must first look at how data changes are made and at how transaction activity is logged. DB2 Universal Database Express Edition v8.1, for Linux and Windows, suits small and medium businesses positioning themselves for e-business. Silent install capability allows application provider to incorporate DB2 UDB Express as transparent part of solution. Suite of advanced management and autonomic computing capabilities support simplification and automation of administration tasks. Scalable features allow seamless transition to other DB2 editions as businesses grow. DB2 UDB Express easily integrates with applications and results in faster deployment and faster time to market for partner applications. For ordering, contact: Your IBM representative or the Americas Call Centers at 800-IBM-CALL (Reference: VE001). OverviewDB2 Universal Database® (UDB) Express Edition V8.1 combines the power, function, and reliability of an open industry-standards-based relational database with simplicity in packaging, installing, and deploying at a minimal investment cost. DB2® UDB Express meets the data management needs of small and medium businesses (SMBs) positioning themselves for e-business on demand(TM). DB2 UDB Express was developed in consultation with IBM Business Partners. It is ideal for those partners embedding it in their application or reselling it as part of their market-ready solutions for SMBs. Easy to OwnDB2 UDB Express has a very low entry cost and it can reduce or eliminate costs associated with deploying and maintaining your data. The silent install capability allows an application or solution provider to incorporate DB2 UDB Express as a transparent part of the solution. Similarly, autonomic computing capabilities such as the Health Center, Configuration Advisor, and Query Optimizer eliminate many of the complexities and costs traditionally associated with managing relational databases. Flexibility of Open Industry StandardsDB2 UDB Express can be deployed on either Linux or Windows® and supports a full range of industry-standard application interfaces including JDBC, SQLJ, ODBC, OLE DB, ADO, ADO.NET, DB2 CLI, Embedded SQL, XML, and Web Services. Ready to GrowAs your business grows, you cannot afford to continually start over with new technologies to meet your changing needs. DB2 UDB offers the same core capabilities across the entire line of database servers. You benefit from the same reliability, security, and optimization as your data volumes or utilization increase. You can leverage your existing investments with DB2 UDB Express through available upgrades to other editions of DB2 UDB to support more platform choices and larger hardware installations. All of these benefits combine to improve your return on investment and let you quickly derive the most value from your information assets required to operate your business. Key PrerequisitesRefer to the Hardware Requirements and Software Requirements sections. Simplified DeploymentThe silent install capability enables an application or solution provider to incorporate the install of DB2 UDB Express as a transparent part of the solution. It combines silent installation with the ability to create databases and configure DB2 UDB Express using scripts. It also supports the ability to create an up-and-running application solution. DB2 UDB Express can be deployed on either Linux or Windows, the two pervasive deployment platforms for SMBs, offering you flexibility in the choice of hardware and operating system for deployment. Autonomic Management CapabilitiesDB2 UDB Express incorporates a suite of advanced management and autonomic computing capabilities. These support the simplification and automation of administration tasks, eliminating many of the costs traditionally associated with managing relational databases. The Configuration Advisor provides facilities to configure the DB2 UDB Express environment to optimize performance. The Health Center monitors your DB2 system, alerting you to potential DB2 operational issues, and providing advice about resolving them. Design for 24/7 OperationDB2 UDB Express supports 24/7 operation by eliminating the need to shut down the database to perform maintenance. Changes to key database and database manager configuration parameters can be made while the database is online and take effect immediately. This gives you more flexibility for deciding when to change the configuration to better suit changing workload characteristics. In some cases, you can set a parameter to be automatic. This allows DB2 to adjust the parameter value without intervention from you as workload on the database changes. Support of 24/7 operation is further enhanced by the online utilities available with DB2 UDB Express. Database backups can be performed online or offline, as can data reorganizations. Application Development SupportDB2 UDB Express supports a wide set of application programming interfaces including ODBC, OLE DB, ADO, ADO.NET, JDBC, SQLJ, DB2 CLI, embedded SQL, and emerging interfaces such as XML and Web services. This is the same set that is supported across the scalable DB2 UDB family of offerings. A wide range of industry solutions that utilize these interfaces can run with DB2 UDB Express. Investment ProtectionDB2 UDB Express offers the same core capabilities across the entire line of database servers. This provides you the ability to benefit from the same reliability, security, application development interfaces, and optimization as your data volumes, number of users, or utilization increase. Leverage your existing investments with DB2 UDB Express through available upgrades to other scalable editions of DB2 UDB to support more platform choices and higher throughput on larger hardware installations. Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation ActDB2 UDB Express Edition V8.1 is capable, as of June 27, 2003, when used in accordance with IBM's associated documentation, of satisfying the applicable requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, provided that any assistive technology used with the product properly interoperates with it. Product PositioningDB2 UDB Express Edition is the database server designed for deployment in an SMB, generally as part of a solution built by an IBM Business Partner. It is limited to deployments on servers that will run 32-bit applications with up to two CPUs running either Linux or Windows. DB2 UDB Express offers a full function database server at a low-entry cost with a named user-based pricing model. For customers with higher scalability, performance, and throughput needs, IBM offers the following server editions of DB2 Universal Database:o DB2 UDB Enterprise Server Edition (ESE) meets the database server needs of midsize to large businesses. It can be deployed in Linux, UNIX®, and Windows server environments on any size server, including 64-bit servers. DB2 UDB Enterprise is the ideal foundation for building data warehouses, transaction processing, or Web-based solutions as well as a backend for packaged solutions like Enterprise Resource Planning (ERM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Supply Chain Management (SCM). Additionally, DB2 UDB Enterprise offers connectivity and integration for other enterprise DB2 and Informix(TM) data sources.o DB2 UDB Workgroup Server Edition (WSE) is the database server designed for deployment in a departmental or small business environment that involves a small number of internal users. DB2 UDB Workgroup uses a licensing model designed to provide an attractive price point for smaller installations while still providing a full-function database server. It can be deployed in Linux, UNIX, and Windows server environments on systems with up to four 32-bit CPUs.o DB2 UDB Workgroup Server Unlimited Edition (WSUE) offers a simplified per-processor licensing model for deployment in a departmental or small business environment that has Internet users or number of users that makes per-processor licensing more attractive than the WSE licensing model. The WSUE can be deployed in Linux, UNIX, and Windows environments on systems with up to four 32-bit CPUs.

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http://smresidences.com.ph/practice-test.php?pdf=000-706

1. In view of what course of man does God need to carry out his purpose​—soon? IT IS comforting to know that, whereas human plans for mankind are failing, the purpose of a loving Creator is succeeding. The failure of human plans is causing all of us hardship and concern. But faith in God strengthens us to look ahead to our enjoying eternal good from the sure success of His purpose. He never needs to learn from such things as previous mistakes, for he makes none. Men ought to learn from past human mistakes, but they have the weakness of repeating the same mistakes. Failure follows. So now the unerring God needs to carry out his purpose​—soon! 2. How did plans laid for our twentieth century fail, and what questions arose as a result of introduction of atomic warfare? 2 The grandiose plans that nineteenth-century planners laid for our twentieth century ended in failure. World War I pricked them as if a rainbow-colored soap bubble. The League of Nations plan did not repair matters. Soon it appeared that world planners had not learned by experience through collapse of the League of Nations. The future presented them a new challenge when two atomic bombs were dropped in the Far East, to usher in atomic warfare. All of us now confronted something indeed serious. What protective device would men responsible for world planning now provide? Something that experience guaranteed to prove a sure success? Something that expressed a wisdom superior to that of mortal man? 3. What kind of society is the United Nations, and how has it affected the world state of affairs? 3 No, the nation that exploded the atomic bombs took the lead in arranging with its war allies for another society of nations. Just another political league with a new dress and facial makeup, under a new name, the United Nations organization. It has its Declaration of Human Rights. It has its International Court of Justice. It has its police force, which has enforced the cease-fire along the Suez Canal. It has its General Assembly and Security Council as planning bodies for the now 135 members of the United Nations. Admittedly, it has served as a safety valve for an explosive world situation, but, for all that, the world state of affairs still continues explosive. The United Nations, although organized for world peace and security, has not prevented the development of the nuclear bomb and intercontinental ballistic missiles with warheads containing nuclear bombs of devastating power. 4. How far has the United Nations organization been able to go about calamitous conditions, and how is confidence in it shown to be waning? 4 In the United Nations we have another instance of international planning on a world scale, but by a number of participants larger than ever before. However, is such overall world planning by mortal men proving successful or offering hope of success? The United Nations investigates and publishes data on the deadly pollution of air, sea and land. Also, on the spread of death-dealing diseases and epidemics. Yes, on famines and droughts. It finds itself unable, however, to cope with the worsening situation. It takes note of the regional Treaty Organizations of Communist and anti-Communist political blocs outside the United Nations, but cannot interfere with these international groups. So human confidence in the United Nations weakens, and political rulers continue to depend upon their regional alliances and upon strong military stockpiles as the best deterrents to a Nuclear World War. Promises of politicians to lay the foundation for a “generation of peace” sound hollow! 5. Since the world situation does not better itself after all the human planning, what questions arise? 5 People are imperiled not only by international complications. They are afflicted by domestic problems and trouble, turmoil and anarchy, and the hardness of living in their own countries. What is the trouble? Why is it that with all the feverish and intensive planning and taking of preventive measures, the world situation does not better itself? Where does the fault lie? What is in error with all this human planning? What has been left out of consideration? Honest-hearted persons would like to know. 6, 7. (a) In all such national and international planning, what has been overlooked? (b) After get-togethers opened by prayer, what have the planners failed to do? 6 In all the aforementioned cases of national and international planning, we note that there is an overlooking of the Creator of the heavens and the earth and the sea, an ignoring of His counsel. 7 Oh, the planners may claim to belong to the various religious sects of Christendom or to Judaism or to Buddhism or to Mohammedanism or to Hinduism or to some other religious group. They may have their political or social get-togethers for deliberation on problems opened with prayer by some clergyman. Yet, do they thereafter let themselves be guided by the counsel given by man’s Creator? Do they go to his written Word, where his counsel can be plainly read? Then, do they let themselves be guided by such counsel? Here a controversy might arise. The planners are not all agreed as to what the written Word of the Creator is, for they have different sacred books that they consider holy, the basis for their religious belief. But the true Creator of heaven and earth is the One who made man and put him on the earth and told man what he was to do here. This Creator also foretold with accuracy our present-day distress of nations with perplexity. 8. What is the book not considered or followed by worldly planners, and who made that book? 8 The Maker of man is also the Creator of this written Word, his inspired Book. That Book is the Holy Bible, written by the hand of faithful men whom the Creator inspired to write. Bible societies have spread this inspired Book all around the earth, in hundreds of languages. So it is not an unknown and inaccessible Book. Its very opening sentence says: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The first chapter of the Holy Bible also describes the creation of mankind, both male and female. (Genesis 1:26-31) This is the Book that is not consulted or followed by the worldly planners for human society. 9. What ancient Bible statement about human plans still stands uncontestable, as illustrated by what world powers? 9 The wise observation as made about three thousand years ago and as recorded in the Holy Bible remains uncontestable even today. It is recorded in Proverbs 19:21, and, according to the Jerusalem Bible translation of this proverb from the Hebrew language, it reads: “Plans multiply in the human heart, but the purpose of Yahweh stands firm.” (See also The New English Bible and Revised Standard Version.) The name Yahweh here is the pronunciation of the divine name that is preferred by some to the pronunciation Jehovah. Human plans, schemes and devices have multiplied throughout the past centuries and millenniums, but have they succeeded in standing firm and producing permanent gains and controls? Where today are the famous political empires that once held wide control, particularly the seven world powers of Bible history and prophecy? Where is the ancient Egyptian World Power, also the Assyrian, the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the Grecian, the Roman, the Anglo-American? Where is the incomparable British Empire that once embraced one fourth of the earth’s surface and a quarter of its population? Their glory has faded. 10, 11. (a) What indicates that Jehovah’s purpose regarding his kingdom moves forward to brilliant success? (b) What shows that Christendom’s growth has not been by preaching God’s kingdom? 10 What, though, about the counsel of Jehovah or “purpose of Yahweh”? It still stands firm, unchanged. It continues to prevail and to move forward to brilliant success. The kingdom of God continues to be preached world wide, this proclamation surpassing everything that has been known thus far in religious history. 11 By the expression “the kingdom of God” we do not mean the religious organization of Christendom. For the first time in history the religious membership of Christendom has passed the billion mark, the latest published estimate of her membership being given as 1,024,106,500. (See The World Almanac, 1974, page 342.) But this growth has not been achieved by preaching the kingdom of God. It was the churches of Christendom that declared that the League of Nations is “the political expression of the Kingdom of God on earth.” So, as long as that political organization for world peace and security continued, the churches preached the League of Nations. Christendom’s plan or scheme has also been “to put God in government.” For that reason her clergymen dabble in politics, and the clergymen urge their church members to involve themselves to the full in politics, even aspiring to the highest political offices in the land. 12. How do the words and course of Jesus and his disciples reflect on Christendom’s efforts “to put God in government”? 12 However, does Jehovah God want to be put in political government of this world? If He is not already there, why does He have to be put in these human political governments? His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, when asked by a Roman politician, “Are you the king of the Jews?” answered: “My kingdom is no part of this world. If my kingdom were part of this world, my attendants would have fought that I should not be delivered up to the Jews. But, as it is, my kingdom is not from this source.” With reference to his true disciples, this Jesus said: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.” (John 18:33-36; 17:14) Neither Jesus nor his true disciples of the first century C.E. made any attempt “to put God in government.” Christendom’s multiplied plans to put the God of the Bible into the political governments of this world prove that she is not preaching the true kingdom of God and that her church members are not true disciples and imitators of God’s own Son, Jesus Christ. Christendom is not the visible earthly expression of God’s kingdom. 13. How has Christendom’s plan to convert the world to her churches apparently failed, in spite of revivals and crusades? 13 For centuries Christendom’s plan has been to convert the world of mankind, either by force or by persuasion, and to make them members of her churches. The ostensible idea behind this was to get them to heaven and to save them from going to a place of everlasting conscious torment as disembodied souls. Christendom’s thought, too, was that in this way God’s kingdom would come and his will would be done on earth as in heaven. (Matthew 6:9, 10) But Christendom’s unscriptural plan for world conversion has apparently failed, as the number of non-Christians continues to be more than double that of Christendom’s membership and as antireligious forces, especially Communism, increase and more and more of Christendom’s members become religious hypocrites or nonactive. Her religious revivals and crusades prove to be of short-lived effect. 14. Human plans have been based on what or inspired by what, with what outlook resulting for mankind? 14 Were the survival and salvation of the human race dependent upon the plans of men, all would be lost for mankind. Their multifarious plans are either based on human wisdom or inspired by malicious spirit demons. Self-reliant men might like to pooh-pooh the suggestion, but what was prophesied nineteen hundred years ago is more true today than they care to believe, that in “later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1) Because men have fallen away or deserted from the faith set forth in God’s written Word, they have ignored God’s plainly stated purpose. They are like the first human pair in the Garden of Eden. “This only I have found,” said the wise man Solomon, “that the true God made mankind upright, but they themselves have sought out many plans.” (Ecclesiastes 7:29) Because of the failure of their plans, one after another, they have been obliged to reshape or remake their plans or schemes. 15, 16. The continuing of worldly nations in a United Nations organization is in the nature of what against Jehovah, and what Scriptural warning is there against it? 16 “A wicked man has put on a bold face, but the upright is the one that will firmly establish his ways. There is no wisdom, nor any discernment, nor any counsel in opposition to Jehovah. The horse is something prepared for the day of battle, but salvation belongs to Jehovah.”​—Proverbs 21:29-31. 17. What divisive factors dominate the increased number of nations, and why can unification of mankind not come by them? 17 A United Nations organization with its Security Council and its Disarmament Conference is not God’s way for unification of all mankind in a warless and secure earth. Since World War II of 1939-1945 C.E. mankind has been divided up into more national groups than ever before, each group claiming national sovereignty. The division of the human race is increased by language differences, varying customs, opposing political aims and ideologies, and racial and religious prejudices. Self-determination and self-preservation are the dominant factors. World government by man is impossible, and the unifying of all mankind will not come by this means. The world of mankind cannot be united among themselves, for they are not united to the one living and true God, Jehovah. His Son, Jesus Christ, said that the ruler of this world is Satan the Devil, the ruler of the demons. In harmony with that, the Christian apostle Paul said that this ruler of the world is also “the god of this system of things,” who blinds the minds of those not at unity with Jehovah God.​—John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Corinthians 4:4. 18, 19. (a) Where must order and unity be restored, and why? (b) To this end, what has God purposed to carry on “at the full limit of the appointed times”? 19 “He [God] made known to us the sacred secret of his will. It is according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself for an administration at the full limit of the appointed times, namely, to gather all things together again [or, to reunite for himself (under one head) the all things] in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth. Yes, in him, in union with whom we were also assigned as heirs, in that we were foreordained according to the purpose of him who operates all things according to the way his will counsels.”​—Ephesians 1:9-11, NW; Rotherham, Diaglott. 20, 21. (a) In every nation there is complaint on the part of the people against what? (b) What did Solomon show to be the valid reason for the people’s restiveness? 21 “I myself returned that I might see all the acts of oppression that are being done under the sun, and, look! the tears of those being oppressed, but they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power, so that they had no comforter. And I congratulated the dead who had already died rather than the living who were still alive.”​—Ecclesiastes 4:1, 2. Also Ec 5:8; 7:7. 22. After thousands of years of oppression by human administration, what is the case about comfort and deliverance for mankind? 22 At times the people are driven to act like crazy because of the oppression. (Ecclesiastes 7:7) After thousands of years of oppression, and in the face of world conditions today, it proves to be true that the oppressed people have no comforter from any part of the present worldly administration of human affairs. There is no salvation for them, no deliverance for them, from human sources. 23. According to God’s purpose, how will unification of all the people come about, and what will this mean for them? 23 The need for a better administration or managing of affairs the all-wise God foresaw long ago, and, according to his good pleasure, he purposed to institute such an administration. Under that administrating of affairs by him there will come the unification of all the people. That will mean peace, harmony and security everywhere on earth. 24. Who is the unification agent by whom God will administer things, and what is the definite purpose for this administration? 24 Let us take a look at how God Almighty proceeded to administer affairs. Let us look at the unification agent by means of whom God administers things. That one is God’s Messiah, his Anointed One, the Christ. Hence, the inspired Bible writer points to that one when he says that the administration that is to be set in operation “at the full limit of the appointed times” is for a definite purpose, “namely, to gather all things together again in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth. Yes, in him, in union with whom we were also assigned as heirs.” (Ephesians 1:9-11) There is a lot of prejudice and animosity toward this Jesus Christ in both the religious and the nonreligious sections of mankind; and yet, what kind of administration are we to expect from God through him? 25, 26. (a) What did Psalm 72 say prophetically regarding the Messiah’s dealing with the poor people? (b) What record is given in Acts 10:37-39 about the relief work done by the Messiah Jesus? 26 “You know the subject that was talked about throughout the whole of Judea, starting from Galilee after the baptism that John preached, namely, Jesus who was from Nazareth, how God anointed him with holy spirit and power, and he went through the land doing good and healing all those oppressed by the Devil; because God was with him. And we are witnesses of all the things he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem; but they also did away with him by hanging him on a stake.”​—Acts 10:37-39. 27, 28. (a) How did Jesus come to have a double claim upon King David’s kingdom over Israel? (b) In agreement with that, what did Isaiah 9:6, 7 say about the princely rule of the Messiah? 28 “To the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom in order to establish it firmly and to sustain it by means of justice and by means of righteousness, from now on and to time indefinite. The very zeal of Jehovah of armies will do this.”​—Isaiah 9:6, 7. 29. Thus Messiah’s princely rule will be of what kind, and why will it not come by democratic vote of the people? 30, 31. (a) How did God give a guarantee of the promised government of the Christ? (b) How did Peter bear witness to this fact at Acts 10:40-43? 31 “God raised this One up on the third day and granted him to become manifest, not to all the people, but to witnesses appointed beforehand by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after his rising from the dead. Also, he ordered us to preach to the people and to give a thorough witness that this is the One decreed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone putting faith in him gets forgiveness of sins through his name.”​—Acts 10:40-43. 32. So God could now proceed to do what gathering work, and with whom as his Agent for reuniting things? 32 That this resurrected Jesus Christ might be able to serve as God’s Agent in reuniting things, God exalted him to the divine throne in the heavens. (Acts 2:33-36; 1 Peter 3:22) Thus God could proceed to “gather all things together again in the Christ,” not only the things on the earth but also the “things in the heavens.” Jesus Christ is thereby a heavenly, superhuman Messiah, with greater powers for doing good in behalf of the people than when he was down here on earth as a perfect man. All mankind will be unified under him as the Head appointed by God the Great Administrator. 33. What did God purpose for the Christ to have associated with him in taking care of human affairs, and so what is first formed on earth? 33 However, God purposed that his Son Jesus Christ should have a body of associates with him in taking care of human affairs. These associates ruling over mankind were to be taken from among mankind. While yet on earth these were to be formed into a congregation having a bond of unity with him. The apostle Paul, when writing to the congregation in Ephesus, continued on to say: “It is according to the operation of the mightiness of [God’s] strength, with which he has operated in the case of the Christ when he raised him up from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above every government and authority and power and lordship and every name named, not only in this system of things, but also in that to come. He also subjected all things under his feet, and made him head over all things to the congregation, which is his body.”​—Ephesians 1:19-23. 34. From what sources were members of the “body” to be taken, and how was the barrier in between removed? 34 Now what about the members of this congregation, the “body” of Jesus Christ? Well, it was God’s generous purpose that it should be made up not only of those who had been circumcised Jews but also of those who had been non-Jews or Gentiles. For 1,545 years (from 1513 B.C.E. to 33 C.E.) they had been disunited. The barrier, “the wall in between that fenced them off,” was the Law covenant mediated by the prophet Moses in the year 1513 B.C.E. In the year 33 C.E. Jesus Christ was used by God as the means by which to remove this barrier through his death on the torture stake. As the apostle continues on to say: “By means of his flesh [hung on the torture stake] he abolished the enmity, the Law of commandments consisting in decrees, that he might create the two peoples in union with himself into one new man and make peace; and that he might fully reconcile both peoples in one body to God through the torture stake, because he had killed off the enmity by means of himself.”​—Ephesians 2:14-16. 35. (a) When were the uncircumcised Gentiles brought into the congregational “body”? (b) How many members was the body to have? 35 Three and a half years after the removal of the legal barrier, God began bringing Gentiles, non-Jews, into the congregational “body” of Jesus Christ. This God did by sending the apostle Peter to preach the message of the kingdom of God’s Messiah to interested uncircumcised Gentiles. When these accepted the Kingdom message, God anointed them with holy spirit and they got baptized as Christians. (Acts 10:1-48) After that, and especially after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the year 70 C.E., many Gentiles were baptized into the congregational “body” of Jesus Christ; thus they were united with him as their spiritual “head.” Just as a human body had a definite number of members in order to be complete, so this congregational “body” of Christ had a definite limited number of members. The last book of the Holy Bible plainly says that the number of “body” members is limited to 12 × 12,000, or 144,000.​—Revelation 7:4-8; 14:1-3. 36, 37. (a) Why is there need for a unification work within the congregational “body” of the Christ? (b) For that purpose, what has God through Christ bestowed upon the congregation? 37 “The very one [namely, Jesus Christ] that descended is also the one that ascended far above all the heavens, that he might give fullness to all things. And he gave some [gifts] as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelizers, some as shepherds and teachers, with a view to the readjustment of the holy ones, for ministerial work, for the building up of the body of the Christ, until we all attain to the oneness in the faith and in the accurate knowledge of the Son of God, . . . speaking the truth, let us by love grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ.”​—Ephesians 4:8-15. 38, 39. (a) Why could Christendom not be that “body of the Christ”? (b) Because of the fruitage she has borne, what will happen to her? 38 Christendom makes the claim that she is this “body of the Christ.” But how could such a thing ever be? For after more than sixteen centuries of operation she has ingloriously failed to attain to such Christian unity. She is split a thousand ways, by religious sects, all teaching different conflicting doctrines. She is not one religious “body,” not one church. Her separate religious sects are not the separate or individual branches in the Christ’s “vine.” (John 15:1-8) This is true in spite of Christendom’s World Council of Churches. Christendom’s religion has proved to be one of the most divisive forces in human experience. On this account her record has been a gory one, stinking with human blood. 39 This is not the fruitage of true Christianity. Jesus Christ said: “A good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. Every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire. Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men.” (Matthew 7:18-20) As a rotten tree, Christendom is bound to get cut down shortly and destroyed as if consumed by fire. She will not fare any better than the other members of religious Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion.​—Revelation 17:1 through 18:8. 40. What must we say as to whether, because of Christendom’s state, God’s purpose to have a unified congregation has failed? 40 What, then? Has God’s purpose to have a unified congregation that is gathered together in one under the Head Jesus Christ failed? No! Christendom’s unbiblical plans for the future are failing, but not so God’s purpose. He is not depending upon Christendom to furnish the members of the heavenly kingdom, which God will use in administering earthly affairs for the unity of mankind. All those who want to be God’s people He tells to get out of Christendom and out of all the rest of Babylon the Great. (Revelation 18:4) Christendom is not the way into the privileges of the Messianic kingdom of God. The things that she practices debar her from any part in the reuniting work by that heavenly government. The apostle Paul goes on to say to members of God’s true Christian congregation: “You know this, recognizing it for yourselves, that no fornicator or unclean person or greedy person​—which means being an idolater—​has any inheritance in the kingdom of the Christ and of God.”​—Ephesians 5:5. 41. In spite of opposition by Babylon the Great, what does God now have in unity on earth, and theirs is a gathering of what kind of things? 41 In spite of all the opposition of Christendom and other members of Babylon the Great, yes, in spite of Satan the Devil and his demons with whom God’s true people have a struggle, God has now on earth his remnant, the final ones who are in line to have a part in God’s administering of human affairs through Jesus Christ, their Head. In spite of coming from various races and nations, they are a united congregation, all of them holding unitedly to the one invisible heavenly Head, Jesus Christ. Thus, in their case, God has ‘gathered together again in the Christ’ the “things in the heavens,” inasmuch as even now God has “seated [them] together in the heavenly places in union with Christ Jesus” and they are also heirs of the heavenly Kingdom.​—Ephesians 1:10; 2:6. 42. What prophetic command of Christ is the remnant carrying out, and who are now associating with the remnant? 42 Since the end of the Gentile Times in the year 1914 they have unitedly been acting upon Jesus’ prophetic command: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; [after which] the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) Associated with this remnant of Christ’s congregational body are hundreds of thousands of dedicated worshipers of Jehovah God who have obeyed His command to come out of Babylon the Great. (Revelation 7:9-17) All together they are known world wide as Jehovah’s Christian witnesses. 43, 44. (a) The time has neared for action by what against what? (b) According to Galatians 4:4, when did God send to earth the one who was to be his Chief Servant in the administration? 44 “When the full limit of the time arrived, God sent forth his Son, who came to be out of a woman and who came to be under law, that he might release by purchase those [Jews] under law, that we, in turn, might receive the adoption as sons. Now because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his Son into our hearts and it cries out: ‘Abba, Father!’”​—Galatians 4:4-6. 45. At what time did the gathering work begin in its first stage, and why? 45 When God’s Son Jesus Christ was glorified in heaven and founded the Christian congregation at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost of 33 C.E., the “administration at the full limit of the appointed times” started operation in its first stage, the most essential stage. The congregation of those who were to be associates in the unifying work with Jesus Christ in the heavens had to be gathered and unified under its Head, God’s Chief Servant. In this way “the things in the heavens,” the things destined for the heavens, would be ‘gathered together again in the Christ,’ so that the “body” used by God in his administration might be complete.​—Ephesians 1:9-11. 46, 47. (a) When did the due time arrive for the second feature of God’s “administration,” namely, the gathering together in Christ of “the things on the earth”? (b) From then onward the second stage of the gathering work went into operation under whose “administration”? 46 However, according to God’s purpose, the due time must come for the second feature of his “administration,” namely, to ‘gather together again in the Christ’ “the things on the earth.” This time arrived when the Gentile Times came to their fulfillment in autumn of the year 1914 C.E. There the time came for the Messianic Kingdom rule as formerly exercised by King David over in the Middle East to be reinstated, not in earthly Jerusalem, but in the heavens. 47 In heaven, at God’s right hand, was where the permanent Heir of King David was now located, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. Then it was that Jehovah installed this heavenly Heir of King David on the throne, with royal power not just over the territory of ancient Israel but over all the earth, over all mankind for whom Jesus Christ had died as a perfect human sacrifice. Thereby the Kingdom of the Messiah went into operation. At that time, in a culminating way, the “full limit of the appointed times” had been reached when the “administration” that God was conducting ‘should gather together again in the Christ’ the estranged “things on the earth.” This would be the second stage of the gathering or uniting work according to God’s purpose. 48. In view of unification failures on a large scale since 1914, what must go in its entirety? 48 In 1914 World War I broke out, dividing the world into two opposing economic, political camps. The postwar League of Nations failed to unify mankind. Now the United Nations continues to fail in unifying mankind. It was Christendom, the most powerful religious organization on earth, that failed to prevent two world wars, and, till now, she has failed to unify mankind in true peace and security. Not just these political and religious organizations will have to go, but the whole man-made system of things. It will go completely in the coming “great tribulation” such as mankind has never before experienced.​—Matthew 24:21, 22. 49. What is the only means for the salvation of the human race, and what kind of prospects now lie ahead of mankind? 49 The Only means of salvation for us humans is the heavenly Messianic kingdom, which God purposed ever since our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned in the garden of Eden and disunited themselves from God their Creator. (Genesis 3:15; Romans 16:20) Now that the “full limit of the appointed times” has been reached in a complete sense, we find ourselves in a day with the finest of prospects ahead! 50. Who on earth today are hailing the Kingdom, and how are they showing where they stand as to rulership? 50 Shortly there will be completed the full membership of the heavenly Kingdom, the 144,000 Kingdom heirs under their Head, Jesus Christ. God’s unchanged purpose with regard to this Messianic kingdom will succeed, with glory, honor and vindication for Himself. Already a crowd of people from everywhere on earth discern that God has put the Kingdom in heavenly power, and they hail it joyfully and with loyal devotion. This crowd is already great, but it is still increasing as “this good news of the kingdom” continues to be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations. (Matthew 24:14) To prove where they now stand, they wholeheartedly join the still surviving remnant of Kingdom heirs in this preaching and in giving this worldwide witness. 51. So why may it be said that the work of gathering together the things on the earth under Christ has begun? 51 The last book of the Bible envisions this “great crowd” as giving their first attention to the heavenly throne of Jehovah God and to his Chief Servant used in his administration and crying out gratefully: “Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9, 10) Although this “great crowd” is made up of people from all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues, they seek to be unified under God’s Chief Servant, Jesus Christ. They are at unity with the Kingdom remnant and are at unity among themselves. Unitedly they worship God at his spiritual temple and render to him sacred service day and night. So it may be said that, already, in this unified “great crowd,” the work of ‘gathering all the things on the earth’ into the Christ has begun, in accord with God’s “administration.” What a reassuring token of things soon to come!​—Revelation 7:14-17. 52. What will this “great crowd” survive, and why will Satan and his demons be unable to interfere with their restoring of Paradise? 52 The last book of the Bible also gives assurance that this “great crowd” of worshipers of the one living and true God will come out of the “great tribulation” as survivors of this world calamity with which the whole earthly man-made system of things will be brought to an end as a complete failure. The thrilling task of transforming all the earth into a Paradise garden will stretch out before them. Satan the Devil and his spirit demons will be unable to interfere with this peaceful beautification work, for they will be bound and isolated in an abyss from which they cannot interfere with what goes on here on earth. Protectively over the “great crowd” on earth there will be the heavenly Messianic kingdom with authority to regulate earth’s affairs for a thousand years.​—Revelation 20:1-6. 53. (a) For the gathering together again of all the “things on the earth” into unity under Christ, what will be required? (b) How will the resisters of the unification be dealt with? 53 Thus God’s new order on earth will start off with a unified human society. But the unification work of the heavenly Messianic kingdom will not then be over. Throughout the millennium of its reign over the earth there must take place the miraculous resurrection of the human dead for whom Jesus Christ died as a ransom sacrifice. (1 Timothy 2:5, 6; John 1:29, 36) These billions of resurrected humans will all have to be brought together into a unity under Jesus Christ, the Chief Servant in God’s “administration.” The ultimate purpose of this is to bring about at length their unification with the Universal Sovereign, Jehovah God. This will require the uplifting of all the obedient ones of mankind to the human perfection such as Adam and Eve had at their creation in the Garden of Eden. All the disobedient resisters of such unification, yes, too, Satan and his demons, will be destroyed everlastingly, never again to be disturbers of the peace.​—Revelation 20:7-15; Acts 24:15. 54. With what are we comforted today, and to the success of what do we look forward, with blessings in store? 54 All honor to the Supreme Administrator, Jehovah God! He not only purposes but also faithfully fulfills his purpose. Let us all take courage, then! Although we see all human plans for earth’s administration disastrously failing today, we are comforted with the blessed knowledge of God’s all-excellent purpose. Confidently we look forward to seeing and experiencing the success of God’s purpose. Forever we expect to enjoy the endless blessings therefrom!

2019-04-18T12:43:59Z

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1101974001

There is a growing body of evidence to support the use of telehealth in monitoring HbA1c levels in people living with type 2 diabetes. However, the overall magnitude of effect is yet unclear due to variable results reported in existing systematic reviews. The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials to create an evidence-base for the effectiveness of telehealth interventions on glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Electronic databases including The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, HMIC, and PsychINFO were searched to identify relevant systematic reviews published between 1990 and April 2016, supplemented by references search from the relevant reviews. Two independent reviewers selected and reviewed the eligible studies. Of the 3279 references retrieved, 4 systematic reviews reporting in total 29 unique studies relevant to our review were included. Both conventional pairwise meta-analyses and network meta-analyses were performed. Evidence from pooling four systematic reviews found that telehealth interventions produced a small but significant improvement in HbA1c levels compared with usual care (MD: -0.55, 95% CI: -0.73 to − 0.36). The greatest effect was seen in telephone-delivered interventions, followed by Internet blood glucose monitoring system interventions and lastly interventions involving automatic transmission of SMBG using a mobile phone or a telehealth unit. Current evidence suggests that telehealth is effective in controlling HbA1c levels in people living with type 2 diabetes. However there is need for better quality primary studies as well as systematic reviews of RCTs in order to confidently conclude on the impact of telehealth on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a serious, chronic condition that is recognised as an important cause of premature death and disability worldwide. In particular, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is emerging as one of the greatest global public health challenges in twenty-first century . In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) spends around £9.8 billion a year on diabetes. Most of this cost (80%) is spent on treating complications alone as a result of poorly controlled diabetes, of which many are possibly preventable . These could include blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes and amputations . Diabetes UK warned that “diabetes is threatening to bankrupt the NHS after a 60% rise in cases in the past 10 years”. The cost of treating diabetes complications is also expected to almost double by 2035/6 if no actions are taken to prevent these complications . The urgent need for improvements in effective management of diabetes and preventing its complications is therefore evident. The aim of diabetes management is to keep blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible to improve symptoms and minimise the risk of long-term complications . This requires close monitoring of vital signs and effective working relationship between the patient and their healthcare professionals. The provision of conventional outpatient care alone, which generally occurs less than 3 times a year , is therefore not sufficient. There is a growing body of evidence that supports the uses of advanced and innovative technologies, such as telehealth, to monitor and manage people with diabetes at a distance and as frequently as it is needed [5–7]. Telehealth is generally described as the exchange of medical information from one location to another using electronic communications or digital technologies, such as desktop, laptop, mobile phones and other wireless tools . Overall, existing evidence suggests that telehealth has the potential in improving HbA1c for patients living with diabetes but the overall magnitude of effect is unclear due to variable results reported in existing systematic reviews. Given that the literature already contains multiple systematic reviews on telehealth and type 2 diabetes [7, 9, 10], there is an opportunity to pool the evidence from all existing reviews to report an estimate of effect. Therefore, to create an evidence base for the effectiveness of telehealth on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes, we conducted the first systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the evidence of the effects of telehealth interventions on glycemic control in patients living with type 2 diabetes. For the purpose of this study, we defined telehealth as remote patient monitoring (RPM), which involves the transmission (electronic or verbal) of self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) readings to a healthcare professional or a specialist team at an offsite monitoring center for evaluation and feedback. Studies that met the following criteria were included in this review: i) systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses of RCTs with our definition of telehealth as an intervention; ii) adults ≥18 years of age with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes; iii) comparison of standard outpatient care (usual care) or other RPM telehealth interventions; and iv) reported HbA1c outcome. Systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses of RCTs on RPM telehealth interventions were excluded if they: i) were non-English publications; ii) included a mixed study population (type 1 and type 2 diabetes) and results were not reported separately for type 2 diabetes; or iii) do not provide feedback to patients following the transmission of SMBG data. In systematic reviews where RPM telehealth was one part of a wider intervention, these were only included where the effects of the RPM telehealth component were individually reported. In addition, if the same authors had produced several publications of the same review, the most updated and/or the full report of the review were included, and other versions excluded. The literature search was conducted from April 1 to 8, 2016 and the electronic bibliographic databases including The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, HMIC and PsychINFO were searched. All searches were restricted by date range to 1990 – April 2016. Limiting the search period from 1990 is likely to identify all apart from a very small minority of systematic reviews that were carried out earlier [11, 12]. A base strategy (see Additional file 1) was developed in MEDLINE (Ovid interface). This strategy was then converted to run effectively in other databases using different interfaces. Reference lists of all potentially relevant systematic reviews identified by the electronic searches were also checked for any eligible reviews that have not been identified in the search. Based on the eligibility criteria, two reviewers (AL and YP) independently screened the list of titles/abstracts identified through searches for systematic reviews. Selected systematic reviews at this stage were further included for a full-text review by the same two reviewers. Any disagreements between the reviewers about the inclusion and exclusion were resolved by discussion until a consensus was reached. The same two reviewers using Eppi-Reviewer software 4 then extracted data from the resulting final list of selected systematic reviews independently. The two sets of extracted data were then compared for quality and validity purposes. Consensus was achieved without negotiation. The assessment of the methodological quality and strength of each systematic review was based on the AMSTAR tool, which is a validated measurement tool available for evaluating multiple systematic reviews . The AMSTAR tool is a questionnaire that comprises of 11 criteria, which specifically assess the presence of: i) an a priori design; ii) duplicate study selection and data extraction; iii) a comprehensive literature search; iv) the use of status of publication as an inclusion criteria; v) a list of included/excluded studies; vi) characteristics of included studies; vii) documented assessment of the scientific quality of included studies; viii) appropriate use of the scientific quality in forming conclusions; ix) the appropriate use of methods to combine findings of studies; x) assessment of the likelihood of publication bias; and xi) documentation of conflict of interest . Each of the 11 items is given a score of 1 if the specific criterion is met by a “yes” answer, or a score of 0 if the criterion is not met, unclear or not applicable. The overall AMSTAR score is calculated by adding all the individual item scores together. As defined by AMSTAR, quality is categorised into three levels: high quality if the total score is between 8 and 11, medium quality if the total score is between 4 and 7, and low quality if the total score is between 0 and 3. The same two reviewers independently assessed each potentially relevant review for inclusion. Any disagreements between the reviewers were resolved by discussion and when required, a final opinion from a third reviewer was sought. To examine the overall magnitude of effect in using telehealth for controlling HbA1c levels in Type 2 diabetes, where possible, we conducted conventional pairwise meta-analyses as well as network meta-analyses (NMAs) of the included reviews. While the pairwise meta-analyses allowed us to investigate the difference of effect between telehealth interventions vs. usual care, the NMAs enabled us to explore if there is any specific telehealth application that is superior. NMAs involve the statistical combination of both direct and indirect evidence about pairs of interventions that originate from two or more separate studies to provide estimates of relative effectiveness for all comparators. Care was taken to not include data from individual studies more than once by unpicking each of the included reviews and the subsequent combination of data of the individual primary studies included in the reviews. For HbA1c, where change from baseline data were reported in the trials and were accompanied by a measure of variation (for example standard deviation), these were extracted and used in the meta-analyses. Where measures of spread for change from baseline values were not reported, these trials were excluded from the meta-analyses. Furthermore, due to the various telehealth applications (technologies) used as well as feedback methods provided in the interventions, we performed subgroup meta-analyses to assess whether their impact on glycemic control differed. The conventional pairwise meta-analyses were conducted with reference to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews, whereas NMAs were undertaken using the Netmeta package in R3.2.2. This uses a graph-theoretical method, which is mathematically equivalent to the frequentist network meta-analysis . Heterogeneity was assessed using the overall I2 value for the whole network, which is a weighted average of the I2 value for all comparisons where there are multiple trials (both direct and indirect), and random-effects models were used if the I2 value was above 50% (as for pairwise meta-analyses, this was interpreted as showing the assumption of a shared underlying mean was not met, and therefore a fixed-effects model was inappropriate). A funnel plot generated in Review Manager 5 (RevMan 5) for HbA1c was used to visually assess publication bias. Items on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist that is relevant for a systematic review of reviews was used to report the findings (see Additional file 2). The systematic literature search identified in total 3279 potentially relevant studies. After removing duplicate studies, 3201 studies were screened on their titles and abstracts for relevance. In total, 3143 were excluded because they were not systematic reviews or meta-analyses, or did not include telehealth interventions or a population with diabetes. For the remaining 58 studies, full text articles were obtained and reviewed against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Overall, 54 studies did not meet the eligibility criteria such as being a systematic review and/or meta-analysis of RCTs, including telehealth interventions that met our definition of telehealth, and/or reporting Type 2 diabetes results separately. These studies were therefore not included in this review. A detailed list of excluded studies and reasons for their exclusion is provided in an additional file (see Additional file 3). Figure 1 provides the systematic review of reviews study flow chart that demonstrates the inclusion and exclusion process and results. In total, four systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Summaries of these are presented in evidence tables (see Additional file 4). The included reviews were published between the years 2009 and 2015. Only one review conducted meta-analyses . The reviews we included and coded only assessed studies with an RCT design. Two of the four reviews included both type 1 and type 2 diabetes but only data for type 2 diabetes was used in this review. Although all four reviews focused on determining the effectiveness of telehealth applications for individuals with diabetes, the scopes of the reviews varied. One review solely targeted telehealth remote patient monitoring interventions that incorporated key elements of structured self-monitoring of blood glucose . Another review only focused on telehealth interventions in patients with type 2 diabetes and inadequate glycemic control . For the remaining two reviews, one included studies using cell phones and wireless devices only , and the other one looked at studies on Internet blood glucose monitoring systems only . Furthermore, one of the four reviews only included patients with type 2 diabetes using insulin , two reviews included both insulin- and non-insulin-dependent patients with type 2 diabetes [16, 17] and one review provided no details on this . The two reviews that included a mixed population of insulin- and non-insulin-dependent patients did not report any results separately for the two groups. In total, we found 78 studies coded in the four reviews, of which 51 were considered relevant to our review. Individual telehealth interventions that were deemed irrelevant and excluded included studies that did not involve or report results separately for participants with type 2 diabetes, studies that did not include telehealth interventions that met our review’s definition of telehealth or studies that did not involve the transmission of SMBG data followed by automatic and/or healthcare provider feedback. The 51 relevant studies contained 16 duplicates and four studies also had multiple publications (n = 10); thus, we identified in total 29 unique studies relevant to our review. However, four of these studies did not provide extractable data for HbA1c and were therefore not included in our meta-analyses. The number of relevant trials included in each review ranged from five to 18 trials and the sample sizes of the various trials ranged widely from 30 to 1665 participants. The length of the interventions ranged from 3 to 60 months, with majority of the interventions lasting three months (13/29 studies) or between six and 12 months (13/29 studies). Only one study reported a five-year follow-up. Moreover, studies also varied in intervention complexity; nearly half of the studies involved automatic transmission, where self-monitored data are transmitted directly and automatically to a receiving station without interruption. This typically involves patients using either a mobile phone with a diabetes management software installed and connected to a blood glucose meter or a telehealth unit that is connected by a secure computer network at home. Approximately one third of studies used the Internet or a website to deliver self-monitored blood glucose results and self-management information. Lastly, there were also some interventions delivered by telephone. Telephone-delivered interventions do not require patients to electronically transmit their daily blood glucose readings to their healthcare professionals. Instead, they typically require patients to log their blood glucose levels daily and a healthcare professional would follow up with a telephone call weekly to review the blood glucose log and discuss the glucose values with the patients. Moreover, when it came to providing feedback to patients; majority of the interventions provided feedback at least once daily, if not more, using one or a combination of feedback methods including, SMS or text messaging to the patient’s mobile phone, messaging through internet, telephone calls and/or secure messages via a patient portal or through a telehealth system. Majority of the feedback was provided by a healthcare professional but nearly half of the studies provided automatic feedback generated from computer algorithms, without provider input. Only one study utilised videoconferencing as a way of delivering feedback to patients and three studies only contacted patients with feedback if necessary (i.e. when blood glucose levels were not within normal range). In addition to the wide range of technologies used, many of the studies also incorporated an educational component to their telehealth intervention to improve patients’ knowledge in diabetes self-management. Almost all studies indicated that the transmitted self-monitored blood glucose data were used to provide feedback, or modify treatment or behavior, although the details varied. For the purposes of subgroup meta-analyses, telehealth applications and feedback methods were classified into different categories. For telehealth applications, these were grouped into four categories according to the method of transmission used for transmitting self-monitored data to a receiving station remotely: (i) Internet/web (including any application or software on a computer or a mobile phone that uses data networks or the Internet); (ii) automatic transmission (including the use of any telehealth unit placed at home that automatically and directly transmit data upon taking measurements); (iii) automatic mobile transmission (including the use of any telehealth equipment that allows for the direct transmission of self-monitored data on the move, without interruption); and (iv) telephone (interventions delivered by regular telephone calls from a healthcare professional, no electronic transmission of data involved). With regards to feedback methods, six categories were classified: (i) automated message (automated messaging generated from computer algorithms, without healthcare provider input); (ii) human calls (interactive telephone calls with a healthcare provider or researcher); (iii) human calls only if necessary (i.e. interactive telephone calls with a healthcare provider only when blood glucose levels were outside of normal range); (iv) human message (personalised feedback via messaging from a healthcare provider); (v) human message + calls (personalised feedback via messaging from a healthcare provider followed up by an interactive telephone call); and (vi) videoconferencing (use of video telecommunication technologies which allow the patient to communicate in real-time with a healthcare provider at a distance). Automated and human messages could include messaging through Internet, SMS, a patient portal and/or a telehealth system. Among the four systematic reviews described in the current review, two were rated moderate quality reviews [7, 17]. The methodological quality of the remaining two reviews [16, 18] was considered low according to the AMSTAR tool (total score of 1 and 2, respectively). The most common methodological weaknesses were lack of including an ‘a priori’ design, a list of both included and excluded studies, and a search for “grey literature or unpublished literature” and/or detail the source of funding/support for the systematic review and for each of the included studies. For the two reviews that scored a low rating, in addition to the above, the authors did not provide details on whether they performed duplicate study selection and data extraction procedures nor include the use of any quality scoring tool or checklist. Furthermore, three of the four included reviews were also of qualitative nature; hence further 2 out of the maximum 11 points were lost due to the lack of any statistical pooling of results and statistical assessment for the presence of publication bias. The reason for not conducting meta-analyses in the three qualitative reviews was not described. In the two reviews [7, 17] that used a quality scoring tool (Downs and Black score and Jadad score, respectively) to assess the scientific quality of their included RCTs, 18 out of 25 studies were rated as moderate/good quality. The remaining five RCTs were rated as low quality based on the Jadad score. All four reviews primarily examined the effect of telehealth on HbA1c. Russel-Minda et al., 2008 reported that three out of their five studies on type 2 diabetes using cell phones with SMS and Internet (some with nurse-directed educational component) found a statistically significant improvement in HbA1c when compared to usual care. Tildesley et al., 2015 who identified nine randomised controlled Internet blood glucose monitoring systems (IBGMS) trials, reported that eight of them showed significantly improved HbA1c levels in the IBGMS group when compared with the usual care group. However, one of the studies only achieved significant HbA1c reduction at six months but not 12 months. Greenwood and colleagues (2014) identified and reviewed 16 teleheatlh remote patient monitoring interventions using one or a combination of technologies (including telephone, mobile phone, wireless device, telehealth unit and/or internet), that incorporated key elements of structured self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) identified as essential for improving HbA1c. They reported that, compared to usual care, telehealth was shown to significantly improve HbA1c in seven out of the 15 reviewed studies. The authors also found that interventions that incorporated at least five out of the seven key elements of structured SMBG consistently achieved significant HbA1c improvements between study groups. In addition, studies that incorporated at least four of the seven key elements of structured SMBG and had a baseline HbA1c greater than 8% resulted in a decrease of at least 0.7% in HbA1c levels. Lastly, Huang et al., 2015 reported that, compared to usual care, 11 out of the 18 studies included in the review found a statistically significant improvement in HbA1c in the telehealth group. Furthermore, a meta-analysis of the 18 studies found that participants using telehealth had significantly improved HbA1c levels when compared to participants receiving usual care (MD = − 0.54, 95% CI: -0.75 to − 0.34). The same review also conducted subgroup analyses that included feedback methods, duration of follow-up, study location, baseline HbA1c and sample size. They found that feedback by interactive telephone calls with a healthcare provider or researcher to be associated with the greatest improvement in HbA1c (K 1.13; 95% CI, K 1.51 to K 0.75), followed by automated phone-based SMS and/or internet-based messaging (K 0.36; 95% CI K 0.47 to O 0.24). No improvement in HbA1c was reported with automated telephone calls (K 0.01; 95% CI K 0.32 to K 0.29). For the remaining subgroup analyses, a significant reduction in HbA1c was reported to be associated with Asian ethnic groups, small study sample sizes, and patients with a baseline HbA1c level of 8% or higher. In order to determine the overall effectiveness of telehealth on glycemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes, we conducted additional meta-analyses that incorporated all the unique studies, with extractable data on HbA1c, identified in the four reviews. A pairwise meta-analysis pooling evidence from 25 (out of 29) RCTs indicate that, compared to usual care, telehealth is associated with significant improvements in HbA1c in patients with type 2 diabetes (MD = − 0.55, 95% CI: -0.73 to − 0.36) but with statistical heterogeneity to the variability in effect estimate (I2 = 82%; Fig. 2). In addition, although telehealth was statistically better than usual care in improving HbA1c levels, the confidence interval of the mean difference crossed the threshold for minimal clinically important difference (MID) as defined by the NICE guidelines on type 2 diabetes in adults . The greatest effect was seen in telephone-delivered interventions (MD = − 0.83, 95% CI: -1.54 to − 0.12), followed by Internet blood glucose monitoring system interventions (Internet/web) (MD = − 0.77, 95% CI: -1.14 to − 0.40). The effect of automatic data transmission using a mobile phone or a telehealth unit was shown to be similar (MD = − 0.27, 95% CI: -0.51 to − 0.03 vs. MD = − 0.34, 95% CI: -0.48 to − 0.20). Moreover, significant heterogeneity was reported in all subgroups except from the ‘automatic transmission’ subgroup (Fig. 2). A network meta-analysis of the 25 RCTs further indicated that all telehealth interventions provide a significant lowering of HbA1c compared with usual care, with Internet blood glucose monitoring system interventions also providing significantly more lowering of HbA1c than telehealth interventions using automatic mobile transmission (MD = − 0.4934, 95% CI: -0.9250 to − 0.0619). However, considerable between-study heterogeneity was present (I2 = 75.3%; see Additional file 5). We also conducted pairwise and network meta-analyses on feedback methods. Evidence from pairwise meta-analyses of 25 RCTs showed that the human calls subgroup was associated with the greatest effect size (MD: -0.98; 95% CI: -1.54 to − 0.42), followed by human message (MD: -0.69; 95% CI: -1.13 to − 0.26) and then automated message (MD: -0.46; 95% CI: -0.63 to − 0.30) (Fig. 3). Very small effect sizes or no improvements were reported for feedback via human message + calls (n = 1), videoconferencing (n = 1) and human calls only if necessary (n = 3). This is most likely due to the very limited number of studies being available in these subgroups. Similar results were reported in the NMA (see Additional file 6), where significant reduction in HbA1c levels was associated human calls, human message and automated message subgroups when compared with usual care groups. In addition, the NMA also suggested that feedback provided through human calls and human message to significantly improve hbA1c levels compared with feedback provided by healthcare providers only when HbA1c levels fall outside of normal range (MD: -0.9768, 95% CI: -1.7278 to − 0.2285 and MD: -0.7031, 95% CI: -1.3697 to − 0.0365, respectively). A funnel plot generated in Review Manager assessed publication bias and significant publication bias towards positive outcomes in the included studies was observed. Telehealth, which can be defined as personalised healthcare delivered at a distance, is believed to have the potential to enhance the quality of healthcare. Over the last decade, there have been numerous studies aimed at assessing the feasibility and effectiveness of telehealth strategies on the management of diabetes . As the number of published telehealth studies began to increase, a plethora of systematic reviews on telehealth interventions of variable scope and quality, also began to emerge. Hence, in order to create an evidence-base for the effectiveness of telehealth on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes specifically, we conducted a review of systematic reviews. Moreover, in order to generate precise and reliable conclusions; we specifically focused on telehealth applications that involved patients transmitting (electronically or verbally) SMBG results to a receiving station or person to receive automated messages and/or healthcare provider feedback. Our systematic literature search identified, in total, 58 potential telehealth and diabetes systematic reviews but only four reviews met our inclusion criteria, of which two were of moderate quality and the other two of low quality according to the AMSTAR tool. All four reviews concluded that telehealth interventions have the potential in improving glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. However, when we pooled the HbA1c results from the 25 RCTs included in the four reviews together, only 14 (56%) studies reported a significant improvement in telehealth intervention versus usual care group. The greatest improvements in glycemic control with telehealth was reported in studies where participants had a mean baseline HbA1c level of 8% or greater, regardless if they were on insulin or not [7, 16, 18]. These findings were similar to other recent published systematic reviews related to telehealth and diabetes management [20–22]. Where study participants had a mean baseline HbA1c at or near their glycemic target, small but significant improvements were also reported , suggesting that glycemic improvements with telehealth is not limited to patients with type 2 diabetes and inadequate symptomatic control at baseline (≥8%) only. It is important to note when interpreting the results from our review that this review is limited to capturing and reporting information presented in the included systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Two important limitations therefore exist in our review of systematic reviews. Firstly, we depended on the authors of the four included reviews in this review to have adequately included and critically appraised individual studies as well as correctly captured and interpreted the study results. We did not examine the full-texts of individual studies unless there were major data gaps we had to fill in the reviews or we felt that there may be discrepancies in the analyses of individual studies included in multiple reviews. Hence, potential omissions or errors that may be present in our coding and/or analyses and results, may be due to unreported errors in the original reviews and/or original primary studies included in those reviews. Secondly, the four reviews varied greatly in terms of the type of telehealth interventions, duration of follow-up, study sample size, baseline HbA1c levels, and/or insulin- and non-insulin-dependent population with type 2 diabetes. In addition, the reviews included minimal description on the additional telehealth components such as e-learning, virtual coach and/or networking support group and how these additional components may have impacted on the health outcomes. Details on feedback frequency and how it was used to help support and improve patient self-management skills were also limited. In addition, only one of the four reviews conducted meta-analyses. Hence, statistical pooling of results to assess the estimated mean effect of HbA1c with telehealth is limited. Although we attempted to pool and examine the findings on HbA1c from the four reviews, substantial heterogeneity among individual studies was evident from the overall meta-analyses, majority of the subgroup analyses (by transmission and feedback methods) as well as network meta-analyses due to the diversity of telehealth interventions and applications used in the trials. It is therefore difficult to confidently conclude which telehealth component or type 2 diabetes population is likely to benefit the most and from which telehealth intervention, especially in the long-term. We therefore agree with the recommendations made by the authors of the four reviews that more high quality, well-designed RCTs with large sample sizes and longer follow-up durations are needed to investigate the sustainability and to confirm the benefits of telehealth in type 2 diabetes management. In addition, to produce reliable pooled estimates of HbA1c, it would be useful for future studies to take into account the differences in baseline HbA1c level when recruiting study participants and drawing conclusions from findings. Greenwood et al., (2014) have also suggested that future telehealth research should explore the use and impact of telehealth on behavior change in people with non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes. This group of users would primarily use telehealth for lifestyle and behavior change to manage their diabetes in contrast to insulin users who would primarily use telehealth for monitoring and adjusting insulin treatment. Comparing the usage and impact of telehealth in these two sub populations of diabetes may provide some explanations as to which and how different telehealth components work and/or are responsible for improved glycemic control for people with diabetes. For example, are improvements in HbA1c level with telehealth dependent on insulin dose adjustments, or SMBG frequency or from increased self-motivation and/or patient-physician communication? Future research in this area could provide important knowledge for clinical practice for diabetes management . To further strengthen the current evidence-base for telehealth and the management of type 2 diabetes, future reviews should also consider assessing the cost-effectiveness and outcome measures that may influence the uptake and outcomes of telehealth interventions, such as healthcare provider satisfaction and patient health-related outcomes (e.g. quality of life and quality of care) as well as the usability and feasibility of self-monitored devices for diabetes management. These are all important evidence for current clinical guidelines and health-related economic policies. This review found that telehealth interventions produced a small but significant improvement in HbA1c levels compared with usual care, suggesting that telehealth has the potential to deliver beneficial change. However, there is a need for higher quality primary studies as well as systematic reviews of RCTs in order for us to draw any definite conclusions. Furthermore, in order to provide a complete evidence base for policy makers on the overall effectiveness of telehealth interventions for type 2 diabetes management, future reviews should also focus on the impact of telehealth in other areas of diabetes management such as quality of life, quality of care and cost-effectiveness. This research was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care Northwest London (NIHR CLAHRC NWL). The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, or the Department of Health and Social Care. PAL contributed to the literature search, concept and review design, data analyses, interpretation of results, review write-up, and feedback on the review drafts. GG and YP contributed to the review design, analysis and interpretation of results as well as carried out revisions to the review. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Diabetes UK. NHS spending on diabetes 'to reach £16.9 billion by 2035'. Available from: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/news_landing_page/nhs-spending-on-diabetes-to-reach-169-billion-by-2035. Accessed 15 June 2018. Diabetes UK. Available from: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/. Accessed 15 June 2018. Spanakis EG, Chiarugi F, Kouroubali A, Spat S, Beck P, Asanin S, et al. Diabetes Management Using Modern Information and Communication Technologies and New Care Models. Interact J Med Res. 2012;1(2):e8. https://doi.org/10.2196/ijmr.2193. Steventon A, Bardsley M. The impact of telehealth on use of hospital care and mortality. Available from: https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/research/the-impact-of-telehealth-on-use-of-hospital-care-and-mortality. Accessed 15 June 2018. NICE. T ype 2 diabetes in adults: management. 2015;(December):1–57. Available from: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28/resources/type-2-diabetes-in-adults-management-1837338615493. Accessed 15 June 2018.

2019-04-26T05:41:26Z

https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-018-3274-8

There are two notable sides of the fence that people seem to sit on when it comes to this contentious topic. On the one side sit the ‘bubble blowers’ who use statistical data to demonstrate that collectively, we have the highest level of mortgage related debt per household of all developed countries in the world. They argue that local property prices are over-inflated and set to come tumbling down and this could be by as much as 50 per cent. In 2015 it was the US Global Economics forecaster Harry Dent and in 2016 it was Jonathan Tepper’s turn. His ‘claim to fame’ was to correctly predict the housing bubbles in US, Ireland & Spain. On the other side of the debate are those who believe an Australian property bubble in 2016 is just a good story to sell papers or gets clicks on the internet, but that there are no signs of a significant housing market correction on the horizon. They accept the property markets are slowing down; but they anticipate a nice easy transition into a naturally quieter phase of the property cycle. Period. So who is right and who is wrong? And is it all as black and white as two simple sides of a debate? 18. OVERSEAS BUBBLES – HARBINGERS OF DOOM FOR AUSTRALIAN HOUSING? HOW LONG BETWEEN ONE PROPERTY CYCLE AND THE NEXT? IS AUSTRALIA EXPERIENCING A PROPERTY BUBBLE? I’ve already given some perspective on the property bubble here, but today in a commentary that’s a little longer than usual, I want to piece together the various fragmented arguments around Australia’s property bubble puzzle and give you my thoughts on each of them. Hopefully by exploring the ‘big picture’ fundamentals, I’ll shed some light on what’s happening in the market today and what we might be able to expect tomorrow. And I’d like to show you that to be a smart property investor it’s critical to keep your eye on the big picture fundamentals rather than constantly getting caught up in talk of property bubbles. Losing that focus is likely to undermine your journey and steer you off track, causing you to lose sight of your long term objectives. I want to help you keep your focus. I’m going to use my forty odd years of market experience and investing (some would suggest rather successfully) through 4 complete property cycles, to cut through all the noise and explore 18 aspects of the property bubble in context, explaining why smart property investors shouldn’t lose sleep over all the speculative market reporting. A housing bubble doesn’t just mean high prices — prices can just be high in response to basic supply and demand. A housing bubble is defined by rapid rise in property prices, where house prices are a long way away from what is fundamentally considered justified and generally occur when highly leveraged speculators enter a market for short-term growth. And it is usually also associated with strong credit growth. The problem is that property bubbles are often hard to detect in real time because there are so many different Australian property markets and there is so much disagreement over the concept of affordability and the fundamental value of properties. The fact is, most market movements are influenced by those who keep the markets moving – humans and our psychological responses to perceived highs and lows. This reality, combined with today’s 24/7 information superhighway, means markets are being influenced in different ways and with more frequency. Real estate bubbles are caused by a rapid escalation in house prices, fueled by a level of buyer demand that outweighs supply. Something generally happens to spike buyer demand, as in the recent case of low interest rates making property relatively cheap to leverage into. This upward movement entices “speculators” into the market, further fanning the capital growth flames with increased investment activity. Then eventually some other influence comes along to quell demand, (often rising interest rates) even though the supply pipeline is still pumping out newly built dwellings. This causes prices to slump and it is said that it could lead the Real estate bubble to burst. The problem I have with all the recent ‘housing bubble’ propaganda is that it’s largely one-dimensional, failing to account for the many underlying fundamentals that influence our unique property sector. 2. Is the ‘property market’ in bubble trouble? Overseas commentators are often guilty of talking about the impending implosion of Australia’s ‘property market’. Singular. They speak as though the many markets within markets across our vast continent can be wrapped up in a neat little package. Clearly this is not the case. We have many different property markets around Australia – some defined by geography and others by price points – and while they may all be influenced by a number of common factors such as interest rates or government policies, they all have their own unique factors driving their particular market including local supply and demand, local economic factors, local job growth or lack of it and local council planning authorities with their own policies and agendas. Not to mention divergent communities with all sorts of infrastructure, industry and amenity variations. So it is wrong to generalise about one property market. Any time I see a headline proclaiming, ‘Housing market crash’, I wonder which, of the hundreds of Australia’s micro-housing markets they’re referring to. It seems a lot can happen in real estate in the 12 months since I wrote the fist version of this report, and the fears of an Australian “property bubble” bursting never came to pass, just as I predicted it wouldn’t last year. Instead over the past year we’ve seen an orderly slowdown in the heady Sydney property market, as well as strengthening markets in other capital cities such as Melbourne and to a lesser extent in Brisbane and Hobart. Despite the underlying strong fundamentals for the Sydney property market tighter lending criteria from the banks (who were forced to slow down lending to investors by APRA) together with media hype of high prices moved the Sydney market from 5th gear into 2nd gear. The Sydney house prices recorded extraordinary price growth from 2013 to 2015, after moving up steadily since 2008, however by the end of last year that growth started to slow. We also need to remember that the Sydney property market was mainly flat from 2003 – 2008 a decade before that recent short burst of strong growth. Media reports say that Sydney houses now cost 12 times the annual income, up from four times about 40 years ago. But thanks to record low interest rates, it still costs less today to service a mortgage out of the typical income than it did in 1989 when interest rates hit an eye-wateringly high of 17 per cent. Respected economist Saul Eslake does not expect a property price crash, but says that forces are shifting that will dampen demand and increase supply, and that slower population growth will limit new demand. There are also a number of current, and proposed, policies that are taking some of the heat out of the market, particularly for investors. In late 2014, the Australian Prudential and Regulatory Authority (APRA) believed that Australian banks were over-leveraging their residential loan portfolios, especially in the light of tighter world standards. So the banks were told that they must not increase their investor lending by more than 6% (in some cases it was 10%) a year and were also required to raise a large amount of capital by issuing shares. This has resulted in banks tightening their lending criteria including requiring larger deposits and stricter interest servicing criteria. At the same time foreign property investment in Australian property has slowed a little in response to the slowdown in the Chinese economy, the higher Australian dollar and China restricting the outflow of funds from that country. However, outside the big capital cities the story is different. Unfortunately we’ve heard horror stories of investors who’d over-committed financially or bought in risky one-industry locations such as mining regions going bankrupt. Boy have things changed from when I first started investing. I would have loved to have access to the variety of daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly market statistics that are available today. The problem is much of the commentary I see relies heavily on short-term data and is often written by people who don’t have the perspective that having invested, both successfully and unsuccessfully, through a series of property cycles, gives those experienced commentators who in general are not worried about a property bubble. In other words, this short term reporting is far from reliable when it comes to gaining a clear perspective of enduring market fundamentals that sophisticated property investors pay attention to. Unlike shares in a faceless corporate entity, real estate represents an emotional investment as well as a financial one. Of course that’s one of the reasons why talking about property bubbles causes such heated debate, but it’s also why we need to explore the many facets that fuel this investment vehicle, to better understand what’s happening at any given time. What I’m getting at is that for most property owners real estate is not an investment vehicle – it’s their home, their castle. This makes real estate a unique investment vehicle because it’s the only investment market dominated by non-investors and underpins the stability of Australian property prices. When the economy falters those 70% of Australians who own their own home don’t suddenly sell up causing property prices to plummet, they hold on biding their time till the cycle moves on. And as half of these home owners no longer have a mortgage, when interest rates rise they don’t panic. In fact experience through the recession we had to have in the early 90’s showed that despite double digit unemployment and rising interest rates Aussies did all they could to hold on to their homes. They would rather eat dog food that sell up, and as a result house prices stumbled and fell a little – but they did not crash. Clearly this is very different to what happens in the stock market or in some overseas property markets where you can hand keys back to the bank and walk away from your loan obligations. Large volumes of ‘real time’ market data means investors are drip-fed constant ‘evidence’ about house price movements, buyer activity, vacancy rates, rental yields and so forth. This causes a kind of ‘death by statistics’, where investors are assaulted and subsequently distracted off course by a lot of confusing and sometimes conflicting ‘noise’ from the many markets within markets. Investors must remember the big picture rather than getting caught up in the detail…where the devil is. A good example is the current commentary around the alleged “overheated” Sydney property market. Sure Sydney prices were rising fast over the last few years – but they’ve only risen by 7.4% in the 12 months to April 2016 according to CoreLogic RP Data’s Home Value Index, and as you can see from the graphic below, that market is really only playing catch up with overall price growth 5.9% per annum over the last 10 years – hardly bubble material. The problem is that any time dwelling prices show significant upward growth a run of alarmist reporting follows. The same has happened across Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth at various times in the recent past. While the level of activity we were seeing in parts of inner Sydney property market wasn’t sustainable over the long term, does it really reflect an emerging Sydney housing bubble or just ‘normal’ market movements? I’ve already shown that over the longer term Sydney property price growth is not in bubble territory and taking monthly, quarterly or even annual data sets out of context in such a way creates a ‘tale of two cities’ paradox. While some “bubblers” are suggesting our property markets are a ‘runaway train’ that’s set to crash at any moment, the graph below shows price growth for the 10 years to January 2016, with Melbourne being the only market to double in value. In fact, once adjusted for inflation, Sydney and Melbourne property markets are the only capital city markets where dwelling values have risen faster than inflation since the last market peak. So let’s clarify: is housing really unaffordable in Australia? Well…according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) it is and Australia’s property prices are grossly over-inflated, with radical policy making required in order to slow the nation’s emerging housing bubble. This includes tighter regulations around foreign investment and property related lending practices. However measuring housing affordability is such an abstract idea because it is not a one size fits all measure and there are so many factors which contribute to affordability or unaffordability. But what interest rate do you use when a typical mortgage is paid off over 25 to 30 years? What figure do you use for household income? Much like interest rates household incomes will fluctuate over the 25 to 30 year cycle of a mortgage. And income levels are very different across different regions of the country as is the money that flows to single vs dual income households. Is a home in Australia the same as a home anywhere else in the world? In the sense that it provides shelter it is, however, tax regimes, the cost and scarcity of developable land, the provision of infrastructure and the availability of jobs are all other factors that contribute to the cost of housing. Furthermore, most comparisons are not apples with apples. Australian housing markets are dominated by detached houses whereas markets like Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong and Manhattan are largely apartment markets while London for example is predominately attached housing types (what we would call terraces or townhouses). The fact that Australian homes are, at least for the large part, detached and the largest in the world will also contribute to a higher cost. Most overseas analysis of our market situation is misleading due to its focus on two typical measures of affordability, being the ratio of house prices to household incomes and house prices to rents. But I would argue that what they don’t use preferred measure of housing affordability in Australia, which is the proportion of disposable income spent on housing costs. At a little over 20 per cent, our level of new housing loan repayments as a percentage of household disposable income remains at a 30 year average and is falling due to our stable, low interest rate environment. House prices are expensive but Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Dr. Alex Joiner has demonstrated that if you take the median house price in 1985 and adjust it only by disposable household income growth between 1985 and 2016 and the change in borrowing capacity over this period – via lower mortgage rates – you find that the 1985-adjusted value is 1 per cent above current median prices. So the change in incomes and interest rates since 1985 imply that Aussie housing is fairly valued (actually slightly cheap). This analysis is crucially predicated on interest rates staying at or below their present marks and if interest rates rise, then housing could be considered expensive; but the bond market currently implies that over the next 10 years the cash rate will only climb by about half a percentage point. Real estate plays a significant role in our collective cultural psyche. Buying your own home is an aspirational Aussie dream, representing a rite of passage that affirms our financial success and gives us a new social status. According to a 2011 report, The Evolution of Home Ownership Rates in Selected OECD Countries: Demographic and Public Policy Influences, home ownership has various spillover effects for society as a whole. Linked to things like better educational outcomes for children and a more ‘active and informed citizenry’, many modern governments vigorously promote home ownership because of the potential social and economic benefits. In recent times the property sector has almost singlehandedly kept our economy moving, breathing new life into retail, infrastructure and employment due to the many industries that survive off the back of bricks and mortar. These periods are synonymous with increased public policy encouraging home ownership – think the FHOG boost during the 2008 GFC for instance. In the 1990s, 71.4 per cent of Australians owned or were purchasing their own home, a rate second only to Spain and Luxembourg at 77.8 per cent and 71.6 per cent respectively. Interestingly, Australia’s rate of home ownership as recorded by the ABS dropped slightly to 69.5 per cent in 2004, with a further fall to 67 per cent in 2011. While some suggest this declining rate of home ownership is largely due to an inability for first homebuyers to break into our over priced property market, others like industry heavyweight John McGrath, note a clear cultural shift occurring across younger generations. First home buyers aren’t actually absent from the market, they’re just buying an investment property before they buy a home to live in. Cultural shifts occur as generational influences come and go. During the 1970s and 80’s, Baby Boomers were busy building family homes that showed a distinct preference for detached dwellings on large suburban blocks. This led to a massive construction boom that saw our once fairly contained major cities start to expand outward in a rampant period of unprecedented urban sprawl. Enter the Baby Boomer offspring; the often tertiary educated Gen X and Y children of the seventies, eighties and nineties, who collectively put marriage on hold in favour of high-powered careers and embraced an emerging café culture. This changing of the generational guards brought with it an interesting transformation in our housing markets. Where once it was all about size, home ownership has become more about convenience and lifestyle, as location takes precedence over square footage. Many younger homebuyers are trading backyards for balconies, buying apartments and compromising on space in order to break into popular postcodes within a two to ten kilometre radius of major CBD markets across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. This trend has been confirmed by ABS data, indicating that building approvals for higher-density homes, such as apartments and town houses, surged by 36 per cent over the past year, while approvals for ‘traditional’ houses fell by 1 per cent. Tellingly, these figures reveal there were nearly as many building approvals for higher-density homes (9,102) as houses (9,441). Major demographic shifts, such as shrinking household sizes, are driving the rising demand for higher-density accommodation. In 1911, the average number of people living in a private dwelling was 4.5, with this figure falling to 3.5 by 1966 and now sitting at around 2.7 people per household. According to RP Data, 19 of the 20 most densely populated suburbs in Australia are located within the Greater Sydney area, with the one exception being Melbourne’s Southbank precinct. And it’s not just owner-occupiers who want a slice of the inner city property pie, but tenants forced to forego the Great Australian Dream in order to be closer to the action and employment, due to pricier entry points. This booming buyer and tenant demand is exerting upward pressure in select locations where accommodation supply is tightly constrained, due to restricted development and residential growth opportunities. It’s expected this downsizing trend will continue, with increasing evidence of formative shifts in the way we work, play and live, along with an escalation in higher density urban design and planning to utilise existing infrastructure. “As transit oriented developments continue to gather pace I am quite certain we will see higher population densities spreading to key transport nodes located further away from the city centres,” says Lawless. One ‘housing bubble’ hypothesis is that a growing tide of ageing baby boomers will cause a wave of downsizers to sell their family home and cash in their share portfolios all at once. Some overseas economists have suggested the resultant accommodation oversupply will cause a significant market corrections and an ‘asset meltdown’. Second, says Guest, is older people choosing to downsize and releasing equity by selling the family home to help fund retirement. However, he adds that the latter effect has become weaker, given our ability to leverage equity without selling any assets through facilities like redraw loans and reverse mortgages. But remember our population is likely to almost double in the next 40-50 years, with many immigrants keen to buy the Baby Boomers’ McMansions to live in while developers will be keen to buy them to redevelop these older homes into apartments and townhouses. Property analyst Michael Matusik says although we’re not experiencing a national property bubble, an influx of ‘grey’ money from China is distorting the Sydney and Melbourne property markets. “All of this illicit activity is creating a demand that would not otherwise exist,” says Matusik. Others argue that foreign investment, whether in domestic real estate, manufacturing or mining, increases national wealth and if an overseas buyer is willing to pay a local owner more for their asset than an Australian resident, why shouldn’t they take the best offer going? Developer capital is forcing up city land values as Asian investment groups are buying up development sites to build high rise towers to on sell to Asian investors. There have been several instances of Asian developers paying prices comfortably in excess of what is perceived locally to be “fair market value”, in certain cases 25 to 40 per cent above what domestic developers might previously have been prepared to pay. While there is no direct correlation between the impressively rebounding tourism sector and our real estate markets, record Chinese visitor numbers and tourism expenditure is inextricably linked to other longer term demographic trends, including the increasing popularity of Australia as a destination for Chinese capital. Clearly it’s difficult to get a handle on how much activity in Australia’s property sector is directly related to foreign investment activity and the FIRB has come under fire regarding its apparent inability to stay on top of who is buying what. Then there are concerns about the lack of regulation around China’s banking sector, meaning buyers may not be able to maintain their offshore asset base in Australia. Economists suggest China has a prominent informal financial system because its formal banking sector functions so poorly and without an informal financial system, China’s growth would have been much slower than it has been and Australia would be worse off as a result. Similarly, the flow of Chinese capital to Australia would have been reduced and so too would the related benefits, including less housing supply and fewer construction jobs. These commentators suggest that the scapegoating of Chinese investors over high Aussie house prices can be refuted with hard evidence. Australia is on the crest of an undeniable demographic tsunami, as 5.3 million Baby Boomers hit retirement age over the next fifteen years. Scaremongers suggest this mass workforce exodus will send us hurtling toward a similar fate suffered by Japan, where retirees dramatically outweighed working citizens and in turn, toppled the economic balance. There’s no doubt extra pressure will be exerted on certain services as our population ages, particularly public ones like healthcare, which we know rely on taxpayer funding. And of course less people will be actively working and contributing taxes. So we should anticipate some type of economic fallout from this significant generational transition. But is it reasonable to expect all retirees to stop spending money and sell off any property they own, just because they decide to cease paid employment? Numerous alarmists seem to think so, predicting a subsequent bursting of the housing bubble. The reality is, while many retirees want to downsize, most won’t be able to afford to do so and have money left over as they’ll end up spending an amount similar to the value of their home on an apartment or townhouse that might be smaller but a little flashier, in or around the neighbourhood they raised their family in. Further, the government is aware of the dilemma it faces as close to half of the present day workforce (43%) decides to call it quits but won’t have sufficient savings or super to rely on in retirement. But they have a solution, and it’s more people. Both sides of politics have geared their policies to reflect the need to keep our population growing, looking at ways to increase the tax-paying workforce by importing younger workers. It’s hoped well trained Gen-Xers and Y’s will migrate to Australia, filling our skilled labour void, earning high incomes and of course, contributing their fair share of tax. This will result in extra demand all of these new citizens will place on our already scarce inner urban housing stock, as they seek accommodation to rent and purchase. These are the people who’ll keep the money moving. Eighty seven per cent of Aussies live in and around our major urban centres. Logically, growing city-centric employment opportunities, combined with more skilled migrant workers moving into these areas, will only increase competition for already tightly held inner city property markets. If anything, it could be said that in attempting to address the Baby Boomer conundrum by upping migrant numbers, we’ll only see more housing demand in the future and therefore, a continued underpinning of property prices for years to come. We might be blamed for a lot of things when it comes to Australia’s economic fortunes of the day, but no, I don’t think you can pin the alleged property bubble on the Baby Boomers! The ability to buy and borrow against residential real estate through self-managed super funds has opened up a whole new market for Australian property over the last few years. In other words, the RBA was worried that the trend to purchase real estate assets within an SMSF structure, could significantly inflate property prices. But then in 2015 and 2016 APRA stepped in and lending to SMSF’s to buy investment property slowed down considerably removing one of the fans that fired the property market. Interestingly according to the SMSF Professionals Association of Australia (SPAA), residential property is a minor element of the total SMSF investment market compared to commercial holdings, representing 3.4% and 11.7% of investments respectively. Additionally, only 1% of all SMSF property investments were geared, meaning these are relatively secure assets, with limited risk weight allocation. While the increased promotion of leveraged property purchases within SMSFs was a growing trend, officials are certainly taking a tougher stance and demanding greater transparency around management of these entities. Do I think we should be worried about mum and dad investors all rushing out and gearing at high-risk levels to secure SMSF property investments? The short answer is no; but I’m concerned about poor property choices some SMSF trustees are making. Thirty years ago, investment related borrowings accounted for just 13% of total housing finance, compared to a whopping 40% or $139 billion of domestic investor finance over the past 12 months. As is evident from the graphic below from Pete Wargent, more Australians are turning to bricks and mortar to build their retirement portfolios, with a notable spike post-GFC reflecting a growing disenchantment with comparatively volatile investment vehicles like shares. This continuing deluge of property investors keen to snap up residential real estate, particularly in the lucrative Sydney and Melbourne housing sector, is becoming a major market stimulus in its own right. But what impact will sustained investor activity at such unprecedented levels have on the housing market’s long-term stability? This is a question I can’t answer with any certainty right now, because we’ve never seen activity to this degree before. What we do know is the prolonged spike in investor related borrowings that kicked off with vigour in 2008 and then again in 2012 is worrying the RBA, causing them to issue warnings about capping investor loan growth and advising lenders that extra capital charges will be imposed on banks breaching a 10 per cent growth limit in this area. Alarmingly, the RBA is concerned that lenders enjoying the fruits of our booming Sydney property market will ignore regulator threats, choosing to pay extra capital charges as they continue to sell more investment loans. Property expert Christopher Joye says that although the Reserve Bank is rightly worried, they’ve backed themselves into a corner, basing February’s decision to cut rates further on the assumption that the housing market was starting to cool (probably off the back of end of 2014 market data). The concern around such unheard of levels of property investor activity is whether these portfolios are built to withstand an inevitable interest rate rise. If investors are too exposed, with unsustainable levels of gearing, what happens when the market turns? Critics suggest that when the RBA finally decides our economy is healthy enough to start upping the cash rate once more, struggling investors looking to claw back cashflow could create a sufficient stock saturation to pop our alleged ‘property bubble’. While there’s no doubt that a number of newbie investors out there are perhaps too highly leveraged in the wrong type of asset and at risk when rates rise, the majority of property investments are relatively sheltered by our continuing buoyant rental market. Further, many seasoned property investors are using the current low rate environment as an opportunity to solidify their asset base and reduce non-tax deductible debt, thereby strengthening their financial position in anticipation of any such changes to the current status quo. Dr. Andrew Wilson, chief economist for Domain, provides the following graphic for the Sydney property market which was obviously the market concerning some as at the end of 2015 around 50% of purchases there were being made by property investors. However even in Sydney the percentage of the population that are at risk of defaulting on their interest rates rise is minimal (4.3%). 32.6% of Sydney’s population are tenants and they won’t be affected when interest rates rise. 31.4% of Sydney’s population own their homes outright and are not vulnerable to rising interest rates. 31.7% of Sydney’s population owns a home, but their mortgage repayments are less than 30% of the incomes meaning these families are unlikely to experience mortgage stress if interest rates rise. Only 4.3% of Sydney’s population has mortgage repayments that cost them more than 30% of their income and this group will be vulnerable if interest rates rise significantly. Another much maligned target of housing bubble enthusiasts is this contentious area of the Australian tax system that supports investment. Critics estimate that negative gearing has pushed up property prices by 9%, causing many to call for an inquiry into the legal “tax loophole” that allows investors to claim back costs directly related to property assets. However I would argue that property investors provide an essential service to millions of Australians who chose to, or have to, rent their accommodation and as such these investors should be treated like all other business people. In our modern society we pay taxes and expect the government to provide us with certain essential services. These include hospitals, roads, schools, jails, public transport, aged care and public housing. In Australia the government often shares the burden of providing these services with private enterprises that can often deliver them more efficiently and cheaper. When the government can’t supply enough public hospital beds, private run hospitals step up to the mark and not only receive tax deductions for their business loans, but also allowances to subsidize them. So do aged care providers, schools and public transport providers who provide services in tandem with the government. Our government also provides public housing, but not enough for all those who can’t afford to buy their own property. While government social and public housing programs are helpful, it is only the private rental market that can deliver rental accommodation at the rate and scale that is required at present. Property investors save a deposit, buy a property, commit to a loan for 25 or 30 years and provide accommodation for others in our community. In return we expect to get a reasonable return on our investment risk, just like other business people do. We know that the rent won’t cover our expenses, but accept that certain tax benefits plus the long term capital growth will make up for this. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t. Negative gearing is a necessary mechanism, in effect acting as a subsidy for people who are renting and encouraging the provision of rental stock for people who cannot afford to buy. Some estimate the current shortfall between social housing demand and supply is in the region of 200,000 dwellings per annum. So the government has a choice – come up with an additional $50 billion odd to construct these dwellings, or continue to absorb an estimated $4 billion in negative gearing revenue losses and maintain the status quo for private property investors. It’s clear when you drill down into much of the noise associated with Australia’s apparent ‘housing bubble’ that a key element of the argument is missing. The fact is, market cynics are largely ignoring the basic supply and demand equation that drives all consumer-based commodities – with property being no exception. Pete Wargent says Australia is projected to have 4.3 million more households in the 25 years to 2036, meaning the requirement for rental accommodation will be “beyond huge. This immense ongoing demand from our ever growing population will continue to underpin Australian property markets over the long term, particularly in those inner urban areas that hold enduring appeal due to well established infrastructure and proximity to employment opportunities. Some argue (and rightly so) that a looming accommodation oversupply is on the cards for certain CBD markets due to an apartment construction boom. But when you put the numbers into perspective, should we really be so alarmed about an impending price correction right across the board? BIS Shrapnel forecasts a surplus of multi-residential dwellings for Victoria in the vicinity of 14,300 by June 2016. But this is just one market, within a multitude of broader markets. Sure, it sounds like a large number in isolation, but when you consider that conservative estimates suggest our population will almost double in size over the next four decades to 39.7 million, this is a drop in the accommodation ocean. And remember, you’re not buying ‘a market’ – as a strategic investor you would be buying individual properties – and only the type of property that will have long term strong demand from affluent owner occupiers who can afford to and are prepared to pay a premium to live in that location. While price growth has grown across pockets of Australia’s housing markets, you certainly couldn’t claim that property values have escalated dramatically in real terms across the entire nation. At least not with sufficient gusto to justify the level of scaremongering we keep seeing in the media. In fact you could safely describe average prices as relatively ‘flat’ in inflation adjusted terms. As I’ve explained above, Sydney and Melbourne are the only capital cities where dwelling values have risen at a faster pace than inflation since the last property peak. Source: Dr. Andrew Wilson, Fairfax/Domain. In 2014 -15 the RBA increasingly came under fire for the role its lenient monetary policymaking has allegedly played in inflating the ‘property bubble’, with many pointing the finger at ‘cheap debt’ for fueling so-called speculative investment activity in the sector. He says while Australia’s central bank hasn’t been forced to cut rates back to zero, as has been the case in other developed economies, it must tread carefully when it comes to the delicate balancing act between encouraging consumption and investment spending (to stimulate jobs growth), versus the risk of a housing bubble. This is a lesson the Bank of Japan learned the hard way when, toward the end of the eighties, it failed to tighten monetary policy quick enough to address the Yen’s strong appreciation against the US dollar. Past episodes of significant market corrections in the likes of Japan and America, are often used as yardsticks by which to measure the size of Australia’s ‘housing bubble’. Japan’s economic bubble lasted from 1986 to 1991 and was characterized by a rapid acceleration of asset prices, including an over-inflated housing sector and uncontrolled credit expansion. Some compare Australia to Japan because of the increased levels of speculative investment activity that occurred there off the back of excessive monetary policy easing, similar to what we’re witnessing here with low interest rates making property assets more appealing. Then of course there are comparisons to the US, where poor money management and out of control lending practices left many mortgage holders unable to make their repayments, subsequently sending their housing sector into a spiral that resulted in a price crash and burn. Recently, the spotlight has turned to China. Our Asian neighbour has arguably become the world economic powerhouse; stealthily working to shift America’s global influence to its own shores through a stranglehold on manufacturing and export trade. As their local economy transitions from ‘developing’ to fully dominating the world stage at breakneck speed, the Chinese real estate market has boomed. Worryingly, the Wall Street Journal recently published a study that found 22.4% of houses in China’s urban areas were vacant as at 2013, up from 20.6% in 2011. Experts argue that as the Chinese stop constructing housing and relying on Australia’s natural iron ore reserves to the same extent as they have in the past, the flow on effect will create a major hole in our economy. On the other hand, with Chinese property losing its appeal as an asset base, it’s more likely that our neighbours will continue to spend their investment dollars in our housing markets. Of course comparing China’s significant supply imbalance to Australia, where we have the opposite problem of an accommodation shortage, is about as relevant as comparing apples and oranges. While it’s interesting to note what’s going on across our increasingly inter-connected globe, we must keep in mind that Australia is relatively unique in terms of its housing market fundamentals. As John McGrath recently pointed out, “The property market has a strong foundation supporting it. We have low unemployment (despite recent job losses), a strong and resilient economy, low interest rates, a tax system that rewards property investment and a massive undersupply of housing in the face of rising population growth. This love of all things bricks and mortar essentially sheltered us from the 2008 GFC and when the going got tough, we turned to the thing we’ve come to know and rely on as an integral part of our cultural identity – housing. What I’ve tried to show you in this rather long report is that the Australian property markets are behaving in their normal fashion and we don’t need to fear a property bubble that’s about to burst. Of course we all know the property market moves in cycles which is typically depicted in 4 stages. The boom followed by the downturn, followed by the stabilisation phase which leads to an upturn which sets us up for the next property boom. And currently we’re at the mature stage of this property cycle and price growth will slow and prices will eventually fall in many location. Fall a little – not collapse! The Expansion Phase – House prices are above the previous price peak of the cycle. By the way…other than in a few isolated markets (such as mining town), property never falls into the contraction phase. In other words when the cycle moved on and priced fall they don’t drop below their previous troughs. Interestingly it has nothing to do with the number of years. Cycles are driven by a series of socio-economic factors, but over the years I’ve noticed that the nature of our property cycles is changing and they seem to be getting shorter. However the current property cycle is likely to be different! It seems that we are heading for a period of low interest rates, low inflation and lower capital growth that should prolong the current property cycle for a few more years before rising interest rates bring this cycle to a halt, just like they did in 2010, 2013 and in the 1990’s. By the way… we’ve experienced similar conditions – a prolonged period of flat interest rates in the 1990’s. The continued wealth of our nation which will ensure we can pay more for properties. As the number of Australian households is due to increase by 4.3 million over the next 25 years, our demographic changes will be a key factor in the type of property that will be in continuous strong demand in the future and that will keep increasing in price. We are going to have more one and two person households and more of us will be keen to live in medium density dwellings, close to work, amenities and transport. Our ageing population suggests that up to 65 per cent of us will live alone. But not only are we ageing, we’re getting married later, couples are having fewer children and having them later in life, preferring to concentrate on climbing the career ladder prior to settling down. Couple-only families are projected to experience the largest increase of all types of families over the next 25 years and are expected to rise by up to 64 per cent from 2011 to reach up to 3.8 million families in 2036. I see our demographic changes (huge population growth and changes in the way we will want to live) as more important in shaping the future of our property markets than short term fluctuations in interest rates, supply and demand or consumer confidence. Sure, there will be ups and downs in property prices. But we’re not currently in a property bubble, we won’t be seeing a property bubble in 2016, and real estate prices are NOT going to collapse. Infographic: Is Australia Experiencing a Property Bubble? I know the scope of this topic makes for a lot to process. We’ve put together some of the critical information in visual form to help you digest it all. If you enjoy it, please feel free to share it around the web. There’s a code below so it can be embedded on your website. Maybe you could read this , Michael and let us know what you think. Thank you. I agree the apartment price crunch is coming to the “off the plan” high rise sub market – I’ve also warned about it- I first wrote about it a year ago. Just wanted to ask what your opinion was on something. The statistics you provided show that many homeowners own their home outright or have a mortgage commitment of less than 30% which is further supported by the Dec 2015 housing data from APRA that shows the average variable rate loan across Australia in 2015 was just over $300k with fixed loans slightly higher at $330k (which is much less than the average Australian property). My question to you is that while rising interest rates may not impact the ability of home owners to service their mortgage, do you think that given the current low yields on Sydney property rising interest rates may stimulate a capital flight from the housing market into alternative fixed income investment options that may provide a higher yield? Stop looking at graphs and figures, come out on the streets and see what bubble we have , in the last four years the chinese have bought over 4 trillion dollars worth of property in Australia ,believe me i have been to all auctions weekend after weekend ,all overseas Asian investors, no Aussies buying this market. In 2 months the prices oof brand new properties have dropped 150 thousand dollars…. this is only the start of the crash ,as Chinese government start clamping down on outflows of cash leaving their country…..run for the hills the crash is coming in big way.. If you believe world economists like Casey, Soros, Maloney, Schiff and Duncan, the current Chinese sharemarket crash is apparently the start of a worldwide crash, affecting largely the western capitalist world of Europe, US and Australia and ultimately the collapse of the US$. Deflation, then hyperinflation, messing with markets globally, causes property prices to plummet, and mortgage rates to soar. As buyer fortunes change, property is placed on the market en masse, with prices plummeting, and mortgagee sales providing opportunities for bargains. Only a story? A sudden huge increase in property prices usually causes a sudden huge drop too….we can expect a correction in volatile markets. Knowledge is indeed power. Thank you for showing us the facts. Negative Gearing is not essential, most overseas property markets function fine without it. You also miss quote the social dwelling statistics. From AHURI – “To address this shortfall over the next decade requires an additional 20,000 social dwellings per year over the next 10 years.” Not the 200,000 dwellings p.a. that you suggest. Also, 20,000 dwellings compared with 1.8 million investors taking advantage of negative gearing makes the argument about supporting social housing largely irrelevant. Please stop pretending that you are doing a social service. In the end, the tax advantages favour investors at the expense of first home buyers wanting to owner occupy. It redistributes wealth from those working and saving to buy a home, towards those who have already bought and negatively gear. It also most benefits people already on high incomes. Is that a fair tax system? I don’t think so.

2019-04-21T00:07:41Z

https://propertyupdate.com.au/australias-property-bubble-smart-investors-guide/

This is awesome! My Exchange account over at www.myhostedsolution.com has been migrated to their new Exchange 2010 hosting servers. This means that I can finally do SMS synchronisation between my mobile, running Windows Mobile 6.5, and my Inbox. Better still, with Outlook 2010 I can both view and reply to SMS messages from within Outlook. All of this without having to configure any additional settings or services. Here are the few steps you have to do. Upgrade your Exchange account to Exchange 2010. If you set up hosting with www.myhostedsolution.com you get this included in you subscription for free by default. Did I mention they have unlimited storage so is awesome value. Go into ActiveSync on your Windows Mobile 6.5 device and enable synchronization of Text Messages. This should enable synchronization of your text messages with your Exchange 2010 server. When I first upgraded to Exchange 2010 the option to synchronize text messages didn’t appear in ActiveSync on my device so I ended up wiping the device and setting up the account again. The next piece is to install or upgrade to Outlook 2010. This sports a much newer interface, including the ability to send SMS messages. After installing and configuring your account (or if you’re upgrading, after your data file has been upgraded) you should see an email from Outlook 2010 entitled “Send and receive text messages on your computer!” which indicates that your mobile device is synchronizing text messages and Outlook is ready to send messages. This will open the Text Message window where you can enter your message. Note the list of emoticons in the ribbon. Once you’ve written your message, hit Send. When your device next synchronizes you should see a notification that your SMS message has been sent. That’s right, Outlook 2010 synchronizes the message to be sent to Exchange 2010, which then synchronizes it to your mobile device, which then sends it using your mobile phone account. No additional services necessary! If you get an SMS Message it will be synchronized to Exchange 2010, then on to Outlook 2010, appearing in your Inbox along with your email. Careful if you’re working for an organisation that monitors email as your text messages will now be accessible to your Exchange administrators. You can of course reply to an SMS and it will be sent out again via Exchange, Outlook…. your device. You do need to make sure your device is synchronizing, otherwise your SMS messages won’t be sent. Every time I get a new device I go through almost one debug cycle before I’ve had enough and decide to disable the Windows Mobile security. If you aren’t familiar with Windows Mobile security there are essentially one (for pocketpc/Windows Mobile Professional) or two levels (for smartphone/Windows Mobile Standard). In both cases, if security is enabled the device will prompt you, as in the following screenshot, to allow untrusted assemblies to run on the device. Of course, this includes a number of assemblies that are used during debugging, so a royal pain to have to click Yes for each assembly that is loaded. The easiest way to disable this “feature” is to use the Device Security Manager that comes with Visual Studio 2008 (Tools –> Device Security Manager). So long as your device is connected via ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center you should see a display similar to the next image ��� this shows my device with Prompt One Tier as the current setting. Selecting “Security Off” and hitting the Deploy to Device means that I can easily debug applications without having to click Yes to those annoying prompts. As you can see this is essentially a deep link with some additional information on the end of it. Simply strip off all the extra parameters to give you a deep link that you can use. Now I had to double read this… surely the only way to do something like this would be to have an application already running on the device… and doesn’t that imply that the user already has your application installed on the device… which means they’ve probably already been to marketplace, found, purchased and installed your application… what’s the point in providing this mechanism???? Ok, in answer to that question I can see that if you have multiple Windows Mobile applications in marketplace then you can increase sales by providing cross links between your applications. That way once someone buys one of your applications, they are more likely to buy the others. Alternatively you could provide a free/trial version with a link to the paid version. Personally I see that there is an obvious gap here – how do I provide a deep link to my application on a mobile web site (or even a standard web site that is accessible via a WM device) that can be resolved on the device via the marketplace client. It wouldn’t be out of the question to have a link such as wmapp://LinkID that would be handled by the marketplace client in order to display the appropriate application. This link could be used when the site detects the page being browsed by a windows mobile client. There are a number of good posts on working with OpenGL on Windows Mobile via the .NET Compact Framework but one thing I’ve noticed is that they don’t really try to wrap the OpenGL functionality in a way that makes it reusable as an application/game framework. Mostly the logic for rendering was intermingled with windows forms logic, such as OnPaint, which was intermingled with logic for updating the current scene. If you look at say XNA you notice that the model is very simple – essentially they have a single run loop consisting of Update and Draw. I set out to update the OpenGL ES wrapper initially provided by Koushik Dutta and since extended with some great examples across at XDA Developers. Here’s what I came up with to start with. If you grab the OpenGL ES wrapper you will notice that at its core is essentially a single Windows Form that handles the OnPaint method in order to draw using OpenGL primitives. Nearly all the computation and rendering is done in this method. In the constructor and subsequent initialization methods there are a number of OpenGL ES calls in order to setup the display, surface and context required in order for OpenGL to draw to the screen. In order to create a reusable framework that would be a starting point for any project undertaken in OpenGL all this code would have to be wrapped in a way that it doesn’t need to be duplicated for each project. To push the call to UpdateScene onto a separate thread. This prevents the UI from blocking whilst it’s in running. To invoke Invalidate once UpdateScene has completed. This ensures that OnPaint will be invoked again and that the draw-update loop will be invoked again. In the next post I’ll show you how to get started with this wrapper by overriding the ApplicationForm. In the meantime, try it yourself…. Does Windows Mobile 6 Smell (part II)? In my previous post I talked about Microsoft and the enterprise and how it had help shape Windows Mobile 6.x. Now I want to look at some of the implications of this strategy, specifically looking at how the attitude towards touch input has changed over time. One of the things that really differentiated Windows Mobile was it’s ability to work on multiple different form factors, from your non-touch txt friendly devices with keyboards through to your candy bar devices through to your pda-style devices with on-screen keyboards. Track back a few years and you would have seen the names Pocket PC and Smartphone being used to describe devices with and without a touch interface. With a move to align the two operating systems these came to be known as Windows Mobile Professional and Windows Mobile Standard – personally I think this did more than confuse the market who were already confused by the double use of the word Smartphone. But this post wasn’t supposed to be a Windows Mobile history lesson, instead it was to look at our opinions on touch have evolved. If you recall back to the Pocket PC days there were very few people who actually used “touch” to interact with their device. Most uses whipped out their stylus and used that to push and poke at the screen. They would tap at the on-screen keyboard or even learn how to use the quirky text recognition capabilities of the device. This process was quite painful, particularly if you were responding to a text message or email. This is in part why both hardware keyboards and the Smartphone increased in popularity – both these addressed the problem of how to quickly navigate and type on the device. The challenge with a physical keyboard is that no matter how to position it you end up with a tiny keyboard that simply adds weight and size to the device. Text entry, whilst quickest using a full qwerty keyboard was still a far shy from entering it on the desktop and often the extra hassle of sliding out a keyboard, waiting for the screen to reorientate and then entering text was enough to put off a lot of users. The challenge with Smartphone is that it just sux – ok, you have me, I’m not a Smartphone advocate. Whilst I find that the interface is quick to navigate nearly all the applications are somewhat lacking or clumsy to use. Take internet explorer for example – you either have a little arrow cursor that you drag around the screen using a dpad or you jump from link to link, often making the text of the website very difficult to read. Personally I’ve never liked this style of device and it was scary a couple of years ago because it seemed that 90% of all new devices being released by OEMs were a Smartphone, rather than having a touch screen. From a development perspective we saw the convergence of Smartphone and Pocket PC into Windows Mobile as a good thing. It meant we could build a single application that would work on both styles of devices. Unfortunately, this is a bit like building a desktop application and running it on the device – great idea, but results in an aweful user experience as either the desktop application is limited to display what’s available on the device (ie small screen real estate) or the application has to scale down to fit to the device (resulting in small controls that are hard to use). Guidance from Microsoft even suggested that developers should build to target Smartphone so it will work on both devices. This whole topic became even more interesting when Apple released the iPhone and multi-touch came into the mainstream. Unfortunately the Windows Mobile team failed to get it and released 6, 6.1 and 6.5 without any support for multi-touch. In fact it’s only been with the release of the HTC HD2 that we’ve even seen capacitive screens for Windows Mobile which would effectively allow multi-touch. I believe this was because there was a misunderstanding on how users wanted to use their device. Too much research focussed on looking at ways to improve what users were currently doing (eg using a stylus), rather than exploring more innovative ways for the users to do things (eg making all controls larger so that the user can use touch instead of a stylus). Now, finally Microsoft has awoken and we are seeing a new era of devices and operating systems heavily geared towards making touch (and I’m sure in the future multi-touch). Windows Mobile 6.5.3 has restyled controls, repositioned Start menu and Ok buttons, specifically geared to making it easy to navigate with touch and gestures. Windows Phone 7 series is all about touch, swipe, gesture and motion in general. It’s clear to see that this is the way forward and that the old Blackberry style non-touch devices are a thing of the past. Does Windows Mobile 6 Smell? If you ask most users what they think of Windows Mobile they either don’t know what it is (most non-techie consumers) or they shudder saying that slow, overly complex phone that I never use now I have…. Anyone would think that Windows Mobile smells. I’d like to put forward some points that at least explains why it looks and smells the way it is. You may even decide to give the current generation of Windows Mobile 6.5.3 devices a go. I think the first point I’d like to make is that I doubt at any stage Microsoft decided that the end user wasn’t the highest priority when designing and building Windows Mobile. The whole “end-user-first” message that’s coming from Microsoft is just another re-hash of the “Age of User Experience” message that we saw a couple of years ago. What I do buy is that Microsoft has changed focus on which end user they’re putting first, or at least, what end user activities should come first. In the past the design of Windows Mobile was geared towards an end user who worked for an enterprise, was connected to Exchange server and the reason for having a device was to make phone calls, send sms, triage email, work with contacts, calendar and tasks to get their work done. Now we’re seeing a new era where Windows Phone 7 is about supporting end users in every facet of their lives – helping them stay in contact, entertain them, help them relax, get work done, oh and of course make a phone call. Actually the latter seems to have been almost an after thoughts as there is not even a hardware call and/or hang up button according to the specs released by Microsoft last week. So I guess the question has to be asked as to why the focus was on the enterprise user? Microsoft’s entry into the mobile phone market came as an extension of their embedded operating system. In fact Windows Mobile is essentially Windows CE in a specified configuration, with additional modules, such as Office Mobile and of course a phone stack. As such it seemed logical for them to enter this space in order to support enterprise users. Once in this space it appears that Microsoft saw RIM as one of the main competitors with their Blackberry devices. Those familiar with Microsoft codenames will know that Crossbow was one of the code names used internally for one of the previous versions of Windows Mobile – this happens (probably coincidentally) to be the name of a pesticide that can be used to get ride of the blackberry plant (ref Website). The Blackberry OS has traditionally been menu centric, so as long as Windows Mobile only had as single “Start” menu it was considered to be a safe bet. Also, since Blackberries didn’t have touch screens, supporting touch (rather than stylus, and definitely not multi-touch) input wasn’t really considered a core use case. Again the result was that Windows Mobile continued to evolve towards a dpad/keyboard driven interface – in the enterprise this resulted in some very effective office worker devices that could be used to rapidly triage email but they weren’t the nicest consumer devices. More on this discussion in future posts…. Get it while it's hot from the download center. The content in my original overview of the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 SDK is still accurate. However the installation issues have been resolved and there is a bunch of things (like the help files and the Map Framework sample) are now installed correctly. The installation of the DTK should not affect any of the existing emulator images you have installed. Stay tuned for more information on what's in the DTK. Windows Mobile 6.5.3 DTK - Ready, Set….. Oh wait, hang on….. Go! As some of you will be aware there was a first attempt at releasing the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 DTK (now missing) earlier this month. Despite a number of bits being missing or not installed correctly there are definitely some good bits coming in the DTK (take for example the Widget development story within VS2008). According to Todd in his Marketplace Momentum post we should see the real version of the DTK later this week. Check back with this blog to find out more about the actual release when it happens. According to Twitter, which Microsoft clearly believes as the best way to communicate to its developer community, the Windows Mobile 6.5 SDK has been pulled. Note that whilst this acknowledges that the SDK wasn’t properly tested there is apology to a developer community that collectively has probably wasted thousands of man hours installing, uninstall and reinstalling SDKs to get machines back to a working point. I totally agree that the SDK should have been pulled as soon as there was a known issue with it but for Microsoft to continue to insult its developer audience is just one slap after the other. The first thing to note about the newly released Windows Mobile 6.5 SDK is that it effectively comes in two parts. If you want to build applications for both the professional (ie touch screen devices) and standard you need to get both versions of the sdk. This way you will get all the emulator images. For all those who have started working with Visual Studio 2010 the news is not great. As you are not doubt aware from the beta versions there is currently no support within VS 2010 for doing mobile development. This SDK release does not change this, you will continue to have to use Visual Studio 2008 for doing Windows Mobile development, with the exclusion of widgets, which you can do as a web site in VS 2010 and manually package it up for deployment. Post install I thought I’d take a look at the readme file to see what’s changed in this SDK. Doh! Someone forgot to check this as the title reads “Windows Mobile 6 SDK Refresh”. The contents seem to make the title which made me think that I’d installed the wrong SDK but no, there’s a Start Menu item for “Windows Mobile 6.5 SDK” so I’m guessing that I didn’t get it wrong. Following the readme “fail” I decided to launch Visual Studio 2008 to see whether I could spot the differences myself. From the New Project dialog (below) you can see that there is a new node “Widgets for Windows Mobile”. Given my recent set of blog posts on building Windows Mobile widgets I was really eager to see what this would entail. After selecting the SimpleWidget option I was presented with a basic web site layout containing sub folders for css and script files. Personally I would have liked to see another sub folder for images. Looked like a good starting point so I thought I’d try running it. Before doing so I went to start up a Windows Mobile 6.5 emulator image. I ran up the Device Emulator Manager only to discover that none of the 6.5 professional images (that were all there from when I’d install the 6.5 emulator image pack released last year) were there. Thinking I must be missing something I installed the Standard edition of the 6.5 SDK. This only made matters worse, now I have no Windows Mobile 6 or 6.5 images. After enabling the ActiveX control I got the following output – looks very similar to what I’d expect on the device. Unfortunately the ActiveX prompt appears every time you start the debugger. The simple work around to this issue is to not stop the debugger. Because you are effectively working with a mini web site you can change content (ie htm, css, js) and just refresh the browser to see your changes. Set breakpoints and then walk through your code inspecting variables. Use the “hide” (which changes to “show” when clicked) button to mimic the widget going into the background. The onshow and onhide events get invoked. Change the resolution and orientation of your widget to see what it would look like in different perspectives. Changing resolution is particularly important as you need to cater for these devices differently otherwise your widget will be either unusable or look childish. You can change most of the System State properties to see what effect it has on your device. See my post on System State (aka Notification Broker) and Device Information for more information on working with this information. Of course, whilst this is convenient for development, you must and I repeat must test your widgets on real devices. I’m not entirely sure what all the parameters mean yet but I’m sure they’re in the help files somewhere (actually, no it appears not. The help files seem to be the standard WM6 SDK files). What does interest me is the Output Path parameter. If I navigate there I notice three files: the first two, Harness.html and Harness.js are what make the debugger happen, the last, SimpleWidget1.widget is of course the widget file which you can copy and install on your device or emulator to see how it runs on your device. I must admit I expected to see a manifest file editor as part of the project properties. Not seeing it there I thought I’d double-click the config.xml files (which of course is the manifest file for a widget). Wow – notice the nice editor it displays, rather than a basic xml editor. My only criticism here is that the team haven’t really thought this through. For a widget you would typically supply two icons if you are going to deploy to both professional and standard devices, one being a png, the other being an ico. That’s enough about widgets. Let’s take a quick look at the emulator. Notice that this isn’t the 6.5 we’re used to see in the emulator. In fact if you look in the second image you’ll see that this is build 23090 which is around the build number that everyone has been talking about for Windows Mobile 6.5.3. In brief you’ll notice that the start and ok/X buttons are at the bottom of the screen. A number of the menus are now graphical. The notification area drops down to be a graphical set of links and the tabs are no longer tabs, they’re more of a scrolling system (left-right) at the top of the page. These are all moves to better support touch input and going forward capacitive screens. I’m sure there’s plenty more in the Windows Mobile 6.5 SDK that I haven’t discovered yet. Other than the major FAIL around the installation process (I would recommend uninstalling any previous WM6.5 emulators first) and the readme/help documentation I’m glad to see Microsoft starting to release new tools for us mobile developers. Just posted to MSDN Downloads is a brand new SDK for doing Windows Mobile development. The SDK is coupled with new emulator image downloads for the following languages GER, FRA, ITA, JPN, CHS and ESP. Go download the bits from the Windows Mobile 6.5 SDK Download page. Out of the box the Windows Mobile widget API provides only basic support for saving and retrieving data. The documentation on MSDN shows how you can read and write basic key-value pairs for values up to 4000 bytes but what happens if you want to store more than that? And, what do you do if you want your widget to run as a gadget or on a desktop browser? The following code, which we’ll add to widget.js handles all these scenarios. When you run the widget you can enter a name, which will be persisted across runs of your widget. The following screenshots are from the widget running as a widget, gadget and in the desktop browser. Note that the gadget is unique in that if you close the gadget and open another instance it will not remember your settings. This is because each instance of the gadget has its own unique storage (so you can run multiple instance of the gadget at once). However, if you restart your computer with your gadget running you will notice that it remembers the values. This is because it is the same gadget instance! Whilst Windows Mobile widgets are great, they definitely have their shortcomings when compared for true mobile application. One such area is in the ability to interact with device hardware and information. Further, it appears that every OS provider seems to be tackling this differently. If you look at S60 they have expose a wealth of device and user information via their widget API. Unfortunately one of the weaknesses of the current Microsoft implementation of widgets is that there are only a few pieces of device information you can query (out of the box) and no user information (ie contacts, calendar…). If you want to do more, you have to build and deploy ActiveX controls to assist your widget. Returning to the Windows Mobile widgets and out of the box you get the following pieces of system information. All are exposed via the SystemState object. A Boolean value indicating whether the device is cradled. An integer value indicating whether the display is in portrait or landscape mode. A Boolean value indicating whether the device is presently registered on its home network. A string indicating the name of the device’s mobile operator. A Boolean value indicating whether the device is currently roaming. An integer indicating the phone signal strength, expressed as a percentage of full strength. An integer indicating the current state of the battery, such as whether the battery level is critically low or if the battery is charging. An integer indicating the current battery strength, expressed as a percentage of full strength. And here’s an example of how you would access one of these properties. You first need to create an instance of the SystemState object. Next, query the actual property you are interested. Finally, if you want to receive notification when that property changes, you need to add an event handler to the “changed” event, passing in the callback method as the second parameter. Note, that the SystemState properties and the callback event are all exposed via the Windows Mobile Notification Broker that has been around since Windows Mobile 5. What I don’t get is why only this limited set of properties? One of the frustrating things about working with widgets is determining whether your widget has a connection, firstly to a network and secondly to your server. Whilst there is no “IsConnected” property exposed via the SystemState object, you can use a combination of properties to try and deduce if there is a network connection. Lets start with the widget.js file. You have to be careful when working with the widget API to ensure you don’t break your cross-platform capabilities. Of course if you don’t want your widget to run as a gadget you can eliminate quite a bit of the following code. The other thing you will notice about this code is that there is a wrapper used for calling the event callback. When certain system events are raised (eg PhoneSignalStrength) a number of events will be raised within a short period of time. This wrapper protects against this. Warning: Some events will be hidden by this wrapper, so only use it if you don’t mind if some events are missed. In our case we are only using the change in state to prompt the application to check if it still has connectivity. In the utils.js file we’re going to add a simple Ping routine that can be used to detect if a server is reachable. It does so by downloading a specified image within a given timeframe. Note that you should use a small image as you don’t want to waste network bandwidth. Now, to bring these together we’re going to introduce a new file, network.js, that registers for changes to the cradle and phone signal strength, and then based on those changes calls the Ping function to determine if the server can be reached. Note that as we don’t have any WiFi state information we can’t just assume that because the device is not cradled and there is no phone signal there is no data connection. As such, we just use the change in state to invoke ping the server. Again, there is some time checking around the Ping function to make sure it isn’t called too frequently. Some minor changes to main.htm and main.js in order to display the connected state. Add a div, isConnected, to main.htm, and add a call to Network.init and a callback function to main.js. After deploying this widget, you should see that the connected status is displayed below the rest of your content. Of course, you may want to use a nicer icon/image to represent the connected state. One of the reasons that widgets are an interesting alternative to mobile web sites is their ability to integrate into the Windows Mobile shell similar to native or managed applications. Menus are one of these integration points. When designing your widget you should consider using the menus in additional to placing links within the content on your html page. Menus are a great way of controlling navigation within your application as they are always at the bottom of the screen, regardless of where the user has scrolled to (like mobile websites, widgets tend to be elongated, allowing vertical scrolling but eliminating horizontal scrolling where possible). For example, the menu may contain items such as Home, Exit, About – items that are will be there regardless of where the user is in the widget. This is not to say you can’t dynamically control what’s displayed in the menu, in fact far from it as you can easily add and remove, enable and disable menu items. In the previous post you saw how we can display manifest information to the user. Whilst this was useful in demonstrating how to read information from the manifest, it’s not likely that we always want that information to be displayed. Lets add a menu item that will toggle the visibility of this information. To start with, we need to encapsulate the manifest information in the main.htm file into a single div that we can hide and show. This way we only need to toggle a single div, rather than each of the manifest information divs. The next thing we need to do is add some helper methods to make working with widget menus that much easier. Note that this code will create menu items when running as a widget but it will also create div elements for menus when running in a standard browser, this aids debugging as you can test the navigation/event handling of your menus from within Visual Studio. // Appends the menu item to the main menu at the end. If the id of the menuitem to be added already exists in the menu, an exception will be thrown. // Appends the menu item to the parent menu at the end. If the id of the menuitem to be added already exists in the menu, an exception will be thrown. // Removes the menu item from the main menu. If the specified id does not correspond to an item in the menu, an exception will be thrown. // Removes the menu item from the sub main menu. If the specified id does not correspond to an item in the menu, an exception will be thrown. // Sets the softkey of the widget. Currently we supprt setting the left softkey and right soft key. // If there is an error setting the soft key, exception will be thrown. If the softkey index is invalid, exception will be thrown. // Add sub menu items to right soft key "Menu" Lastly, returning to the main.htm file we need to add two hidden divs which will be used during testing to display the menu items when the widget is run on the desktop. These divs will remain hidden when the widget is run on the device. Here’s the widget in action – you can see that the left menu (which used to read Exit) now reads Blog and that the right menu includes both the standard Exit item and an About item. Clicking the About item displays the hidden manifest information. If you run this from within Visual Studio, what you will see is that the left and right menus are simulated by divs that are created at the end of the page. In the same way as the widget running on the device, clicking the About will display/hide the manifest information area. Let’s start with the html page. We’re just going to add some div tags into which the values from the manifest file will be inserted. In the updateManifestDiv method you’ll notice we are using $get. This method is not defined by default so we need to define it in utils.js (the name of this file is not important so long as you include it into your Main.htm file). This morning I was looking for update to the WWOS Cricket widget which NineMSN published late last year. I had already “purchased” (it’s a free app, so it’s not really purchasing) the widget so I was surprised that it was not listed under My Applications within the Marketplace application on the device. Being a little confused by this I thought it may be specific to my device so I loaded up one of the emulators and again, no applications to install. After a bit of thinking (actually I went off and did other things) it came to me that it may be to do with the region I have my device set to. For whatever reason when I rebuilt my device last I had forgotten to set the region back to Australia. Similarly, the default region for the emulators is also the US, which is why neither the device or emulator was showing my applications. Sure enough, when I reset my region back to Australia, which requires a reboot, I could again see my applications. In my opinion this is just confusing – if I’ve bought an application/widget and I’ve signed into Marketplace I should see all the applications/widgets I’ve purchased, regardless of which region my device is currently set to. For those not familiar with the Marketplace application or haven’t seen the WWOS Cricket widget, here’s a few images to get you started. Starting with Windows Mobile 6.5.3, developers can create Windows Mobile widgets using Visual Studio. Given that you can already do most of the development within Visual Studio this would suggest better IDE support for perhaps debugging or packaging your widget…. This is pure speculation but if you want to get a bit of a heads up on widget development using Visual Studio, try the following posts. The version of Windows Mobile mentioned in the MSDN article and by Mary Jo in Is Microsoft (slowly) picking up the pace with Windows Mobile? must be a reference to some of the leaked builds that I’ve been piloting on my Touch Pro (see New Windows Mobile build with Zooming for the latest ROM I’m running). So far in this series I’ve covered Getting Started, generating Start Menu Icons and a Gadget Side Note, all with a single static page that will generally display ok on all devices. However, when you get into building more complex widgets and testing on different devices you will notice that what works on higher resolution devices (Eg the HTC Diamond 2 or the HTC HD2) won’t look good on a smaller device (Eg HTC Snap). Whilst you may be thinking “Oh goodness, please don’t tell me we have to handle all the different resolutions differently,” the good news is that for the most part you only really need to worry about two classifications “high res” and “low res” devices. Devices are typically divided into those with a width >=480 (high res) and those with a width<480 (low res). The easiest way to change the way your widget displays for different resolutions is to use different css files to determine the style of each element. Our widget doesn’t currently use a css file, so lets add two css files in order to handle high and low resolution displays. Actually, while we’re at it we’ll include a gadget.css file which we will use in order to specify the height/width properties that were manually added to the Main.htm file in the previous post. Put all of these css files into a css folder to keep your project tidy. Note that the gadget.css doesn’t specify the background – instead of having a third layout we are going to combine the highres.css and the gadget.css values. This means that the gadget.css only needs to contain values that are unique to the gadget layout. You could take this approach with the low res display as well but given that most elements/class styles will change between high and low res it's probably easier to manage as two unique layouts. This is the entry point to Widget code. And we of course need to implement the WidgetAPI functions in the widget.js file. Note that to avoid confusion we create a WidgetAPI object rather than the existing window.widget object. Note: After you have installed your widget on a device you don’t need to reinstall or upgrade your widget every time you want to see your updates. Instead you can locate where your widget has been extracted to on the device and simply copy across the files that have changed. For example the widget is currently extracted to \Program Files\Widgets\User\17 so when I make changes, say to Main.htm, I just copy that file across to this folder. Then I just need to exit and restart the widget to see the changes take effect.

2019-04-23T20:04:49Z

https://nicksnettravels.builttoroam.com/?tag=/Windows-Mobile

All of the shares of common equity of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company are privately held by a limited group of investors. As of July 29, 2011, 74,609,001 shares of common stock were outstanding. When used in Part I, Items 2 through 4, and Part II, Items 1 through 6, the following terms have the definitions indicated. other business or investment considerations that may be disclosed from time to time in MEHC's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or in other publicly disseminated written documents. Further details of the potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Company are described in MEHC's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including Part II, Item 1A and other discussions contained in this Form 10-Q. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The foregoing review of factors should not be construed as exclusive. We have reviewed the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of June 30, 2011, and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, and of cash flows and changes in equity for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010. These interim financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Based on our reviews, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to such consolidated interim financial statements for them to be in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. We have previously audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheet of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2010, and the related consolidated statements of operations, cash flows, changes in equity, and comprehensive income for the year then ended (not presented herein); and in our report dated February 28, 2011, we expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements. In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2010 is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the consolidated balance sheet from which it has been derived. MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company ("MEHC") is a holding company that owns subsidiaries principally engaged in energy businesses (collectively with its subsidiaries, the "Company"). MEHC is a consolidated subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. ("Berkshire Hathaway"). The balance of MEHC's common stock is owned by Mr. Walter Scott, Jr. (along with family members and related entities), a member of MEHC's Board of Directors, and Mr. Gregory E. Abel, a member of MEHC's Board of Directors and MEHC's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. As of June 30, 2011, Berkshire Hathaway, Mr. Scott (along with family members and related entities) and Mr. Abel owned 89.8%, 9.4% and 0.8%, respectively, of MEHC's voting common stock. The Company's operations are organized and managed as eight distinct platforms: PacifiCorp, MidAmerican Funding, LLC ("MidAmerican Funding") (which primarily consists of MidAmerican Energy Company ("MidAmerican Energy")), Northern Natural Gas Company ("Northern Natural Gas"), Kern River Gas Transmission Company ("Kern River"), CE Electric UK Funding Company ("CE Electric UK") (which primarily consists of Northern Electric Distribution Limited ("Northern Electric") and Yorkshire Electricity Distribution plc ("Yorkshire Electricity")), CalEnergy Philippines (which owns a majority interest in the Casecnan project in the Philippines), CalEnergy U.S. (which owns interests in independent power projects in the United States), and HomeServices of America, Inc. (collectively with its subsidiaries, "HomeServices"). Through these platforms, the Company owns and operates an electric utility company in the Western United States, an electric and natural gas utility company in the Midwestern United States, two interstate natural gas pipeline companies in the United States, two electricity distribution companies in Great Britain, a diversified portfolio of independent power projects and the second largest residential real estate brokerage firm in the United States. The unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") for interim financial information and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission's rules and regulations for Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the disclosures required by GAAP for annual financial statements. Management believes the unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements contain all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for the fair presentation of the Consolidated Financial Statements as of June 30, 2011 and for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010. The results of operations for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The preparation of the unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the Consolidated Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Actual results may differ from the estimates used in preparing the unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements. Note 2 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 describes the most significant accounting policies used in the preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements. There have been no significant changes in the Company's assumptions regarding significant accounting estimates and policies during the six-month period ended June 30, 2011. In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2011-05, which amends FASB Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 220, "Comprehensive Income." ASU No. 2011-05 provides an entity with the option to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. Regardless of the option chosen, this guidance also requires presentation of items on the face of the financial statements that are reclassified from other comprehensive income to net income. This guidance does not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income, when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income or how tax effects of each item of other comprehensive income are presented. This guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company is currently evaluating which presentation option will be implemented. In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-04, which amends FASB ASC Topic 820, "Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures." The amendments in this guidance are not intended to result in a change in current accounting. ASU No. 2011-04 requires additional disclosures relating to fair value measurements categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy, including quantitative information about unobservable inputs, the valuation process used by the entity and the sensitivity of unobservable input measurements. Additionally, entities are required to disclose the level of the fair value hierarchy for assets and liabilities that are not measured at fair value in the balance sheet, but for which disclosure of the fair value is required.This guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance on its disclosures included within Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. In January 2010, the FASB issued ASU No. 2010-06, which amends FASB ASC Topic 820, "Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures." ASU No. 2010-06 requires disclosure of (a) the amount of significant transfers into and out of Levels 1 and 2 of the fair value hierarchy and the reasons for those transfers and (b) gross presentation of purchases, sales, issuances and settlements in the Level 3 fair value measurement rollforward. This guidance clarifies that existing fair value measurement disclosures should be presented for each class of assets and liabilities. The existing disclosures about the valuation techniques and inputs used to measure fair value for both recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements have also been clarified to ensure such disclosures are presented for the Levels 2 and 3 fair value measurements. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2010, with the exception of the disclosure requirement to present purchases, sales, issuances and settlements gross in the Level 3 fair value measurement rollforward, which the Company adopted as of January 1, 2011. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's disclosures included within Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Substantially all of the construction work-in-progress as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010 relates to the construction of regulated assets. The following are updates to regulatory matters based upon material changes that occurred subsequent to December 31, 2010. In December 2009, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") issued an order establishing rates for the period of Kern River's current long-term contracts ("Period One rates") and required that rates be levelized for shippers that elect to continue to take service following the expiration of their current contracts ("Period Two rates"). The FERC set all other issues related to Period Two rates for hearing. In November 2010, the FERC issued an order that denied all requests for rehearing from the FERC's December 2009 order and established that Kern River is entitled to a 100% equity capital structure in its Period Two rates. In January 2011, Kern River filed a motion for clarification on certain depreciation issues with the FERC and also filed a petition for review of the orders regarding Period One rates in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In March 2011, the petition was dismissed upon request of Kern River and the FERC without prejudice to Kern River's refiling at the end of the Period Two rates proceeding. In April 2011, the presiding administrative law judge issued an initial decision regarding Kern River's Period Two rates. Among other items, the administrative law judge determined the Period Two rates should be based on a return on equity of 11.55%, a capital structure of 100% equity, and a levelization period that coincides with each shipper group's uniform contract length of 10 or 15 years. The administrative law judge also determined that Kern River's regulatory asset associated with compressor engines and general plant replacements can only be recovered in a future rate case and may not be incorporated into Period Two rates at this time. Kern River filed its initial brief on exceptions in May 2011 and its brief opposing exceptions in June 2011. In July 2011, the FERC issued its order substantially adopting the presiding administrative law judge's initial decision. One or more parties, including Kern River, are expected to request a rehearing or clarification of the order. Level 1 — Inputs are unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date. Level 2 — Inputs include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability and inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means (market corroborated inputs). Level 3 — Unobservable inputs reflect the Company's judgments about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability since limited market data exists. The Company develops these inputs based on the best information available, including its own data. Represents netting under master netting arrangements and a net cash collateral receivable of $115 million and $141 million as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively. Amounts are included in cash and cash equivalents; current investments and restricted cash and investments; and noncurrent investments and restricted cash and investments on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The fair value of these money market mutual funds approximates cost. Derivative contracts are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as either assets or liabilities and are stated at fair value unless they are designated as normal purchases or normal sales and qualify for the exception afforded by GAAP. When available, the fair value of derivative contracts is estimated using unadjusted quoted prices for identical contracts in the market in which the Company transacts. When quoted prices for identical contracts are not available, the Company uses forward price curves. Forward price curves represent the Company's estimates of the prices at which a buyer or seller could contract today for delivery or settlement at future dates. The Company bases its forward price curves upon market price quotations, when available, or internally developed and commercial models, with internal and external fundamental data inputs. Market price quotations are obtained from independent energy brokers, exchanges, direct communication with market participants and actual transactions executed by the Company. Market price quotations for certain major electricity and natural gas trading hubs are generally readily obtainable for the applicable term of the Company's outstanding derivative contracts; therefore, the Company's forward price curves for those locations and periods reflect observable market quotes. Market price quotations for other electricity and natural gas trading hubs are not as readily obtainable due to the length of the contract. Given that limited market data exists for these contracts, as well as for those contracts that are not actively traded, the Company uses forward price curves derived from internal models based on perceived pricing relationships to major trading hubs that are based on unobservable inputs. The estimated fair value of these derivative contracts is a function of underlying forward commodity prices, interest rates, currency rates, related volatility, counterparty creditworthiness and duration of contracts. Refer to Note 6 for further discussion regarding the Company's risk management and hedging activities. Contracts with explicit or embedded optionality are valued by separating each contract into its physical and financial forward, swap and option components. Forward and swap components are valued against the appropriate forward price curve. Option components are valued using Black-Scholes-type models, such as European option, spread option and best-of option, with the appropriate forward price curve and other inputs. The Company's investments in money market mutual funds and debt and equity securities are accounted for as available-for-sale securities and are stated at fair value. When available, a readily observable quoted market price or net asset value of an identical security in an active market is used to record the fair value. In the absence of a quoted market price or net asset value of an identical security, the fair value is determined using pricing models or net asset values based on observable market inputs and quoted market prices of securities with similar characteristics. The fair value of the Company's investments in auction rate securities, where there is no current liquid market, is determined using pricing models based on available observable market data and the Company's judgment about the assumptions, including liquidity and nonperformance risks, which market participants would use when pricing the asset. Changes included in earnings are reported as operating revenue on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. For commodity derivatives held as of June 30, 2011 and 2010, net unrealized gains (losses) included in earnings for the three-month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010 totaled $2 million and $(4) million, respectively, and for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010 totaled $1 million and $5 million, respectively. The Company is exposed to the impact of market fluctuations in commodity prices, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates. The Company is principally exposed to electricity, natural gas, coal and fuel oil commodity price risk primarily through MEHC's ownership of the Utilities as they have an obligation to serve retail customer load in their regulated service territories. MidAmerican Energy also provides nonregulated retail electricity and natural gas services in competitive markets. The Utilities' load and generating facilities represent substantial underlying commodity positions. Exposures to commodity prices consist mainly of variations in the price of fuel required to generate electricity, wholesale electricity that is purchased and sold, and natural gas supply for regulated and nonregulated retail customers. Commodity prices are subject to wide price swings as supply and demand are impacted by, among many other unpredictable items, weather, market liquidity, generating facility availability, customer usage, storage, and transmission and transportation constraints. Interest rate risk exists on variable-rate debt and future debt issuances. Additionally, the Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risk from its business operations and investments in Great Britain. The Company does not engage in a material amount of proprietary trading activities. Each of the Company's business platforms has established a risk management process that is designed to identify, assess, monitor, report, manage and mitigate each of the various types of risk involved in its business. To mitigate a portion of its commodity price risk, the Company uses commodity derivative contracts, including forwards, futures, options, swaps and other agreements, to effectively secure future supply or sell future production generally at fixed prices. The Company manages its interest rate risk by limiting its exposure to variable interest rates primarily through the issuance of fixed-rate long-term debt and by monitoring market changes in interest rates. Additionally, the Company may from time to time enter into interest rate derivative contracts, such as interest rate swaps or locks, to mitigate the Company's exposure to interest rate risk. The Company does not hedge all of its commodity price, interest rate and foreign currency exchange rate risks, thereby exposing the unhedged portion to changes in market prices. There have been no significant changes in the Company's accounting policies related to derivatives. Refer to Note 5 for additional information on derivative contracts. Derivative contracts within these categories subject to master netting arrangements are presented on a net basis on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company's commodity derivatives not designated as hedging contracts are generally included in regulated rates, and as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, a net regulatory asset of $498 million and $564 million, respectively, was recorded related to the net derivative liability of $496 million and $565 million, respectively. The Company uses commodity derivative contracts accounted for as cash flow hedges to hedge electricity and natural gas commodity prices for delivery to nonregulated customers, spring operational sales, natural gas storage and other transactions. The Company's commodity derivative contracts designated as fair value hedges were not significant. Certain derivative contracts, principally interest rate locks, have settled and the fair value at the date of settlement remains in accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") and is recognized in earnings when the forecasted transactions impact earnings. Realized gains and losses on hedges and hedge ineffectiveness are recognized in income as operating revenue, cost of sales or operating expense depending upon the nature of the item being hedged. For the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, hedge ineffectiveness was insignificant. As of June 30, 2011, the Company had cash flow hedges with expiration dates extending through December 2014 and $13 million of pre-tax net unrealized losses are forecasted to be reclassified from AOCI into earnings over the next twelve months as contracts settle. The Utilities extend unsecured credit to other utilities, energy marketing companies, financial institutions and other market participants in conjunction with their wholesale energy supply and marketing activities. Credit risk relates to the risk of loss that might occur as a result of nonperformance by counterparties on their contractual obligations to make or take delivery of electricity, natural gas or other commodities and to make financial settlements of these obligations. Credit risk may be concentrated to the extent that one or more groups of counterparties have similar economic, industry or other characteristics that would cause their ability to meet contractual obligations to be similarly affected by changes in market or other conditions. In addition, credit risk includes not only the risk that a counterparty may default due to circumstances relating directly to it, but also the risk that a counterparty may default due to circumstances involving other market participants that have a direct or indirect relationship with the counterparty. The Utilities analyze the financial condition of each significant wholesale counterparty before entering into any transactions, establish limits on the amount of unsecured credit to be extended to each counterparty and evaluate the appropriateness of unsecured credit limits on an ongoing basis. To mitigate exposure to the financial risks of wholesale counterparties, the Utilities enter into netting and collateral arrangements that may include margining and cross-product netting agreements and obtain third-party guarantees, letters of credit and cash deposits. Counterparties may be assessed fees for delayed payments. If required, the Utilities exercise rights under these arrangements, including calling on the counterparty's credit support arrangement. MidAmerican Energy also has potential indirect credit exposure to other market participants in the regional transmission organization ("RTO") markets where it actively participates, including the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc. and the PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. In the event of a default by a RTO market participant on its market-related obligations, losses are allocated among all other market participants in proportion to each participant's share of overall market activity during the period of time the loss was incurred, diversifying MidAmerican Energy's exposure to credit losses from individual participants. Transactional activities of MidAmerican Energy and other participants in organized RTO markets are governed by credit policies specified in each respective RTO's governing tariff or related business practices. Credit policies of RTO's, which have been developed through extensive stakeholder participation, generally seek to minimize potential loss in the event of a market participant default without unnecessarily inhibiting access to the marketplace. MidAmerican Energy's share of historical losses from defaults by other RTO market participants has not been material. In accordance with industry practice, certain wholesale derivative contracts contain provisions that require MEHC's subsidiaries, principally the Utilities, to maintain specific credit ratings from one or more of the major credit rating agencies on their unsecured debt. These derivative contracts may either specifically provide bilateral rights to demand cash or other security if credit exposures on a net basis exceed specified rating-dependent threshold levels ("credit-risk-related contingent features") or provide the right for counterparties to demand "adequate assurance" in the event of a material adverse change in the subsidiary's creditworthiness. These rights can vary by contract and by counterparty. As of June 30, 2011, these subsidiary's credit ratings from the three recognized credit rating agencies were investment grade. The aggregate fair value of the Company's derivative contracts in liability positions with specific credit-risk-related contingent features totaled $506 million and $603 million as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively, for which the Company had posted collateral of $111 million and $136 million, respectively. If all credit-risk-related contingent features for derivative contracts in liability positions had been triggered as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the Company would have been required to post $248 million and $261 million, respectively, of additional collateral. The Company's collateral requirements could fluctuate considerably due to market price volatility, changes in credit ratings, changes in legislation or regulation, or other factors. The Company's restricted cash and investments as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010 are primarily related to (a) funds held in trust for nuclear decommissioning and (b) debt service reserve requirements for certain projects. The debt service funds are restricted by their respective project debt agreements to be used only for the related project. In conjunction with the construction of wind-powered generating facilities, MidAmerican Energy has accrued as construction work-in-progress certain amounts for which it is not contractually obligated to pay until December 2013. The amounts ultimately payable are discounted at 1.46% and recognized upon delivery of the equipment as long-term debt. The discount is amortized as interest expense over the period until payment is due using the effective interest method. As of June 30, 2011, $94 million of such debt, net of associated discount, was outstanding. In May 2011, PacifiCorp issued $400 million of 3.85% First Mortgage Bonds due June 15, 2021. The net proceeds are being used to fund capital expenditures, for the repayment of short-term debt and for general corporate purposes. In April 2011, Northern Natural Gas issued $200 million of 4.25% Senior Notes due June 1, 2021. The net proceeds were used to partially repay its $250 million, 7.0% Senior Notes due June 1, 2011. In January and February 2011, Northern Electric issued £119 million of notes with maturity dates ranging from 2018 to 2020 at interest rates ranging from 3.901% to 4.586% under its finance contract with the European Investment Bank. As of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, Berkshire Hathaway and its affiliates held 11% mandatory redeemable preferred securities due from certain wholly-owned subsidiary trusts of MEHC of $143 million and $165 million, respectively. Interest expense on these securities totaled $4 million and $8 million for the three-month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $9 million and $18 million for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Berkshire Hathaway includes the Company in its United States federal income tax return. As of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, income taxes receivable from Berkshire Hathaway totaled $118 million and $396 million, respectively. For the six-month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, the Company received net cash payments for income taxes from Berkshire Hathaway totaling $399 million and $65 million, respectively. Employer contributions to the domestic pension and other postretirement benefit plans are expected to be $127 million and $28 million, respectively, during 2011. As of June 30, 2011, $105 million and $14 million of contributions had been made to the domestic pension and other postretirement benefit plans, respectively. Employer contributions to the UK pension plan are expected to be £50 million during 2011. As of June 30, 2011, £8 million, or $13 million, of contributions had been made to the UK pension plan. Federal and state income tax credits primarily relate to production tax credits at the Utilities. The Utilities' wind-powered generating facilities are eligible for federal renewable electricity production tax credits for 10 years from the date the facilities were placed in service. The Company is party to a variety of legal actions arising out of the normal course of business. Plaintiffs occasionally seek punitive or exemplary damages. The Company does not believe that such normal and routine litigation will have a material impact on its consolidated financial results. The Company is subject to federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations regarding air and water quality, renewable portfolio standards, emissions performance standards, climate change, coal combustion byproduct disposal, hazardous and solid waste disposal, protected species and other environmental matters that have the potential to impact the Company's current and future operations. The Company believes it is in material compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. PacifiCorp's hydroelectric portfolio consists of 46 generating facilities with an aggregate facility net owned capacity of 1,161 megawatts. The FERC regulates 98% of the net capacity of this portfolio through 16 individual licenses, which typically have terms of 30 to 50 years. PacifiCorp expects to incur ongoing operating and maintenance expense and capital expenditures associated with the terms of its renewed hydroelectric licenses and settlement agreements, including natural resource enhancements. PacifiCorp's Klamath hydroelectric system is currently operating under annual licenses. Substantially all of PacifiCorp's remaining hydroelectric generating facilities are operating under licenses that expire between 2030 and 2058. In February 2010, PacifiCorp, the United States Department of the Interior, the United States Department of Commerce, the State of California, the State of Oregon and various other governmental and non-governmental settlement parties signed the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement ("KHSA"). Among other things, the KHSA provides that the United States Department of the Interior conduct scientific and engineering studies to assess whether removal of the Klamath hydroelectric system's four mainstem dams is in the public interest and will advance restoration of the Klamath Basin's salmonid fisheries. If it is determined that dam removal should proceed, dam removal is expected to commence no earlier than 2020. Under the KHSA, PacifiCorp and its customers are protected from uncapped dam removal costs and liabilities. For dam removal to occur, federal legislation consistent with the KHSA must be enacted to provide, among other things, protection for PacifiCorp from all liabilities associated with dam removal activities. If Congress does not enact legislation, then PacifiCorp will resume relicensing at the FERC. In addition, the KHSA limits PacifiCorp's contribution to dam removal costs to no more than $200 million, of which up to $184 million would be collected from PacifiCorp's Oregon customers with the remainder to be collected from PacifiCorp's California customers. An additional $250 million for dam removal costs is expected to be raised through a California bond measure or other appropriate State of California financing mechanism. If dam removal costs exceed $200 million and if the State of California is unable to raise the additional funds necessary for dam removal costs, sufficient funds would need to be provided by an entity other than PacifiCorp in order for the KHSA and dam removal to proceed. PacifiCorp has begun collection of surcharges from Oregon customers for their share of dam removal costs, as approved by the Oregon Public Utility Commission ("OPUC"), and is depositing the proceeds in a trust account maintained by the OPUC. In May 2011, the California Public Utilities Commission ("CPUC") approved the collection of surcharges from California customers beginning at a future date to be determined through a tariff filing. In June 2011, the tariff filing was completed and new rates will be effective upon establishment of two trust accounts. As of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the net book value of PacifiCorp's Klamath hydroelectric system's four mainstem dams and the associated relicensing and settlement costs was $121 million and $125 million, respectively. During 2010 and 2011, PacifiCorp received approvals from the OPUC, the CPUC and the Wyoming Public Service Commission to depreciate the Klamath hydroelectric system's four mainstem dams and the associated relicensing and settlement costs through the expected dam removal date. The depreciation rate changes were effective January 1, 2011 and will allow for full depreciation of the assets by December 2019. PacifiCorp is seeking similar approval in Idaho and expects to seek approval in the next Washington general rate case. As part of the July 2011 Utah general rate case settlement stipulation, PacifiCorp and the other parties to the settlement stipulation have proposed to defer a decision regarding the acceleration of the depreciation rates for the Klamath hydroelectric system's four mainstem dams to a future rate proceeding, at which time the associated relicensing and settlement costs would be addressed. The Utah Public Service Commission is expected to make a final decision regarding the settlement stipulation not later than September 2011. In May 2011, PacifiCorp issued a notice to proceed with the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the 637-MW Lake Side 2 combined-cycle natural gas-fired generating facility. The notice to proceed resulted in purchase obligations for the years ending December 31 of approximately $181 million in 2011, $206 million in 2012, $126 million in 2013 and $8 million in 2014. In May 2011, MidAmerican Energy signed contracts totaling $427 million for the construction of emissions control equipment at two of its jointly owned generating facilities to address air quality requirements. These contracts resulted in purchase obligations for the years ending December 31 of approximately $143 million in 2012, $194 million in 2013 and $90 million in 2014. As a joint owner of the generating facilities, MidAmerican Energy's share is $238 million.

2019-04-24T16:54:43Z

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1081316/000108131611000017/mehc63011form10-q.htm

Sometimes a merging of the centuries just works. This beautiful Parisian apartment full of period details has been brought up to date with a sympathetic restoration and rooms full of retroinspired wallpaper designs and mid-century furniture. It now perfectly suits the lifestyle of a young family and is full of light, colour and designer details. The colour palette has been kept neutral in the light-filled living room while the warm herringbone floor and blue chairs sing out. Curtains have been kept plain so as not to distract the eye away from the geometric rug and the modern details in the room. The elaborate marble fireplace and gilt mirror provide quite a contrast against the modern furnishings. The narrow galley kitchen is not short on impact thanks to the boldly coloured tiles and modern lighting. Whilst a modest breakfast bar provides extra work space and a handy place to perch for breakfast. In order to get light into the kitchen a window has been inserted between this room and the dining room next door. This also connects the two rooms visually so that the cook does not feel isolated when entertaining. The colour palette in the dining room picks out the yellow, grey and black from the kitchen tiles in the adjoining room. The highly polished wooden floors flow throughout the apartment connecting all of the spaces and the retro inspired wallpaper is also another recurring theme. Architecture and Design by Prisca Pellerin. Extract from ‘Renovate Innovate: Reclaimed and Upcycled Homes’ by Antonia Edwards, published by Prestel. Tiny House by Jessica Helgerson Interior Design. Tall, high-efficiency windows come right down to sofa level, letting in maximum light. Jessica Helgerson is a Portland-based designer of residential and commercial interiors. With a long-standing interest in green building and sustainability, she has sat on a number of boards devoted to environmental preservation. In 2008, Helgerson and her husband bought a 540-square-foot cottage on five acres of farmland on Sauvie Island, an agricultural landmass on the Columbia River just north of Portland. The cottage was first built in the early 1940's as part of Vanport Village, a development constructed to house shipyard workers from Vancouver in Washington and Portland. When Vanport Village flooded in 1948, the small structure floated down the river to Sauvie Island, where it became the goose check station (a place where hunters would showcase the geese they had shot). Years later, it was remodeled and became a rental property. One addition to the 1940s Tiny House was a green roof, which was planted with moss and ferns gathered from the Columbia River gorge. The walls were insulated, then faced in reclaimed wood siding from a barn that had been deconstructed onsite. Given its small footprint, Helgerson redesigned the interior of Tiny House for maximum efficiency, creating one open-plan room that comprises the dining room, living room and kitchen. This room also contains built-in sofas that double as twin beds for guests, and hidden storage underneath provides an ideal place for children’s toys. The ceiling of the main living area was opened up to give a feeling of space, but lowered over the bathroom and bedroom to make a lofted sleeping area for adults accessed via a walnut ladder. A wall of shelving provides plenty of room for books and large, low-set windows bring ample light into the interior. One wall contains the kitchen, maximizing the available space. The parents’ bedroom is located on the mezzanine level of the main room, which is lined with vintage Moroccan Beni Ourain rugs and accessed via a walnut ladder. In addition to a separate kids’ bedroom, the built-in sofas double up as beds for guests. The family spent four years living in the cottage. Raising chickens, turkeys and bees, they have worked towards self-sufficiency, with nearly everything they eat grown at home. A 1,200-square-foot greenhouse on the site houses vegetable gardens and fruit trees, and they’re even able to make cheese from a neighbour’s goats and cows. They now live in a larger house on the same property, making the cottage the perfect place for relatives and friends to stay. How do you fancy a 240 m2 penthouse, with a spectacular open-plan living space on the upper floor and stunning views over the Thames? This penthouse is arranged over the top two floors of a prominent high-rise residential development, originally designed by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, and now dramatically reconfigured by FORMstudio. The former arrangement ignored the spatial potential offered by the distinctive, soaring wing roof and the spectacular wrap-around views over the river and to the City beyond. Now, from the entrance, a view of the river draws the visitor forward into a double height space, from which an elegantly detailed stairway leads upward, revealing the impressively spacious open-plan dining and living area above. On the lower level, a spectacular river-facing master bedroom suite, includes a floor-to ceiling glazed oriel window cantilevered out over the water and equipped with a rotating Citterio-designed circular sofa, to exploit the Canaletto-like panoramic view. There are also two further bedroom suites. The generous upper floor space features areas for sitting, dining/cooking and working without the need for dividing walls. The raised level of this living space has dramatically improved the river view from a sitting position and created access to the beautiful terrace. We think we could be very happy here. Who wants to be roomies? Doing their bit to address the need for private rentals in London, LPC Living, an award winning developer specialising in urban regeneration, have developed 22 brand new design-led homes in Finsbury Park. Fonthill Mews is set in a historic mews and former coach house, and is the perfect retreat for city dwellers, with bespoke one and two bed properties each with their own unique features. The private gated development is creative and modern whilst still retaining an array of traditional features. A mix of natural materials, custom made fittings and industrial fixtures are found throughout the development. While each property has a stylish open plan concept, formulated by the architect to create a sense of free flowing space. Intimate corners for cosy nights and larger areas for gatherings are equally manageable in the versatile spaces. A selection of the homes have a movable kitchen island unit, which can be pushed to one side to alter the shape and atmosphere of the room. Party! We're thinking. And the kitchen cabinets vary from chalky grey-greens to blues and charcoals, adorned with smooth white and light grey marble worktops. Large windows allow natural light to flood through each house and apartment. Many of the houses feature large glass doors that open out onto large decked terraces from the master bedrooms, overlooking the serpentine communal gardens. A neutral palette is used throughout; whitewashed American oak lines the floors whilst the walls are dip-dyed with neutral shades. As if that wasn't enough, a handful of the properties make excellent live/work spaces, with spacious annexes lit by skylights with unobstructed views of the sky providing an impressive amount of additional space. Two of the properties harbour secret rooftop terraces, flanked with climbing vine and benefiting from pretty views of trees and neighbouring rooftops. Now available to rent, contact Lettings Manager Alex Reach to book your viewing. Fonthill Mews is a new project by LPC Living and was created in conjunction with site designer, Mike Baxter and is marketed exclusively by Davies & Davies Estate Agents. The brand identity for the development and all marketing materials have been created by design and communications studio, The Barefaced Movement. We're always delighted when we find an interesting house renovation project in our in-box. This stunning house built in 1782 in a Georgian Crescent in Bath was sent to us by Claire Rendall interiors and of course we couldn't wait to find out more. 1. What was the client brief? The house when it was bought was a classic “how not to treat a historic property,” so the brief was to bring it back to life. As many people do, the house had been hermetically sealed and was suffering badly as a result. All the fireplaces were blocked up, synthetic fitted carpets clung to every room. All walls were covered with wood-chip wallpaper and painted, secondary double glazing panels covered all of the windows. Plastic shuttering attempted to keep water out of the basement but merely kept any damp in. All the pretty plasterwork was thick with many years of paint. 2. What improvements have you made? The first thing was to allow the house to breath. Soggy fitted carpets were removed. Secondary double glazing panels were taken out and windows rehung. Bricks were removed from the fireplaces and the basement plastic panels were removed. Rain water could now get in but most importantly it could escape too. We fitted an Aga in the basement kitchen and this encouraged air to circulate. Suddenly the house felt drier. It’s really important to think about how these houses were built and lived in. Unfortunately, in the 1960’s and 70’s the onus was on keeping moisture out and as a result a lot was trapped in. Now we understand the sense of breathable materials such as lime plaster and natural fibres for carpets. 3. What was the budget roughly? 4. What aspect of the renovation are you most happy with? It was a totally joy to reveal the delicate plaster mouldings. I tend not to get so upset now when I see plasterwork caked in paint because I know its protecting it. When we took the paint off the plasterwork was as crisp as the day it was fitted. We also stripped the thick gloss paint that was under the stair carpet revealing the beautiful original oak staircase, and when the spindles on the top floor were cleaned of years of thick chipped paint, I noticed that they were different sizes. I suspect that many parts of the house were recycled when it was built in the 1780’s. Certainly many of the timber beams in the basement had plugged holes showing that they had been used before, possibly as ships timbers or in other houses. I just love imagining where they had been. For this house, I wanted it to recapture its personality. An intimate Georgian House. It had a gentleness so I used soft duck egg blues, rich Indian rugs and French linen sheets for curtains. 6. What has been the clients' reaction to the finished project? Thrilled. It’s always lovely to find a dejected property and bring it to life. In many ways the transformation is more acute and therefore impressive. Extract from Life Unstyled by Emily Henson, published by Ryland Peters & Small. You'd never guess, but a mere five minutes' walk from this tranquil apartment is bustling Brixton Village, one of South London’s most vibrant areas. For six years now, Stephanie Zak and Ben Johnson have called this bijou flat their home, creating a stylish and calm haven in the centre of town. When Stephanie bought the flat – it was her first home – it was an unfinished shell and over the years she has transformed it into the cosy retreat it is today. A photographic shoot producer working mostly in interiors, she has clearly picked up a few pointers along the way and found the perfect balance between a styled and natural look. Ben is a music producer who often works from home, so it’s important that the flat is calming and inspiring, both of which are true. Despite its small size, a huge amount of personality has been packed into the living room. Shelves flank the chimney breast and another was added above the non-working fireplace to provide more surface space for this globe-trotting couple’s collections, largely picked up on their travels. Potted plants and vases of branches bring the room to life and last longer than cut flowers. Located one flight up in a 1930s red-brick block, the flat is petite – one small bedroom, an open-plan living room with a galley kitchen and a bathroom. The couple have added storage wherever possible: there are built-in units in the living room, a large mirrored wardrobe in the bedroom and stacks of vintage suitcases filled to the brim. Open shelving in both the living room and kitchen allows the couple’s style to shine through. The fireplace shelves display decorative items like small plants, pictures and books, while the cupboards beneath serve as a drinks cabinet and storage for extra glassware, candles, vases and other things they’d rather not have on show. Home and travel are priorities for Stephanie and Ben, who have found a way to combine their two passions. They rent out the flat to other travellers and the additional income they earn allows them to feed their insatiable desire to travel. Playing host has encouraged them to create order in their small home without sacrificing style. On display are cherished mementoes – photos, art and small collections – but care has also been taken to make it a well-functioning space so guests can find what they need. In the small galley kitchen just off the living room, storage is limited. Shelves are organised into cookbooks, pots/pans, dinnerware and glassware. A large framed poster hangs on the wall, adding further to the personality of the home. The flat is decorated with a charming mix of vintage finds, furniture found on the street and then refurbished, and accessories collected on their travels. The Moroccan wedding blanket on their bed was found in a souk in Marrakech and was a birthday gift from Ben to Stephanie, while the turquoise sari repurposed as bedroom curtains was picked up in Malaysia. Also thrown into the mix is artwork inherited from Stephanie’s Swiss grandparents and sculptures made by her sculptor mother. All in all, it makes for an enchanting home, the kind of place that compels you to stop and take it all in. In the small bedroom, every inch of space is put to good use. The windowsill is lined with small plants and gilt frames (above) and a very tight nook at the foot of the bed gets a wooden side table for dishes of jewellery and vases of flowers, with a dressmaker’s bust adding character and doubling as necklace storage (below). To make up for the lack of built-in storage, Stephanie collects vintage suitcases and stacks them along the wall to hold items that she doesn’t need to access frequently, such as off-season clothes (also below). I imagine you learn to be relaxed when you allow strangers to rent your home. You have little choice but to be chilled out about the fact that people are going to touch your stuff! And it shows in the sweetly laid-back way that Stephanie has styled, or rather not styled, her things. I particularly love the shelves flanking the fireplace, where all manner of odds and ends jostle for space – photobooth snaps, dried flowers and branches, candles and postcards. It feels special but not too precious and it feels alive, as if it’s constantly evolving, thanks to the inspiration that the couple bring back from each trip. “CREATIVITY BEFORE CONSUMPTION - The small bedroom features some great ideas. Life Unstyled by Emily Henson, published by Ryland Peters & Small. Nina Campbell is arguably the queen of 'quintessentially English' style. Her interiors are luxurious, yet warm and cosy. Layered, but somehow ordered. Full of life, pattern and colour, and yet comforting to the eye. Can you tell we're fans? When we were offered the chance to share with you some photographs of her London home AND share some of her words of wisdom, we said YES PLEASE. Enjoy. What makes a perfect interior? "You need to have a spark, a flash of something that seems a bit unplanned, all the while suiting your personality and remaining practical. There’s no point in having a showcase as a home – we all need to feel that it’s our own space when we close our door. Entertaining is one of my many passions so my perfect interior needs to be inviting for when I have guests round for lively, lengthy dinners." What tips do you have for creating the perfect interiors? "Your home is somewhere you can stamp your personality, be creative and make your own. Create the impression of space and grandeur by using some decorative tricks such as strategically placed mirrors, they reflect light and make the room feel larger. My ceilings are rather low, so I lacquered them, it adds an element of glamour to the room and makes the ceiling feel higher." What do you like about florals within your interior? "When I use floral motifs in my home, I like to play with scale. Smaller subtle pattern works well with upholstery and pretty decorative accessories. To create a sense of drama I use larger scale prints on wallpapers, pictures and prints." Why are hallways important? "The hallway sets the tone of the house and deserves to be considered as a space in its own right. It is a well-used room that people walk through continuously, and makes the first impression to your all of your guests." What is the inspiration behind your design? "My focus was on creating a personable living space for myself on the first floor. The upstairs is given over entirely to my bedroom, bathroom and walk in dressing area. I used the Penrose fabric from my own collection on the walls, it’s a very soft pale blue, pink and flowery all over. Not only is this a great alternative to wallpaper, but it adds warmth and texture whilst soundproofing the room." What are your favourite parts of the house? "My favourite element would be the chair I have in my bedroom. I can sit there and look through the window that overlooks the magnolia tree in the garden. You can barely see another house, only gardens, which is amazing for central London." The freelance photographer, interior stylist and design consultant Ilaria Chiaratti Bonomi talks about her property in Eindhoven. Throughout Ilaria Chiaratti Bonomi's semi-detached property in Eindhoven, Holland, is an array of crocheted cushions, blankets and decorations. The freelance photographer, interior stylist and design consultant, who contributes mainly to the Italian homes magazine Casa Facile, started crocheting home accessories when she moved from Italy to Holland in 2009. A year later, Ilaria started her blog, IDA Interior Lifestyle, where she writes about new trends, DIY tutorials, interior styling, her crochet makes and much more. In fact, following positive feedback to her crochet pieces she started her own Etsy store and this year she launched her own yarn shop. It was in 2012, in need of a bigger space to pursue her freelance career, that Ilaria and Alberto, her husband, moved from their 75sq metre apartment into the property you see here. “I can't say it was love at first sight – dark and heavy furniture, dull colours, and bland décor. But I saw great personality and potential with a lot of original details, such as the doors and the stained glass windows,” says Ilaria. Now, Ilaria refers to her home as 'the happy house' as she says it's fresh, young and represents who they are; She called her previous flat 'the blue apartment' because she decorated it in different shades of blue. The property is located in a residential area near the city centre. “Eindhoven is a nice and quiet city, the perfect size to live in. And, in the past years the city has been improved and now offers design spaces and an interesting cultural life,” says Ilaria. She describes her interior style is a mix of flea-market pieces, hand-made and design items. She finds interior inspiration through using Pinterest – she says she's a ‘Pinterest addict’ – and by reading blogs and magazines (online and print). Decorating the property is ongoing. “As an interior stylist I always have new ideas and, almost every week, I change the position of the objects and sometimes I even do big changes. Our friends are always curious to visit us because they know that every time there will be something different,” says Ilaria. This article originally appeared in the May 2014 issue of Heart Home magazine. This is one of the latest projects by London-based Design Company, Studio Ashby. Inspiration for the design of the penthouse was taken from the surrounding location and reflects the spirit of lively Soho and the modern art scene in London. It's so full of charm and personality we couldn't help but be drawn in. Interest has been introduced by filling the space with art, books, and personal mementos and by layering objects, furniture and lighting. There's also a liberal use of Liberty fabrics which is very apt as the famous London department store is just around the corner. We love the use of their peacock fabric on the headboard for example which is a great way to create a focal point in the bedroom. Continuing that thread of the avant-garde style of the arts and crafts movement, modern art is hung throughout the penthouse. Pieces by Jake Curtis, Brent Baker and Dave Watts add to the eclectic and vibrant interior, creating a sense of a real home filled with beautiful, cherished objects. "My home is referred to as an "artists work/live loft space" in Venice. It has an industrial feel with the high ceilings, cement floors and wire railings but since it is by the beach we wanted to add a more bohemian, colourful aspect to the decor. We wanted to make sure the white walls were filled with tons of artwork and that the furniture was cosy and inviting. We wanted to keep the room comfortable but needed to make the space a bit happier and vibrant! It is so gorgeous now. The chairs and couch are quite simple and chic, a bit more reflective of our lifestyle now." - Whitney Port. Safavieh Milton Side Table, £194.99. Kelim Cushion Cover, £28.99. Tripod Floor Lamp, £54.99. "Bringing Whitney Port’s unique look to your home is all about capturing a sense of her lifestyle. With a home by the beach, Whitney’s apartment is filled with colourful, bohemian décor and vibrant touches. This look works perfectly against a light palette, which helps to stop a space from feeling too overcrowded. To capture the look in your home, try incorporating colourful, soft furnishings such as rugs, throws and cushions that offer a bohemian vibe." Brass Mirror, £69.99. Sideboard, £309.99. Palm Print, £19.99. "A crucial element of Whitney’s home style is her collection of eye-catching art work and memorabilia from her travels. This paints a story in your home and offers visitors a sense of the people who live there. Without over-crowding your space, add ornaments garnered from your travels to styled vignettes or consider creating a gallery wall of mismatched artwork—this is great for adding vibrancy to a neutral space and helps to inject a sense of your personality into your home." Solid Beech Wood Arm Chair, £359.99. Blue Rug, £315.17. Screen, £173.99. "The most endearing quality of Whitney’s apartment is the sense of airy brightness. In rooms which don’t have a great deal of natural light, opt for paint in a vibrant colour to bring a splash of life and luminosity to your space. Arrange white furniture against your painted walls to ensure the colour complements its surroundings rather than clashing with them. Botanical touches and fresh flowers are another brilliant way to bring life and luster to your space—display them in a beautiful vase or planter for that extra pop of style." Mother-of-three Sarah Szekeres lives in a five-bedroom, detached house in Caramel Valley, San Diego. The suburban area is just minutes from the beach and boasts nearby parks, schools, neighbourhood pools and open spaces. She shares the house with her husband Dave, a mergers and acquisitions attorney, and their children – Carson, five, Brooke, four, and Dylan, one. The couple enjoy living in San Diego: “the weather averages 70 degrees year round and we love the proximity to the beach as well as the laid back and friendly attitude of the residents,” says Sarah. They moved into the property in December 2012 attracted by its location – just ten blocks from their previous home which they still own and rent out – and given that the area was under development: “we wanted a neighbourhood with new home construction which allowed us to select the finishes on our home – cabinets, flooring, countertops, bathroom shower material – and the lot our home would be on,” she explains. They were especially taken with the walking trail and canyon that their lot backed onto – they now get ocean breezes in the backyard – and the floor plan which suited a family of five. On moving in, Sarah and Dave spent ten days improving the property including painting the whole interior, adding crown moulding, a bespoke master bedroom closet, white shutters and a custom garage. A month after, interior designer Cecily Mendell helped finish the kitchen and family room nook, living room, dining room, downstairs powder room and master bedroom. “She did a great job of nailing our style and then pushing us a little out of our comfort zone. She did a fabulous job and has impeccable style,” says Sarah. The modern decor of the new house is greatly different from Sarah and Dave’s previous property which was smaller and Spanish in architecture: “we had dark brown cabinetry and furniture throughout and light tumbled travertine flooring with light muted colours as accents,” explains Sarah. Currently they are in the process of finishing the backyard. The couple have spent $60,000 on improving the property. “We originally planned to spend $25,000 but the scope of the project more than doubled,” she explains. Sarah seeks interior inspiration from Pinterest and Houzz and favours online shops such as Serena & Lily and West Elm. This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2013 issue of Heart Home mag. This is the eclectic home of Justin Colombik and his partner Jason Sebacher. Justin is an interior designer who designs high-profile restaurants and hotels throughout the United States (currently he's working between Chicago and San Francisco)—as well as abroad. Jason has two jobs: he is a playwright—having produced and published plays all across the country—and manages the Department for English as a Second Language at Truman College. Their home is a condo on the top floor of a vintage four-story walkup. It's in the historic Andersonville neighborhood, on Chicago’s north side, a hop, skip, and a jump away from the lake. Consisting of one bedroom, a library (second bedroom/office), a living room, dining room, 2 foyers (front and back) and a back porch, they have lived there since 2013 and it's their first home together. Q. What attracted you to your home in the first place? A. The layout, the “bones,” and the neighborhood. Q. What improvements/decorating have you done? There was really a top-to-bottom renovation; other than moving walls (which we thankfully didn’t have to do) and the charming, old-world details that you just don’t see in new buildings (like the fittings and moldings), almost everything has been gutted to the studs, updated and/or cleaned-up. First, we had all of those vintage details restored and touched-up. Those were an important centerpiece to the design, and we wanted to make sure they shined. In every room we repaired and painted the walls, added period moldings and refinished the floors. The kitchen and bathroom were gutted. In the kitchen, we got new appliances suitable for a small space, cabinets, lighting fixtures. The kitchen has a convection microwave, which doubles a second oven. We configured the layout to increase storage, appliance size, and countertops with changing the size of the space we had or moving plumbing. We replaced the granite countertops with quartz. In the bathroom we updated the shower fixtures, replaced the vanity/countertop refinished the cast-iron tub, and added a stackable washer and dryer. In the bedroom there were these bizarre three-foot-deep, full-length mirrored closets that we moved a long with the wall and install custom full height built-in modern wardrobes with lighting. Q. What are you most proud of in your home? A. I really love how my partner and I blend our personal styles together to create our own style. Jason would be happiest if books covered every available wall and surface, and I am more of a layered minimalist. Together we created a smart, comfortable, interesting space that we both love—lots of rich textures and great art. Q. Are there any more improvements you wish to make in the future? A. I’d love to have a stair go directly to the roof so we could access the rooftop and create a roof-top garden. Q. Where do you get your inspiration from? A. Jason and I started with what we both loved, and with how we want to live. His incredible book collection was a design challenge that we also used. While I usually get my inspiration from fashion, pop-culture and architecture, for this project, I was inspired by us. A. To me the greatest beauty is simplicity. It’s a fine line to toe, and my style exists in the spaces of clean architectural lines, a connection to history, layers of textures, and meaningful stories. Q. Do you have any favourite shops/market? A. Many of the pieces in our home come from a design shop called Scout, which is a few blocks away. Amazing one of a kind finds! Q. Have you found any real bargains? A. When my grandparents moved from Illinois to become full-time Floridians, they gave me a lot of their furniture and art. Visiting the house was like walking through a Mad Men set; they have wonderful taste that has enhanced our homes design—as well as making it more connected to them. Q. Do you entertain often and how? A. Absolutely! We have a formal dining room that comfortably seats eight, and we like to fill it! Jason also has actors over for script readings. Q. What’s your favourite menu/music for entertaining? A. I love cooking, and work my way through interesting cookbooks I pick up—so it depends! That said, you can never go wrong with comfort food. Jason likes to put together the music for when we entertain; we both love the 80s, so there’s a lot of fun to be had. Q. Which is your favourite room and why? A. Personally, it’s the kitchen! I love to cook. With the great appliances, finishes, and layout, it’s such a pleasure. You can see more of Justin's work here and here. This four bedroom Georgian house, built in 1830 is on leafy Bromley Common and was one of the first houses built there as a hunting retreat for wealthy Londoners. Nowadays it is the home of Serge and Malin, and their children Maija 12, Elise 6, Emilio 4. Plus their 2 cats Pelle and Alfons. Malin is a photographer and location manager so it will come as no surprise that the house is available for shoots via 1st Option. And it is so full of photo-worthy opportunities that we couldn't wait to share it with you. They have lived there now for 10 years (they also have a house in Sweden and one in France) and were first attracted by the fact that is was big enough to shoot in (or course), the style of the property (simply stunning), and the wonderful garden. The house has been completely renovated in the time they have been there, and when we asked Malin if they had any professional help she laughed “Tradesmen only, my husband and I are a good team, I drag the things I find and love home, place it somewhere where it is in the way for everyone, and he has the feng shui and places it all eventually!” Malin must be very good at this, as she designed and sourced the materials for the greenhouse herself. She describes her style as definitely mixed. She's inspired by her travels, her work and life itself. When she's not living that life you will find her on Pinterest. And her favourite shops are Graham and Green, made.com, tk max, antiques shops in Hastings and Whitstable and she also loves the Brocantes in France, loppis in Sweden and boot sales in the UK. “it's about picking up things that can't be replicated”. So here's hoping she doesn't mind if we pop round. This 4 storey 1970's townhouse in leafy Highgate, London, has recently been completely refurbished by LLI Design. The owners, a young professional couple, saw the huge potential in the house and wanted to embrace the 70's feel but not in a cliched way. The room sizes were good, being the full width of the property on each floor, and they benefited from natural light, but the circulation spaces were cramped and dark. The result is anything but cramped and dark however, and could teach us a few lessons on how to make the most of the space we have. The living/TV room is situated on the lower ground floor, where there is the least light, and where a rugged, semi-industrial feel has been created with brick effect wallpaper and metal furniture. The new open-tread staircase was designed to bring as much light to this area as possible and every inch of space has been utilised, including placing the TV under the stairs. A small work area has also been positioned in a corner of this room, making the most of the window, and with a large storage cupboard in which to hide paperwork and files. The ground floor consists of the sitting and dining areas and space has been maximised in both with the use of an L-shaped sofa in the living area and built-in banquet seating around the dining table. The visual impact of the new staircase was kept to a minimum by installing a glass balustrade with no handrail and strong pieces of artwork and graphic cushions help bring the separate zoned areas together to form a cohesive whole. Adding a round table, 2 dining chairs, a matt black accent pendant lamp over the table and artwork above helped to define the dining area. Although it has a small footprint it can comfortably sit 6 people. A small breakfast bar was added to the kitchen and dramatic dark bronze tiles created a backsplash between the top of the counter and the bottom of the units. The second floor was reconfigured from a series of separate rooms into a stylish master suite, with an open plan bathroom featuring a statement freestanding bath. This is a great space-saving plan as walls, doors and corridors all take up unnecessary square footage. The owners however, did want that WOW factor in the master suite, and this was achieved with textured porcelain wall tiles sitting easily next to the Cole & Son Fornasetti “Clouds” wallpaper, floor tiles in the bathroom that were in the format of a rug pattern and two striking bronze mirrors over the vanity unit. The project was recently awarded - Best Interior Design Private Residence London, in the United Kingdom Property Awards 2015 / 16. With all out thoughts now firmly on summer holidays, we couldn't resist showing you this beautiful, light-filled, holiday apartment in Barcelona. Designed by Susanna Cots Interior Design, the minimalist space and white walls are warmed by the wooden floor stretching the length of the apartment and by the wooden fenced outside space. We particularly love the window design and the way the deep frames provide seating both inside and out, whilst also flooding the interior with that gorgeous Spanish light. And the modern fireplace built into a corner is also a favourite feature - for those cooler evenings when you just want to cosy up inside. Henny Tate was brought up in the countryside by a mother who loves nature. Following in her footsteps she now lives in a country cottage in a small village in Wiltshire where she works as an interior designer. She discusses the inspiration behind her work and setting up a family home. Interior Designer Henny Tate lives in a stunning grade II listed house with her three young children and husband Rupert. They fell in love with the country cottage six years ago and decided to follow their hearts and buy the property, “We had no reason to move here whatsoever!” she laughs, “but we just loved the house”. Henny has maintained the character of the house beautifully when renovating and asserted her own style with quirky, and thrifty furnishings. Dotted around the home you can spot old church pews, re-upholstered chairs, a bargain sofa bought from her local auction house and, her favourite piece, a work top cleverly re-crafted from an old billiard table top - need I say more! From looking at the combination of cleverly put together crafts and objects it is clear that Henny has an inherent talent. Very few could inject touches of ethnic art and colourful textiles into a quintessential English country cottage quite so effortlessly. A quick delve into her background reveals where she gets her creative flare from. Her mother, Celia Lewis, is an artist and author whose published books, ‘The Illustrated Guide to Keeping Chickens’ and ‘The Illustrated Guide to Keeping Pigs’, are proudly placed on the coffee table. Celia’s illustrations can be seen on various cushions or table mats throughout the house and although she is not as big on nature as her Mother, it’s evident that the country theme is very close to Henny’s heart. Henny’s earthy background and love of all things wholesome have undoubtedly influenced her attitude to life and design. She places great emphasis on homemaking, and her penchant for cultural pieces, natural fabrics and up-cycling has proved the perfect recipe for creating a beautifully nurtured family home. This article originally appeared in the Summer 2012 issue of Heart Home mag. This modern apartment in Barcelona was designed by Susanna Cots Interior Design for two book lovers. We were struck by the clean white lines of the space and the contrasting wooden lacquered sheet that crosses the apartment vertically and horizontally creating an emotional and warm passageway. The starting point of the apartment is the centrally located dining room. The ceiling is dressed in wood that, at the same time, shapes the furniture that holds the TV and a fireplace. This wooden wrapping continues across the ceiling and separates the living and the water areas inside and outside. The wood even reaches the bedroom suite defining the sleeping area and finally becoming the bed head. As reading is a large part of the daily routine of the owners, the central area is surrounded by bookshelves and in addition the studio is fully integrated into the living room creating a corner flooded in light that faces the terrace. The bedroom suite includes a water area to evoke a relaxed feeling, with the bath next to the bed, and with a door system that turns the bath into a relaxing bench. The shower is flooded with natural light. Throughout, the rooms have been accessorised with black touches, such as shelves and decorative lamps, creating a further contrast against the white and wood surfaces. "Because white does not scare us, or make us feel blocked nor we are afraid of staining it. Because we do not want it to be related to trifles nor fashion crazes. Because we believe that the authenticity of white resides in its purity and brightness. Because this is the white we love." Susanna Cots. This 4th floor apartment is situated in a newly constructed building overlooking Covent Garden piazza. The owner called on Kitesgrove to help furnish it, and we love it so much we couldn't resist asking the designers a few nosy questions. We were engaged to completely furnish and dress our client’s newly built apartment. She wanted us to create a place of comforting respite from her demanding thespian and travel-heavy schedule. We were handed the project as a fitted shell requiring everything entirely new from tables, chairs and beds right through to tableware and thoughtfully selected accessories. We spent time sourcing original vintage furniture from the 1950's and 60's - in line with our client’s discerning design taste and our shared appreciation for authenticity. For this project our client had a strong and principled aesthetic vision for the space that nurtured an inspiring working relationship as we shared many sourcing trips to find unusual antiques and artwork together. Her theatrical background informed much of the design from mixing a vibrant colour palette to layering eclectic accessories. At Kitesgrove we have an attentive design approach which aims to deliver homes that truly reflect our clients’ lifestyle and wishes. We find that our most successful projects are born out of clients engaging closely in the process where we are able to capture their imagination and the inspiration is mutual. Having said that, we work on a number of development projects and are equally adept at designing for sale. In these cases we draw inspiration from the existing architecture and locality of the space. We take careful consideration of who we imagine might live there and often draw on fine art or a particular unusual piece of furniture or lighting to inspire a theme in the design. We prioritize natural materials and regard comfort and quality as central to our work. What has been the clients' reaction to the finished project? Initially the apartment was intended to be let for the periods of time our client was travelling. As she became increasingly involved and enamoured by the design she began to reject this idea feeling that it was all ‘too beautiful’ to allow just anyone to live there. Since the completion of the project, we have received emails of thanks reiterating how inspired and ‘at home’ she feels in the space. Forget everything you've ever known about student accommodation because a brand new development is launching in Newcastle, claiming to be the very best in the city and providing residents with a 'VIP student experience'. Plummer House boasts a chic in-house bar, with its very own ice machines, sound system and eye-catching décor, other facilities also include a private cinema, on-site gym and games room, and even a 24-hour concierge team to attend to every whim. There is even a 'cold room' which will take delivery of students' online food shopping if they are not at home to receive it. The original building was built in 1910 and is famous for hosting Tilley's tea dances in the ballroom. The original key period features have been retained including the beautiful dance floor which will provide the foundations for the inspirational new common room, wooden panelling, elegant cornicing, and full-height sash windows. And making the very most of the original high ceilings, many rooms will benefit from mezzanine levels and the wide variety of room types available range from individual studios to four-bedroom en-suites. Ensuring that there is something to suit each student and their individual circumstances, there is even a Presidential Suite for the truly discerning student! Priced from £20 per day, Collegiate AC is now taking booking for Plummer House and the property will welcome its first student residents in September. A shabby cottage on a sandy beach went from a weekend bolthole to a successful holiday let for one business-minded couple. A family trip to Camber Sands turned out to be about much more than just building sand castles for Rebecca and Mark Partridge and their three young boys, as they instantly fell in love with the area and decided to put down roots. However, it was Mark who saw the business potential in the property that they found to buy, just a stone’s throw from the beach, and he convinced Rebecca that they should let it out as a holiday home. Rebecca has worked hard to make the 1930s coastal cottage welcoming and comfortable for anyone wishing to rent it, a mission that has been aided by her other business venture back home in Brighton. Along with business partner Jess Bird, Rebecca runs Nest, a company specialising in vintage children’s furniture. Now called Sandways, the cottage comfortably sleeps up to 11 people, with three double bedrooms, a children’s bedroom with bunk beds and a further sofa bed in the living room. Outside there is a large decking area and a fabulous garden, complete with donkeys braying in the field that backs on to it. The clean white space is practical yet homely and a far cry from how Rebecca remembers it when they bought it. She says: “It was revolting. I just remember it all being brown, with UPVC windows and just absolutely tasteless. Rebecca and Mark restored the entire property, re-wiring, re-plumbing and re-cladding along the way. “The en-suite bathroom was just like a little folly, it wasn’t even built-in, just the framework was there,” remembers Rebecca. With the hard work complete, Sandways is the perfect base for families looking to make the most of what Camber Sands and its mile after mile of sandy beach has to offer. For more information about renting Sandways visit www.cambersandscottage.co.uk. Photographs: Simon Eldon. Words: Kelly Lavender.

2019-04-22T04:06:41Z

https://www.hearthomemag.co.uk/blog/?offset=1497517200287&category=Homes

The microbial nitrogen cycle is one of the most complex and environmentally important element cycles on Earth and has long been thought to be mediated exclusively by prokaryotic microbes. Rather recently, it was discovered that certain eukaryotic microbes are able to store nitrate intracellularly and use it for dissimilatory nitrate reduction in the absence of oxygen. The paradigm shift that this entailed is ecologically significant because the eukaryotes in question comprise global players like diatoms, foraminifers, and fungi. This review article provides an unprecedented overview of nitrate storage and dissimilatory nitrate reduction by diverse marine eukaryotes placed into an eco-physiological context. The advantage of intracellular nitrate storage for anaerobic energy conservation in oxygen-depleted habitats is explained and the life style enabled by this metabolic trait is described. A first compilation of intracellular nitrate inventories in various marine sediments is presented, indicating that intracellular nitrate pools vastly exceed porewater nitrate pools. The relative contribution by foraminifers to total sedimentary denitrification is estimated for different marine settings, suggesting that eukaryotes may rival prokaryotes in terms of dissimilatory nitrate reduction. Finally, this review article sketches some evolutionary perspectives of eukaryotic nitrate metabolism and identifies open questions that need to be addressed in future investigations. Nitrate is one of the major nutrients for microbial and plant life on planet Earth. It is the most oxidized form of fixed N-compounds, abundant in many aquatic habitats, and of high importance for both assimilatory and dissimilatory nitrogen metabolism. Nitrate can also be stored inside living cells at concentrations by far exceeding ambient concentrations, a trait that is known for several prokaryotic and eukaryotic phyla (e.g., Dortch et al., 1984; Fossing et al., 1995; McHatton et al., 1996; Schulz et al., 1999; Lomas and Glibert, 2000; Needoba and Harrison, 2004; Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006; Mußmann et al., 2007; Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a; Kamp et al., 2011; Bernhard et al., 2012a; Coppens et al., 2014; Stief et al., 2014). Apparently, the ability to store nitrate intracellularly is widely distributed within the eukaryotic tree of life (Figure 1). Extra- and intracellular nitrate serves for both assimilation and dissimilation. In assimilatory nitrate reduction, ammonium is produced and subsequently incorporated into biomass to build up e.g., proteins and nucleic acids. Dissimilatory nitrate reduction is a process for energy conservation, in which nitrate is used as an electron acceptor in the (near) absence of oxygen (e.g., Fewson and Nicholas, 1961; Strohm et al., 2007; Kraft et al., 2011; Thamdrup, 2012). Dissimilatory nitrate reduction and nitrate storage in particular are physiological life traits that provide microbes with environmental flexibility (i.e., metabolic activity under both oxic and anoxic conditions) and resource independence (i.e., anaerobic metabolism without immediate nitrate supply), respectively. Such life traits are especially important in environments that are temporarily anoxic and/or nitrate-free and they may have developed as a “life strategy” in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes (Figure 2). Figure 1. Schematized eukaryotic tree of life emphasizing the wide distribution of lineages known to store nitrate intracellularly and use it for dissimilation. Maximum intracellular nitrate concentrations (max. ICNO3) and pathways of dissimilatory nitrate reduction (DNR) are given for taxonomic groups tested positive for either trait. DNRA, Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium. DNR data compiled from Finlay et al. (1983) (ciliates), Shoun and Tanimoto (1991) (fungi), Zhou et al. (2002) (fungi), Risgaard-Petersen et al. (2006) (foraminifers), Kamp et al. (2011) (diatoms). Max. ICNO3 data compiled from Dortch et al. (1984) (dinoflagellates, haptophytes), Lomas and Glibert (2000) (chlorophytes), Piña-Ochoa et al. (2010a) (gromiids), Piña-Ochoa et al. (2010b) (foraminifers), Kamp et al. (2011) (diatoms), Stief et al. (2014) (fungi). Tree topology adapted from Worden et al. (2015). Figure 2. Marine microbial eukaryotes known to take up ambient nitrate for intracellular storage and/or dissimilatory nitrate reduction drawn in a conceptual scheme of a natural environment with oxic and anoxic compartments. Organisms and environmental compartments are stylized and not to scale. Scenarios: (1) Benthic diatoms and foraminifers migrate actively up and down between oxic and anoxic sediment layers, or are buried in deep, anoxic sediment layers by e.g., macrofaunal activities, (2) Foraminifers move through different sediment layers and might re-fill their nitrate stores at “hotspots” of nitrate in deeper sediment layers, e.g., macrofaunal burrows, (3) Gromiids reside at the sediment surface or in anoxic subsurface layers, (4) Fungi grow in various sediment layers, (5) Pelagic diatoms sink onto the sediment after phytoplankton blooms and are re-suspended due to spring storms or macrofaunal activities, and (6) Pelagic diatoms are exposed to hypoxic or anoxic conditions inside sinking diatom-bacteria aggregates. Aside from the spatial separation into oxic and anoxic compartments, temporal variation of oxygen availability in the bottom water or inside macrofaunal burrows causes sudden shifts from oxic to anoxic conditions (and back) that may influence nitrate uptake and dissimilatory nitrate reduction by microbial eukaryotes (not shown). Dissimilatory nitrate reduction pathways such as nitrate reduction to nitrite, denitrification, or Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium (DNRA; Box 1), are well-studied in prokaryotes (i.e., Bacteria and Archaea). Prokaryotes are an integral part of the microbial nitrogen cycle; and due not least to the increasing use of fertilizers and the subsequent pollution of rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters, they have been the focus of many research activities for nearly a 100 years (e.g., Kluyver and Donker, 1926; Fewson and Nicholas, 1961; Zumft, 1997). In contrast, research on eukaryotes that can switch from oxygen to (intracellular) nitrate for anaerobic energy metabolism when (temporarily) exposed to anoxia or hypoxia is still in its infancy. However, the list of eukaryotes so far found to reduce nitrate dissimilatorily includes major global players such as benthic and pelagic marine diatoms, foraminifers, and fungi (Figure 1), which suggests a quantitative impact on nitrogen cycling at least in the marine realm. The first eukaryote that has been found to respire with nitrate in the absence of oxygen was, however, the freshwater ciliate Loxodes sp., which survives anoxic conditions in lakes through nitrate reduction to nitrite (Finlay et al., 1983). Later on, soil fungi were shown to be capable of incomplete denitrification to nitrous oxide and nitrate reduction to ammonium (Box 1; Shoun and Tanimoto, 1991; Takaya et al., 1999). Further, the fungus Aspergillus terreus isolated from a seasonal oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) in the Arabian Sea was shown to perform DNRA under anoxic conditions (Stief et al., 2014). In 2006, it was demonstrated that certain benthic foraminiferal species perform intracellular accumulation of nitrate, which is subsequently denitrified (Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006). Only recently, it was discovered that the most important phototrophic group of microbial eukaryotes, the diatoms, also possess a dissimilatory nitrate metabolism. Both a benthic and a pelagic diatom have been shown to perform DNRA after sudden shifts to darkness and anoxia (Kamp et al., 2011, 2013). Box 1. Pathways of dissimilatory nitrate reduction in eukaryotes. Denitrification: Reduction of nitrate via nitrite, nitric oxide, and nitrous oxide to dinitrogen (NO3−→ NO2−→ NO → N2O → N2) with organic or inorganic electron donors. Complete denitrification serves as an efficient N-removal pathway in the environment. Incomplete denitrification may begin and end at various points in the reaction sequence and, for example, produce the greenhouse gas N2O. Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium (DNRA): Reduction of nitrate via nitrite to ammonium (NO3−→ NO2−→ NH4+) with organic or inorganic electron donors. DNRA does not contribute to N-removal, but rather recycles fixed N in the environment. Ammonia Fermentation: Reduction of nitrate to ammonium coupled to the oxidation of organic electron donors to acetate and substrate-level phosphorylation. Ammonia fermentation has the same effect on N-cycling in the environment as DNRA. This review summarizes the current knowledge of (i) the ecophysiology of marine microbial eukaryotes that store nitrate intracellularly and thus are potentially involved in dissimilatory nitrate reduction and (ii) the environmental impact of nitrate storage and dissimilatory nitrate reduction by marine microbial eukaryotes on the nitrogen cycle of our oceans. The review further evaluates some evolutionary perspectives, and closes with a more general discussion of open questions that might inspire further research. Among the marine eukaryotic microbes discussed here, intracellular nitrate storage was first described for diatoms, in which intracellular concentrations can by far exceed ambient concentrations (i.e., nitrate in the surrounding seawater). The range of intracellular nitrate concentrations varies according to species and environmental conditions. Many benthic and pelagic diatoms accumulate nitrate intracellularly in concentrations up to a few 100 mM, but concentrations can be as low as zero to a few mM (Dortch et al., 1984; Lomas and Glibert, 2000; Needoba and Harrison, 2004; Høgslund, 2008; Kamp et al., 2011, 2013; Coppens et al., 2014). Nitrate uptake by diatoms has been shown to be temperature-dependent (decreasing with increasing temperature), is so far documented to occur in oxic conditions only, and uptake rates vary between species (e.g., Raimbault and Mingazzini, 1987; Lomas and Glibert, 1999, 2000; Villareal et al., 1999; Tantanasarit et al., 2013). Lomas and Glibert (2000) measured nitrate uptake rates of 18–310 fmol NO3− cell−1 h−1 for six different species grown at moderate ambient nitrate concentrations (< 40 μM). This rate can be even higher at very high ambient nitrate concentrations (Tantanasarit et al., 2013). Intracellular nitrate is generally thought to be located in vacuoles. In the plant vacuole of Arabidopsis thaliana, for example, nitrate is accumulated via an NO3−/H+ exchanger (Martinoia et al., 1981; De Angeli et al., 2006). Evidence for a similar mechanism in unicellular eukaryotes is missing so far. Nitrate storage in diatoms has long been assumed to serve assimilation exclusively (e.g., Dortch et al., 1984; Lomas and Glibert, 2000), probably because diatoms are mostly found in oxic habitats where nitrate is not needed as an alternative electron acceptor for dissimilation. The first hint for dissimilatory nitrate reduction in diatoms was a correlation between the nitrate storage capacity and the survival time of benthic and pelagic diatoms after sudden shifts to dark and anoxic conditions (Kamp et al., 2011). However, intracellular nitrate is used up within hours and is not replenished from ambient nitrate under anoxic conditions (see below). Lomas and Glibert (1999) also hypothesized that some diatom populations take up nitrate in excess of nutrient requirements because its reduction may serve as a sink for electrons during transient periods of imbalance between light energy harvesting and utilization. Foraminifers may store nitrate at concentrations >15,000 times the environmental nitrate concentrations (Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006), probably in vacuoles (Bernhard et al., 2012a), and the measured intracellular nitrate pool varies among nitrate-storing foraminifers from ca. 0.1 mM to >375 mM (Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a). This variation seems to reflect different physiological and environmental conditions rather than phylogenetic constraints because considerable intraspecific variation is observed among the species that are considered to be nitrate collectors (Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a; Koho et al., 2011; Bernhard et al., 2012b). The ability to store nitrate at concentrations above environmental concentrations is so far found within the orders Allogromiida, Miliolida, Rotaliida, and Textulariida (Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a; Bernhard et al., 2012a), and seems to be a common trait for foraminifers from very diverse benthic marine environments, such as OMZs, hypoxic basins, continental slopes, shelf sediments, and coastal sediments (Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a; Bernhard et al., 2012a). Interestingly, the trait is not restricted to species which often occur in anoxic microhabitats, such as e.g., Globobulimina turgida, but is also found in species living in oxic habitats (e.g., Cassidulina carinata and Pyrgo elongata), and in opportunistic species (e.g., Bolivina subaenariensis and Uvigerina mediterranea; Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a). 15N labeling experiments performed on Ammonia beccarii, Bolivina argentea, Buliminella tenuata, G. turgida*, Fursenkoina cornuta and Nonionella stella have shown that nitrate is taken up directly from the environment (Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006; Koho et al., 2011; Bernhard et al., 2012b; Nomaki et al., 2014), and is not produced internally. The mechanism for nitrate uptake as well as the storage mode is at present unknown, but it must involve an active transport system, as nitrate is moved across the cell membrane against a large concentration gradient. From a thermodynamic point of view, the process of nitrate uptake is exergonic and therefore requires an investment of energy by the organism. G. turgida*, for instance, may accumulate nitrate internally to well above 10 mM in environments where the environmental concentration is less than 20 μM (Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006). The Gibbs free energy (ΔG) for nitrate transport across the cell membrane at these conditions is >+15 kJ mol−1 NO3− according to equations in Harold (1986). It is evident therefore that nitrate accumulation among foraminifers can only be a sustainable strategy, if required to sustain processes that are essential for the survival of the organism. It has been shown that the nitrate-respiring foraminifer G. turgida can survive for up to 56 days of anoxia from respiration of its internal nitrate pool (Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010b), and the building and maintenance of an intracellular nitrate pool might be seen as an insurance that enables the organisms to sustain an active metabolism even when suitable external electron acceptors are absent in the environment (see below). Like the foraminifers, gromiids belong to the Rhizaria (Burki et al., 2010; Sierra et al., 2013), and their intracellular nitrate concentrations can also reach >100 mM, which exceeds the ambient nitrate concentration by several orders of magnitude (Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a). The ability to accumulate nitrate at these high concentrations appears to be ubiquitous for the gromiids, as it has been found for individuals sampled from hard-bottom substrates, shelf sediments in temperate and arctic regions, as well as in the OMZ along the coastline of Peru (Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a). The physiology of the gromiids has only been superficially studied and neither the mechanism behind nitrate accumulation, nor its link to any metabolic pathway has been investigated so far. It is possible that the gromiid-nitrate association represents a system that is functionally different from that of benthic foraminifers because gromiids generally are described as surface dwellers, and thus not buried in anoxic sediment layers like many foraminifers (Jepps, 1926; Hedley and Bertaud, 1962; Arnold, 1972; Matz et al., 2008; da Silva and Gooday, 2009; Rothe et al., 2011). To date, only a single strain of A. terreus isolated from a marine sediment has been shown to store nitrate intracellularly and use it for dissimilatory nitrate reduction mainly to ammonium (Stief et al., 2014). The intracellular nitrate concentration in this strain reached up to 0.4 mM. Unfortunately, intracellular nitrate storage has not been studied in the large number of soil fungi and yeasts capable of dissimilatory nitrate reduction (Takaya et al., 1999; Maeda et al., 2015). Fungi in general, however, do possess cellular vacuoles and nitrate transporters (Klionsky et al., 1990; Navarro et al., 2006) and are able to take up nitrate from the environment at high rates and store it in vacuoles (e.g., 9 nmol NO3− mg−1 dry weight min−1 in Aspergillus nidulans; Unkles et al., 2004). For the only ciliate known to perform dissimilatory nitrate reduction, Loxodes sp. (Finlay et al., 1983), intracellular nitrate storage has not been reported. Marine phytoplankton belonging to these eukaryotic lineages has mainly been investigated with respect to uptake and assimilation of nitrate and ammonium, but intracellular nitrate storage is also reported occasionally (e.g., Dortch et al., 1984; Lomas and Glibert, 2000). The chlorophyte Dunaliella tertiolecta stored nitrate at 2.7–4.9 mM in one study (Lomas and Glibert, 2000), but had intracellular nitrate concentrations below the detection limit in another study (Dortch et al., 1984). Similarly, the dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae stored 0–1.8 mM nitrate (Dortch et al., 1984), while the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum did not store nitrate (Lomas and Glibert, 2000). Among the haptophytes, Isochrysis galbana stored 0.3–13.9 mM nitrate (Dortch et al., 1984) and Pavlova lutheri only stored 0.1–0.2 mM nitrate (Lomas and Glibert, 2000). Clearly, more investigations focusing on intracellular nitrate storage in these lineages are needed. So far, the benthic diatom Amphora coffeaeformis and the pelagic diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii have been shown to reduce nitrate dissimilatorily. Both diatom strains perform the pathway Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium (DNRA), as demonstrated with 15N labeling experiments in axenic strains (Kamp et al., 2011, 2013). The DNRA rates of these two diatoms are in the range of 2–3 fmol N cell−1 h−1 during the first hours after exposure to dark and anoxic conditions. However, DNRA rates become significantly lower after only a few hours, which mirrors the rapid consumption of intracellular nitrate after shifts to darkness and anoxia. Thus, diatoms probably use the intracellular nitrate, and its dissimilatory reduction via DNRA, either for short-term survival or for entering a resting stage. To date, genes involved in dissimilatory nitrate reduction have not been identified in diatoms, but only in denitrifying soil fungi (see below). Intriguingly, fungi use enzymes that are usually involved in assimilatory nitrate reduction in a dissimilatory mode (Takasaki et al., 2004). This could also be true for diatoms. Assimilatory nitrate reductases, nitrate transporters, and components of a nitrate-sensing system have only recently been identified in diatom genomes (Armbrust et al., 2004; Bowler et al., 2008). Identification of functional genes involved in dissimilatory nitrate reduction in diatoms would provide genetic evidence for this metabolic pathway in diatoms. Direct measurements of nitrate reduction activity associated with nitrate-storing foraminifers have demonstrated a capacity for complete denitrification of NO3− to N2 (Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006; Høgslund, 2008; Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a; Bernhard et al., 2012b). Some species (e.g., Bolivina plicata, Bolivina seminuda, Valvulineria cf. laevigata, Stainforthia sp.), however, seem to lack nitrous oxide reductase and reduce nitrate only to nitrous oxide (Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a). At present, denitrification rates for only 11 different species within the Rotaliida order have been determined. The observation of elevated δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3 values in the intracellular nitrate pool within allogromiid foraminifers from the Santa Barbara Basin (Bernhard et al., 2012a) has demonstrated nitrate reduction capacity associated with members of the Allogromiida order, yet rate measurements in this order are still missing. Rates estimated for the Rotaliida with N2O-microsensors (Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006; Høgslund et al., 2008; Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a,b) or 15NO3− amendments (Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006; Bernhard et al., 2012b) fall in the range of 1.7–83 pmol N cell−1 h−1, and great intraspecific variation is observed. There is a tendency for a log-log relationship between the denitrification rate and biovolume of the organisms, so that large organisms have higher rates than smaller ones, as seen also for foraminiferan cell-specific oxygen respiration rates (Geslin et al., 2011), but the current database is too limited for strong conclusions to be drawn. In general, individual denitrification rates are much lower than the corresponding oxygen respiration rates (Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a) and it has been suggested that denitrification is an auxiliary metabolism used for cell maintenance, food collection, and locomotion during temporary stays in oxygen-free environments, whereas oxygen might be required for growth and reproduction (Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a,b). The genes behind the foraminiferan denitrification pathway have not been elucidated. It has, however, been shown with microscopy (Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006) and experiments applying bacteria-specific antibiotics to denitrifying foraminifers (Bernhard et al., 2012b) that for some species (e.g., B. argentea and G. turgida*) the foraminifers themselves, and not only the associated prokaryotes, are performing the denitrification reaction. Denitrification in a nitrate-storing allogromiid foraminifer from the Santa Barbara Basin, however, appears to be performed by prokaryotic endobionts and not the eukaryote, as demonstrated by sequence analyses and GeneFISH (Bernhard et al., 2012a). Given the widespread distribution of nitrate-accumulating and denitrifying foraminifers within diverse phylogenetic orders, specific investigations of each group are needed, at best on the genomic level, to confirm or reject the presence of eukaryotic denitrification. It is obvious from the Santa Barbara study that a capacity for nitrate accumulation is not necessarily coupled to a capacity of the eukaryote to utilize this directly for energy conservation through e.g., denitrification. The best-studied fungi species capable of dissimilatory nitrate reduction are the two soil-living plant pathogens Fusarium oxysporum and Cylindrocarpon tonkinense (Shoun and Tanimoto, 1991; Usuda et al., 1995). The majority of terrestrial fungi, some ectomycorrhizal fungi, and many of the yeast strains screened since the initial discovery of “fungal denitrification” also tested positive for this trait (Tsuruta et al., 1998; Prendergast-Miller et al., 2011; Mothapo et al., 2013; Maeda et al., 2015). A key feature of “fungal denitrification” is the absence of the last reduction step of the denitrification pathway, which makes fungi very important nitrous oxide (N2O) producers in soils (Laughlin and Stevens, 2002; Crenshaw et al., 2008; Chen et al., 2014). Fungi isolated from aquatic ecosystems have received much less attention in terms of dissimilatory nitrate reduction, and conclusive experiments with 15NO3− labeling have been made for only one single strain of A. terreus isolated from sediment in the seasonal oxygen minimum zone of the Arabian Sea (Stief et al., 2014). This strain also has a high N2O yield (approximately 15% of the total amount of N produced), but the main product of its nitrate reduction activity is ammonium (up to 83%, equivalent to 175 nmol N g−1 protein h−1), which is also the case for a number of soil fungi (Zhou et al., 2002). The underlying metabolic pathway has been termed “ammonia fermentation” a process which couples the oxidation of ethanol to acetate, and the reduction of nitrate to ammonium, to substrate-level phosphorylation (Box 1; Takaya, 2009). Thus, two pathways of dissimilatory nitrate reduction have evolved in fungi, apparently also within individual species (e.g., F. oxysporum; Zhou et al., 2002). The prevalence of either pathway is controlled by ambient oxygen levels, with hypoxic and anoxic levels triggering “fungal denitrification” and “ammonia fermentation,” respectively (Takaya, 2009). Key genes of “fungal denitrification” have been identified and sequenced (Kizawa et al., 1991; Kim et al., 2009). Nitrite reduction to nitric oxide (NO) is mediated by a copper-containing nitrite reductase (NirK), while the reduction step from NO to N2O is mediated by the cytochrome P450 nitric oxide reductase (P450nor). Nitrous oxide reductases are generally absent in fungi, which explains why N2O instead of N2 is the final product of “fungal denitrification” (Takaya, 2009). Dissimilatory nitrate reductases can be present in some denitrifying fungi species, but are less well-characterized than NirK and p450nor (Takaya, 2009). Hence, the minimal denitrification pathway in fungi only comprises the two-step reduction of nitrite to N2O. The stepwise reduction of nitrate to ammonium in fungal “ammonia fermentation” is apparently mediated by assimilatory nitrate (NiaD) and nitrite reductases (NiiA) used in a dissimilatory context, i.e., it is coupled to the fermentation of ethanol to acetate (Takasaki et al., 2004). Meanwhile, several primer sets for the fungal NirK and p450nor have been developed and used for screening fungal isolates for their capability of dissimilatory nitrate reduction (Kim et al., 2010; Maeda et al., 2015; Mothapo et al., 2015; Wei et al., 2015). The availability of these primer sets will enable the detection of denitrifying fungi in environmental samples without prior isolation, cultivation, and functional testing. The freshwater ciliate Loxodes sp. survives anoxic conditions in lakes through dissimilatory nitrate reduction to nitrite (Finlay et al., 1983; Aleya et al., 1992). A link was made between the anaerobic metabolism of the ciliate and a higher number of mitochondria per cell and a greater surface area of cristae inside the mitochondria compared to specimens exposed to oxic conditions (Finlay et al., 1983; Finlay, 1985). To date, the gene encoding the nitrate reductase has not been identified. None of the aforementioned nitrate-storing representatives of these eukaryotic lineages (see Nitrate Storage) has been tested for dissimilatory nitrate reduction under anoxic conditions so far. Dissimilatory nitrate reduction by prokaryotes and eukaryotes typically occurs in environments in which the availability of oxygen and nitrate is variable in space and time. Stable environments are spatially structured into zones with/without oxygen and/or nitrate availability, while dynamic environments are temporally structured into phases with/without oxygen and/or nitrate availability. In aquatic ecosystems, such conditions can be found in sediments, around animal burrows in sediments, in the root zone of aquatic plants, in low-oxygen water bodies, and inside sinking organic aggregates. In sediments with stable redox stratification, oxygen, as the most favorable electron acceptor in terms of energy, is consumed within the top few millimeters (Revsbech et al., 1980). Nitrate penetrates slightly deeper into the sediment where it is used as an alternative electron acceptor when oxygen is depleted (Sweerts and de Beer, 1989). Microbes that are able to store nitrate intracellularly may thrive well below the nitrate penetration depth, but need to fill up their nitrate stores occasionally. Large sulfur bacteria couple vertical migration behavior to uptake and storage of nitrate at the sediment surface and dissimilatory use of intracellular nitrate deeper in the sediment (e.g., Fossing et al., 1995). Benthic foraminifers and diatoms, both of which are capable of migrating inside sediments, can be abundant well below the nitrate penetration depth (Figure 2; Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006; Stief et al., 2013). Benthic diatoms exhibit a vertical migration rhythm that is coupled to diurnal and tidal cycles (Consalvey et al., 2004), while foraminifers migrate more erratically or directed to oxygen gradients (Alve and Bernhard, 1995; Geslin et al., 2004; Koho et al., 2011). As a consequence of their migration behavior, benthic diatoms and foraminifers are exposed to elevated ambient nitrate and oxygen levels whenever they reach the sediment surface. Deeper in the sediment where they find shelter from predation and erosion (Kingston, 1999), diatoms and foraminifers face the absence of ambient nitrate and oxygen. Oxygen and nitrate concentration gradients in sediments can experience rapid and pronounced changes caused by disturbance events. Short-term oxygen and nitrate pulses occur in animal burrows that reach deep into anoxic sediment layers and are intermittently irrigated with oxygen- and nitrate-rich surface water (Kristensen et al., 1991; Wenzhöfer and Glud, 2004). During the resting phase of the animals, oxygen is depleted faster than nitrate, which allows for short-term dissimilatory nitrate reduction in the immediate surrounding of the burrow (Stief and de Beer, 2006). The root zone of aquatic plants exhibits oxygen and nitrate dynamics that are similar to animal burrows, albeit due to periodic changes in the photosynthetic activity of the plant (Frederiksen and Glud, 2006). In the light, roots release oxygen into the surrounding sediment and stimulate nitrate production by microbial nitrification, while in the dark, nitrate is depleted due to dissimilatory nitrate reduction activities (Risgaard-Petersen and Jensen, 1997). It has been suggested that the nitrate-storing and sulfide-oxidizing Thioploca ingrica are able to exploit nitrate pulses in animal burrows to fill up their nitrate stores (Høgslund et al., 2010). Benthic diatoms and foraminifers are often abundant in this dynamic microenvironment in which conditions conducive to nitrate uptake and dissimilatory nitrate reduction alternate (Alve and Bernhard, 1995; Steward et al., 1996). Hypoxic or anoxic water bodies in which nitrate is available may also host dissimilatory nitrate reduction mediated by eukaryotes. The ciliate Loxodes sp. is abundant just below the oxic-anoxic interface of stratified lakes, where it reduces nitrate dissimilatorily to nitrite (Finlay et al., 1983; Aleya et al., 1992). Marine pelagic diatoms can move up and down through the water column by controlling their buoyancy (Armbrust, 2009) and are thereby exposed to varying ambient nitrate and oxygen levels (Villareal et al., 1993). Rapid and large-scale transport of diatoms through the water column of the oceans occurs when diatoms and bacteria aggregate to form “marine snow” (Thornton, 2002). Sinking organic aggregates also exhibit internal gradients of oxygen concentration due to microbial respiration and transport limitation of oxygen (Ploug et al., 1997). Under dark conditions (i.e., at night or when aggregates sink out of the photic zone) the center of aggregates may become anoxic, which allows for dissimilatory nitrate reduction (Klawonn et al., 2015). Pelagic diatoms finally sink onto the seafloor, where they still host a large inventory of intracellular nitrate (Lomstein et al., 1990) and may survive in dark, anoxic sediment layers for decades (Härnström et al., 2011), thus far longer than the intracellular nitrate pool would last. The presence of nitrate-storing eukaryotes in sediments leads to large inventories of nitrate that vastly exceed the porewater nitrate contents in some environments, equivalent to what can be observed in sediments colonized with the sulfide-oxidizing bacteria Thioploca sp. or Beggiatoa sp. (Jørgensen and Gallardo, 1999; Sayama, 2001). These intracellular nitrate pools (ICNO3 pools) are measured with a diverse set of methods, such as freeze-thaw cycling, boiling, whole-core squeezing, and centrifugation of environmental samples, which all aim at lysing nitrate-storing cells (e.g., Lomstein et al., 1990; Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006; Prokopenko et al., 2011; Larsen et al., 2013). In sediments from the Gullmar Fjord, Sweden, for instance, nitrate dissolved in the sediment porewater (PWNO3) accounted for less than 4% of the total nitrate pool (Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006). The remaining nitrate, as extracted by boiling the sediment, was most likely present in eukaryotic cells since neither Beggiatoa, nor Thioploca was present. The sediment was inhabited by the nitrate-storing foraminifer Globobulimina pseudospinescens, and the cell-bound nitrate was significantly correlated with the abundance of this organism. However, the intracellular nitrate pool of G. pseudospinescens only accounted for approximately 20% of total nitrate in the sediment, leaving open the possibility that other nitrate-storing foraminifers or diatoms, gromiids, and fungi were present. Settled phytoplankton with nitrate-storing representatives among the diatoms, chlorophytes, dinoflagellates, and haptophytes may contribute to the sedimentary ICNO3 pool that is not accounted for by benthic eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Meanwhile, large sedimentary ICNO3 pools were ascribed to the presence of benthic foraminifers in various marine ecosystems (Figures 3A, 4; Table S1). Intracellular nitrate pools were ~4–26 times larger than porewater nitrate pools (Figure 4; Glud et al., 2009; Prokopenko et al., 2011; Glock et al., 2013; Larsen et al., 2013). In three additional studies, it was assumed that both foraminifers and/or diatoms contribute to the ICNO3 pool in marine sediments (Figures 3A,B, 4; Table S1; Høgslund et al., 2010; Marchant et al., 2014; Papaspyrou et al., 2014). Figure 3. Vertical profiles of porewater nitrate (PWNO3) and intracellular nitrate (ICNO3) in (A) foraminifer-inhabited and (B) diatom-inhabited marine sediments. Nitrate concentrations are expressed per cm3 of sediment. Note different scales. Data compiled from (A) Risgaard-Petersen et al. (2006) and (B) Heisterkamp et al. (2012). Figure 4. Inventories of porewater nitrate (PWNO3) and intracellular nitrate (ICNO3) in various marine sediments. Only studies in which the sedimentary ICNO3 pool is ascribed to nitrate-storing foraminifers and/or diatoms are considered. Data compiled from (1) Risgaard-Petersen et al. (2006), (2) Glud et al. (2009), (3) Prokopenko et al. (2011), (4) Larsen et al. (2013), (5) Glock et al. (2013), (6) Høgslund et al. (2010), (7) Marchant et al. (2014), (8) Papaspyrou et al. (2014), (9) Lomstein et al. (1990), (10) García-Robledo et al. (2010), and (11) Heisterkamp et al. (2012). Details on data extraction can be found in Table S1. In a number of coastal sediments, the total ICNO3 pool has been exclusively assigned to microalgae, in particular to pelagic diatoms that have settled onto the sediment surface (Lomstein et al., 1990) and to benthic diatoms that reside in intertidal sediments (García-Robledo et al., 2010; Heisterkamp et al., 2012; Stief et al., 2013). In natural settings, diatom-associated ICNO3 is diagnosed as a congruent distribution of ICNO3 and fucoxanthin, the marker pigment of diatoms (Stief et al., 2013). In diatom-dominated sediments, the ratio of ICNO3-to-PWNO3 tends to be lower (~5–9) than in foraminifer-dominated sediments (Figure 4; Table S1), but more data need to be collected to confirm this preliminary observation. The pronounced seasonality in intertidal communities of the temperate zone also entails seasonal changes of the diatom-associated ICNO3 pool with high and low values in the cold and warm season, respectively (Stief et al., 2013). It is currently not known whether other nitrate-storing eukaryotes show similar seasonal variation of their ICNO3 contents. The in situ turnover of the sedimentary ICNO3 pool is indicated by elevated δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3 values (Prokopenko et al., 2011; Bernhard et al., 2012b). These isotope ratios further increase when isolated foraminifers are incubated under anoxic conditions, which confirms dissimilatory nitrate reduction activity fueled by ICNO3 (Bernhard et al., 2012b). Estimated turnover times of ICNO3 vary between ~12 h and ≥1 month (Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006; Høgslund, 2008; Glud et al., 2009; Bernhard et al., 2012b), which is considerably slower than the turnover of PWNO3 of only 2–4 h, which is determined in sediments inhabited by foraminifers (Glud et al., 2009; Larsen et al., 2013). This slow turnover of ICNO3 by foraminifers and other nitrate-storing eukaryotes has implications for rate measurements based on 15NO3− incubations (Høgslund, 2008). The labeled and non-labeled nitrate pools may not readily mix within short incubation times, which leads to a significant underestimation of benthic denitrification rates determined with the isotope pairing technique (Nielsen, 1992). Additionally, the unintended release of ICNO3 from eukaryotic cells into the sediment porewater due to crude extraction techniques simulates concentration peaks that might be mistaken for nitrate production zones. The quantitative role of eukaryote-associated nitrate reduction has only been addressed for foraminifers. The contribution of foraminiferal denitrification to the total loss of combined nitrogen from marine sediments has been estimated for various benthic settings (Høgslund, 2008; Glud et al., 2009; Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a; Bernhard et al., 2012b; Glock et al., 2013). Apparently, foraminifers may contribute substantially to benthic denitrification and in some environments they even surpass the contribution from prokaryotes (Figure 5). Figure 5. Foraminiferan denitrification and total denitrification in various benthic marine environments. Data compiled from (1) Høgslund et al. (2008), (2) Glud et al. (2009), (3) Piña-Ochoa et al. (2010a), (4) Bernhard et al. (2012b), (5) Glock et al. (2013), and (6) Larsen et al. (2013). Foraminiferan denitrification is in general estimated from the in situ abundance of live foraminifers and laboratory-based estimates of denitrification rates for individual species, whereas total denitrification is estimated from 15N-enrichment studies, from porewater profiles of nitrate, or from analyzing the distribution of δ15NNO3 in natural settings (Groffman et al., 2006). This approach involves a high degree of uncertainty as (i) there is only limited information about the diversity of foraminiferal denitrification activity (data from only 11 species are available), (ii) the cell-specific activity is typically measured at conditions far from natural environmental conditions, and (iii) foraminiferal denitrification is typically not included in standard techniques used for measuring total denitrification (see above). Therefore, present reports on foraminiferal contribution to benthic denitrification activity should be considered as preliminary attempts. There is certainly a need for methodologies that capture the in situ denitrification activity mediated by eukaryotes vs. prokaryotes. The last decade of research has shown that the eukaryotes have their evolutionary roots in a largely anoxic ocean (Anbar and Knoll, 2002; Martin et al., 2003). Pronounced atmospheric oxygenation occurred around 2.4 to 2.1 billion years ago as a consequence of oxygenic photosynthesis, and is named the Great Oxidation Event (GOE). For a few years, it has been debated whether the first production and local accumulation of oxygen might already have happened 2.7–3.2 billion years ago (Brocks et al., 1999; Lyons et al., 2014; Satkoski et al., 2015). Even after the GOE, however, it was not until ~600 million years ago that widespread oxygenation of the deep ocean occurred (Canfield, 1998; Canfield et al., 2008; Lyons et al., 2014). During this transition period of ~1.8 billion years, oxygen was first produced in oceanic microhabitats, which allowed nitrification, the critical aerobic pathway in the nitrogen cycle that produces nitrate, to proceed. Thus, nitrate was present in the oxic microniches of the Proterozoic ocean, and became available for dissimilatory nitrate reducers living on the edge of the nitrate production zones (Fennel et al., 2005; Canfield et al., 2010). The occurrence of dissimilatory nitrate reduction in very distantly related eukaryotes (Figure 1) raises the question whether the genes involved were present in the single eukaryotic common ancestor that emerged in the largely anoxic Proterozoic ocean, or, alternatively, whether the dissimilatory nitrate reduction pathways we observe today exhibit multiple origins. Neither of the two hypotheses excludes the mitochondrion as the location for eukaryotic nitrate dissimilation. The mitochondrial proteome is a mosaic assemblage of proteins where some are traced to the last mitochondrial ancestor within the Alphaproteobacteria, and some have been acquired from other prokaryotes and eukaryotes through the course of evolution (Gray, 2015). There is ample evidence that contemporary mitochondria-related organelles are derived from the same ancestral organelle (Mentel and Martin, 2008; van der Giezen, 2011) and the genes involved in dissimilatory nitrate reduction could have been introduced during this event. The suggested ancestor of the mitochondria within the Alphaproteobacteria (Yang et al., 1985; Williams et al., 2007; Gray, 2015) is a representative of a metabolically versatile class that contains facultative anaerobic species capable of running both aerobic respiration and denitrification, e.g., Paracoccus denitrificans, which is discussed as a candidate for the protomitochondrion (John and Whatley, 1975; Gray, 2015). The metabolic blueprint provided by the protomitochondrial Alphaproteobacteria has been extensively modified and today we observe diverse functions and biochemical pathways tied to mitochondria in different eukaryotic lineages (Müller et al., 2012). Investigations of mitochondrial proteomes in nitrate-reducing eukaryotes may show diverse routes of acquisition of the proteins involved in the pathways. This seems to be the case at least for the fungi. The fungal nitrate respiration is tied to the mitochondrion and details of the denitrification pathway of the soil fungus F. oxysporum have largely been resolved. The conversion of nitrite to nitric oxide is coupled to the mitochondrial electron transport chain and ATP synthesis and involves a copper-containing nitrite reductase, NirK (Kobayashi et al., 1996; Kim et al., 2009; Long et al., 2015). Because the distribution of the eukaryotic NirK gene is systematic and follows the eukaryotic phylogeny, it is suggested that the trait of nitrite reduction evolved from a single ancestor and was carried into the eukaryotic domain in the endosymbiotic event leading to the evolution of the mitochondrion (Kim et al., 2009; Shoun et al., 2012). Apparently though, the fungal reduction of nitric oxide to nitrous oxide has a different origin (Shoun et al., 2012). This reduction step is mediated by a P450 nitric oxide reductase that is found in both the mitochondria and in the cytoplasm, and it seems that this part of the denitrification pathway has been acquired by lateral gene transfer (Kizawa et al., 1991). Moving from the fungi in the Opisthokonta to the ciliates in the Alveolata, we also find that dissimilatory nitrate reduction by the ciliate Loxodes sp. is presumably affiliated with the mitochondria (Finlay et al., 1983; Finlay, 1985). Gene sequences of this nitrate reductase are, however, not available and it is, at the moment, not possible to draw conclusions about the origin of the trait. Nitrate accumulation is dispersed throughout the foraminiferan phylogeny including allogromiid species, which likely evolved in the Neoproterozoic anoxic ocean and are considered to form a basal order within the foraminifers (Pawlowski et al., 2003). This might suggest that nitrate accumulation was present in the most recent common ancestor of foraminifers, albeit lost in some lineages. Usage of the intracellular nitrate may have evolved differently among foraminiferal lineages, since data at present show that the allogromiids share their nitrate with endobionts (Bernhard et al., 2012a), whereas some more recently evolved rotaliids invoke it in their own dissimilatory metabolic pathways (Risgaard-Petersen et al., 2006). Genes for dissimilatory nitrate reduction in diatoms are not known, but diatoms have remarkable genomes with traces of multiple plastid endosymbiotic events allowing migration of genes from the plastid endobiont into the genome (Prihoda et al., 2012). A large number of genes also seem to be derived from bacteria by lateral gene transfer (Bowler et al., 2008; Armbrust, 2009), including genes for nitrite reductases that are targeted at the mitochondria (Allen et al., 2006). This knowledge of the chimeric diatom genomes paves the way for speculations on lateral transfers of genes involved in the dissimilatory use of nitrate, but the examination of such hypotheses requires further sequencing and bioinformatics efforts. The extensive lack of information on the genes and enzymes driving dissimilatory nitrate reduction among the eukaryotes also means that we cannot close in on the time of its evolutionary origin. It can be established, however, that an anaerobic energy metabolism coupled to nitrate reduction was possible in the environmental settings at the time of origin of ascomycete fungi (Lücking et al., 2009; Prieto and Wedin, 2013) and foraminifers (Pawlowski et al., 2003; Groussin et al., 2011). Diatoms evolved only 250 million years ago (Sims et al., 2006; Armbrust, 2009) and existing hypotheses of diatom origins tend to agree that the pre-diatom or “Ur-diatom” developed in shallow marine (and thus more oxygenated) environments (Sims et al., 2006; Medlin, 2011). It will be interesting to follow the evolutionary path of dissimilatory nitrate reduction among eukaryotes when more sequence data becomes available. The study of nitrate storage and dissimilatory nitrate reduction by eukaryotic microbes is still in its infancy. Finding nitrate reduction to nitrite by Loxodes sp. and denitrification by fungi were early milestones reached a few decades ago. More recently though, this research area has gained momentum by the discovery that diatoms and foraminifers are also capable of dissimilatory nitrate reduction coupled to intracellular nitrate storage. Future research activities should address open questions regarding the (i) phylogenetic diversity, (ii) physiology and genetics, and (iii) in situ importance of eukaryotic nitrate storage and dissimilatory nitrate reduction. The known occurrence of nitrate storage and reduction in distant eukaryotic lineages (Figure 1) suggests that these physiological traits are even more widespread among eukaryotes than previously thought. In particular, those lineages for which nitrate storage has already been documented might be “hot candidates” for performing dissimilatory nitrate reduction under anoxic conditions, e.g., gromiids and dinoflagellates (Dortch et al., 1984; Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a). There is a growing interest in microbial eukaryotes adapted to life under low-oxygen conditions (e.g., Stoeck et al., 2009; Edgcomb et al., 2011; Müller et al., 2012; Bernhard et al., 2014; Parris et al., 2014). An obvious research strategy is, thus, to test known and novel eukaryotic lineages from low-oxygen environments for their ability to store nitrate intracellularly (Step 1) and use nitrate as an alternative electron acceptor (Step 2). Some fundamentals of the physiology, biochemistry, and genetics of eukaryotic nitrate storage and reduction are still unknown. While 15N labeling experiments have proven intracellular nitrate as an alternative electron acceptor in dissimilatory processes in fungi, foraminifers, and diatoms, there is still a role for intracellular nitrate in assimilation. The exact partitioning of intracellular nitrate between dissimilation and assimilation remains to be investigated in the diverse nitrate-storing and nitrate-reducing eukaryotes. Further unknowns concern the mechanism and energy requirements of nitrate uptake, the intracellular compartment of nitrate storage, and the spectrum of electron donors used for dissimilatory nitrate reduction (e.g., organic vs. inorganic, external vs. storage compounds). The identification of genes that encode for enzymes involved in dissimilatory nitrate reduction by diatoms and foraminifers is a challenging task that needs particular attention. Knowledge of these genes will not only provide insights into the evolution and biochemistry of dissimilatory nitrate reduction in eukaryotes, but will also enable the development of molecular tools for cultivation-independent investigations directly in the environment. Lessons might be learned from the investigation of denitrifying fungi (Kim et al., 2009; Wei et al., 2015). Several diatom genomes have recently been sequenced, annotated, and interpreted in the context of the cellular nitrogen metabolism (Armbrust et al., 2004; Allen et al., 2006; Bowler et al., 2008). Furthermore, transcriptome sequencing projects of microbial eukaryotes are forthcoming and will provide a rich source of sequence information that can be screened for genes involved in eukaryotic dissimilatory nitrate reduction (Keeling et al., 2014). The question of dissimilatory nitrate reduction mediated by putative bacterial symbionts in foraminifers (Bernhard et al., 2012a) may also be resolved as soon as eukaryotic and prokaryotic genes for this process can be distinguished. Diatoms and fungi are known to host bacterial endosymbionts too (Foster and Zehr, 2006; Kobayashi and Crouch, 2009), but so far there are no reports on an involvement of these symbionts in dissimilatory nitrate reduction. The relationship between endosymbiotic nitrate reducers and a nitrate-storing eukaryotic host is still enigmatic. It seems paradoxical that a host organism should spend energy to accumulate nitrate intracellularly and then leave it to a bacterial partner without any benefit to itself. In some foraminifers, however, endosymbiotic bacteria are known to use intracellular nitrate for synthesizing amino acids from which the eukaryotic host may benefit (Nomaki et al., 2014, 2015). The quantitative role of eukaryotic dissimilatory nitrate reduction in the environment is highly uncertain. It has actually been calculated that denitrification by benthic foraminifers equals denitrification by prokaryotes in some marine sediments (Piña-Ochoa et al., 2010a), and calculations are yet to be done for the other eukaryotes. However, the differential measurement of eukaryotic and prokaryotic rates directly in the environment has not yet been achieved due to methodological constraints, and thus novel techniques that capture the uptake and dissimilatory reduction of nitrate in mixed microbial communities in situ need to be developed. Additionally, there is no consensus method available for measuring ICNO3 pools directly in the environment. It should be evaluated whether freeze-thaw cycling, boiling, whole-core squeezing, and centrifugation are equally efficient in lysing nitrate-storing cells in environmental samples. So far, these techniques also lack selectivity in terms of which taxonomic group contributes how much to the total ICNO3 pool. Given the ubiquitous distribution and high abundance of diatoms, fungi, and foraminifers in marine ecosystems, eukaryotic nitrate storage and dissimilatory nitrate reduction definitely have the potential to contribute significantly to the marine nitrogen cycle. The products of the different pathways of eukaryotic dissimilatory nitrate reduction range from a harmless gas (i.e., dinitrogen) to a strong greenhouse gas (i.e., nitrous oxide) that will escape into the atmosphere. Other products like ammonium or nitrite might be further used by prokaryotes with important roles in nitrogen cycling, such as nitrifiers, denitrifiers, and anammox bacteria. Disentangling the network of nitrogen transformations by eukaryotes and prokaryotes will provide a more comprehensive picture of the marine nitrogen cycle than is currently available. This review article was conceived, written, and edited by all authors. This study was financially supported by a grant from the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) awarded to AK (KA3187/2-1), a grant from the Aarhus University Research Foundation awarded to SH (AU Ideas), and the Danish National Research Foundation (NR-P; DNRF104). Tinna Christensen is acknowledged for help with Figures 1, 2, Emma Hammarlund is thanked for critical comments on the manuscript, and Karen ní Mheallaigh is thanked for proofreading. The manuscript was improved by the critical comments of the reviewers. *. ^note that G. turgida was erroneously named G. pseudospinescens in Risgaard-Petersen et al. (2006); see Piña-Ochoa et al. (2010a). Arnold, Z. M. (1972). Observations on the biology of the protozoan Gromia oviformis. Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool. 100, 1–168. Harold, F. M. (1986). The Vital Force: A Study of Bioenergetics. New York, NY: Freeman and Co. Høgslund, S. (2008). Nitrate Storage as an Adaption to Benthic Life. Ph.D. thesis, University of Aarhus, Aarhus. Jepps, M. W. (1926). Contribution to the study of Gromia oviforinis Dujardin. Q. J. Microsc. Sci. 70, 701–719. Kizawa, H., Tomura, D., Oda, M., Fukamizu, A., Hoshino, T., Gotoh, O., et al. (1991). Nucleotide sequence of the unique nitrate/nitrite-inducible cytochrome P-450 cDNA from Fusarium oxysporum. J. Biol. Chem. 266, 10632–10637. Klionsky, D. J., Herman, P. K., and Emr, S. D. (1990). The fungal vacuole: composition, function, and biogenesis. Microbiol. Rev. 54, 266–292. Kluyver, A. J., and Donker, H. J. L. (1926). Die Einheit in der Biochemie. Chem. Zelle Gewebe 13, 134–190. Shoun, H., and Tanimoto, T. (1991). Denitrification by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum and involvement of cytochrome P-450 in the respiratory nitrite reduction. J. Biol. Chem. 266, 11078–11082. Sweerts, J.-P. R. A., and de Beer, D. (1989). Microelectrode measurements of nitrate gradients in the littoral and profundal sediments of a meso-eutrophic lake (Lake Vechten, The Netherlands). Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 55, 754–757. Usuda, K., Toritsuka, N., Matsuo, Y., Kim, D. H., and Shoun, H. (1995). Denitrification by the fungus Cylindrocarpon tonkinense: anaerobic cell growth and two isozyme forms of cytochrome P-450nor. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 61, 883–889. Copyright © 2015 Kamp, Høgslund, Risgaard-Petersen and Stief. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

2019-04-26T12:32:31Z

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2015.01492/full

I’m making two versions of this image available today. As before these posts are part of my on going update of the fine art part of my site. If you’d like to purchase either version of this shot be sure to use the PayPal link below the version you want. These images were made form the same negative, taken with my Speed Graphic. The place is in Box Canyon, which is between the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley. One of the great things about living in Los Angeles is how many really wild places there are inside the city. Of course wild can be interpreted in several ways, and some areas, like Laurel Canon have been wild in nature and in people. Box Canyon is a little like that: very rustic with a wild population. I lived there for several years, and I still miss it. I’m adding more pictures from this area, so I hope you’ll keep looking at my site and the blog. Below is a more neutral interpretation of the negative. All photographic printing involves interpretation; even a “straight” from a chemical darkroom involves choosing a paper and a contrast. Of course Photoshop allows us more room for interpretation, which can be a good thing. If you’d like to buy a print of either or both versions of Box Canyon #3 please use the PayPal links. You’ll get a print mounted and matted to 16X20-ready to pop into a frame. Why not order one now? Of course I’m thinking about the workshop next weekend. There are only two spaces left, so you should SIGN UP NOW! Samantha will be one of the models for Sunday October 18th. One of the things I want to examine at the workshop is the lighting tool kit for a photographer. The equipment manufacturers want us to buy everything; they’re not exactly on our side. Many of the available tools are of little use, or totally redundant. So I hope that this workshop will actually help you to save money by experimenting with the tools. I’ve seen a lot of people who work with hammers: carpenters, roofers and neurologists. The all use different kinds of hammers; purpose built for their applications. When we choose our tools we need to exercise the same care a carpenter does when he buys a hammer. The main tools we use as photographers are designed to work for a large variety of applications. So my Nikon D800 is a terrific camera to fit onto a microscope or use for architectural photography or even an auto race. While the camera will work well in all those applications, I’ll need to use different lenses for each situation. This is one of the great strengths of camera design: a good camera can be adapted to different situations. Can you imagine buying a whole new camera everything you needed a lens or even a filter? Strobe lights are the same way: a basic strobe can be used for a lot of applications, if you have the light modifiers for the job. This is one of the good aspects of strobe lights over movie lights, which are purpose built. Over the years I’ve worked with many light modifiers for strobes, everything from large soft boxes to fiber optics. These modifiers are designed to make the lights useful in all kinds of applications. Some of modifiers have been good, some bad; some work in a lot of situations and some are only good for one kind of job. I hope one of the things you’ll receive from the workshop is a better way to choose your tools. The first step in adding a tool to your kit is identifying the reason you need or want that tool. So I may choose a new light because I didn’t have the lights I felt I could use at my last job, but I may also choose a tool because it inspires me. I think this second reason is really important. I often get tools because they make me want to work, or because they open up new ideas for shots. I also get tools because they replace or upgrade or back up the tools that I have. Of course one problem is that I now have too many tools to take on location. When I shoot a motorcycle I need to use large light modifiers to build good light. I’ve got a large studio so I have some tools that are only useful in a full time studio. One of the best is my Broncolor Hazylight. I picked up the frame in a studio sale, and adapted a Norman head to fit the frame. Then I put the whole thing on a camera stand, so it’s easy to position in my studio. Most photographers don’t have a space for a light modifier this big. If you’re going to use a smaller studio you might want to use light panels. The panels are cheap to make and incredibly adaptable. Here’s a shot that mixes hard light, soft light and continuous light effectively. Effective catch lights as well. One of the important aspects of a portrait is the catch light in the eyes. The catch light, which is really just a small reflection of you’re the light, can change the whole quality of a portrait. If you don’t see a catch light, or if you see an umbrella, or just a tiny pin prick of light, it can damage an image. There are all kinds of light sources for portraits shooting that address this problem. I’ve used quite a few: portrait dish, soft box, octabox, umbrella and so on. One of the things that makes better catch lights is a large circular light source, which will make a round catch light in the subject’s eyes. For this reason I’ve got a cover with a circular cut out for my Hazylight. I would build a similar cover for a soft box, if I were using one. I also use a light panel and a snoot to make a circular light source. I can use the snoot to put a circle of light onto the panel. I can use these tools to make other shapes and control the direction of the light. This gives me a round catch light, or I can change the angle of the snoot and get many different shapes on the light panel. So both the snoot and the light panels are at the top of my list for light modifiers. I also use the snoot as a hard light source in my shots. I’ve found that the snoot is an incredibly fun tool to have in my lighting kit. Just a guy using thee right tool for the job! I also like using a set of barn doors with my light for illuminating the light panels. The barn doors can even crate a strip with the light panel. I also like the barn doors for shooting architecture. I can control a bounce off a ceiling or other surface, to keep the light out of my image. Of course the barn doors can help to place a highlight in a subject, say a hair light or a rim light. Both the snoot and the barn doors are small light sources, so the position of the light is important, but if you use the snoot or the barn doors with a modifier like the light panel you can make a large light source. It really doesn’t matter whether you make light with a mono-light or a dedicated strobe. What matters is controlling just a few things: the color of the light, the power of the light, the size and shape of the light source and the position of the light. The color and power of the light really only matter relative to other light sources in your shot. So if you were using just one light you could change the ISO or the aperture to control the amount of light, but if you have two lights they have to be balanced. Not necessarily the same power, but a balance that suits your vision for the shot. Similarly you might want all the lights in a shot to have the same color balance, but you might also want one light to be warmer. A warmer light might give the effect of sunlight coming into your shot. You can control the color of one light in your camera, but the camera won’t make one light warm and another cool. Controlling power and color are tools that you use to build your shot. The size of the light source, relative to your subject, affects the quality of the light: hard or soft. The larger your light source is the less that the position of the light matters; consider how the light comes from the whole sky on an overcast day, no shadows and no direction. The image should start in your mind. If you have an idea of how to position a model, or how to light a face, or a room, or a product, then you can start to build that shot. If you start with the same light each time, or only use existing light, then you have much less control over your shot. So it’s important to understand how each tool works, how you can use the tools together, to build the images you want to make. One of my heroes is Felix the Cat, because whenever he gets in a fix, he reaches into his bag of tricks. As photographers we need a big bag of tricks. Here are a couple of things I have in my bag of tricks whenever I go on location: umbrellas (white, silver, gold all with black covers) gaffers tape, magic arm and super clamp, small tripod, large tripod, lighting filters (Rosco gels) light stands, maybe even a reflector or two. Of course I’ve also got some interesting strobes on location, mine work with both ac and dc power. The heads are small enough to fit almost anywhere. I’ve been doing this for more than forty years, which means a couple of things: I’ve got multiple kits for different location work. I can grab just one box if I’m shooting an executive portrait, but I’ll add a couple of boxes to this, if I’m making room shots. The time I’ve spent shooting also means that the way I use the tools, and the tricks I use, have evolved over the years. Part of being a creative photographer is learning to see what could be, not just what is. I want to help you to build the images that could be. This is shot made with just a snoot. Of course I want to see you at the lighting workshop on October 17 & 18. You can sign up here. You can also see another post about the workshop here. There are only two spaces left for the shoot on Sunday. You can also sign up for just Saturday, which will be demonstrations and explanations. Of course if you just can’t make it to the workshop, you can still get my books. My books and my classes give me a reason to keep doing this blog. If you’re in Indiana I hope you’ll consider taking my Portfolio Workshop. You can see a little more information about this workshop if you check out this blog post . I’ve listed my BetterPhoto classes at the end of this post. Thanks so much for your attention. My relationship with post-production has evolved over the years. When I first started capturing images with a digital back (a leaf DCB II) I was suspicious of Photoshop. I’d been working with transparency film for years, and with transparency film if you didn’t get the image just right in camera then it was never going to be right. It took me a while to understand that making good images didn’t stop when you pressed the button. I’ve been buying updates of Photoshop since version 3 or 4, but I don’t think I’ve ever been an expert user. Photoshop requires practice and regular use to achieve mastery. I’m quite good at the things I do regularly, practice will do that, but there are things I don’t do very often or at all. In addition Photoshop requires some hand skills that I never seem to get good at. Finally all post-production work takes time. Sometimes I’d rather do other things than spend hours retouching. 240Z: Adjusted the color. Smoothed out the light on the side of the car. Darkened the ground in front of the car. Atlanta Airport, New Terminal: Removed crane, porta-potties and exit sign. Horse: Removed the fence and sharpening. This site now has 695 subscribers, and more join everyday! Frankly I don’t know why since nobody posts. If you have any thoughts about this blog please let me know. I appreciate your membership. Of course there are other ways of improving your photograsphs, like taking a BetterPhoto course. Here are the three I teach, perhaps you’d like to take another one or share them with a friend. One other note about BetterPhoto: I’ve been in the habit of sending out a private note to all my former students at BetterPhoto (Almost a thousand people!) each month. There’s some sort of hang up in the e-mail system for this so, for a while anyway, I won’t be sending that note. I hope no one is too disappointed. I’ve been doing commercial photography for several decades. One of the problems with what I do is communication with my clients. Often they haven’t worked with photographers, and really don’t have an idea about the process. I’ve been wanting to update the information I give them about the jobs I do. Most of my clients are businesses rather than ad agencies, so this is particularly important. As I thought about this I realized it might be a good thing to put this on the blog because I’d like to get feedback about how you work with clients. As you read this keep in mind that my clients are looking for shots of their jobs and products rather than weddings and babies. I like working with businesses; there is more variety in the work and businesses come back for more work sooner than families. I’ve included a couple of pictures just to keep things interesting. The most important thing in creating an effective image for a client is to engage the client in building that image. Without an ad agency the client is the only source of expertise on the subject. I have shot things the size of a pinhead and subjects about as big as a city block. I have literally shot everything from cuticle cream to parts for a submarine. While I find it’s useful to know a little about a lot of things the only subjects I know in depth are photography and lighting. So if I can’t get the client to help me tell the story many jobs will be worse off. Whenever possible I want the client, or their representative, at the shoot. Certainly someone should be at the first shoot, after that I will know more about the product and the client’s taste. However the results are usually better when the client is engaged. I have a wireless system for showing the images to the client as the shoot progresses. Before I can begin a job there needs to be a shot list. The client and I need to agree on a time and place for the shoot, and of course the price. It’s at this point that I explain to the client that my price is largely based on the amount of time that will be involved doing the client’s shoot. In three hours I might have finished shooting a bank’s board of directors, but I’d still be doing the set up for a motorcycle shoot in my studio. One of the problems of negotiating with a client is that they often think that the prep, shot and clean up happen in almost no time at all. I’ll just walk in with a camera and shoot. Not only is this a problem when we’re negotiating the price, it can be difficult to get the client to block out enough time for the shoot. If you don’t address this issue before the shoot you might have trouble during the shoot. In addition the material needed for the shoot, assistant and the location will affect the price. Before I can give the client a price the client and I need to agree on what will be delivered when. My preference is to give the client an edited low-res version of most of the files. Then I hope the client will choose the files they’re most interested in and final retouching can be done on those files. I will include the time to prepare the edited version of the files in the original estimate. When I do the editing I will remove images that are just bad and others that are redundant. I will open each file in Adobe Camera Raw and adjust such things as color, exposure, cropping, sharpness and lens distortion. While this only take a few seconds on a single image, a shoot with 500 images can take a while to edit. I reduce the size of the files to them easier to review. I spend the time to prepare this set of files because I want to show the client a good version of my work, obviously this group of images will reflect on my talents. The difficulty is that the client doesn’t always review these files. I don’t know if I should reduce the number of files I send or make other changes. Regardless I will deliver whatever version of the files the client wants, but I do try to keep the mistakes to myself. The client can even have my Raw files if they want, but since most clients can’t open these files I generally don’t deliver them. I will give the client an estimate for image editing, if any, before I do any additional work to a particular file. This is all part of the negotiation with the client. We need to define just what the client will get and when. I’ll get a deposit from the client before the day of the shoot. Generally the deposit is 50% of the estimate. I try to deliver the first version of the files to the client in 48 hours or less, and I’ll include a bill for the balance with these files. If you know what usage means to a photographer you are in the minority. Of course this can make it difficult or impossible to charge a usage fee to a client, and most of the time I don’t. Usage is simply the way the image is used, say in a magazine or on a web site. By extension it is a license, for a fee, to use the image in a specific way. If a photographer sells a photo from his/her files to be used once in a magazine and then sees it used on a billboard or a national advertising campaign the photographer has been cheated and the usage agreement has been violated. This can result in litigation. My policy is the when the client pays me to create a custom photograph, rather than buying an image from my files, that purchase includes the right to use the photograph to aid the client’s business for as long as the client feels the image is useful, with few exceptions. The client can’t sell the photograph, as a photograph and not part of packaging, to a third party. So a contractor can’t sell a photo to a window manufacturer with out negotiating compensation for me. If the client chooses to give the image away, well that’s the clients business. Any stock images that I license a client to use have specific limits on usage. I hope that my clients will be successful, and that they will return to me for more photographs. I also do consulting for businesses setting up in house photographic systems. I expect that the material I create for these businesses will not be shared outside the business. In addition to my concerns about how my images are used I understand that the client has concerns about how I use the images. My policy is that I don’t offer client images for sale to other clients or third parties. Specifically I don’t license client images through any stock agency. I will use the images to promote my business: in print, on line and in magazine articles. However I appreciate that some images have proprietary information so I will give the client a chance to review images before I use them. There are things I’m still thinking about, for instance weather and working hours. When I had a business in Los Angeles years would go by without a weather conflict. That isn’t true in Indiana. I would prefer that a client reschedule a job if the weather is predicted to be unworkable two days in advance. If the client insists and the job can’t be done then there’s a problem. I haven’t been able to use the time in another way and I think I should charge the client. Any thoughts? In addition I wonder about what hours I’m expected to keep? A wedding photographer expects to work weekends and evenings, as an architectural photographer I might have to be on site a dawn to shoot a building. Should I charge extra for special hours? Should I charge extra if I have to do rush work on the files? Of course I do charge extra for a day that is more than 10 hours long. I fyou’d like to let me know what you thing please ([email protected]) or register with this site. Of course, if you can’t come to Indianapolis you can still get my books or take my classes. And I hope you will! The second portfolio class was great. Please let me know if you want to be on the mailing list. Here’s some more information the next meeting is Tuesday June 18, 2013, 6:30 pm. We may be meeting at my new studio. Stay tuned for more about that! The class is a great opportunity to make a greater commitment to your work and learn more about how others see your work. Still only $20. I look forward to seeing you if you’re near Indianapolis. I’m going to discuss the kinds of prints I’ll be using in my show at Indiana Landmarks. The opening is on June 7 at 6pm. I hope I’ll see you there! For more information check this link. Most of the images in this week’s blog are going to the show at Landmarks. Please keep in mind that images on your screen aren’t good representations of what real prints look like. The images are linked to the fine art part of my website, which you can use to buy a print. The prints available on my website are made on the Moab Entrada rag paper discussed below. I’ll start with silver gelatin prints because in many ways they’re my favorites. These were the most common black and white prints for most of the twentieth century. The black part of the image is silver and the emulsion is made of gelatin, which is probably the reason for the name. One of the most beautiful aspects of these prints is the bright whites created by a layer of barium clay called baryta. This layer is on most prints made on a paper base, usually called fiber based paper. This layer was replaced by a titanium layer when resin coated papers were introduced. I think resin papers aren’t as beautiful because they don’t have the baryta layer. Fiber based silver gelatin papers are still available ready to use. The prints are exposed in a darkroom with an enlarger. Processing time is over an hour; most of this is wash time. If the prints are properly handled, particularly given through washing, they will last for at more than a hundred years. There are many examples of prints that have lasted longer than a hundred years. The photographer has considerable control over the print; in addition to changing density the photographer can also change contrast tone and local density. Cyanotypes have bright blue images on a base that is the color of the paper or other material you print on. Sir John Herschel invented the process in 1842. The light sensitive chemistry is iron based, and the final image is an iron compound. The final dye is called Prussian blue. The chemistry is mixed by hand and brush coated on the paper. Multiple coatings add to the saturation of the image, which is why I usually triple coat the paper I use for cyanotypes. Processing is just a long wash. Cyanotype, Vandyke and other processes are usually referred to as alternate processes or alt process. The idea is that these are different from the more commercial photographic processed used for most photography. These processes are much more personal, for instance the paper is hand coated by the photographer. The processes are not very sensitive to light so enlargers can’t be used. Most often the original camera negative is pressed right against the hand coated paper. An alt process print is a handmade object and each print will be unique. Of course the photographer has to exercise considerable care when preparing and processing these prints in the darkroom. The Vandyke process produces a brown toned image. The image is made of silver, but the light sensitivity is based on iron chemistry, like cyanotypes rather than silver chemistry like a silver gelatin print. This process is often referred to as Kallitype. The sensitizer contains Ferric Ammonium Citrate, Tartaric Acid and Silver Nitrate. Processing includes considerable wash time as well as a bath in sodium thiosulfate. Properly processed Vandyke images have lasted for about a hundred years. From the time that George Eastman introduced the Kodak camera with the slogan “You press the button, we do the rest” there have been places to get your processing work done for you. In some cases, for instance Kodachrome processing, there was literally no way to do it yourself. In addition much processing can’t be done economically unless you do a lot of printing everyday. Certainly many people have noticed that their ink jet printers don’t work well after sitting unused for several weeks. There are several things that are important to the photographer and the viewer with all of these processes; first is how much control does the photographer have over the images. The printer that I am using allows me to manipulate the image files in Photoshop. This gives me incredible control over the final print. Another consideration is how long will the prints last. While none of these processes have been around long enough to prove durability, prints can tested using light and heat. Fuji Type R Paper was actually used when photo labs had enlargers. The R stood for reversal. It allowed the lab to maker a print directly from a slide or a larger film positive. So you could make prints from Kodachrome or Ektachrome without making an inter negative. Labs generally used enlargers to work with this paper, so you could do dodging and burning, but there was not much other control. I am not sure if anyone is still making Type R paper. These prints had good saturation and good durability. Moab Entrada Rag 290 Bright paper is made to high standards and designed for specialized ink jet printers. It is a rag paper and has no acid or lignin. The Epson Ultrachrome inks are used. These are pigment inks so they will last for an exceptionally long time. I find that these prints have a very long tonal scale and very fine color. These prints are made from files that have been prepared with Photoshop. Both color and black and white prints can be made on this paper. I am showing a 20X50 inch print of this image! It looks great. Fuji Crystal Archive Matte paper is a color photographic paper designed to be used with digital enlargers. Prints are made from files that have been prepared with Photoshop. This kind of paper is usually used to make color prints. I often use it to make mono-chrome images with a warm tone. Prints made with this product are expected to last more than twenty years. The first portfolio class went really well. Please let me know if you want to be on the mailing list. Here’s some more information the next meeting is Tuesday May 21, 2013, 6:30 pm room 407 at the Indianapolis Central Library. This is a great opportunity to make a greater commitment to your work and learn more about how others see your work. Still only $20. I look forward to seeing you if you’re near Indianapolis. I started out with a Kodak Retina and a roll of Plus-X. The first film developer I used was D-76 and I printed with Dektol. I guess you could say that I have my roots in black and white. If you’ve looked at my work you can see that I still see a lot of shots in black and white. I’ve mentioned, in these notes, that I’m doing some work with my 8X10 film camera. I wanted to talk about how I’m working with those images in digital. It doesn’t really matter whether you start with a digital image or a film image; these techniques make better final images. I start with a low contrast scan of my negative. If I were shooting film, for traditional silver gelatin printing, I would want a negative that I could interpret in the darkroom and that is a low contrast negative. Of course my new negatives aren’t really low contrast, because they need high density so I can print them using the Vandyke technique. Even though these techniques aren’t really new I think it’s important to work with them from time to time. If I’m starting with a color image, usually from my digital camera, I’ll look at the red, green and blue channels. The differences can be really huge. When I shoot with black and white film I use color filters to get the kind of control. The important thing to keep in mind is that you can make choices about what parts of the picture you want to make black & white. In addition to the red, green and blue channels you can mix the channels together. I know there are a lot of programs for working with your images, but I use Photoshop for just about everything. It’s big, it’s complex and it offers wonderful control over your image. I mention this because I’m going to show the changes I make to an image in Photoshop. Scans always have some dust and perhaps the negative has some defects, so I’ll fix those right away. I like to do this at the beginning because I’m working on a gray-scale image rather than a color image so the fixes are quicker, especially with a big file. In this case the file is over 100 megs, because the original negative is 4X10 inches. I want to get the biggest scan I can. Negatives are delicate so it’s best to make a digital copy as soon as possible. I make a flat, long scale, scan to capture as much information as possible. I shoot digital images in RAW for the same reason: to have a copy that can be interpreted as many ways as possible. I’ll save this image, so I can return to it. I’ll create a new copy of the image, and the first thing I’ll do is open up Levels. I’ll position the sliders at the edges of the histogram. I may move the center slider to adjust the middle of the curve. This isn’t as controlled as using curves, but it makes the image look better quickly. Next I convert the file to RGB using mode. When I printed with an enlarger on silver gelatin black & white paper I used warm toned paper much of the time. Even when I used a neutral toned paper I usually developed in Selectol to warm the paper up a little. I can change the pallet, warmer, cooler or whatever once I have an RGB file. Now I open up curves. I like to depress the bottom left of the curve and raise up the upper right, usually I don’t make big changes here. This makes the middle tones of the shot a little more contrasty and makes the highlight ands shadows look a little more like a silver gelatin print. Next I’ll add color, while still in curves, by choosing the red curve. For most images I’ll raise the bottom of the curve about 7 units. Then I’ll go to the blue curve and remove about 8 units from the middle of the curve. You can add as much color as you would like this way. I wanted to lighten the boots, so I used the dodging tool. On the original I also did some sharpening, but that doesn’t really show up on this small file. I wanted to discuss another thing I like to do in curves. If you take the bottom left of the curve up to the top of the graph you file will be all white. If you pull the center of the curve back down, usually around 1/4 from the bottom of the graph, interesting things will happen. If you didn’t add any color to your shot it will look a little like a solarisation (also referred to as the Sabatier Effect) an old darkroom technique. However if you did the toning you’ll get a sort of dual tone solarisation, which is really fun. You can see how well it worked here. I usually refer to this as a u-shaped curve. Pictures this week are from a shoot I did at the Indianapolis Central Library. The first portfolio class went really well. Please let me know if you want to be on the mailing list. Here’s some more information the next meeting is Tuesday May 21, 2013 at the Indianapolis Central Library. This is a great opportunity to make a greater commitment to your work and learn more about how others see your work. Still only $20. I look forward to seeing you if you’re near Indianapolis. I’m still looking for a studio space here in Indianapolis. I’ve checked on a couple of spaces, but they have been too large, and therefore too expensive. I’d like to have the extra space and I could have a couple of offices for related businesses, but I don’t want to have to commit to a more expensive lease. I’m going to continue checking out spaces. My goals, right now, are to have about 1600 feet, with a large commercial or cargo door. The actual studio space must be at least 20X30 feet. I will need air conditioning and heat. You always here “location, location, location” applied to real estate. I think the key is to be sure you understand what you want in a location. I want to be in a good area of town, but I don’t need to be in a mall or on an expensive street. I can be a couple of blocks off the boulevard especially if the parking is good. I’ve written about processing film and scanning it before, but as I did a lot of work with my 8X10 Toyo recently I thought I would discuss this again. I’ve made some changes in the way I’m processing film for printing Vandykes. I’ll be discussing how I’m scanning the film as well. I started out working with a two-part developer based on Kodak D-23. The idea of a two-part developer: separating developer and activator, is that you can process almost any film at almost any temperature, which certainly makes things easier. The problem was that the Vandyke process, and most alternate printing processes, requires a very long density range with a very high maximum density. That is the film records the information in a way the makes the whites and blacks further apart, because the printing process tends to push the tones closer together. So I’ve switched to Ilford ID-11 developer. The biggest differences between the two developers is the addition of hydroquinone and the inclusion of the activator (borax) in the single solution developer. I’m using a dilute version of this developer with a very long development time because it makes a longer tonal range. Of course it’s kind of annoying that the processing time is now thirty minutes. If I were going to try and print these negatives on traditional silver gelatin photographic paper it would be difficult, and would require special paper or special handling. One of the great advantages of scanning a negative is that you make a good scan of a negative that wouldn’t print well without special handling. I set the scan to keep the detail in the whites and black while maintaining a lot of detail and light in the mid-tones. My actual scan looks pretty flat. Of course the scan is in black and white, and I scan in 8-bit depth. I’m making very large scans: 3200 dpi. The first thing I do with these scans is basically spotting. I remove dust and so on. Since the scans are the first thing I do after processing there isn’t much of this. The next step is to make a copy of the scan and convert it to RGB. As many of you know I like a warm color palette. I use curves for this. I will raise the red curve about 7 units at the very bottom of the curve. Then I’ll move the center of the blue curve down into the yellow about 8 to 10 units. This makes my black and white image a slightly warm black and white image. Then I’ll adjust the whole curve, usually by deepening the shadows and lightening the highlights. This is how I make the final image less flat. Of course sometimes the curves will get rather complex. Then I’ll do a little sharpening, usually with smart sharpening in Photoshop. There is one more thing I do with curves: you can see it in the shot below. This is a u shaped curve. I raise the bottom left of the curve to the top of the box and lower the center of the curve, usually to about the 1/4 line. If you do this without adding the red and yellow first you get an image that looks a little like a solarization that you might make in a darkroom. If you change the curve after you change the color you get the two-tone effect you can see in this image. I think this is a really interesting effect; of course it doesn’t work with most images. I am involved with Candlelight Home Tour in the Old North Side of Indianapolis. The tour will happen on Halloween this year. I’ll add more information about the tour in later entries. I am also doing this with a few people from the Indy MU Photo Club. So I have a small audience for these shoots. The plan is that I’ll shoot one room, with my lights, and they’ll shoot the rest of the house. Yesterday was the first shoot, and it went very well, although more time would have been welcome, especially for the people from the club. I started by looking around the house, and I settled on the dining room, because of the look of the room, and also because of the complexity. I was particularly interested in shooting into the two connecting rooms and the windows at the same time. The second camera angle was interesting because of the way the staircase was framed in the door. It was easier to shoot, first because the lights were set up and because there weren’t any windows. You can see the position of the lights in this diagram, of course everything isn’t exactly to scale. The A light is a Calumet 750 Travelite set at 1/4 power. It creates the overall light of the shot, and is positioned near the camera so that the shadows are less visible from the camera. I bounced the light off a 60-inch umbrella, with a black back, to create soft shadows. Of course there is a lot of information about placing lights in my book: Photographing Architecture: Lighting, Composition, Postproduction and Marketing Techniques The B light is a Norman 200B modified with a 30-inch shoot through umbrella. I normally don’t use umbrellas in this way, but here I’m trying to add light quickly to a small ancillary room, and this is a quick way to do it. I used a 1/4 CTO filter over the light because I wanted the two rooms on the side of the shot to have different colors of light. Rosco makes these filters that enable you to modify single lights in a shot. Of course you can modify all the lights in a shot in the camera and in post-production. Light C is also a Norman 200B with a 30-inch shoot through umbrella, but it doesn’t have the 1/4 CTO filter so the color is cooler. This fits because there is a window this room. The light moved from the first position, which is shown to the other side of the room to keep the reflection of the light out of the mirror. In the first shot I placed the D light to open up the left half of the room. I used another Norman 200 B and a silver umbrella. The silver umbrella is a little brighter than the white satin umbrellas I use most of the time, but the light is a little harder. In this case the extra brightness helped. I also used a 1/8 CTO filter to add just a little warmth to the edge of the room. When I made the second shot I pulled this light back just a little and changed its direction so it lit the hall rather than the room, position D2. This wasn’t quite enough to create separation on the staircase so I added a Sunpak 120J light at about 1/4 power. I used the standard bowl reflector on this light, so it was hard light, and pretty bright. I like the sparkle it added to the staircase. I just got a couple of the Sunpak 120J units, they are similar to an older Quantum strobe, but use high voltage batteries I already had. I use a lot of older equipment mostly because I started buying strobes a long time ago. I spend a lot of time helping the students in one of my BetterPhoto classes identify the type of equipment that will work best for them. The exposure was f11 at 1/15 and ISO 200. The exposure needed to be long for the windows and the lighting. I looked at the shots in Adobe Bridge, and of course it was easy to choose the shots I wanted to work on. When I do architectural shooting the last shots are usually the ones I want to use. Next I opened the horizontal version of shot 1 in Adobe Raw. I reduced the blacks to 3, and I moved the fill light to 12. The exposure was a little dark, so I increased the exposure using the exposure slide. Then, since the right wall was too dark, I opened two separate versions of the file. The second version was much brighter than the first, almost a stop. I mixed the two versions of the shot using layers in Photoshop. I also did a little sharpening and use the dodging and burning tools here and there. The result is at the top of the shot, and I think it worked really well. Oh, I also adjusted the perspective just a little to get the verticals right. This version was handled the same way, except that I used a little vibrance and saturation to make the carpet a little more colorful. On this shot I increased the exposure a little and added just a little fill light. I only needed one version of this shot, so it was quick to process. I didn’t have as much time to do this shot, so I’m quite pleased at how well it turned out. About the only thing I had to do in Photoshop was use the burn tool to darken a couple of highlights.

2019-04-25T23:58:58Z

http://siskinphoto.com/blog/?cat=13

Today the words of Gibson sound almost clairvoyant. The 54th National Elective Conference of the African National Congress (ANC) held at NASREC in December 2017 and the subsequent debate on expropriation without compensation provides a vivid and disturbing illustration of the underlying tensions, disagreements and frustrations that exist among various groups in South Africa about land redistribution. Tragically and almost ironically, it seems as if the complexity of the South African political and socio-economic landscape crystalises in the land question. Land is, and perhaps always was, the site of struggle in South Africa where different understandings of history, diverse group identities, competing rights and value systems, and diverging theories of justice come to a head (see Gibson 2009:2–3). Three pieces of discriminatory land legislation, promulgated in the 20th century, have shaped the contemporary South African landscape decisively. The Native Land Act (No 27 of 1913), which was enacted a few years after the formation of the South African Union in 1910, declared about 7% of South African land as ‘Black reserves’ or ‘traditional areas’. The Native Trust and Land Act of 1936 extended the reserves to about 13% of South African land, but also tightened the control of government of all black economic pursuits, including agricultural activities (Van der Elst 2017:959). Black people living in so-called ‘Black spots’ outside reserve areas were forced to relocate to the reserves and were prohibited from buying or selling land outside of the reserves (Gibson 2009:11; Van der Elst 2017:959). The inhabitants of the reserves only had ‘conditional use rights’ under trusteeship of the State (Mothlanthe 2017:303). As far as urban areas were concerned, Section 5 of the Black Administration Act and the notorious Group Areas Act of 1950 consigned racial groups to particular residential and commercial spaces and legitimised forced removals. A whole range of other laws were promulgated by the Apartheid government to regulate land ownership and to control the influx of black workers to cities. The end result was the development of a ‘highly dualistic and racially segregated’ land structure with a commercial and technological advanced white commercial farming sector on the one hand, and an underdeveloped black peasant sector on the other (Cousins & Scoones 2010:32). From a moral point of view, it is clear that the colonial and Apartheid governments committed acts that defy the basic essence of social justice. The pieces of legislation were not designed to distribute land equitably, but to ensure that white people own the vast majority of productive agricultural land. Black people were arbitrarily deprived of land, property and livelihoods, and relocated against their will. Native reserves and homelands remained overcrowded, the land allocated was unproductive and the infrastructure remained poorly developed. This inevitably caused a systemic chain reaction of gradual black impoverishment (Van der Elst 2017:959). President Ramaphosa aptly described the land issue as a burden of history, an ‘original sin’ that the present generation has to resolve (see Merten 2018:3). Since 1994, little progress has been made to address the historical injustices of land dispossession and to enforce the constitutional ideals of land restitution and redistribution. The initial target was to redistribute 30% or 24.6 million hectares of white-owned agricultural land by 1999 through ‘grants-based redistribution and a rights-based restitution programme’ (O’Laughlin et al. 2013:8). By March 2011 only 7.2% of land had been transferred. The initial target of 30% had to be extended to 2025 (O’Laughlin et al. 2013:8). Some argue that the Constitution of South Africa (hereafter ‘the Constitution’) (South Africa 1996) itself contributes to the slow pace of land reform by requiring fair compensation for land that is expropriated (see Choruma 2017:33), while others blame a lack of political will, inadequate budgeting, poor implementation and dysfunctional structures (Mothlanthe 2017:215, 233).1 Be this as it may, land restitution and redistribution processes have proven to be extraordinarily slow and cumbersome despite various policies and strategies being introduced since 1999 (Mothlanthe 2017:208). About 4.3 million hectares of land, acquired for land reform purposes, are currently ‘out of production’ (Mothlanthe 2017:257); various farms have been bought by the State for land redistribution ends, but they have not been transferred to beneficiaries; a small number of restitution claims have been settled; and no ‘substantial’ legislation exists that protects land tenure in former homelands (Mothlanthe 2017:233, 257). The result of this situation has been increasing social conflict as can be seen from the fact that illegal land invasions have become a regular phenomenon. The fundamental justice issue underlying the land question is: How can groups who were affected by historical patterns of land discrimination and land deprivation be properly compensated for their loss and how can greater forms of social equality be achieved? At the core of the question stands the highly complex, multi-layered concept of justice which is undergirded by different sets of criteria and values (see Gibson 2009:3). Procedural justice principles, for instance, give priority to fair justice processes; distributive justice to a just allocation of social goods between diverse members of society; commutative justice to fair transactional exchanges between members of society; redistributive justice to equal dignity, redress and equality of outcome; restorative justice to restitution, rehabilitation and reconciliation, and retributive justice to desert; and proportional punishment for crimes committed. Although these social justice values do not necessarily invalidate each other, they often stand in a dialectical relationship with each other. Redistributive justice values such as redress, for example, often enters into conflict with typical procedural justice principles such as impartiality and non-discrimination. This necessitates deliberation on the logical priority that ought to be given to the respective values. The state of affairs becomes even more complicated when we bear in mind that notions of social justice vary among groups of people and are often closely intertwined with shared identities, particular historical experiences and immediate political interests. Gibson’s survey (2009:117) provides ample evidence that members of groups who were historically exposed to systematic forms of discrimination or victimisation and find their solidarity in a shared sense of being wronged, tend to support public policies informed by redistributive justice values. Groups who have vested interests in the status quo are inclined to disparage policies that revisit the past and prefer justice values related to non-discrimination and due process. Group identities indeed ‘structure the ways in which people view the issue’ (Gibson 2009:92). The state of affairs is not surprising, as South African politics have historically been marked by the allocation of social costs and benefits along racial group lines (Gibson 2009:91). In a society where race and ethnic characteristics historically determined where persons can live and work, and what type of social benefits they could access, we can expect land issues to invigorate emotions around group membership. Section 25 of the Constitution (South Africa 1996) provides a clear example of the competing justice values at stake in the South African context. On the one hand, it is characterised by a strong commitment to redistributive justice, but when it comes to the scale of justice values, redistributive aspirations seem to be curbed by procedural and commutative justice principles that safeguard individual property rights (subsections 1–3), prohibit the arbitrary deprivation of property (subsections 1 and 2) and ensure ‘just and equitable’ compensation to land owners affected by expropriation (subsection 3). Sound and fair procedures are obviously important to social justice, but some observers are critical of the manner in which the Constitution (South Africa 1996) employs these justice principles to resolve land issues. Section 25, for instance, requires that compensation should be ‘just and equitable’. However, it is not clear what equitable means. Does it require a willing seller-buyer agreement or market price compensation (see Mothlanthe 2017:221)? Another criticism levelled is that the Constitution’s application (South Africa 1996) of procedural and commutative social justice principles often slows down land reform (see Van der Elst 2017:963). In fact, Gibson (2009:115) claims that some groups misuse constitutional instruments to resist land distribution and to perpetuate past inequities. At times, it seems as if the Constitution’s emphasis (South Africa 1996) on extensive legal and judicial oversight apparatus are counterproductive when it comes to land restitution. The post-Apartheid South African state simply does not have the capacity to establish all of the oversight mechanisms required by the Constitution (South Africa 1996). Clear examples are the constitutionally established structures of the Land Claims Commission and Land Claims Court which have proven to be dysfunctional and inefficient. Consequently, some argue that we find ourselves in a situation where the means of justice actually defeats the ends of justice. Admittedly, the priority that the Constitution (South Africa 1996) assigns to various justice values are, by no means, clear-cut. Some would argue that the Constitution (South Africa 1996) favours redistributive justice considerations above other justice values. The preamble to the Constitution (South Africa 1996 – section 1a), for instance, describes the achievement of equality as a key objective and value of the Constitution, while section 9 certainly holds to a substantive outcome-based equality, rather than the formal equal opportunities approach so evident in distributive justice approaches. Significantly, the Constitution (South Africa 1996) refers to past forms of ‘unfair discrimination’ and allows legislative measures to redress entrenched forms of inequity. Section 25(4) probably contains the strongest transformative impulse found in the Constitution (South Africa 1996) by allowing land to be expropriated ‘in the public interest’. It also requires of the State to use legislative and other means to ensure equitable access to land. Section 25(5), moreover, protects the right to tenure of individuals or communities who de facto own property, but have no registered rights due to past discriminatory legislation. Sections 25(6 and 7) dictate the compensation of persons or communities who have been dispossessed after 1913, while section 25(8) allows the State to take legislative measures to enact land and water reforms. Such measures have to comply with the limitation clause of section 36(1) of the Constitution (South Africa 1996) that protects basic rule of law principles by requiring good reasons for limiting a right (see Pienaar 2015:11). Broadly speaking then, we can safely state that the property clause has a strong redistributive thrust (see Pienaar 2015:10), although the means of achieving equal outcomes are subject to typical procedural and commutative justice principles such as equal treatment, due process, fair compensation and impartial judicial oversight. Redistributive justice reasoning certainly addresses the issue of historical injustices more emphatically than other paradigms of justice; yet, history teaches us that assigning priority to redistributive justice values in the hierarchy of justice values often prove to be a hazardous endeavour. States that exhibit a strong commitment to redress and redistribution often fall into the trap of abusing power and enacting oppressive forms of reverse discrimination. Redistribution also tends to create opportunities for corruption. These tendencies can certainly be observed in the land reform process in South Africa. Various redistribution projects in South Africa have been characterised by disturbing trends of elite capture. The High Level Panel Report (Mothlanthe 2017), the studies of Beinart, Delius and Hay (2017) and the findings of Kepe and Hall (2018) are united in expressing concern that the land reform process is currently being captured by corporate elites, chiefs and traditional leaders who endanger the tenure security of vulnerable people. According to the High Level Panel Report (Mothlanthe 2017:203), ‘the problem is especially acute’ in former homeland areas and in areas administered by the Ingonyama Trust where traditional leaders and officials often claim to have the sole right to sign agreements with ‘investors in respect of communal land’. The problem is exacerbated by the lack of existing legislation to protect the tenure security of vulnerable people in the former homelands (Mothlanthe 2017:266). So far, we have discussed the tension between procedural, commutative and redistributive social justice discourse in South Africa. However, retributive understandings of justice, characterised by a sense of due desert and proportional punishment for past crimes committed, are gaining significant public support. Gibson’s survey (2009) already observed that retributive approaches to land justice are widely held in South African society. According to the survey (Gibson 2009:31), 85% of black respondents maintained that the white people took land illegitimately and therefore ‘have no right to land today’, while only 8% of whites people held the same view. Two thirds of the black respondents agreed that ‘land must be returned to Blacks in South Africa, no matter what the consequences are for current owners and for political stability in South Africa’. Gibson (2009:156) also found that retributive attitudes are encountered mostly among those who identify strongly with a particular language or ethnic group. The momentum of the retributive approach in the last decade is clearly due to the rise of populist political groups such as the Economic Freedom Front and the pro-Zuma faction within the ANC who insist that the Constitution (South Africa 1996) should be changed to make possible large-scale land expropriation without compensation. The ethical argument underlying the retributive land reform argument is that land was ‘appropriated’ under colonialism and Apartheid from Africans without compensation (see Choruma 2017:33). Because current land owners have profited unjustly from past discriminatory practices, the state can neither be expected to use market mechanisms to adjudicate current values of land nor can they compensate landowners for land illegitimately obtained (see Atuahene 2011:124; Gibson 2009:40). Ntebeza (quoted in Gibson 2009:31) goes as far as stating that private land should be confiscated by the State and redistributed for the sake of the public good. However, serious moral questions arise. Firstly, the retributive notion of justice, propagated by some stakeholders in the South African land discourse, seems to separate individual accountability from moral agency. In essence, it argues that contemporary generations can be considered culpable for actions they themselves did not commit and, secondly, they can be held to account for the actions of others by being subjected to penalties such as land expropriation without compensation. But is this kind of logic not vindictive at its core? Surely person A cannot be punished for the actions of person B, and if person A indirectly benefited from past illegal actions by person B, we as a society cannot expect him or her to carry the full burden of the historical injustices, especially because past colonial land grabs were committed by a state. Should land owners carry the burden alone? Does society not have the duty to spread the costs of the burden of history (see Vorster 2006:701)? Moreover, do we not enter the realm of naked power abuse when a legal system starts to separate accountability from moral agency and begins to claim for itself the right to attribute culpability to citizens irrespective of their own actions, simply on the basis of their lineage, background or group association. Another problematic feature of retributive approaches to the land debate is that vindictive actions may have consequences for innocent third parties. Recent figures of the Department Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries indicate that the agricultural sector owes banks over R144 billion. This inevitably leads to questions about the duty of the state and the rights of third parties who are also affected by retributive measures such as expropriation without compensation (Mahlaka 2018:3). From the preceding discussion, we can deduce that fairness and justice matters in the land debate, but that procedural, commutative, redistributive and retributive understandings of justice seem to be at variance. We can also safely agree with Gibson (2009:92) that group dynamics and the psychological benefits attached to group membership play a major role in justice positions taken on land reform. The challenging question is how to apply theories of social justice within a transitional political context marked by deep-seated racial, social and political divisions. How do we address the problem of social groupings making competing justice claims and assigning different priorities to classical justice values? Building on Volf’s argument, I argue that to de-escalate the land conflict in South Africa, we have to explore the concept of embracive justice as orienting principle in the hierarchy of justice values. Distributive, redistributive, retributive, procedural and commutative concepts of justice are always relevant to any justice debate, but we have to accept that they may not be equipped to act as orienting principles in the extraordinary transitional context of South Africa. Secondly, I argue that the enactment of embracive justice requires permeable identities. By permeable identity, I mean identities that are open to self-correction, willing to accept inconvenient truths, embracive of the other and eager to forgive and reconcile. Justice values mean nothing if they are not profoundly internalised by individuals and groups. In making my argument, I turn to reformed theological resources. By presenting a reformed approach, I neither assert that reformed theology provides the only avenue to address the intricate web of moral issues at stake when it comes to social justice nor that reformed theology presents the solution to the complex moral issue of land. The intent, rather, is to present a preliminary perspective from a particular theological vantage point about a highly complicated social issue that requires input from all sectors and groups in South Africa. My question is: Can reformed theology add an extra ingredient to the social justice values at our disposal? Could it perhaps contribute to recalibrate our disposition towards justice values in the South African debate? How would such a recalibration affect our understanding of human identity formation? Three theological themes in reformed theology are, in my view, pertinent to the issue of embracive justice, namely its understanding of the dialectical tension that exists between Law and gospel, its presentation of Christ’s sacrifice as an act of embrace to resolve a seemingly unsolvable impasse between the infinite God and finite human beings, and the importance of self-denial and cross-bearing as fundamental features of Christian identity formation. The above citations may sound to some like overkill, but the theological intent must be kept in mind. The righteous demands of the Law compels us to reflect on our own misery and impurity (Inst. 2.8.3; HK 1, question 2). Indeed, we can exhibit no understanding of the unfathomable nature of God’s grace if the Law does not open our eyes to the pervasive effects of sin on our lives and the utter misery in which we are engulfed. Without the glasses of the Law, we remain engulfed in ‘blindness’ (Inst. 2.2.24). The poignant issue at stake here is that reformed theology takes sin seriously. Human sin should not be glossed over and injustices cannot be left unanswered. God calls the perpetrator to account and demands ‘full satisfaction’ of the Law (HK 4, question 12). The land issue in South Africa ought to serve as a vivid reminder of the systemic nature of sin. Yet, Gibson’s survey (2009) makes the disturbing observation that white South Africans, in general, exhibit little interest in or knowledge of the historical events and discriminative legislation that led to black, mixed race and Asian communities being dispossessed of land. Collective amnesia is not a surprising reaction and, in fact, even quite common among communities whose members have been implicated in war crimes or crimes against humanity (see Volf 1996:131–140). Yet, such a response is not excusable, because it reveals a form of denial, a disassociation with reality, an unwillingness to carry the burden of history and a reluctance to face inconvenient truths head-on. Justice requires that we deal honestly with the hard truths of history and that we search the darkness of our souls. Applied to the land issue, white communities ought to recognise that grave and indefensible injustices were committed against black, mixed race and Asian communities through discriminative land legislation that systemically impoverished generations of people. Denying the systemic impact of land injustices on many communities in South Africa or misusing economic arguments to preserve the status quo, not only amounts to denial, but actually perpetuates the injustices that have been committed. As long as the hard facts of history are not acknowledged, recognised and dealt with, generations of white communities will be haunted by the burden of history. Justice demands truth and repentance. We cannot be selective in what we forget and remember. Redemption is not possible as long as we deny inconvenient truths. Yet, the opposite side of the coin is also true. Collective amnesia is inexcusable, but so is a populist sense of victimhood that preys on an inflated and often selective awareness of the historical injustices committed against me and my group. History teaches us that victims can easily become perpetrators when a persistent remembrance of the historical wrongs committed against them are nurtured and abused to mobilise them socially. To demand the righting of wrongs, committed against the self, is certainly legitimate, but to use people’s pain for political gain is a form of cruel exploitation. The universal nature of sin ought to moderate our claims that we are victims. Paul aptly reminds us that Jew and non-Jew stand under the universal power of sin and we are all cursed by the Law of God that demands perfect righteousness (Rm 3:9–10). No person is just or can claim absolute innocence. We are all perpetrators who deserve God’s wrath. The gospel’s logic is governed by God’s embracive acts in a hopeless situation; God making a new future possible when all seems lost due to sin and evil. Calvin (Inst. 2.12.1) spoke of the great exchange between the infinite God and mortal human beings, characterised by a cycle of descent and ascent. Through the incarnation of the Son, God descends to humanity in order to pay for our sins and to liberate us from our misery so that we can ascend with Christ through the Spirit to God. Here we encounter a kind of justice that the Reformers called iustitia aliena – God declares us free of guilt on the basis of Christ’s propitiatory obedience. The embracive justice God enacts is no imaginary justice – it is real in that Christ truly suffered the penalty for our sins. Yet, it is also a justice characterised by a reconciliatory attitude that does not seek to destroy humanity, but to restore its relationship with God. Reconciliation is the orienting value behind God’s justice – not fair due process or retribution – although these justice values are certainly at stake in the Christ event. The incarnation of Christ constitutes an act of divine self-limitation for the sake of restored relations. God becomes human, Jesus takes on the form of a slave and carries the curse of the Law to make possible a new relationship and a new future between God and humanity. But the great exchange is not a purely unilateral act. It also entails that the faithful become slaves of Christ by accepting God’s gift of grace in faith and enacting the example of Christ in their own lives (see Phlp 1:29). Christ becomes a slave in human form so that we can become slaves of Christ. Faith is, consequently, not a passive act, but requires that we actively embrace God’s gift of grace. Stated differently: Faith requires a changed human identity. Calvin (Inst. 3.1.1) famously identified meditation on the future life, cross bearing and self-denial as key features of the Christian life. The latter two Christian virtues are, in my view, especially pertinent to our discussion of the intricate connection between embracive justice and human identity.2 For Calvin (Inst. 3.7.5; Zachmann 2009:476), cross-bearing entails that we conform to the image of Christ by bearing afflictions patiently and exhibiting a willingness to suffer for the sake of righteousness, while self-denial requires that we repent before God, realise our shortcomings and use the divine gifts bestowed on us to serve the interests of our neighbours. Calvin and the reformed tradition essentially understand the Christian life and discipleship as consisting of a faithful embrace of God and fellow human beings. True Christian identity is hybrid and permeable in nature: open to self-correction, unselfish, caring, empathetic, peace loving, truthful and fair. Above all, it is willing to make sacrifices for the sake of the other. Protestant liberalism has questioned the reformed faith’s understanding of the gospel as atonement through satisfaction, justification through the imputation of God’s righteousness to human beings in Christ, and its perceived obsession with altruism (cross-bearing and self-denial). They generally deem the notion that God demands satisfaction for the transgression of his Law as vindictive logic and construe the idea that one person can pay for the sins of another as compromising human autonomy. Moreover, some are concerned that the cultivation of overly altruistic attitudes can undermine individual rights discourse (see Vorster 2013:133–136). We cannot go into these objections at this time, except to say that the power of the reformed notion of reconciliation resides precisely in its logic that the historical impasse between God and human beings – brought about by the systemic nature of sin – can only be resolved through an iustitia aliena that transcends conventional notions of human justice. God does not follow conventional justice logic, but embraces us in a manner that circumvents human logic, undercuts human autonomy, surpasses due process and defies retributive logic to make a new beginning possible. The Christ event was a once-off and non-repeatable event executed by a God who himself is the norm of righteousness. Finite beings cannot execute justice in the exact same manner; neither can we be Christ. We can follow Christ and are called to do so, but only up to a point. That said, reformed theology maintains that the Christ event has a lasting normative impact on our lives – not only as far as the relationship between the infinite God and finite beings is concerned – but also interhuman relationships. Our actions should shine forth the embracive spirit of the Christ event. While Christians can neither coerce faith nor force groups to accept God’s Law and gospel or to follow Christ through cross bearing, they can make an effort to display a kind of embrace that breathes the spirit of the Christ event. This brings me to the notion of embracive justice. What does embracive justice entail? How does it differ from the restorative justice approach that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission followed in the 1990’s? Embracive justice recognises that a situation could evolve where cycles of past injustices have burdened a society with an impasse that cannot be resolved through ordinary means of justice. This impasse, I argue, can only be overcome through a generous spirit of embrace and an extraordinary act of self-sacrifice by perpetrators, victims and ordinary members of society. Embracive justice is not a formal kind of justice administered from ‘above’ by legal regimes, courts or tribunes; it requires spontaneous acts of self-sacrifice from below. Detractors may argue that embracive justice is simply another word for restorative justice. Restorative justice, after all, endorses similar kinds of reconciliatory values such as restoration of victims, rehabilitation of offenders and reconciliation between groups. I agree, but there is also a fundamental difference. Restorative justice is a formal approach utilised within criminal justice systems that contains a clearly defined distinction between victim and perpetrator as well as a clear definition of the crime that was committed. The approach I am propagating is focused on the intergenerational dynamics of transitional social contexts where the lines between victim and perpetrator are not that clear. Embracive justice is not concerned with fair procedure, but with attitude and just actions. Moreover, embracive justice does not limit itself to ideals of restoration, but it is directed at creating a future order where coming generations can live in a normal and stable environment devoid of the systemic effects of past injustices. When it comes to the land debate, I believe that embrace and reconciliation should orient our disposition to justice. Justice, especially when it comes to intergenerational issues, should not, in the first place, be about due desert, but rehabilitation and the creation of a fair future order. Although due process is an important condition for fair treatment, we ought to recognise that overly extensive and technical processes of land restitution and redistribution could defeat justice in the name of justice. Ways ought to be found to cut red tape and to expedite land restitution and redistribution processes in the spirit of embrace. Secondly, embracive justice requires that groups refrain from collective amnesia about the past or the exaggerated sense of victimhood that underlies retributive logic. We should acknowledge that colonial land grabs were deeply unjust and that the unequal distribution of property rights in South Africa is morally unacceptable. Conversely, we should exhibit a spirit of forgiveness towards each other and accept that retributive logic could result in an unjust situation being replaced by an equally unjust scenario where the victims of the past become perpetrators of the future. Lastly, embracive justice is about more than simply the rehabilitation of the perpetrator or reconciliation between perpetrator and victim; it also asks for a spontaneous sacrifice with lasting effect from the side of everyone, but specifically those communities who benefited directly or indirectly from the Apartheid system. Such a sacrifice ought to be made in the spirit of self-denial and cross bearing for the sake of righteousness and the well-being of future generations. I do not propose a sacrifice that amounts to self-destruction, but I argue that a spontaneous collective sacrifice by specifically white communities in the spirit of self-denial could be an embracive gesture that de-escalate the land conflict in South Africa. Such a sacrifice could consist of the creation of trusts focused on the development and empowerment of black farmers; the establishment of compensation funds for damages caused by past land injustices; the availing of underutilised land for empowerment projects; and making farmworkers business partners in commercial farms. Many possibilities exist. The point is that embracive gestures are needed to resolve the impasse that South Africa faces. Legal instruments cannot do it on their own. The South African land question will not be resolved as long as embrace does not orient our actions. Embracive justice recognises that justice is about more than fairness, due process, redress and due desert; it is also about creating a situation of reconciliation that helps to resolve conflicts in situations where historical injustices have created an impasse that is impossible to resolve through regular justice approaches. I understand embracive justice as a type of justice where the various parties are focused on creating a fair future order that serves the best interests of the broadest range of fellow citizens and that ensures that future generations can live in a society freed of the burden of history. Moreover, I argue that embracive justice requires more than merely changing our theoretical outlook on justice; it also demands the formation of group identities that are hybrid and permeable as well as willing to make some costly sacrifices for the sake of future generations. Drawing on the reformed tradition’s emphasis on cross-bearing and self-denial as Christian virtues, I suggest that permeable identities are characterised by a spirit of repentance, an openness to self-correct, a willingness to make sacrifices and forego some perceived entitlements for the sake of the common good, an embrace of the other, and a reconciliatory attitude. To summarise: Embracive justice constitutes an act from below that circumvents formal justice logic and enacts the Spirit of Christ. Atuahene, B., 2011, ‘South Africa’s land reform crisis: Eliminating the legacy of Apartheid’, Foreign Affairs 90(4), 121–129. Beeke, J.R. & Ferguson, S.B., 1999, Reformed confessions harmonized: With an annotated bibliography of annotated doctrinal works, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI. Beinart, W., Delius, P. & Hay, M., 2017, Rights to land. A guide to tenure upgrading and restitution in South Africa, Jacanda Media, Johannesburg. Calvin, J., 2008, Institutes of the Christian religion, transl. H. Beveridge, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA. Choruma, A., 2017, ‘How to defuse South Africa’s ticking land time-bomb’, New African (Nov), 32–33. Constitution, see South Africa 1996. Gibson, J.L., 2009, Overcoming historical injustices. Land reconciliation in South Africa, Cambridge University Press, New York. South Africa, 1996, Constitution of the Republic of South Africa as adopted by the Constitutional Assembly on 8 May 1996 and as amended on 11 October 1996, Government Printers, Pretoria. Van der Elst, H., 2017, ‘Die wegbeweeg vanaf gematigdheid na ’n radikale grondverdelingsbenadering as transformasie prioriteit in Suid-Afrika’, Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe 57(4), 955–970. Volf, M., 1996, Exclusion and embrace. A theological exploration of identity, otherness and reconciliation, Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN. Vorster, N., 2013, ‘The nature of Christ’s atonement. A defense of penal substitution theory’, in E. van der Borght & P. van Geest (eds.), Strangers and pilgrims on earth, pp. 129–147, Brill, Leiden. 1. The Land Reform Budget has fluctuated between 0.15% and 0.4% of GDP in the period between 1994 and 2017 (Mothlanthe 2017:2015). 2. Admittedly notions of self-sacrifice and self-denial can be abused by those in power to cultivate ‘unhealthy’ forms of altruism among the powerless so that they will stay silent in the face of exploitation. It needs to be noted that Calvin used these notions to encourage sacrifice for the sake of righteousness not at the expense of righteousness. Altruistic values are indeed important for social cohesion, but could become harmful if employed as a means to suspend justice values.

2019-04-21T20:23:30Z

https://indieskriflig.org.za/index.php/skriflig/article/view/2398/5472

If its fuselage, tail, and engine nacelles contribute nothing to an aircraft's lift, why not get rid of them? Designers pursued the all-wing dream from the first decade of powered flight, notably Jack Northrop in the U.S. and the Horten brothers in Germany. Reimar and Walter Horten were a step ahead, testing an all-wing sailplane in 1933, a twin-engined pusher in 1937, and a turbojet fighter-bomber in 1944. When the war ended, Reimar was working on a six-engine "Amerika Bomber" to carry a hypothetical atomic bomb to New York City. Postwar, the western Allies dismissed their work, though the British toyed with a transport version of the Amerika Bomber. Walter stayed in Germany and eventually rejoined the Luftwaffe; Reimar went to Argentina and worked for the Peron government. Meanwhile, Jack Northrop was still trying to build a successful all-wing turbojet bomber in the 1950s. That he never hired the Hortens, who as German engineers were recruited for the U.S. space program, may have been one of history's great missed opportunities. In the end, all that came from their work was a dozen aircraft whose beauty still astonishes. This is especially true of the Ho 229 fighter-bomber, a bat like warplane that would not look out of place at a 21st-century air show--or combat airfield. Ho I - 1931 - a flying-wing sailplane. Ho II - 1934 - initially a glider, it fitted with a pusher propeller in 1935. Looked very like Northrop's flying wings. Ho III - 1938 - a metal-frame glider, later fitted with a folding-blade [folded while gliding] propeller for powered flight. Ho IV - 1941 - a high-aspect-ratio glider [looking very like a modern sailplane, but without a long tail or nose]. Ho V - 1937-42 - first Horten plane designed to be powered, built partially from plastics, and powered by two pusher propellers. Ho VI "Flying Parabola" - an extremely-high-aspect-ratio test- only glider. [After the war, the Ho VI was shipped to Northrop for analysis]. Ho VII - 1945 - considered the most flyable of the powered Ho series by the Horten Brothers, it was built as a flying-wing trainer. [Only one was built and tested, and 18 more were ordered, but the war ended before more than one additional Ho VII could be even partially completed]. Ho VIII - 1945 - a 158-food wingspan, 6-engine plane built as a transport. Never built. However, this design was "reborn" in the 1950's when Reimar Horten built a flying-wing plane for Argentina's Institute Aerotecnico, which flew on December 9, 1960 -- the project was shelved thereafter due to technical problems. Ho IX - 1944 - the first combat-intended Horten design, a jet powered [Junkers Jumo 004B's], with metal frame and plywood exterior [due to wartime shortages]. First flew in January 1945, but never in combat. When the Allies overran the factory, the almost-completed Ho IX V3 [third in the series - this plane was also known as the "Gotha Go 229"] was shipped back to the Air and Space Museum. Four aircraft of the Ho IX type were started, designated V.1 to V.4. The V.1 and V.2 were built at Göttigen, designed to carry two BMW 003 jet engines. V.2 was built with two Juno 004 [jet] engines and had two hours flying before crashing during a single-engine landing. The test pilot, Erwin Ziller, apparently landed short after misjudging his approach. V.3 was built by Gotha at Friedrichsrodal as a prototype of the senior production version. V.4 was designed to be a two-man night fighter, with a stretched nose in the fuselage to accommodate the second crewman. The Horten Ho 229 [often erroneously called Gotha Go 229 due to the identity of the chosen manufacturer of the aircraft] was a late-World War II flying wing fighter aircraft, designed by the Horten brothers and built by the Gothaer Waggonfabrik. It was a personal favourite of Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, and was the only plane to be able to meet his performance requirements. In the 1930s the Horten brothers had become interested in the all-wing design as a method of improving the performance of gliders. The all-wing layout removes any "unneeded" surfaces and –in theory at least– leads to the lowest possible drag. For a glider low drag is very important, with a more conventional layout you have to go to extremes to reduce drag and you will end up with long and more fragile wings. If you can get the same performance with a wing-only configuration, you end up with a similarly performing glider with wings that are shorter and thus sturdier. Years later, in 1943 Reichsmarschall Göring issued a request for design proposals to produce a bomber that was capable of carrying a 1000 kg load over 1000 km at 1000 km/h; the so called 1000/1000/1000 rule. Conventional German bombers could reach Allied command centers in England, but were suffering devastating losses, as allied fighter planes were faster than the German bombers. At the time there was simply no way to meet these goals; the new Jumo 004B jet engines could give the speed that was required, but swallowed fuel at such a rate that they would never be able to match the range requirement. The Hortens felt that the low-drag all-wing design could meet all of the goals – by reducing the drag, cruise power could be lowered to the point where the range requirement could be met. They put forward their current private (and jealously guarded) project, the Ho IX, as the basis for the bomber. The Government Air Ministry (Reichsluftfahrtministerium) approved the Horten proposal, but ordered the addition of two 30MM cannon, as they felt the aircraft would also be useful as a fighter due to its estimated top speed being significantly higher than any allied aircraft. Reichsmarschall Göring believed in the design and ordered the aircraft into production at Gotha as the RLM designation of Ho 229 before it had taken to the air under jet power. Flight testing of the Ho IX/Ho 229 prototypes began in December 1944, and the aircraft proved to be even better than expected. There were a number of minor handling problems but otherwise the performance was outstanding. Gotha appeared to be somewhat upset about being ordered to build a design from two "unknowns" and made a number of changes to the design, as well as offering up a number of versions for different roles. Several more prototypes, including those for a two-seat 'Nacht-Jäger' night fighter, were under construction when the Gotha plant was overrun by the American troops in April of 1945. The Gotha factory also was building the radar-equipped Horten Ho IX, a for that time futuristic jet-engine flying wing. Using the knowledge they gathered from the construction of these now named Gotha Go 229 [the other name used for the Horten Ho IX], they made a proposal for a fighter, the Gotha P60. The P60 used nearly the same wing layout as the Go 229. The first proposal, the P60A, used a cockpit with the crew in a prone position laying side-to-side. The engines of the P60A were placed outside the wing. One on top of the central part, one under the central part. Maybe this was done for better maintenance of the engines. The second proposal, the Gotha P60B, no longer had the prone pilots. It seems to be that Gotha needed to make a simplified cockpit. Maybe they wanted to speed up development or production. Gotha got approval to start building the P60B-prototype, but work was stopped in favor of the final proposal, the P60C. The Ho 229 A-0 pre-production aircraft were to be powered by two Junkers Jumo 004B turbojets with 1,962 lbf [8.7 kN] thrust each. The maximum speed was estimated at an excellent 590 mph [950 km/h] at sea level and 607 mph [977 km/h] at 39,370 ft [12,000 m]. Maximum ceiling was to be 52,500 ft [16,000 m], although it is unlikely this could be met. Maximum range was estimated at 1180 miles [1,900 km], and the initial climb rate was to be 4330 ft/min (22 m/s). It was to be armed with two 30 mm MK 108 cannon, and could also carry either two 500 kg bombs, or twenty-four R4M rockets. It was the only design to come close to meeting the 1000/1000/1000 rule, and that would have remained true even for a number of years after the war. But like many of the late war German designs, the production was started far too late for the plane to have any effect. In this case none saw combat. The majority of the Ho-229's skin was a carbon-impregnated plywood, which would absorb radar waves. This, along with its shape, would have made the Ho-229 invisible to the crude radar of the day. So it should be given credit for being the first true "Stealth Fighter". The US military initiated "Operation Paperclip" which was an effort by the U.S. Army in the last weeks of the war to capture as much advanced German weapons research as possible, and also to deny that research to advancing Russian troops. A Horton glider and the Ho-229 number V2 were secured and sent to Northrop Aviation in the United States for evaluation, who much later used a flying wing design for the B-2 "Spirit" stealth bomber. During WWII Northrop had been commissioned to develop a large wing-only long-range bomber [XB/YB-35] based on photographs of the Horton's record-setting glider from the 1930's, but their initial designs suffered controllability issues that were not resolved until after the war. The Northrop XB-35 and YB-35 were experimental heavy bomber aircraft developed by the Northrop Corporation for the United States Army Air Forces during and shortly after World War II. The airplane used the radical and potentially very efficient flying wing design, in which the tail section and fuselage are eliminated and all payload is carried in a thick wing. Only prototype and pre-production aircraft were built , but interestingly, the Horten brothers were helped in their bid for German government support when Northrop patents appeared in US Patent Office's "Official Gazette" on 13 May 1941, and then in the International Aeronautical journal "Interavia" on !8 November 1941. The Northrop YB-49 was a prototype jet-powered heavy bomber aircraft developed by Northrop Corporation shortly after World War II for service with the U.S. Air Force. The YB-49 featured a flying wing design and was a jet-powered development of the earlier, piston-engined Northrop XB-35 and YB-35. The two YB-49s actually built were both converted YB-35 test aircraft. The YB-49 never entered production, being passed over in favor of the more conventional Convair B-36 piston-driven design. Design work performed in the development of the YB-35 and YB-49 nonetheless proved to be valuable to Northrop decades later in the eventual development of the B-2 stealth bomber, which entered service in the early 1990s. The YB-49 and its modern counterpart, the B-2 Spirit, both built by Northrop Grumman, have the same wingspan: 172.0 ft [52.4 m]. Flight test data collected from the original YB-49 test flights was used in the development of the B-2 bomber. The Ho-229's design employed a thoroughly modern wing shape far ahead of its time. The wing had a twist so that in level flight the wingtips [and thus, the ailerons] were parallel with the ground. The center section was twisted upwards, which deflected air in flight, and provided the majority of its lift. Because of this twist in its shape, If the pilot pulled up too suddenly, the nose would stall [or, lose lift] before the wingtips. This meant that the craft's nose would inherently dip in the beginnings of a stall causing the plane to accelerate downwards, and thus it would naturally avoid a flat spin. A flat spin is difficult to recover from, and many rookie pilots have crashed from this condition. Horten also noticed in wind-tunnel testing that in the beginnings of a stall, most airfoil cross-sections began losing lift on their front and rear edges first. Horten designed an airfoil cross-section that developed most of its lift along the centerline of the wing. Since the center line had high lift and the front and rear edges had low lift, it was called a "Bell-Shaped lift curve". The wings were also swept back at a very modern and optimum angle [his gliders from the 1930's used this sweep long before it became popular] which enhanced its stall-resistance, and also lowered its wind-resistance which helped its top speed. This made the Ho-229 easy to fly and very stall-resistant in all phases of its operation. The only existing Ho-229 airframe to be preserved was V2, and it is located at the National Air and Space Museum [NASM] in Washington D.C. The airframe V1 crashed during testing, and several partial airframes found on the assembly line were destroyed by U.S. troops to prevent them from being captured by advancing Russian troops. In 1944 the RLM issued a requirement for an aircraft with a range of 11000 km [6835 miles] and a bomb load of 4000 kg [8818lbs]. This bomber was to be able to fly from Germany to New York City and back without refuelling. Five of Germany's top aircraft companies had submitted designs, but none of them met the range requirements for this Amerika Bomber. Their proposals were redesigned and resubmitted at the second competition, but nothing had changed. The Hortens were not invited to submit a proposal because it was thought that they were only interested in fighter aircraft. After the Hortens learned of these design failures, they went about designing the XVIIIA Amerika Bomber. During the Christmas 1944 holidays, Reimar and Walter Horten worked on the design specifications for their all-wing bomber. They drew up a rough draft and worked on weight calculations, allowing for fuel, crew, armaments, landing gear and bomb load. Ten variations were eventually worked out, each using a different number of existing turbojets. Several of the designs were to be powered by four or six Heinkel-Hirth He S 011jet engines, and several of the others were designed around eight BMW 003A or eight Junker Jumo 004B turbojets. The version that the Hortens thought would work best would utilize six Jumo 004B turbojets, which were buried in the fuselage and exhausted over the rear of the aircraft. They were fed by air intakes located in the wing's leading edge. To save weight they thought of using a landing gear that could be jettisoned immediately after takeoff [with the additional help of rocket boosters] and landing on some kind of skid. The Ho XVIII A was to be built mainly of wood and held together with a special carbon based glue. As a result, the huge flying wing should go largely undetected by radar. The Hortens were told to make a presentation for their Amerika Bomber design on 25 February 1945 in Berlin. The meeting was attended by representatives of the five aircraft companies who originally submitted ideas for the competition. No one challenged their assertion that their flying wing bomber could get the job done. A few days later the Hortens were told to report to Reichsmarshall Göring, who wanted to talk to the brothers personally about their proposed Amerika Bomber. There they were told that they were to work with the Junkers company in building the aircraft. Several days later Reimar and Walter Horten met with the Junkers engineers, who had also invited some Messerschmitt engineers. Suddenly it seemed that the Horten's design was to be worked on by committee. The Junkers and Messerschmitt engineers were unwilling to go with the design that the Hortens had presented several days earlier. Instead, the committee wanted to place a huge vertical fin and rudder to the rear of the Ho XVIII A. Reimar Horten was angry, as this would add many more man-hours, plus it would create drag and thus reduce the range. The committee also wanted to place the engines beneath the wing, which would create additional drag and reduce the range even further. After two days of discussion, they chose a design that had huge vertical fins, with the cockpit built into the fin's leading edge. Six Jumo 004A jet engines were slung under the wing, three to a nacelle on each side. The bomb bay would be located between the two nacelles, and the tricycle landing gear would also be stored in the same area. The committee would present the final design to the RML and recommended that it be built in the former mining tunnels in the Harz Mountains. Dissatisfied with the committee designed Ho XVIII A, Reimar Horten redesigned the flying wing Amerika Bomber. The proposed Ho XVIII B had a three man crew which sat upright in a bubble-type canopy near the apex of the wing. There were two fixed main landing gear assemblies with two He S 011 turbojets mounted to each side. During flight, the tires would be covered by doors to help cut down on air resistance and drag, a nose wheel being considered not necessary. Overall, the aircraft would have weighed about 35 tons fully loaded. Fuel was to be stored in the wing so that no auxiliary fuel tanks would be required. It was estimated that the Ho XVIII B would have a range of 11000 km [6835 miles], a service ceiling of 16 km [52492 feet] and a round-trip endurance of 27 hours. It was decided that construction was to be done in two bomb-proof hangers near Kala, which had concrete roofs 5.6 meters [18.4 feet] thick. In addition, extra long runways had been constructed so the aircraft could be test flown there too. Work was supposed to start immediately, and the RLM expected the Ho XVIII B to be built by the fall of 1945, which Reimar Horten reported to be impossible. At any rate, Germany surrendered two months later before construction could begin. In 1943 the all-wing Horten 229 promised spectacular performance and the Luftwaffe [German Air Force] chief, Hermann Göring, allocated half-a-million Reich Marks to the brothers Reimar and Walter Horten to build and fly several prototypes. Numerous technical problems beset this unique design and the only powered example crashed after several test flights but the airplane remains one of the most unusual combat aircraft tested during World War II. Horten used Roman numerals to identify his designs and he followed the German aircraft industry practice of using "Versuch," literally test or experiment, numbers to describe pre-production prototypes built to test and develop a new design into a production airplane. The Horten IX design became the Horten Ho 229 aircraft program after Göring granted the project official status in 1943 and the technical office of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium assigned to it the design number 229. This is also the nomenclature used in official German documents. The idea for the Horten IX grew first in the mind of Walter Horten when he was serving in the Luftwaffe as a fighter pilot engaged in combat in 1940 during the Battle of Britain. Horten was the technical officer for Jadgeschwader [fighter squadron] 26 stationed in France. The nature of the battle and the tactics employed by the Germans spotlighted the design deficiencies of the Messerschmitt Bf 109, Germany's most advanced fighter airplane at that time. The Luftwaffe pilots had to fly across the English Channel or the North Sea to fulfill their missions of escorting German bombers and attacking British fighters, and Horten watched his unit lose many men over hostile territory at the very limit of the airplane's combat radius. Often after just a few minutes flying in combat, the Germans frequently had to turn back to their bases or run out of fuel and this lack of endurance severely limited their effectiveness. The Messerschmitt was also vulnerable because it had just a single engine. One bullet could puncture almost any part of the cooling system and when this happened, the engine could continue to function for only a few minutes before it overheated and seized up. Walter Horten came to believe that the Luftwaffe needed a new fighter designed with performance superior to the Supermarine Spitfire, Britain's most advanced fighter. The new airplane required sufficient range to fly to England, loiter for a useful length of time and engage in combat, and then return safely to occupied Europe. He understood that only a twin-engine aircraft could give pilots a reasonable chance of returning with substantial battle damage or even the loss of one engine. Since 1933, and interrupted only by military service, Walter and Reimar had experimented with all-wing aircraft. With Walter's help, Reimar had used his skills as a mathematician and designer to overcome many of the limitations of this exotic configuration. Walter believed that Reimar could design an all-wing fighter with significantly better combat performance than the Spitfire. The new fighter needed a powerful, robust propulsion system to give the airplane great speed but also one that could absorb damage and continue to function. The Nazis had begun developing rocket, pulse-jet, and jet turbine configurations by 1940 and Walter's role as squadron technical officer gave him access to information about these advanced programs. He soon concluded that if his brother could design a fighter propelled by two small and powerful engines and unencumbered by a fuselage or tail, very high performance was possible. At the end of 1940, Walter shared his thoughts on the all-wing fighter with Reimar who fully agreed with his brother's assessment and immediately set to work on the new fighter. Fiercely independent and lacking the proper intellectual credentials, Reimar worked at some distance from the mainstream German aeronautical community. At the start of his career, he was denied access to wind tunnels due to the cost but also because of his young age and lack of education, so he tested his ideas using models and piloted aircraft. By the time the war began, Reimar actually preferred to develop his ideas by building and testing full-size aircraft. The brothers had already successfully flown more than 20 aircraft by 1941 but the new jet wing would be heavier and faster than any previous Horten design. To minimize the risk of experimenting with such an advanced aircraft, Reimar built and tested several interim designs, each one moderately faster, heavier, or more advanced in some significant way than the one before it. Reimar built the Horten Vb and Vc to evaluate the all-wing layout when powered by twin engines driving pusher propellers. He began in 1941 to consider fitting the Dietrich-Argus pulse jet motor to the Horten V but this engine had drawbacks and in the first month of 1942, Walter gave his brother dimensioned drawings and graphs that charted the performance curves of the new Junkers 004 jet turbine engine [this engine was also fitted to these NASM aircraft: Messerschmitt Me 262, Arado Ar 234, and the Heinkel He 162]. Later that year, Reimar flew a new design called the Horten VII that was similar to the Horten V but larger and equipped with more powerful reciprocating engines. The Horten VI ultra-high performance sailplane also figured into the preliminary aerodynamic design of the jet flying wing after Reimar tested this aircraft with a special center section. Walter used his personal connections with important officials to keep the idea of the jet wing alive in the early stages of its development. General Ernst Udet, Chief of Luftwaffe Procurement and Supply and head of the Technical Office was the man who protected this idea and followed this idea for the all-wing fighter for almost a year until Udet took his own life in November 1941. At the beginning of 1943, Walter heard Göring complain that Germany was fielding 17 different types of twin-engine military airplanes with similar, and rather mediocre, performance but parts were not interchangeable between any two designs. He decreed that henceforth he would not approve for production another new twin-engine airplane unless it could carry 1,000 kg [2,210 lb] of bombs to a "penetration depth" of 1,000 km [620 miles, penetration depth defined as 1/3 the range] at a speed of 1,000 km/h [620 mph]. Asked to comment, Reimar announced that only a warplane equipped with jet engines had a chance to meet those requirements. In August Reimar submitted a short summary of an all-wing design that came close to achieving Göring's specifications. He issued the brothers a contract, and then demanded the new aircraft fly in 3 months. Reimar responded that the first Horten IX prototype could fly in six months and Göring accepted this schedule after revealing his desperation to get the new fighter in the air with all possible speed. Reimar believed that he had boosted the Reichsmarschall's confidence in his work after he told him that his all-wing jet bomber was based on data obtained from bona fide flight tests with piloted aircraft. Official support had now been granted to the first all-wing Horten airplane designed specifically for military applications but the jet bomber that the Horten brothers began to design was much different from the all-wing pure fighter that Walter had envisioned nearly four years earlier as the answer to the Luftwaffe's needs for a long-range interceptor. Hencefourth, the official designation for airplanes based on the Horten IX design changed to Horten Ho 229 suffixed with "Versuch" numbers to designate the various prototypes. All versions of the Ho 229 resembled each other in overall layout. Reimar swept each half of the wing 32 degrees in an unbroken line from the nose to the start of each wingtip where he turned the leading edge to meet the wing trailing edge in a graceful and gradually tightening curve. There was no fuselage, no vertical or horizontal tail, and with landing gear stowed [the main landing gear was fixed but the nose wheel retracted on the first prototype Ho 229 V1], the upper and lower surface of the wing stretched smooth from wingtip to wingtip, unbroken by any control surface or other protuberance. Horten mounted elevons [control surfaces that combined the actions of elevators and ailerons] to the trailing edge and spoilers at the wingtips for controlling pitch and roll, and he installed drag rudders next to the spoilers to help control the wing about the yaw axis. He also mounted flaps and a speed brake to help slow the wing and control its rate and angle of descent. When not in use, all control surfaces either lay concealed inside the wing or trailed from its aft edge. Parasite or form drag was virtually nonexistent. The only drag this aircraft produced was the inevitable by-product of the wing's lift. Few aircraft before the Horten 229 or after it have matched the purity and simplicity of its aerodynamic form but whether this achievement would have led to a successful and practical combat aircraft remains an open question. Building on knowledge gained by flying the Horten V and VII, Reimar designed and built a manned glider called the Horten 229 V1 which test pilot Heinz Schiedhauer first flew 28 February 1944. This aircraft suffered several minor accidents but a number of pilots flew the wing during the following months of testing at Oranienburg and most commented favorably on its performance and handling qualities. Reimar used the experience gained with this glider to design and build the jet-propelled Ho 229 V2. Wood is an unorthodox material from which to construct a jet aircraft and the Horten brothers preferred aluminum but in addition to the lack of metalworking skills among their team of craftspersons, several factors worked against using the metal to build their first jet-propelled wing. Reimar's calculations showed that he would need to convert much of the wing's interior volume into space for fuel if he hoped to come close to meeting Göring's requirement for a penetration depth of 1,000 km. Reimar must have lacked either the expertise or the special sealants to manufacture such a 'wet' wing from metal. Whatever the reason, he believed that an aluminum wing was unsuitable for this task. Another factor in Reimar's choice of wood is rather startling: he believed that he needed to keep the wing's radar cross-section as low as possible. "We wished", he said many years later, "to have the [Ho 229] plane that would not reflect [radar signals]", and Horten believed he could meet this requirement more easily with wood than metal. Many questions about this aspect of the Ho 229 design remain unanswered and no test data is available to document Horten's work in this area. The fragmentary information that is currently available comes entirely from anecdotal accounts that have surfaced well after World War II ended. During the war, the Germans experimented with tailless, flying wing aircraft. The ones described here were made by the Horten brothers. There were several flying wing designs under development during those years for various purposes but the one in question is the Horton iX. The Horten ix was a tailless, jet-powered, flying wing fighter. Only three were ever built. The first Horton IXx [V-1] was never given engines and used as a glider for test purposes. The second Horton IX [V-2] was given jets and tested. The third aircraft was actually produced by another company, the Gotha firm who was to mass-produce this aircraft. This one aircraft was given the designation Gotha 229 and was never fully assembled and never flew. It fell into the hands of the Americans while still in pieces. So, it was only the second Horten iX, the V-2 version that flew at all. In fact, it flew very well. Remember, this was a tailless flying wing that flew before computer avionics made such aircraft possible in the USA. Evidently, the Horten iX was so well thought out that a mere human pilot could fly it. But the Horton IX was somewhat more than just an ordinary fighter aircraft. During flight testing it was noticed that the radar return for this aircraft was almost absent. The Germans got busy with this idea and planned to paint the Horten IX with radar absorbing paint that they had developed for another purpose. The fact is that the Horten ix was the world's first stealth aircraft. Unfortunately, during a landing one of its two engines failed and the one flying Horton IX crashed. So what do we know about the Horten IX in flight? All we now know about the performance of this legendary aircraft is what Allied technical teams said about it and this is the way it has been reported to us down through history via semi technical aircraft history journals and books. For instance David Masters, in his book "German Jet Genesis", lists the speed of the Horten IX at 540 mph with a ceiling altitude of 52,490 feet. The same authority reports the Gotha 229 [which never flew] as having a maximum speed of 590 mph at sea level and 640 mph at 21,320 ft. with a ceiling of 51,000 ft. This compares with the Me 262, the operational German jet fighter with which we are familiar, whose top speed Masters lists at 538 mph at 29,560 ft. with no ceiling given. Surprisingly, both jets were powered by the same two Junkers Jumo 004B-1 engines. Yet the Horten 9 had the cross-section of a knife while the Messerschmitt cross-section was much more typical for an aircraft of the time. How could their performance be nearly identical? How would the Allies know what the performance of the Horten IX actually was since they never got their hands on a working example? Perhaps it was extrapolation. Perhaps they simply wanted to under value this sleek German jet simply because it looked so advanced for its time and there was nothing comparable in the Allied arsenal. Without contradictory evidence, the word of the American experts was repeated and became part of history as we know it. The funny thing is that now contradictory evidence has surfaced and has somehow slipped by the American censors. The document in question is a Memorandum Report, dated 17 March 1945 while the war was still in progress. The "Subject" of this report was data obtained on the German tailless jet propelled fighter and Vereinigte Leichtmetalwerke [United Light-Metal Works]. "To present data of immediate value obtained on C.I.O.S. trip to Bonn on 11 March to 16 March 1945. Travel performed under AG 200m 4-1, SHAEF, dated 9 March 1945". There was discussion of the Horton IX in which a maximum speed of 1,160 km/hr or about 719 miles per hour was claimed. The informant spoke during the war, while the last example of the Horton IX was still flying. Data about all other German aircraft is correct. Was there an intentional cover up concerning the performance of the Horton IX by the Allies? This is raw Intelligence to be compiled into a Combined Intelligence Objectives Sub-Committee report by SHAEF personnel. Under "Factual Data" we learn that their German informant, Mr. F.V. Berger, is a draftsman for the Horten organization during the time that the Hortons were designing the tailless aircraft. To add to Berger's trusted position, he was actually found in the former home of Horten brothers by the Intelligence agents. Mr. Berger describes the Horten aircraft, models H1 to H12 but most of the discussion centers on the H9, the jet-powered, tailless, flying wing fighter-bomber. Berger goes on to list the weight, bomb load and cannons used but then states that the maximum speed for the H9, which was still being tested as this report was being written, was 1,160 km/her at an altitude of 6,000 meters. This last statement must have shocked the SHAEF team to the core. The speed given, 1,160 kilometers per hour works out to slightly over 719 miles per hour! The Allies weren't even thinking about flying that fast in those days. The Intelligence team was transfixed by Berger's statement and double-checked his veracity. They asked him about the speed of the Me 262 and the Arado 234. Allied intelligence knew both these operational German aircraft and their capabilities by this time even if they had not gained an example of each aircraft. Berger gave the speed of the Me 262 at 900 km/hr and the Arado 234 [jet-powered bomber-reconnaissance aircraft] at 800 km/hr. This works out to 558 mph for the Messerschmitt and 496 mph for the Arado. These figures are right on the money and lend credibility to Berger's evaluation of the Horton IX. Then Berger made another astonishing statement. Berger stated that the Horton IX, loaded with bombs [weighing 2,000 kg.] "would get away from Me262 without bombs". Berger went on to describe the Horten IX V-1 correctly as being tested as a glider and the Horton IX V-2 as a fully powered aircraft. He goes on to say that the Horten 9 V-2 "is being tested at Oranienbueg now". So at the time of this interview, the Horten IX V-2 was still flying and had not crashed yet. The Horten 9/Gotha 229 had a low radar return. The Germans knew this and planned a radar repelling type of paint for it that was already used on submarines. These features would make the Horton iX the first stealth aircraft, a fact much mentioned concerning the history of the American B-2 bomber. In fact, American engineers visited the remaining partially assembled Gotha 229 in Maryland to get ideas for the B-2. But the speed given by Berger, 719 miles per hour, puts the Horton IX in a class by itself. By this it is meant that this speed and ceiling altitude exceed both the Soviet Mig 15 and the American F86 'Sabre' of Korean War vintage, five or six years later. If we listen, we can hear echoes of the undervaluation of German aircraft at the highest levels, even within the American aerospace industry. Aircraft legend Howard Hughes owned a captured Me 262. Hughes was a big fan and participant in something called aircraft racing during those post-war years. Towering pylons would mark out a course of several miles in the California desert and aircraft would race around this course. When Hughes' rival company, North American Aviation came out with its F-86 'Sabre', Howard Hughes challenged the US Air Force to a one-on-one match race of their new 'Sabre' jet against his old German Me 262. The Air Force declined. Obviously, there is some unspoken fact behind the Air Force decision. The 'Sabre' was said to be "trans-sonic" or having a top speed of about 650 mph, with a ceiling of 45,000 ft. If the US Air Force wanted no part of a contest with the real Me 262, not the paper projection, what would they have thought of a head to head match with the Horton iX? Yet, the Horton IX was a stealth aircraft. The Americans didn't even recognize what a stealth aircraft was until over 30 years later and even then they always wanted to couch the comparison of the Horton IX to the B-2 stealth bomber. That comparison is fallacious and perhaps designed to hide something else. Let's compare the Horten 9 to the F-117 stealth fighter instead. The F-117 has vertical control surfaces and may be, in fact, less stealthy than the Horton IX. Both had special radar absorbing paint. But the F-117 is not supersonic. The F-117 is generally conceded to fly about 650 mph, about the same as the F-86 'Sabre', while the Horton 9 could be faster at 719 mph. Another difference is that the Horton IX carried two 37 mm cannons while the F-117 has no guns or rockets and so is really not a fighter at all but only a first-strike bomber. There are other examples but we should both watch for these tactics and recognize that the government is reluctant to fully credit the Germans for their advances during the war and we should recognize that they will go to some lengths to maintain the secrecy status quo. These tactics also include false comparisons and outright deception. The Flugfunk Forschungsinstitut Oberpfaffenhofen, abbreviated F.F.O. The F.F.O. was a pure research organization specializing in aeronautical radio research for the Luftwaffe. This organization seems to have specialized in work of jamming radar. This was a large organization and had many physical sites of operation. When the war drew to a conclusion, all the secret research done at the F.F.O. was burnt. What we know and what remains consist largely of what was remembered by the individual scientists involved and their private libraries. It is not unreasonable to assume that some secrets went forever unspoken after those ashes cooled, however. The F.F.O. developed several types of klystrons. A klystron tube is used to produce ultra-high frequencies and was employed to generate frequencies in order to jam radar. "Measurement on the conductivity and dielectric properties of flame gases are being conducted by Dr. Lutze at Seeshaupt. They are intended to provide knowledge of the effects to be expected with radio control of rockets and to say how much the flame and trail of a V-2 contributes to radar reflections". So the F.F.O. was measuring the conductivity and radar reflectional properties of exhaust gases? Placing a cathode in the exhaust of a jet or rocket was the Flame Jet Generator of Dr. T.T. Brown. This procedure induced a negative charge to the exhaust. A corresponding positive charge is automatically induced on the wing's leading edge. This combination bends radar signals around the aircraft and is one method used by the B-2 bomber. The Horton IX, had recessed intake and exhaust ports. It had no vertical control surfaces. Therefore, its radar reflection was already super-low. There is no trouble imagining this aircraft painted with radar absorbing paint as was planned, but how about inducing a radar-bending envelope of charged particles around this aircraft? And how about fitting this aircraft with a klystron tube in its nose pumping out the same frequency used by Allied radar, jamming it or making the aircraft invisible to radar? If we can imagine this, so could the scientists with the F.F.O. If the war had lasted another year, the Allies might have faced not only a 700 mile per hour Horton IX, but a Horton IX which was also a true stealth aircraft in the modern sense. -- Henry Stevens, "Hitler's Suppressed and Still-Secret Weapons, Science and Technology" As they developed the 229, the Horten brothers measured the wing's performance against the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. According to Reimar and Walter, the Me 262 had a much higher wing loading than the Ho 229 and the Messerschmitt required such a long runway for take off that only a few airfields in Germany could accommodate it. The Ho 229 wing loading was considerably lower and this would have allowed it to operate from airfields with shorter runways. Reimar also believed, perhaps naively, that his wing could take off and land from a runway surfaced with grass but the Me 262 could not. If these had been true, a Ho 229 pilot would have had many more airfields from which to fly than his counterpart in the Messerschmitt jet. Successful test flights in the Ho 229 V1 led to construction of the first powered wing, the Ho 229 V2, but poor communication with the engine manufacturers caused lengthy delays in finishing this aircraft. Horten first selected the 003 jet engine manufactured by BMW but then switched to the Junkers 004 power plants. Reimar built much of the wing center section based on the engine specifications sent by Junkers but when two motors finally arrived and Reimar's team tried to install them, they found the power plants were too large in diameter to fit the space built for them. Months passed while Horten redesigned the wing and the jet finally flew in mid-December 1944. Full of fuel and ready to fly, the Horten Ho 229 V2 weighed about nine tons and thus it resembled a medium-sized, multi-engine bomber such as the Heinkel He 111. The Horten brothers believed that a military pilot with experience flying heavy multi-engine aircraft was required to safely fly the jet wing and Scheidhauer lacked these skills so Walter brought in veteran Luftwaffe pilot Lt. Erwin Ziller. Sources differ between two and four on the number of flights that Ziller logged but during his final test flight an engine failed and the jet wing crashed, killing Ziller. According to an eyewitness, Ziller made three passes at an altitude of about 2,000 m [6,560 ft] so that a team from the Rechlin test center could measure his speed using a theodolite measuring instrument. Ziller then approached the airfield to land, lowered his landing grear at about 1,500 m [4,920 ft], and began to fly a wide descending spiral before crashing just beyond the airfield boundary. It was clear to those who examined the wreckage that one engine had failed but the eyewitness saw no control movements or attempt to line up with the runway and he suspected that something had incapacitated Ziller, perhaps fumes from the operating engine. Walter was convinced that the engine failure did not result in uncontrollable yaw and argued that Ziller could have shut down the functioning engine and glided to a survivable crash landing, perhaps even reached the runway and landed without damage. Walter also believed that someone might have sabotaged the airplane but whatever the cause, he remembered it was an awful event. "All our work was over at this moment". The crash must have disappointed Reimar as well. Ziller's test flights seemed to indicate the potential for great speed, perhaps a maximum of 977 km/h [606 mph]. Although never confirmed, such performance would have helped to answer the Luftwaffe technical experts who criticized the all-wing configuration. At the time of Ziller's crash, the Reich Air Ministry had scheduled series production of 15-20 machines at the firm Gotha Waggonfabrik Flugzeugbau and the Klemm company had begun preparing to manufacture wing ribs and other parts when the war ended. Horten had planned to arm the third prototype with cannons but the war ended before this airplane was finished. Unbeknownst to the Horten brothers, Gotha designers substantially altered Horten's original design when they built the V3 airframe. For example, they used a much larger nose wheel compared to the unit fitted to the V2 and Reimar speculated that the planned 1,000 kg [2,200 lb] bomb load may have influenced them but he believed that all of the alterations that they made were unnecessary. The U.S. VIII Corps of General Patton's Third Army found the Horten 229 prototypes V3 through V6 at Friedrichsroda in April 1945. Horten had designed airframes V4 and V5 as single-seat night fighters and V6 would have become a two-seat night fighter trainer. V3 was 75 percent finished and nearest to completion of the four airframes. Army personnel removed it later and shipped it to the U.S., via the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, England. Reports indicate the British displayed the jet during fall 1945 and eventually the incomplete center section arrived at Silver Hill [now the Paul E. Garber Facility in Suitland, Maryland] about 1950. There is no evidence that the outer wing sections were recovered at Friedrichsroda but members of the 9th Air Force Air Disarmament Division found a pair of wings 121 km [75 miles] from this village and these might be the same pair now included with the Ho 229 V3. Reimar and Walter Horten demonstrated that a fighter-class all-wing aircraft could successfully fly propelled by jet turbine engines but Ziller's crash and the end of the war prevented them from demonstrating the full potential of the configuration. The wing was clearly a bold and unusual design of considerable merit, particularly if Reimar actually aimed to design a "Stealth Bomber" but as a tailless fighter-bomber armed with massive 30mm cannon placed wide apart in the center section, the wing would probably have been a poor gun platform and found little favor among fighter pilots. Walter argued rather strenuously with his brother to place a vertical stabilizer on this airplane. Like most of the so-called "Nazi wonder weapons" the Horten IX was an interesting concept that was poorly executed. One of Reimar Horten's projects after the war began was an all-wing transport glider for the invasion of Britain. Not until August 1941 was Reimar asked to explore the potential of the Nurflügel as a fighting aircraft, and even then his work was largely clandestine, in an authorized operation arranged by his brother in the Luftwaffe. In 1942 Reimar built an unpowered prototype with a 61-foot span and the designation Ho 9. After some difficulty the airframe was mated with two Junkers Jumo turbojets of the sort developed for the Messerschmitt Me 262. The turbojet was apparently flown successfully in December 1944, and it eventually achieved a speed of nearly 500 mph [800 km/h]. After about two hours of flying time, it was destroyed in a February 1945 crash that killed its test pilot. Its potential was obvious, however, and the Gotha company promptly readied the turbojet for production as a fighter-bomber with the Air Ministry designation Ho 229. [Because Gotha built it, the turbojet is also called the Go 229]. Supposedly it would fly at 997 km/h [623 mph], which if true meant that it was significantly faster than the Me 262 - let alone the Flying Wings that Northrop was building. Fortunately for the Allies, the Gotha factory and the Ho 229 prototype -the world's first all-wing turbojet- were captured by U.S. forces in April 1945. Like today's B-2 Stealth bomber [and unlike Jack Northrop's designs], the Go-229 had a comparatively slender airfoil, with the crew and engines housed in dorsal humps, and its jet exhaust was vented onto the top surface of the wing. The first feature made it faster than the stubby Northrop designs; the second made it even harder to detect, as did the fact that wood was extensively used in its construction. One reason that the Ho 229 never got into production was that Reimar Horten was distracted that winter by another urgent project: The Ho 18 Amerika bomber. This huge, six-engined Nurflügel was supposed to carry an atomic bomb to New York or Washington, despite the fact that the bomb was mostly theoretical, the engines probably couldn't have lasted the journey, and the plane couldn't possibly have been completed before Germany surrendered. [At 132 feet, its span was a bit less than that of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the largest warplane of World War II, but considerably shorter than the Northrop XB-35 that was in the works from 1941 to 1946]. Several Nurflügels came to the U.S. as war booty, including the center section of the Ho 229. Four of them are now back in Germany for restoration, with one to remain there when the work is finished, while the other three rejoin the collection of the Air & Space Museum. A restored Horten sailplane is on display at Planes of Fame in Chino, California, which also owns a Northrop N-9M, a technology demonstrator roughly the size of the Ho 229, but much less sophisticated. It was nighttime on the Rio Grande, 29 May 1947, and Army scientists, engineers, and technicians at the White Sands Proving Ground in New Mexico were anxiously putting the final touches on their own American secret weapon, called 'Hermes'. The twenty-five-foot-long, three-thousand-pound rocket had originally been named V-2, or Vergeltungswaffe 2, which means "vengeance" in German. But 'Hermes' sounded less spiteful; Hermes being the ancient Greek messenger of the gods. The actual rocket that now stood on Test Stand 33 had belonged to Adolf Hitler just a little more than two years before. It had come off the same German slave-labor production lines as the rockets that the Third Reich had used to terrorize the people of London, Antwerp, and Paris during the war. The U.S. Army had confiscated nearly two hundred V-2s from inside Peenemünde, Germany's rocket manufacturing plant, and shipped them to White Sands beginning the first month after the war. Under a parallel, even more secret project called "Operation Paperclip" the complete details of which remain classified as of 2011, 118 captured German rocket scientists were given new lives and careers and brought to the missile range. Hundreds of others would follow. Two of these German scientists were now readying 'Hermes' for its test launch. One, Wernher Von Braun, had invented this rocket, which was the world's first ballistic missile, or flying bomb. And the second scientist, Dr. Ernst Steinhoff, had designed the V-2 rocket's brain. That spring night in 1947, the V-2 lifted up off the pad, rising slowly at first, with von Braun and Steinhoff watching intently. 'Hermes' consumed more than a thousand pounds of rocket fuel in its first 2.5 seconds as it elevated to fifty feet. The next fifty feet were much easier, as were the hundred feet after that. The rocket gained speed, and the laws of physics kicked in: Aything can fly if you make it move fast enough. 'Hermes' was now fully aloft, climbing quickly into the night sky and headed for the upper atmosphere. At least that was the plan. Just a few moments later, the winged missile suddenly and unexpectedly reversed course. Instead of heading north to the uninhabited terrain inside the two-million-square-acre White Sands Proving Ground, the rocket began heading south toward downtown El Paso, Texas. Dr. Steinhoff was watching the missile's trajectory through a telescope from an observation post one mile south of the launchpad, and having personally designed the V-2 rocket-guidance controls back when he worked for Adolf Hitler, Dr. Steinhoff was the one best equipped to recognize errors in the test. In the event that Steinhoff detected an errant launch, he would notify Army engineers, who would immediately cut the fuel to the rocket's motors via remote control, allowing it to crash safely inside the missile range. But Dr. Steinhoff said nothing as the misguided V-2 arced over El Paso and headed for Mexico. Minutes later, the rocket crash-landed into the Tepeyac Cemetery, three miles south of Juarez, a heavily populated city of 120,000. The violent blast shook virtually every building in El Paso and Juarez, terrifying citizens of both cities, who swamped newspaper offices, police headquarters and radio stations with anxious telephone inquiries. The missile left a crater that was fifty feet wide and twenty-four feet deep. It was a miracle no one was killed. Army officials rushed to Juarez to smooth over the event while Mexican soldiers were dispatched to guard the crater's rim. The mission, the men, and the rocket were all classified top secret; no one could know specific details about any of this. Investigators silenced Mexican officials by cleaning up the large, bowl-shaped cavity and paying for damages. But back at White Sands, reparations were not so easily made. Allegations of sabotage by the German scientists who were in charge of the top secret project overwhelmed the workload of the Intelligence officers at White Sands. Attitudes toward the former Third Reich scientists who were now working for the United States tended to fall into two distinct categories at the time. There was the let-bygones-be-bygones approach, an attitude summed up by the Army officer in charge of 'Operation Paperclip', Bosquet Wev, who stated that to preoccupy oneself with "picayune details" about German scientists' past actions was "beating a dead Nazi horse". The logic behind this thinking was that a disbanded Third Reich presented no future harm to America but a burgeoning Soviet military certainly did and if the Germans were working for us, they couldn't be working for them. Others disagreed, including Albert Einstein. Five months before the Juarez crash, Einstein and the newly formed Federation of American Scientists appealed to President Truman: "We hold these individuals to be potentially dangerous¡­ Their former eminence as Nazi party members and supporters raises the issue of their fitness to become American citizens and hold key positions in American industrial, scientific and educational institutions". For Einstein, making deals with war criminals was undemocratic as well as dangerous. While the public debate went on, internal investigations began. And the rocket work at White Sands continued. The German scientists had been testing V-2s there for fourteen months, and while investigations of the Juarez rocket crash were under way, three more missiles fired from Test Stand 33 crash-landed outside the restricted facility: one near Alamogordo, New Mexico, and another near Las Cruces, New Mexico. A third went down outside Juarez, Mexico, again. The German scientists blamed the near tragedies on old V-2 components. Seawater had corroded some of the parts during the original boat trip from Germany. But in top secret written reports, Army Intelligence officers were building a case that would lay blame on the German scientists. The War Department Intelligence unit that kept tabs on the German scientists had designated some of the Germans at the base as "under suspicion of being potential security risks". When not working, the men were confined to a six-acre section of the base. The officers' club was off-limits to all the Germans, including the rocket team's leaders, Steinhoff and von Braun. It was in this atmosphere of failed tests and mistrust that an extra-ordinary event happened, one that, at first glance, seemed totally unrelated to the missile launches. During the first week of July 1947, U.S. Signal Corps engineers began tracking two objects with remarkable flying capabilities moving across the southwestern United States. What made the aircraft extra-ordinary was that, although they flew in a traditional, forward-moving motion, the craft, whatever they were, began to hover sporadically before continuing to fly on. This kind of technology was beyond any aerodynamic capabilities the U.S. Air Force had in development in the summer of 1947. When multiple sources began reporting the same data, it became clear that the radar wasn't showing phantom returns, or electronic ghosts, but something real. Kirtland Army Air Force Base, just north of the White Sands Proving Ground, tracked the flying craft into its near vicinity. The commanding officer there ordered a decorated World War II pilot named Kenny Chandler into a fighter jet to locate and chase the unidentified flying craft. This fact has never before been disclosed. Chandler never visually spotted what he'd been sent to look for. But within hours of Chandler's sweep of the skies, one of the flying objects crashed near Roswell, New Mexico. Immediately, the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or JCS, took command and control and recovered the airframe and some propulsion equipment, including the crashed craft's power plant, or energy source. The recovered craft looked nothing like a conventional aircraft. The vehicle had no tail and it had no wings. The fuselage was round, and there was a dome mounted on the top. In secret Army intelligence memos declassified in 1994, it would be referred to as a "flying disc". Most alarming was a fact kept secret until now, inside the disc, there was a very earthly hallmark: Russian writing. Block letters from the Cyrillic alphabet had been stamped, or embossed, in a ring running around the inside of the craft. In a critical moment, the American military had its worst fears realized. The Russian army must have gotten its hands on German aerospace engineers more capable than Ernst Steinhoff and Wernher von Braun, engineers who must have developed this flying craft years before for the German air force, or Luftwaffe. The Russians simply could not have developed this kind of advanced technology on their own. Russia's stockpile of weapons and its body of scientists had been decimated during the war; the nation had lost more than twenty million people. Most Russian scientists still alive had spent the war in the Gulag. But the Russians, like the Americans, the British, and the French, had pillaged Hitler's best and brightest scientists as war booty, each country taking advantage of them to move forward in the new world. And now, in July of 1947, shockingly, the Soviet supreme leader had somehow managed not only to penetrate U.S. airspace near the Alaskan border, but to fly over several of the most sensitive military installations in the western United States. Stalin had done this with foreign technology that the U.S. Army Air Forces knew nothing about. It was an incursion so brazen, so antithetical to the perception of America's strong national security, which included the military's ability to defend itself against air attack, that upper-echelon Army Intelligence officers swept in and took control of the entire situation. The first thing they did was initiate the withdrawal of the original Roswell Army Air Field press release, the one that stated that a "flying disc"­ landed on a ranch near Roswell, and then they replaced it with the second press release, the one that said that a weather balloon had crashed, nothing more. The weather balloon story has remained the official cover story ever since. Of all the historically significant political/military events of the 20th Century, none have had more official explanations than the so called "Roswell Incident". In fact, as of 2011, the United States government has issued four sanctioned explanations: 1) The crash of a flying saucer, 2) the remains of a weather balloon, 3) the remains of a "Project Mogul" balloon, 4) Crash test dummies. Logic alone would dictate that if the government lied about the last three explanations, why should the general public believe the first one? The fears were legitimate: fears that the Russians had hover-and fly technology, that their flying craft could outfox U.S. radar, and that it could deliver to America a devastating blow. The single most worrisome question facing the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time was: What if atomic energy propelled the Russian craft? Or worse, what if it dispersed radioactive particles, like a modern-day dirty bomb? In 1947, the United States believed it still had a monopoly on the atomic bomb as a deliverable weapon. But as early as June 1942, Hermann Göring, commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, had been overseeing the Third Reich's research council on nuclear physics as a weapon in its development of an airplane called the "Amerika Bomber", designed to drop a dirty bomb on New York City. Any number of those scientists could be working for the Russians. The Central Intelligence Group, the CIA's institutional predecessor, did not yet know that a spy at Los Alamos National Laboratory, a man named Klaus Fuchs, had stolen bomb blueprints and given them to Stalin. Or that Russia was two years away from testing its own atomic bomb. In the immediate aftermath of the crash, all the Joint Chiefs of Staff had to go on from the Central Intelligence Group was speculation about what atomic technology Russia might have. For the military, the very fact that New Mexico's airspace had been violated was shocking. This region of the country was the single most sensitive weapons-related domain in all of America. The White Sands Missile Range was home to the nation's classified weapons-delivery systems. The nuclear laboratory up the road, the Los Alamos Laboratory, was where scientists had developed the atomic bomb and where they were now working on nuclear packages with a thousand times the yield. Outside Albuquerque, at a production facility called Sandia Base, assembly-line workers were forging Los Alamos nuclear packages into smaller and smaller bombs. Forty-five miles to the southwest, at the Roswell Army Air Field, the 509th Bomb Wing was the only wing of long-range bombers equipped to carry and drop nuclear bombs. Things went from complicated to critical at the revelation that there was a second crash site. Paperclip scientists Wernher von Braun and Ernst Steinhoff, still under review over the Juarez rocket crash, were called on for their expertise. Several other Paperclip scientists specializing in aviation medicine were brought in. The evidence of whatever had crashed at and around Roswell, New Mexico, in the first week of July in 1947 was gathered together by a Joint Chiefs of Staff technical services unit and secreted away in a manner so clandestine, it followed security protocols established for transporting uranium in the early days of the Manhattan Project. The first order of business was to determine where the technology had come from. The Joint Chiefs of Staff tasked an elite group working under the direct orders of G-2 Army intelligence to initiate a top secret project called "Operation Harass". Based on the testimony of America's Paperclip scientists, Army intelligence officers believed that the flying disc was the brainchild of two former Third Reich airplane engineers, named Walter and Reimar Horten, now working for the Russian military. Orders were drawn up. The manhunt was on. Walter and Reimar Horten were two aerospace engineers whose importance in seminal aircraft projects had somehow been overlooked when America and the Soviet Union were fighting over scientists at the end of the war. The brothers were the inventors of several of Hitler's flying-wing aircraft, including one called the Horten 229 or Horten IX, a wing-shaped, tailless airplane that had been developed at a secret facility in Baden-Baden during the war. From the Paperclip scientists at Wright Field, the Army Intelligence investigators learned that Hitler was rumored to have been developing a faster-flying aircraft that had been designed by the brothers and was shaped like a saucer. Maybe, the Paperclips said, there had been a later-model Horten in the works before Germany surrendered, meaning that even if Stalin didn't have the Horten brothers themselves, he could very likely have gotten control of their blueprints and plans. The flying disc that crashed at Roswell had technology more advanced than anything the U.S. Army Air Forces had ever seen. Its propulsion techniques were particularly confounding. What made the craft go so fast? How was it so stealthy and how did it trick radar? The disc had appeared on Army radar screens briefly and then suddenly disappeared. The incident at Roswell happened just weeks before the National Security Act, which meant there was no true Central Intelligence Agency to handle the investigation. Instead, hundreds of Counter Intelligence Corps [CIC] officers from the U.S. Army's European command were dispatched across Germany in search of anyone who knew anything about Walter and Reimar Horten. Officers tracked down and interviewed the brothers' relatives, colleagues, professors, and acquaintances with an urgency not seen since Operation ALSOS, in which Allied Forces sought information about Hitler's atomic scientists and nuclear programs during the war. A records group of more than three hundred pages of Army Intelligence documents reveals many of the details of "Operation Harass". They were declassified in 1994, after a researcher named Timothy Cooper filed a request for documents under the Freedom of Information Act. One memo, called 'Air Intelligence Guide for Alleged Flying Saucer Type Aircraft', detailed for CIC officers the parameters of the flying saucer technology the military was looking for, features which were evidenced in the craft that crashed at Roswell. Extreme maneuverability and apparent ability to almost hover; a plan form approximating that of an oval or disc with dome shape on the surface; the ability to quickly disappear by high speed or by complete disintegration; the ability to group together very quickly in a tight formation when more than one aircraft are together; evasive motion ability indicating possibility of being manually operated, or possibly, by electronic or remote control. The Counter Intelligence Corps' official 1947 C1948 manhunt for the Horten brothers reads at times like a spy novel and at times like a wild goose chase. The first real lead in the hunt came from Dr. Adolf Smekal of Frankfurt, who provided CIC with a list of possible informants' names. Agents were told a dizzying array of alleged facts: Reimar was living in secret in East Prussia; Reimar was living in Göttingen, in what had been the British zone; Reimar had been kidnapped "presumably by the Russians" in the latter part of 1946. If you want to know where Reimar is, one informant said, you must first locate Hannah Reitsch, the famous aviatrix who was living in Bad Hauheim. As for Walter, he was working as a consultant for the French; he was last seen in Frankfurt trying to find work with a university there; he was in Dessau; actually, he was in Russia; he was in Luxembourg, or maybe it was France. One German scientist turned informant chided CIC agents. If they really wanted to know where the Horten brothers were, he said, and what they were capable of, then go ask the American Paperclip scientists living at Wright Field. Neatly typed and intricately detailed summaries of hundreds of interviews with the Horten brothers' colleagues and relatives flooded the CIC. Army Intelligence officers spent months chasing leads, but most information led them back to square one. In the fall of 1947, prospects of locating the brothers seemed grim until November, when CIC agents caught a break. A former Messerschmitt test pilot named Fritz Wendel offered up some firsthand testimony that seemed real. The Horten brothers had indeed been working on a flying saucer-like craft in Heiligenbeil, East Prussia, right after the war, Wendel said. The airplane was ten meters long and shaped like a half-moon. It had no tail. The prototype was designed to be flown by one man lying down flat on his stomach. It reached a ceiling of twelve thousand feet. Wendel drew diagrams of this saucerlike aircraft, as did a second German informant named Professor George, who described a later model Horten as being "very much like a round cake with a large sector cut out" and that had been developed to carry more than one crew member. The later-model Horten could travel higher and faster, up to 1,200 mph. because it was propelled by rockets rather than jet engines. Its cabin was allegedly pressurized for high-altitude flights. The Americans pressed Fritz Wendel for more. Could it hover? Not that Wendel knew. Did he know if groups could fly tightly together? Wendel said he had no idea. Were "high speed escapement methods" designed into the craft? Wendel wasn't sure. Could the flying disc be remotely controlled? Yes, Wendel said he knew of radio-control experiments being conducted by Siemens and Halske at their electrical factory in Berlin. Army officers asked Wendel if he had heard of any hovering or near-hovering technologies. No. Did Wendel have any idea about the tactical purposes for such an aircraft? Wendel said he had no idea. The next batch of solid information came from a rocket engineer named Walter Ziegler. During the war, Ziegler had worked at the car manufacturer Bayerische Motoren Werke, or BMW, which served as a front for advanced rocket-science research. There, Ziegler had been on a team tasked with developing advanced fighter jets powered by rockets. Ziegler relayed a chilling tale that gave investigators an important clue. One night, about a year after the war, in September of 1946, four hundred men from his former rocket group at BMW had been invited by Russian military officers to a fancy dinner. The rocket scientists were wined and dined and, after a few hours, taken home. Most were drunk. Several hours later, all four hundred of the men were woken up in the middle of the night by their Russian hosts and told they were going to be taking a trip. Why Ziegler wasn't among them was not made clear. The Germans were told to bring their wives, their children, and whatever else they needed for a long trip. Mistresses and livestock were also fine. This was not a situation to which you could say no, Ziegler explained. The scientists and their families were transported by rail to a small town outside Moscow where they had remained ever since, forced to work on secret military projects in terrible conditions. According to Ziegler, it was at this top secret Russian facility, exact whereabouts unknown, that the German scientists were developing rockets and other advanced technologies under Russian supervision. These were Russia's version of the American Paperclip scientists. It was very possible, Ziegler said, that the Horten brothers had been working for the Russians at the secret facility there. For nine long months, CIC agents typed up memo after memo relating various theories about where the Horten brothers were, what their flying saucers might have been designed for, and what leads should or should not be pursued. And then, six months into the investigation, on 12 March 1948, along came abrupt news. The Horten brothers had been found. In a memo to the European command of the 970th CIC, Major Earl S. Browning Jr. explained. "The Horten Brothers have been located and interrogated by American Agencies", Browning said. The Russians had likely found the blueprints of the flying wing after all. "It is Walter Horten's opinion that the blueprints of the Horten IX may have been found by Russian troops at the Gotha Railroad Car Factory", the memo read. But a second memo, entitled 'Extracts on Horten', Walter, explained a little more. Former Messerschmitt test pilot Fritz Wendel's information about the Horten brothers' wingless, tailless, saucerlike craft that had room for more than one crew member was confirmed. "Walter Horten's opinion is that sufficient German types of flying wings existed in the developing or designing stages when the Russians occupied Germany, and these types may have enabled the Russians to produce the flying saucer". There is no mention of Reimar Horten, the second brother, in any of the hundreds of pages of documents released to Timothy Cooper as part of his Freedom of Information Act request, despite the fact that both brothers had been confirmed as located and interrogated. Nor is there any mention of what Reimar Horten did or did not say about the later-model Horten flying discs. But one memo mentioned "the Horten X" Due to the rapidly deteriorating war conditions in Germany in the last months of WWII, the RLM [Reichs Luftfahrt Ministerium, or German Air Ministry] issued a specification for a fighter project that would use a minimum of strategic materials, be suitable for rapid mass production and have a performance equal to the best piston engined fighters of the time. The 'Volksjäger' [People's Fighter] project, as it became known, was issued on 8 September 1944 to Arado, Blohm & Voss, Fiesler, Focke-Wulf, Junkers, Heinkel, Messerschmitt and Siebel. The new fighter also needed to weigh no more than 2000 kg [4410 lbs], have a maximum speed of 750 km/h [457 mph], a minimum endurance of 30 minutes, a takeoff distance of 500 m [1604 ft], an endurance of at least 30 minutes and it was to use the BMW 003 turbojet. Although not chosen to submit a design, the Horten Brothers came up with the Ho X that met the specifications laid out by the RLM. Using a similar concept that they had been working on with their Horten IX [Ho 229] flying wing fighter, the Ho X was to be constructed of steel pipes covered with plywood panels in the center section, with the outer sections constructed from two-ply wood beams covered in plywood. The wing featured two sweepbacks, approximately 60 degrees at the nose, tapering into a 43 degree sweepback out to the wingtips. Control was to be provided by combined ailerons and elevators at the wingtips, along with drag surfaces at the wingtips for lateral control. A single BMW 003E jet engine with 900 kp of thrust was housed in the rear of the aircraft, which was fed by two air intakes on either side of the cockpit. One advantage to this design was that different jet engines could be accommodated, such as the Heinkel-Hirth He S 011 with 1300 kp of thrust, which was to be added later after its development was complete. The landing gear was to be of a tricycle arrangement and the pilot sat in a pressurized cockpit in front of the engine compartment. Armament consisted of a single MK 108 30mm cannon [or a single MK 213 30mm cannon] in the nose and two MG 131 13mm machine guns, one in each wing root. In order to determine the center of gravity on various sweepback angles, scale models with a 3.05 meter [10 feet] wingspan were built. A full-sized glider was also under construction but was not completed before the war's end. Due to the ending of hostilities in 1945, the Horten Ho X was not completed. Of the competing firms the Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger a single-engine, jet-powered fighter aircraft, designed and built quickly, and made primarily of wood as metals were in very short supply and prioritised for other aircraft, was the winner. The He 162 was the fastest of the first generation of Axis and Allied jets. Other names given to the plane include 'Salamander', which was the codename of its construction program, and 'Spatz' [Sparrow], which was the name given to the plane by Heinkel. and another referred to "the Horten XIII" . No further details have been provided, and a 2011 Freedom of Information Act request by the author met a dead end. The Horten Ho XIII B supersonic flying wing fighter was developed from the Ho XIII A glider, which had 60 degree swept-back wings and an underslung nacelle for the pilot. The XIII B was to be powered by a single BMW 003R turbojet/rocket engine. The cockpit was located in the base of a large, sharply swept vertical fin. Like the research XIII A glider, the XIII B also had swept back wings at a 60 degree angle. Projected armament were two MG 213 20mm cannon, and the Ho XIII B was projected to be flying by mid-1946. On 12 May 1948, the headquarters of European command sent the director of Intelligence at the United States Forces in Austria a puzzling memo. "Walter Horten has admitted his contacts with the Russians", it said. That was the last mention of the Horten brothers in the Army Intelligence's declassified record for "Operation Harass". Whatever else officially exists on the Horten brothers and their advanced flying saucer continues to be classified as of 2011, and the crash remains from Roswell quickly fell into the blackest regions of government. They would stay at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for approximately four years. From there, they would quietly be shipped out west to become intertwined with a secret facility out in the middle of the Nevada desert. No one but a handful of people would have any idea they were there. Lt Col Walker, at the Air Material Command, asked his operatives in the field to discretely track down the Horten brothers and ascertain whether their radical "Flying Wing" designs - developed during WWII - might be responsible for the rash of Flying Saucer sightings in 1947. 1. The Horten brothers, Reimar and Walter, are residing in Göttingen at present. However, both of them are traveling a great deal throughout the Bi-Zone. Walter at present is traveling in Bavaria in search of a suitable place of employment. It is believed that he may have contacted USAFE Head-quarters in Wiesbaden for possible evacuation to the United States under "Paper Clip". Reimer is presently studying advanced mathematics at the university of Bonn, and is about to obtain his doctor's degree. It is believed that when his studies are completed he intends to accept a teaching position at the Institute for Technology [Techniscbe Hochschule] in Braunschweig sometime in February or March 1948. 2. Both brothers are exceedingly peculiar and can be easily classified as eccentric and individualistic. Especially is this so of Reimar. He is the one who developed the theory of the flying wing and subsequently of all the models and aircrafts built by the brothers. Walter, on the other hand is the engineer who tried to put into practice the several somewhat fantastic ideas of his brother. The clash of personalities resulted in a continuous quarrel and friction between the two brothers. Reimar was always developing new ideas which would increase the speed of the aircraft or improve its manoeuvrability; Walter on the other hand was tearing down the fantastic ideas of his brother by practical calculations and considerations. 3. The two men worked together up to and including the "Horten VIII" a flying wing intended to be a fighter plane powered with two Hirt engines [HM-60-R] with a performance of approximately 650 horsepower each. After the "Horten VIII" was finished, one of the usual and frequent quarrels separated the two brothers temporarily. Walter went to work alone on the "Horten IX", which is a fighter plane of the flying wing design, with practically no changes from the model VIII except for the engines. Walter substituted the Hirt engines with BMW Jets of the type TL-004. The plane was made completely of plywood and was furnished with a Messerschmidt ME-109 Landing gear. The model of this aircraft (Horten IX) was tested extensively in the supersonic wind tunnel [Mach No. 1.0] of the aero-dynamic testing institute [Aerodynamische Versuchsanstalt, located in Göttingen. The tests were conducted in the late summer of 1944 under the personal supervision of Professor Betz, chief of the institute. Betz at that time was approximately sixty years old and next to Prandtel [then seventy-eight years old], was considered to be the best man on aerodynamics in Germany. Betz's attitude toward the flying wing is very conservative to say the least. Basically he is against the design of any flying wing. According to the official reports about the tests, air disturbances were created on the wing tips, resulting in air vacuums, which in turn would prevent the steering mechanism from functioning properly. This seems logical as, of course, neither the ailerons nor the rudders could properly accomplish their function in a partial vacuum created by air disturbances and whirls. In spite of that, two Horten IX's were built and tried out by a test pilot, Eugen [now living in Gottingen] at Rechlin in the fall of 1944. One of the two planes, piloted by another test pilot, developed trouble with one of the jet engines while the pilot was trying to ascertain the maximum rate of climb. The right jet stopped suddenly, causing the aircraft to go into an immediate spin and subsequent crash in which the pilot was killed. Eugen, however, was more fortunate in putting the other ship through all the necessary paces without the least trouble. He maintains that the maximum speed attained was around 950 km per hour, and that there were no steering difficulties whatsoever, and that the danger of both head and tail spins was no greater that any other conventional aircraft. After extensive tests, the Horten IX was accepted by the German Air Force as represented by Göring, who ordered immediate mass production. The first order went to Gothaer Waggon Fabrik, located in Gotha [Thuringia] in January 1945. Göring requested that ten planes be built immediately and that the entire factory was to concentrate and be converted to the production of the Horten IX. The firm in question received all the plans and designs of the ship. In spite of this explicit order, production of the Horten IX was never started. The technical manager of the firm, Berthold, immediately upon receipt of the plans, submitted a number of suggestions to improve the aircraft. It is believed that his intention was to eliminate the Horten brothers as inventors and to modify the ship to such an extent that it would be more his brain child than anybody else's. Numerous letters were exchanged from High Command of the German Air Force and Dr. Berthold, which finally were interrupted by the armistice in May 1945. When US troops occupied the town of Gotha, the designs of the Horten IX were kept in hiding and not handed over to American Military authorities. The original designs in possession of the Horten brothers were hidden in a salt mine in Salzdettfurt, but the model tested by Eugen was destroyed in April 1945. The original designs were recovered from Salzdettfurt by British authorities in the summer of 1945. The Horten brothers, together with Dr. Betz, Eugen and Dr. Stüper [the test pilot of the aerodynamic institute in Gottingen], were invited to go to England in the late summer of 1945 where they remained for approximately ninety days. They were interrogated and questioned about their ideas and were given several problems to work on. However Reimar was very unwilling to cooperate to any extent whatsoever, unless an immediate contract was offered to him and his brother. Walter, on the other hand, not being a theoretician, was unable to comply and Reimar was sufficiently stubborn not to move a finger. Upon their return to Göttingen Walter remained in contact with British authorities and was actually paid a salary by the British between October 1945 and April 1946, as the British contemplated but never did offer him employment. Walter subsequently had a final argument with his brother and the two decided to part. Reimar then went to the university of Bonn to obtain his degree, and Walter organized an engineering office in Göttingen which served as a cover firm to keep him out of trouble with the labor authorities. Walter married Fräulein von der Gröben, an extremely intelligent woman, former chief secretary to Air Force General Udet. In the spring of 1947 Walter Horten heard about the flying wing design in the United States by Northrop and decided to write Northrop for employment. He was answered in the summer of 1947 by a letter in which Northrop pointed out that he, himself, could not do anything to get him over to the States, but that he would welcome it very much if he could come to the United States and take up employment with the firm. He recommended that Walter should get in touch with USAFE Headquarters in Wiesbaden in order to obtain necessary clearance. 4. As can be seen from the above, most of the Hortens' work took place in Western Germany. According to our source, neither of the brothers ever had any contact with any representative of the Soviet Air Force or any other foreign power. In spite of the fact that Reimar is rather disgusted with the British for not offering him a contract, it is believed very unlikely that he has approached the Soviet authorities in order to sell out to them. The only possible link between the Horten brothers and the Soviet authorities is the fact that a complete set of plans and designs were hidden at the Gothaer Waggon Fabrik and the knowledge of this is known by Dr. Berthold and a number of other engineers. It is possible and likely that either Berthold or any of the others having knowledge of the Horten IX would have sold out to the Soviet authorities for one of a number of reasons. However, this will be checked upon in the future, and it is hoped that contact with the the Gothaer Waggon Fabrik can be established. All the above mentioned people contacted independently and at different times are very insistent on the fact that to their knowledge and belief no such design ever existed nor was projected by any of the German air research institutions. While they agree that such a design would be highly practical and desirable, they do not know anything about its possible realization now or in the past. First, some excerpts from: "The Horten Flying Wing in World War II: The History & Development of the Ho 229", by H. P. Dabrowski, translated from the German by David Johnson [Schiffer Military History Vol. 47]. "In February 1945 Heinz Scheidhauer flew the Ho VII to Göttingen. Hydraulic failure prevented him from extending the aircraft's undercarriage, and he was forced to make a belly landing. The resulting damage had not been repaired when, on 7 April 1945, US troops occupied the airfield. The aircraft presumably suffered the same fate as the Ho V and was burned. "The [Ho IX V1, RLM-Number 8-229] machine was sent to Brandis, where it was to be tested by the military and used for training purposes. It was found there by soldiers of the US 9th Armored Division at the end of the war and was later burned in a 'clearing action'. "Construction of the Ho IX V3 was nearly complete when the Gotha Works at Friederichsroda were overrun by troops of the American 3rd Army's VII Corps on 14 April 1945. The aircraft was assigned the number T2-490 by the Americans. The aircraft's official RLM designation is uncertain, as it was referred to as the Ho 229 as well as the Go 229. Also found in the destroyed and abandoned works were several other prototypes in various stages of construction, including a two-seat version The V3 was sent to the United States by ship, along with other captured aircraft, and finally ended up in the H.H. "Hap" Arnold collection of the Air Force Technical Museum. The wing aircraft was to have been brought to flying status at Park Ridge, Illinois, but budget cuts in the late forties and early fifties brought these plans to an end. The V3 was handed over to the present-day National Air and Space Museum [NASM] in Washington D.C." From these excerpts we see that certainly by late April or early May, 1945, the US had not just knowledge but at least semi-functional examples of the Horten flying wing. Ii can be assumed that the US would have wanted these craft back home for study as soon as was practical. "It is possible within the present U.S. knowledge -provided extensive detailed development is undertaken- to construct a piloted aircraft which has the general description of the object in subparagraph (e) above which would be capable of an approximate range of 700 miles at subsonic speeds". Why only possible? The Horten flying wing(s) had already been in US possession for two years. "Any developments in this country along the lines indicated would be extremely expensive, time consuming and at the considerable expense of current projects and therefore, if directed, should be set up independently of existing projects". Why expensive? The design, prototype and development work had already been completed. Is this a dodge for more money? "Due consideration must be given the following: The possibility that these objects are of domestic origin - the product of some high security project not known to AC/AS-2 or this command". How likely is it that the AMC was unaware of the captured Horten flying wing(s)? "This opinion was arrived at in a conference between personnel from the Air Institute of Technology, Intelligence T-2, Office, Chief of Engineering Division, and the Aircraft, Power Plant and Propeller Laboratories of Engineering Division T-3". How likely is it that these groups were unaware of the captured Horten flying wing(s)? (1) The objects are domestic [U.S.] devices. (2) Objects are foreign, and if so, it would seem most logical to consider that they are from a Soviet source. "The Soviets possess information on a number of German flying-wing type aircraft, such as the Gotha P60A, Junkers EF-130 long-range jet bomber and the Horten 229 twin-jet fighter, which particularly resembles some of the descriptions of unidentified flying objects". This report was prepared by the US Air Force's Directorate of Intelligence and the Office of Naval Intelligence and more than a year has passed since Twining's letter. How is it that these agencies believe that it is the Soviets who have the captured Horten flying wing(s) or just information when, by this time, the US has had them for at least three years? What value would there be in pointing the finger at the Soviets and suggesting that they have aircraft far in advance of our own? Klass contends that the USAF Directorate of Intelligence and the Office of Naval Intelligence demonstrate no knowledge of a Roswell-related crashed object/disk because there wasn't such an incident. Yet, three years after the fact, these same offices demonstrate no knowledge of the US possession of the Horten flying wing(s). Klass can't have it both ways - and neither can the rest of us. If these offices were not aware of the US possession of the Horten flying wing(s) then the so-called UFO cover-up exceeded their need-to-know and began before the Roswell incident. If these offices were aware of the US possession of the Horten flying wing(s) then why would they not acknowledge such [in a Top Secret document that took 37 years to declassify]? Reports of an alien spacecraft being struck by lightning and crashing late at night in early July 1947, near Roswell, New Mexico, were the beginnings of the most compelling event in all UFO lore. Originally reported in the "Fort Worth Star-Telegram" and confirmed by military officials as authentic, the report was later refuted by the military and the crash remains were claimed to be nothing more than a weather balloon. Horten Parabola in 1945, copied by the U.S. postwar? A prototype of the Horten Ho 229 made a successful test flight just before Christmas 1944, but by then time was running out for the Nazis and they were never able to perfect the design or produce more than a handful of prototype planes. However, an engineering team has reconstructed the bomber –albeit one that cannot fly– from blueprints. It was designed with a greater range and speed than any plane previously built and was the first aircraft to use the stealth technology now deployed by the US in its B-2 bombers. It has been recognised that Germany's technological expertise during the war was years ahead of the Allies, from the Panzer tanks through to the V-2 rocket. But, by 1943, the Nazis were keen to develop new weapons as they felt the war was turning against them. Nazi bombers were suffering badly when faced with the speed and manoeuvrability of the Spitfire. In 1943 Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring demanded that designers come up with a bomber that would meet his "1,000, 1,000, 1,000" requirements – one that could carry 1,000kg over 1,000km flying at 1,000km/h. Two pilot brothers in their thirties, Reimar and Walter Horten, suggested a "flying wing" design which they were sure would meet Göring's specifications. The centre pod was made from a welded steel tube, and was designed to be powered by a BMW 003 engine. But the most significant innovation was Reimar Horten's idea to coat it in a mix of charcoal dust and wood glue which he believed would absorb the electromagnetic waves of radar. They hoped that that, in conjunction with the aircraft's sculpted surfaces, would render it almost invisible to radar detectors. This was the same method eventually used by the U.S. in its first stealth aircraft in the early 1980s, the F-117A 'Nighthawk'. Until now, experts had always doubted claims that the Horten could actually function as a stealth aircraft. But, using the blueprints and the only remaining prototype craft, Northrop-Grumman defence firm built a fullsize replica of a Horten Ho 229, which cost £154,000 and took 2,500 man-hours to construct. The aircraft is not completely invisible to the type of radar used in the war, but it would have been stealthy enough and fast enough to reach London before Spitfires could be scrambled. "If the Germans had had time to develop these aircraft, they could well have had an impact," Peter Murton, aviation expert from the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, in Cambridgeshire told the "Daily Mail". "In theory the flying wing was a very efficient aircraft design which minimised drag. "It is one of the reasons that it could reach very high speeds in dive and glide and had such an incredibly long range". The research was filmed for a documentary on the "National Geographic Channel". In the early 1960s, the prototype jet was transferred to a Smithsonian facility in Maryland that is off-limits to the public. It remains there today. “There have been no documents released on it, and the public has no access to it,” said Michael Jorgensen, a documentary filmmaker who secured National Geographic Channel backing to assemble a team of Northrop Grumman aeronautical engineers to study the craft and build a full-size replica from original plans. The completed model, which has a 55-foot wingspan, was quietly trucked to San Diego to join the San Diego Air & Space Museum's permanent collection. The big mystery: Was this a stealth aircraft created more than three decades before modern stealth technology debuted? Could the wedge-shaped jet — almost completely formed of wood — actually evade radar detection? If so, military analysts wonder if the outcome of the war might have been different had the Germans had time to deploy the technology. The prototype craft was successfully tested by the Germans in late 1944. The reconstruction process was filmed over three months last fall by Jorgensen's Flying Wing Films production company. Film crews followed the model to Northrop Grumman's restricted test site in the Mojave Desert in January, where the craft was mounted five stories high on a rotating pole. Radar was aimed at it from every direction and aerial attacks were simulated. "It was a chance to be involved in solving a mystery that has baffled aviation historians for a long time," said Jim Hart, a spokesman for Northrop Grumman, which created the B-2 stealth bomber.

2019-04-22T20:05:45Z

http://greyfalcon.us/The%20Horten%20Ho%20229.htm

Geographic relevance. That’s what local business want from their website traffic. Let’s face it, if you are a local business then web visitors from 500 miles away are not going to help you keep the lights on, are they? What you need are local strategies that will help you rank in search and maps. Here then we will take a look at 7 local strategies to help you get the qualified leads you need, straight from local search! Grab your Google My Business local page and fill it out to 100% completion. If you have more than one location have a page for each, just sure to make each of them unique. You also need to make sure they are verified. Once that is all done you will want to grab a custom URL for your Google + profile (G+ is a social platform well worth getting to grips with for helping to rank your business). Follow all of the prompts and suggestions put forward by GMB and you’ll have a completed page in no time, just make sure to fill out the description in detail and make it search friendly. Why is the Google My Business page so important? It’s what shows up in Search and Maps when somebody close by to you starts searching for a local business just like yours. With that in mind, make sure you fill everything out properly and use high quality photos and cover / logo images. Reviews are an important part of any ranking strategy but they are absolutely vital for local SEO, and for reasons that should be fairly obvious. Reviews are as important as word of mouth recommendations, and they are the first thing that a person sees when your business pops up in search – whether that be in actual search engine results or in maps. You will need roughly 5 reviews before your stars (hopefully 5 of them) begin to appear in results but the more that you have, the better. They are a mark of quality, a sign that that you have something of value to offer. When asking for reviews, try to get your customers to leave an actual comment rather than just a star rating. Five stars are great, but a glowing reference to go with them goes much further. Citations account for around 25% of ranking factors so it is extremely important to get this right. Making sure you have complete profiles on all the local directories that you can find can be a long winded affair,wrist achingly boring and yes, you’d rather be doing something else – but, and this can’t be stressed enough, if you want to rank locally then you need to do it. You can do everything manually, by heading to a site for a list of citation sources and submitting details to each, or you can outsource the task to a service like this citation building service. However you choose to do it, you need to make certain that your NAP (name, address, phone) data is the same, right across the board. Again, make sure your NAP is the same on your social profiles as it is everywhere else. Search engines will be looking for social presence, and details of these often show up in search results next to your listings. Be sure that you are active on these channels too, even posting one high quality post a week is better than none at all. The platforms you should be looking at are Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus. Depending on the type of business you have, you may want to take a look at Instagram too. If you have more than one location then this is a great way to improve local reach. Even if you have just one location, this can still be used – just be wary of duplicate content; you won’t be penalised but only one page will be displayed in search so its a waste of time and effort more than anything else. Learning about Google’s autocomplete feature and what people are searching for can help here too. Start typing one of your locations into the search bar then type ONE underscore ‘_’ character followed by a space then your business type – ‘baker’, for example. What will pop up should give you some great ideas for location specific page titles and content ideas! Inbound links account for roughly 20% of your ranking power, so get on that as soon as you can. Have a look around for local businesses that are talking about similar things to you and reach out to them. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement so there shouldn’t be an issue, so long as you are nice and polite and you have content worth sharing. One way to do this is simply by getting them to mention you in a blog post with a link to your site or to a post of your own. Guest posting on each others websites with links back is also a great way to boost each others ranking signals. Hopefully you have found these 7 strategies helpful, and they help to get your local business to where it needs to be. Some of these do require an amount of work, but it’s all worth it in the end! Web design is forever evolving, but there are new ways of working that rise to the service that help web designers make a site that is more interactive, as well as aesthetically pleasing to the viewer. According to Internet Creation who are one of the leading web design agencies in Fife. The following web design trends are sure to make an impact in 2018, both the web design and marketing in general. Bright colours make an impact, regardless of whether you run a blog or a business website. Bright colours have been popular for some time, and don’t show signs of going anywhere soon. As such, you can expect to see more bright and bold colours used in the world of web design throughout 2018. While there have been worries surrounding bright colours in the past, web designers have been taking a few risks when it comes to bright and bold colours, and have found that they can create some eye-catching websites, without them being an eyesore. Although web designers were making use of split-screen aesthetics in 2017, the use of perfect symmetry looks to be one of the popular trends in 2018. While web designers will need o ensure that one element isn’t overpowering another, the use of split screen technology is becoming popular among those wanting a website that garners attention and keeps an audience actively involved. The use of asymmetrical grids can be used alongside other trends in 2018, such as the use of bright colour. You could split the screen using two different colours that sit well on the eye to create an eye-catching website. The name “sticky elements” can sound like there’s something wrong, but elements that are situated in one place can really help the aesthetics of a website, and ensures it can be viewed on several platforms without hindrance. Ads and banners can float around the screen if not optimised properly, making for an intrusive visit. Sticky elements stay put, while still being in a prime position for interaction. Of course, the practice won’t be limited to just ads and banners, as other users will also be incorporated. Online chat and other interactive elements will also be placed in an non-intrusive way, while still being visible to the user. Amazon, Google and Apple all have their own assistant, which means more and more web searches are being carried out without ever touching a device. While visual search still plays an integral part of retrieving information from the Internet, the popularity of voice and natural language shouldn’t be overlooked. The trend looks to grow in 2018, so it can be worthwhile making plans now to incorporate voice search into future projects. When it comes to designing a website, one of the most detrimental elements can be anything that causes lagging time. As such, it makes sense that we’re not decorating website with endless animations and other features that could have an impact on how the website operates. However, that’s not to say that there isn’t room for some subtle animations here and there. How animation is instilled can depend on the project, but it’s important that such animations fit into the style of the site, and don’t take up too much time. Used in the right way, subtle animation can give your website an original edge that begs for more interaction from online users. Images on a website have to look their best, but they also have to be light so bandwidth isn’t being hit harder than it should. Scalable vector graphics are fast becoming the format for online images, and look to ensure images look pixel perfect, regardless of resolution. Although today’s broadband and fibre optic is able to download images within seconds, the use of large image formats can still mean things come grinding to a halt should too many people be downloading images at the same time, which mean some users could be met with a “bandwidth exceeded” message. While we should always look to ensure that we have the right bandwidth for our online endeavours, the use of SVG images allows web designers freer reign. As well as being used for more generic images, the use if SVG will also aid web designers looking to make use of 3D images and 360 photography. As well as video and text still being popular, more and more web designers are finding that businesses gain traction when offering interactive content. This trend looks to be huge in 2018, with polls, quizzes and knowledge tests being instilled within several demographics. Whether you’re an educational business news site or blog, you can be sure that there is room for interactive content that will look to win over new visitors, as well as keeping more seasoned visitors entertained. Like any other year, 2018 will see a series of new trends, and while more conventional methods may still apply, web designer really need to ensure that they are acknowledging these trends and looking to see how they can be instilled when it comes to future projects. The world of website design is forever changing, and many designers know its important to look for relevant updates, but it’s also worthwhile looking at trends to ensure that you’re able to balance professional design with user expectations. Affiliate marketing has always been and can be a huge income source. The key to maximizing your affiliate earnings is engaging your readers. If you are just taking the plunge into affiliate marketing, it can be rather daunting knowing what is right and what is wrong. Affiliate marketing is one of the most effective ways to make money from online content. Although you may have heard various ‘success stories’ where internet marketers have made huge amounts of money from providing affiliate businesses with well-performing leads that produce high levels of sales, it is not nearly as simple as it may sound to put affiliate marketing into action successfully. However, there are ways that you can make the road to earning real money through affiliate marketing a little bit easier. The best way to make use of the vast majority of affiliate marketing programs out there is to only promote offers, services, and products that your target audience needs and wants. You need to identify your target audience, therefore, and understand why they are following you on social media platforms, joining your mailing list or coming to your website. Are you providing what they are looking for? If you are, then that’s a good start. If not though, then you need to ensure that the products and services you are marketing provide solutions to problems your audience are experiencing. For example, if your site concerns printers and printer accessories such as toner, it makes no sense whatsoever to post affiliate ads for sports equipment even if these products are popular and successful marketing can result in a high payout. While it may interest some visitors, you need to remember the reason why people are visiting your site – for printer toner. As most internet users are pretty savvy nowadays, they know how to spot affiliate links. It is vital that you avoid promoting products or services that you don’t actually like or believe in or clutter your site with too many ads, as this could break the trust they may have developed in you and your brand. If you break that trust, they may never come back to your site. Regular visitors that come back time and time again will help drive traffic to it. They are usually the ones that recommend your site, spread the word about it and give you link backs. You need the relationship you build with your visitors to be one that has genuine content at its foundation. If your visitors think you are looking to make a profit and will recommend whatever services and products will get you that profits regardless of what they are looking for or want; they won’t bother reading or looking at anything you want to promote. You should instead be focused on giving value to your email list members and website visitors. Only share content and products that you know will be helpful, useful and relevant to them. When you do this, they will reward you with repeated business. Affiliate advertisements should be thought of as complementary resources for your main resource. Add value to your existing content by making the affiliate ads informative, useful and helpful. Don’t stick a meaningless list of your favourite books, hoping they will purchase them so you can make some revenue from their sales. Instead, take the time to write a detailed review and use appropriate ads to point them towards the right place if they want to follow through on your suggestion. Always honestly disclose information about your affiliations. Visitors and readers will appreciate it if you are upfront and will feel much better about spending money on you. If they think you may be hiding something or being out-rightly dishonest about your affiliate relationships, they will probably just avoid your links and go straight to the seller – meaning you will miss out on the affiliate revenue. If you are looking to build a loyal list of readers or website visitors, you need to offer full disclosure and be honest. Your visitors know when they use your referral links, make them feel good and motivated to do it. As your website is the main port of call for your visitors and the main way they will interact with your online business, it needs to be well-designed this is one of the main reasons we would recomend a service such as https://www.serpchampion.com/affiliate-niche-site-creation/. It does not necessarily have to have lots of money thrown at it, but it should look professional and be as user-friendly as possible. As we have already established, your visitors will be familiar with what makes a website professional looking and what doesn’t. If your site looks like it only cost you a few pounds, it won’t incite much confidence in your potential customers for your band and company. However, a site that has an intuitive design and layout that makes it easy for your visitors to find out what they want as quickly as possible, will be far more successful. In line with the next tip regarding content – if you have the best content of all your competitors, but it is not presented in an organised and sensible fashion, your visitors may leave and go elsewhere and with that, you will lose money. Although you should make it part of your strategies that you create content or have content created for your site regularly, not only from a rankings point of view; but, also so that you can continually supply relevant and fresh content to your readers and visitors. Timeless content is still of value though, even if it is no longer on the front page. For instance, a visitor might come across your site via a post that includes outdated information and that would be enough to send them to another website. Unless of course, you always provide links and updates on older posts, to show that while they are still ranked and there as evidence of your work in the past, you have posts with more relevant and up-to-date content. Building an authority site within you nice is one of the most time consuming and challenging parts for any affiliate marketer, however, you don’t need to start from scratch. You may want to look at purchasing an expired domain, for example, you may want to check out these serp domains for your new affiliate site, this way you the domain will already have the authority and relevant links from sites within your niche. This also means that you can start ranking much quicker and also earning revenue from your website! Technology is undeniably a big help in improving small to large businesses. The advanced devices, equipment and digital software and applications make businesses operate more productively and efficiently. With technology, more businesses are becoming successful. Businesses use a wide variety of mobile applications that provide them access to a CRM system, open or update shared documents, participate in web conferences and manage social media accounts. There have been various email and office applications which help businesses in their productivity. G Suite from Google and Microsoft Office 365 features document creation, slide presentation and spreadsheet management, among others. Business management applications allow businesses to perform marketing automation, human resource management, services automation and more. These apps allow you to integrate a set of enterprise computer applications. This includes Zapier, Scribe, MuleSoft, and Jitterbit. Businesses can be able to easily create, update or modify their websites through WordPress, Drupal, and Sitecore, among others. Customers can be able to air their concerns, questions, and feedback to businesses quickly through customer self-service software like Zendesk and Lithium. Businesses can also improve end-user experience by gathering feedback customers through specialized applications like GetSatisfaction and UserVoice. Employees, customer support representatives, and even customers can virtually communicate together through various teleconferencing platforms, including Skype Business, GoToMeeting and Join.me. Webinar applications allow businesses to spread important content and materials through a community-based approach. Most common apps are Cisco WebEx, GoToWebinar, and BrightTALK. Internet Protocol Telephony is gaining popularity as a method of exchanging calls, fax and other forms of information over specializes internet line. Many businesses are switching from traditional landlines to VoIP service. This includes RingCentral, 8×8 and Skype Business, among others. Audio-Video sharing apps are very helpful in marketing and training strategies. It is also involved in the distribution of unique content. Audio-hosting apps include Podcasts and SoundCloud, whereas video-hosting sites include YouTube and Vimeo. It is very easy for businesses to set up online stores through the use of e-commerce platforms. Almost all products can be offered through e-commerce. It can be done in various market segments. E-commerce allows firms to establish a market presence in the digital world. Virtualization software allows you to manage multiple servers more easily, including operating systems, processors and server users. The server administrator makes use of a software that divides one physical server to multiple isolated virtual environments. Lastly, social media platforms redefined marketing strategy. It allows businesses to reach billions of users worldwide. Social media is a more interactive way of sharing content. The most popular social media platforms are Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The ever-changing Google algorithms is something that is constantly changing and perplexing the minds of many SEO experts everywhere. While SEO experts attempt to remain ahead of the algorithms googles artificial intelligence is constantly changing to try and keep the industry on its toes. The online gambling industry is one of the many industries that relies heavily on SEO for instance, especially online slots, SEO is a tool of generating traffic and players to their respective platforms. Many people outside the industry are often unaware of the power that being on the first page of Google for key search terms can mean for a brand’s revenue. Where big name casino brands don’t necessarily need to spend much time financing complicated SEO campaigns, it’s down to the geniuses at the bottom of the run to second and guess and react as quickly as possible to the new algorithms that Google delivers. In the early days of search engine optimisation business didn’t have much trouble working their way to the top of google rankings. It was all about Meta keywords and the complications of digital advertising ended here. Google was too simple and people were exploiting the system to show faux-relevancy. Google’s aim was to create a search engine that worked, a place where your search would return the most wholly relevant result rather than something masquerading as what you wanted. These days, the google algorithms have adapted to incorporate and decipher many different factors which birthed the dawn of the SEO expert. However, some industries are easier to crack than the others with gambling falling near the top of the pile alongside the adult industries as being quite competitive. The Panda Algorithm was first brought to the market in 2011 and was designed promote higher quality sites and demote the sites that garnered lower quality traffic. It was nicknamed ‘the farmer’ because it provided a great algorithm for detecting content farms that housed duplicated pages with duplicate content. Panda was renowned for hitting a lot of sites quite hard but for some it was only a temporary setback. The Penguin Algorithm was initially installed in 2012 and has since been developer over a number of new versions eventually leaving us to the modern day 4.2 model. The latest model attempts to reduce the amount of trust that Google has in unnatural backlinks that hold no relevance to the search. Within the gambling industry it’s better to have a more solid standing in the industry then be fluctuating and dropping between pages. A stabilised platform can do wonders for your brand industry and your place within the market. SEO and online gambling seemingly go hand in hand, but because of the amount of revenue there is to be made within the industry the amount of competition and the SEO industry becomes elevated. Gambling operators must understand the importance of having a quality SEO expert who can both counteract any new Google algorithms but also plan ahead and decipher both the good and weak points of your competitors. As the algorithm continues to change on a global level and the online gambling market continues to expand and protrude into different directions and avenues it’s virtually impossible for anyone without a substantial budget to gain a firm grip on the market, which is why SEO is the multi-billion pound industry that it is today. Whether you’re setting up on line – or you’re an established business who’s looking to snare more online business, having the right ecommerce tools in place is going to be a vital part of the plan. That said, the nature of the marketing used by many ecommerce platforms means there can be incentives for recommending and referring you – so how can you be sure you’re cutting through the marketing and getting the right product for you? Question #1 – How much do you want to pay? Virtually all ecommerce platforms require that you pay a monthly fee. Now, there are some differences, a self-hosted package is likely to cost you a little less than a company who offers hosting – it’s fine to go self-hosted if you’ve got a big IT brain in house – but big IT brains can cost money if you’re not so tech savvy. It’s not just hosting fees that should be considered though, you also need to consider costs such as magento support services, and processing fees are generally where money is made for these companies – and it’s important to consider your business projections against these, especially since they can vary based on volume of transactions. Cheapest isn’t always best, while getting through the gate for nothing might look attractive, you might find that additional services or fees add up to make the cheap option more costly in the long run. Question #2 – What do you need to integrate? There are some amazingly useful plug-ins available for most ecommerce platforms – but like any applications, finding the right one for you often takes a little research. Would a postage/shipping application help with necessary logistics? Would it be useful to have a rewards/points system to keep you customers returning? Would integrating an email marketing system help promote your brand? Could it be useful to have a plug in that automatically populates your book keeping systems? There are many more questions of course – so don’t be limited by just thinking about these. It’s useful to put together something of a ‘wish-list’ and compare products against that as you research. Question #3 – What are your SEO requirements? Ahh, SEO – the topic most business owners get spam email about roughly 10 times a day from ‘experts’ around the world. Well, even if their email marketing leaves a little to be desired, these SEO gurus are likely to be right in principle – that is to say, SEO is a really important part of building your business presence online. You’re likely to find that the cheapest ecommerce options leave a little to be desired when it comes to SEO – you’ll probably get a free website that carries the branding and some element of the domain name of the company you’ve used to build the site – not offering a great deal of customisation. If you plan to venture a bit further into making your site look professional, you’ll probably want to use your own domain name, add a content managed blog – or maybe even carry adverts that create a little revenue for you. When you’re looking at platforms, consider how you’re going to tackle SEO and decide on a system that gives you the flexibility you need. Question #4 – How important is mobile? Okay, semi-trick question here. We’re going to answer on your behalf – mobile traffic is very important. Well, most recent figures show that it represents over 50% of all web traffic as of early 2017, so, if you’re not too fussed about attracting mobile users, you’re cutting your audience and traffic in half. Worse still, you’ll probably be penalised by search engines too. Luckily, virtually all ecommerce platforms offer simple mobile solutions too – but make sure it fits well with your business model and how you envisage your customer will use your site before you commit. Question #5 – What level of support will you require? Customer support is a little like buying an insurance policy – if it’s something that increases the price of the package or service you’re buying, then it’s likely to feel a little painful. However, it’s a whole different story if you come to need it. Your store going down is the online equivalent of your shop door getting stuck shut while you post your days taking takings to the competitor store next door. Sound like an over exaggeration? I’m sorry to tell you that it’s not, shoppers that have bought into your great products, attractive copy and smart images will click back and find the product elsewhere if there’s a technical issue standing in their way. Hence, having good support is vitally important. Of course, how much traffic you lose depends on your business. For some shops, 48 hours down would mean a few hundred pounds lost – but if you’re used to seeing massive traffic hitting your site, that same 48 hours could be a lot more financially painful. Compare options to see who’s quickly contactable and what level of service guarantees are promised. Question #6 – What level of security do you require? Now, while security is vital whether you take one or one million card transactions – the level of scrutiny your site will come under is affected by the number and value of payments you process. The snappily titled ‘Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard’ is a global organisation that works with card issuers to reduce card fraud – and compliance is mandatory if you’re not using a hosted ecommerce solution. The levels of security required depend on the numbers of transactions you make on an annual basis – and range from ‘less than 20,000’ to ‘over 6 million’. Make sure you know some rough figures and are using a platform that keeps you compliant. Question #7 – Are you likely to grow? We’ll finish up with a fairly simple question – what does your growth strategy look like over the coming months and years? Affiliate marketing is appealing to many people for different reasons. However, if you’re looking to be an affiliate marketer for the long term, then there are some tools you will need to factor in. You may not require all the following in the interim, but it can be worthwhile considering such tools as well as the associated costs to ensure that your plight is a successful one. Whether you are planning on being the industry leading blog that promotes the best baby thermometer along with other products within the family and children’s health niche, or you want to focus on other health related products its important that you have the correct tools at your disposal. With this in mind lets look at what you will need to get started! When choosing a web host provider, it’s tempting to go with the service that is the cheapest, but there are other factors you need to consider. For example, how much bandwidth are you allowed each month? If your site becomes popular and you’re not able to meet the demand, it could be that potential customers come face to face with an error message. The web hosting market is very competitive, so there’s no reason as to why you can’t find a great deal. Just be sure that you’re not sacrificing necessity for a cheaper service. Website design is no longer the complicated beast it once was. While there is still an element of skill involved, there are many options available to affiliate marketers that allows maintaining a professional looking website for a reasonable investment. For example, if you choose to use the WordPress platform, then there are several templates available which can be tweaked to your specifications. Even if you’re looking for something a little more professional, this can be done by enlisting the help of a coder who can make changes for a fee. Depending on your end goal, the investment required for a website can vary, so it’s important to get an idea of cost before going any further. It’s also worth checking what features come included with your web hosting. While every provider is different, there’s always a chance that it provides its own website design program. When you search for a company online, you will normally enter a series of search terms. A search engine will then crawl the Internet and deliver results based on the keywords entered. Keyword research is an important part of SEO, but it’s not the only aspect of SEO to consider. The way websites rank has evolved over recent years, and it’s more about giving visitors a rich experience. However, there are still several processes to follow to ensure that you’re gaining traction online. SEO can involve many factors, and can even cross over into other territories such as digital marketing. If this is something you’ve dealt with in the past, then you may be able to undertake the role yourself. However, if you’re not too sure on what practices should be used, then it may be worthwhile reaching out to a professional. In either event, it’s important SEO is at the top of your list. As you would imagine, having an email is an important tool to have if you’re engaging in affiliate marketing. There are plenty of free providers available, including Microsoft Outlook and Gmail. If you have a website, then you may want to ensure that your email is the same for a more professional look. While an autoresponder can’t give the personal touch a human can, it does serve marketers well when it comes to keeping customers informed, or ensuring newsletters are kept up to date. While it may not take too much work to send a tweet or post a Facebook update, as your website becomes more popular, you may find that there is less time to post updates at the right time. Using a service such as Hootsuite or Buffer allows you to time social media updates so there being posted at the right time, regardless of what task you’re undertaking. Again, there can be a cost involved but it’s very rarely costly, and can benefit you in relation to conversions. There are a variety of ways in which we can list links. In some instances, we may include our links within the text itself, whereas other instances can mean the link shows a preview of the content. However, there will be times when we must post a visible link, and ins some instances long links can be off-putting to potential customers. Fortunately, there are a variety of tools online that are not only effective, but also free of charge. Two examples of the solutions available are Google URL Shortener and Bitly. This can be the most important element of any toolkit, as it will be your plan that helps you achieve your marketing goals. Looking at your goals will force you to ascertain how you plan to reach these, and what turnover you can expect. Of course, there are some things that won’t always go to plan, but there is nothing stopping us tweaking the plan. Going in blind with no end goal can mean that you fall at the first hurdle, and having no plan in place can mean we’re leaving the industry as soon as we entered it. You can become an affiliate marketer with very little, but as your popularity grows, so will the areas you need to focus on. Investing in these tools sooner rather than later means you can ensure that you’re prepared and can ensure there are no disruptions.

2019-04-22T17:56:58Z

http://blippex.org/

Director, Defense and Government Solutions, WSO2 Inc. Adam Firestone joined WSO2 in 2012. He is the Director of Defense and Government Solutions where he works across the scope of the WSO2 team to understand, and craft technology solutions for, the unique challenges faced by military, intelligence and government organizations. Adam works closely with developers, architects and C-Level executives to increase the footprint and value offered by open-source software in general and WSO2 products specifically to the military and defense communities. Adam also works with the WSO2 engineering team to ensure that WSO2’s product and technology roadmaps retain and develop features situated to support emerging defense and government requirements. Afkham Azeez joined WSO2 in December 2005, and he has served as director of architecture since 2011. In this role, he drives efforts focused on the development and enhancement of WSO2 middleware. Azeez is an elected member of the Apache Software Foundation and also a Project Management Committee member and long-time committer for a number of projects. He specializes in distributed computing, highly available and scalable applications, Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition (J2EE) technologies, and service-oriented architecture. Alberto Lagna is Chief Technology Officer at Biznology srl, a SOA consulting company. He works as Software architect, Technical Leader and Mentor. He has 20 years of experience in the design and development of Enterprise Application based on JEE, XML and on the integration of complex systems (he started in C++ with CORBA and now in java applying the SOA approach). He teaches courses on the JEE platform and BPM(N). He promotes the the use of free software, supports the open source movement. Amila Maha Arachchi joined WSO2 in September 2010 and currently works as a Technical Lead on the WSO2 Stratos project, where his area of focus involves metering, throttling and billing of WSO2 PaaS StratosLive. Amila holds a B.Sc in Engineering from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering of the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. Relatively new to the open source world, Amila has become very enthusiastic about it and loves contributing towards it. Amila Suriarachchi joined WSO2 in January 2006. He is an architect and member of the data technologies management committee, who has focused on product management for the WSO2 Business Rules Server and WSO2 Complex Event Processing Server. Amila also has contributed to the development of the WSO2 Web Services Application Server. He specializes in cloud computing, data binding, and reliable messaging. Amila is a member of the Apache Software Foundation, and has contributed to the Apache Axis2 and Sandesha2 projects. He is a Sun-certified Java programmer, a business component developer, and a certified Microsoft Visual C# .Net developer. He has published several WSO2 technical articles. Anand is the Practice Head, Wipro Technologies for Open Source Integration Practice and handling Solutions and Innovations for Enterprise Business Integration division. He has over 16 Years of IT Services and Consulting experience spanning across multiple e-Business technologies. Anand has also led multiple SOA and BPM strategic Initiatives for multiple customers across multiple domains. He possesses extensive knowledge of enterprise and solution architecture across e-Business Technologies and has helped customers (especially in the BFSI segment) create SOA/Integration roadmap and assist in implementing the roadmap through various SDLC models. Associate Technical Lead, WSO2 Inc. Anjana Fernando joined WSO2 in 2009. He is an associate technical lead and a member of the data technologies management committee, who focuses on development of the WSO2 Data Services Server. Anjana has conducted several onsite customer engagements, primarily focused on integration enabled by the WSO2 Enterprise Service Bus. Anjana is a contributor to Apache Axix 2, and he participated in the Google Summer of Code 2006 where we worked on the Apache Mirae project in implementing a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) transport. He also brings experience in Mobile Computing, service-oriented architecture (SOA) for the European Union’s Information Society Technologies, and Java enterprise Web development. Director, Solutions Architecture, WSO2 Inc. Asanka is WSO2 director of solutions architecture, and he focuses on the company’s vertical market capabilities, including financial services. Additionally, he provides consulting and conducts regular training sessions and workshops for enterprise IT architects and developers. Asanka has more than 10 years industry experience implementing projects that range from desktop and Web applications through to highly scalable distributed systems and SOAs in the financial domain, mobile platforms, and business integration solutions. Brian Behlendorf is a Senior Advisor for Science and Technology for the World Economic Forum. He recently completed a two year stint as their Geneva-based Chief Technology Officer, updating their internal systems and IT processes, and connecting their internal communities and initiatives to open technology concepts and leaders. Prior to that, in 2009 and 2010, he worked for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as an advisor on open data, open government, and open source software, focusing for much of that on the development of a platform for the exchange of electronic healthcare records. From 1999 to 2007 he founded and was CTO of CollabNet, the leader in enterprise software development and collaboration tools built upon Open Source software and principles. He continues to serve on CollabNet’s executive board of directors, and is on the executive boards of the Mozilla Foundation and Benetech. He also continues to help the Apache Software Foundation, a project he co-founded in 1995. Brian lives in San Francisco. Chamith joined WSO2 in November 2007 and is an Associate Technical Lead and Manager of Infrastructure. He has over 5 years of experience in systems and network administration and currently oversees WSO2’s overall system and network operations. He was an original author of the Texplorer Project http://texplorer.sourceforge.net and is interested in platform and infrastructure virtualization, distributed computing, IT security, load balancing, cloud monitoring and backup systems. Sharlene has a wealth of experience in Programme, Operations and Business Management in both the Public and Private Sectors. Her collaborative approach has underpinned Business and Operational Continuous Service Improvements through Change delivering benefits to Organisations. She has successfully led major Technology and Systems Integration Business Improvement and Shared Services Programmes for Public Sector organisations such as Borders Agency, NHS, MoD and Education. This experience extends to private companies such as AEAT and BT where Customer Service Excellence and Product improvement were critical to sustainability. VP, Technology Evangelism, WSO2 Inc. Chris Haddad joined WSO2 as vice president of technology evangelism in 2011. In this role, Chris is raising visibility, awareness, and knowledge of the unique advantages provided by WSO2’s lean, fully componentized, open source middleware for on-premise and the cloud. Chris works closely with developers, architects, or C-level executives to increase WSO2 technology adoption, improve the middleware platform, and maximize customer value. He also works closely with WSO2’s engineering team to define the product roadmaps for WSO2’s Carbon and Stratos platforms. Senior Technical Lead, WSO2 Inc. Damitha Kumarage joined WSO2 in August 2005. He is a Senior Technical Lead on the cloud technologies team, focusing on the WSO2 Stratos Live platform-as-a-service (PaaS). Previously, Damitha contributed to the development of the WSO2 Web Services Framework (WSF). He has also engaged in several WSO2 Quick Start consulting projects and larger-scale customer development support engagements. Damitha has more than 11 years of industry experience. He is an elected member of the Apache Software Foundation and is an active contributor to the Apache Axis2/C project. He also has served as a team member on Phase 1 of the SAHANA open source disaster management system and Apache Axis C ++ projects. Dimuthu joined WSO2 in December 2006. She an architect and co-chair of the platform technologies management committee, who focuses on cloud technologies, the WSO2 Carbon Framework, and WSO2 Identity Server. Dimuthu is an expert in Java and Java-related technologies. She was an initial team member of the Axis-Mora project which served as proof of concept for Apache Axis2. where she overlooked the de-serialization process in this project. Dimuthu is an Apache committer and a member of the Axis2 Project Management Committee. In addition to Apache Axis2, she also has contributed to the Apache Rampart and WSS4J projects. With over 16 years of industry experience, Diógenes is an IT Systems and Project Manager for the Banco Indusval & Partners, a Brazilian bank focused in middle and corporate segments. He holds an MSc in economics and is a qualified project manager with PMP credentials. An expert mathematician, Diógenes wrote his first algorithm when he was 9 just for fun! Senior Software Architect, WSO2 Inc. Dr. Srinath Perera joined WSO2 in June 2009. He is a senior software architect who overlooks the overall WSO2 platform architecture alongside WSO2 CTO Paul Fremantle. He specializes in Web services and distributed systems, specifically working with aspects of data, scale and performance. Srinath is a co-founder of Apache Axis2, an elected member of the Apache Software Foundation, and a Project Management Committee (PMC) member. He has been involved with the Apache Web Services project since 2002, and he is a committer on several Apache open-source projects, including Apache Axis, Axis2, and Geronimo. Eben Upton is the founder and trustee of Raspberry Pi Foundation, a non-profit supported by the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory and Broadcom. The Foundation’s aim is to promote the study of computer science and related topics. Mr. Upton is responsible for the software and hardware architecture of the Raspberry Pi, a single-board computer designed to stimulate the teaching of basic computer science in schools. He also is a technical director and ASIC architect at Broadcom, and he previously was a director of studies in computer science at St. John’s College, Cambridge. Elena is passionate about languages and works at Molino de Ideas, a Natural Language Processing company settled in Spain developing linguistic tools that treat texts automatically, like morphological analyzers, stemmers, language detectors, etc. Obviously, all these inventions can be accesed via API. Fabiola Pereira is System Analist at Algar Telecom since 2011. Experience on architecting and building scalable distributed computing systems, in the areas of Java and Databases. Master in Computer Science in database area by Federal University of Uberlândia, with BSc in Computer Science also at Federal University of Uberlândia. Fabiola published articles about adding user preferences in SQL queries and implementing a preference language at PostgreSQL. Senior Software Engineer, WSO2 Inc. Harshana joined WSO2 in September 2010. He is a software engineer and a member of the development technologies management committee who focuses on the WSO2 Developer Studio integrated development environment (IDE). Harshana also has contributed to several WSO2 QuickStart development consulting engagements. Harshana participated in the Google Summer of Code program in both 2009 and 2010 with the Eclipse Foundation, and he is currently a committer for the Eclipse Communication Framework. Harshana also is an active contributor to the Apache Axis2 project. Hasini Gunasinghe joined WSO2 in September 2010. She is a software engineer on the integration technologies team, focusing on identity management and security aspects of the WSO2 Identity Server. Hasini specializes in distributed computing, cloud computing and computer security. During an internship, she carried out research and development for a session initiation protocol (SIP)-based soft phone project. At the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2008, Hasini placed second runner up in the software design category. Igor Berchtold joined Suva as Senior Software Architect in 2001. He was first responsible to build up a development infrastructure and application framework based on JEE. Since 2008 he is Technical Lead & Product Manager for the Suva Integration Platform. He brings to his role more than 18 years of technology and management experience in application development, middleware and service-oriented architecture (SOA). Director, Product Management, WSO2 Inc. Isabelle Mauny joined WSO2 as director of product management in 2012. She brings to her role more than 18 years of technology, consulting and management experience in Java, application development, middleware, and service-oriented architecture (SOA). Prior to WSO2, Isabelle was responsible for product management and training at Vordel, a leading SOA gateway provider. She also helped to design and review architectures for many of Vordel’s strategic accounts across the government, banking, insurance and telecommunications sectors, particularly in Europe and Latin America. VP, Business Development, WSO2 Inc. Jonathan Marsh joined WSO2 in 2006, and he currently serves as vice president of business development and product design. Previously, he led the WSO2 Mashup Server team as the director of mashup technologies. For more than 15 years Jonathan has been helping to develop, standardize and promote core XML and Web services standards. Currently he serves as chair of the W3C Web Services Description Working Group. He also has been active in the WS-I Basic Profile Working Group and several OASIS technical committees. Prior to joining WSO2, Jonathan spent nearly a decade at Microsoft where he was the primary representative for W3C standards Working Groups, Web Services Description, Web Services Addressing, XSL, XML Core, XML Linking, DOM, and the Advisory Committee. Kasun Indrasiri joined WSO2 in December 2009. He is an associate technical lead and member of the integration technologies management committee, who focuses on the WSO2 Enterprise Service Bus (ESB). In addition to his product development efforts, Kasun has provided technology consulting on customer engagements, helping to successfully implement solutions for integrating Web services, SAP, FIX, and mobile services. Kasun is an elected member of the Apache Software Foundation and a Project Management Committee member and committer for the Apache Synapse open source ESB project. He took part in the Google Summer of Code for 2007, working on the Apache Axis2/C project. He also contributed to the Apache Rampart/C project, having implemented WS-Trust specification for its federated identity framework for Web services. Kasun is proficient in C/C++, specializing in Web services, information retrieval systems, and enterprise search platforms, focusing primarily on indexing components. Lakmal joined WSO2 as a Software Architect and works with the Cloud Technology team, focusing on the WSO2 Stratos Platform-as-a- Service. (PaaS). Lakmal has more than 11 years of industry experience. In 2005, Lakmal co-founded the thinkCube, the pioneers in developing the next generation of Collaborative Cloud Computing products that are tailored towards Telecom operators. He oversaw the overall engineering process and focussed special attention to scalability and service delivery of thinkCube solutions. Mifan Careem is an ICT entrepreneur. He is Director/CTO at Respere, a company specializing in Humanitarian Solutions, and a Director of Sahana, the disaster management system project. He is also an Enterprise Architect, GIS consultant and a contributor to many Open Source projects. Mifan is the lead software architect of the national initiative to design and build a cloud based eGovernment solution for the local government bodies in Sri Lanka. Mifan is a neogeographer, and specializes in mobile computing, Enterprise Architecture, Business Intelligence, Disaster Management and GIS. Miyuru Wanninayaka joined WSO2 in August 2009. He is a senior software engineer and member of the integration technologies management committee, who focuses on the WSO2 Enterprise Service Bus (ESB). In addition to his product development efforts, Miyuru has provided technology consulting on customer engagements, helping to successfully implement enterprise integration and mobile services gateway solutions. Miyuru is a Sun-certified Java programmer and committer for the Apache Synapse open source ESB project. As a participant in the Google Summer of Code for 2008, Miyuru developed a data mining and visualization library for Sahana, an open source disaster management system. Nandika joined WSO2 in August 2005. He is a senior technical lead and a member of the integration technologies management committee. Nandika has contributed to the development of the WSO2 Business Process Server and WSO2 Web Services Frameworks for PHP, C, and CPP. Additionally, he has provided technology consulting on customer integration projects using the WSO2 Enterprise Service Bus and WSO2 Business Process Server. Nuwan Bandara joined WSO2 in July 2009. He is a associate technical lead and member of the development technologies management committee, focusing on the WSO2 Gadget Server, WSO2 Mashup Server, Jaggery, and API Store. Additionally, Nuwan has provided technology consulting on customer engagements, including identity solutions and systems integration for the telecommunications, banking and financial services industries. Nuwan specializes in Java enterprise technologies, service-oriented architecture (SOA) implementation, distributed computing, Web engineering with Java/PHP technologies and software design patterns. He has contributed to the Apache Web Services and Shindig projects. In 2007 and 2008, Nuwan conducted research and development for the European Union’s (EU) Information Society Technologies SOA and mobile computing projects. He also is a member of the British Computer Society. Pankaj Srivastava brings more than 20 years of Systems Integration, Solutions and Software Engineering, and Enterprise Architecture experience. Over the last 10 years, he has played the role of Technical / Business leader of innovative Software Engineering Groups and Solutions Technology Groups. Over the years he has also developed in-depth technical expertise in the areas of Application Infrastructure, SOA, Middleware and Enterprise Applications, Video-based applications, and Cloud Applications. At Cisco over the past 8 years, he has led several innovative solution development and delivery initiatives, creating solutions and businesses around those new solutions. As leader of Industry Solutions Group’s Software Factory, Pankaj has led the creation, development, management, business planning and delivery of a succession of software-enabled, integrated hardware/software solutions: RFID and Supply Chain, joint Cisco-SAP in Governance Risk and Compliance, Financial Trades Monitoring, Application Visibility and Monitoring, the Video-based Fan experience solution for Sports & Entertainment, Video/Kiosk solutions for Transportation and subway systems, Lecture Streaming/Capture solutions for Higher Education customers and Cloud based application solutions/platforms for Education and Healthcare industries. These solutions are all based on network-embedded software platforms that Pankaj has created platforms that enable HTML5-based application experience, complex-event processing and application infrastructure capabilities in the network. For these solutions he has also led lighthouse implementations of the solutions at key customers in several industries Sports, Logistics, Transportation, Public Sector, Manufacturing, Financial Services, Healthcare, Education and Telecommunications Service Providers. In addition, Pankaj plays a lead role as Enterprise Architect in engaging key customers for business transformation, using software-enabled solutions and cloud-based applications. Pankaj Srivastava has a Computer Science B.Sc. from M.I.T with a minor in Economics. Co-founder & CTO, WSO2 Inc. Paul Fremantle, CTO, co-founded WSO2 in 2005 in order to reinvent the way enterprise middleware is developed, sold, delivered and supported through an open source model. In his current role as CTO, Paul spearheads WSO2’s overall product strategy. Previously, he served as WSO2 vice president of technical sales where he led the development of the groundbreaking WSO2 Enterprise Service Bus. In 2008, Paul was recognized as by InfoWorld as a Top 25 CTO. Prior to WSO2, Paul was a senior technical staff member at IBM for nine years. There, Paul created the Web Services Gateway and led the team that developed and shipped it as part of the WebSphere Application Server. He also was on the team that put the Service Integration Bus technology into WebSphere Application Server 6. Additionally, Paul was the key WebSphere technical sales lead for Europe, working closely with development to manage beta programs, develop training materials, and enable first-of-a-kind J2EE projects. Phiroze Dastoor is a Senior Application Architect on the Buyer Experience Stream, at StubHub. Phiroze has extensive experience with distributed enterprise systems and services-based architectures in various companies such as FedEx, Sabre/Travelocity, Lockheed-Martin and most recently Walmart Global Ecommerce. At StubHub, Phiroze works on the architecture and design of critical customer-facing systems, including those for recommendations / personalization and business services. He also contributes extensively to StubHub’s on-going re-architecture effort and domain-based SOA. The services-based infrastructure being designed at StubHub incorporates WSO2’s API Gateway as one of its pivotal technologies, to help manage the external and internal services. Prabath Siriwardena joined WSO2 in November 2007. He is an architect and chair of the integration technologies management committee, focusing on application security and identity management. In addition to his product development efforts, Prabath has provided technology consulting on customer engagements, working on the integration of OpenID support. Prabath is an Apache Project Management Committee member involved in the Apache Rampart and Axis projects. He also has more than three years industry experience in Microsoft .NET technologies. Pradeep joined WSO2 in the year 2010. He is a senior software engineer and a member of the platform technologies management committee focusing on WSO2 Carbon. In addition to his development efforts, Pradeep also has provided technology consulting on customer engagements, including customer QuickStart programs. Previously, he was a WSO2 intern in 2008. Pradeep has contributed to the Apache Axis2 project of the Apache Software Foundation. He also has published several technical articles based on his final-year university project, Empowering Web-Gadget Communication with Tuple Space. The project focused on developing a scalable and distributed tuple space implementation. Additionally, he has conducted a tutorial session on Introduction to OSGi and Carbon at the WSO2Con 2011 user conference. Richie operates a portfolio of projects in transformation, applied innovation, and other emerging technologies at UBS, he is an accomplished program and area manager with experience assembling and leading multidisciplinary teams. He has earned a reputation as a strategic thinker and solutions architect with a record of leading the design of solutions that are commercially viable and generate competitive advantage. Mr. Etwaru has a 16+ year track record as a transformational leader chartering efficiency, championing centers of excellence, defining new intellectual property, writing and speaking, and having fun at large organizations as well as startups. He is a former CIO, former Head of Innovation, winner of the Notre Dame Business Plan Writing competition in 2002, winner of Small Business awards in 2003, and has been involved in several stat-ups. He holds two international patents, has spoken at several events across the US and is currently completing is Doctoral studies in Management and Organizational Leadership. Roger CARHUATOCTO and Mikel ASLA have over 12 years of experience as IT Consultants and Critical System Architects. Roger and Mikel blends his experience in Computer Security and Identity Management with his passion for Free and Open Source technology. Roger and Mikel, now part of a business initiative called KONOSYS where combines and integrates technologies such as e-DNI, IdM, SSO, Liferay Portal, Alfresco ECM, BPM and SOA technologies in several Projects in Spain. Sameera Jayasoma joined WSO2 in May 2008. He is a technical lead and a member of the platform technologies management committee, focusing on the WSO2 Carbon and WSO2 Web Services Application Server. As a WSO2 intern in 2007, Sameera developed an Axiom version of Rhino’s E4X implementation, which is used in the WSO2 Mashup Server. He also has provided technology consulting on customer engagements, including Quick Start Program, Business Process Execution Language (BPEL), and cloud projects. Sameera has contributed to a number of Apache Software Foundation (ASF) projects, including Apache Axis2 and Axiom. He also was a co-developer of Apache Rampart2. During the 2007 Google Summer of Code, Sameera also contributed to the development of JAX-WS templates for the Apache Axis2/Java Codegen tool. Founder, Chairman & CEO, WSO2 Inc. Sanjiva has been involved with open source for many years and is an active member of the Apache Software Foundation. He was the original creator of Apache SOAP and has been part of Apache Axis, Apache Axis2 and most Apache Web services projects. Sanjiva founded WSO2 after having spent nearly 8 years in IBM Research, where he was one of the founders of the Web services platform. During that time, he co-authored many Web services specifications including WSDL, BPEL4WS, WS-Addressing, WS-RF and WS-Eventing. Sanjeewa joined WSO2 in September 2010. He is a software engineer, focusing on WSO2 Elastic Load Balancer and WSO2 Stratos. Sanjeewa is a member of the platform technologies team where he implemented the tenant aware load balancer and specializes in usage data metering and throttling in cloud environments.Sanjeewa also has provided technology consulting on customer engagements, including customer QuickStart programs. In addition to his product development efforts Sanjeewa is a member of the Blackberry Developers Community, associate member of the Institute of Engineers, Sri Lanka and a member of the International Association of Computer Science and Information Technology. He is also a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). Director, Cloud Solutions, WSO2 Inc. Selvaratnam Uthaiyashankar joined WSO2 in September 2007. He is a senior software architect and chair of the cloud technologies management committee. Shankar focuses on the WSO2 Stratos cloud middleware platform and Carbon enterprise middleware kernel, and he has worked on the interoperability of Axis2/C and the WSO2 Web Services Framework (WSF). Additionally, Shankar has provided technology consulting on customer engagements, including cloud, enterprise service bus (ESB), governance, and mobile integration solutions. Shankar is an Apache Software Foundation member and committer on the Axis2/C, Axis2, Rampart/C, and Rampart projects. With more than four years of industry experience, he has a strong background in telecommunication software development and after-sale support. Additionally, he is proficient in C++, Oracle and COM+ technologies. Senaka Fernando joined WSO2 in April 2009. He is an associate technical lead and a member of the integration technologies management committee, who has focused on the WSO2 Governance Registry and WSO2 Cloud Services Gateway. In addition to his product development efforts, Senaka has provided technology consulting on customer engagements, helping to successfully implement governance, enterprise application integration, SAP integration, and on-premise portal solutions. Senaka also founded the WSO2 Web Services Framework/C++ during his internship with WSO2 in 2008. Senaka is an elected member of the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) and also a Project Management Committee (PMC) member and committer for a number of projects, which currently include Apache Web Services, Axis2, and several Apache incubator projects. Additionally, Senaka is a member of the OASIS S-RAMP, WEMI, and TOSCA technical committees. As a participant in the Google Summer of Code for both 2008 and 2009, he also worked on the Apache Harmony and Ptolemy II projects at the University of California, Berkeley. Stephen Oostenbrink works as enterprise architect for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment (IenM) in the Netherlands. He is responsible for the service oriented architecture, integration and API strategy. Stephen advises policy makers how to incorporate information technology in legislation to simplify and optimize the execution. With relentless energy and drive to make a change, he raises awareness and drives adoption of service oriented architecture and new technologies. Previously Stephen worked for Accenture where he worked mainly in the retail, aviation, automotive and utilities markets, advising clients in the area of strategy, business and IT alignment and architecture. Stephen is a member of the Dutch government interoperability board which advises the Dutch government on interoperability standards. He enjoys inspiring others and sharing his experience by speaking on the subjects of enterprise architecture and service oriented architecture. Sumedha Rubasinghe joined the WSO2 in November 2006. He is a software architect and chair of the data technologies management committee, who focuses on development of the WSO2 Carbon Core, WSO2 Data Services, WSO2 Governance Registry, WSO2 Business Activity Monitor, and WSO2 API Manager. Sumedha has contributed to the successful implementation of data, SAP and repository-based integration projects, as well many WSO2 QuickStart development consulting engagements. Sumedha is an active committer with the Apache Axis2 project. Tharindu Matthew joined WSO2 in 2009. He is a senior software engineer and a member of the data technologies management committee, focusing on big data, analytics, and business activity monitoring (BAM). In addition to developing WSO2 middleware, Tharindu has provided technology consulting on customer engagements spanning the United States, Europe and Asia, and covering implementations of the WSO2 Governance Registry, WSO2 BAM, WSO2 Application Server, WSO2 Business Rules Server, WSO2 Complex Event Processing Server, and WSO2 Business Process Server. Tharindu founded the WSO2 Web Services Framework/Spring during his internship with WSO2 in 2008. He also contributed to implementing Hessian Support for the WSO2 Enterprise Service Bus. He also took part in the Google Summer of Code for 2008 working on Apache Harmony, an open source Java implementation. Tharindu also has contributed to Apache Cassandra, Hadoop, Thrift and Axis2. Thijs Volders is a Senior Software Architect at Yenlo. He brings to his role more than 15 years of technology and consulting experience in Java, application development, middleware, and service-oriented architecture (SOA). He is the youngest member of the Java Magazine Advisory Board. He has written numerous articles e.g. comparison of build management tools and co-written several whitepapers and speaker at conferences. He recently built the ebMS adapter for the WSO2 ESB. Yefim Natis is a Vice President and Gartner Distinguished Analyst in Gartner Research. Mr. Natis’ research focuses on application software infrastructure, including technologies such as platforms as a service (PaaS) and application servers. His interests include application integration, open computing, context-aware computing and in-memory computing. Mr. Natis also researches the fundamental software architectures, including event-driven architecture, service-oriented architecture and next-generation application architectures, as well as .NET and Java EE. Prior to joining Gartner, Mr. Natis worked at Magna Software, a software start-up where he was the director of software architecture and the principal architect of MAGNA X, a generator of service-oriented transaction processing applications. Mr. Natis’ experience also includes IT architecture and IT management positions at Hogan Systems and Citigroup. He has 30 years of experience in enterprise IT. Vipul has a wealth of experience as a Solutions Architect, Business Analyst and Technology Consultant in both the Public and Private Sectors. He has both led and been a key player in many business transformation projects and delivered benifits to organisations such as the BBC, Aviva and Equifax. His main focus now is Big Data and SOA based solutions leveraging open source technologies.

2019-04-25T08:39:39Z

https://london13.wso2con.com/speakers/

The role of caregiver can come about expectedly or thrust upon someone suddenly. It is a role that is guided by the heart and done out of love, with the patient's best interests at heart. Caregivers can get overlooked with all of the tasks that must be completed, as the patient's concerns remain a top priority. It is important to show caregivers that they are appreciated for their patience and compassion within their new role. We'd like to use this month to acknowledge those who have offered themselves selflessly to their loved ones in hopes of providing comfort and support. Below are notes of appreciation that patients submitted during Caregiver Awareness Month. To find a name, click on the letter grouping that the first name would fall under. Thank you to all the staff at mt Sinai medical cancer center for smiles that help you feel better. If not for you where I would be. I am immensely thankful. Words alone can never truly express my sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been in my life to give me encouragement throughout my illness. I've been so blessed! It's encouraging to know that I definitely have a community of care/supports that has embraced me in my journey. I cannot thank you enough for the coverage you have given me to support my cancer expenses. There is no way I could handle much of that myself ever. Thanks also to my clinic that handles most all of this for me. It is the Hemotology Clinic in Salem. Oregon. Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving. I would like to thank my family, friends, doctors, and nurses at Emory in Atlanta for their help and care for me. Thank you for giving all of yourself so selflessly to make sure my grandpa (your dad), felt safe and loved during the last months of his life. He loved you so much and called for you until his death. You are a gem! Thank you Abu for knowing exactly what we needed at every moment: for the "half-hot" water with lemon, the shoulder to cry on, the special essential oils, the nutritious lunches packed with care for the hospital, the leg massages, the pep talks, tracking the med schedule, doing "the bagel", the crazy kitchen dances, living room bowling and impromptu yoga. You are incredible and I love you to the moon and back! Ali S. My best friend Ali is a wonderful caregiver! Ali, is my sister from another mister, and takes very good care of her Dad who is battling leukemia & lymphoma. I love her so much and she deserves a shout out! Happy Caregiver Awareness Boo! Thank you my strong Tiger for taking such good care of me over the last year and through the stem-cell transplant. You are my rock! My husband has been my wonderful caregiver for the past 1-1/2 years since my diagnosis of multiple myeloma . I want to thank him for all the support he has given me. Thank you so much for helping with my care, for being so strong and caring from a young age. My daughter, you have taught me more than you will ever know. I love you so much! Thank you for pushing me to exercise and eat when it was the last thing I wanted to do. I wouldn't be here without your support! It was devastating news but one person rose to the challenge that lay ahead. She searched tirelessly for the best medical professionals available, arranged and coordinated appointments, maintained accurate and comprehensive records ,provided constant care and emotional support, all while simultaneously caring for her own family. We will always remember and be forever grateful to Allison, daughter in law, wife, mother and caregiver, for the love and support you provided Mike. Thanks for being that “extra special “ someone. He stays with me as much as he can in chemo, drives me to Portland, which is about 84 miles away, and back. Without his help, I don't know what I'd do. This is my husband. Thank you, Dear. There was not a day we didn’t feel like the center of his universe. He made sure we had all his love and care! Thank you for always being there for me, you have been there from the very start of this journey and I'll never forget that! Amanda F. & Deanna R. I am so thankful that they were each there for me during both my stem cell transplants. Thank you from the depths of my heart for the selfless gift of love you continually give to mom. May God bless you richly! Mom, your compassion towards our grandmother taught me strength. Thank you for faithfully teaching Rae, dad and me that true love is action. Love you! She is a fierce force of nature doing everything she can to take care of Rob.. She does it selflessly and doesn't’t think about how it could impact her. rob is in well skilled and safe hands with Anita as a caregiver. Anne is always giving & caregiving. She reaches out to her family & friends when she knows they need support, usually with surprise gifts or unannounced gourmet meals from her kitchen. I am in awe of her strength & willingness to give so generously of herself. Thank you for being the absolute best caregiver I could ever dream of having. You are my angel, sent from Heaven. Thank you for loving and taking such good care of me. For loving and going the journey of AML with our daughter LaTashia. Arthur has medical problems of his own, but he volunteers to take me to doctor visits, keeps track of appointments, does grocery shopping, and listens to me when I am feeling down. I do not know what I would do without him. Her love and dedication has not only saved my life but has made it a joy to be alive and able to share time with her. How blessed I am to have such a wonderful person in my life. She was "my rock" back in 2012 when I was diagnosed with ALL. She went with me to Tampa for three months while I received my stem cell transplant and took care of me like no one else would have. Their support for myself and their sister during her treatment period was truly inspirational and I couldn't have done it all without them. Barry thank you for caring for your mom and father the way that you do. I see how you take the job seriously and my prayers are with you. He's not only my caretaker he's the man I love. Does not hesitate to care for me even when at my worst. Unconditional Love at its finest! Bernd has selflessly taken care of his wonderful wife Darlene. You are an example of what a person does in a time of need and you are admired and appreciated for all that you do for Darlene. Mom, you are superwoman. I admire your selflessness, compassion, and positive attitude, especially through dad’s fight. I am thankful for you every day. I love you! She is a very special person who took great care of me during my battle and my recovery. Bill B is a wonderful caregiver, friend and husband. He shares my progress with friends and family even though he has done this before with with his before with his first wife. He shares his strength and kindness, I love him very much. A kind considerate caregiver. He no longer works so that he can take care of me. He certainly does his best to make sure I get to anywhere I could go, and he does it all with love. He thinks nothing of it. Thank you Bobby. My father; he took me to every single appt and chemo treatment. He kept me laughing and kept me company, even when I was sleeping in the tx chair. I would like to honor Brad at Cleveland Clinic. He is kind, compassionate, and has a great smile and attitude every time he meets you. He also has the best socks! Thank you, Dr. Pohlman! My best friend. Words cannot express how much she supported and helped me through the cancer journey. Thank you being my caregiver twice, ten years apart. You were my inspiration all the way! Candyce H. For the loving care of her 99 year old mother, Catherine. Takes a strong and patient woman! Thank you for all that you do for Mom! I know it's not easy adjusting to this role, however, you've done an amazing job! I'd like to honor my sister. She is always supportive of me and in between her busy life working in the Medical Field and taking care of her Children she still find time to be the team Captain of my Light The Night Group Cece's Angel's of Faith. She is a natural giver and always here to make sure I'm okay. I love her and Thank her for being the person she is. I would like to honor my dad. He has never missed a beat. He kept my spirits up and never doubted that I could beat this. He’s not only my caregiver, he’s my hero. She has been a caregiver at Brookdale in Bay City, MI for 20 years, and has loved ever minute of it. Cheryl G. She is my sister and I could not make it through this journey without her. She has been there for me with amazing support and encouragement. Thanks does not begin to cover it! Thank you for being a caring, compassionate and relentless caregiver. You drop everything for family selflessly providing support to all of us. We Love you!! Christine has also taken on the role of full time care giver for her Mother. She has done it all with great love and grace. She is my hero. Cindy thank you for caring for and supporting me during my battle, it meant so much to me. Now it is my turn to care for and support you in your double battle. My wife stood at my side every step of the way and gave me strength and purpose. I would love to submit Cindy S. name as an excellent caregiver. She is totally putting my care first & above her own needs. Mom to fighter Luke. Caregivers give up their life to care for their children. I went on disability for 1 year and since then it was all about lukes care . I wouldn’t change a thing, my children are my world. Today I want to say good job me . You are amazing. You have been an absolute rock and because of you I have beat NHL twice. You are an amazing wife, mother and best friend anyone could have asked for. My wife, who has cared for a married couple for the past 8 years. My wife initially volunteered to care for my mother,( Lola ) who lost her battle with non-Hodgkin’s on January 8th 2009. I miss her dearly. My wife was diagnosed with leukemia on July 17th 2017 and she continues to care for our dear friends, the elderly couple. The man/ husband passed way this October 2017. My wife is in my biased opinion, is a kindred spirit and the love of my life. I refuse to consider life without her, that is simply not an option. She deserves all the recognition in the world and all the love in my heart and that of our children & grandchildren. I love you Cynthia. You were my rock and my strength. I could not ask for a better partner in life. You are my rock. Thank you for waiting during surgeries, scans, and treatments, going with me to every appointment, and being my personal chef! Dave was the best caregiver ever! He stuck by me during 2 bouts with Hodgkins Lymphoma and thru stem cell transplant. Many thanks- I couldn't do this without you! Babe, thanks for being my wife and caregiver through these tough times. I love you. Thank you for being there for mom during her illness. I know she is happy and thankful that you were there for her during her hospitalizations and her return home. Love you! Since our son was diagnosed with leukemia in December of 2015 she has been remarkable. I can't thank her enough and especially Justyn thank her enough for EVERYTHING she does. I couldn't do this journey without you! I extremely appreciate Desirae P. for always keeping up with reminding me to get my important blood work and the results. Double checking the calendar for important dates and all of her knowledge. Most importantly for understanding the struggles when I am having bad side effects. I want to honor my mother. She was always there for me at all times and continues to be there today. Love you! Thanks for helping Adriana through a lot and sacrificing your time. She trusted you. You did it for HER. You Are a Warrior! Thank you mom for being there for me since day one of my diagnosis! Without you I wouldn't be where I am at today and I wouldn't be as strong as I am without you! I could not have done all I have done nor gotten this far without you standing beside me. Thank you for all you do for me. Your continuous, genuine care, love and support is amazing and priceless. I'm blessed because I have each of you in my life. I can't thank you enough. Much love. DR (my wife) for caring for me over the past 14 years while I’ve battled NHL. She has always been there to buoy me up and assist me through the physically and mentally challenging times. I love you sweetheart! Thank you: Elaine for the 37 years you have been my caregiver, you have been strong, compassionate, and loving when these challenges have come. My sister-in-law has cared for my brother tirelessly these past 4 years with his Lymphoma battle. My sister's and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your loving care. Mom, I couldn’t have asked for a more loving, sacrificing, patient, compassionate, and strong caregiver. Thank you for being supermom. You are an amazing wife, mom, and friend! You are a rock star, with many talents to keep your family moving while supporting Dan and getting it done! We love and support you, and will always have your back! We were married just a first yr when I was diagnosed.It's been 19 yrs post transplant. He's still my best friend and biggest cheerleader. Erica, I very much appreciate your patience and compassion when you helped dad and grandpa through their final journey on earth. Your love and support is not forgotten. Eve ministers to many people, she is a lovely person!! Thank you for helping our family through each day. Love you! Mom, thank you for being one of the strongest people I know! We wouldn't be anywhere without you. Gail has been there every step of the way. Her impeccable note keeping helps us review everyday. Thank you very much for the daily visits to mom during her hospitalizations and also when she is home. She looks forward to your visits and I appreciate all the help you have provided her. For working a tough full-time job but still finding the time and energy to be my only caregiver. My sister-in-law who has been my primary caregiver (aka MY Angel) since my first diagnosis of NHL. She continues to help me to this day. To My Rock, My Everything, My Wife, You stood by me every step of the way. I Love with all my Heart. I can’t thank you enough, Greg, my husband, my friend, my protector. Your caring and support mean everything to me, especially when I feel defeated. You are the best and I love you. Thank you for supporting our girl through her tough fight and for dealing with the craziness so gracefully! Thank you for taking such tremendous, loving care of your daughter / my wife / your grandkids’ mom during her time of need. Your love and support was amazing. Thank you for taking such good care of me and baby Georgia during chemo. I love you more than you will ever know. My wonderful husband James. Thank you, you were by my side, gave me strength to continue with my fight. I want to THANK YOU for all you have done for me. You are truly my special angel and my best friend. Dad, we are so blessed by your care of mother. You always show her gentleness and patience, kindness and grace, love and commitment. Your love and commitment to helping me survive this sickness is inspiring and courageous. I love you. Jeff, there are not enough words in the word to fully explain how much I love you. You were my rock during the highs and lows of treatment. I love you, forever and always. A caregiver as a nurse who selflessly serves daily whether at home with a sick, growing, beautiful baby or at work with our beloved bone marrow patients-- you're also a hero! This debilitating illness. The sleepless nights. The anxiety, the worry, the pain, the fear: all soothed by your endless love. I wish it were different, but all we can do is carry the weight of it and believe that we will win. And that weight is lighter, and the belief stronger, because of you. Thank you, sweetie, I love you forever. I want to thank you for all you have done as my caregiver throughout this journey. Without you it would have been a tough road. Love you!!! I would not be here without your efforts! Thank you! Love Eric. My sister; she kept my spirits up when I was feeling my worst and attended classes at the support center with me to keep me company. She pulled through as my Mama Bear on multiple occasions. You are my world. We've been through so much together and you are always there right by my side. Love and thank you with all my heart forever. For 10 years my husband has helped me deal with AML and transplant without complaint. Even with drastic changes to our life, he still helps. It’s love. Thank you very much for being such a wonderful sister in law to my mother during her illness. You have been so wonderful and helpful to both my parents and we love and appreciate you very much! A wonderful caregiver for her husband. Over a year's worth of devotion and commitment thus far in helping him through his cancer journey. She is a blessing! A sincere thanks to my wife Julie. Without her living with cancer might very well have been unbearable! You are the rock in our family. You showed us Courage, Comfort, and Compassion which carried all of us. We love you!! It wasn't until I got lymphoma that I truly knew there is a God because He sent an angel to take care of me. Mom, THANK YOU for your constant companionship during my MDS then progression to AML diagnosis, treatments, stem cell transplant and continued care. I love you! Kate, thank you for taking the lead on mom's care every day. We are so grateful. These ladies are my Mom & my Wife. Both have been thru thick & thin in regards to my health. Both have sacrificed there their time, energy & often their work schedules. These ladies rock in my book! Thank you for acknowledging my taking care of our son with his battle against Leukemia. There is no where else I'd rather be than taking care of and loving our son. You have been one of my and Justyn's main support systems. We couldn't have made it through some of these days without you by our side. Thank you, also. Thank you for being there for me 24/7 while I battled AML. I’m sorry you died a year later from pancreatic cancer. It was my honor to be your caregiver and I will always cherish our 7 years together. Until we meet again, my love. I don't know if I would have made it without him. He's such a very important person in my life. I love him more and more every day for standing right there with me! Kevin He had no idea when he said these wedding vows, "in sickness and in health" what our future would hold. I offer these humble words of thanksgiving and gratitude to him. Thank you for your continued example of compassion, strength and selfless love. YOU MAKE ME STRONG!! I am truly blessed being apart of your life. Love you! Thank you for your loving care and self sacrifices as you help me in my fight against cancer. Love you! Kim L., Tyler B., & Deb B. Thanks to these adult children who gave beyond all expectations. When my major back surgery kept me from care-caring, you did! For loving her sister LaTashia and having the energy to travel to and from the hospital. My husband has been the greatest care taker I could have ever ask for. I have been truly blessed to have him in my life for the last 40 years. Thanks. Thanks to my best friend, lover and extraordinary wife. Standing by me through everything that has come my way. Thanks for the support. Love you. Thank you for your compassion and love throughout my treatment. Your selflessness and patience helped me each and every day. You truly are amazing! At last, there is a month to celebrate you, Caregiver Awareness Month! Thank you for providing such loving care of mom. During her illness you have had to learn to cook, do laundry, grocery shop, pay the bills as well as take care of mom. I am so proud of you! I would like to thank Lela for being there for me during my year of battle. She was there for me during good time and was there for the days that I was very sick. Thank You Lela. You have been my wonderful partner, wife and best friend for the last forty one years. Your compassionate, sacrificial and loving care has been beyond wonderful. Mom-You have taken such loving care of Dad as he battles this disease. We’re so lucky to have you. Love you! Linda gave selflessly to care for my physical, emotional and spiritual needs for the past 10 years. She always put my care in front of her own. She is my wife, friend and hero. Linda is my wife of 55 years. She has been there through all my issues and problems. When diagnosed with Lymphoma, her response was, WE can beat this to. No matter what was needed, she was at my side to through all phases of treatment. My mom. Kind, optimistic, loving, resourceful, smart, patient, generous and it's with that amazing grace that she cares for my sweet, loving dad with leukemia. She is a gift to my dad, my brother and I and the world. Love you, mom. Linda, caregiver for Mr. Wilson, a family friend as well as at Communicare rehab and at Holy Temple Church of Christ. You have done so much to help your husband continue living a normal life. It is difficult and you do it while rarely complaining. If it is too much, you must always make time to care for you! I will like to acknowledge Lisa to let her know how much I appreciate her help and devotion and love for helping me in this time of need. My wife has given her time and sacrifice. She never complained for free. God bless her and us all. Liz been an awesome educator, organizer, and loving support to my sister and to all of us who journey with Kathy during this roller coaster ride of hers! Liz - you are a caregiver in your unique way! Thanks to you, Liz. My cousin rocks in her spirit giving nature! She has provided valuable awareness! She always finds the silver lining in countless trips to Sloan in NYC. I am forever grateful that she is able to take the time to be at every appointment to hold my hand, wipe a tear or ask the doctor a question. The "family caregiver" - always there when someone needs help. Never has to be asked but always shows up. The strength you have shown caring for Tom and Christine amazes me. We could not get through this without you! I love you! The only thing larger than the feasts she creates is her heart and her love for everybody she meets. She is always there for everyone else. After dealing with a medical issue of her own, has spent the last 6 years being there and supporting her daughter through battles with Breast cancer. As well now her husband who also is battling cancer. While surrounded by difficult situations she continues to be strong and be there for everyone else first! Thank you for being my twin, stem cell donor, hero, and perfect match. My cousin Lynn is a caregiver to her husband who has MS, as well as caring for her elderly mother. She is my hero! Dad – thank you for all you are doing for mom at this time! Your dedication to serving mom is inspiring and so sweet. Love you! Thanks for working to take care of me! My stem cell transplant was a miracle. You are a great wife, a great friend, a great person. God sent you by my side so I can see him in your eyes, care, among other things. Thank you, Maria, for always being my advocate when I was sick. I won’t ever be able to repay your efforts, but I’ll spend my life trying. I love you!! I appreciate your patience, kindness and willingness to serve. Your compassion is recognized by those around you. God bless you as you bless others. She is the best. Never complains and is a joy to be around. Makes my parents very happy. My wife has been the ROCK I have leaned on for 27 years and counting. She has tirelessly, faithfully, given loving, supporting, spiritual, earthly personal daily care to her mother, Joyce, for years preceding her recent death. My dearest friend Mary Lou whom makes life a happier, joyful place to be. Thank you for loving me through cancer. You carried me when I could not carry myself. Thank you for always believing in me, and waiting patiently for me to heal. Thank you for giving so much of yourself. I love you! Thank you for taking such good care of your mom and my aunt. You are definitely super woman. I would like to honor my daughter who was there for me and still is from the phone call that I received to all of my doctor appointments. Not a day goes by that I cannot say “thank you” to her. A resounding debt of gratitude to my husband, Michael who never left my side no matter how tough things got. You cared for me, kept the Doctors and nurses in check and fought with and for me. I probably would not be writing this now if not for you. I love you my guardian angel here on earth. At a time when most teenagers are mapping out their college careers, my son was busy driving me to support groups and preparing meals. I just want him and others to know how grateful I am for his support both then and now. Brought his home cooked meals to me during chemo when I couldn't tolerate hospital food. Wouldn't have gotten through chemo without him. Dad, your tenderness, compassion, and unwavering support is inspiring. Thank you for all that you are doing each and every day for mom. For love and care of her father Anthony Greco who is being treated for multiple myeloma. I’m sorry to have to have you as my primary caregiver, but eternally grateful for your love and support. Your strength and love get me through each day with a smile! Thank you for being an unwavering support for ALL of us! I look fondly on our days as a two person team when Mom was at the hospital <3 I appreciate you so much! Mike has always been there through the good & the bad. He even learned how to cook so that I could recover. Parker, you have been with me every step of the way throughout my cancer journey. You even sat with me when I was radioactive after being injected with the radioactive serum for my PET/CT scan (I won’t let you do that again!) I love you. Thank you for taking such good care of Sarah. And for your many sacrifices. Thanks for being at appointments, translating medical talk, gentle opinions, preparing meals, helping with hygiene & being a friend who’s more devoted than a sister. Pamela C. I would like to thank my wife ,for all her love. My wife Pam has given me the Love of Jesus and of a wife more than any person can give. Thank you so much. I love you. My Parents have been wonderful. I am in remission for five years. They have done so many things for me and my family. Thank you! Mom, Your unwavering strength, unending love, and unshakable faith has shown us what true love looks like. Thank you for loving our daddy/pops so well. You've been there every step of my journey. Thank you for being my sister, friend, and a special care/supporter. With loving gratitude for all you do for me, my sister. You are so nurturing, so caring. We (family) owe you so much for trying to be sure we are okay. After my myeloma diagnosis, Mama needed your talents most for her stroke rehab. You seamlessly started to organize us to care for her. So much love for you. For loving and being the best son to LaTashia during her journey. 7 years she’s shown unconditional love. I wish I could do more for my wife. She’s given so much. Thank you isn't enough. I would like to HONOR THE BEST CAREGIVER IN THE WORLD, my wife Rebecca. She is THE most AMAZING caregiver ever and LOVE HER SO MUCH for ALL she does. For all the sleepless nights, doctor appointments, love & care you gave Kevin while he was here. Thank you. Your the best mother anyone could ask for. I know he felt the exact same way. My sister for her positivity and devotion to me during and after treatment. My husband has been my rock every day. I honor my Dad, my brothers, my in-laws, my daughter and her family for all the love and support. I honor our friends and neighbors for their daily support. I love you all more than words can ever say. Thank you for all of the love and support you gave me and our family as you tirelessly took care of me and the boys. Coming up to visit even when you didn’t feel like it. Making sure that the boys got to all of their needs meet. Love you so much! Thank you sweetheart for all of the love, patience and care you showered me with as we walked through the world of cancer and everything else that was going on during that time. Love you so much! When you took over the title of "WIFE" you never thought it would include being "Caregiver". I cannot make it without your love, support and help during these last 5 years. Thank you and Love you. Your unconditional love and support made all the difference during my battle with APL and recovery. You were with me every step of the way and your encouragement kept me on track and focused on the priorities. Thank you! My sister Rose for taking such good care of our Mom. Rose took mom to all of her treatments and continues to take her to follow up appointments. I just want her to know how much I appreciate her! I learn from you the meaning of what St. Paul taught us Faith expressing itself through Love. You are in my heart forever. The selfless caregiver who was always there with compassionate words, deeds, hugs. Thank you Roy, love of my life. Mom, we were blessed with Pete’s additional time on earth because of your selflessness. I’ll always be grateful for how cared for him. She stood by my son through his fight with cancer. Now they have a daughter together. THANK YOU!!!!! Samantha N. Thank you to my beautiful wife, Samantha, for faithfully serving as my caregiver through AML. She was a rock amid a sea of uncertainty. Mom, I want to thank you for being by my side for the last 4 years through everything I've been through. I wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for you. You are the best caretaker/donor! I love you. Thank you for being such a wonderful sister-in-law to my mom. You have spent countless hours taking care of my parents and I want you to know how much we appreciate and love you! Thank you to my caregivers for your compassionate care over the last 5-1/2 years. I will be forever grateful for the quality of life you have given me. For his unrelenting care and dedication to my daughter Marissa in her fight against Leukemia. I would like to thank my beautiful wife for taking care of since day one. She stuck with me through it all the good days and the very bad one I couldn't have don it without her she's not a doctor but she saved my life she's my bedside doctor my wife I love you with all my heart words can't began to explain how grateful I am for having you in my life. My husband, thank you for being there every step of the way in my fight. You are my greatest strength and I couldn't do this without you. My mother and my rock. She stood by me throughout my entire treatment. She was especially incredible during my hospital stay. I am writing to recognize my wife, Tia. She is the best caregiver I could have ever asked for. For months at a time over the last eight plus years, she has taken care of me without a single complaint. I love you, T! Thank you for taking amazing care of both me and our three month old baby after I was diagnosed with HL. Love you! Thank you for stepping up and taking care of me and the family during this trying time love you always. Mom, you've been a hero to me since my diagnosis. You had no idea what was to come when we went to the doctor, but you never hesitated to stay by me and make sure I got well again. I love you. I’ll never be able to repay you for your endless support. Thank you, Big Sister! I don’t know what I would do without your constant love and care for me. You are the best. I love you so much. Thank you for the laughter, leaning, listening, learning and love. You’re my hero. Many thanks for your constant and undying support through our struggle with fighting this disease! I love you! She has been my rock and confidant while I have been battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. She is just an angel and is always by my side to encourage me to not give up.Valerie always keeps a smile on her face and never shows that she is worried.I cannot imagine going through this without her by my side. Val your compassion towards others is like no other. Thank you for all you do and all that you are. Thank you for your selflessness and patience you exhume everyday. You truly are awesome!!! I was diagnosed 10 1/2 years ago CML Leukemia. My wife cooks wonderful healthy meals. She encourages me to keep playing my guitar and write songs . I thank God for her everyday. Veronica, you are leading this journey for your son with strength, perseverance and an incredibly positive and grateful attitude. You are an inspiration. I hope you feel loved and supported. Troy is so lucky to have your for a Mom, cheerleader and nurse! Stay strong Veronica! She gives 110% to make sure she gives the best care possible. She is selfless and loving and a blessing to the person she cares for, and all his family/friends. Dad – you are a pillar of strength and was always there for Mom through everything no matter what. Your love for her was…and is…. limitless. I Thank my husband for taking care of me through my AML Leukemia journey since '08. Now to get through the GvHD stuff. For taking care of our best friend John during his most recent medical treatment. Wendy T. Mama, thank you for taking good care of Daddy! We all know how hard it was on you. You are my hero! I love you! I would like to honor Will , my strong,caring husband. My mom, Natalie, my mother-in-law, Gerri and my sister-in-law Johanna and brother-in-law Ben for being there and changing their lives around to help me battle this disease. Bill it's hard to find words for your compassion and love as delayed neurotoxicity is part of my (our) life. I honor you during this Caregiver Awareness Month! My awesome wife made sure I got the best treatment possible at home as well as at DUMC. She became my personal nurse. Thank you for being with me through it all. You are my forever. My sister stayed with me every single moment in the hospital for over a month and even though chemo was horrible having her by my side was the best memories I have. For caregiver resources, please click here. Is this your first time visiting our site? Contact an Information Specialist to learn about our resources available to patients and caregivers.

2019-04-22T00:53:44Z

https://www.lls.org/article/caregivers-thank-you-for-your-kindness

In this paper we apply wavelet analysis to the detection of long waves in wholesale price index for France, the UK and the US because wavelets can easily overcome most of the methodological difficulties experienced in previ-ous methods. The advantages of using wavelet multiresolution decomposition analysis for the analysis of long waves studied by Kondratieff are manifold: 1) long wave components are easily obtainable through multiresolution decomposition analysis; 2) no preliminary correction is needed; and 3) they can handily detect cycles that are not easily visible in trending series (as it is the case of the wholesale price index in the post-WWII period). Comparisons with the chronology in the literature on long wave cycles for prices and with recent results for world GDP growth rates indicate that wavelet analysis can provide a reliable and useful statistical methodology in order to analyze the dynamics of long waves in historical time series. Keywords: long wave cycles, wavelet analysis, wholesale prices, world GDP. Although the spectral-theory approach seems to be a particularly appropriate method for long wave detection, application of spectral analysis has several drawbacks: the observed series need to be stationary in order to be analyzed with the tools of spectral analysis and, above all, long waves revealed by spectral analysis are based on the assumption of regular fixed periodicities. Both requirements are particularly troublesome as the dataset used in long waves analysis includes two hundred years of data influenced by several war episodes, especially the two WWs. In this paper we propose the application of a different statistical method for detecting long waves in economic variables that can easily overcome most of the methodological difficulties experienced in previous methods: wavelet analysis. Wavelets have ability to handle a variety of nonstationary and complex signals because their projections are local, rather than global. Moreover, the non-parametric nature of the multiresolution decomposition analysis is able to capture the irregular nature of the period and amplitude of economic cycles and captures cyclical processes with different durations. Specifically, we apply the multiresolution and energy decomposition analysis to price series for France, the UK and the US in order to be able to compare our findings with the evidence provided by early long wave authors on long waves patterns in prices. Moreover, we analyze whether long waves are a general phenomena by looking at cycles in economic activity for the world economy as a whole. Anticipating our results one can say that the long waves in prices and in world economic activity detected using wavelet analysis resemble the long wave chronologies reported in the literature by various authors. All in all, we believe that wavelet analysis can be considered as a reliable and useful statistical methodology for analyzing long wave patterns in economic variables. The paper is organized as follows: Section 2 describes the main differences between spectral and wavelet analysis and briefly presents the main features and properties of wavelet analysis in comparison. Then, in Section 3 we apply the multiresolution and energy decomposition analysis to price series for France, the UK and the US so as to have long-wave patterns in prices comparable with the evidence provided by early long wave authors. Moreover, we analyze whether long waves are a general phenomenon by looking at cycles in economic activity for the world economy as a whole. Section 4 concludes the paper. The methodology for identification of long waves in aggregate economic time series is still a largely debated question in the literature on long-run patterns. Starting from Kondratieff's methodology4 several alternative approaches have been used for long waves detection: moving average smoothing techniques, trend deviation, and phase period analysis (Goldstein 1988). Each methodology used for identifying long wave cycles in economic time series depend on data pre-processing since data transformation is needed for features extraction. However, the extraction of the cyclical component of interest rely on a number of specific ad hoc assumptions, such as the pre-definition of historical phase periods or the specification of a particular form for the secular trend (linear, quadratic, exponential, etc.) in estimating the trend component. More recently, the long wave hypothesis has been tested by means of spectral analysis because of its ability to simultaneously break down any time series into a set of cyclical components having different frequencies (e.g., Kuczynski 1978; Van Ewijk 1982; Bieshaar and Kleinknecht 1984; Metz 1992, 2011; Reijnders 1990, 1992, 2009; Diebolt and Doliger 2006, 2008; Korotayev and Tsirel 2010). The simultaneous estimation of several cyclical components may be also pursued using wavelet analysis.6 Like spectral analysis, wavelet analysis allows to decompose any signal into a set of time scale components, each reflecting the evolution through time of the signal at a particular range of frequencies and to study the dynamics of each component separately, but with a resolution matched to its scale since the wavelet basis function is dilated (or compressed) according to a scale parameter to extract different frequency information. Moreover, the transformation to the frequency domain does not preserve the time information so that it is impossible to determine when a particular event took place, a feature that may be important in the analysis of economic relationships. In other words, it has only frequency resolution but not time resolution. Both transforms can be viewed as a rotation in function space to a different domain which for Fourier Transform contains basis functions that are sines and cosines, whereas for the wavelet transform, this new domain contains more complex basis functions called wavelets (see Strang 1993). The basis functions used by the Fourier transform (upper and middle panel) and the wavelet transform (lower panel) are shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows that wavelets are mathematical functions that transform the data into a mathematically equivalent representation by using a basis function that is similar to a sine and cosine function in that it also oscillates around zero, but differ because, as wavelets are constructed over finite intervals, they are well-localized both in the time and the frequency domain. Since the Fourier transform uses a linear combination of basis functions ranging over ± infinity, all projections in Fourier analysis are global, and thus a single disturbance affects all frequencies for the entire length of the series. Thus, if the signal is a non-periodic one, the summation of the periodic functions, sine and cosine, does not accurately represent the signal. Such a feature restricts the usefulness of the Fourier transform to the analysis of stationary processes, whereas most economic and financial time series display frequency behavior that changes over time, i.e. they are nonstationary (Ramsey and Zhang 1996). By contrast wavelet analysis may overcome the main problems evidenced by Fourier analysis since wavelets are compactly supported, as are all projections of a signal onto the wavelet space are essentially local, not global, and thus need not be homogeneous over time. Being performed locally, the wavelet transform allows the analysis of series that by their nature, as it is for long historical time series data, are likely to exhibit short-lived transient components like abrupt changes, jumps, and volatility clustering, typical of war episodes or crisis episodes. Unlike spectral analysis and related statistical techniques, wavelet analysis considers nonstationarity as an intrinsic property of the data rather than a problem to be solved by pre-processing the data. Indeed, much of the usefulness of wavelet analysis has to do with its flexibility to handle a variety of complex and nonstationary signals so that the data need neither be detrended nor corrections for war years are needed anymore. Corrections for war periods (war data are influenced by pre-war armament booms, war economy and post-war reconstruction booms around WWII and to a lesser extent WWI) are generally applied to original data by interpolating series for the war years (Metz 1992) or a priori elimination of the impact of the war periods (Korotayev and Tsirel 2010) on the assumption that such shocks can be seen as disturbances in the normal structure of data. Hence, with wavelet analysis we can avoid the practice of studying history by erasing part of the history (Freeman and Louçã 2001). Finally, long waves revealed by spectral analysis are based on the assumption of regular fixed periodicities (van Duijn 1983), but if the signal is a nonperiodic one, the summation of the periodic functions like sines and cosines, does not accurately represent the signal. By contrast wavelet analysis breaks down any time series into the sum of nonperiodic oscillatory components (quasi-periodic functions) whose irregular pattern is likely to resemble cyclical movements better than any approach requiring fixed periodicities. All in all, wavelet analysis, as well as spectral analysis, is particularly well suited for detecting cycles, but unlike spectral methods has the ability to detect cyclical components that are spaced irregularly in time and can be applied to non-stationary time series. In this subsection we briefly introduce the essential characteristics of wavelet analysis. Wavelets, their generation and their potential usefulness are discussed in intuitive terms in Ramsey (2010, 2014). A more technical exposition with many examples of the use of wavelets in a variety of fields is provided by Percival and Walden (2000), while an excellent introduction to wavelet analysis along with many interesting economic and financial examples is given in Gencay, Selcuk and Whitcher (2002) and Crowley (2007). The wavelet transform maps a function f(t) from its original representation in the time domain into an alternative representation in the time-scale domain w(t, j) applying the transformation w(t, j) = ψ(.)f(t), where t is the time index, j – the scale (i.e. a specific frequency band) and ψ(.) – the wavelet filter. There are two basis wavelet filter functions: the father and the mother wavelets, φ and ψ, respectively. The first integrates to 1 and reconstructs the smooth and low frequency parts of a signal, whereas the latter integrates to zero and describes the detailed and high-frequency parts of a signal. with j=1,.....,J in a J-level wavelets decomposition. The mother wavelet, as said above, plays a role similar to sines and cosines in the Fourier decomposition. It serves as a basis function to construct a set of wavelets, where each element in the wavelet set is obtained by compressing or dilating and shifting the mother wavelet, in order to approximate a signal. where SJ = ∑k sJ,kΦJ,k(t), and Dj = ∑k dJ,k ΨJ,k(t) with j=1,....,J. The sequence of terms SJ, DJ, ...Dj, ..., D1 in (4) represent a set of components that provide representations of the signal at the different resolution levels 1 to J. The term SJ represents the smooth long-term component of the signal and the detail components Dj provide the increments at each individual scale, or resolution, level. Each signal component has a frequency domain interpretation. As the wavelet filter belongs to high-pass filter with passband given by the frequency interval [1/2j+1, 1/2j] for scales 1 < j < J, inverting the frequency range to produce a period of time we have that wavelet coefficients associated to scale j = 2 j–1 are associated to periods [2j, 2j+1]. The frequency domain interpretation of each signal component, in term of periods, is presented in Table 1 for a J = 5 level decomposition analysis. In addition to decompose a time series into several components each associated with a different resolution level, wavelets allow for an alternative representation of the variability of stochastic processes on a scale-by-scale basis through the energy decomposition analysis. are the energy of the scaling and wavelet coefficients, respectively. The expression shows that the total signal energy is the sum of the jth level approximation signal and sum of all detail level signals 1st detail to jth detail. Indeed, since wavelet transform is an energy preserving transformation, the sum of the energies of the wavelet and the scaling coefficients is equal to the total energy of the data. In particular, by performing the energy decomposition analysis we can decompose the total energy of a series into the energy associated to each frequency component so as to detect which cyclical components contribute substantially more to the overall energy of the process relative to the others. In this section we explore the usefulness of wavelet time scale decomposition analysis for the detection of long wave economic cycles similar to those discovered by Kondratieff in his original studies. Specifically, we investigate the presence of long waves in prices by examining the patterns in the wholesale price index for France, the UK and the US, the leading economies in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, respectively, because these price series have provided the strongest supporting evidence for the long wave hypothesis by early 20th century long wave investigators (e.g., van Gelderen 1913; Kondratieff 1926, 1935; de Wolff 1924; Schumpeter 1939). Price data have been largely examined in the literature on long waves because prices have been for a long time the only economic data available and consistently measured, whereas output variables have been reconstructed by economic historians relatively recently and mostly back to the mid-19th century. Moreover, since annual data on the wholesale price index go back to the late 18th century, they allow using the longest possible time span as well as a number of observations higher than any corresponding international dataset on GDP whose data are only available from 1870 onwards only. Finally, by using price indices data we can have direct evidence on the hypothesized changes in the long wave price behavior in the post-WWII period. By using the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) we are able to decompose each price index into its different time scale components, each corresponding to a particular frequency band, and then to isolate the time scale component of interest. We apply the maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform (MODWT) because the DWT has two main drawbacks: 1) the dyadic length requirement, i.e. a sample size divisible by 2J; 2) the wavelet and scaling coefficients are not shift invariant, and, finally, the MODWT produces the same number of wavelet and scaling coefficients at each decomposition level as it does not use downsampling by two. In order to perform a wavelet analysis of a time series, a number of decisions must be made: which family of wavelet filters to use, what type of wavelet transform to apply, and how boundary conditions at the end of the series are to be handled. There are several families of wavelet filters available, such as Haar (discrete), symmlets and coiflets (symmetric), daublets (asymmetric), etc., differing by the characteristics of the transfer function of the filter and by filter lengths. Daubechies (1992) has developed a family of compactly supported wavelet filters of various lengths, the least asymmetric family of wavelet filters (LA), which is particularly useful in wavelet analysis of time series because it allows the most accurate alignment in time between wavelet coefficients at various scales and the original time series. With reflecting boundary conditions the original signal is reflected about its end point to produce a series of length 2N which has the same mean and variance as the original signal. We apply the maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform (MODWT) to annual observations from 1791 to 2012 of the wholesale price indexes for France, the US and the UK , normalized to 100 for 1914, using the Daubechies least asymmetric (LA) wavelet filter of length L=8 based on eight non-zero coefficients (Daubechies 1992), with reflecting boundary conditions. The application of the MODWT with a number of levels (scales) J=5 to annual time series produces five wavelet details vectors D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5 capturing oscillations with a period of 2–4, 4–8, 8–16, 16–32 and 32–64 years, respectively. Given Kondratieff's definition of long wave cycles, that is cycles with a characteristic period from 40 to 60 years and with an average length of about 50 years (Kondratieff 1926, 1935), from the frequency domain interpretation of signal components provided in Table 1 we can identify which wavelet detail component closely corresponds to Kondratieff-type long wave cycles. The D5 detail component can provide an estimate of Kondratieff domain since its frequency range is between 32 and 64 years and its average cycle length is around 48 years. Moreover, since no assumption has been made on the underlying nature of the signal and a criterion similar to a locally adaptive bandwidth has been adopted, the wavelet detail component D5 represents a nonparametric estimation of a long cycle with average length equal to 48 years. Since the MODWT is an energy (variance) preserving transform9 (Percival and Mofjeld 1997), it allows us to separate the contribution of energy in the price series due to changes at each time scale. Specifically, the energy decomposition analysis allows us to separate the total energy of a series into the energy associated to each frequency component, and to detect the relative contribution of each cyclical component. In particular, our specific interest is in measuring the relative importance of the component corresponding to the long waves as to all other cyclical components. Fig. 2 shows three crystals energy related bar plots of the wholesale price series (net of the S5 component) for France, the UK and the US from the energy decomposition analysis. Since for each wholesale price series most (or almost all) of the energy is concentrated in its large-scale features, with the small-scale features accounting for a very small fraction of the total variability, we apply the energy decomposition analysis to the raw series net of its long term smooth component S5 in order to remove the overwhelming effects of S5 components in the analysis. The result that longer cycle frequencies appear to carry most variability displays a striking similarity with the finding that Granger (1961) termed as ‘the typical spectral shape of an economic variable’ that shows how most of economic variables display a spectrum that exhibit a smooth declining shape with considerable power at very low frequencies. The energy plots illustrate the distribution of the energy in the original signal at different scales and provide a measure of the relative importance of the various cycle types present in the price series. There emerge two main findings: first, the residual energy at each scale level tends to decrease with the scale level, and second, most of this energy is concentrated at the detail level corresponding to the long wave component, D5. This last result holds for the UK and the US, whereas in the case of France the level of energy at the D4 level is slightly higher than that at the D5 level. On the whole, even if the total residual energy is modest, given the dominance of the S5 components, we can conclude that the component corresponding to long waves provides the most significant contribution in terms of energy coefficients, especially in comparison to business cycles cyclical components. The D5 components of the wholesale price index for France, the UK and the US WPID5, are shown in Fig. 3, along with their corresponding raw series, WPI. Kondratieff's (1926) original chronology is reported using grey-shaded areas. Five long waves in prices are clearly detected between 1790 and 2012 by means of wavelet multiresolution decomposition analysis (four and a half long waves are clearly detectable for France since the sample starting in 1803 captures the downswing phase of the first long wave). Several features are worth mentioning from the visual inspection of the long waves presented in Fig. 3. The main feature emerging from the visual inspection of long waves prices for all countries is the absence of regularities in terms of length and amplitude of such long wave patterns. Indeed, these long wave patterns in wholesale price indexes are represented as an alternating sequence of historical phases of variable length. Moreover, these long cycle movements in prices identified through wavelet multiresolution decomposition analysis are evident not only when the raw series is trendless, as it is in the pre-WWII period, but also after WWII when the trending behavior of the price level makes such long waves in price indexes hard to be detected. Fig. 3. Сaption – France (top), UK (middle) and US (bottom) wholesale price index along with its D5 corresponding wavelet detail vector (smooth lines). Kondratieff's (1926) original chronology is indicated with grey-shaded areas. A question highly debated in the literature is whether the wave pattern of price index dynamics has changed in the post-WWII period, because since then the wave pattern has ceased to be clearly traced in the price indices as a consequence of the strong positive trend of prices since the 1930s. Our findings indicate that such a change after WWII has occurred for the US only, where a moderation in amplitude of the waves is evident by looking at the 4th and 5th price waves. Otherwise, for the UK there is no evidence of any reduction in the amplitude of long-term fluctuations in prices in the post-WWII period, whereas in the case of France the evidence shows that a considerable increase in the amplitude of price fluctuations is limited to those long waves taking place in the interwar and post-WWII periods. Second, long movements in prices are closely related internationally, especially between the UK and the US. Long waves in UK and US wholesale prices are highly synchronized throughout the sample period, a finding that is consistent with the historical evidence on prices reported in the empirical literature for the major economies (see Goldstein 1988). As regards France, although wholesale prices are out-of-phase with the UK and the US throughout the 19th century, from the early 20th century they are moving in phase. Such in-phase relationship holds throughout the 20th century until the US wholesale price index begins moving out-of-phase as to the two European countries (see Figs. 1 and 2). Indeed, the diverging pattern emerging in the first decade of the new millennium indicates that a phase shift between the price waves of the US and those of the two European countries could have occurred. After Kondratieff (1926) a huge number of long wave chronologies have been proposed by various authors, for example, Schumpeter (1939), Clark (1944), Dupriez (1947), Mandel (1975), Rostow (1978), van Duijn (1983), among the others. Hence, a natural question is to see how the dating scheme identified by the D5 detail component accords with the consensus dates found in the literature. Note: Long waves of wholesale prices as reported in Burns and Mitchell (1946) in parenthesis. Kondratieff's (1926) and Rostow's (1978) datings are reported in the last two columns. With very few exceptions the dates of long wave phases detected by the D5 detail component of the wholesale price index match closely with Burns and Mitchell's (1946) dates for individual countries. The main difference refers to the trough date in the mid-19th century, which is anticipated to the early 1830s for France and the UK, although for the UK there is evidence of a prolonged period of low prices lasting until 1850, the consensus date for the trough of the downswing phase. A minor difference for France is also evident at the turn of the 19th century where the trough is slightly delayed of a few years. Despite such minor differences in dating particular turning points, the overall dating scheme provided by wavelet decomposition analysis shows a close correspondence with Kondratieff's (1926) turning zones and Rostow's (1978) chronology. Interestingly, as evidenced by the comparison with Rostow's base dating scheme, such a correspondence holds not only for the pre-WWII period, but also after WWII, a period in which any evidence whatsoever on long waves in prices is difficult to identify because of the positive trend displayed by prices. A question highly debated in the literature on long cycles is whether long waves are only ‘price waves’ or such long term fluctuations exist also in production series and 'real' variables like industrial output, GDP, etc. On the theoretical side, the emphasis on economic growth follows, for example, from innovation theories like Schumpeter's (1939) theory of economic development, where long economic cycles are induced by ‘clusters of innovations’ originating from the innovating economy and spreading to followers countries. Hence, long economic cycles are explained by very important innovations or general-purpose technologies (Kriedel 2006) that imply the emergence of long waves of economic growth in world production dynamics. The phase dating of the D5 component in world GDP growth rates shows a striking correspondence with Korotayev and Tsirel's (2010) chronology. Indeed, the overall long-wave pattern of the D5 component is remarkably similar to the estimated wave pattern of world GDP dynamics, except in the 1920s, where the D5 component shows a temporary increase before the 1929 financial crisis due to the strong economic upswing in Germany and Japan consequent to the pre-armament boom. – the fifth wave (information, telecommunication and microelectronic industries), based on information technology, is currently under scrutiny in order to understand whether the recent financial crisis and the Great economic recession can represent the onset of a long downswing period following the upswing phase lasting since the late 1980s. 3.3 Are Long Waves in Prices and Real Variables Similar? Although the evidence provided by the early 20th century long wave authors on the existence of long waves in the dynamics of the economy is based on the observation of long wave patterns in price series, many authors have later questioned this relation arguing that long wave patterns in prices do not correspond with the long-term movements of real variables (e.g., van Duijn 1983; Goldstein 1988). In particular, according to van Duijn (1983) institutional and market changes16 are likely to have weakened the relationship between price changes and production changes by affecting the mechanism of price formation, as evidenced by the uninterrupted increase of prices after the 1930s. Two main results are worth noting. First of all, as expected, the timing of these long cycles in prices and output is markedly different. There is no evidence of any synchronicity between the chronologies of price and production waves, nor before neither after the 1930s. Second, as to the lead/lag relationship between production and prices, the evidence provided by Goldstein (1988), with production leading prices by a value close to 10–15 years, is confirmed only for the pre-1930s period. Indeed, after the 1930s the timing relationship between production and prices seems to reverse, with the turning points in prices leading those in production by a number of years that is gradually increasing over time. In this paper we propose the application of wavelet analysis to detect long waves of the type examined by Kondratieff in the 1920s. The usefulness and reliability of wavelets for analyzing long wave patterns in economic variables has been tested by applying wavelet multiresolution and energy decomposition analysis to price and production series examined in the previous literature by many authors. – they can handily detect cycles that are not easily visible in trending series (as it is the case of the wholesale price index in the post-WWII period). 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Trend Movements and Inverted Kondratieff Waves in the Dutch Economy, 1800–1913. Structural Change and Economic Dynamics 20 (2): 90–113. Rostow W. W. 1978. The World Economy: History and Prospect. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. Scheglov S. I. 2009. Kondratieff Cycles in the 20th Century, Or How Economic Prognoses Come True. URL: http://schegloff.livejournal.com/242360.html#cutid1. In Russian (Щеглов С. Циклы Кондратьева в 20 веке, или как сбываются экономические прогнозы). Schumpeter J. A. 1939. Business Cycles. New York: McGraw-Hill. Stock J. H., and Watson M. W. 2000. Business Cycle Fluctuations in US Macroeconomic Time Series. Handbook of Macroeconomics / Ed. by B. Taylor, and M. Woodford, pp. 3–64, vol. 1. North Holland. Strang G. 1993. Wavelet Transforms Versus Fourier Transforms. Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society 28: 288–305. Zarnowitz V., and Ozyildirim A. 2002. Time Series Decomposition and Measurement of Business Cycles, Trends and Growth Cycles. Working Paper 8736, NBER. Cambridge, MA. de Wolff S. 1924. Prosperitats und Depressions perioden. Der Lebendige Marxismus / Ed. by O. Jensen, pp. 13–43. Jena: Thuringer Verlagsanstalt. World Bank. 2012. World Development Indicators Online. Washington, D.C.: World Bank. URL: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator. World Bank. 2013. World Development Indicators Online. Washington, D.C.: World Bank. 1 Other authors have related long wave generation to employment and wages dynamics (Freeman et al. 1982), scarcity of resources (Rostow 1978) and class struggle (Mandel 1980). 2 Growth cycles definition follows from the modern approach to business cycles analysis (Lucas 1977), where business cycles are defined as fluctuations around a (stochastic) trend. 3 The band-pass filtering approach decomposes series into trend, cycle, and irregular components corresponding respectively to the low, intermediate, and high frequency parts of the spectrum (Stock and Watson 2000). Thus, a band pass filter can identify the long wave component by filtering out all fluctuations outside the frequency range of interest. 4 In Kondratieff (1926) after long-term trend fitting, long waves are extracted through a nine years moving average on the residuals to eliminate the effects of shorter business cycles. 5 The contribution of each individual frequency (periodical function) to the total variance of the (stationary) time series under consideration can be obtained by estimating the sample spectrum through the application of the Fourier transform. 6 Although widely used in many areas of applied sciences (i.e. astronomy, acoustics, signal and image processing, geophysics, climatology, etc.), wavelet applications have been only recently used in such fields as economics and finance after the papers by Ramsey and his co-authors (see Ramsey and Zhang 1995, 1996; Ramsey and Lampart 1998a, 1998b). 7 Detrending procedures are not neutral with respect to the results relating to the existence of cycles: ‘the smoothing techniques may create artefacts’ (Freeman and Louçã 2001: 99). 8 Each of the sets of coefficients sJ, dJ, dJ-1, ..., d1 is called a crystal in wavelet terminology. 9 The variance of the time series is preserved in the variance of the coefficients from the MODWT, i.e. var (Xt) = Σj=1J var(dj,t) + var(sJ,t). 10 Kondratieff's data cover only two and a half long waves, whereas Rostow's data four long waves. Rostow's (1978) dating scheme is reported because, in contrast to the majority of scholars, his dates are derived from prices rather than production series. 11 Recently, Scheglov (2009) and Grinin, Korotayev, and Tsirel (2011) have shown that when the price indices are expressed in grams of gold rather than in dollars, such indices continue to detect long wave patterns. 12 The stagflation period in the 1970s provides a well-known exception to such a synchronous behavior. 13 The data sources are Maddison (2009) and World Bank (2013). 14 Note that the phase amplitude of the long-wave pattern is different between the two series because of the treatment of the trend component that is not eliminated in the Korotayev and Tsirel (2010) approach. 15 Although this is the first wave in our sample, we refer to it as the 2nd wave because in the literature the 1st wave is recognized as the one covering the first half of the 19th century. 16 Examples of such changes are the cost-of-living clauses included in wage contracts, the price-setting behavior of oligopolistic industries and the increased weight of industrial as compared to agricultural goods. 17 Rostow's (1978) dating of the Kondratieff's price cycle with the additional inclusion of the late 1980s peak is adopted as representative of the prices chronology.

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https://www.sociostudies.org/almanac/articles/wavelet_estimation_of_kondratieff_waves-_an_applica-tion_to_long_cycles_in_prices_and_world_gdp/

Share the post "Podcast Episode 32: The Pros and Cons of Long-Term Clients" Should you take on one-off projects as a freelancer, or only work with clients who promise long-term work? What are the risks associated with long-term clients? And how can freelancers turn clients who started off with a one-off project into clients who work with you for an extended periods of time? In this podcast, Lorrie and I cover it all! LH: Hello and welcome to Episode 32 of A Little Bird Told Me: the podcast about the highs, the lows, and the no-nos of successful freelance writing. You can find us on the web at alittlebirdtoldme.podomatic.com, and there you can subscribe to the podcast in any number of ways including RSS feed, iTunes, Stitcher Smart Radio or just on the Podomatic page itself. You can also find the link to our Facebook page where you can post any thoughts or questions you might have, and there are also links to our websites and individual social media feeds. PW: And I’m Philippa Willitts, and today we are going to talk about the pros and cons of having long term clients. As a freelancer some of the clients you get will be a one off, they might want a particular task doing and then that’s that, whereas others want you on a more regular basis, either doing a set amount of work each week or each month, or sometimes you work with them over a long period of time but just as and when they need you. So yeah, so we’re going to look at there are benefits and there are disadvantages really of both long and short term clients, and so that’s what we’re going to look at today. LH: Like with deciding whether to charge by the hour or by the project deciding whether to have long term clients or just one off clients will actually shape the way you work quite significantly and like with the payment options it’s something that needs to be right for you. You know it varies from person to person. It might be something that you find you have only a little control over when you first start out because you just take in whatever work you can get, but as you start to see results from your marketing and your business development you can decide which sectors of the market to target and how, and that will give you slightly more control over whether you attract people who are looking for a one term collaboration or a long term collaboration. PW: Yeah, as Lorrie said when you first start out you don’t have much choice really over taking long or short term clients. You take what you can get and that’s the right thing to do, but quite often what begins in a discussion as a one off project will turn out to provide you with long term work anyway. Clients are understandably nervous about taking someone on they don’t know and saying, “Okay, we want six months work from you.” So they might well initially say, “Can you write three press releases for us?” and then if they like not only your work but how you work and, you know, your attitude and that kind of thing it can develop into a long term client. So equally if you would prefer lots of long term clients don’t turn down work that looks like it’s just a one off because that’s often how long term work starts. LH: No, that’s very true. You know somebody might say, “Oh, we’d like a website redoing” but, you know, if they’re integrating a blog into their website, for example, you might pick up on the clues that if they can’t do their own website content they’re not likely to be able to do good SEO blog content either. So have a look for the opportunities that appear to be presenting themselves and then if it is only a one off thing you’ve not really lost anything. PW: No, not at all. LH: If you prefer to work long term with people a one off collaboration, it’s no great loss, it’s something for the portfolio and it’s something that will keep your bills paid. PW: And it’s a new contact, someone who might come back later or recommend you to someone else. PW: I mean in terms of the positives of having long term clients I think the most obvious thing in favour of it really is that it results in regular predictable work, which results in regular predictable income. You can start carefully to rely on a set amount of work coming in and you can feel reassured that week after week after week you might not have to do as much marketing or finding new clients because you do continually get assignments from these one or two or four clients. LH: Yeah, definitely, and in terms of managing your workload as well, whether you’re doing the work, or in my case you’re doing some of the work and then outsourcing other pieces of work, it helps you to get into a regular rhythm and that’s something that I quite like and I know that both you, Pip, and I have traditionally busy and quiet days every week. LH: You know for Pip I know that Wednesdays and Thursdays are very, very busy days, whereas perhaps Mondays and Fridays are days on which you can fit in slightly more internal deadlines, things like marketing, admin, finance, that kind of thing. PW: Yeah, I mean it definitely helps you to plan your week out, doesn’t it, because you may get someone contact you on Monday and say, “Oh, can you do this by Friday?” but equally you know that every Wednesday you have three blog posts to do for that client and you can have a picture of how your week’s looking. LH: Yeah, I tend to just block out days or hours of days more accurately. LH: And know what I’m doing on a Monday morning or what I’m doing on a Monday lunchtime. You know I know that I need to get the story suggestions over to certain clients by Tuesday afternoon. So it helps me to just shape the rest of my week and know when I can fit in ad hoc pieces of work, if somebody wants something one off, and when I can’t. PW: Yeah, definitely, definitely I’m the same. You can also feel reasonably confident with long term clients that you know what you’re doing and that the work you get will be something you’re familiar with and capable of. If you get used to a mixture of, say, case studies and blog posts you can get really good at doing not just those styles of writing but doing them in the particular style that your client needs. LH: Definitely and it’s nice to become a valued part of a client company, even though you’re external, because while you’re freelancing you’re not employed by anybody particular. Sometimes it is a little bit isolating and it’s nice to feel that, you know, over time you get to know the people in the company and you get to know the big players in the company sector and you get to know the trade press publications and you can start, if you want, to get more involved in the marketing process, or yes, as Pip says, you can just end up really, really savvy about what the client wants and you’ve reached the point where you deliver exactly the kind of content that they want every time, and often without much input from the client themselves. LH: Yeah, I have certain clients who say, “Right, we need blog posts. We need x number of blog posts per week. Can you come up with some ideas?” and I know the kind of thing that works for them and I know the kind of thing that people in their sector will want to read about. So that’s something that I can be really useful for them. LH: Definitely, definitely, definitely and it’s nice, you can do the same thing internally. You know I have some clients who’ve been on board for years and I can say to my contact person in that client, “I’ve not heard anything from Linda for a while” or, “I’ve not heard anything from Jim for a while. What’s going on in x department? What’s happening over in y?” You know you can realise that this company has different service areas and different key members of staff who are likely to have good ideas or they’re up to something that is worth blogging about or worth writing a news story about, and sometimes it just takes you to prompt your contact person. LH: You can come up with some really good stories and really good extra work out of it. You know it’s a win-win for everybody. Content marketing is hugely important for a company. It’s massively, massively important to have really good quality content, not just for, you know, the strictest SEO purposes but for viral marketing purposes, you know for share and share purposes, and if you can help your client come up with things like that it’s going to be just an extra string to your bow. LH: And besides anything else it’s a nice feeling to know that you’re an important part of a company’s marketing team and the thing is if you’re really savvy and you’re really forward thinking with your client you get recommended and word of mouth is such a powerful thing. You know I’ve had people contact me on LinkedIn and say, “Oh, you know, x person at x company’s told me about you. I thought we’d connect on here because I might be looking for some content work.” You know it really does work, you know, and I end up working for several companies who all know each other in various ways just because word of mouth has travelled from company to company. It’s a really nice thing. LH: As and when really. PW: Yeah, once or twice a month they’ll email me with a list of 12 articles they want and I’ll do them. So it’s not predictable in the way that we’ve been talking about can be quite nice with long term clients but it’s still somebody you already know, it’s somebody who trusts you already, it’s somebody who you presumably work well with and so you can have clients that are long term but not necessarily regular. If there’s a client who wants more regular work out of you over a long period of time they might work on a retainer basis where they pay you a set amount per month, for instance, for a certain amount of work. LH: Yeah, I mean retainers are a really good way to secure the long term arrangement and it goes for your client as well because with the retainer… I work on a retainer basis for a couple of companies and it tends to be that I invoice them at the start of every month for a set amount of money and they expect a certain number of, say for one client, press releases, news stories and blog articles per month. PW: Yeah, I work that way with several clients as well. LH: Yeah, so the number of hours for me, because I work on an hourly basis, the number of hours per month is arranged and I know what I can do in that number of hours. So effectively the number of pieces of work is arranged. PW: Sure. I do it on a piece of work basis in general but yeah. LH: Yeah, yeah it’s effectively the same thing because I tell them I can get x done in one hour. PW: Yeah and you complete the work that’s been paid for. LH: Yeah, I completely second what Pip said. Get it down in writing. Get it down in writing exactly what you’re going to get. It doesn’t matter if it’s like a proper agreement or if you put it in an email and ask them to confirm by reply that they’re happy with that because then you have it, you have it in your hand what they’ve agreed to. LH: Because you know I do have cheeky clients, you know I do have clients that say, “Couldn’t you do a couple extra?” and I say, “Well if you pay me for a couple of extra then yes.” You know I could do a couple extra but as it is, no. LH: Yeah, you just find yourself quitting if that were the case because I wouldn’t say that you’ve got no recourse but the only course of action you have is to quit, which is not ideal. LH: You know you can’t do anything to them if you don’t have a formal agreement you would just get more and more resentful and then stop working for them and that’s not really what anybody wants, and people forget that you’re a freelancer and that you’re a single person and that you’re not a company you know, because we all like to feel like we’re getting a bit extra from a company, you know. LH: I bought a pair of shoes the other day and there was a scuff on them and I asked if I could have some money off and she said, “Yeah, yeah that’s fine, we’ll give you 10% off and, you know, it’s non-refundable.” So I said that’s fine and when it came to the till she knocked off a fiver out of £15. I was like that’s a big 10%, but I felt like I’d won the day. LH: I just won these shoes. PW: Yeah, some chocolate or toothpaste or bread or all sorts of things really, and the joy you get just for getting a free loaf of bread, you feel like you’ve beaten the system. LH: You’re a sucker for marketing. PW: I know, it’s really bad but you do feel… people want to get the most out of what they get and if what we just talked about in terms of retainers you might be thinking, “But £400, but for how much and what do I do?” Do go back to the beginning of the year. We did three episodes about finance. PW: We did one about how to decide what to charge, one about kind of the nuts and bolts of invoicing and charging and one about how to increase your rates and if what we talked about in terms of retainers just left your head spinning with 8000 questions you’ll probably find that a lot of them are answered by those three episodes. LH: And if not come and have a chat. Yeah, we’re happy to go over things. If you let us know on our Facebook or our social media that you’ve not followed something, that you’ve had a listen to those three episodes and you’re still not getting it we’re happy to chat to you on Facebook, we’re happy to chat on Twitter, we’re happy to even record a podcast if we think there’s enough in it for a whole episode. PW: Yeah, absolutely because, you know, we’re aware that while we do try to make all the information we give as accessible as possible because we’re both doing the job full time, and have done for a while, there may be things that we think are just a given that we’ve kind of maybe forgotten are more complicated than they sound. So, you know, if you feel a bit lost or if you’ve got any questions that we haven’t covered yeah, do let us know. LH: Definitely you know, and just to sum up on the retainer business, I think it is a pro. I think being on a retainer is a positive thing because you’ll find that retainers are mostly monthly and it’s just a certain amount of your monthly target, because I have a monthly target for my salary, it’s a certain amount that’s accounted for and it’s a certain amount that, like I said about the weekly work, you get used to it being in the rhythm of your month. LH: You know you set aside a day or two days, or whatever, you know perhaps spread out actually over several days but that amount of time and you get the work done and it’s nice, it’s nice to have somebody on board as long as you’ve made sure that the terms are favourable to both you and the client. PW: Yes, absolutely, because much as you don’t want to feel resentful about the work you’re doing you also are never going to have a good relationship with them if they feel resentful about how much they’re paying and whether they’re getting value out of it. LH: Yeah, better than good, it’s vital, you’re right. If you have a long term client talk to them. You know I have long term clients, I have long term connections, I have long term people working for me and it’s important to check in with these people regularly and say, “How are you feeling?” Like don’t invite clients to ask you to drop your rates. They’ll say, “So how are you feeling about that massive invoice that I just sent you?” you know because if you’ve taken the advice that we’ve given you and you’ve worked out your hourly rate or your project rate fairly then alright, your client might be stinging when they get a large invoice but they will be paying a large invoice because you’ve given them a large amount of work, but what I mean is sort of say to them, “How as that press release? Was that in line with everything you wanted? How are you feeling at the moment? How’s your marketing going? Do you need any more? Do you need any different types? I’ve noticed that we haven’t done any case studies for a while, how about that?” you know keep talking and you’re likely to find that they’re more satisfied with your work and that they’re more likely to carry on with you on the long term. PW: Yeah, exactly, opened the channels of communication and what actually happened was that there was an issue with the finance department of his business. It wasn’t anything to do with him not being happy, it was a communication problem between him and his finance team. So the invoices weren’t being processed properly but it meant that I felt better because I was confident then that I hadn’t done something wrong or that he wasn’t pleased with my work and our relationship got back on track again because it had been getting quite awkward. LH: Well of course it will if somebody’s paying you late and you don’t know why and they just carry on doing the same thing. PW: Yeah, yeah. So that kind of communication, it’s vital in every… you know in all sorts of areas really. LH: Definitely and especially in an age where, and we’ve talked about this before, where email is so prevalent over phone contact it can be easy to really distance yourself and, you know, some people might like that but I really don’t enjoy having clients for whom I produce work but with whom I never speak. LH: Even if it’s just a bit of chat over email. I have some clients, and I’ve had them for months or years, well not years but I’ve had some clients for months and I’ve literally never spoken to them. PW: Yes, yes it is weird. LH: So I don’t know what they sound like. LH: You know and some clients I will probably never speak to on the phone. You know some are in different time zones, some aren’t native speakers of English and I think they’re just more comfortable with communicating by email, some we just don’t need to but it’s nice to have a little bit of friendliness and I think if you show yourself to be open to communication, and you communicate in a nice way, again that’s going to facilitate a good working relationship in future. PW: Anyway, we were talking about the pros and cons of long term clients, so I think we need to get back to that. In terms of the cons one of the negative aspects of regular clients, long term clients is that you can get bored. You don’t have the challenge of finding new clients, of taking on pieces of work that are slightly outside your comfort zone, understanding a new company’s style or of writing about a new subject and so psychologically you can get bored but also your writing can get a bit tired. LH: No, it’s not good when your writing gets tired because it’s immediately obvious to anybody reading it, you know, and I would go as far as to say tired writing just doesn’t get results. LH: It’s not persuasive. If you’re not putting it in to your writing people aren’t going to get it out of your writing, it’s quite simple, and it can also be an issue in terms of working for the same client if you’re charging by the hour, which of course as I’ve said I do. Where I find that my online news articles for one client, say, now take an hour previously, when I was getting to know them, they might have taken 90 minutes say, and it’s not inherently a problem for me because I get a lot of work from all of my regular clients and as we’ve discussed before, I make sure that I get a certain amount of work from them, if not on a retainer basis then I’m quite an active pursuer of work with some of my regular clients because I know that if I suggest something to them the worst they’re going to say is no, you know they appreciate me finding work. So I get, you know I get a lot of work and if I find that, “Oh, that didn’t take very long” I’ll search out something else and see if they fancy me doing that for them as well, but imagine that you’re just doing a few one hour pieces of work for someone every month, say you’re doing four hours of work for someone every month, and then over time you find that they’re only taking you 30 to 45 minutes it can start to feel like a bit of a waste of time because with every client you have to keep up to date with the developments and the trends in their sector to prevent exactly what Pip was talking about. You need to prevent your writing getting stale. You need to be able to write informed, relevant, up to date, key word rich content for your client but if you’re spending more time doing that background research that’s needed for your client rather than spending that amount on paid work it can be a bit of a pain and it can actually not be worth your time. LH: …two hours a month on that? PW: Yeah, it’s keeping on top of that in Google Reader, which we’ll lose Google Reader. LH: Do you know, I’ve never used it but I’ve noticed like tears before bedtime all over my social media. PW: I am not the only devastated person. LH: Poor thing. What are you going to go with instead? PW: I think Feedly but I’m not sure. Someone started a Government petition but the Government rejected it [laughs]. LH: I’m not surprised. Oh, desperation’s palpable at this point. LH: But it takes time, doesn’t it? LH: You have to get in the zone for a bit of Health & Safety unless you’re really passionate about the subject and getting in that zone you’ve got to sit down and make time for proper engaged reading. You can’t just skim read things like this because you have to know in-depth what you’re talking about. PW: Yeah, yeah and so having all that going on and that resulting in two hours a month, like Lorrie says, it’s not really worth it. If it results in 20 hours a month that’s a different matter. LH: Yes, yeah. So that’s perhaps another reason in favour of paid per project rather than paid per hour but if you’re like me you know I am committedly paid per hour for myself. For some reason it’s just what’s worked best for me and it’s what I’m cosy with. PW: And that’s what it’s all about to be honest. Throughout this podcast what we always say is, you know, “I do it like this” and then Lorrie might say, “And I do it like this” and we’re not saying you must do what I do or what Lorrie does. We’re presenting you with information about different ways to do it and you know what works and then, you know, make your own choices based on what suits you. I do a bit of pay per hour stuff. I can see the benefits of it but I’m more confident with pay per project. It’s all about what works. PW: [Laughs] Team Lorrie: hourly wages, Team Pippa: project pay! LH: I see a few tee shirt sales coming from this. LH: But yeah, you know lives aren’t the same. My life’s not the same as Pip’s and our lives aren’t the same as yours. So whatever works best for you really. PW: And try a few things out if you want to. Yeah, I warmed more to pay per hour when I did quite a lot of it for one client and I started to see more of the benefits than I’ve been able to without having done it in any considerable way. LH: Yeah and likewise, you know when I started working on retainer I saw the benefits of pay per project. LH: You know it’s all where you are in your life and your career at that time and what works there. PW: Yeah. If you’ve got one regular client that provides the majority of your work a possible problem with that, and this would really bug me I have to say, is that you can start feeling like an employee. You probably chose to become self-employed for many very good reasons and feeling like you’ve still got a boss who expects to know where you are and gives you most of your work and they’re dictating what you do and when you do it you might not feel that different to when you were in someone else’s office. LH: Definitely and I’ve got experience of that. You know, as I say, I do have… most of my clients I would say are long term clients. You know I don’t do that much one off work compared to the amount of long term work I do simply because I outsource a lot of my long term work so I can keep more of it on but yes, I’ve certainly experienced it when one particular client forgets that you’re not their employee. LH: And they’ll send you an email sort of last minute about something urgent and then they’ll be phoning you and phoning you and phoning you and there’ll be this tone of sort of not belligerence but sort of, “Where were you?”, “Oh, I’m not your employee. I’ve done my work for this week and if you can’t get hold of me it’s because I’m busy with something else and I’ll get back to you when I can” and I’ve had clients phone me at 8 o’clock in the morning on a Saturday saying, “We need you to do this immediately” and I’ve said, “Well let me check my diary and it’ll be time and a half because it’s a rush job on the weekend” and that kind of brings them back to it, it’s a bit like, “Oh. Oh right, okay” and it’s, “Well no, my weekends are my weekends” and I do have to keep a certain amount of distance for this very reason. You know I do have to remind them sometimes I need to check what I’m doing for my other clients; I need to balance that with my other commitments. LH: Yes, yeah exactly that and it can come as a bit of a shock to clients I think. PW: Yeah. I do remember a point where the vast majority of your work was coming from one client and you were almost, well not even almost, you were very much actually caught up in office politics. PW: Which is really one of those things that when I went freelance I was glad to leave behind. I wasn’t having to deal with all the internal turmoil but yeah, there was a point with you when so much of your work was coming from one place that you may as well have been there in terms of dealing with that kind of office politics situation. LH: Very much. I mean when you start out it’s easy, as we’ve said before, to get caught up on one client because you have to take as much work as you possibly can from wherever you can get it. So the way I kind of dealt with that, because you know that client’s still on board, they’re a great client, it’s just that they have so many different departments that there’s bound to be lots of office politics between. So what I basically said is, “I will deal with x person in this company. If anybody else needs to contact me by all means, feel free, but x person is my point of contact and this person should always be aware of anything that you’re sending to me. You should see this person in” and that’s cut down on a lot of the, “He said, she said but I thought we were doing this and I didn’t think we were doing that” and you know, as you say Pip, it’s easy for them to get caught up in thinking that you’re part of the company and to involve you in things that you don’t need to be involved with. PW: The point of asking for one contact within a company is good advice regardless of office politics. If you get in a position where… like quite often I find that a piece of work I’m doing will be used by, say, the PR department and the marketing department and you can get really caught in a position there where the PR department wants to pull you one way with it and the marketing department want to pull you another way. PW: Yeah, whereas if you’ve got one contact then the others can pass information through them but you’re only answerable to one person and it makes it much more doable and you can do the good job that you were going to do in the first place. LH: And that is absolutely fine for you to say that. PW: And often with something like press releases and case studies, I think in particular, you might need to get a handful of quotes from different people and quite often what will happen is your contact will give you other people’s contact details to get quotes. PW: And so you then send them all an email saying, “Could you give me, you know, three quotes on this new product that you’re selling” and then you can pick the ones that fit, and that’s all fine and most of the time they’ll get back to you, especially if you say, if you give them a deadline, “Get back to me by Thursday with these three quotes” but sometimes you do that and you don’t hear back from someone and you might prompt them and they still don’t hear back from them. That’s where your contact comes in handy because you then go to your contact and say, “I’m having trouble getting a quote from Margaret, could you try for me” because then you’re not in the position of chasing, which isn’t your job, and your contact is aware that you’ve got a problem that’s arisen that’s out of your control. LH: And I think going back to, because we’re coming up with loads of really good stuff and I think this is all a really good insight into what it’s like being a freelancer, to kind of take it back to the overarching theme of the cons of working for long term clients is sometimes clients won’t realise that that’s not your job. PW: Yeah, especially if you do do it for a while. LH: Yes because it’s easy not to know where the line is because you chase once, you chase twice and then you send it back to your contact saying, “I’ve not heard back from x person. I can’t get hold of them” and if a client wants me to chase I make it clear that I will charge for the time. PW: Yeah. Sometimes you do have to just go to a client and say something isn’t working. PW: And it’s hard because you feel like you want to… you feel like you’re making yourself look bad but actually if something’s going wrong over a period of time and you’ve tried various things to resolve it sometimes you do have to go to them and say, “This isn’t working.” I had a situation with a client really recently where we both really tried to make it work but for numerous reasons outside of both of our control really. LH: Yeah, there was no fault in this situation. I think I know the one you’re talking about. PW: Yeah, it just became clear that we weren’t going to be able to work something out and we had a very respectful conversation, we worked out a new way of doing it, which involves an entirely different way of working to what we’d planned, but had both of us not been honest. We tried, we tried different things but the way we’d started out was not working and it did come to a point where we needed to have that conversation rather than both kind of getting more and more unhappy. LH: But it’s nice that you both valued each other’s aims enough to have that discussion. LH: You’re wanting to deliver what your client needs. LH: And your client is trying to deliver what you deserve and have every right to expect. LH: You know that’s really, really nice. Yeah, so as you say, communicating a problem is actually showing that you value the client/freelance relationship. LH: So if you fit that’s not necessarily, you know it’s not necessarily going to be an unsolvable problem that your client might sometimes slip into the pattern of treating you like an employee. PW: …because you’re familiar with each other. So, you know, if problems do arise it might be easier to tackle them because you know them well. LH: And they say, “Oh well our contact in the finance department keeps losing your emails or keeps forgetting, so I’ll cc that person in in future.” So no matter what the problem is, or what the problem seems to be, it’s always best to try and solve it and to have a good conversation with your client company because otherwise there’s no real solution. PW: Yeah. I think the biggest risk that freelancers can face with regular clients is that if they disappear you can be in real trouble. If they realise they’re sending you an awful lot of work and it actually might be more cost effective to hire an in-house writer, if they decide to go with a different freelancer for some reason, if they run out of money or have a change of staff or, you know, worst case scenario but it’s happening these days, you know going bust, closing down altogether then if all or a lot of your work is coming from one place the majority of your income can disappear overnight because you’re not contracted to them, they’re not under any obligation to send you work. PW: And you can find yourself in real trouble, especially because the process of marketing and approaching new clients and building good relationships can take weeks or months. LH: Oh yeah, obviously, yes that totally happens all the time on the internet! It just doesn’t you know and to a certain extent there’s a risk that you can’t avoid. You know when you’re starting out I would 100% support you in taking as much work as you can get from any client that comes your way. LH: 100% and if they disappear it’ll be a kick in the teeth and it’ll be a pain in the bum and all sorts of other things but it’s not a reason not to do it. PW: No, it’s work you’ve had even if it’s not work that continues, so it’s still money in the bank. LH: Yeah but, as Pip’s pointed out, be aware of the precarious position you might be in. LH: Yes and don’t concentrate all your efforts on one client at the expense of others. PW: Yeah and that level of security shouldn’t be underestimated. I mean the biggest fear that freelancers have and the biggest fear that people who are contemplating freelancing have is, “What if I can’t pay my bills? What if I don’t get enough work?” and there is a lot to be said for the security of somebody who for the last 12 months has paid you every month a certain amount of money, or even varying amounts of money but still regularly. There is a lot to be said for that and we shouldn’t underestimate, even amidst the various disadvantages that we’ve talked about, but people do feel good with that element of security. LH: It’s nice you know and some of the writers that I hire, you know the way I work is that I have particular writers for particular accounts. LH: So for Client A and B I’ll have one writer who does regular work so that I know that my writer can get up to date with the sector and the trends within the company and the company style, but then it’s not a full time job. You know I’ll send over, for example, 20 hours a week to one writer which leaves that writer free to find other work. LH: So effectively it’s the same situation as my own. LH: You know it’s just branching out and spreading that situation a little bit further. You know I’ve got a certain amount of time per week that’s accounted for and the rest of the time that I’ve made free by outsourcing I look for different work and with my writers they have a certain amount of time per week that’s accounted for because I send them that certain amount of time per week worth of work. PW: And they’re in the exact same position where you might one day have a change of career or you might take someone else on if they’re suddenly not doing the job well enough, they’re in the same position where it’s brilliant for them that you’re providing them regular work but this isn’t guaranteed for the next five years. I mean for me, overall, a combination of long term clients and new clients works perfectly. I feel like I’ve got a degree of security from the long term ones but each of those provide only a certain proportion of my work each week or each month. I also keep marketing myself, keep approaching new people and keep doing either one off work for newcomers or developing long term relationships with them. It’s about not keeping all your eggs in one basket and it’s also, and this is for me really important, about keeping a variety of work in my week. Different topics, different styles, different types of writing keep it interesting, because I can get bored quite easily [laughs] and they make sure my writing doesn’t get stale. LH: Yeah, no 100%. I mean with the way I now work I prefer having a number of long term clients because it doesn’t take up all my time. LH: You know, as I say, I outsource so it’s lovely to have that security on there and I know that the security’s being passed on to other writers, which makes me feel really good, but I do like the challenge that new clients present when they come on board. PW: Yes, I do too. It’s stressful but in a really nice way. LH: Definitely and I like it, even if I’m hoping they’re going to become a long term client it’s nice to have that freshness from a new person. I prefer not to work with people on a one off basis on commercial stuff. That’s a personal preference. There’s nothing wrong with doing that. LH: I prefer to work on a one off basis with literary editing stuff. LH: And that, by its nature, can be a very, very one off thing. LH: But that being said, you know I do like to follow up with people and the authors that I’ve worked with have often come back to me for different services. LH: Not always but, you know, sometimes. PW: I’ve had a series of people recently who’ve hired me to proofread their CV and they’ve been, without wanting to blow my own trumpet, so impressed with the feedback I’ve given them that they then send me a different version of their CV to proofread and their covering letter and their everything else. It’s like they’re suddenly going, “Oh wow!” and so it’s happened a handful of times just in the last few weeks where what started as a CV proofread, which I do quite a lot of and which is nearly always a one off, has actually produced more and more work, it’s really nice. LH: It’s nice to make somebody feel that they’re getting you know real excellent value from you. LH: And it’s the same, you know I’ve had authors come back, well I’ve had authors come to me for a developmental critique you know when they’re writing a book, you know, “Am I going around this the right way? What do you think to my proposed chapter structure? What do you think to my proposed plot? How’s the narrative working?” you know and then you wish them luck, you send them a developmental critique and then they come back to you and the book’s finished and you’re like, “Yay!” and you have a little celebratory moment with them, like, “Well done you” and they’re back for a proofread and an edit and I just really do prefer to work with people and companies over a length of time rather than just letting them ride off into the sunset simply because it’s nice to have history with people and also because I’m kind of nosy, I kind of like to know what’s going on. LH: So basically, in conclusion from a very long point, is that I don’t object to working with people on a one off basis and I can see all the benefits of it. I really do like a new challenge, especially when I’ve got the time on my hands to enjoy that, but my one offs just usually do end up becoming repeat regular clients and I do like that. I like having people on board. PW: I think that’s a really good reason to not turn down one offs on principle because I’ve had the same experience and one starts off wanting one thing and then if you do it well they do come back. LH: Yeah and I think like much of freelancing, as we said right at the start of this windy, wandering early morning podcast, it’s a personal preference deciding whether you want to work with long term clients or short term clients. It’s up to you. Getting to know how you like to work will determine what kind of clients you want to attract. You know maybe you’re a spontaneous sort of person and you love new exciting challenges and you’re not risk adverse. LH: You know and things have a way of working out for you. You’ve got a stream of incoming one off projects, in which case go for the one offs, enjoy it, enjoy the roller coaster. If you’re a little bit more like me and you’re nosy and you like chatting to the same people over again and seeing how things develop and you like the certain level of stability then go for long term clients. PW: I think there are people who need, when they start at 8 o’clock on a Monday morning, they need to already know exactly what their week looks like. PW: And then there are other people who can get an email on a Wednesday morning saying, “Can you do this by midday?” and they say, “Yes I can” and they do it. LH: And that would be fine for them, yeah. PW: Yeah and I’m neither of those, I’m somewhere in the middle I think. LH: Yeah, I think most people are. LH: I think it’s a continuum, isn’t it, and most of us will find ourselves wobbling about somewhere in the middle and it will change over time. You know sometimes you’ll want a bit more stability. You know I know a lot of freelancers that I chat to on social media are working mums you know and they’ve decided to stay at home while they’ve got young children. So a couple of long term clients would be brilliant for that. LH: You know say over the back end of your maternity period and then while you’ve got a new born maybe you wouldn’t take on so much one off work, you know maybe that would feel just too much stress for you, maybe it wouldn’t you know, which is absolutely fine, but to have a long term client ticking away in the background would be lovely. LH: You know do what works for you. PW: Yeah, yeah. So hopefully we’ve covered there some of the benefits and the drawbacks of long term and short term clients. LH: And a lot of other stuff in between. LH: That’s a good point. PW: …but will pay the bills and so you may prefer to have long term clients, but if you have no work and three short term people come up don’t turn the work down on principle. You know you’ve got to be sensible. It’s not all about it being perfect for you. PW: When it is all about it being perfect for you that’s lovely but it’s also real life and sometimes you have to do things you’re not 100% in love with. LH: And you’ve got to see the wider benefits as well. You know maybe a one off piece wasn’t what you were looking for. Maybe you needed another regular client to come on board, but think about how well you can do the one off piece, think about how many people that person knows, check out the sector that person’s in, milk that opportunity for everything you can get out of it. Talk about the work that you’re doing on social media. Say, “I’ve just had a really exciting piece of work on.” Tell people on your Facebook what you’re doing. LH: Client confidentiality accepting but, you know, say, “I’ve got a client in this sector and I’m doing a really exciting few case studies for them” or, “Just been taken on by a new client who wants a website doing.” Promote that situation. It doesn’t have to just be one off in terms of the benefits, even if it’s one off in terms of the collaboration. PW: And if it’s a new area for you, say it’s a particular… someone wants a website about a particular health condition, then you do all your research and you write the website and then use the research you’ve done to also then pitch articles on that health condition to three different women’s magazines, send some articles on it to constant content, you know, and approach other clients who need writing on that health issue. You can use what you get from a very short term piece of work to widen the work you’re doing. LH: Absolutely, I mean that’s such a good point. It’s all about imagination. Now it is time for our Little Bird recommendations of the week. PW: Lorrie, tell me about your recommendation. LH: Well I’m quite pleased with my recommendation this week because I always find myself thinking on maybe a Wednesday or a Thursday, “Oh, I need to recommend something” like, “What have I done?” and because so much of what you do as a freelancer becomes second nature it’s easy to forget that things that are a given to you could be something new and exciting to listeners. LH: But this week I have something that I’m quite pleased with. It’s nothing super intuitive, it’s nothing super fancy but it’s something that I’ve really been enjoying. Now recently I’ve been preparing, on my creative writing blog, for a particular blogging challenge and it’s the first one I’ve taken part in and it’s called ‘The Blogging from A to Z Challenge’. Now it’s an annual challenge. It involves choosing an overarching theme, say writing or reading or e-marketing or travel, photography, whatever, and producing a blog post every day in April, apart from Sundays. So that adds up to 26 days with the 26 letters of the alphabet. LH: …spread out across social media and, you know, people will stop by your blog and social media for a chat if you use these particular hashtags and you’ll find lovely readers and critics for your work, you know in terms of creative writing, which is what I’m blogging on, and you get the chance to read work by other writers who are tackling topics that you’re interested in. So whether it’s more creative writing or photography or travel, whatever, even if you’re not taking part in the challenge, and this is where my recommendation comes in, I’d recommend having a look at the hashtag, and it’s #atozchallenge. PW: I’ll link to the search results for that in the show notes. LH: Thank you and you’ll be able to see who’s taking part in the A to Z Blogging Challenge, and there’s also a complete list on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge website where you can browse by author, blog or topic. PW: Although, as Lorrie says it’s probably too late to start this one, there are lots of blogging challenges around. LH: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. PW: So if you can’t do this one but you really like the idea do a search. There are lots of options and you can find one that suits you exactly. LH: Yeah, definitely. I mean this one is a big one in the sense of you have to blog every day in April, apart from Sundays, but there are some like there’s Friday Fiction or Friday Flash, I’m not sure, I don’t take part in that one, but every Friday people write a bit of flash fiction and they hashtag it up and it just helps draw a bit of traffic. PW: Yeah, you basically just have to do a blog post a day. It doesn’t give you any… there’s no further guidance about what it needs to be about, you just have to do a blog post a day and it’s quite good for discipline. LH: And motivation as well. PW: Yeah because this was my personal blog a few years ago and I’d really got out of the habit of posting there and it just got me back into the habit and I was able to start keeping it up again. LH: It’s lovely you know. So have a look around, as Pip says, at these blogging challenges and they’ve usually all got hashtags because that’s how you get people to know about them, of course. I blog in WordPress and you can search for hashtags on WordPress. You know you can have a look in your WordPress reader and search for the #atozchallenge in there and it doesn’t necessarily need a hash symbol before it but that’s the term that’s searchable and people are tagging up their blog posts with that and you can find brilliant new people to follow, have a chat with, give feedback to and it’s just a lovely thing for a sense of community, and as Pip says, getting you back into the swing of blogging if you’re a bit out of it. Now what this did all get me thinking about, you see I’m coming to my point, was a post I spotted a while back on a brilliant website. I love this website and it’s brilliant for research and training. It’s called Suite101, and we’ll link to that in the show notes, and the post itself is about the top 100 hashtags that writers and authors should get to know. Now it’s a brilliant resource. It’s just a list but it’s a list of all the hashtags that authors, marketers, bloggers, e-book writers, copywriters, commercial writers might need to find their fellow fish in the big social media sea. So I guess my recommendation for this week is kind of a theme rather than one thing in particular. I’m recommending that you use the amazing resources out there across blogs and social media and that you tap into the viral connections that exist out there between authors and writers and publishers and anyone who’s interested in the written word because, like with so many things we mention, it’s something that can have an immediate benefit, say can get you posting more on your blog or can put you in touch with other people, but I really do think the benefits ripple out. PW: Yes, absolutely. I mean hashtags are… my Tweet Deck has so many columns with so many different search results and lists and hashtags but yeah, it’s a brilliant way of finding contacts, learning new things. So yeah, great recommendation and good luck with the challenge as well. LH: So, Philippa, what is your Little Bird recommendation of the week? PW: My recommendation is a blog post called ‘How to Work with Me on a Low Budget’ and it’s written by a graphic designer and it’s all about… it’s basically a response to people who contact him and ask him to work for free. LH: Ooo, I think I’m going to like this. PW: Yes. It’s, as you know if you’ve listened to us for any amount of time, is an issue that we come across quite a lot. Now he’s very reasonable. He explains very clearly what the issues are. He says, “There are four scenarios where I can imagine people might approach me to work at a reduced fee. No. 1, you like what I do enough to risk a refusal. No. 2, you think I’m a soft touch. No. 3, you think whatever it is that you’re doing is more important than my son’s education or my health insurance. No. 4, you’re chancing your arm” and then he goes through various… he explains firstly why he deserves to get paid for the work he does, he explains why that’s not unreasonable and he also goes into, “If, if I say that I will do this for free these are very clearly my conditions and you certainly don’t have any say in these because I’m already working for you for free. So these are the things I expect from you” and it’s a good post. Yeah, he explains… he just explains it really clearly. I think anybody wanting someone to work for free should have a read because it does point out that they are being quite unreasonable but he’s also not just yelling at people but yeah, it’s an interesting post. PW: …for this one but yeah, that’s my recommendation and as with Lorrie’s it will be in the show notes at alittlebirdtoldme.podomatic.com and it’s by Larry Hynes. LH: That makes me so sad that we’re having to come up with new ways to tell people why it’s not okay to beg for work for free. LH: And again, you know, and the fact that we’re… you know it’s a brilliant article; I’ve just spotted it now. PW: Yeah, it’s good, isn’t it? LH: It’s fabulous and it’s really nicely laid out and it’s nicely written because, as you say, it’s not a rant. LH: It’s so easy to have a rant on this subject because, as we’ve just said, it’s again and again and again but yeah, this guy has actually come up with a way of really laying it out and I can see this blog post being something that people link back to for years. I mean looking at it it’s not even a new blog post. PW: No, it was written last August and it’s still doing the rounds, so. LH: Don’t think that you can just pat yourself on the back and say, “Right, here we go. I’m just going to get on with what I want this person to do.’ I’m going to lay it out and I’m going to get exactly what I would get from somebody to whom I was giving a professional wage.” You know there is a balance that needs to be met and if Larry Hynes is going to work for you for free his conditions are very, very clear and I applaud him for that. LH: No, I really, really do because like anything in life benefit has to go both ways, whether that’s financial or otherwise. PW: Absolutely, absolutely and the conditions he’s put in place for if, “It’s a very rare occasion that I agree to work for you for free” are kind of the things you would like any client to have but certainly are things that you don’t want to be messing about with if you’re not even being paid. Like one of them is, “I expect you to be organised. I expect you to communicate clearly, show up on time and have whatever information is required to hand. I expect you to sweat the details because you’re not paying me to do it and details are very important to me.” Now that’s the kind of thing that ideally any client, you know, would be doing but certainly if you’re not paying someone get your things together. PW: I know, I know. LH: Because for me I don’t want to talk… I applaud Larry Hynes 100,000% but I don’t like the idea of talking reasonably to somebody who is begging work for free. I will never be okay with it. PW: No and he’s been very clear that although these are his conditions for working for free he makes it very clear that that’s a very occasional situation where he nearly always says no and he gives good reason for it, not that you should have to justify not working for free. One of the things he says is, “Do you get paid? You know when you go to work do you get a wage?” Yes, you know, and have a think about that. LH: No, it’s like what we’re saying back in Episode, oh Episode 4, all the way back in Episode 4 when we were discussing a certain gentleman who was asking people to proofread his full length novel in return for chocolate. LH: Now, listeners, if you didn’t listen to Episode 4 it’s fairly ranty but it’s on this topic, so if you find that you’re liking this bit of the discussion go back and have a listen, or if you find that you’re not liking it go back and have a listen so you can come and have a bit of a discussion with us on social media, but as Pip and I pointed out I don’t send a bar of chocolate instead of money for my gas bill. LH: I don’t go into a shop and say, “Right, I really like that tee shirt. I’m going to buy it and here are two Toblerones” or, “Here is a bar of Dairy Milk.” No, people trade with money. PW: You know he’s not messing about. LH: 100%. I need to have a good proper read of this because I have a feeling that he’s got a lot of spikes that have come out for this. LH: And it’s good, it’s excellent, it’s a really, really excellent post because I think I’m stuck in the situation where I’m like, “But I shouldn’t have to say this. We shouldn’t have to justify it” but the fact is we do. PW: And certainly not for the 100th time but here we are having to do it again. LH: Yeah and here we are chatting sort of passionately about an article that’s talking about just that, exactly because it’s such a common thing. PW: And there will still be people on Twitter later today wanting free proofreaders. LH: Course there will, or beta readers as they call them. LH: Like I can see it, I can totally, totally see it where you say to people, “I’ve written something. I’m thinking about self-publishing. Can you let me know what you think?” That, to me, is a beta reader. LH: Aww, you’d be welcome to. PW: Yeah but you’d be the person I’d go to because I trust your skills and your abilities but I wouldn’t expect you to do that for free even though we’re very good friends because I know it’s as much a part of your job as the other things we do. LH: If, as I am now, I’m quite comfortable, you know I’m happy and I’ve got a little bit of time and, you know, I’m not struggling for any money at the moment then I would say, “No, pass it over” because it’s very much like paying for dinner for a friend. LH: Once you’ve been friends with somebody for long enough you don’t have to say, “Let’s split it 50/50” and you don’t have to say, “You get this one, I’ll get the next one.” One of you just pays and it just balances out at some point. PW: It’s going in titles, isn’t it? LH: Oh it’s so arrogant and I think we’re going to have to do another episode for it at some point. PW: We are because we’ve clearly not got it out of our system. LH: …caffeined up how strongly I’ll feel about this again. I’m sure we can tackle it again. LH: My recommendation, don’t ask people for free work. PW: Especially not if we’re watching. LH: Larry’s watching [laughs]. Poor Larry. He’s probably never heard of us and he’s being invoked as some sort of all seeing important freelancer. PW: [Laughs]. Anyway, thank you so much for listening. We love doing the podcast and we love that people really enjoy it, we love that people find it helpful. Do leave us reviews on iTunes and Stitcher and promote us on your blogs and on Twitter because we want as many people to benefit from what we say as possible. LH: Yeah, we always try and be responsive and flexible and we love hearing from you. You know if you’ve got any queries, as we said earlier, come and have a chat to us. We can answer you on social media, we can link you to useful blog posts, we could answer you in a personalised blog post if it came down to it, if there was something you particularly wanted to know that only Pip and I have the answer to. I can’t imagine what that would be. LH: [Laughs] but you know if it came down to it and you brought up something that would be useful for loads of our listeners we’d be happy to record a podcast on that subject. We’ve got a list of podcast subjects that we want to tackle over the next few months. We can always slot somebody in. So if you come up with something that you think would be a really good podcast episode let us know and we’ll have a chat. PW: Yeah, we spent 45 minutes the other day in a shared Google doc and we came up with three and a half pages of new topic ideas. So we are raring to go. LH: We are, it’s like a sweet shop and we want to get a bag full out there to you right now. So come and take part, come and let us know what you want us to talk about, it’s probably already on our list but we’ll certainly answer any concerns that you’ve got, any questions you have. So yeah, come and have a chat. We don’t bite, we’re nice. PW: Thank you for listening. I have been Philippa Willitts. LH: And I’ve been Lorrie Hartshorn and we’ll catch you next time.

2019-04-20T16:20:02Z

http://www.philippawrites.co.uk/podcast-episode-32-the-pros-and-cons-of-long-term-clients/

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Frequently asked questions cover general topics regarding curriculum, teaching style, student life, and career support. Here you’ll find the specifics on application procedures and requirements, visiting campus, interviews, and financial considerations. You’ll also find questions and answers from some past online chats we’ve had with prospective applicants. What is the size of the program? How many students are in the class? We have approximately 350 MBA students and 50 LGO students per class year. We currently do not have any plans to increase the class size. First-year students are divided into cohorts of approximately 60 students and take their core semester courses as a group. How can I request a copy of the MIT Sloan MBA program brochure? Are there any programs that connect prospective applicants with current students? How can I contact a current student? The Ambassadors Program runs throughout the academic year and provides you the opportunity to meet current students on-campus and to ask them many of the questions that you may have. MIT does not accept transfer credits from other schools. Do you offer any distance learning and/or part-time opportunities? We do not offer part-time or on-line MBA opportunities. Our MBA program is full-time for two years and is on-campus only. We offer an Executive MBA program that meets every 3rd weekend of the month for 20 months. It is geared towards mid-level professionals with 15+ years of experience. We have a strong international presence, each year about 40% of the class comes from abroad. Our international alumni network is also very strong. What are the Admissions criteria and desired qualifications for admissions? General Criteria: We seek students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion. Desired Qualifications: The Admissions Committee looks for applicants with demonstrated academic excellence, proven personal achievement, and strong self-motivation to make an impact and to inspire, no matter where they are in an organization. High academic potential and personal achievement are typically reflected in test scores, academic records, and recommendations that go beyond a polite endorsement. Our admissions process works in the following way: we read all applications after the deadline, and a smaller percentage of applicants are selected based on those reads to move forward in the interview process. This has been our approach for years and it works very well for us. No single component in the application is more or less important than any other. Each applicant is evaluated as a whole. Does MIT let applicants apply as a couple? Couples each need to submit a separate application, but there is a question on the application where you can indicate if you are applying with a spouse/significant other. Does MIT Sloan have rolling admissions? Are there advantages to applying early? MIT Sloan does not have rolling admissions. Applications are received in three rounds. It does not matter when the application is submitted as long as it is before the deadline. We begin reviewing all applications immediately following the deadline. Applicants should apply when they have completed the application. LGO applicants must apply in one of the LGO rounds. If you are not accepted to the LGO program, your application will automatically be considered for the MBA program in the corresponding round. Can I apply in both application rounds? You can only apply once per year. You’ll have to decide which round is best for you. Do you compare all international applicants against one another? Or the comparison is based on a country-by-country basis? There are no quotas for international applicants. We review each applicant individually. Who reads our applications and conducts the interviews? Is it only the admissions office or do MIT Sloan professors participate? All of the interviews are conducted only by members of the admissions committee who have read your applications. Professors, current students, or outside alumni are not involved in reading applications or interviewing. What is the format of the interview? What are you looking for when interviewing candidates? We conduct behavioral based interviews and we are looking at past behaviors to indicate how you would handle future situations. We are looking for specific examples of how you have built relationships, influenced others, and your drive. Additionally, we're looking for English ability. There will be one interviewer and it will typically last 30-45 minutes. Does an applicant have to travel to Cambridge, MA for interviews? We conduct interviews at hub cities around the world, as well as on-campus. You will be asked in your application to list the closest city to where you live and receive an invitation accordingly. When are interviews for each Round? Round I interviews will occur in late October-early December, Round II usually occurs in late February and March, and Round III interviews take place in May. Do you know approximately what percentage of the applicants will be invited to interview? We typically interview about 20-25 percent of the candidates who apply. How does the waitlist work at MIT Sloan? The process is a little different each year, depending on the number of applicants. However, if you are waitlisted in a Round, then you are automatically considered in the next Round and will receive an updated decision in that Round. Our general policy is not to defer admission but we will consider requests for deferral on a case by case basis. You will be required to scan your transcripts and submit them as part of your online application. During the application process, we accept unofficial transcripts. Applicants admitted to the program will be required to provide an official transcript from each school attended. All admitted students will receive further instructions after the decision deadline on where to send the materials. Any discrepancy between the scanned transcripts and official transcripts may result in a rejection in our decision or a withdrawal of our offer of admission. For more information, visit the How to Apply section here. If my transcript is not in English, does it need to be translated? We require both the original version and an official translation of all transcripts, if not already in English. Any professional translator in your city can provide this service. If your university is able to do this, we will accept that as well. Do I need to convert my GPA? What if I did my undergraduate studies outside of the U.S.? You do not need to convert your GPA for the online application. Simply enter in the grading system used by your school. We are familiar with the various grading systems and can evaluate it on our end. No need to try to translate an international GPA into a US one. My university does not provide class rank, what should I do? Many schools do not provide a class ranking system so you can leave this blank. How relevant are previous academic grades to get admitted to the program? All of your previous academic work is important to us, and we consider it in the evaluation process. What is MIT Sloan’s code for the GMAT? The School’s code for the GMAT is X5X-QS-41 when applying to the MBA Program. Can you confirm receipt of my GMAT score? No, we cannot confirm receipt of your GMAT score. Please check with ETS to confirm that you have designated MIT Sloan (Code: X5X-QS-41) to receive your score. You may visit MBA.com for more information on the GMAT, including sample questions and information on test registration. Can my GRE score take the place of the GMAT? Yes, MIT Sloan will accept the GRE in lieu of the GMAT. The School’s code for the GRE is 3791. Is there a minimum acceptable GMAT/GRE score? No, MIT Sloan does not require a minimum GMAT score. View our class profile to see the average GMAT score. Where can I get more information on the GRE? You may visit GRE.com for more information on the GRE as well as test registration information. Which do you prefer, the GMAT or the GRE? We do not discriminate between the two, they are viewed equally, and it is not necessary to take or submit both. Where can I find the average scores for GRE in your class profile? We do not publish our average GRE scores since the test has only been recently accepted and based on the percentage of people who apply, we do not have enough data. If I have taken both the GMAT and the GRE, can I submit both scores? What if I took the GMAT or the GRE several times? Do you receive each score? Yes, you can submit multiple scores. We only require you to submit one (your highest test score), so we don't necessarily look at how many times you have tested or how many different types of test you took unless you report them in the application. Should I submit a test score with a higher overall score but lower quant score or a test score with a lower overall score but a higher quant score? If you have taken the GMAT more than once, you should use the highest of the cumulative scores. We will consider the test score that you have indicated on your application to be your highest score. How long are GMAT or GRE scores valid? Test Scores are valid for 5 years, calculated using your application round deadline. Please refer to the chart below to confirm the validity of your test score. You may take the GMAT anytime up to the last day of the application deadline. The GMAT must be taken before the online application form is submitted and must be self-reported on that electronic application. No submissions will be allowed without complete GMAT or GRE scoring information. Do I have to send you the official GMAT/GRE score report now? Or, must it be sent upon admission? We require that the official GMAT/GRE test scores are sent to us by the application deadline. We understand that sometimes it takes 1-2 weeks for the test centers to release the scores. Therefore, it is acceptable if we receive the scores shortly after the application deadline. I recently took my GMAT and will not receive the AWA score for another four weeks. Can I submit my application without the AWA score? Yes, you may submit the electronic application without reporting the AWA score. If my score is not in the middle 80% for MIT, does the fact that I performed well in quantitative classes on my undergraduate transcript help? Is this something that the admissions committee will consider in comparison to my GMAT score? We consider all parts of the application. And for those who don’t score as high on the GMAT, we are looking at academic experience and quantitative professional experience. How much of a disadvantage is a low GMAT score? We accept candidates with a wide range of test scores. If your GMAT is on the lower side, we'll look to use other parts of your application to balance out that score. For example, we'll look for strong academic work, and quantitative work experience. Is the TOEFL required to apply to the MBA program? No, a TOEFL is not required to apply to the MBA program. Since it is not required to submit a TOEFL, how do you measure English speaking ability? We measure this during personal interviews. This is our best gauge of English ability. We will also use the verbal sections of the GMAT or GRE to evaluate English language ability. No, work experience is not required for admission, although students have an average of 5 years of work experience and having work experience can help leverage the opportunities at MIT Sloan. Students who already have a framework of experience against which to apply their education, and who understand workplace issues, generally get more out of the program and contribute more to classroom discussions and team projects. Use your own judgment in deciding the best time for you to pursue an MBA. Does internship experience count as full time work experience? We will look at your internship experience, but it is not considered full-time employment. Does PhD research count towards work experience? Yes, you should count all research done to achieve your PhD as work experience. If you have been absent from work for a period of time, does it affect the chances of being admitted? It’s important to address this in your application and explain why you haven’t been working. You may use the optional portion of the application to address this situation. How do you measure the quality of work experience in such a diverse range of experiences? We have a competency model we use to evaluate candidates. We are looking for candidates to demonstrate evidence of these competencies, and they can come from any type of experience. Are there specific types of work experience and industries that you look for in potential candidates? Would lack of work experience in a major organization count against me in my application, despite the success of my independent venture? We aren’t looking for any specific industry experience; instead we want to see that you've been successful at whatever it is you've chosen to do prior to the MBA. Often working at a small organization or start-up provides much more interesting and rich experiences, so you do not need to have experience at a big firm. How do you factor in applicants with advanced degrees (previous MBA, PhD, etc.)? Am I eligible to apply? Candidates with previous advanced degrees are eligible to apply. These candidates should, however, detail the reasons for their pursuit of a MBA degree (or second MBA degree) in the application. We consider those with an advanced degree as other applicants. Advanced degrees are additional evidence toward academic success, but are not considered instead of undergraduate transcripts. Do I need an undergraduate degree in a specific major to apply? Does MIT Sloan prefer students who have more quantitative background, due to MIT’s strength in that area? We welcome applications from college graduates from all areas of concentration, including the humanities, the social and physical sciences, and engineering. View our class profile to see academic background of our students. We look for candidates who are strong in both verbal and quantitative abilities. We don’t judge one as more significant than the other. Is prior background in finance (major and/or work experience in finance) required for the Finance Track? We would recommend the Finance Track for any students considering a career in finance in the future, regardless of what you studied in undergrad. Is there any academic preparation or pre-requisites required prior to applying or enrolling? Should I take any finance or accounting courses at a local college prior to applying to the MIT Sloan MBA program, if I have no experience in those fields? The only pre-requisite is a Bachelor’s Degree. However, accepted applicants may be given conditional acceptance and required to take a course(s) in microeconomics, calculus, or financial accounting prior to starting MBA studies. If you feel as though you’re missing a quantitative background from your undergraduate years or want to bolster your quant ability, you may want to take a microeconomics or a calculus course. MIT Sloan asks for my calculus grade in college. I took a series of calculus classes back then, so which grade should I report on the application? You should report your Calculus I grade. If you advanced out of this course, write in "AP" as the grade. I have taken an economics course but not microeconomics. Can I report this grade where it asks for a microeconomics class? No, but we will see that you have taken this class when we view your transcript. You should only report a grade if the class was titled microeconomics. I have a three-year bachelor's degree from outside of the U.S. Am I eligible to apply? Yes. Candidates with a three-year bachelor’s degree from outside of the U.S. may apply. Can you tell me my chances given my background? The admissions process at MIT Sloan does not include a pre-screening of resumes. Requests for pre-screening of resumes to determine eligibility cannot be conducted by our staff. How important are extracurricular activities? Is it ok if some are work related? You are welcome to share your extracurricular work activities and hobbies in the "optional question" section of the application. You may also want to include this information in your resume. Should I include only professional experience and goals in my cover letter, or also include some personal interests to paint a more complete picture? We advise you to paint a clear picture of yourself using a mix of personal and professional examples that best answer our questions. In the cover letter, should all of the content and stories come from within the past three years alone? Should I focus on past achievements or future goals in my cover letter? Concentrate on your past achievements. Help us better understand you and what you have already accomplished: past performance is the best predictor of future performance. Your essays should focus on what you have already done, your past performance, rather than what you want to do. We do not evaluate you on why you want an MBA or what you intend to do with it afterwards, but do want to get to know you and your interests better. The video statement asks us to introduce ourselves to our future classmates. What is the Admissions Committee looking for in this video? The Admissions Committee is looking to get to know you better. We encourage you to be authentic and tell us more about yourself. Videos should be a single take (no editing) lasting no more than one minute and consisting if you speaking directly to the camera. What information can I share in the optional question? Feel free to use this section to explain any gaps in your resume, extenuating circumstances that led to poor performance, choice of recommenders, etc. How are the letters of recommendation accepted? All letters of recommendation must be submitted electronically through the online application process. We do not accept mailed in hard copies. For more information, please visit the How to Apply section here. Is it okay if I translate the recommendation because my boss does not speak English? No, we don't want the applicant to translate the recommendation; either an official translator or the assistant of the recommender will be fine. May I submit an additional letter of recommendation? Applicants to the MBA program are required to submit two letters of recommendation. You should not submit more than two official letters of recommendation through the online application. Does MIT Sloan accept peer recommendations from either current MIT Sloan students or alumni? We do accept letters of support from alums or current students. They can be emailed to [email protected] and we will attach them to your application as supplemental information. We would not recommend using them as your official recommenders unless they can speak to you from a professional perspective as well (i.e. your direct supervisor also is an MIT Sloan alum). What is Admissions looking for in the recommendation letters? We prefer professional recommendations over peer, personal, or academic recommendations. We want to understand your accomplishments relative to your peers and also get representative examples of your professional accomplishments. What if I own my own business, or work for a family business? Who can I use as a recommender? We suggest not using family members for recommendations. Recommenders should be people who know you best and can best speak to your leadership development. They should be people who are in supervisory positions to you. You may ask a client, a mentor, or a co-founder for a recommendation in this case. What if I cannot get a recommendation from my current employer or supervisor because I don’t want to risk losing my job? What if my supervisor changes frequently? Recommenders should be people who know you best and can best speak to your leadership development. This decision is up to you. If you are unable to get a recommendation from your current employer, you should still find someone who can speak to your accomplishments in a professional setting. In addition, you should use the optional question section to explain why your current employer/supervisor is not represented in your recommendations in order to clarify the situation in your application. You are only a re-applicant if you applied the previous year. When re-applying, will the admissions committee review both the current and past year’s applications? If you applied last year, we will review your previous application along with your new application. It’s important to consider this when submitting the new application. You don’t want to be too repetitive of last year’s application, but at the same time there should be some continuity. Do I need to provide new recommendations if my workplace has not changed? It is best to include new letters of recommendation and required. You have a unique opportunity to submit additional information and you should take advantage of this. What is the biggest mistake you see a re-applicant make? The biggest mistake re-applicants make is submitting the same exact package as the year before. If something didn’t work the first time around, this is your chance to adjust your application materials. Do re-applicants need to re-submit official GMAT scores and transcripts? You do not need to re-submit your official GMAT score report again, and we do not need a second official transcript. Do you recommend re-applicants use the optional question to explain how their candidacy has evolved since they last applied? You can address this topic in the re-applicant short answer essay question but should use more recent examples throughout your essays to show how your candidacy has changed from last year. The optional question should be used for extenuating circumstances only. What percent of re-applicants have been accepted? This percent varies, but typically the acceptance rate for re-applicants is a few percentage points higher than our average. So if on average we have a 12% acceptance rate, re-applicants are at about 15% acceptance rate. How do you evaluate a re-applicant’s submission differently than a first-time application? We are looking for all of the same characteristics as in regular applicants: we are looking for examples of the applicant’s success professionally and academically, ability to lead and influence others, and for those who demonstrate a collaborative spirit and a community focus. But re-applicants have twice as much information that we can draw from (last year’s application and this year’s application) in the evaluation process. Should you still highlight some strong experiences even if it means retelling a story? It is important to be clear on what you’ve been doing since the last time you applied. Do you have any advice for a re-applicant who was invited to interview the prior year and was rejected? Is it fair to assume that the interview was poor and to improve in that area if the opportunity is presented again? It’s not safe to assume it was just the interview that didn’t go well. Therefore, it is important to make sure your new written application is strong as well. What types of financial aid are available from MIT? Financial aid for MIT Sloan MBA students is primarily in the form of loans, either from two government programs, from MIT directly, or through an alternative loan source. In addition, many students receive funding through teaching and research assistantships on campus. You can apply for these after the completion of your first semester. Visit here for more information. What financial resources are available outside MIT? Opportunities for funding do exist outside MIT and MIT Sloan. Potential students should begin researching other sources of financial aid beyond MIT as early as possible. Visit here for more information. What are the first steps in the financial aid application process for U.S. applicants? 1-800-433-3243All other aspects of the financial aid application process do not begin until students have been formally admitted into the program. Are there benefits to applying in on Round over another in terms of financial aid and scholarship availability? Applicants in each Round have equal access to scholarships and financial aid. Are there any special fellowships and/or scholarships for international students? All of our general fellowships/scholarships are open to both domestic and international students. Does Sloan provide provisions for loans for international students without U.S. cosigners? International students are eligible for loans without U.S. co-signers. Can my spouse get a visa if I’m a student at MIT Sloan? We can only give our students visas. Typically spouses would need to find sponsorship from their employers in order to work here. Do scholarships cover tuition and living expenses? Scholarships cover part of your tuition cost; we don't offer any full scholarships although many students receive different amounts of awards. Visit here for more information. How are applicants evaluated for fellowships and scholarships? The application process is a needs-blind process, meaning we do not review the need for fellowships or scholarships until after we admit students. Each fellowship and scholarship has different criteria and you can indicate on your application which ones you would like to be considered for. Visit here for more information. When are applicants notified of fellowships and scholarships? The status of these awards is communicated when you receive your decision letter. What degree do MIT Sloan MBA program graduates receive? What is the difference between the MBA degree and the Master of Science in Management? Upon completion of degree requirements, candidates receive either a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree or Master of Science (SM) in Management. Only students who complete a thesis may elect to receive the SM. The thesis is optional for MBA degree candidates. What subjects/areas of study are offered at MIT Sloan? A list of courses offered at MIT Sloan is available here: MIT Course Catalog. Explore the curriculum to better understand the program. What are the degree requirements for the MIT Sloan MBA program? All degree candidates enrolled in the MBA program complete a required core curriculum in addition to 144 units of electives. While enrolled in the MBA program, students may take up to three non-MIT Sloan graduate level MIT or Harvard subjects approved by the school, towards completion of degree requirements (there is no credit limit to these three subjects.) Most MIT Sloan subjects range from three units to 12 units based on an approximation of weekly class hours, Lab or thesis units, and outside preparation time. Second-year students are given the option of writing a thesis. Are there other joint degree programs? Yes, MIT Sloan offers two dual degree programs: Leaders of Global Operations and a dual-degree program with Harvard Kennedy School. In keeping up with our commitment to innovation and academic adventure, MIT Sloan offers several joint and dual degree programs through which students can pursue study in a combination of disciplines. Some of these programs are offered jointly between MIT Sloan and other MIT schools; some take advantage of our partnerships with other world-class institutions in the Boston area. All of them provide extensive theoretical and practical training that is the hallmark of an MIT Sloan education. Programs include the Harvard Kennedy School Dual Degree Option and System Design and Management. Learn more here. How many students are in the MIT Sloan/HKS dual degree program? The HKS joint degree is popular, typically about 6-15 students each year. What are the five required core classes? The MBA core curriculum consists of the following five required classes: Economic Analysis for Business Decisions; Data, Models, and Decisions; Communication for Leaders; Organizational Processes; and Financial Accounting. What are the benefits of MIT Sloan’s one-semester core? MIT Sloan’s one-semester core allows you more (and earlier) flexibility in choosing your course work. Completing the five required core courses in the first semester means students can start customizing their degree as early as the spring of their first year. What is the typical outline of teaching methods in the one-semester core? It varies and is left up to the professors: for example Organization Processes is more case-based whereas DMD is more lecture, homework sets, and exams. What is the teaching style for professors at MIT Sloan? MIT Sloan faculty employ a variety of teaching methods including lecture, case study, team projects, writing, problem sets, presentations, company visits, guest speakers, and other theoretical and applied teaching methods. The teaching method used in a class is the choice of the individual professor and is chosen to best facilitate learning for that subject matter. Can I waive management subjects? Can I transfer credits from previous MIT Sloan coursework? Management subjects cannot be waived. Students who have completed previous graduate-level elective coursework at MIT Sloan can petition the MBA Program Office for applied credits from elective subjects. Does MIT Sloan offer a specialization within the MBA degree? A student can choose between three-track offerings: Entrepreneurship & Innovation Track, the Finance Track, or the Enterprise Management Track. We also offer three certificate programs which can be combined with a track or on its own. Learn more here. ​​​​​​Do you have to apply for a track or certificate in advance as part of the admissions process? After you are admitted, you may choose to your track or certificate. Neither are required; they are purely optional. Is it possible for students to participate in two tracks simultaneously? At this time it is only possible to participate in one track, but there is great fluidity. The tracks require extra weekly seminars, and these meet at the same times. In the first year of the MBA during the first semester, referred to as the Core, classes have approximately 70 students (except the communications class, which averages 30 students). Core classes typically have smaller discussion sections in which you have the opportunity to talk about conceptual issues and work on specific problem sets. Beginning in the second semester of the first year, elective classes typically have 25 to 60 students (although some have many as 90 students), and seminars may have fewer students. How many students on average are in the elective courses? How difficult/easy is it to select the courses you want to take? Elective courses vary in size. On average the size is 50 students in each. There is a bidding process to register for electives. Second-year students get preference in this bidding process, so the most challenging time to get the classes you want is during the 2nd semester of your first year. Are students allowed to take classes in other Masters programs? MBA students may take up to three electives either from outside of MIT Sloan or Harvard University. Can students cross-register at other schools? MIT Sloan students can cross-register at a number of the Harvard graduate schools and also take classes within any department or program at MIT. Taking classes at Harvard depends on the scheduling because Harvard’s academic calendar is different from MIT’s. Up to three courses outside of MIT Sloan can count toward your degree. Of course, we also offer exchange programs, where you would be taking a full course load. There is not a part-time or evening component to the MBA program. There is an Executive Management MBA program for working, experienced professionals that meets primarily on weekends. Is there a program starting in January? The MBA program begins in August each year. What is unique about MIT Sloan? Does MIT Sloan offer a PhD program? Does MIT Sloan offer programs for executives? Yes, MIT Sloan offers a PhD Program, an Executive MBA, the MIT Sloan Fellows MBA, and a series of non-degree programs for executives. What is unique about MIT Sloan? There are many things that make MIT Sloan a unique place. MIT Sloan’s small class size and tightly knit community are two specific features that appeal to applicants and students alike. Students are only required to complete a one semester core. Also, the opportunities for live case studies and consulting projects with international exposure (ex. G-Lab) make Sloan unique. Are there opportunities to be a Teaching or Research Assistant? Yes, TA and RA positions are available starting your second semester as an MBA student which not only help students cover some of their expenses, but also provide students with outstanding exposure to Sloan’s educational and research programs. Can students work full-time or part-time while attending classes at MIT Sloan? Some students choose to work part-time around their class schedule. Specifically, students who are working on starting a company will be devoting lots of time to their start-up. It is highly encouraged not to work during your time at MIT Sloan. There are many opportunities to take advantage of on-campus, and two years goes by very quickly. How is MIT Sloan differentiating its program and offerings to prepare its students for an international business environment? We have an incredibly diverse population of students who study here, so everything you do will have a global focus. In addition, we are partners with leading academic and business institutions around the globe to give our students unique access. How are students connected to the entrepreneurial ecosystem? Are current students given the opportunity to interact with former students that have succeeded as entrepreneurs? There are many different ways to get support for entrepreneurial endeavors. The Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship supports students interested in starting companies. The center also provides opportunities for mentorship and advice from both peers and experienced entrepreneurs who can answer specific questions about your start-ups. We also have many alums who come to campus to help advise current students. What is the presence of the Forte Foundation at MIT Sloan? How many Forte Fellows are there per year, and how are fellows chosen? MIT Sloan takes part in all Forte events and initiatives; we are a founding sponsor. We select between 10-15 fellows each year. The awards are funded by MIT, just given in Forte's name. We select recipients based on many factors including the strength of application, diversity, and connection to and involvement with Forte. Can you elaborate on the opportunities to work on-site with clients? All of our lab classes allow students to get out of the classroom and participate in experiential learning. This action-based teaching method is a hallmark of MIT Sloan’s curriculum. Students will go on-site to work with the company anywhere from 1-3 weeks. We have exchange programs with two schools in Europe (IESE in Barcelona, and the London Business School). A small number of students participate each year. Sloan provides quite a few international opportunities. Does MIT Sloan provide similar opportunities within the US (other than treks)? There are treks within the US as well, e.g. Silicon Valley trek, Warren Buffet trek, Media/Entertainment trek. Also, some of our lab courses take place within the United States. Could you address the entrepreneurship program and the opportunities that it offers for students? Aside from the coursework, there are lots of great things going on - the beehive which helps support students starting companies, the $100K business competition, the silicon valley trek, and the opportunity to meet with many entrepreneurs on campus. How many students attend the MIT Sloan MBA program? MIT Sloan has approximately 400 MBA students per class year (350 MBA’s and 50 LGO students) for a total of approximately 800 MBA students. What student clubs exist at MIT Sloan? What if I want to start a new club? There are more than 60 student organizations and clubs at MIT Sloan. These clubs sponsor events, invite guest speakers, and organize conferences. There are also sports clubs, which compete within the MIT intramural system. If there is not already a student organization that suits your interests, you could start a new club! Are there any intramural teams within the MBA community? MIT’s athletic complex encompasses 10 buildings and 26 acres of playing fields. ManyMBA students participate in intramural sports across campus, as well as against other MBA programs in the Northeast and nationally. Can you tell me about life at MIT? How many students live on campus? Many MIT Sloan students choose to live off campus; typically, 30% of MBA students live on campus. The MIT Off-Campus Housing Office is an excellent resource for locating options. Housing may be found close to the campus and near the public transportation system. On-campus housing is also available. Demand exceeds supply, so a lottery system is used to allocate both the single student and married student housing units. How would you define the culture of MIT Sloan, and what kind of support programs and activities are available for strengthening relationships among students? The student body as a whole is collaborative. You will work on small teams starting in your first semester. You will come to know everyone in your class, and be together for academic, team and social events! There are many opportunities to collaborate across programs through classes, clubs, conferences and different centers on campus. Do MBA students collaborate with students from other parts of the university? Absolutely, you will see students from other degree programs in your classes (about 1/3 of our courses are cross-listed with other Schools at MIT). As an MBA student, you are eligible to participate in all MIT clubs and activities, such as the $100K competition. How many students have spouses or partners? Are there support programs for them? MIT Sloan welcomes partners and families to the community. About 35 percent of our students come to MIT Sloan with a significant other. Learn more here. How would you describe the ability to interact with faculty while on campus? You will get to know professors not only inside the classroom but outside the classroom as well. All MIT Sloan faculty offices are located in our newest building and are easily accessible. The professors are very open, and students feel comfortable approaching them in their offices and asking about career advice, project ideas, etc. MIT Sloan faculty serve as mentors and advisors to student teams, travel with students on study tours, and provide networking contacts during job searches. The Career Development Office helps you think through what it is you want to do. They serve as your thought partner, to help you be successful whether or not you are changing careers and no matter how unusual your career goals. The CDO is not the only resource supporting you in this pursuit. Other resources include alumni, clubs, tracks and certificate staff, and greater MIT. Are internships available at MIT Sloan? Is an internship a mandatory part of the MBA program? It is expected that our MBA students will do something over the summer between the two academic years. Most do internships around the world, but some stay on campus in the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, for example. The Career Development Office, in conjunction with our Communications faculty, offers Career Core in the fall semester to help prepare you for the internship recruiting process. The CDO holds a career fair every spring, as well as MBA Career Days, on-campus recruiting, and a variety of networking events throughout the year to support you in your job search. What career networks does MIT Sloan use to help students find summer internships? Our students partner with our Career Development Advisors in order to prepare for and find a summer internship and full-time employment. Our advisors have developed strong relationships with recruiters, our MIT and MIT Sloan alumni networks around the world, and have access to other career resources and job databases. What type of career services does the MBA program offer for summer internships and/or full-time opportunities upon graduation? During the academic year, the CDO sponsors a number of programs and seminars designed to help you develop skills and strategies that will assist you in setting and achieving your career goals, including Career Core, networking events, company presentations, career fairs, and job postings. The MIT Sloan alumni network and Career Resources Center provide invaluable support to our students. How many offers did members of the most recent graduating class receive, what jobs did they accept, and what were their salaries for the first year? You can find this information on our Employment Report page. A high percentage of our MBA students have jobs upon graduation, and close to 95 percent have accepted positions within the three months after graduation. Do you have many people switching careers? About 85% of our students are career changers, in some capacity. Many students use their two-years to explore new opportunities and try out new areas of interest. Our diverse student population provides you a broad professional network. How does MIT Sloan help career changers? Our Career Development Office sponsors corporate discussions, company presentations, expert panels, and other networking events to provide a chance for you to explore many different industries, including those you may not have previously considered for a career. Career Core exposes you to specific opportunities for MBAs in today’s job market, while walking you through the career-planning process. You will also have a dedicated CDO advisor to meet with you to discuss your interests and opportunities. We encourage you to take advantage of all of the career and industry clubs—your fellow students can be a great resource as well. Do you have a Grade Non-Disclosure policy at MIT Sloan? We do not have a grade non-disclosure policy. Students own their grades and are free to disclose or not disclose their grades at their discretion. What is the Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) program? LGO is a two-year, dual-degree program in which students receive an MBA from MIT Sloan and an MS from one of seven engineering departments within the MIT School of Engineering. The program is a partnership between MIT and more than 20 global operations companies. LGO students are part of, and participate fully in, the MIT Sloan MBA program. The program, which starts in June each year, includes a 6-month internship at an LGO partner company. All students also receive a generous fellowship to attend the program. Please visit the LGO website for more information. What's the process for considering applicants for the LGO program? You may apply to LGO through either MIT Sloan or through one of the affiliated engineering programs. Regardless of how you apply, you will be reviewed by the same committee. If you apply to LGO through MIT Sloan, but are not admitted into the program, your application is automatically considered for round II of MBA admissions. What is the typical background of an applicant to the LGO program? Students come from a broad range of backgrounds. The strongest candidates have an undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering or science, at least two years of full-time work experience (three or more years preferred), and possess a strong commitment to working in operations and manufacturing. How is the LGO course load different than the typical MBA? LGO students must fulfill the requirements of both the MBA program and their engineering department, so the course load is somewhat heavier. Students begin the program in June and take classes through the summer. All LGO students participate in a 6-month internship at one of our partner companies. See a list of our industry partners. Is it required to have experience specifically in operations to be considered for admittance? Experience in operations is not a requirement for admission. We admit students with varied types of professional backgrounds, although many students do have some previous operations experience. What are the science requirements for admittance into the LGO program? Will an undergraduate in business be considered? We thoroughly review all applications that are submitted regardless of undergraduate degree; chances of admission may be lower without substantial engineering or science coursework. What is the difference between LGO and the MBA when it comes to the management and finance courses taught in the two programs? LGO students are MBA students. They take the full MBA core curriculum in the fall with their MBA classmates; they are on the same teams and in the same classes as other MBA students. In addition to their MBA requirements, LGO students also take engineering courses to fulfill their SM degree. How do post-MBA employment opportunities differ for LGO candidates and regular MBA candidates? With both business knowledge and technical skills, LGO students are highly sought after by both partner and non-partner companies. Over 95% of LGO students have accepted positions by graduation each year. We do not require a visit to campus. It can only aid you in your decision process when comparing schools, but we will never penalize an applicant for not being able to make the trip to Cambridge. What is the policy for visiting MIT Sloan? You are always welcome to visit the School. The best time to come is when we offer the Ambassadors Program when classes are in session. However, we also offer on-campus information sessions, self-guided tours, and you are welcome to visit the Admissions office during business hours from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Read more about Visiting MIT Sloan.

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https://mitsloan.mit.edu/mba/admissions/common-questions

9,349 gross tons, length 149.92m x beam 18.07m one funnel, two masts, twin screw, speed 13 knots, accommodation for 108-2nd and 2,300-3rd class passengers. Launched on 30th December1911 by Reiherstieg, Hamburg for Hamburg South America Line and started her maiden voyage from Hamburg to the River Plate on 14th March 1912. On the outbreak of war in August 1914 she sheltered in Buenos Aires and in 1918 was sold to Argentina. 1935 sold to Italy and renamed UMBRIA. June 1940 scuttled at Port Sudan, later refloated and scrapped. Built in 1850 by Jacob Bell, New York (engines by Allaire Iron Works, New York) for the Collins Line, she was a 2,123 gross ton ship, length 282.5ft x beam 45ft, straight stem, one funnel, three masts (rigged for sails), wooden construction, paddle wheel propulsion and a speed of 12 knots. Accommodation was provided for 200-1st class passengers. Launched on 5/2/1850, she sailed from New York on her maiden voyage to Liverpool on 16/11/1850. In 1851, accommodation for 80-2nd class passengers was added and between 6th-16th/8/1851 she made a record passage between Liverpool and New York. In approx. 1853 her mizzen (third) mast was removed and she commenced her last Liverpool - New York voyage on 3/2/1858 (arr New York 18/2/1858). This was the last voyage of the company which was then wound up, and the BALTIC was laid up from 1858-9. On 9/7/1859 she was bought by the North Atlantic Steamship Co. and ran between New York and Aspinwall until 1860, when she was laid up again. In 1861 she was used as a Civil War transport, and on 26/4/1866 commenced the first of two round voyages for North American Lloyd between New York, Southampton and Bremen. On 21/2/1867 she sailed fom New York on the first of five round voyages for the New York & Bremen Steamship Co between New York, Southampton and Bremen. Her last voyage commenced on 21/10/1867 and in 1870 her engines were removed. She was finally scrapped in 1880. 5537 gross tons, length 420ft x beam 54ft, one funnel, single screw, speed 11 knots. Built in 1894 by Hawthorn, Leslie & Co, Hebburn-on-Tyne for the Elderslie SS Co (Turnbull, Martin & Co). 1910 transferred to Scottish Shire Line, UK - South Africa - Australia - New Zealand service, 1915 sold to Blue Star Line renamed BRODNESS. 31st Mar.1917 on passage Genoa - Port Said torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine UC-38 off Anzio. The BARCELONA was a 1,802gross ton ship, 284ft x 34ft, one funnel, two masts, iron construction, single screw and a speed of 10 knots. She only carried 20-1st class passengers. Launched in March 1878 for the Thomson Line of Dundee, details of her early career are sparse, but apparently she was used for transporting cattle (and passengers) between the UK and Canada. Later (1882) used on the Mediterranean - Montreal route. Sold in 1890 to Canada & Newfoundland Line (the goodwill of which company was bought by Furness Withy in 1898), she then carried 20-1st class passengers. It seems however, that under her previous Thomson ownership that she carried a considerable number of steerage passengers in addition. In 1898 she made her first Liverpool - St John's NF - Halifax voyage for Furness Withy and was scrapped in 1899. The BARCELONA was a 5,574 gross ton ship, length 415ft x beam 53ft, one funnel, two masts, single screw, speed 14 knots, accommodation for 60-1st, 80-2nd, 24-3rd and 1,000-steerage class passengers. Launched on 18th Mar.1908 by Charles Connell & Co., Glasgow (engines built by D. Rowan & Co., Glasgow) for the Pinillos Line (Pinillos, Izquierdo y Cia), Cadiz. Maiden voyage 8th May 1908 Genoa - Barcelona - Cadiz - Las Palmas - Montevideo - Buenos Aires. In Nov.1914 she made a single round voyage from Barcelona to Tarragona, Alicante, Malaga, Cadiz and New York. 1925 sold to Compania Oceania, Barcelona. 1927 scrapped at Baltimore. 2,247 gross tons, length 285.0ft x beam 38.2ft, single screw, speed 11 knots. Completed Oct. 1892 by Wigham Richardson & Co, Newcastle (Yard No.281) for Royal Hungarian Sea Navigation Co. Adria Ltd, Fiume, Austria-Hungary. On 1st Sep.1914 she was shelled and sunk off Vigo by HMS MINERVA. In the "Register of Merchant Ships Built in 1892" by Starke / Schell. the BATHORI is classed as a general cargo ship, but it is possible that she carried a limited number of passengers. The BATORY of the Polish Gdynia America Line certainly had a colourful history. She was involved in several dubious incidents in the 1940-1950s. In 1949 she had a very doubtful "stowaway" in the person of a communist who had jumped bail from the American courts. He got off on a technical point and the master and 40 of her crew were subsequently decorated by the Russo-Polish government for helping this man. When the ship returned to New York, the US authorities refused shore leave to her crew. In March 1950 she carried a convicted Soviet spy from New York and in August of that year, a dozen undesirables were taken off the ship before she could sail from New York. Soon after that, American dockers refused to handle her cargo. In Nov.1950 she carried a large number of so called delegates to the Soviet "Peace Congress" and in Jan.1951 the Americans refused to carry out repairs on board. Later that year she was blackballed by the Port of New York and had to be transferred to the Gdynia - Bombay - Karachi service until 1956. She went on the Gdynia - Quebec - Montreal service then until 1968 when she was used as an accommodation ship at Gdansk until 1971 when she was scrapped at Hong Kong. The BAVARIA was built by Caird & Co, Greenock in 1856 as the PETROPOLIS for the Hamburg Brazilian Steam Navigation Co. She was a 2,405 gross ton ship, length 282.1ft x beam 39.4ft, clipper stem, one funnel, three masts (rigged for sail), iron construction, single screw and a speed of 10 knots. There was accommodation for 50-1st, 136-2nd and 310-3rd class passengers. Launched on 30th Oct.1856, she left Hamburg on her maiden voyage to Southampton, Lisbon, Pernambuco, Bahia and Rio de Janeiro on 20th Feb.1857. She commenced her last voyage on this service on 20th Nov.1857 and was then sold to Hamburg America Line. Renamed BAVARIA on 21st Oct.1858, she started her first Hamburg - Southampton - New York voyage on 1st Nov.1858. In October 1867 she inaugurated the company's first Hamburg - New Orleans voyage and in 1871 was fitted with compound engines by C.A.Day & Co, Southampton. Her last Hamburg - New York voyage commenced on 25th Oct.1873 and she subsequently sailed between Hamburg and the West Indies. Purchased by the Dominion Line on 1st Nov.1876, she sailed from Liverpool for New Orleans on 7th Dec.1876 but was destroyed by fire at sea on the homeward passage on 6th Feb.1877 with no loss of life. The BAVARIAN was a 10,376 gross ton ship, length 501.1ft x beam 59.3ft, one funnel, two masts, twin screw and a speed of 16 knots. There was accommodation for 240-1st, 220-2nd and 1,000-3rd class passengers. Built by Wm Denny & Bros, Dumbarton, she was launched for the Allan Line on 11th May 1899. Her maiden voyage started on 24th Aug.1899 when she sailed from Liverpool for Quebec and Montreal. After one further voyage on this route, she was used as a transport ship to South Africa during the Boer War. She resumed Liverpool - Quebec - Montreal voyages on 9th Oct.1902 and was wrecked near Montreal on 3rd Nov.1905 with no loss of life and was broken up where she lay. 4,500 gross tons, length 3758ft, engines aft. Fitted with refrigerated cargo space. Cargo ship built 1958 by A/B Ekensbergs Varv, Stockolm as the MIMER for M. Thorviks Rederi, Oslo, she was purchased in Jan.1963 by Canadian Pacific Steamships Ltd and renamed BEAVERASH. First voyage for CP started 17th Feb.1963 from Zeebrugge to Bremen, Hamburg and St. John, NB. She left London two voyages later on 16th May and made her first voyage into the Great Lakes. In Sep.1968 she made a chartered voyage to the West Indies for Harrison Line, then continued CP Continental - Canada services until Nov.1969. She was then sold to the Friendship Shipping Co., Greece and renamed ZANET. 1980 sold to A Zacharis, Greece renamed AGIOS NIKOLAOS. 1984 sold to Mamfred Shipping Co., Malta renamed NISSAKI. Made only one voyage under this name and then sailed to Gadani Beach, Pakistan where she was scrapped. The BEAVERBRAE was built as the HUASCARAN for the Hamburg America Line by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg in 1938. She was built as a 10,480 gross ton ship with a length of 487.5ft x beam 60.3ft, one funnel, one mast single screw and a speed of 17 knots. There was accommodation for 32 passengers. Launched on 15th Dec. 1938, she sailed on her maiden voyage from Hamburg to the West coast of South America and on her return was taken over by the German Navy and converted to a submarine depot ship. She spent most of her time in Norway where she was captured undamaged by the Allies in 1945. Taken over by the War Assets Corporation, she arrived in Liverpool in April 1947 for a refit. In June she sailed for Montreal as part of Canada's war reparations and was allocated to North American Transports Inc. for use as a cargo liner. At that time she was Canada's largest merchant ship. Purchased by Canadian Pacific on 2nd September 1947, she was renamed BEAVERBRAE and rebuilt to 9,034 gross tons, one funnel, two masts and with cabin accommodation for 74 passengers and dormitory accommodation for a further 699. On 8th February she sailed on her first voyage from St John NB with cargo for London (subsequent cargo voyages to Antwerp) and then to Bremen for passengers; and made 51 sailings from Bremen to Canada with displaced persons. She was the only "Beaver" ship to carry cargo eastbound and passengers westbound (the others were cargo ships) and was also the only one under Canadian registration and with a Canadian crew. Canadian Pacific worked with the International Refugee Organisation and with the Canadian Christian Council for the Relief of Refugees and the refugees were forwarded from collection points on the German frontiers to the despatching centre in Bremen. Here they were examined by Canadian government officials for health and security. Documentation and embarkation arrangements were handled by the Canadian Pacific office in Bremen. The BEAVERBRAE made an average of one sailing each month and usually carried between 500 and 700 emigrants, of whom approximately one in five were children. They were destined for friends or relatives in Canada and few could speak English. Before the ship reached port, the purser would issue each emigrant with an identification tag, indicating their destination. When advice was received in Montreal that the ship had left Bremen, arrangements were made for two special trains with colonist and baggage cars to be assembled at the port of entry. The first train would usually be routed to Montreal and Toronto, and the second to Winnipeg and points west, almost every car destined to a different part of the country. A special three-car unit was attached to each train to feed the refugees. One car was fitted as a kitchen, the second as a dining car by day and a sleeper for the crew at night, the third being used as a recreation and dining car for the passengers. The BEAVERBRAE made her last emigrant voyage when she left Bremen on 28th July 1954, having carried over 38,000 refugees to Canada. Sold to Compagnia Genovese d'Armamento, Genoa on 1st November 1954, she was rebuilt at Monfalcone to 10,022 tons and with accommodation for 1,124 tourist class passengers. Renamed AURELIA, she sailed from Trieste on 13th May 1955, via Suez to Australia and made later voyages from Genoa. Re-engined in 1958-59 and rebuilt to 10,480 tons, she started her first Bremen - Suez - Australia voyage on 12th June 1959. In June 1960 she made a Bremen - New York voyage for Council on Student Travel. She made a total of 34 round voyages between English Channel ports and New York between May 1962 and August 1969. In 1970 she was sold to Chandris Lines and was renamed ROMANZA in 1970, she was registered at Piraeus, refitted and used for cruising. Registered at Panama in 1977 and transferred to Armadora Romanza SA, Panama in 1979. The ship was sold to Ambassador Leisure, renamed ROMANTICA in 1991 and cruised in the Eastern Mediterranean until 1997 when she caught fire returning to Cyprus from Egypt. Fortunately there were no casualties and after the ship was abandoned she was towed in Limassol. The burnt out hulk was scrapped the following year. O.N.111307. 4,765 gross tons, length 391ft x beam 51.2ft, single screw. Built 1901 by Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland (Yard No.578) as the MOHAWK for Menantic SS Co, Bristol. 1902 owned by North Atlantic SS Co., 1912 sold to Prince Line, Newcastle renamed HUNGARIAN PRINCE, 1915 renamed BELGIAN PRINCE, 31st July 1917 torpedoed and sunk by U.55 with the loss of 39 lives, while 175 miles NW of Tory Island, Ireland while on voyage Liverpool to Newport News with a cargo of blue clay.[Register of Merchant Ships Completed in 1901 by Starke / Schell] The book "Pride of the Princes" by N. L. Middlemiss ISBN 1-871128-01-3 contains a photo of her identical sister ship SERVIAN PRINCE. 4212 gross tons, length 420.3ft x beam 42.4ft, one funnel, four masts (rigged for sail), single screw, speed 14 knots. Built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast as the BELGIC for White Star Line's Pacific service, she was launched on 3rd Jan.1885. Her maiden voyage from San Francisco to Yokohama and Hong Kong started 28th Nov.1885 and she continued Pacific services until 1898. Sold to Atlantic Transport Line in 1899, she was renamed MOHAWK and started her first voyage from Belfast to London and New York on 5th Aug.1899. Her second voyage between London and New York started 7th Sep.1899 and in Oct.1899 she became a Boer War military transport. In 1903 she was scrapped at Garston. This is a quote from "The Colonial Clippers" by Basil Lubbock. The BEN NEVIS was the first ship owned by Pilkington & Wilson's White Star Line of Liverpool. She was however, too short and deep for her tonnage, her measurements being:- Length overall 181ft Beam 38ft 6ins Depth of hold 28ft Registered tonnage 1420 Commanded by Captain Heron, she sailed for Melbourne on 27th Sept.1852, with 600 passengers, a cabin passage in her costing £25, and she took 96 days going out. She was built in 1852 by W & R Wright & Smith of Nova Scotia, and ended up in the 1870's on the St Lawrence - Liverpool timber trade. 1745 tons, built by Earle's Shipbuilding, Hull in 1894 for the Harwich - Hook of Holland service. She had buff funnels with black tops. On 21st Feb.1907 she was swept across the northern mole at the entrance to the New Waterway in a fierce gale. Her bows broke off and sank, but her stern portion remained fast to the breakwater. Despite rescue attempts, only 10 passengers and 5 crew were saved and the loss of 128 lives made this the worst peacetime disaster in North Sea passenger travel. The Clipper Ship Black Eagle.— Some considerable interest has been felt in the success of this noble ship, from the fact that its enterprising builder, Mr. John Major, of this town, undertook to build a craft after the North American principle of soft wood, to compete in price with our transatlantic brethren. The vessel is now ready for sea, having been chartered by government to take emigrants to Australia, and is lying in the Birkenhead dock. She is the largest wooden vessel ever built on the banks of the Mersey, and her fine large proportions, together with her tall spars, render her an object of attraction to all interested in shipping. In external appearance she has the same characteristics as an English merchantman, with painted ports, but somewhat finer in her lines than the generality of vessels built here. Her cutwater is ornamented with a large and well-executed figure of an eagle, represented in the act of taking flight, and the stern is beautifully finished with gilt carvings. The Black Eagle possesses fine lines for swift sailing, and her carrying capacity has far exceeded the anticipations of her builder. A spacious top-gallant forecastle has been constructed for the accommodation of the crew, affording ample room as well as loftiness to the apartment. At one end of the deckhouse amidships is the kitchen, which is lined throughout with sheet-iron, and fitted in the most compact manner with the latest improvements in cooking apparatus. Adjoining are the various offices for the officers of the ship. She has a full poop deck, which, from the size of the vessel, leaves a fine sweep on the main deck for working. The main cabin is spacious, lofty, and airy, and, from the neat manner in which it is finished, forms one of the leading attractions of the vessel. The entrance to the cabin is by a companion, the fore part of the poop being devoted to second-class passengers. The various state-rooms leading from the cabin contain double berths, which are both roomy and well ventilated. Her 'tween decks are lofty, and every attention has been paid to the comfort and convenience of the passengers. There is abundance of light and air in every portion of the lower deck, and ample gangway, unoccupied, for walking exercise. On the main deck the most recent improvements have been introduced for aiding the mariner in his arduous labours. At convenient distances throughout the vessel small winches have been placed, for hoisting the various tacks, and facilitating a rapid and easy working of the ship. She carries a large and valuable cargo, in addition to her complement of nearly 500 passengers. The BOCHUM was a cargo ship, built by AG Vulkan, Hamburg in 1922 for the German Australian Line. She was 6,121 gross tons, length 450ft x beam 57ft, one funnel, two masts, single screw and a speed of 13 knots. Taken over in 1926 by the Hamburg America Line. Became a transport in 1941 and used between German and Norwegian ports. Ceded to Britain in 1945, allocated to the USSR and renamed GENERAL CHERNAKHOVSKY. No further information. The BOHEMIA was built by A&J.Inglis & Co, Glasgow as the BENGORE HEAD for the Ulster Steamship Co. She was a 3,410 gross ton ship, length 350.5ft x beam 40.2ft, one funnel, two masts (rigged for sail), iron construction, single screw and a speed of 12 knots. Accommodation for 100-1st and 1,200-2nd class passengers. Launched on 25th Aug.1881, she was sold to Hamburg America Line on 30th Sep.1881, renamed BOHEMIA and left Hamburg on her maiden voyage to New York on 30th Oct.1881. On 16th Mar.1892 she commenced a single round voyage from Hamburg to New York and Baltimore, and on 17th May.1893 commenced her first voyage between Stettin, Helsingborg, Gothenburg, Christiansand and New York. She started her last voyage between Hamburg and New York on 2nd Apr.1897 and on 11th Jun.1897 commenced sailings between Hamburg, Philadelphia and Baltimore. In 1898 she was sold to the Sloman Line of Hamburg, renamed POMPEJI and made three Hamburg - New York voyages before being sold to Laurello SA, Genoa in 1900 and being renamed POMPEI. She was scrapped in 1905 at Spezia, Italy. 4,553 gross tons, length 380.3ft x beam 46.3ft, one funnel, two masts, twin screw, speed 14 knots, accommodation for 75-1st and 1,290-3rd class passengers. Built 1905 by Harland & Wolff, Belfast for Italia Societa di Navigazione a Vapore, Genoa, she started her maiden voyage on 17th Jun.1905 from Genoa to South America. In 1913 she was sold to La Veloce who used her on their Central America service until 1924 when she was transferred to Navigazione Generale Italiana, Genoa and laid up. 1928 scrapped. The BORKUM was built by J.L.Thompson & Sons, Sunderland (engines by J.Dickinson & Sons, Sunderland) as the ELLEN RICKMERS for the Rickmers Line. She was a 5,350 gross ton ship, length 409ft x beam 50.5ft, straight stem, one funnel, two masts, single screw and a speed of 10 knots. There was capacity for 18-2nd and 950-3rd class passengers. Launched on 27/2/1896, she was chartered to North German Lloyd and commenced the first of six round voyages between Bremen and Baltimore on 24/9/1897, the last starting on 5/1/1900. In 1900 she was purchased by NGL and renamed BORKUM. She commenced her first Bremen - Baltimore - Galveston voyage on 13/9/1900 and made the last of three voyages on this service in February 1905. Between 1905-1913 she sailed between Bremen and South America and in 1914 sailed between Bremen and the Far East. Seized by Italy in 1915 and renamed ASTI, she was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine, 220 miles SW of the Scilly Isles on 13/8/1917. This magnificent vessel is the latest addition to the Cunard fleet, and the largest of its steamers. Messrs. James and George Thomson, of Glasgow, have just completed the Bothnia for the Cunard Company’s mail service between Liverpool and New York. The official trial of this ship, under the direction of the Government Controller of Packet Services, took place at Wemyss Bay, in the Clyde, on Tuesday, June 23rd. Upon this occasion, with 1000 tons of dead weight on board, she several times ran the measured mile, averaging a speed of fourteen knots. In every respect she acquitted herself to the utmost satisfaction of those concerned in her success. Amongst the large party on board were the Lord Provost of Glasgow, Mr. John Burns, Sheriff Dickson; Captain Parry, R.N.; Captain Dennistoun, R.N.; the officers of the 64th Regiment, Mr. Stafford Northcote, Mr. Shaw Stewart, Professor Grant, and other gentlemen. The Bothnia is of the burden of 4535 tons, registered, and of the following dimensions: —Length over all, 455 ft.; breadth, 44 ft.; depth, 36 ft. She is barque-rigged, has four decks, and is fitted with massive compound engines, of 600 horsepower. The cylinders are jacketed, the small one being 62 in. and the large one 106 in. in diameter. Eight boilers supply the engines, with twenty-four furnaces in all. The bunkers are capable of holding 1200 tons of coal. In regard to passenger accommodation, cargo facilities, and general arrangements for working and navigating the vessel, the Bothnia has every advantage. She is fitted with every modern appliance that skill can devise for securing comfort, speed, and safety. Having her spacious saloon amidships, with a large proportion of her airy staterooms on the spar-deck, her cabin passengers enjoy the greatest degree of comfort that it is possible to obtain afloat. Like all the vessels of the Cunard fleet, the material and construction of the Bothnia are of the strongest and best kind. With her great strength and capacity she has an elegance and finish of style. Her model is one which promises such results in seagoing qualities as will maintain the well-earned reputation of the Cunard liners. The BREMEN of 1858 was a 2,674 gross ton ship, built by Caird & Co, Greenock, Scotland for Norddeutscher Lloyd of Bremen. Her details were - length 97,53m x beam 11,88m (320ft x 39ft), she had a clipper stem, one funnel, three masts (rigged for sail), iron construction, single screw and a speed of 10 knots. There was accommodation for 160-1st, 110-2nd and 400-3rd class passengers. Launched on 1st February 1858, she sailed from Bremen on her maiden voyage to New York on 19th June 1858. She continued on this service except for six months repair in 1860, when she fractured her propellor shaft. On 5th November 1873 she started her last voyage from Bremen to Southampton and New York, and in 1874 was sold to Edward Bates of Liverpool who had her engines removed and used her as a sailing vessel. On 16th October 1882 she was wrecked on the South Farralone Islands, California. The BRESLAU was a 7,524 gross ton ship, length 429.3ft x beam 54.3ft, one funnel, two masts, twin screw and a speed of 13 knots. Accommodation for 60-2nd and 1,660-3rd class passengers. Built by Bremer Vulkan, Vegesack, she was launched for North German Lloyd, Bremen on 14th Aug.1901. Her maiden voyage started 23rd Nov.1901 when she left Bremen for New York, and on 3rd Apr.1902 she started her first Bremen - Baltimore sailing. 10th Sep.1903 first Bremen - Baltimore - Galveston voyage, 24th Mar.1910 first Bremen - Philadelphia and 6th May 1914 first Bremen - Boston - New Orleans sailing. Her last voyage for NGL started 8th Jul.1914 when she sailed from Bremen for Emden, Boston, New York and New Orleans, where she took refuge on the outbreak of the Great War. Seized by US Authorities in Apr.1917, she became the US Navy transport BRIDGEPORT. In 1943 she was converted to the US Hospital ship LARKSPUR and in 1946 became the US Army Transport BRIDGEPORT. Scrapped in 1948. 5,668 gross tons, built 1911 by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Newcastle-on-Tyne for the Deutsche-Australische Dampfschiffs-Gesselschaft, Hamburg, 1914 laid up at Mormugao, 1916 seized by Portugal and renamed DAMAO. 28th April 1918 torpedoed and sunk in St. Georges Channel by German submarine U.91 on voyage New York - Liverpool. 1135 gross tons, length 207ft x beam 34ft, clipper bows, one funnel, three masts, rigged for sail, wooden hull, side paddle wheels, speed 9 knots. Accommodation for 115-1st class passengers. Built by Robert Duncan, Greenock (engines by Robert Napier, Glasgow), launched for Cunard on 5.2.1840. Maiden voyage 4.7.1840 Liverpool - Halifax - Boston. Feb.1844 iced in at Boston and had to cut an escape channel. 14.9.1847 stranded at Cape Race, refloated and repaired at New York. 18.11.1848, 40th and last voyage Liverpool - Halifax - Boston. 1849 sold to Germany renamed BARBAROSSA, 1852 transferred to Prussian Navy, 1880 sunk as target ship. 8,799 gross tons, length 460ft x beam 59ft, one funnel, two masts, single screw, speed 13 knots, accommodation for 175-1st class passengers. Built 1926 by Alex Stephen & Sons, Linthouse for the Anchor Line, Glasgow, she started her maiden voyage to Bombay on 3rd Mar.1926 and spent the remainder of her life on this route. On 25th Mar.1941 she was engaged by the German Auxiliary Cruiser THOR (ex-Oldenburg-Portuguese Line SANTA CRUZ). After an hour's engagement 750 miles west of Freetown the BRITANNIA abandoned ship. 127 passengers and 122 crew were lost. 63 survivors were rescued by the Spanish s/s BACHI and a further 38 reached Brazil after sailing for 23 days in a lifeboat. 4,216 gross ton passenger ship, length 360ft x beam 50.1ft, single screw, speed 17½ knots, accommodation for 264 passengers. Built 1929 by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Newcastle. Launched in February 1929 for Rederi A/B Svenska Lloyd, Goteborg (Swedish Lloyd), she made her maiden voyage in June 1929. She made regular sailings between Goteborg and London and was fitted with refrigerated cargo space for the carriage of butter, eggs, bacon, etc. After the war, she was employed in the repatriation of British soldiers and prisoners from Germany before returning to normal duties. 1966 sold to Cia. Armadora de Sudamerica S.A. (Hellenic Mediterranean Lines Ltd), Panama and renamed CYNTHIA. 1969 transferred to Cynthian Navigation Co., Famagusta, Cyprus. 1973 scrapped at Vado. 48,158 gross tons, length 852ft x beam 94ft, four funnels, two masts, triple screw, speed 21 knots, designed with accommodation for 790-1st, 830-2nd and 1,000-3rd class passengers. Launched on 26th Feb.1914 by Harland & Wolff, Belfasr for the White Star Line, she never sailed on the North Atlantic, but on 8th Dec.1915 was handed over to the Admiralty and commissioned as a hospital ship. She was drafted onto the Dardanelles campaign and for the next year sailed between Lemnos, Naples and Southampton, conveying home wounded men who had been evacuated by smaller vessels from Gallipoli. On 21st Nov.1916 on her sixth round voyage and outward bound, she struck a mine which had been laid by the German submarine U.73 while 4 miles west of Port St. Nikolo in the Kea Channel. The explosion damaged her starboard side and opened two watertight compartments. This, combined with the failure of the watertight door system caused her to sink within an hour, despite efforts to beach her. Fortunately she wasn't carrying any wounded at the time, but had 625 crew and 500 medical staff. 21 lives were lost. The BRITANNIC was the third of White Star Line's great trio of transatlantic liners, the other two being the TITANIC and OLYMPIC, which was scrapped in 1937. The BRITISH PRINCE was built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast in 1882 for British Shipowners. She was a 3,871gross ton vessel, length 420.1ft x beam 42.2ft, one funnel, four masts, single screw and a speed of 12 knots. I have no information on her passenger capacity. Launched on 4/2/1882, she was chartered to American Line and sailed on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Philadelphia on 12/4/1882. Shecommenced her last voyage from Philadelphia to Liverpool on 28/3/1894 and in 1895 was chartered to the Dominion Line. She made one round voyage from Liverpool to Quebec and Montreal for this company commencing 1/5/1895 and was then sold to French owners. She was renamed LES ANDES and was finally scrapped in June 1908. 3,558 gross tons, length 410.3ft x beam 39ft, one funnel, four masts, single screw, speed 12 knots. Launched on 4th Nov.1880 by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast (engines by J. Jack & Co., Liverpool), for British Shipowners Ltd, as the BRITISH QUEEN. 1881 chartered to American Line. 31 January 1881, maiden voyage, Liverpool- Philadelphia. 27 January 1883, last voyage, Liverpool-Philadelphia. 1883 chartered to New Zealand Shipping Co. and Shaw, Savill & Albion Line. 22 March 1883, first voyage, London-New Zealand (4 roundtrip voyages). 1885 chartered to Anchor Line. 28 May 1885, first voyage, London-New York. 19 October 1885, last voyage, London-New York (3 roundtrip voyages). December 1885, first voyage, London-Halifax-Boston. June 1886, last voyage, London-Halifax-Boston (4 roundtrip voyages). 1887 chartered to Inman Line. 10 May 1887, first voyage, Liverpool-New York. 19 July 1887, last voyage, Liverpool-New York (3 roundtrip voyages). Aug.1887 chartered to Furness Line. August 1887, first voyage, London-Boston. November 1888, last voyage, London-Boston. 1889 purchased by the Holland America Line and renamed OBDAM; accommodation for 80-1st, 60-2nd and 800 steerage class passengers. 23 March 1889, first voyage, Rotterdam-New York. 1896 fitted with triple-expansion engines. 9 June 1898, last voyage, Rotterdam-New York. 1898, McPHERSON (U.S. Army transport). 1905 acquired by the Frank Zotti Steamship Co (Zotti Line), New York and renamed BROOKLYN. 19 October 1905, first voyage, New York-Azores- Naples-Genoa. 23 June 1906, last voyage, Marseilles-Azores-New York (5 roundtrip voyages). 1906, S.V. LUCKENBACH, Luckenbach Line (USA). 1915, ONEGA (U.S.). 30 August 1918, torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel by German submarine UB 123 [North Atlantic Seaway, vol. 3, p. 941 by N.R.P.Bonsor]. 3,905 gross tons, length 356.3ft x beam 42.3ft, single screw, speed 13½ knots, passenger / cargo ship. Built 1908 by Lloyd Austriaco, Trieste for their own shipping company, she transferred to Lloyd Triestino, Trieste in 1919 when Trieste came under Italian rule. 1921 renamed CELIO, 1937 transferred to Adriatica Soc. Anon. di Nav., Venice. 1940 transferred to Tirrenia Soc. Anon. di Nav., Venice. 24th Jul.1940 mined and sunk 3½ miles off the Libyan coast on voyage Derna to Benghazi. The BUENOS AYREAN was an Allan Line vessel. Built in 1880 by Wm.Denny & Bros, Dumbarton, Scotland, she was a 4,005 gross ton vessel. Length 385.2ft x beam 42.2ft, one funnel, three masts, single screw and a speed of 12 knots. She had accommodation for 1st and 3rd class passengers and was the first steel built North Atlantic steamer. Launched on 2nd Oct.1879, she sailed from Glasgow on her maiden voyage to South America on 1st Dec.1879. On 31st Mar.1880 she commenced her first voyage from Glasgow to Halifax and Boston, and on 12th May 1880 started running between Glasgow, Quebec and Montreal. Between 1880 - 1895 she carried out one round voyage annually between Glasgow and S.America. In 1896, she was fitted with quadruple expansion engines and her masts reduced to two and on 30th Sep.1896 resumed the Glasgow - Quebec - Montreal service. On 12th Feb.1902 commenced a Glasgow - Philadelphia service and on 1st Jul.1902 a Glasgow - Boston service. She commenced her last voyage from Glasgow to Portland on 9th Jan.1909 and was then laid up at Gareloch. She was scrapped at Falmouth in 1911. The BULIMBA was built in 1881 by A&J.Inglis, Glasgow, and was a 2,510 gross ton ship, length 96,26m x beam 11,64m (315.8ft x 38.2ft), one funnel, two masts, single screw. There was accommodation for 37-1st amd 16-2nd class passengers. She could also carry 1,360 deck passengers. Launched for A.Gray & E.S.Dawes, she was operated by Associated Steamers for the London - Brisbane service. She started her maiden voyage from London, via Suez and Batavia to Brisbane on 1/1/1883, and in 1886 was registered as belonging to British India Associated Steamers. In 1890 she was transferred to Australasian United S.N.Co and started her last voyage between London and Brisbane on 17/2/1891. In 1899 she was again transferred to British India Steam Navigation Co and used on the Bombay - Persian Gulf service. She was hulked at Singapore in 1910 and in September 1914 was re-commisioned after the outbreak of the Great War. In December 1922 she was sold to Eng Hup, China and was scrapped the following year at Shanghai. The BYRON was built for the National Greek Line as the VASILEFS CONSTANTINOS in 1914. She then became the MEGALI HELLAS in 1919 and went to the Byron Steamship Co in 1923 and was renamed BYRON. Her first voyage for these owners started 4th Aug.1923 when she left Constanza for Constantinople, Piraeus, Patras and New York so she was comparitively new for these owners in March 1924. Her last sailing was on 25th Jul.1928 from Piraeus to Patras and New York.

2019-04-25T01:45:54Z

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A SERMON INTENDED FOR READING ON LORD'S-DAY, AUGUST 2, 1903. AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 6, 1888. "Behold, a sower went forth to sow." Matthew 13:3. THIS was a very important event. I do not say that it was important if you took the individual case, alone-but if you tookthe multitudes of cases in which it was also true, it was overwhelmingly important in the aggregate-"A sower went forth tosow." Yes, Christ thinks it worthwhile to mention that a single sower went forth to sow, that a Christian man went out toaddress a meeting on a village green, or to conduct a Bible class, or to speak anywhere for the Lord! But when you think ofthe hundreds of preachers of the Gospel who go out to sow every Lord's-Day and the myriads of teachers who go to instructthe children in our Sunday schools, it is, surely, in the aggregate, the most important event under Heaven! You may omit,O recording angel, the fact that a warrior went forth to fight-it is far more important that you should record that "a sowerwent forth to sow." You may even forget that a man of science went into his laboratory and made a discovery, for no discoverycan equal in importance the usual processes of farming. Do you hear the song of the harvest home? Do you see the loaded wagonsfollow one another in a long line to the farmer's barn? If so, remember that there would be no harvest home if the sower wentnot forth to sow! As the flail is falling upon the wheat, or the threshing machine is making the grain to leap from amongthe chaff and the miller's wheels are grinding merrily, and the women are kneading the dough, and the bread is set upon thetable and parents and children are fed to the full, do not forget that all this could never happen unless "a sower went forthto sow." On this action hinges the very life of man! Bread, which is the staff of his life, would be broken and taken fromhim-and his life could not continue did not a sower still go forth to sow! This seems to me to prove that the event recordedin our text is of prime importance and deserves to be chronicled there. And, dear Friends, the spiritual'sowing stands in the same relation to the spiritual world that the natural sowing occupiesin the natural world! It is a most important thing that we should continually go forth to preach the Gospel. It may seem tosome people a small matter that I should occupy this pulpit and I shall not lay any undue importance upon that fact-yet eternitymay not exhaust all that shall result from the preaching of the Gospel here-there may be souls, plucked like brands from theburning, saved with an everlasting salvation, lamps lit by the Holy Spirit that shall shine like stars in the firmament ofGod forever and ever! Who knows, O Teacher, when you labor even among the infants, what the result of your teaching may be?Good corn may grow in very small fields. God may bless your simple words to the babes that listen to them. How know you, Omy unlettered Brother, when you stand up in the cottage meeting to talk to a few poor folk about Christ, what may follow fromthat effort of yours? Life or death, Heaven or Hell, may depend upon the sowing of the Good Seed of the Gospel! It is, itmustbe the most important event that can ever happen, if the Lord goes forth with you when you go forth as the sower wentforth to sow! Listen to the songs of the angels! See the overflowing brightness and excessive glory of your Heavenly Father's face! He rejoicesbecause souls are born to Christ-but how could there be this joy, in the ordinary course, and speaking after the manner ofmen-without the preaching of the Word? For it still pleases God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe!I shall not, therefore, make any apology for again preaching upon an event which is so important, even though it is recordedin such simple words! "A sower went forth to sow." I am going to try to answer three questions concerning this answer. First, who was he? Secondly, what did he do? And, thirdly,what was his objective? I. First, WHO WAS HE? We do not know anything at all about him except that he was a sower. His individuality seems to be swallowed up in his office.We do not know who his father was, or his mother, or his sister, or his brother. All we know is that he was a sower and Ido like to see a man who is so much a minister that he is nothing else but a minister! It does not matter who he is, or whathe has, or what else he can do if he does this one thing. He has lost his identity in his service, though he has also gainedit over again in another way. He has lost his selfhood and has become, once and for all, a sower and nothing but a sower! Observe, dear Friends, that there are many personal matters which are quite unimportant It is not mentioned here whether hewas a refined sower, or a rustic sower-and it does not matter which he was. So is it with the workers for Christ-God blessesall sorts of men. William Huntington, the coal-heaver, brought many souls to Christ. Some have doubted this, but, in my earlyChristian days, I knew some of the excellent of the earth who were the spiritual children of the coal-heaver. Chalmers stoodat the very opposite pole-a master of cultured gracious speech, a learned, well-trained man-and what multitude Chalmers broughtto Christ! So, whether it was Huntington or Chalmers, does not matter. "A sower went forth to sow." One preacher talks likeRowland Hill, in very plain Saxon with a touch of humor. Another, like Robert Hall, uses a grand style of speech, full ofbrilliant rhetoric and scarcely ever condescending to men of low degree, yet God blessed both of them! What did it matterwhether the speech was of the colloquial or of the oratorical order so long as God blessed it? The man preached the Gospel-exactlyhow he preached it need not be declared. He was a sower, he went forth to sow-and there came a glorious harvest from his sowing! Now, my dear Brother, you have begun earnestly to speak for Christ, but you are troubled because you cannot speak like Mr.So-and-So. Do not try to speak like Mr. So-and-So! You say, "I heard a man preach, the other night, and when he had done,I thought I could never preach again." Well, it was very naughty on your part to think that. You ought rather to have said,"I will try to preach all the better, now that I have heard one who preaches so much better than I can." Just feel that youhave to sow the Good Seed of the Kingdom and if you have not so big a hand as some sowers have, and cannot sow quite so muchat a time, go and sow with your smaller hands, only mind that you sow the same Seed, for so God will accept what you do! Youare grieved that you do not know so much as some do and that you have not the same amount of learning that they have. Youregret that you have not the poetical faculty of some, or the holy ingenuity of others. Why do you speak about all these things?Our Lord Jesus Christ does not do so-He simply says, "A sower went forth to sow." He does not tell us how he was dressed.He mentions nothing about whether he was a black man, or a white man, or what kind of man he was. He tells us nothing abouthim except that he was a sower. Will you, my dear Friend, try to be nothing but a soul-winner? Never mind about "idiosyncrasies,"or whatever people call them! Go ahead and sow the Good Seed and God bless you in doing so! Next, notice that as the various personal matters relating to the man are too unimportant to be recorded, his name and hisfame are not written in this Book. Do you want to have your name put to everything that you do? Mind that God does not letyou have your desire and then say to you, "There, you have done that unto yourself, so you can reward yourself for it." Asfar as ever you can, keep your own name out of all the work you do for the Lord! I used to notice, in Paris, that there wasnot a bridge, or a public building, without the letter, "N," somewhere on it. Now, go through all the city and find an, "N,"if you can. Napoleon hoped his fame would live in imperishable marble, but he had written his name in sand, after all, andif any of us shall, in our ministry, think it the all-important matter to make our own name prominent, we are on the wrongtack altogether! When George Whitefield was asked to start a new sect, he said, "I do not condemn my Brother Wesley for whathe has done, but I cannot do the same-let my name perish, but let Christ's name endure forever and ever!" Do not be anxiousfor your name to go down to posterity, but be more concerned to be only remembered by what you have done, as this man is onlyremembered by Christ's testimony that he was a sower. them. What does our reputation matter, after all? It is nothing but the opinion or the breath of men and that is of littleor no value to the child of God. Serve God faithfully and then leave your name and fame in His keeping. There is a day comingwhen the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father! We have no record of the name and the fame of this man, yet we do know something about him. We know that he must have been,first of all, an eater, or he never would have been a sower. The Gospel is Seed for the sower and Bread for the eater. Andevery man who really goes out to sow for God, must first have been an eater. There is not a man on the face of the earth whotreads the furrows of the field and sows the seed, but must first have been an eater of bread-and there is not a true servantof God, beneath the cape of Heaven, but has first fed on the Gospel before he has preached it! If there are any who pretendto sow, but who have never, themselves, eaten, God have mercy upon them! What a desecration of the pulpit it is for a manto attempt to preach what he does not, himself, know! What a desecration it is of even a Sunday school class-for an unconvertedyoung man, or young woman to be a teacher of others! I do not think such a thing ought to be allowed. Wherever it has beenpermitted, I charge any who have been trying to teach what they do not, themselves, know, to cry to God to teach them thatthey may not go and pretend to speak in the name of the Lord, to the children, till, first of all, Christ has spoken peaceand pardon to their own hearts and He has been formed in them the hope of Glory! May every worker here put to himself thequestion, "Have I fed upon and enjoyed that good Word which I am professing to teach to others?" Next, having been an eater, he must also have been a receiver. A sower cannot sow if he has not any seed. It is a mere mockeryto go up and down a field and to pretend to scatter seed out of an empty hand! Is there not a great deal of so-called Christianwork that is just like that? Those who engage in it have not anything to give and, therefore, they can give nothing. You cannotpump out of a man or a woman what is not there-and you cannot preach or teach, in God's way, what is not first in your ownheart! We must receive the Gospel Seed from God before we can sow it! The sower went to his master's granary and receivedso many bushels of wheat. And then he went out and sowed it. I am afraid that some would-be sowers fail in this matter ofbeing receivers. They are in a great hurry to take a class, or to preach here, or there, or somewhere else, but there is nothingin it all. What can there be in your speech but sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal, unless you have received the LivingWord from the Living God and are sent forth by Him to proclaim it to men? A true sower, also, is a disseminator of the Word of God. No man is a sower unless he scatters the Truth of God. If he doesnot preach Truth, he is not a sower in the true meaning of that term. A man may go whistling up and down the furrows and peoplemay mistake him for a sower, but he is not really one-and if there is not, in what we preach, the real, solid Truth of God'sWord-however prettily we may put our sweet nothings, we have not been serving the Lord. We must really scatter the LivingSeed or else we are not worthy of the title of sower. We seem to know a little about this sower, now, and we further know that he was one of noble line. What our Lord really saidwas, "THE SOWER went forth to sow," and I think I see Him coming forth out of the ivory palaces from the lone Glory of Hisown eternal Nature, going down to Bethlehem, becoming a Babe, waiting a while till the Seed was ready and then standing bythe Jordan, by the hillside, at Capernaum and Nazareth, and everywhere scattering those great Seeds that have made the wildernessand the solitary place to be glad, and the desert to rejoice and blossom as the rose! See how all Christendom has sprung fromthe sowing of that Man! And our glorious Lord has long been reaping and is still reaping, today, the harvest of the Seed-sowingon the hillsides of Galilee. "The Sower went forth to sow." Are you not glad to be in that noble line? Do you not feel itto be a high honor, even if you are the very least of the sowers, to be one of those who have sowed the Gospel of God? my eyelids before I will make you any promise that I will be silent." He must sow-he could not help it! Well, now, today,it is imagined by some that the new theology is to put an end to our sowing of the Good Seed of the Kingdom-but will it? Ibelieve that the sowers will still go to every lane and alley of the city and to every hamlet and village of our country,when God wills it, for the Gospel is as everlasting as the God who gave it and, therefore, it cannot die out! And when theythink that they have killed the plant, it will spring up everywhere more vigorous than before. The sower is not only a man of an honorable line, but he is also a worker, together with God. It is God's design that everyplant should propagate and reproduce its like and especially is it His design that wheat, and other cereals so useful to men,should be continued and multiplied on the face of the earth. Who is to do it? God will see that it is done and, usually, Heemploys men to be His agents. There are some seeds that never can be sown by men, but only by birds. I need not go into thedetails, but it is a fact that no man could make the seed grow if he did sow it-it must be done by a bird. But as to wheat,man must sow that-you cannot go into any part of the world and find a field of wheat unless a man has sown the seed to produceit. You may find fields full of thistles, but wheat must be sown. It is not a wild thing, it must have a man to care for itand God, therefore, links Himself with man in the continuance of wheat on the face of the earth. And he has so arranged thatwhile He could spread the Gospel by His Spirit, without human voices-while He could bring untold myriads to Himself withoutany instrumentality-yet He does not do so and, as means to the end He has in view, He intends you to speak, that He may speakthrough you, and that, in the speaking, the Seed may be scattered, which He shall make to bring forth an abundant harvest! II. Now, secondly, WHAT DID THIS SOWER DO? He went forth. I am going to dwell upon that fact for a few minutes. I think this means, first, that he bestirred himself. He said, "It is time that I went forth to sow. I have waited quite longenough for favorable weather, but I remember that Solomon said, 'He that observes the wind shall not sow.' I feel that thesowing time has come for me and I must set about it." Can I look upon some here who have been members of the Church for years,but who have never yet done anything for the Lord? Brother or Sister, if you have been a servant of God for many years andhave never yet really worked for the salvation of souls, I want you now to say to yourself, "Come now, I must really get atthis work." You will be going Home soon and when your Master says to you, "Did you do any sowing for Me?" you will have toreply, "No, Lord, I did plenty of eating. I went to the Tabernacle and I enjoyed the services." "But did you do any sowing?""No, Lord. I did a great deal of hoarding. I laid up a large quantity of the Good Seed." "But did you do any sowing?" He willstill ask-and that will be a terrible question for those who never went forth to sow! You are very comfortable at home, are you not? In the long winter evenings that are coming on, it will be so pleasant to enjoyyourselves at home for an evening. There, stir the fire and draw the curtain close, and let us sit down and spend a happytime. Yes, but is it not time for you, Mr. Sower, to go forth? The millions of London are perishing! Asylums for the insaneare filling, jails are filling, poverty is abounding and drunkenness is at every street corner! Harlotry is making good menand women to blush! It is time to set about work for the Lord if you are ever to do it! What are some of you doing for God?Oh, that you would begin to take stock of your capacity, or your incapacity and say, "I must get to work for the Master. Iam not to spend my whole life thinking about what I am going to do-I must do the next thing and do it at once, or I may becalled Home-and my day over before I have sown a single handful of wheat." Next, the sower gave up his privacy. He came out from his solitude and began to sow. This is what I mean. At first, a Christianman very wisely lives indoors. There is a lot of cleaning and scrubbing to be done there. When the bees come out of theircells, they always spend the first few days of their life in the hive cleaning and getting everything tidy. They do not goout to gather honey till they have, first of all, done the housework at home. I wish that all Christian people would get theirhousework done as soon as they can. It needs to be done. I mean acquaintance with experimental matters of indwelling sin andovercoming Grace. But, after that, the sower went forth to sow. He was not content with his own private experience, but hewent forth to sow. There are numbers of people who are miserable because they are always at home. They have cleaned up everythingthere, even to the bottoms of the saucepans outside, but now they do not know what to do-so they begin blacking them overagain and cleaning them once more-always at work upon the little trifles of their own kitchen. Go out, Brother! Go out, Sister!Important as your experience is, it is only important as a platform for real usefulness. Get all right within in order thatyou may get to work without! The sower, when he went forth to sow, also gave up his occupation of a learner and an enjoyer of the Truth. He was in theBible class for a year or two and he gained a deal of Scriptural knowledge there. He was also a regular hearer of the Word.You could see him regularly sitting in his pew and drinking in the Word. But, after a while, he said to himself, "I have noright to remain in this Bible class-I ought to be in the Sunday school and lead a class myself." Then he said to himself,on a Sabbath evening, "I have been to one service, today, and have been spiritually fed, so I think I ought to go to one ofthe lodging houses in the Mint and speak to the people there, or find some other holy occupation in which I can be doing somegood to others." So he went forth to sow and I want to stir you all up to do this! Perhaps I do not need to say much uponthis matter to my own people here, but there are also many strangers with us. I would like to do with you what Samson didwith the foxes and firebrands. We have far too many professing Christians who are doing next to nothing! If I could send youamong the standing corn of some of the churches, to set them on fire, it would not be a bad Thursday evening's work! "A sower went forth to sow." Where did he come from? I do not know what house he came from, but I can tell you the place fromwhich he last came. He came out of the granary. He must have been to the granary to get the seed. At least if he did not gothere before he went to sow, he did not have anything that was worth sowing! O my dear Brothers and Sisters, especially myBrothers in the ministry, we must always go to the granary, must we not? Without the diligent and constant study of Scripture,of what use will our preaching be? "I went into the pulpit," said one, "and I preached straight off just what came into mymind and thought nothing of it." "Yes," said another, "and your people thought nothing of it, too." That is sure to be thecase! You teachers who go to your classes quite unprepared and open your Bible and say just what comes first, should rememberthat God does not need your nonsense. "Oh, but," says one, "it is not by human wisdom that souls are saved." No, nor is itby human ignorance! But if you profess to teach, learn. He can never be a teacher who is not first a learner. I am sure thatwhen the sower went forth to sow, the last place he came from was the granary-and mind that you go to the granary, too, dearworker. I wonder whether this sower did what I recommend every Christian sower to do, namely, to come forth from the place where hehad steeped his seed. One farmer complained that his wheat did not grow and another asked him, "Do you steep your seed?" "No,"he replied, "I never heard of such a thing." The first one said, "I steep mine in prayer and God prospers me." If we alwayssteep our heavenly Seed in prayer, God will prosper us, also. For one solitary man to stand up and preach is poor work, butfor two of us to be here is grand work. You have heard the story of the Welsh preacher who had not arrived when the serviceought to have begun, so his host sent a boy to the room to tell him that it was time to go preach. The boy came hurrying back,and said, "Sir, he is in his room, but I do not think he is coming. There is somebody in there with him. I heard him speakingvery loudly and very earnestly, and I heard him say that if that other person did not come with him, he would not come atall! And the other one never answered him, so I do not think he will come." "Ah," said the host, who understood the case,"he will come and the other One will come with him!" Oh, it is good sowing when the sower goes forth to sow and the Othercomes with him! Then we go forth with steeped Seed, Seed that is sprouting in our hands as we go forth! This does not happennaturally, but it does happen spiritually. It seems to grow while we are handling it, for there is Life in it-and when itis sown, there will be Life in it for our hearers! Further, this sower went forth into the open field. Wherever there was a field ready for the sowing, there he went. BelovedFriends, we must always try to do good where there is the greatest likelihood of doing good. I do not think that I need togo anywhere else than here, for here are the people to whom I can preach. But if this place were not filled with people, Ishould feel that I had no right to stand here and preach to empty pews. If it is so in your little Chapel-if the people donot come-I do not desire that the Chapel should be burned down, but it might be a very mitigated calamity if you had to turnout into the street to preach, or if you had to go to some hall, or barn, for some people might come and hear you, there,who will never hear you now. You must go forth to sow! You cannot sit at your parlor window and sow wheat-and you cannot standon one little plot of ground and keep on sowing there. If you have done your work in that place, go forth to sow elsewhere!Oh, that the Church of Christ would go forth into heathen lands! Oh, that there might be among Christians a general feelingthat they must go forth to sow! What a vast acreage there still is upon which not a grain of God's Wheat has ever yet fallen!Oh, for a great increase of the missionary spirit! May God send it upon the entire Church until everywhere it shall be said,"Behold, a sower went forth to sow." There is a, "behold," in my text, which I have saved up till now. "Behold, a sower went forth to sow." He went as far as everhe could to sow the good seed, that his master might have a great harvest from it-let us go and do likewise. When did this man go forth to sow? Our farming friends begin to sow very soon after harvest. That is the time to sow for Christ.As soon as ever you have won one soul for Him, try and win another, by God's Grace! Say to yourself what the general saidto his troops when some of them came riding up and said, "Sir, we have captured a gun from the enemy." "Then," said he, "goand capture another!" After the reaping, let the sowing follow as speedily as possible. In season, this sower sowed. It isa great thing to observe the proper season for sowing, but it is a greater thing to sow in improper seasons, also, for outof season is sometimes the best season for God's sowers to sow. "Be instant in season and out of season," was Paul's exhortationto Timothy. Oh, for Grace to be always sowing! I have known good men to go about and never to be without tracts to give away,and suitable tracts, too. They seem to have picked them out and God has given them an occasion suitable for the tracts, orif they have not given tracts, they have been ready with a good word, a choice word, a loving word, a tender word. There isa way of getting the Gospel in edgewise when you cannot get it in at the front. Wise sowers sow their seed broadcast, yetI have generally noticed that they never sow against the wind, for that would blow the dust into their eyes-and there is nothinglike sowing with the wind. Whichever way the Holy Spirit seems to be moving and Providence is also moving, scatter your Seedthat the wind may carry it as far as possible and that it may fall where God shall make it grow. Thus I have told you what the man did-"A sower went forth to sow." III. I must answer briefly the last of the three questions I mentioned, WHAT WAS THIS SOWER'S OBJECTIVE? "One thing at a time, and that done well, Is a very good rule, as many can tell" and it is especially so in the service ofGod. Do not try to do 20 things at once-"A sower went forth to sow." His objective was a limited one. He did not go forthto make the seed grow. No, that was beyond his power-he went forth to sow. If we were responsible for the effect of the Gospelupon the hearts of men, we should be in a sorry plight, indeed, but we are only responsible for the sowing of the Good Seed.If you hear the Gospel, dear Friends, and reject it, that is your problem, and not ours. If you are saved by it, give Godthe Glory-but if it proves to be a savor of death unto death to you, yours is the sin, the shame and the sorrow. The preachercannot save souls, so he will not take the responsibility that does not belong to him. And he did not, at that time, go forth to reap. There are many instances in which the reaper has overtaken the sower and Godhas saved souls on the spot while we have been preaching. Still, what this man went forth to do was to sow. Whether thereis any soul saved or not, our business is to preach the Gospel, the whole Gospel and nothing but the Gos-pel-and we must keepto this one point-preaching Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. That is sowing the Seed. We cannot create the harvest-that willcome in God's own time. This man's one objective was positively before him and we are to impart the Truth, to make known to men the whole of the Gospel.You are lost, God is gracious, Christ has come to seek and to save that which is lost. Whoever believes in Him shall not perish,but shall have everlasting life. On the Cross He offered the Sacrifice by which sin is put away. Believe in Him and you liveby His death. This sowing, you see, is simply telling out the Truth of God and this is the main thing that we have to do,dear Friends-to keep on telling the same Truth over and over, and over and over again, till we get it into the minds and heartsof men-and they receive it through God's blessing. If the sower had sat down at the corner of the field and played the harp all day, he would not have done his duty. And if,instead of preaching the simple Gospel, we talk of the high or deep mysteries of God, we shall not have done our duty. The sower's one business is to sow, so, stick to your sowing, Brothers and Sisters. When that is done and your Master callsyou Home, He will find you other work to do for Him in Heaven, but, for the present, this is to be your occupation. Now, to close, let me remind you that sowing is an act of faith. If a man had not great faith in God, he would not take thelittle seed he has and go and bury it. His good wife might say to him, "John, we shall need that wheat for the children, sodon't you go and throw it out where the birds may eat it, or the worms destroy it." And you must preach the Gospel and youmust teach the Gospel as an act of faith. You must believe that God will bless it. If not, you are not likely to get a blessingupon it. If it is done merely as a natural act, or a hopeful act, that will not be enough-it must be done as an act of confidencein the living God. He bids you speak the Word and makes you His lips for the time-and He says that His Word shall not returnto Him void, but that it shall prosper in the thing where He has sent it. This sowing was also an act of energy. The word, sower, is meant to describe an energetic man. He was, as we say, "all there."So, when we teach Christ, we must teach Him with all our might, throwing our very soul into our teaching. O Brothers, neverlet the Gospel hang on our lips like icicles! Let it rather be like burning lava from the mouth of a volcano! Let us be allon fire with the Divine Truth that is within our hearts, sowing it with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. This sowing was also an act of concentrated energy. The sower "went forth TO SOW." He went forth, not with two aims or objectives,but with this one-not dividing his life into a multitude of channels, but making all run in one strong, deep current alongthis one riverbed. Now I have done when I invite my Brothers and Sisters here to go forth from this Tabernacle to sow. You will go down thosefront steps, or you will go out at the back doors and scatter all over London. I know not how far you may be going, but letit be written of you tonight, "The sowers went forth to sow"-they went forth from the Tabernacle with one resolve that, bythe power of the living Spirit of God, they who are redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus would make known His Gospelto the sons of men, sowing that Good Seed in every place wherever they have the opportunity, trusting in God to make the Seedincrease and multiply! Ah, but do not forget to do it even within these walls, for there are some here whom you may neverbe able to get at again. So, if you can speak to your neighbor in the pew, say a good word for Christ! If you will begin tobe sowers, nothing is better than to begin at once. Throw a handful before you get outside the door-who knows whether thatfirst handful shall not be more successful than all you have sown, or shall sow, in later days? As for you dear Souls who have never received the Living Seed, oh, that you would receive it at once! May God, the Holy Spirit,make you to be like well-prepared ground that opens a thousand mouths to take in the Seed and then encloses the Seed withinitself and makes it fructify! May God bless you. May He never leave you barren or unfruitful, but may you grow a great harvestto His Glory, for Christ's sake! Amen. EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: PSALM106. This is one of the "Songs of Degrees." They are supposed to have been sung as the pilgrim caravan was going up to the Templeat Jerusalem. Every time they halted and pitched their tents, they sang a Psalm. If carefully read, it will be found thatthese Psalms exhibit a real advance in experience. For instance, the keynote of the 125th is stability, while that of the126th is joy, and especially joyful hope. Each one appears to advance a stage higher than the one that precedes it. Verse 1. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like they that dream. ' 'It seemed too good to be true.We were in a delirium ofjoy. 'We were like they that dream.' Our slumber had been profound-we thought that God had altogetherforgotten us-but when we found that He was coming to our rescue, 'we were like they that dream.'" 2. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing.' 'We wanted to express our joy, so laughter came,which is a natural, genuine mode of expressing delight. Our mouth was filled with laughter. We not only laughed, but we laughedagain and again, even as Abraham laughed when a son was promised to him and as Sarah laughed when Isaac was born." 3. The LORD has done great things for us; of which we are glad. I heard a Brother at a Prayer Meeting some time ago, say,"Of which we desire to be glad." That is not what these people said and if the Lord has done great things for you, you areglad, not only do you desire to be glad, but you are so! It is always a pity to try to improve on Holy Scripture, for it doesnot go to be improved upon. When the Lord does great things for His people, they are as glad as they can be, and they cannothelp saying so. 4. Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. The riverbeds, when the Southern torrents have been driedup, seem to be nothing but a gathering of stones and dust. Then comes a copious rain, bringing a sudden flush of water andthe captivity of the stream is gone. That is the meaning of the prayer, "Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streamsin the south." 5. 6. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless comeagain with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Notice that word, "doubtless." If you have any doubt about it in yourown case, may the Lord drive all your doubts away! When God says, "doubtless," we must not be doubtful. "He shall doubtlesscome again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

2019-04-25T02:56:22Z

https://liveprayer.com/spurgeon-sermons-reference.cfm?s=189512

Born in the mountains and raised in the desert, Kara J. McDowell spent her childhood swimming, boating, and making up stories in her head. As the middle of five children, she entertained her family on long road trips by reading short mystery stories out loud and forcing everyone to guess the conclusion. After graduating from Arizona State University with a BA in English Literature, Kara worked as a freelance writer. Now she writes young adult novels from her home in Arizona, where she lives with her husband and three young sons. I also love how the author created two sisters; one is not excited about the all the attention they get online and the other thrives on it. Their relationship coupled with their Mom’s involvement in the social media relevance and ‘clicks’ gave me ‘Momager’ feels. It was hilarious as it was a great read. Perhaps the greatest thing about this book is that it speaks of the current times and the angst not only young but everyone experiences now with content we share online. We cannot escape the vlogs, blogs and lifestyle updates- constantly catching up with people’s lives. It’s fast paced, touches on internet use and privacy and also has surprising twists and turns, just what you need to enjoy reading it! I would like to send my regards to Netgalley and Amberjack Publishing for granting me an eARC to read. I like the main premise of this storyline, regarding online presence and insta-families. I'm not sure that the more "soap opera", dramatic storyline is necessary. I think the story might have been more powerful if Claire had been able to stand up for herself without it. And I'm not sure that I do believe that Ashley truly loved her as Rafe kept telling her. This book brings up some really interesting themes, in regards to internet privacy. And it makes you wonder about Ashley, the twins' mom, and how much she really cares about their needs versus the demands of the pubc. So I think this book had promise, but it ended up taking the easy way out by adding a dramatic plot to push the family to accept Claire's need for privacy, plus it brought Rafe and Claire together and then sent them to college at a local university. And I think that last part is particularly sad... if Claire is looking for privacy and anonymity, she's not going to find it at a state university. She should be going away to college. Super cute read! The characters were nuanced, I loved the family dynamics, and the love interest was adorable. Highly recommend! Fraternal twin Claire is tired of being the subject of her mom’s blog and ready to give up the vlog she does with her sister Poppy. Saying no isn’t easy when your family is counting on the income. Poppy loves life as an influencer, while Claire would rather have an offline life. Secrets threaten the twins and the surprises are just beginning. Everybody loves books about twins and what could be more timely than viral sensations in JUST FOR CLICKS. Kara McDowell’s writing and Claire’s complexity kept me reading from start to finish in one day. Although the twins were seventeen, I felt as though I was reading a story geared toward tweens of young teens from the writing to the plot to the characters. The story lacked edge and tension; I never worried the story would end on a down note. JUST FOR CLICKS fizzled out at the end, leaving me feeling meh. I do think tweens and young teens will love the story, so I’m rounding up to four stars. Fun coming of age story with romance and drama for the internet age (I think calling it the internet age makes me sound old, but whatever). Well written and engrossing and timely. Recommended. This was a quick, easy read that felt like a good fluffy story for a day at the beach: nothing too sinister, a twin discovering her independence, all wrapped up in a story about social media influencers. Claire and Poppy are twins of a popular mommy blogger; they've been subjects of their mom's blog-turned-Instagram ever since their conception. At 17, they are now content creators themselves, but while Poppy loves the popularity and perks, Claire wants nothing more than to be normal. When Claire discovers a family secret, she begins to wonder how much of her life is a sham. Coming along for the ride is a love interest, of course, in the form of new student Rafael. I read this in a day and it was totally fine, but it didn't inspire any real thought. I might have been hoping for some sort of social commentary on our current influencer-obsessed culture (sort of like The Book of Essie) instead of a family drama spat that occurs within an influencer household. I had some issue with the structure of how information was presented — for instance, Rafael is a Luddite without a phone and doesn't seem to know anything about Claire's internet presence, but after Claire describes to the reader about a foiled kidnapping that happened to her and her twin a few years back, Rafael shows up again having read their mother's blog and recites facts about Claire to her. Instead of being scared or creeped out, like I would be if a guy I've known for a week started to describe everything about my childhood, Claire is instead upset that he "cheated" and read up on her life. The framework made the story seem like it was going in many different directions — the inclusion of Halloween, a haunted house, secluded mesa-top hangouts — and I kept gathering clues waiting for Rafael to turn bad. Likewise, Claire discovering her mother's journals and reading about her father made me wonder if her mom did something sinister to her dad for the online sympathy and to gather sympathy page views. Personally I'm not a fan of mommy blogs because of the potential privacy issue (which may lead to horrible things like cyber-bullying, stalking, low self-esteem for the children later on). This book examines this problem through the eyes of Claire who is sick of all the 'fame.' I enjoyed Claire's character and of course Rafael (what a sweetheart). This novel is absolutely amazing! I adored Claire's story and the light that this novel sheds on social media and our quest to be internet famous. The writing is authentic and the romance will make your heart flutter. I'm often on the search for clean YA novels to recommend to my middle school students, and this one has very minimal cursing and not a ton of sexual references, which I like. It's a quick, fun read that any fan of YA contemporary will love! There basically wasn't a single thing I didn't like about this book. I liked the writing and the format (having text messages, chats, emails, etc). I loved the relationship between Claire and Rafael. The sibling relationship between Claire and Poppy was incredibly believable. And the plot was really good as well. Overall I really enjoyed it. Thank you for letting me read this egalley. First off I want to say how much this book blew my mind. I went in thinking this would be a fluffy story and man was I wrong. This book is so much more. There is drama, love, family, and an overarching idea that sometimes life may look bad from your point of view but others may see something else. Perspective. This book has it and it makes you sit up and listen. Poppy and Claire are sister goals and I will forever root for them. If you are in the mood to be moved and feel all while getting that warm feeling of love pick up this book. This book was so dang ADORABLE! I loved the characters and their bonds and how they all grew throughout the story. Claire was incredible and I love how she learned to stand up for herself and make a future that she wants. I loved Claire and Poppy's relationship, and their mother was the best (even if she didn't always seem like it). And then RAFAEL ALEJANDRO LUNA. He owns my heart and soul now. He and Claire are everything. This book reminded me a lot of Jen Calonita's Secrets of My Hollywood Life series how she was always on the search for a life outside of TV and the complications that come with it. Claire reminds me of Kaitlyn of how she wants to get away from the Hollywood and live a normal life. Except for the fact that it is 2018 and social media is now the new Hollywood. Claire was definitely much relateable than Kaitlyn and younger teens will definitely relate to Claire and want to cheer her on. We will definitely consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars. What an interesting idea. I know people who have smaller children who are being "exploited" (not necessarily but it's the best word I can think of for it) for views/clicks on blogs and vlogs. What will happen when those kids grow up and begin to resent mommy and daddy? This is what happens. An interesting story about two sisters, one who shrinks from the spotlight and one who runs full-tilt into it. "Just for Clicks", is a great book to give to your Young Adult. During the times that we currently live in, this book speaks to the life we are currently living and applicable to the issues that can arise with the use of Social Media. In a world where everyone wants to be an "Influencer", Kara McDowell gives you two sides to reaching that height of popularity. This is a great book to read as a parent and for teenagers/young adults, because as a parent you are introduced to what your child could be dealing with "trolls" and social pressures, blackmail, etc. But also, there is a rise of parents that will find themselves as the mother of Poppy and Claire. As a mother, myself, I have struggled with what to share on Social Media, because I think constantly of my child's privacy and security, other parents see it as a normal occurrence to reach whatever goals they are attempting to reach. No matter on what side you are on, "Just for Click", should be read and enjoyed. I cannot believe this is the author, Kara McDowell's, first novel! It is written beautifully, it is captivating, and sweet. I look forward to reading more of her books. I really enjoyed this book. Claire is such a relatable character dealing with her struggles and insecurities while trying to live her life in the way that makes her happy rather than worrying about what everyone else wants. The story was filled with drama, a few cringe-worthy moments and a good amount of humor. It had a great balance between light, fun moments and tackling some tough situations and the impact of living your life solely for the purpose of getting likes on social media. If you’re looking for an entertaining contemporary YA read then I’d definitely recommend Just for Clicks. This was so much fun! Its approach to social media! I've never read anything like it.Claire, she has been in the eye of the public her whole life -- her mother has accounted for every moment of hers and her twin sister Poppy's lives. While Poppy is all in with being a social media influences, Claire wants out. This book was fun but at the same time it pissed me off. Claire and Poppy's mom just really pissed me off. It was so hard to read her without wanting to scream. Poppy annoyed me most of the time and Claire did too. It seemed as if Claire was just going in circles. Rafael was cute, though a bit annoying in places. There were a lot of twists that I didn't expect and I enjoyed that. This book is good. I would suggest it for the preteen, young-teen group. I really do liked the fact that it touched on privacy and the dark side of being famous. Even though most of the book was just about Claire being silent on the fact that she hated her world and internet world, this book did have some heart touching moments. It was a cute and fun read though. The ending of the book was ok for me, I kind of expected more and the end was kind of predictable. The one thing that had me thinking is the fact that since the mom and sister were so fame hungry and ok with all the fame that they would give it up so easily. It just didn't fit right with those characters, I expected some sort of drama/fight to happen that would result in a character development for the two. 3.5 stars for me. I would like thank Netgalley and Amberjack Publishing for the ARC. I was lucky enough to read an advance of copy of this book (thank you to NetGalley). This was everything I could have wanted in this book and it didn’t disappoint. I loved the concept of teen celebrity who didn’t want to be in the spotlight as much. This topic is becoming more and more relevant and taught a good lesson about how phones don’t necessarily make us more connected. It also showed how social media doesn’t show every bit of your life and you need to actually get to know the person and not make assumptions. I loved Rafael and Claire’s relationship and how they both help each other grow as characters. But I also love Claire and Poppy’s relationship, even though they were different they always stuck together and was always looking out for the other person. I can’t wait to read whatever else Kara McDowell puts out. Kara McDowell knocks it out of the park with Just For Clicks, a YA novel following a teenager named Claire, who has had her whole life broadcast online via her mom's blog. Unlike her twin sister, Poppy, Claire dislikes the fame that comes along with it... she just wants to focus on what college she goes to, not the free clothing ads or the prospect of a reality show. She befriends Rafael, the new kid in school, who challenges her to shed the anxiety she associates with being an internet celebrity. But when Claire finds out that she is adopted, it makes her question all that shes known her whole life. The book was super cute and very engaging. I loved how at the end of each chapter, screen shots of texts or posts from her website are included. It was an easy read with very likeable characters. I found myself rooting for Claire and her budding romance with Rafael. The book wraps up nicely and I found myself smiling at the ending. Just for Clicks is a young adult novel which revolves around teenage twins Claire and Poppy. Claire and Poppy are accidental social media stars thanks to their mother's blog. As teenagers they are expected to keep up their brand by vlogging, attending fashion week, and daily Instagram posting. Claire often finds herself wishing to be a normal teenager without the fame. She must learn how to find herself without losing her family completely. By juggling vlogging, internet trolls, and crushing on the new boy at school Claire will grow to learn much about herself. The book focuses on privacy in an age when everyone is posting their every move on social media. This would be an excellent book for a parent and their child to read together when dealing with the privacy of a child. This would be a fun novel for an individual who enjoys learning about the darker side of social media presence and its effect on children. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars. The one thing I did not enjoy was I felt some of the ways the problems were resolved felt rushed. I think this is based on my love of slow burn problem-solving. Especially in a contemporary novel. The problems do get resolved realistically but I’ve always been a slow burn kind of girl with contemporary. Overall, it’s an enjoyable relaxing read. It would be good for all ages, and I can't wait to see more from his author. Thank you to NetGalley, Amberjack, and Kara McDowell for an ARC ebook copy to review. As always, an honest review from me. Just for Clicks centers around Claire, Poppy - her twin sister, and their mother. Since they were little girls Claire and Poppy have been vlogging, blogging and doing all sorts of paid sponsorships for their mom’s online brand. The blog started as a way for their mom to share their family moments with friends and also allowed her to support herself and her family after her husband passed away. I like that the book explores how a well intentioned start can spiral a bit out of control if one doesn’t stop to reevaluate their life choices every so often. Also the contrast between Claire not enjoying the Internet fandom and Poppy loving it, allows for an interesting multifaceted look at the internet life a s career. Neither twin is wrong, just different. It’s nice to see that there’s not the good twin, bad twin dynamic going on. I also appreciated that communication played a big role in the story. Watching the characters learn how to communicate their needs to others was wonderful. And some of the revelations … let’s just say, it keeps things interesting! There were very few moments that I didn’t enjoy. If I’m being very critical, then some of the miscommunications or non communications became almost annoying after awhile. But overall, I really enjoyed this fun upbeat look into the behind the scenes world of internet fame as a career. Complex relationships, relatable struggles and a whole lot of fun. Definitely recommend! This book was really light and fluffy, sometimes frustrating. The character development of Claire was really good and the secondary characters (Rafael!) made it really enjoyable. Overall, it was a solidly pleasant read that made me feel satisfied towards the end. Thanks! I'll be honest, when I started reading Just for Clicks, I thought it would be surface level and paint teens in a bad light, but after a certain point, I was proven wrong. Just for Clicks gives an insightful look of how internet fame can affect people while also providing a meaningful story about family as well. The relationships between Claire and her sister and her mother is so well done; the author did a fantastic job of conveying the love they have for each other. The importance of family and what defines it is also so beautifully done in this book. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes depth in their contemporary stories because this definitely has it. This book was really good. I enjoyed it a lot. Social media is part of our lives now. I see lots of people share too much on social media. Kara McDowell wrote this subject really good. It was actually really fast paced book but i couldn't read on my e reader. I don't know it happened only me but the format was weird so i had to read on my computer. Claire and Poppy are twins who became accidental social media stars, from the time they were babies their Mom blogged about them. They have been viral stars since they were babies. They are teens now and expected to build their own brand. They enjoy attending NY Fashion Week and they love receiving Fanmail but dealing with internet trolls and would be kidnappers they find maddening. Poppy takes more to the spotlight than Claire. She’s more interested in the behind the scenes aspect, coding and dealing with technical issues. When Claire discovers her Mom’s handwritten journals, not the happy blog postings but the ones that reveal a dark secrets. I give Just For Clicks five out of five star! I was sold on the premise of this one right from the beginning because it's weirdly something I think about a lot. Let me first say that people can make their own decisions and this is just MY opinion - but I can't imagine sharing so much about my children online without their consent. I can see posting some pictures or talking about a few things, but having them reach a certain level of fame before they're old enough to make their own decisions? That's hard for me to figure out. One of my favorite YouTubers has said that she won't feature her children on her channel until they're old enough to understand and decide for themselves, which is probably what I'd do (aside from some pictures here and there). But I digress! The storyline fascinated me because it's definitely going to be an area of contention going forward, as more and more people live SO much of their lives online. This book focused on twin daughters of a famous fashion blogger and how they were essentially pressured into creating their own vlog channel and following in their mother's footsteps. I like that this story was both fluffy and young while also having some more serious topics involved. Claire is struggling with her identity because her life has been shaped by her mom's blog. She's famous because she's a twin and is forced to participate in vlogs and Instagram posts all the time... even though she doesn't like it. I don't want to get too into spoilers but the synopsis implies that there's a big secret she uncovers. The book got heavy in those places because it causes Claire to second-guess everything. I liked her as a character for the most part, but she made some very stupid decisions by lying and creating misunderstandings. I can cut her slack because she's a teenager, but I wanted to slam my head against a wall every time she did it. Some things were very common sense "don't lie about that" situations. Poppy and their mother, Ashley, were also frustrating. I think I started to feel for them more toward the end but it was really hard to read most of the book because of them. They were both very into the online presence, signing up for more sponsorship opportunities, etc. and seemed to completely ignore Claire's lack of interest in them. It was abundantly clear that she didn't want any part of this lifestyle and they didn't seem to care about that. Reading the book from Claire's POV definitely made you want to protect her and sympathize with her, but the end of the story explained things better for everyone else. I was left very satisfied with the ending. I should mention the romance because Rafael was so cute. He was a little too much (i.e. annoying) at the beginning but I warmed to him very quickly. He was a breath of fresh air in this otherwise-kinda-sad story. He and Claire were a good pair and I definitely added him to my book boyfriend list. I wish there was a bit more about his life in general but I think the author did a good job of including HIS thoughts on parenting and family because of his situation. This was a really wonderful debut novel that covered a topic that is personally fascinating to me. Should mommy bloggers post a million pictures of their kids growing up without their consent, before they even know what the internet is? How will this affect those kids later in life? I loved pondering these questions while reading because I've always been curious about this topic. If you're looking for a 2019 debut that manages to balance sweet, fluffy moments of first love with heavier topics of finding out who you are and what you want to be, give this one a read. This is a great look into how social media can affect a family through all years of life. It was a cute book and I liked the dynamic between the characters. My mom is big into social media now and I am glad she wasn't like that when I was young. I have to ask her to not post a ton of pictures of my children because I want them to be able to establish themselves when they come of age. Fun, cute story. I think teens will like this one. Just for Clicks was a fascinating look into the effects of social media, what binds families together, and the quest for self-discovery. It feels like Claire's whole life is planned out, whether that be her sponsored outfit posts, her mother's schedule for her day, or her and twin sister Poppy's plans for the future. But as Claire begins to find out more secrets about her mother's past, Claire realizes that she might have more say in her life than she thinks. But what will that mean for her family? Being someone who puts a lot of their life on social media, I appreciated the ways McDowell doesn't stray away from the dangers and negatives about social media. It's not all free advance read copies, there's the stress, always being 'on', not to mention the dangers. As Claire begins to find out more about her mother's past, she also begins to discover herself, and what she really wants. This book was right up my alley! I read it in about 3 days over a break and it was a quick and easy read, at least for me! I loved the imagery of the family and the reality of social media included. A must-read if you're looking for something quick over a holiday! But I have to say this: the start was excruciatingly slow as we got to know our characters. Not much was happening, and the book couldn't hold my attention. It wasn't until the halfway mark when it got really interesting and things seemed to finally be happening. Once I reached that point, I couldn't stop reading. I'm happy I plowed through because it was worth it, but I shouldn't have had to plow through half of the book before I could finally enjoy it. You could argue that that much exposition is necessary to build the story, but I counterargue that you can take out so many parts of the first half while still retaining the heart and integrity of the story. I gave it 4 stars, though, because the second half of the book is so deliciously good that it earned it and more. There were twists I honestly didn't see coming, and they served the story well and completed the narrative. One thing that I really love about this book is how smoothly the scenes transition from one to the next. I never got confused about what was happening, and I felt like I was right next to the narrator the entire time—the way it was written really makes it feel like you can see the scene, not just words written on a page. In fact, while the first half was definitely longer than it could've been, the assured writing keeps you going. The writing in this one is, without a doubt, the best thing about it. I felt like I could trust the author while reading the story, because she knew exactly what she was doing and the direction she wanted to take it. Her assured writing is a promise to the reader that this story is worth their time. And can I just say . . . RAFAEL AND CLAIRE ARE RELATIONSHIP GOALS!!! Haha, yes, I just mimicked the comments Claire is used to getting and rolling her eyes at. But it's true—I absolutely love this couple. Their relationship is so refreshing, because past the halfway mark, they just go at it and talk. And they actually change each other's lives for the better. They started as two teens infatuated with each other and grew to be two (young) adults (a little) wiser and (a little) older. They match each other well, but not because it's fate, or it's meant to be, or what other unrealistic trope so commonly seen in this genre. No, they match each other well because they work for it. They work for their relationship, and it's for that reason that I am 100% confident they will last a long time. I also really love how the book dealt with PTSD: with sensitivity. Claire's emotions are so visceral that you feel out of breath when she does. There was this one scene where I related so much to her, as I'm sure a lot of other readers will, too, especially in this digital age where it's so easy to feel suffocated. Like Claire, I, too, want to drive up the mountain and watch the sunset, feeling the wind gently brush past me. I will be alone, but I will not be lonely. Finally, the theme of the Internet being so pervasive and how it affects our day-to-day lives has been consistent all throughout. Its message may seem cheesy to some—the Internet is the greatest irony in that it gives us so many ways to communicate with each other but at the same serves as the biggest barrier to open and honest communication—but it never felt cheesy. It felt honest, it felt sincere, and it felt so real. It's like these characters are really alive out there, and that's a testament to how the author didn't just write these characters—she breathed life into them. "We all text and blog and email so often that we feel connected, but we were never really communicating honestly with each other." It was a really cute book. I really liked Claire and Rafael (and Poppy later on). It was a very easy read, but it did bother me how long it took Claire to say how she feels. But maybe that's just because I'm a lot more stubborn than she is. I really enjoyed this novel! It’s pretty short and just a fun read. I love the dynamic between Poppy and Claire. Their mother is so much fun and it’s interesting to read about what will be happening to the future generation. Kids are actually growing up in the spotlight before they have any say in the matter. This book is definitely relatable and relevant! Kara McDowell's Just For Clicks features two fraternal twins who have their entire lives on the Internet, through their mother's blog, their own vlog, and many various social media accounts. The sister relationship was really powerful and important within this book. Sibling relationships are important and this book features own where the sisters complement each other. They argue and fight, but they still love each other. The sibling relationship was really well written and relatable. The voice written as Claire was amazing also. Her issues reflect issues in modern day with the blogging and social media everywhere. The book was written as I could imagine a seventeen year viewing this issues within her own life, especially with some of the problems that came up that I really did not foresee coming up. There were some plot twists that I did not see coming, but it still made sense in context of this story. They made sense and there were subtle hints leading to what ended up occurring, so looking back I see the logic but I honestly did not expect some of what happened to occur. None of the characters were perfect, but none of them were completely imperfect either. The motives all were explained well enough that they made sense, even of other characters besides Claire. The use of multimedia, including texts, blogposts, and emails was really cool and added understanding and depth, particularly as Claire tries to learn more about her family and how her mother viewed events that occurred in the past. These did not distract from the rest of the story and made sense, as Claire reads them to add what is actually occurring in the story. The romance was healthy and beautiful, as it did not move too fast but the characters actually began to get to know each other first. Rafael and Claire both develop a real and mature relationship with each other, giving and taking and providing a logical standpoint. Even when Rafael disapproves of something that Claire is doing, he still tries to support her and try to make sure that everything will work out for the best. They were really adorable and realistic and I was invested that they were going to end up dating. My one criticism with this story was the portrayal of Poppy and some of Poppy's friends. The ending seemed slightly rushed and a few things were left wide open that probably should have been closed instead. The major problems are resolved, but a few are left wide open and mentioned in a sentence or two at the end before being left behind. There was so much buildup and characterization that I wish that the ending was slowed down slightly. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to people that have a basic understanding of various social medias and their impact in the real world. It was a solid debut novel, with characters that are realistic and a plot that is logical but still has twists and turns. The relationships that Claire builds with others, including Poppy, Rafael, her mother, and other people that she already knows and begins to connect with. I loved this book and definitely would recommend reading it. Oooh! I didn't expect to really like the book! Especially since the first few chapters just didn't speak to me. I couldn't feel Claire, nor Poppy, not even the obligatory boy-problem there. But then after 40-50% mark and I couldn't stop reading it in one go. It proved to be a problem since I was overwhelmed with work, so I dedicated today to finish it and put on a review. Claire and Poppy are twins who grew up under the spotlight of their blogger mum. Now that they're older, they become what we call internet celebrities. They have their youtube channel, instagram sponsorship, and their mum's blog that keep on writing about their 'daily life'. But of course, none is what it seems. And I totally get it. As someone who's neither famous nor rich, I still carefully crafted what I put online. It's kind of the unwritten rule: you only post good things, or none at all. Besides, not many (if any!) wants to know our sobs stories, something we reserve deep down or for someone(s) familiar enough. This is what the book is about. A teenager who wants to (I know this sounds cliche) live a normal life vs her twin and mum who want influence (and the power behind the influence). There's this family secret that needs to be uncover, a cute boy to add another conflict, and a family who needs to stay on together no matter what. If there's something I want more from the book, it'd be about the BITES forum (I'm totally stealing Nora Borealis name, it sounds fun). I need to know more about the internet friends and it'd be nice if Claire could have a real friend besides her sister. Finally, the book entertained me so much and I like to read/hear more from Poppy's side since she is the embodiment of someone who clearly wants the power/influence. Sometimes, it's not about the free stuffs, it's about how you can command others to buy the stuffs that you get for free. Internet is scary that way. This was a great book! It's always interesting to read books that deal with internet fame and Kara McDowell did it really well. The family as a whole was super interesting and the romance was adorable. I'd recommend it! This was such a cute, pleasantly surprising book! I was initially interested because it seemed like a quick, fun read (which it was) but OH MAN- it was actually really great! Claire was a funny, interesting narrator and all of the characters had their own personalities. There's a lot of great friendships and relationships in this book that it's hard not to root for at least a couple. I really enjoyed Claire and Poppy's relationship throughout (most) of the book and though I agree with some other readers that the ending was a bit rushed, I like how it ended. Also, there were some truly shocking twists in this. I did NOT see either of the two main twists coming at all and it really shook me up. The second twist is almost chilling- I honestly read the line and it felt like my heart stopped. I can't presently remember another line that I've read recently that affected me as much as this one did. Hopefully some other readers will know which one I'm talking about! There were some instances in which I was really annoyed by what certain characters were doing- or not doing- so this book wasn't perfect. There were also a few cheesy moments (the second-hand embarrassment is REAL during a few parts) but I felt that it fit the book's overall vibe fine, so I was alright with it. It was also interesting to read more about the whole "Mommy Blog" lifestyle. I worked for a mommy-blog type company a few years ago and it was a LOT of work and at times very overwhelming, so I could relate to some of the things that happened in this book. This is a brilliant contemporary YA debut by Kara McDowell. I had such a great time reading it. I just fell in love with the characters and found the protagonist to be an endearing one. Claire's story is extremely relatable and gripping, filled with just the right proportion of drama. The family dynamics in this novel is compelling and the approach to social media (and social media fame) felt fresh and authentic. The romance was also cute. 200% recommended !!! This is a brilliant contemporary YA debut by Kara McDowell. I had such a great time reading it. I just fell in love with the characters and found the protagonist to be an endearing one. Claire's story is extremely relatable and gripping, filled with just the right proportion of drama. The family dynamics in tis novel is compelling and the approach to social media (and social media fame) felt fresh and authentic. The romance was also cute. I 200% recommend it!!! Great YA book. This writing style reminds me of Meg Cabot’s books, which I just adore! I love a book about twin teenagers, and it is interesting to read about the con’s (Claire’s side)/ pros’s (Poppy’s side) about vlogging / having your whole life written about online by your mom. Being “internet famous” can have it’s drawbacks! My favorite quote from the book is "so where is the line between what is ok to share with the world and what isn't? Is there a line? Should there be?" Makes you think! I got in this book with no expectation whatsoever and I really enjoyed the read. The story follows two twin sisters that are social media famous - it all started with their mom and her blog about the twins, and after they grew up they just went their "own way". - The bond between the sisters was amazing to see. I always loved sibling bond in books! - The plot twist was really interesting. It talks about family love, sacrifices and what is more important than family. - The affect of social media in teenagers. That's such a important topic nowadays and it really needs to be addressed more! - Social anxiety, general anxiety, anti-social behavior.... you name it, the author talks about it in this book. - The fact that the author worried to add e-mails and texts in between chapters and they're related to what''s happening... so cool! - The ending was resolved too quickly. Maybe a little more depth to what was behind all those picture/video leakage. It was a very good book and I enjoyed a lot! Recommend this read for anyone who's looking to unwind and just read something relaxing! I received a free ARC (advanced review copy) of this book in exchange for an honest review (thanks, Netgalley!) and I loved it so so so much that I read it in one day. There was a small pinch of minor swearing, and the main characters were secular teenagers so they weren't perfect (no one is though), but I loved the plot and characters and message so much that I can get past that. Claire is ME. She can be so mature and wise at some times, and then other times she'll lock herself in her room for 24 hours to cry and refuse a trip to Disneyland because she's in such despair. Rafael was also the cutest and so SWEET (I call him). All the characters were very well developed, the plot twists were COMPLETELY unexpected, and the description was en pointe. I got this eARC from NetGalley, so thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this opportunity! Oh my. I am so surprised with how much I enjoyed this book! I thought that I would just be “meh” about it, but it actually had more depth than I expected, and I also got way way more invested than I thought it would be. *I like the social media element: how it discusses social media and its effects on young people. I also like the tangent about Internet fame and all sides of it. ALSO! I love how accurate the portrayal of social media is? The linggo is on point, the references, and the usage of correct spelling when texting (because nobody ever types in shortcuts anymore!). It was sooo cool. *The characters are very nuanced and developed. I couldn’t really hate on any of them because while they frustrate me sometimes, I could also understand why they act the way they do. I’m surprised with how much I like Claire. She can be very frustrating at times, but overall, I thought she’s a mature character. She acknowledges her mistakes, and she never gets her anger or bias get to her in the end. She always considera the other side of the argument — and I LOVE THAT. *Oh my God. That romance. Rafael and Claire flirting and almost kissing DROVE ME BONKERS. I practically combusted when they finally kissed!! AAAAAAAH. *My only complaint is that bully reveal plot twist was a little underwhelming. There’s this build up of “who is this bully?” and then the confrontation was so eh and it was resolved too fast, so it wasn’t that satisfactory. Also, Claire never apologized to the girls who she thought were the bullies. I also didn’t get satisfaction from that either. *Another complaint is more nitpicky, but Serge is so weird?? I get using emojis to communicate, but to use them ALL THE TIME???? Now THAT didn’t seem too realistic to me. And it’s also annoying how I can’t decipher the emojis so maybe that’s why this bothered me. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed this book. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. "Did you every notice that Claire is the obvious misfit of the family Ashley and Poppy are both tall and gorgeous and Claire's not. I feel bad for her, I really do." Claire and Poppy, who are fraternal twins, are fashion & lifestyle icons on social media due to their Mom, Ashley, going viral before they were even born. Since losing her husband, and the twins losing their father, Ashley has documented every embarrassing, every memorable and mile stone moment of the twin's lives and displayed them as happy, care free characters online. Poppy is all for the lifestyle and takes constant full advantage, as well as wanting to grow her influence, whilst Claire is dead set against their entire lives being plastered all over the internet and having trolls hate her and would-be kidnappers take her. Claire grows increasingly tired of living her life through the lens and begins to pull away from the brand, casual insults are thrown, arguments are held, and rifts are caused. One thing I loved, straight off the bat, is the romance rife between Claire and Rafael. They were both such intense characters with really diverse backgrounds and different interests. The build up between the two characters is as satisfying as popping a balloon straining with helium. They were also really deserving of each other, and the affection was such a constant staple in the story that I couldn't help but get invested. His eyes spark with amusement. 'Do tell.'" Just For Clicks by Kara McDowell is a really easy, sublime read brimming with the benefits and the dangers of life lived online told through Claire's eyes. It's a relevant theme of today and is becoming more and more prevalent as blogs everywhere go viral. The storyline is really interesting, I felt like there were a lot of avenues this author could have taken but she chose the one that provoked the most character development not just our main character, Claire, but all of our characters. I loved the character of Brittany who seemed really complex and bought a little spice to the novel. I found that each of the characters developed slowly, then all at once in an explosive summarising peak. I also found that unfortunately, it didn't transcend very well, one minute the characters would be in the cafeteria, the next line they're at home, with no more background or explanation. A little more description followed by action would have been really useful here as sometimes I felt a little rushed reading it and had to keep going back to confirm where the characters were. Of course, with most young adult ficiton, this book is bubbling with teen angst. It could get a little frustrating but was always necessary to the storyline. I thought that this book concluded pretty quickly and was finishing before I realised I was coming to the end of the read. The ending could have been more drawn out but I still enjoyed it how it was. Thank you to Net Galley and Atlantic Books for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Really enjoyed this story! Really put into perspective how the internet is. Also thought it was a good story about family and what family really is. I was kind of on the fence on the romance. It was a slow burn one, but at times it just felt a little out of place. Just for Clicks is about 2 sisters who are popular on social media. This book is very important for teens to see how much they put on social media and how they open their lives for everyone to see. It also brings to the forefront how family doesn’t always mean blood. It hits on anxiety and shows how not everyone feels comfortable just going with the flow. It’s ok to just be you. I enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it. This book was full of laughs, delight and enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a book and is looking for a great read. I loved this book!! What an unexpected surprise! The voice was fantastic, the story was thought-provoking and filled with just the right amount of drama, and I super loved Rafael from the start! I also related so so deeply to some of the romantic situations Claire found herself in- we're both terribly awkward hahah. The ending felt a little fast but I read this in a day and enjoyed it SO much. It reminded me of an emma Mills or Jenn bennett book, which is the highest compliment I can give. Longer review to come on the blog. Just for Clicks is the story of Claire, who along with her twin sister Poppy have been the subject of her Mum's blog since before they were born. Every moment of their lives is documented, and as they've grown that has expanded into their own vlog, trips to New York Fashion week, to being recognised in the streets. It's everything Poppy has dreamed of - influence - and yet Claire hates everything about it and is counting down to the days she can quit. It's an easy read, well written and well told. The twists were a little predictable, but as with most YA novels it's easy to get swept up into the story and just carried along. It was a book I didn't want to put down, and probably could have devoured it in one sitting if time had permitted. Aside from the enjoyable nature of the book though, it is also one that raises many questions. So many parents post photos and stories of their kids on social media and blogs and their YouTube channels, but it does raise the question of what are the children's thoughts on this? They are minors, so technically the issue of consenting to these posts is up to the parents. But do the parents always have the best interests of their children at heart? Or are their interests self motivated? Do they just want to most likes, the most retweets, the influence that comes with being known as a blogger? I've got friends who post every aspect of their kids lives online, and others that refuse to post their children's images simply because they can't consent to it, so where do you draw the line? I think it's a sign of a successful, and relevant book that makes you question these things, and possibly rethink your stance on it. Just for Clicks may be Kara McDowell's debut novel, but I'll bet it won't be her last, and I for one am keen to see what she comes out with next.

2019-04-18T21:13:15Z

https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/149251

For week three of the Open Education course at the Open University that I am participating in (though we are now in week 5), one of the activities is to choose a Creative Commons license for “your blog content and other material you produce.” Of course, the latter is so vague that it might be difficult for some to say what license they might use for all of it, as they might end up using different licenses for different things. I am likely to just use one, but I may be in the minority. I have already gone through some soul-searching on this very issue, but in a direction I haven’t seen in any of the other blogs I’ve looked at for this course: in an earlier post I asked why even use CC-BY instead of, say, CC0, which is more like putting one’s work into the public domain. I’m still undecided, but at this point (as you can tell from this site) am still using CC-BY for my blog. But what I haven’t done is try to explain why I use CC-BY instead of CC-BY-NC (non commercial) or SA (share alike) on my blog, and why I would probably use CC-BY on any OER I might create (unless I decide to use CC0 instead). Generally, I use CC-BY because I want to leave my work free for anyone to use however they like. But the issues involved are really quite complicated. I’m only going to discuss NC and SA and SA in this and the next post, because I can’t imagine asking people not to make derivatives of what I create–it just seems part of sharing freely, to me, that people can revise and remix my work. This post is about why I don’t use CC-BY-NC, and the next is about why I don’t use CC-BY-SA. I’ve read several blog posts in the OU Open Education course that opt for CC-BY-NC (such as this one by Nick Hood, this one by David (I can’t find a last name) , this one by Daniela Signor and this one by Sukaina Walji.) Some express the sentiment that if they are giving away things for free, then they don’t want others to be making money off of them. I have to say that I kind of get this sentiment, but also not. I guess the idea is that if any money is to be made from what is produced, then the producer should be the one to benefit rather than someone who has just taken the content for free. This sentiment seems to make sense in a market economy, where many people feel that their work should be compensated monetarily if someone else is making money from it; alternatively, some may think it wrong for others to make money from something they have either not worked on or not paid for. Of course, this sort of thinking should lead people to support open access publishing, since, increasingly, there is not much that publishers do that justifies them closing off access to publications and charging a fee…but that’s an argument for another day (and more complex than I’m making it out here, yes). I get the idea that if money is being made from something, it seems fair to give some money to those who created the item in the first place. But it seems to me that once you decide to give your work away to be used, altered and remixed by others, it might be better thought of as a gift than a market commodity. And when you give something away as a gift, you might be said to be allowing the recipient(s) to do whatever they like with it. Sure, some people might be a bit upset if they gave a gift that another person decided to sell–but would they be upset because the other person made money off of something that they got for free and therefore didn’t have the right to make money from? To me, that doesn’t really make sense; if you give it away, it becomes someone else’s to do with as they wish. When I give my stuff away, I’m saying goodbye to control over what happens to it afterwards, because it’s no longer just mine. I realize that one of the benefits of CC licenses, though, is to allow people flexibility in the degree to which they want to think of their creations as gifts. And some people won’t accept that way of thinking. So here are some other thoughts. If someone is going to be able to make money off of something I created, they are going to have to do some work that I chose not to do, such as marketing it. After all, if I already put it out for free for others to reuse, change, remix, then there is probably going to have to be some kind of value added to it in order for others to be willing to pay. Such as, at least, making it well-known through publicity efforts. An argument for using NC could alternatively be made as follows. A person might use NC on their work so that IF someone else thinks they could make money from what the first person has created, then in order for that to happen the other party must contact and discuss this with the creator, and the creator could set terms that require payment to him/herself. I see that, but even then one is not likely to get much (how much do we get in royalties for academic books, say? A pittance, usually), and to me, especially thinking about my own work, this overvalues the remote possibility of a significant financial gain while ignoring some much more likely costs. I’ll just add that this post by Daniel Clark, for the OU Open Education course, nicely addresses the point about the ambiguity of “commercial” in the NC licenses. These comments by David Wiley do too (on a discussion of NC licenses for OER, hosted by UNESCO). And having a license with ambiguous terms is not just a philosophical problem; it can mean that fewer people will use your work because they may be unsure whether their use falls under the vague “commercial” terms. I have sometimes wondered whether this blog counts as “non commercial,” even, given that it is hosted and supported by the University of British Columbia, which, after all, charges money for its courses and thus “makes money” in some sense. It is syndicated on UBC’s “A Place of Mind” site, and thereby acts as part of the university’s publicity strategy in some (very small) sense. To the extent that my blog might help attract students (hmmm, not sure about that one) or donors (ditto), one might say it’s part of the university’s revenue stream. I realize that’s quite a stretch, but that it could even make sense to consider it shows that “non commercial” is unclear. And this post by David Wiley shows that I am not alone in asking this sort of question (though the question there is slightly different: it’s about whether a textbook licensed NC could be used for a course that students have to pay for, and Wiley answers yes). I don’t ever use images for this blog that have an NC license, even though I am pretty sure I could. Who knows; maybe someday I’ll move this blog over to a platform on which I actually try to make some money through ads (highly unlikely but…). I refuse to go through and change images from the past were such a thing ever to occur. There is, however, a more pressing argument for the use of NC, given by Stephen Downes (an example can be found here, in the UNESCO discussion noted above). One part of this is that without the NC clause, commercial ventures can take what is freely available and work hard to “enclose” it completely by closing off access to its free versions. Here’s another iteration of this argument, this time focused on the real-world example of Flat World Textbooks at first publishing free textbooks and then beginning to charge for them. This is a harder point to argue against, for it is clear that those who have a vested interest in profit-making from educational resources will be motivated to find ways to enclose any free versions that might exist (though David Wiley does provide a rebuttal to such arguments, in the UNESCO discussion). Downes defines “commercial use” as “the act of restricting access,” in the UNESCO discussion, which makes sense to me, and I can see the point of trying to use NC to keep access open. After all, in my “gift” image provided above, what could happen is that I could give something away to anyone and everyone who wanted it (because it’s not just one thing, but reusable, revisable, remixable by anyone), but then one of those recipients could decide they want to make sure no one else can have that gift as a gift. That goes against the spirit of what I tried to do in the first place. So really, the issue seems to come to this (as I’m understanding it): using something like CC-BY only (or CC0) is freeing it in the sense of making it “libre” but could lead to it not being free in the sense of “gratis” (see Wikipedia on libre and gratis). But if you use an NC license, then you might be (if Downes is right) protecting the freedom of that work in terms of it being “gratis,” but it’s not “libre” in the sense of it being available for anyone to do anything they like with it. You’re restricting it to only some kinds of uses. Downes addresses this distinction somewhat differently, here. He argues that we can look at freedom from the perspective of either the people who already have access to some work or those who do not yet have such access. For the former, freedom in the sense of libre means they can do whatever they wish with the work they already have. For the latter, allowing work to be behind a paywall means many can’t access it at all, much less do anything further with it. The second perspective, he argues, is as important as the first (and for those who can’t access works at all it is more important). (c) if someone can add value to my stuff and make some money, that’s fine with me b/c I gave it away by choice rather than trying to do so myself. I still think of it like a gift, and because of (b) I am not terribly concerned about it becoming enclosed so that others can’t access it freely. I agree rather with Mike Seyfang here, that what I’m most concerned about is people finding and using my work. That’s pretty cool. But unlike what he says in that post, I kind of don’t care about people recognizing it as my work. …we want, I think, something like a ‘free content declaration’, a statement we can link to that identifies our desire, as providers of open content, to ensure that it remains open. And CC-licenses won’t do this for us, Downes argues. But he uses NC in the meantime, which I have decided not to do, for reasons noted above. There is, though, an argument that the “share alike” CC license (CC-BY-SA) could prevent commercial enclosure, which I’ll consider in the next post. Posted in Open Access, open ed, OER and tagged #h817open on April 17, 2013 by Christina Hendricks. Great, clear and well referenced post. I will be pointing people to this in future. Thanks, David–I’m glad it might be useful to others. I spent a whole lot of time researching all this and trying to weigh the issues as carefully as possible. I don’t think I’ve said anything new here, but maybe it’s useful as a resource connecting to a lot of other great things other people have said. One thing I’d say is that commerce and enclosure are separate issues. In the language of free software, it is possible to have commercially produced free software. It’s just not possible to have proprietary (enclosed) free software, whether produced commercially or non-commercially, as it’s a contradiction in terms. NC is enclosure, or at the very least it excludes people. If someone works for a university that fits the definition of noncommercial and produces their work for the university under an NC license, they will be alienated from that work if they choose to or are forced to work somewhere that doesn’t fit the definition of noncommercial. Likewise they cannot benefit from commercial materials that could benefit their work, and anyone who is reliant on commercial actors for their access to the work is excluded. Hi Rob: Thanks for the comment! I agree that NC excludes people, and too many people, given its ambiguous nature. Good point about moving jobs–hadn’t thought of that. However, if it’s one’s own work, isn’t it possible to change the CC license and then use it for commercial purposes later? Of course, this requires that one’s work at a university count as one’s “own,” and is not the property of the university itself, which is an issue in some places, I know. UBC’s policies are, I think, that teaching materials belong to the faculty member, but I also know that they are in the process of being revised, so I need to keep an eye on this. I also agree that commerce and enclosure can be separate issues, for the reasons you note. Stephen Downes’ argument is that even though legally something licensed as SA, for example, should not be able to be enclosed, large commercial interests will work hard to do so anyway, by various means–some of which are, I think, legal (like finding ways to encourage their own works to show up in search engines while the free versions are buried). I don’t know enough to say whether such things are likely to happen or not, though they are certainly possible (and he gives some examples of situations where such things have happened). Perhaps only time will tell which strategy is best, whether his fears are warranted or not? It is possible to relicense if one is the copyright holder yes, I do mean where the university owns the work. I should have been clearer. I could wriggle a bit and say if it’s collaboratively written you’d need to get your co-authors’ permissions as well, but that wasn’t what I had in mind. Large commercial interests will always try to enclose, and we will always have to adapt to their strategies. Licenses are revised to do so over time. But licenses are just a part of the equation, and reform of existing institutions or the creation of new ones is also necessary. So I guess I agree with Downes here, although I still think copyleft is important once you receive the work. Good point, Rob, about licenses being just part of the equation, and revisable over time. I agree about reforming institutions and creating new ones, though what, exactly, that will look like to avoid the enclosure issue is something I’m not sure about yet. I wonder how important your second point (“b”), is. I.e. that you don’t immediately see anyone using what you produce for commercial purposes. My feeling is that I still have the capacity to be surprised. Who knew that people would repackage Wikipedia content as books to be sold on Amazon? And presumably people buy them. Crazy, but true. Me, I think a) I am against the enclosure of the commons and b) using your gift analogy, if I give someone a gift and they immediately (or even subsequently) sell it off then, no, I’m not sure they’ll be getting any more gifts from me. On the other hand, I realize that my blog doesn’t explicitly have any license at all. I’d better fix that pronto! (b) is my weakest point, and I knew it all along. If I think that people might use my freely-given work in all sorts of ways I can’t imagine (which I say either in this post or the next one, on ShareAlike…can’t remember), then why not be able to imagine they could use it in a way that leads to commercial enclosure? I can certainly imagine some commercial uses of my work; it was the large ones that might lead a company to try to enclose the free versions I was having a hard time imagining for what I do (as opposed, say, to some tech/application/software work, e.g.). But who knows. I am against enclosure of the commons as well, and am pretty convinced by the arguments that ShareAlike may do that better than NC, though the situation there is pretty complex too (see next post). Using NC just leaves out too many possible uses that I would be happy to allow. If worrying about having some big corporation or what have you enclosing the free versions of your work, SA might do the trick better. Oh, and one more thing: I very specifically don’t want my employer (the university) re-packaging and commodifying my work for commercial use. We are guilty of enough self-exploitation as it is. At the same time, I realize that this is a grey area. In so far as people like my work (teaching, research, whatever), then the university benefits, and among its benefits are financial. But so be it. At least with a CC-BY-NC license they can’t be too crass about it. Your point here is a valid one, that many of us already allow ourselves to be too exploited, so why let the university profit off our work in yet another way? That does give me some pause, but at the same time, it’s really up to individuals to decide whether they want to give this stuff away to any and all, including their own employers (who, as you note, are already profiting from our “free” work in blogs and possibly OERs, which could be considered a voluntary add-on to our contracted work). I completely understand and respect your desire to not allow this to happen. Me, I’m not quite as fussed about it. At least not at the moment. But I’m open to further discussion and possibly changing my mind at some point. I should also, by the way, thank you for spending the time to think through and explain these issues in such detail and clarity. Very helpful. I may have this wrong, but as the original author and licensor of content, I believe I am free to grant *additional* rights to that content on an ad hoc basis (but not to revoke them after they have been released under a certain license.) This for me is the reason in choosing, with Stephen, the NC license, because “enclosure” is a very real thing (cf http://www.edtechpost.ca/wordpress/2011/09/19/seo-as-enclosure/ – enclosure can be effectively accomplished on the internet by obscuring/burying the original in search results.) I don’t want to prohibit “commercial” uses when that refers to things like charging nominal fees to cover printing charges to turn something I’ve written into a handout for a workshop, but this is something that can still be arranged even with an NC license by simple request. To the person above arguing that commerce and enclosure aren’t the same thing – sure, they’re not. But commerce, when based on a model of value through scarcity, has a natural tendency to enclose. And when the people building the maps (google) to the commons also are driven by profit, you brew a perfect storm of commercial interests restricting access to free (in EVERY sense other than “free to sell”) resources to the majority of people they were intended to serve. By granting additional rights on an ad hoc basis, I’m assuming you mean that if someone asks to use your work in a commercial way you can agree to let them do that, even though technically that might otherwise violate the terms of the NC license. I don’t know for certain, but the number of discussions I’ve read about this indicating that such a thing is perfectly fine indicate to me that it probably is; but again, I haven’t looked into it deeply. David Wiley did point out to me, in a tweet, section 8e of the NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/legalcode), which indicates that you can’t add additional provisions but you can alter the license through a written agreement. So it does appear that if you agree in writing to allow some commercial use, then that’s probably fine. Of course, if it’s not, it’s unlikely anyone is going to press the issue. I worry, though, about relying on people to come to me to ask to use work in a commercial way when I have the NC license on it. It’s an extra step, of course, and some people are not willing to make it when there are other options out there that are more or less equally good (which I think is the case for my own work). Perhaps I am not giving people enough credit, but the message that seems sent with NC is: if you want to use it for a commercial purpose, then forget it. I suppose one could try to reach out through some kind of message on one’s work, saying that one is open to discussion on some commercial uses…just ask (or something like that). But then, for me, I’d have to weigh which sorts of commercial uses I think are okay and which are not, and this could get a bit messy, and I’m not sure I want to put myself in the position of determining the relative merits of some commercial uses over others. On what grounds, exactly? Likely enclosure down the road? perhaps, but I don’t know what is going to lead to that and what is not. I am rather more persuaded by Pat’s point that if work is publicly funded (which mine is, for the most part), then it ought to be available to the public to do with as they choose rather than me being the judge of who gets to use it for what. However, I do realize that commercial enclosure could mean that this precisely does not happen, that it no longer is available. I’m still not persuaded, however, that commercial enclosure of my own work is likely. Thank you for the extra example of how it can happen, in your post, which helped me see the issue even better. It is certainly the case that commercial ventures can use SEO to hide free/open options that are doing the same thing (in this case a service, but in terms of licenses we’re talking about a work of some kind). I can imagine that if I created something worth monetizing by a large company, they could effectively bury my free version in search results. Still, if it were useful enough, it might be on various sites, or in a repository that is well known and well used (hoping someday such a thing exists for OER), and thus still findable. Maybe not the very top result(s), but not completely gone. Generally I am very sympathetic to the arguments you’re putting forth, and I, too, am worried about commercial enclosure being a tendency. Ultimately one has to balance dangers, and I’m still waiting to see evidence that works licensed with CC-BY are fairly often enclosed in a way that makes them difficult to access for a lot of people. That it can happen, I have no doubt, but that it is likely is something I haven’t yet seen evidence for. So at this point, I prefer to err on the side of allowing commercial uses, especially given the sorts of things I create right now (which I don’t think are terribly likely to get monetized by anyone big enough to carry out effective enclosure). Right now, I think that NC leads to more downsides in my particular circumstances than up. I don’t think SEO can be, enclosure, even with the adoption of effectively as a disclaimer. Partially as a properly licensed material can be removed from the enclosure, and so is an enclosed item, not enclosed land. So for example, when Flat World changed their license, people actively downloaded the content and hosted elsewhere. This was an action of counter enclosure. If a site, via it’s own SEO, attracted people in who could, then, in theory, strip all of those assets and re-host them. So the SEO would be a Pyrrhic victory. Also, if the material is indexable via google – then to an extent it is accessible – either by a web browser, or some agent spoofing. To accept SEO as enclosure would be to assume the original material should place higher in search results, but often repositories, such as MERLOT and OER commons place higher in search results than the original material? I would assume a site bringing together resources may naturally place higher as more people link to it. The bigger the library, the more visitors. I don’t think there is an argument that suggests the original should appear higher in search results than duplicates? I think without a framework which can assess the correct place a site should return, then SEO as enclosure seems a hard measure to assess. If tying the scarcity to SEO, then, perhaps, but that then relies on how much people want to look for something, and which tools exist to facilitate the discovery of them. With all OER in a central repository, as one example, then SEO is nothing at all. Pat, no argument, I use the term “enclosure” only metaphorically when applied to openly licensed materials, as of course you are correct that the original always remains. But what I was referring to was the practice of enabling the selling of unaltered/unimproved copies of open resources through burying the original so effectively via SEO that the original effectively vanishes from sight. So sure, new copies of the free (price) resource can be circulated in the hopes of I making the fact that these were always available without cost, but this I implies someone even knows this obscuring is going on. If you think this is a fairy tale, look into the insane number of titles being published on Amazon, for profit, that are essentially mined open content, particularly Wikipedia content. Is this “enclosure?” No, I agree, not in the traditional sense. But I’d be surprised if it doesn’t run counter to the original licensors in choosing an open license. Will choosing an NC license prevent this? Likely not, but at least it’s not giving blanket license to do this, and when commercial interests control many of the means of discovery for people (e.g. Search engines, online stores – only in or DREAMS do most people outside of the edtech echo chamer choose a site like Merlot first) it becomes not just a possibility but a likelihood. gutenberg and wikipedia are scraped like no one would believe. But I still think this means an “original first” SEO position? Does anyone looking to buy something not look for something cheaper elsewhere? For example, Independent (UK newspaper) 1,800 possible license violations, or failure to attribute properly. So if even commercial orgs – not just these SEO “slums” (Severance) are stealing licensed content, then you have two options. 2) CC without NC, and allow good commercial usages (which might beat the SEO spam as well). But I also think CC and Wikipedia need to pull their finger out and start litigating. Why should a work that already exists, and has already been paid for, when distributed in a different economy incur a second payment? I can see – and compare with say Chuck S’s piece on his son – but if the work is created by public funding – then how is not CC-BY a minimum? Because the public paid for it, so logically they have some right to access. How can this argument be applied for example, if the NC enclosure criticism argument is also used. If a public good can be kept closed and not CC-BY, then that is akin to NC anyways. The NC as enclosure prevention is also problematic, as it Chuck S’s belittling of websites as content slums – because there is content everywhere, and the idea of a monolithic single educational voice sounds like some Babelesque folly. I think if your work is “online” in some form, then it is likely that it is already part of a “slum”. Just see how much Wikipedia and Gutenberg have been scrapped. Shakespeare’s been scrapped, and I think he a *teensy* bit better than Severance. All rights reserved, but online, is too me, arrogant and hypocritical. venerating the self over the potential of plurality. Two – What is wrong with someone making money from your stuff? If economically you’re ok, then I can’t see the harm? Good point, Pat, about work done by me under the aegis of my work, which is paid for (in part) through public funds. So whatever teaching/learning materials I create should be open to public access. Now, to play devil’s advocate, though, NC could still be open to public access (as could SA). They can still see it, use it, create derivatives, etc. How does not allowing others to make money from such materials mean they are not getting enough access? Why is CC-BY a minimum for public access? Ultimately, as you know, I think CC-BY is a minimum, but I want to hear more about why it might be one for public access. Perhaps your other points explain this, but I’m having trouble getting your point about the NC enclosure criticism. That is the one that says you should use NC in order to avoid commercial enclosure. I’m not getting what you mean by this: “If a public good can be kept closed and not CC-BY, then that is akin to NC anyways.” Do you mean that if you use NC to avoid commercial enclosure, you’re still closing off a public good, enclosing it in some way? I’m afraid that’s not your point, though. Explain? When talking about Chuck S, I think you’re referring to this post (just for anyone who doesn’t know). I agree with you that I’m not terribly worried about having a single educational voice, or about my work ending up in “content slums” (I don’t even really know what that is supposed to mean). If it’s just someone else putting up my teaching videos on their own YouTube channel, e.g., then I don’t care. I can’t tell from his posts what else happened to him, though he does talk about other hypothetical situations like writing a book, publishing as CC-BY, then trying to charge for print copies when someone else has already put it up for sale in print on Createspace. But again, that’s not something I, personally, am concerned about. If someone really wants to keep the option of making money off their work in some way, then perhaps NC is better for them. I agree with you, as you can tell, about others making money from my stuff. And that’s probably because, as you point out, I’m economically fine because I have a job that pays me to make this stuff whether I share it or not. I don’t need to make money to survive off of what I create in any other way that through my salary. I’m lucky that way; some people do need to make money off of what they create, and I don’t begrudge them that option. And I, too, prefer the potential for plurality, for collaboration, even just for sharing what I’ve done and letting others do whatever they will with it, even if I don’t end up knowing about it. Which is why CC0, or something like it, is still attractive. It’s just the possibility of learning from what others have done with my stuff, and possibly connecting to them and collaborating that keeps me using CC-BY for the moment (as discussed in comments to this post). Still, all rights reserved and online is a way for some people to make a living from what they’ve created–people can see it and decide if they want to purchase. I’ll happily pay an artist or a developer for something I can’t create myself, and want, if it means that will allow them to keep working and they couldn’t do so otherwise. I would prefer works to be open to sharing, revision, derivative-creation, but in the current market structure, that isn’t always feasible economically for everyone. However, I fear this is getting me into dangerous territory of trying to legislate when it’s okay for people to charge money for their stuff and when it’s not…beyond the publicly funded stuff discussed above, I worry about telling others whether they can charge, whether they can close off their work and when they ought not to. Where do I draw the line between those who really need the money from selling their works and those who just want a little more? Which is why I’ve worded my posts in a way that focuses on my own decisions, in my own situation. Still, of course, I’m up for trying to convince others with arguments about the problems with NC, which is partly what I’ve attempted to do here as well. NC – If you create a public good – to what rights do you, as creator have a say over how it is used by anyone? That’s why NC is a bit sly – it is a public good, but as long as you don’t want to make money from it. Right, okay–if it’s a public good, then it should be given to the public. I guess it depends on what makes something count as a public good. Publicly funded, perhaps? Things do get a bit sticky, though, because where is the line between what people create due to their publicly-funded jobs and what they create on their “own time”? And, say, if they’re using their own equipment and own hosting service, etc. (unlike what I’m doing–this blog and my equipment belong to my Uni). We agree insofar as I do think of what I create as a public good, just b/c I want to share it and others might find it useful…and I get value from what others share similarly. But what should count as a public good is an interesting question, really. As for #2: I do see that by using NC in the way Downes suggests, the hope is to avoid the bad commercial, but in the process you get rid of all commercial uses (unless people choose to ask you for use for their “good” commercial, which many people won’t do…they’ll just go find something else). And that in using an NC you are suggesting that noncommercial is all good and commercial is all bad, even if that’s not what you mean to suggest–that’s the implication, in a way. And that’s a false dichotomy, indeed. How it’s self promotion, though,… because one wants to keep the possibility of selling one’s stuff for oneself? Or one’s promoting oneself as only supporting the “pure angelic”? Well copyright blurs the edges of who owns what and when, but that is probably an employment contract issue. Yes, copyright and employment contracts make things complicated. From what I can tell reading the legal documents from UBC about all this, I own my teaching and learning materials, as well as my research materials, in the sense that I could copyright them if I want. Which is why I have the choice to put CC licenses on. At least I think I’m right about that. And okay, if you’re not going to let other people revise or make derivatives, that does suggest that you’re thinking your work is perfect as is. I suppose that using NC could suggest that too, that people who are using it for some kind of money-making purpose couldn’t possibly add to your work in any way, including putting it to new uses or making derivatives (as long as you don’t use ND), because it’s good as is. Or rather, perhaps, it could suggest that only those using it for noncommercial purposes, or making derivatives for such, can add anything of use to it; the commercial ones can’t possibly do so. Though that’s not the main reason most people use NC, I think, it is an implication one can get from the use of the NC license. And to me, that doesn’t make any sense. Sorry–that was unclear. I just meant that it makes no sense to suggest that only noncommercial uses or revisions of one’s work can add any value. Though, again, I think many people who use NC don’t think this way, it can appear as an implication of the use of NC, an unintended message, as it were.

2019-04-20T01:10:39Z

http://blogs.ubc.ca/chendricks/2013/04/17/cc-what/

The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1969, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL). The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence. It was more successful than earlier rivals to the NFL with the same name, the American Football League (1926), American Football League (1936), American Football League (1940), and the later All-America Football Conference [(1944&ndash;1950), played 1946&ndash;1949]. This fourth version of the AFL was the most successful, created by a number of owners who had been refused NFL expansion franchises or had minor shares of NFL franchises. The AFL's original lineup consisted of an Eastern division of the New York Titans, Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and the Houston Oilers, and a Western division of the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, and Dallas Texans. The league first gained attention by signing 75% of the NFL's first-round draft choices in 1960, including Houston's successful signing of college star and Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon. While the first years of the AFL saw uneven competition and low attendance, the league was buttressed by a generous television contract with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (followed by a contract with the competing National Broadcasting Company (NBC) for games starting with the 1965 season) that broadcast the more offense-oriented football league nationwide. Continuing to attract top talent from colleges and the NFL by the mid-1960s, as well as successful franchise shifts of the Chargers from L.A. south to San Diego and the Texans north to Kansas City (becoming the Kansas City Chiefs), the AFL established a dedicated following. The transformation of the struggling Titans into the New York Jets under new ownership further solidified the league's reputation among the major media. As fierce competition made player salaries skyrocket in both leagues, especially after a series of "raids", the leagues agreed to a merger in 1966. Among the conditions were a common draft and a championship game played between the two league champions first played in early 1967, which would eventually become known as the Super Bowl. The AFL and NFL operated as separate leagues until 1970, with separate regular season and playoff schedules except for the championship game. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle also became chief executive of the AFL from July 26, 1966, through the completion of the merger. During this time the AFL expanded, adding the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. After losses by Kansas City and Oakland in the first two AFL-NFL National Championship Games to the Green Bay Packers (1967/1968), the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowls III and IV (1969/1970) respectively, cementing the league's claim to being an equal to the NFL. In 1970, the AFL was absorbed into the NFL and the league reorganized with the ten AFL franchises along with the previous NFL teams Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers becoming part of the newly-formed American Football Conference. During the 1950s, the National Football League had grown to rival Major League Baseball as one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the United States. One franchise that did not share in this newfound success of the league was the Chicago Cardinals — owned by the Bidwill family — who had become overshadowed by the more popular Chicago Bears. The Bidwills hoped to relocate their franchise, preferably to St. Louis, but could not come to terms with the league on a relocation fee. Needing cash, the Bidwills began entertaining offers from would-be investors, and one of the men who approached the Bidwills was Lamar Hunt, son and heir of millionaire oilman H. L. Hunt. Hunt offered to buy the Cardinals and move them to Dallas, where he had grown up. However, these negotiations came to nothing, since the Bidwills insisted on retaining a controlling interest in the franchise and were unwilling to move their team to a city where a previous NFL franchise had failed in 1952. While Hunt negotiated with the Bidwills, similar offers were made by Bud Adams, Bob Howsam, and Max Winter. When Hunt, Adams, and Howsam were unable to secure a controlling interest in the Cardinals, they approached NFL commissioner Bert Bell and proposed the addition of expansion teams. Bell, wary of expanding the 12-team league and risking its newfound success, rejected the offer. On his return flight to Dallas, Hunt conceived the idea of an entirely new league and decided to contact the others who had shown interest in purchasing the Cardinals. He contacted Adams, Howsam, and Winter (as well as Winter's business partner, Bill Boyer) to gauge their interest in starting a new league. Hunt's first meeting with Adams was held in March 1959. Hunt, who felt a regional rivalry would be critical for the success of the new league, convinced Adams to join and found his team in Houston. Hunt next secured an agreement from Howsam to bring a team to Denver. After Winter and Boyer agreed to start a team in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the new league had its first four teams. Hunt then approached Willard Rhodes, who hoped to bring pro football to Seattle. However, the University of Washington was unwilling to let the fledgling league use Husky Stadium, probably due to the excessive wear and tear that would have been caused to the facility's grass surface (the stadium now has an artificial surface, and Seattle would gain entry into the NFL in 1976 with the Seattle Seahawks). With no place for his team to play, Rhodes' effort came to nothing. Hunt also sought franchises in Los Angeles, Buffalo and New York City. During the summer of 1959, he sought the blessings of the NFL for his nascent league, as he did not seek a potentially costly rivalry. Within weeks of the July 1959 announcement of the league's formation, Hunt received commitments from Barron Hilton and Harry Wismer to bring teams to Los Angeles and New York, respectively. His initial efforts for Buffalo, however, were rebuffed, when Hunt's first choice of owner, Pat McGroder, declined to take part; McGroder had hoped that the threat of the AFL would be enough to prompt the NFL to expand to Buffalo. On August 14, 1959, the first league meeting was held in Chicago, and charter memberships were given to Dallas, New York, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul. On August 22 the league officially was named the American Football League at a meeting in Dallas. The NFL's initial reaction was not as openly hostile as it had been with the earlier All-America Football Conference (Bell had even given his public approval), yet individual NFL owners soon began a campaign to undermine the new league. AFL owners were approached with promises of new NFL franchises or ownership stakes in existing ones. Only the party from Minneapolis-Saint Paul accepted, and the Minnesota group joined the NFL the next year in 1961; the Minneapolis-Saint Paul group were joined by Ole Haugsrud and Bernie Ridder in the new NFL team's ownership group, which was named the Minnesota Vikings. The older league also announced on August 29 that it had conveniently reversed its position against expansion, and planned to bring NFL expansion teams to Houston and Dallas, to start play in 1961. (The NFL did not expand to Houston at that time, the promised Dallas team – the Dallas Cowboys – actually started play in 1960, and the Vikings began play in 1961.) Finally, the NFL quickly came to terms with the Bidwills and allowed them to relocate the struggling Cardinals to St. Louis, eliminating that city as a potential AFL market. Ralph Wilson, who owned a minority interest in the NFL's Detroit Lions at the time, initially announced he was placing a team in Miami, but like the Seattle situation, was also rebuffed by local ownership; given five other choices, Wilson negotiated with McGroder and brought the team that would become the Bills to Buffalo. Buffalo was officially awarded its franchise on October 28. During a league meeting on November 22, a 10-man ownership group from Boston (led by Billy Sullivan) was awarded the AFL's eighth team. On November 30, 1959, Joe Foss, a World War II Marine fighter ace and former governor of South Dakota, was named the AFL's first commissioner. Foss commissioned a friend of Harry Wismer's to develop the AFL's eagle-on-football logo. Hunt was elected President of the AFL on January 26, 1960. The AFL's first draft took place the same day Boston was awarded its franchise, and lasted 33 rounds. The league held a second draft on December 2, which lasted for 20 rounds. Because the Raiders joined after the AFL draft, they inherited Minnesota's selections. A special allocation draft was held in January 1960, to allow the Raiders to stock their team, as some of the other AFL teams had already signed some of Minneapolis' original draft choices. In November 1959, Minneapolis-Saint Paul owner Max Winter announced his intent to leave the AFL to accept a franchise offer from the NFL. In 1961, his team began play in the NFL as the Minnesota Vikings. Los Angeles Chargers owner Barron Hilton demanded that a replacement for Minnesota be placed in California, to reduce his team's operating costs and to create a rivalry. After a brief search, Oakland was chosen and an ownership group led by F. Wayne Valley and local real estate developer Chet Soda was formed. After initially being called the Oakland "Señores", the Oakland Raiders officially joined the AFL on January 30, 1960. On June 9, 1960, the league signed a five-year television contract with ABC, which brought in revenues of approximately US$2,125,000 per year for the entire league. On June 17, the AFL filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, which was dismissed in 1962 after a two-month trial. The AFL began regular-season play (a night game on Friday, September 9, 1960) with eight teams in the league — the Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Texans, Denver Broncos, Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Titans, and Oakland Raiders. Raiders' co-owner Wayne Valley dubbed the AFL ownership "The Foolish Club", a term Lamar Hunt subsequently used on team photographs he sent as Christmas gifts. The Oilers became the first-ever league champions by defeating the Chargers, 24–16, in the AFL Championship on January 1, 1961. Attendance for the 1960 season was respectable for a new league, but not nearly that of the NFL. In 1960, the NFL averaged attendance of more than 40,000 fans per game and more popular NFL teams in 1960 regularly saw attendance figures in excess of 50,000 per game, while CFL attendances averaged approximately 20,000 per game. By comparison, AFL attendance averaged about 16,500 per game and generally hovered between 10,000-20,000 per game. Professional football was still primarily a gate-driven business in 1960, so low attendance meant financial losses. The Raiders, with a league-worst average attendance of just 9,612, lost $500,000 in their first year and only survived after receiving a $400,000 loan from Bills owner Ralph Wilson. In an early sign of stability, however, the AFL did not lose any teams after its first year of operation. In fact, the only major change was the relocation of the Chargers from Los Angeles to nearby San Diego (they would return to Los Angeles in 2017). On August 8, 1961, the AFL challenged the Canadian Football League to an exhibition game that would feature the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Buffalo Bills, which was attended by 24,376 spectators. Playing at Civic Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario, the Tiger-Cats defeated the Bills 38–21 playing a mix of AFL and CFL rules. While the Oilers found instant success in the AFL, other teams did not fare as well. The Oakland Raiders and New York Titans struggled on and off the field during their first few seasons in the league. Oakland's eight-man ownership group was reduced to just three in 1961, after heavy financial losses in their first season. Attendance for home games was poor, partly due to the team playing in the San Francisco Bay Area—which already had an established NFL team (the San Francisco 49ers)—but the product on the field was also to blame. After winning six games in their debut season, the Raiders won a total of three times in the 1961 and 1962 seasons. Oakland took part in a 1961 supplemental draft meant to boost the weaker teams in the league, but it did little good. They participated in another such draft in 1962. The Raiders and Titans both finished last in their respective divisions in the 1962 season. The Texans and Oilers, winners of their divisions, faced each other for the 1962 AFL Championship on December 23. The Texans dethroned the two-time champion Oilers, 20–17, in a double-overtime contest that was, at the time, professional football's longest-ever game. In 1963, the Texans became the second AFL team to relocate. Lamar Hunt felt that despite winning the league championship in 1962, the Texans could not succeed financially competing in the same market as the Dallas Cowboys, which entered the NFL as an expansion franchise in 1960. After meetings with New Orleans, Atlanta, and Miami, Hunt announced on May 22 that the Texans' new home would be Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City mayor Harold Roe Bartle (nicknamed "Chief") was instrumental in his city's success in attracting the team. Partly to honor Bartle, the franchise officially became the Kansas City Chiefs on May 26. The San Diego Chargers, under head coach Sid Gillman, won a decisive 51–10 victory over the Boston Patriots for the 1963 AFL Championship. Confident that his team was capable of beating the NFL-champion Chicago Bears (he had the Chargers' rings inscribed with the phrase "World Champions"), Gillman approached NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and proposed a final championship game between the two teams. Rozelle declined the offer; however, the game would be instituted three seasons later. A series of events throughout the next few years demonstrated the AFL's ability to achieve a greater level of equality with the NFL. On January 29, 1964, the AFL signed a lucrative $36 million television contract with NBC (beginning in the 1965 season), which gave the league money it needed to compete with the NFL for players. Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney was quoted as saying to NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle that "They don't have to call us 'Mister' anymore". A single-game attendance record was set on November 8, 1964, when 61,929 fans packed Shea Stadium to watch the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. The bidding war for players between the AFL and NFL escalated in 1965. The Chiefs drafted University of Kansas star Gale Sayers in the first round of the 1965 AFL draft (held November 28, 1964), while the Chicago Bears did the same in the NFL draft. Sayers eventually signed with the Bears. A similar situation occurred when the New York Jets and the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals both drafted University of Alabama quarterback Joe Namath. In what was viewed as a key victory for the AFL, Namath signed a $427,000 contract with the Jets on January 2, 1965 (the deal included a new car). It was the highest amount of money ever paid to a collegiate football player, and is cited as the strongest contributing factor to the eventual merger between the two leagues. After the 1963 season, the Newark Bears of the Atlantic Coast Football League expressed interest in joining the AFL; concerns over having to split the New York metro area with the still-uncertain Jets were a factor in the Bears bid being rejected. In 1965, Milwaukee officials tried to lure an expansion team to play at Milwaukee County Stadium where the Green Bay Packers had played parts of their home schedule after an unsuccessful attempt to lure the Packers there full-time, but Packers head coach Vince Lombardi invoked the team's exclusive lease as well as sign an extension to keep some home games in Milwaukee until 1976. In early 1965, the AFL awarded its first expansion team to Rankin Smith of Atlanta. The NFL quickly counteroffered Smith a franchise, which Smith accepted; the Atlanta Falcons began play as an NFL franchise. In March 1965, Joe Robbie had met with Commissioner Foss to inquire about an expansion franchise for Miami. On May 6, after Atlanta's exit, Robbie secured an agreement with Miami mayor Robert King High to bring a team to Miami. League expansion was approved at a meeting held on June 7, and on August 16 the AFL's ninth franchise was officially awarded to Robbie and television star Danny Thomas. The Miami Dolphins joined the league for a fee of $7.5 million and started play in the AFL's Eastern Division in 1966. The AFL also planned to add two more teams by 1967. In 1966, the rivalry between the AFL and NFL reached an all-time peak. On April 7, Joe Foss resigned as AFL commissioner. His successor was Oakland Raiders head coach and general manager Al Davis, who had been instrumental in turning around the fortunes of that franchise. No longer content with trying to outbid the NFL for college talent, the AFL under Davis started to recruit players already on NFL squads. Davis's strategy focused on quarterbacks in particular, and in two months he persuaded seven NFL quarterbacks to sign with the AFL. Although Davis's intention was to help the AFL win the bidding war, some AFL and NFL owners saw the escalation as detrimental to both leagues. Alarmed with the rate of spending in the league, Hilton Hotels forced Barron Hilton to relinquish his stake in the Chargers as a condition of maintaining his leadership role with the hotel chain. The same month Davis was named commissioner, several NFL owners, along with Dallas Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm, secretly approached Lamar Hunt and other AFL owners and asked the AFL to merge. They held a series of secret meetings in Dallas to discuss their concerns over rapidly increasing player salaries, as well as the practice of player poaching. Hunt and Schramm completed the basic groundwork for a merger of the two leagues by the end of May, and on June 8, 1966, the merger was officially announced. Under the terms of the agreement, the two leagues would hold a common player draft. The agreement also called for a title game to be played between the champions of the respective leagues. The two leagues would be fully merged by 1970, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle would remain as commissioner of the merged league, which would be named the NFL. Additional expansion teams would eventually be awarded by 1970 or soon thereafter to bring it to a 28-team league. The AFL also agreed to pay indemnities of $18 million to the NFL over 20 years. In protest, Davis resigned as AFL commissioner on July 25 rather than remain until the completion of the merger, and Milt Woodard was named president of the AFL, with the "commissioner" title vacated because of Rozelle's expanded role. On January 15, 1967, the first-ever World Championship Game between the champions of the two separate professional football leagues, the AFL-NFL Championship Game (retroactively referred to as Super Bowl I), was played in Los Angeles. After a close first half, the NFL champion Green Bay Packers overwhelmed the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs, 35–10. The loss reinforced for many the notion that the AFL was an inferior league. Packers head coach Vince Lombardi stated after the game, "I do not think they are as good as the top teams in the National Football League." The second AFL-NFL Championship (Super Bowl II) yielded a similar result. The Oakland Raiders—who had easily beaten the Houston Oilers to win their first AFL championship—were overmatched by the Packers, 33–14. The more experienced Packers capitalized on a number of Raiders miscues and never trailed. Green Bay defensive tackle Henry Jordan offered a compliment to Oakland and the AFL, when he said, "... the AFL is becoming much more sophisticated on offense. I think the league has always had good personnel, but the blocks were subtler and better conceived in this game." The AFL added its tenth and final team on May 24, 1967, when it awarded the league's second expansion franchise to an ownership group from Cincinnati, Ohio, headed by NFL legend Paul Brown. Although Brown had intended to join the NFL, he agreed to join the AFL when he learned that his team would be included in the NFL once the merger was completed. The Cincinnati Bengals began play in the 1968 season, finishing last in the Western Division. Namath and the Jets made good on his guarantee as they held the Colts scoreless until late in the fourth quarter. The Jets won, 16–7, in what is considered one of the greatest upsets in American sports history. With the win, the AFL finally achieved parity with the NFL and legitimized the merger of the two leagues. That notion was reinforced one year later in Super Bowl IV, when the AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs upset the NFL champion Minnesota Vikings, 23–7, in the last championship game to be played between the two leagues. The Vikings, favored by 12½ points, were held to just 67 rushing yards. The last game in AFL history was the AFL All-Star Game, held in Houston's Astrodome on January 17, 1970. The Western All-Stars, led by Chargers quarterback John Hadl, defeated the Eastern All-Stars, 26–3. Buffalo rookie back O.J. Simpson carried the ball for the last play in AFL history. Hadl was named the game's Most Valuable Player. Prior to the start of the 1970 NFL season, the merged league was organized into two conferences of three divisions each. All ten AFL teams made up the bulk of the new American Football Conference. To avoid having an inequitable number of teams in each conference, the leagues voted to move three NFL teams to the AFC. Motivated by the prospect of an intrastate rivalry with the Bengals as well as by personal animosity toward Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell quickly offered to include his team in the AFC. He helped persuade the Pittsburgh Steelers (the Browns' archrivals) and Baltimore Colts (who shared the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. market with the Washington Redskins) to follow suit, and each team received US $3 million to make the switch. All the other NFL squads became part of the National Football Conference. Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Charlie Joiner, who started his career with the Houston Oilers (1969), was the last AFL player active in professional football, retiring after the 1986 season, when he played for the San Diego Chargers. The American Football League stands as the only professional football league to successfully compete against the NFL. When the two leagues merged in 1970, all ten AFL franchises and their statistics became part of the new NFL. Every other professional league that had competed against the NFL before the AFL–NFL merger had folded completely: the three previous leagues named "American Football League" and the All-America Football Conference. From an earlier AFL (1936–1937), only the Cleveland Rams (now the Los Angeles Rams) joined the NFL and are currently operating, as are the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers from the AAFC. A third AAFC team, the Baltimore Colts (not related to the 1953–1983 Baltimore Colts or to the current Indianapolis Colts franchise), played only one year in the NFL, disbanding at the end of the 1950 season. The league resulting from the merger was a 26-team juggernaut (since expanded to 32) with television rights covering all of the Big Three television networks and teams in close proximity to almost all of the top 40 metropolitan areas, a fact that has precluded any other competing league from gaining traction since the merger; failed attempts to mimic the AFL's success included the World Football League (1974–75), United States Football League (1983–85), XFL (2001) and United Football League (2009–2012). The AFL was also the most successful of numerous upstart leagues of the 1960s and 1970s that attempted to challenge a major professional league's dominance. All nine teams that were in the AFL at the time the merger was agreed upon were accepted into the league intact (as was the tenth team added between the time of the merger's agreement and finalization), and none of the AFL's teams have ever folded. For comparison, the World Hockey Association (1972–79) managed to have four of its six remaining teams merged into the National Hockey League, which actually caused the older league to contract a franchise, but WHA teams were forced to disperse the majority of their rosters and restart as expansion teams. The merged WHA teams were also not financially sound (in large part from the hefty expansion fees the NHL imposed on them), and three of the four were forced to relocate within 20 years. The American Basketball Association (1967–76) managed to have only four of its teams merged into the National Basketball Association, and the rest of the league was forced to fold. Both the WHA and ABA lost several teams to financial insolvency over the course of their existences. The Continental League, a proposed third league for Major League Baseball that was to begin play in 1961, never played a single game, largely because MLB responded to the proposal by expanding to four of that league's proposed cities. Historically, the only other professional sports league in the United States to exhibit a comparable level of franchise stability from its inception was the American League of Major League Baseball. The NFL adopted some of the innovations introduced by the AFL immediately and a few others in the years following the merger. One was including the names on player jerseys. The older league also adopted the practice of using the stadium scoreboard clocks to keep track of the official game time, instead of just having a stopwatch used by the referee. The AFL played a 14-game schedule for its entire existence, starting in 1960. The NFL, which had played a 12-game schedule since 1947, changed to a 14-game schedule in 1961, a year after the American Football League instituted it. The AFL also introduced the two-point conversion to professional football thirty-four years before the NFL instituted it in 1994 (college football had adopted the two-point conversion in the late 1950s). All of these innovations pioneered by the AFL, including its more exciting style of play and colorful uniforms, have essentially made today's professional football more like the AFL than like the old-line NFL. The AFL's challenge to the NFL also laid the groundwork for the Super Bowl, which has become the standard for championship contests in the United States of America. The NFL also adapted how the AFL used the growing power of televised football games, which were bolstered with the help of major network contracts (first with ABC and later with NBC). With that first contract with ABC, the AFL adopted the first-ever cooperative television plan for professional football, in which the proceeds were divided equally among member clubs. It featured many outstanding games, such as the classic 1962 double-overtime American Football League championship game between the Dallas Texans and the defending champion Houston Oilers. At the time it was the longest professional football championship game ever played. The AFL also appealed to fans by offering a flashier style of play (just like the ABA in basketball), compared to the more conservative game of the NFL. Long passes ("bombs") were commonplace in AFL offenses, led by such talented quarterbacks as John Hadl, Daryle Lamonica and Len Dawson. Despite having a national television contract, the AFL often found itself trying to gain a foothold, only to come up against roadblocks. For example, CBS-TV, which broadcast NFL games, ignored and did not report scores from the innovative AFL, on orders from the NFL. It was only after the merger agreement was announced that CBS began to give AFL scores. The AFL took advantage of the burgeoning popularity of football by locating teams in major cities that lacked NFL franchises. Hunt's vision not only brought a new professional football league to California and New York, but introduced the sport to Colorado, restored it to Texas and later to fast-growing Florida, as well as bringing it to New England for the first time in 12 years. Buffalo, having lost its original NFL franchise in 1929 and turned down by the NFL at least twice (1940 and 1950) for a replacement, returned to the NFL with the merger. The return of football to Kansas City was the first time that city had seen professional football since the NFL's Kansas City Blues/Cowboys of the 1920s; the arrival of the Chiefs, and the contemporary arrival of the St. Louis Football Cardinals, brought professional football back to Missouri for the first time since the temporary St. Louis Gunners of 1934. If not for the AFL, at least 17 of today's NFL teams would probably never have existed: the ten teams from the AFL, and seven clubs that were instigated by the AFL's presence to some degree. Three NFL franchises were awarded as a direct result of the AFL's competition with the older league: the Minnesota Vikings, who were awarded to Max Winter in exchange for dropping his bid to join the AFL; the Atlanta Falcons, whose franchise went to Rankin Smith to dissuade him from purchasing the AFL's Miami Dolphins; and the New Orleans Saints, because of successful anti-trust legislation which let the two leagues merge, and was supported by several Louisiana politicians. In the case of the Dallas Cowboys, the NFL had long sought to return to the Dallas area after the Dallas Texans folded in 1952, but was originally met with strong opposition by Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall, who had enjoyed a monopoly as the only NFL team to represent the American South. Marshall later changed his position after future-Cowboys owner Clint Murchison bought the rights to Washington's fight song "Hail to the Redskins" and threatened to prevent Marshall from playing it at games. By then, the NFL wanted to quickly award the new Dallas franchise to Murchison so the team could immediately begin play and complete with the AFL's Texans. As a result, the Cowboys played its inaugural season in 1960 without the benefit of the NFL draft. As part of the merger agreement, additional expansion teams would be awarded by 1970 or soon thereafter to bring the league to 28 franchises; this requirement was fulfilled when the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers began play in 1976. In addition, had it not been for the existence of the Oilers from 1960 to 1996, the Houston Texans also would likely not exist today; the 2002 expansion team restored professional football in Houston after the original charter AFL member Oilers relocated to become the Tennessee Titans. Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News has argued that the presence of AFL and the subsequent merger radically altered the fortunes of the Pittsburgh Steelers, saving the team "from stinking". Before the merger, the Steelers had long been one of the NFL's worst teams. Constantly lacking the money to build a quality team, the Steelers had only posted eight winning seasons, and just one playoff appearance, since their first year of existence in 1933 until the end of the 1969 season. They also finished with a 1-13 record in 1969, tied with the Chicago Bears for the worst record in the NFL. The $3 million indemnity that the Steelers received for joining the AFC with the rest of the former AFL teams after the merger helped them rebuild into a contender, drafting eventual-Pro Football Hall of Famers like Terry Bradshaw and Joe Greene, and ultimately winning four Super Bowls in the 1970s. Since the 1970 merger, the Steelers have the NFL's highest winning percentage, the most total victories, the most trips to either conference championship game, are tied for the second most trips to the Super Bowl (with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos, trailing only the New England Patriots), and have won an NFL-record six Super Bowl championships. The AFL's free agents came from several sources. Some were players who could not find success playing in the NFL, while another source was the Canadian Football League. In the late 1950s, many players released by the NFL, or un-drafted and unsigned out of college by the NFL, went North to try their luck with the CFL, and later returned to the states to play in the AFL. In the league's first years, players such as Oilers' George Blanda, Chargers/Bills' Jack Kemp, Texans' Len Dawson, the NY Titans' Don Maynard, Raiders/Patriots/Jets' Babe Parilli, Pats' Bob Dee proved to be AFL standouts. Other players such as the Broncos' Frank Tripucka, the Pats' Gino Cappelletti, the Bills' Cookie Gilchrist and the Chargers' Tobin Rote, Sam DeLuca and Dave Kocourek also made their mark to give the fledgling league badly needed credibility. Rounding out this mix of potential talent were the true "free agents", the walk-ons and the "wanna-be's", who tried out in droves for the chance to play professional American football. After the AFL–NFL merger agreement in 1966, and after the AFL's Jets defeated the "best team in the history of the NFL", the Colts, a popular misconception fostered by the NFL and spread by media reports was that the AFL defeated the NFL because of the Common Draft instituted in 1967. This apparently was meant to assert that the AFL could not achieve parity as long as it had to compete with the NFL in the draft. But the 1968 Jets had less than a handful of "common draftees". Their stars were honed in the AFL, many of them since the Titans days. As noted below, the AFL got its share of stars long before the "common draft". Players who chose the AFL to develop their talent included Lance Alworth and Ron Mix of the Chargers, who had also been drafted by the NFL's San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts respectively. Both eventually were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after earning recognition during their careers as being among the best at their positions. Among specific teams, the 1964 Buffalo Bills stood out by holding their opponents to a pro football record 913 yards rushing on 300 attempts, while also recording fifty quarterback sacks in a 14-game schedule. Another example is cited by the University of Kansas website, which describes the 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl, won by KU, and goes on to say "Two Kansas players, quarterback John Hadl and fullback Curtis McClinton, signed professional contracts on the field immediately after the conclusion of the game. Hadl inked a deal with the [AFL] San Diego Chargers, and McClinton went to the [AFL] Dallas Texans." Between them, in their careers Hadl and McClinton combined for an American Football League Rookie of the Year award, seven AFL All-Star selections, two Pro Bowl selections, a team MVP award, two AFL All-Star Game MVP awards, two AFL championships, and a World Championship. And these were players selected by the AFL long before the "Common Draft". In 2009, a five-part series, , on the Showtime Network, refuted many of the long-held misconceptions about the AFL. In it, Abner Haynes tells of how his father forbade him to accept being drafted by the NFL, after drunken scouts from that league had visited the Haynes home; the NFL Cowboys' Tex Schramm is quoted as saying that if his team had ever agreed to play the AFL's Dallas Texans, they would very likely have lost; George Blanda makes a case for more AFL players being inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame by pointing out that Hall of Famer Willie Brown was cut by the Houston Oilers because he couldn't cover Oilers flanker Charlie Hennigan in practice. Later, when Brown was with the Broncos, Hennigan needed nine catches in one game against the Broncos to break Lionel Taylor's Professional Football record of 100 catches in one season. Hennigan caught the nine passes and broke the record, even though he was covered by Brown, Blanda's point being that if Hennigan could do so well against a Hall of Fame DB, he deserves induction, as well. The AFL also spawned coaches whose style and techniques have profoundly affected the play of professional football to this day. In addition to AFL greats like Hank Stram, Lou Saban, Sid Gillman and Al Davis were eventual hall of fame coaches such as Bill Walsh, a protégé of Davis with the AFL Oakland Raiders for one season; and Chuck Noll, who worked for Gillman and the AFL LA/San Diego Chargers from 1960 through 1965. Others include Buddy Ryan (AFL's New York Jets), Chuck Knox (Jets), Walt Michaels (Jets), and John Madden (AFL's Oakland Raiders). Additionally, many prominent coaches began their pro football careers as players in the AFL, including Sam Wyche (Cincinnati Bengals), Marty Schottenheimer (Buffalo Bills), Wayne Fontes (Jets), and two-time Super Bowl winner Tom Flores (Oakland Raiders). Flores also has a Super Bowl ring as a player (1969 Kansas City Chiefs). See main article: 2009 NFL season. As the influence of the AFL continues through the present, the 50th anniversary of its launch was celebrated during 2009. The season-long celebration began in August with the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio between two AFC teams (as opposed to the AFC-vs-NFC format the game first adopted in 1971). The opponents were two of the original AFL franchises, the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans (the former Houston Oilers). Bills' owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr. (a 2009 Hall of Fame inductee) and Titans' owner Bud Adams were the only surviving members of the Foolish Club at the time (both are now deceased), the eight original owners of AFL franchises. The Hall of Fame Game was the first of several "Legacy Weekends", during which each of the "original eight" AFL teams sported uniforms from their AFL era. Each of the 8 teams took part in at least two such "legacy" games. On-field officials also wore red-and-white-striped AFL uniforms during these games. In the fall of 2009, the Showtime pay-cable network premiered , a 5-part documentary series produced by NFL Films that features vintage game film and interviews as well as more recent interviews with those associated with the AFL. The NFL sanctioned a variety of "Legacy" gear to celebrate the AFL anniversary, such as "throwback" jerseys, T-shirts, signs, pennants and banners, including items with the logos and colors of the Dallas Texans, Houston Oilers, and New York Titans, the three of the Original Eight AFL teams which have changed names or venues. A December 5, 2009 story by Ken Belson in The New York Times quotes league officials as stating that AFL "Legacy" gear made up twenty to thirty percent of the league's annual $3 billion merchandise income. Fan favorites were the Denver Broncos' vertically striped socks, which could not be re-stocked quickly enough. Eastern Boston Patriots 1960 Nickerson Field (1960–1962), Fenway Park (1963–1968), Alumni Stadium (1969) 64–69–9 0 Still active in the Greater Boston area. Moved to Foxborough, Massachusetts as the New England Patriots in 1971. Buffalo Bills 1960 War Memorial Stadium (1960–1969) 67–71–6 2 Still active in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. Moved to Orchard Park, New York in 1973. Houston Oilers 1960 Jeppesen Stadium (1960–1964), Rice Stadium (1965–1967), Houston Astrodome (1968–1969) 72–69–4 2 Relocated to Memphis, Tennessee as the Tennessee Oilers in 1997, moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1998, and renamed as the Tennessee Titans in 1999. Miami Dolphins 1966 Miami Orange Bowl (1966–1969) 15–39–2 0 Still active in the Miami metropolitan area. In 2003, their home stadium, which previously had a Miami address, became part of Miami Gardens, Florida. New York Titans/Jets 1960 Polo Grounds (1960–1963), Shea Stadium (1964–1969) 71–67–6 1 Still active in the New York metropolitan area. Moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey in 1984. Western Cincinnati Bengals 1968 Nippert Stadium (1968–1969) 7–20–1 0 Still active in Cincinnati. Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs 1960 Cotton Bowl (1960–1962), Municipal Stadium (1963–1969) 92–50–5 3 Still active in Kansas City. Denver Broncos 1960 Bears Stadium/Mile High Stadium (1960–1969) 39–97–4 0 Still active in Denver. Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers 1960 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1960), Balboa Stadium (1961–1966), San Diego Stadium (1967–1969) 88–51–6 1 Returned to Los Angeles in 2017. Oakland Raiders 1960 Kezar Stadium (1960), Candlestick Park (1961), Frank Youell Field (1962–1965), Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum (1966–1969) 80–61–5 1 Relocated to Los Angeles in 1982, then returned to Oakland in 1995. Planning to relocate to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2019 or 2020. Today, two of the NFL's eight divisions are composed entirely of former AFL teams, the AFC West (Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs, and Raiders) and the AFC East (Bills, Dolphins, Jets, and Patriots). Additionally, the Bengals now play in the AFC North and the Tennessee Titans (formerly the Oilers) play in the AFC South. As of the 2017 NFL season, the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum are the last remaining active NFL stadiums that had been used by the AFL, with the remaining stadiums either being used for other uses (the former San Diego Stadium, Fenway Park, Nickerson Field, Alumni Stadium, Nippert Stadium, the Cotton Bowl, Balboa Stadium and Kezar Stadium), still standing but currently vacant (Houston Astrodome), or demolished. By the 2020 NFL season, both stadiums will be retired as the Raiders will move into a newly-built stadium in Las Vegas while the Los Angeles Rams will move into the all-new Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park. From 1960 to 1968, the AFL determined its champion via a single-elimination playoff game between the winners of its two divisions. The home teams alternated each year by division, so in 1968 the Jets hosted the Raiders, even though Oakland had a better record (this was changed in 1969). In 1963, the Buffalo Bills and Boston Patriots finished tied with identical records of 7–6–1 in the AFL East Division. There was no tie-breaker protocol in place, so a one-game playoff was held in War Memorial Stadium in December. The visiting Patriots defeated the host Bills 26–8. The Patriots traveled to San Diego as the Chargers completed a three-game season sweep over the weary Patriots with a 51–10 victory. A similar situation occurred in the 1968 season, when the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs finished the regular season tied with identical records of 12–2 in the AFL West Division. The Raiders beat the Chiefs 41–6 in a division playoff to qualify for the AFL Championship Game. In 1969, the final year of the independent AFL, Professional Football's first "wild card" playoffs were conducted. A four-team playoff was held, with the second-place teams in each division playing the winner of the other division. The Chiefs upset the Raiders in Oakland 17–7 in the league's Championship, the final AFL game played. The Kansas City Chiefs were the first Super Bowl champion to win two road playoff games and the first wildcard team to win the Super Bowl, although the term "wildcard" was coined by the media, and not used officially until several years later. The AFL did not play an All-Star game after its first season in 1960, but did stage All-Star games for the 1961 through 1969 seasons. All-Star teams from the Eastern and Western divisions played each other after every season except 1965. That season, the league champion Buffalo Bills played all-stars from the other teams. After the 1964 season, the AFL All-Star game had been scheduled for early 1965 in New Orleans' Tulane Stadium. After numerous black players were refused service by a number of area hotels and businesses, black and white players alike called for a boycott. Led by Bills players such as Cookie Gilchrist, the players successfully lobbied to have the game moved to Houston's Jeppesen Stadium. The following is a sample of some records set during the existence of the league. The NFL considers AFL statistics and records equivalent to its own. . Paul Brown. Jack Clary. PB, The Paul Brown Story. 1979. Atheneum. New York. 0-689-10985-7. Book: Dickey, Glenn. Just Win, Baby: Al Davis & His Raiders. Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich. 1991. New York. 0-15-146580-0. Book: Gruver, Ed. The American Football League: A Year-By-Year History, 1960–1969. 1997. McFarland & Company, Inc. Jefferson, North Carolina. 0-7864-0399-3. History: The AFL – Pro Football Hall of Fame (link). Book: Maiorana, Sal. Relentless: The Hard-Hitting History of Buffalo Bills Football. 1994. Quality Sports Publications. Lenexa, Kansas. 1-885758-00-6. Book: Miller, Jeff. Going Long: The Wild Ten-Year Saga of the Renegade American Football League In the Words of Those Who Lived It. 2003. McGraw-Hill. 0-07-141849-0. Book: Shamsky, Art. Barry Zeman. The Magnificent Seasons: How the Jets, Mets, and Knicks Made Sports History and Uplifted a City and the Country. 2004. Thomas Dunne Books. New York. 0-312-33358-7. News: New Pact to Last at Least 3 Years: Woodard's Position Unsure After 1970 Merger. Milligan. Lloyd. 26 July 1966. The New York Times. 25 April 2018. Gruver, The American Football League, p. 9. Gruver, The American Football League, p. 13. Gruver, The American Football League, pp. 13–14. Gruver, The American Football League, p. 14. Gruver, The American Football League, pp. 15–16. Miller, Going Long, pp. 3–4. Web site: Kansas City Chiefs History – AFL Origins. 2007-02-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20070205213037/http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/. 2007-02-05. yes. Warren, Matt. September 4, 1985 – McGroder Joins The Wall Of Fame. BuffaloRumblings.com. Retrieved March 26, 2014. Gruver, The American Football League, pp. 22–23. Web site: NFL History, 1951–1960. 2007-02-08. NFL.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20070209180120/http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1951-1960. 9 February 2007. no. News: Rich. Loup. The AFL: A Football Legacy (Part One). CNNSI.com. 2001-01-22. 2007-02-08. News: Al. Carter. Oilers leave rich legacy of low-budget absurdity. The Dallas Morning News. 1997-06-30. 2007-02-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20070106015329/http://texnews.com/texsports97/oilers063097.html. 6 January 2007. yes. News: Mickey. Herskowitz. The Foolish Club. Pro Football Weekly. 1974. 2007-02-08. PDF. https://web.archive.org/web/20070605071618/http://www.kcchiefs.com/media/misc/5_the_foolish_club.pdf. 2007-06-05. yes. Web site: Canadian Football League 1960 Attendance on CFLdb Statistics. Steve Sabol (Executive Producer). 2004. Raiders – The Complete History. DVD. NFL Productions LLC. News: Touch down in T.O.. The Globe and Mail. en-ca. 2017-01-19. Web site: NFL History, 1961–1970. 2007-02-08. NFL.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20070205052436/http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1961-1970. 5 February 2007. no. Web site: New York Jets history. 2007-02-08. Sports Encyclopedia. https://web.archive.org/web/20070210123412/http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/nyj/jets.html. 10 February 2007. no. Web site: Jets history – 1962. 2007-02-08. NewYorkJets.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20061114025135/http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/history?year=1962. 2006-11-14. yes. Web site: Jets history – 1963. 2007-02-08. NewYorkJets.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20061114025303/http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/history?year=1963. 2006-11-14. yes. Web site: 1962 standings. 2007-02-08. Pro-Football-Reference.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20070207123656/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1962.htm. 7 February 2007. no. Web site: Chiefs timeline – 1960s. 2007-02-08. KCChiefs.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20070124191953/http://www.kcchiefs.com/history/60s/. 2007-01-24. yes. Web site: Gillman laid foundation for all who followed. 2007-02-08. Barber. Phil. NFL.com. yes. https://web.archive.org/web/20051108064658/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6101341. 8 November 2005. News: Steve. Silverman. The 'Other' League. Pro Football Weekly. 1994-11-07. 2007-02-08. PDF. https://web.archive.org/web/20070605071617/http://www.kcchiefs.com/media/misc/11_the_other_league.pdf. 2007-06-05. yes. News: Bears Seek Data on AFL. Asbury Park Press. Associated Press. January 12, 1964. Web site: Miami Dolphins Historical Highlights. 2007-02-08. MiamiDolphins.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20070207055603/http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/history/historicalhighlights/historicalhighlights.asp. 7 February 2007. yes. Web site: Barron Hilton's Chargers turned short stay into long-term success. Bill. Dwyre. 30 November 2009. LA Times. News: Woodard in, Davis out in AFL. Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. July 26, 1966. 2, part 2. News: B. Duane. Cross. The AFL: A Football Legacy (Part Two). CNNSI.com. 2001-01-22. 2007-02-08. News: Tex. Maule. Green Bay, Handily. Sports Illustrated. 1968-01-22. 2007-02-09. Web site: He guaranteed it. 2007-02-09. Pro Football Hall of Fame. Web site: Baltimore Colts history. 2007-02-09. Sports Encyclopedia. https://web.archive.org/web/20070210173055/http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/balticolts/baltcolts.html. 10 February 2007. no. News: Phil. Jackman. Lifetime guarantee; Jets-Colts. Baltimore Sun. 1999-01-12. 2007-02-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014536/http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/football/bal-mackey011299%2C0%2C4077047.story?coll=bal-sports-football. 2007-09-30. no. Web site: Page 2's List for top upset in sports history. 2007-02-09. Page2. https://web.archive.org/web/20070221035618/http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/010523upset.html. 21 February 2007. no. News: Bob. Wankel. Eagles can win with right strategy. The Courier-Post. 2005-02-01. 2007-02-09. News: Kenneth. Gooden. Can Hornets match greatest all-time upsets?. The State Hornet. 2003-11-19. 2007-02-09. yes. https://web.archive.org/web/20070927074841/http://media.www.statehornet.com/media/storage/paper1146/news/2003/11/19/Sports/Can-Hornets.Match.Greatest.AllTime.Upsets-2422553.shtml?sourcedomain=www.statehornet.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com. 2007-09-27. Shamsky, The Magnificent Seasons, p. 5. Web site: Super Bowl IV box score. 2007-02-09. SuperBowl.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20070101112306/http://www.superbowl.com/history/boxscores/game/sbiv. 2007-01-01. yes. Web site: 1970 AFL All-Star Game recap. 2007-02-09. News: Gordon. Forbes. This time, realignment will be cool breeze. USA Today. 2001-03-22. 2007-02-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20040829161949/http://lists.rollanet.org/pipermail/rampage/Week-of-Mon-20010319/001092.html. 2004-08-29. no. Web site: Moment 26: Enter Art. 2007-02-09. ClevelandBrowns.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20071010070953/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/article.php?id=6085. 2007-10-10. yes. Web site: =NBC gains broadcast rights to American Football League. NBC Sports History Page. Web site: Dallas meeting in '66 saved Steelers from stinking. Kevin. Sherrington. The Dallas Morning News. 2011-02-01. 2011-02-06. Book: Jim Acho. The "Foolish Club". Gridiron Press. 1997. 38596883. Foreword by Miller Farr. Book: Charles K. Ross. Outside the Lines: African Americans and the Integration of the National Football League. New York University Press. 1999. 0-8147-7495-4. Web site: Black football players boycott AFL All-Star game. 2007-02-09. The African American Registry. https://web.archive.org/web/20061225020026/http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/1950/Black_football_players_boycott_AFL_AllStar_game. 2006-12-25. yes. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "American Football League".

2019-04-21T01:04:10Z

http://everything.explained.today/American_Football_League/

The CHEPS department conducts research into how higher education works and the factors which determine the effectiveness and efficiency of higher education. The research is both fundamental and applied. A variety of research and design methodologies are combined with empirical knowledge to design solutions for specific problems in higher education policy. These policy issues include funding, quality assurance & accreditation, governance, internationalization, accessibility, career paths, modern teaching methods, encouraging research, rankings, etc. and how these are interrelated. In most cases the research involves conceptual analyses, secondary source research and quantitative or qualitative field research. It is mainly international comparative research in which the macro, meso and micro perspectives are analysed. In other words, how policy instruments at system level (macro) influence the work of higher education institutions (meso) and students and academics (micro). Generally, the exploratory and/or explanatory research is conducted in organizations related to higher education, such as ministries, universities and universities of applied sciences, associations, quality and funding agencies, boards, faculties, etc. Generally, the research is conducted in close collaboration with the parties involved, respondents and/or experts. No human subjects are used as test-persons. Before taking part in the research, respondents are informed in advance about the objective and the content of the research. In addition, they are required to give passive or active permission. Respondents take part in the research voluntarily and therefore receive no payment. In exceptional cases the prospect of winning a small gift may be offered to make participation more attractive. Respondents are recruited directly through the organizations where they work or study. If desired, the respondents are informed of the results following their participation. In addition, respondents may contact the lead researcher with questions at any time. The anonymity of respondents (and organizations) is safeguarded unless the respondents expressly request to be named as a contact person, as a case study or as an example of good practice in the report. National experts and/or subject experts regularly take part in the research. Generally, they are requested to give their analysis of or opinion on specific policy trends and their effectiveness in a way that is deemed academically responsible (stating their sources) or to complete questionnaires. Depending on the amount of work, they may be offered a suitable compensation from the research project budget. a. Respondents individually fill in answers, in writing or electronically, to questions about themselves, their environment or others in their environment (friends, family, partner, fellow students, etc.) or are questioned orally either individually or as part of a group (focus group). b. In some cases, an audio recording will be made of the interview or of the respondents’ behaviour. Only the researcher and his/her research team have access to data in which the subjects are identifiable. Without written permission of the respondents concerned sound recordings will not be shared with third parties. Recordings in which subjects are identifiable are carefully managed, and destroyed as soon as the interest of the research permits. c. Completion of the survey generally takes between 15 minutes and 30 minutes and no longer than 1 hour. In-depth interviews and focus groups last no longer than 3 hours. d. There is no physical discomfort, and there are no health and safety risks. e. The questions are neutral in all cases, even when they relate to emotional or sensitive topics for the person or organization. g. If respondents are identifiable then the following applies: Only the researcher has access to the identifiable data. The personal details are destroyed as soon as this is possible (that is to say, as soon as linking the data is completed). h. The researcher operates in accordance with privacy legislation. Documents are analysed with the aim of identifying and/or constructing dominant policy ideas in order to draw conclusions over objectives and possible effects of specific policy initiatives. Generally, public policy documents are analysed without obtaining advance permission from the authors. This applies to products available via mass media and to documents which are openly accessible on the Internet (i.e. not protected by password or other forms of protection). Text-analytical research may also use non-public documents but only to the extent that the researcher has obtained them via proper means (in other words with permission from the author and/or organization). The researcher ensures that these documents are not distributed further and that any content deemed to be confidential in nature is not made public. When quoting from documents consulted, the customary rules of copyright should be observed (source citation, author's permission for reproduction of texts longer than 250 words). Research in this department is focusing on entrepreneurial and innovative behavior of people, teams, and companies (antecedents, consequences, and processes). While we apply a range of research methods, we define three types of standard research procedures. Respondents are usually consenting adults. Respondents individually fill in written or electronic questions about themselves, their businesses, their environment, or others in their environment (e.g. team members). No observation of behavior takes place. Psychometric scales (e.g. Big 5, MBI) can be used. Participation is voluntary and is usually not rewarded. Responding takes no more than one hour. There is always a cover letter or e-mail in which an explanation is given on the research. This shows at least who performs the investigation, whether this concerns research that is commissioned and who is the client in this case, as far as possible the purpose of the investigation, and what happens to the data obtained, and whether the respondent remains anonymous or not (consent of respondent). If there are questions about emotional or sensitive topics, this is indicated in the accompanying letter in such a way that the respondent in advance can estimate whether he or she this research will contribute to this research. The questions are neutral in all cases (and not judgmental), and are usually based on established scales. The respondent may at all times refuse to complete the questionnaire or parts of the questionnaire, and can withdraw from the study anytime without consequences. In cross-sectional survey research, confidentiality of respondents is guaranteed, and in no place, the responded discloses information that can lead to his or her identification. In longitudinal research, a link to a particular respondent needs to me made by the researcher alone (which is usually done by attaching a number to each questionnaire which is then matched with subsequent waves, with only the researcher being able to match the questionnaires over waves). Thus, confidentiality remains guaranteed. a. Respondents are interviewed individually or in groups orally or observed, following an outline of the study and prior informed consent. b. In some cases, the interview or the behavior of the respondents will be recorded on audio or video. Only the researcher and his/her research team have access to the raw data, audio and video recordings. Without written permission of the respondents they will not be shared with third parties. Recordings in which subjects are identifiable are carefully managed, and destroyed as soon as the interest of the investigation permits. For research reports and publications, the data is anonymized and will only indicate the respondent’s businesses in case of prior informed consent. c. There is no physical discomfort, health and safety risks. d. Topics frequently asked in questionnaires and interviews: behavior, attitudes, opinions, preferences, sociodemographics, and performance indicators. e. If there are questions about emotional or sensitive topics (such as mental health problems), the investigator must ensure that the question is such that the test person will self or others in the vicinity of the participant not suffer adverse. Documents are analyzed with the aim to reconstruct different dimension of content. Public documents can be analyzed without the prior consent of the authors. This applies to products of mass media, and documents accessible via the Internet without a password or other form of protection. Non-public documents can be included in text analytical research, but only insofar as they have become in a consensual way available to the researcher. The researcher must ensure that these documents are not spread further and that their content - where confidential - not to be published. When citing documents examined in publications, the usual rules for copyright (citation permission of the person concerned to acquire texts above 250 words). At times, texts are generated via think-aloud techniques or diary techniques. Here the subject may be asked to 'think aloud' in order to get a better picture of how a task is performed, the considerations put the subject in decisions, misunderstandings or problems in the implementation of the task performance and potential irritation that occur in the execution of the task. During the task, subjects may be queried at different times of the cognitive effort, the motivation and the appreciation of the task. The behavior of the subjects is recorded by means of audio or video recordings, recording keystrokes and mouse movements, notes by the experimenter. After the performance of tasks subjects are asked about their experiences during task performance, their opinion on the materials and other task-oriented aspects used, including a debriefing. Before or after the task in detail questions can be asked about the investigation relevant sociographics and individual characteristics. Registrations will be processed and stored so the reduction to the individual subjects is only possible for the principal investigator and his/her research team, and then only to the extent necessary to verify later information or to obtain additional information. This means, that protocols and recording (video or audio) can be stored confidentially that only the experimenter knows which shot belongs to which participant. The research conducted by CMOB only allows healthy individuals to participate in research projects. Our research participants are usually individuals who work for one or several national or international organizations, and also graduate and undergraduate UT students. Our research projects only include participants aged 18 years or older. Individual participants are always sent a cover letter or email in which an explanation is given on the research. This shows at least who will be performing the investigation, whether this concerns research that is commissioned and – if this is the case – who the client is, as far as possible the purpose of the investigation, and what will happen to the data obtained. If there are questions about emotional or sensitive topics, this is indicated in the accompanying letter in such a way that the participant can estimate in advance whether he or she will contribute to this research. The questions are neutral in all cases (and not judgemental). Generally, the investigation should take no longer than 2 hours of the participant’s time, and they should give their permission for this. The participant can at any time refuse to continue with the investigation without having to state a reason. Confidentiality of participants is guaranteed, and at no time are participants asked to disclose information that could lead to their identification. If, despite the precautions taken, the identity of a participant does become traceable (for instance if surveys are returned by email) the results are always made anonymous when reporting or in the feedback process. If research is carried out on behalf of a specific client, the results are reported to that client in such a way that the client cannot identify individuals and small working units. Survey data is stored by researchers on password protected computers or laptops. Participants are questioned or observed individually or in small groups. Audio and/or video recordings of the interview or observed behaviour of subjects are regularly made. Only the researchers and their teams have access to private information and to identifiable data. Without written permission of the participants, concerned video and sound recordings will not be shared with third parties; recordings in which subjects can be identified are carefully managed and destroyed as soon as the interest of the research permits. All video and audio data is stored physically at the UT on password protected desktop computers that are located in a locked office, which can only be accessed by members of the research teams. The CMOB department often engages in mixed-method research during which physiological signals from participants are gathered such as heart rate and arousal levels, to better link internal processes with observable behaviour. Handling of the equipment is done by trained researchers or by the participants themselves. In the latter case, participants receive one or more training to facilitate correct handling of the equipment. The techniques used are non-invasive and do not in any way cause the participant physical discomfort, fear, pain or distress. Participants are informed about how the device operates and what kind of data it generates before commencement of a study. Furthermore, participants are made clear that they may refuse wearing devices during a study without giving a reason. If participants are identifiable then the following applies: 1) only the researcher has access to the identifiable data; 2) the personal details are destroyed as soon as this is possible (that is to say, as soon as linking the data is completed); and 3) the researchers must operate in accordance with privacy legislation. The above also applies to the relatively common survey-based research conducted by this department. This type of research generally asks questions to students, employees, managers and experts about their organizational and professional environment; personal details or participants’ behaviour are also examined but always in the context of the behaviour as a member of a larger entity, focused on results in the work context. Participants are never exposed to physical discomfort or health and safety risks. If there are questions about emotional or sensitive topics the researcher must ensure that the questions are posed in such a way that there are no adverse effects on the participant him or herself or on other people in their environment. Finally, participants may choose to withdraw the data they have provided for the research. Research conducted by the CPE generally makes use of healthy, adult and competent subjects who participate on a voluntary basis (often for the sake of study credits) or for a minimal financial remuneration. In a few cases, students are selected on the basis of mild conditions such as dyslexia, ADHD, or on the basis of other criteria (e.g. synesthesia or number of years’ musical experience). In this case, recruitment takes place by means of posters or announcements at the beginning of large-scale lectures, and in a few instances, by approaching study advisors who have information about relevant data. In this last case, enquiries are only made indirectly (via the study advisor) concerning interest in participation, after which the students can themselves contact the relevant researcher. Research focuses on basic cognitive functions such as perception, memory, attention and motor skills, and also looks at how these processes are implemented in the brain. This kind of research can make use of psychophysiological measurements such as EEG, ECG, and GSR. These measurements, if used according to the standard guidelines, involve a negligible risk and therefore fall into category D. Accidental discoveries: When using EEGs and ECGs, it is possible that accidental discoveries may be made. This should be stated on the various documents (recruitment documents and the information brochure). In addition, a special section for these measurements should be included on the informed consent form. Deception and debriefing: Some research involves making use of an implicit manipulation, such as when learning motor sequences or when presenting subliminal stimuli. During the debriefing, the subject should be informed about this manipulation. Recruitment of subjects: Some studies, for instance research into the processing of pain stimuli, or the registration of EEG, involve procedures which are to some extent unpleasant. Subjects should already be informed about this during the recruitment. Furthermore, sometimes stimulus material is used which is insulting, offensive or, for some people, inappropriate (e.g. photographs of victims of a violent crime, explicit sexual photographs, etc.). This should also be reported during the recruitment. a. It is emotionally neutral: visual stimuli consist of abstract forms or simple images; sounds presented are words, tones, or noise for instance; tactile stimuli consist of short vibrations. In all cases, the stimulus intensity used does not exceed any critical limit (e.g. 100 lumen / 100 dB). b. It is emotionally charged: the stimuli are developed to specifically elicit particular emotions. In this case, only stimuli from standard stimulus-sets (IAPS, IADS) may be used, normal human faces expressing particular emotions, and pain stimuli such as those used in research into nociception. In the case of pain stimuli, use should be made of EC-certified stimulation equipment especially developed for this purpose and the research should be conducted by an experienced researcher in this field. Previous research with similar stimuli has been evaluated positively by the Roessingh METC. The following aspects were specified. The different levels at which the electric stimuli are presented are determined individually in a pre-test. The strength of the electrical current is determined for the level at which a stimulus can first be detected (sensory threshold; VAS-score 1), the level at which the stimulus is experienced as uncomfortable (pain threshold; VAS-score of about 5), and the level at which the stimulus is experienced as extremely painful (pain tolerance level; VAS-score of about 9). The stimuli for the experiment are then set to a level well below the pain tolerance level (VAS-score of about 7). The number of pain stimuli above the pain threshold is kept low (< 200) and there is an interval of at least 3 seconds between these stimuli. Subjects are screened for possible oversensitivity and should not partake of any drugs or alcohol in the 24 hours preceding participation. Furthermore, mood assessment questionnaires are filled in prior to and after completion of the experiment. Participants are informed quite explicitly that they can decide at any time and without giving any reason whatsoever to withdraw from the experiment. There are no adverse consequences linked to this. In the unlikely event that any harmful effects do occur after all, e.g. spontaneously reported by the participant or observed by the researcher, then these will be noted and reported to the CE. The researcher and/or the UT has a third party liability insurance which is in accordance with legal conditions in the Netherlands (Article 7 WMO and the rules for Compulsory Insurance in Medical Research Involving Human Subjects 23 June 2003). This insurance covers possible losses suffered by research participants due to injury or death which may have resulted from the research. In this research, use is usually made of stimuli as described in the type of research detailed above, whereby the head of the subject is fitted with an elastic cap (Easy-Cap; Falk Minow Services, Herrsching, Germany). Up to a maximum number of 64 Ag/AgCL ring electrodes are attached to this cap for recording the electro-encephalogram (EEG). Different referencing methods are used for the signal such as mastoids, earlobes, but usually the online average is taken as a reference. An earth electrode is also used. This allows free movement of the head. In addition, electrodes are usually attached around the eyes in order to register eye movements (the electrooculogram: EOG), and sometimes electrodes are also placed to measure the heart rate (the electrocardiogram: ECG) and muscle activity (the electromyogram: EMG). The electrodes are attached as specified in the Electro-Cap instruction manual. The physiological signals are amplified using a 72-channel amplifier (QuickAmp; BrainProducts GmbH) and Vision Recorder is used for further acquisition of the signals. Work is carried out according to the guidelines set out in the instruction manual of Easy-Cap. All equipment or materials used comply with required EC guidelines. The subject does not participate for longer than four hours at a time, with regular breaks (every 20 minutes or so). Furthermore, the subject may not participate more than twice a week in a similar experiment. a. Respondents individually fill in answers, in writing or electronically, to questions about themselves, their environment or others in their environment. Completing the questionnaire takes no longer than 1 hour. b. Questionnaire subjects include cognitive skills (memory, language proficiency, numerical proficiency, IQ), learning styles, autobiographical memories, personality traits, health, use of medicines/drugs or psychoactive substances, mood, attitudes, opinions, emotional experiences, etc. c. Deception is only allowed here if subjects are informed about it after the research has ended, in such a way as to eliminate possible negative effects resulting from the deception. d. With questions on emotional or sensitive topics (for instance, traumatic experiences), the researcher is responsible for ensuring that these are phrased in such a way that neither the subject nor others in the subject's environment will experience any adverse effects. The questions in the research should always be of a neutral nature and therefore not judgemental. e. No physical discomfort or health and safety risks are involved. Explanatory notes about fulfilled general requirements and conditions: The research conducted by the department of Communication Studies focuses on the internal and external communication of organizations and on marketing psychology. Research themes include: the influence of communication on employees, the professionalism and effectiveness of internal communication processes, and the relationship between communication and internal and external perceptions. Research themes in marketing psychology include: consumer behaviour, the dynamics of social influencing, and Relationship Management in the services sector. EC authorization: assessment of ethical permissibility by EC or by METC; the research is not medical in nature. Voluntary participation. Subjects participate voluntarily in the research. Remuneration is not higher than the standard compensation amount. Screening of subjects. Subjects are screened where necessary to guarantee that the random sample is representative for the population under investigation. Accidental discoveries: These are not medical in nature. Informed consent: This is generally the case. When subjects are observed (including electronic observation) and in cases where data could be traced to individuals, permission to use the data is requested retrospectively. Informed consent is not obtained for use of texts in the public domain (including weblogs, contributions to public debate fora); however, the texts are made anonymous in the research report. Anonymity: Research data relating to persons is made anonymous as soon as possible in the research and certainly when it comes to reporting, unless the person concerned gives express permission to the contrary. Use of video recordings for any purpose other than obtaining and analysing results is only allowed if those concerned give their written permission. Deception and debriefing: Deception may be deployed in some research projects, meaning that the goal of the research is not disclosed so as not to influence the behaviour of participants. For instance, when observing how people respond to documents or in cases of mystery shopping research. A debriefing is usually held once the research is complete. Selection of subjects: Risks mentioned under a and b do not apply. Risks mentioned under c may apply when subjects have to perform tasks which require them to consult open sources for information, e.g. Internet. If these risks are greater than in their normal work, education or home environment, the subjects will be informed. Respondents answer a list of questions either individually, in writing or electronically, about communication resources or processes and, related to these, questions about themselves, their environment and people in their environment. Generally, respondents' behaviour is not observed and no physiological measurements are taken. The true purpose of the research is not always disclosed to the participants in advance for a number of reasons, including the wish to prevent socially desirable responses. The true purpose of the research is explained to the participant during the debriefing. Generally, it takes no longer than 1 hour to complete the questionnaire. There is no physical discomfort, and there are no health and safety risks. Frequently asked questions in questionnaires from the Communications Programme group include: Personality traits (e.g. Need for Cognition, Need for Structure, aggression, dominance), attitudes, stereotypes, beliefs and preferences; experiences (e.g. as a result of physical disability or conditions); emotions, cognitions, and behaviour in social interactions (e.g. sales situations); autobiographical memories (e.g. the last time the subject was publicly insulted); etc. If there are questions about emotional or sensitive topics (such as conflicts, sexual behaviour etc.) the researcher must ensure that the questions are posed in such a way that there are no adverse effects on the respondent him or herself or on other people in their environment. The questions are neutral in all cases (and not judgemental). If research is conducted in the context of an organization, the researcher ensures that the dataset is not made available to the organization and that respondents are not traceable. At all times the researcher must stand between the organization and the respondent and ensure that a member of the organization does not experience any adverse effects as a consequence of his or her participation in the research. Respondents answer individual questions about communications processes or communications resources. Generally, respondents' behaviour is not observed and no physiological measurements are taken. The true purpose of the research is not always disclosed to the participants in advance for a number of reasons, including the wish to prevent socially desirable responses. The true purpose of the research is explained to the participant during the debriefing. Generally, an interview lasts no longer than 1 hour. There is no physical discomfort, and there are no health and safety risks. An audio or video recording of the interview may be made but express permission of the subject must be obtained in advance. The recording is stored and processed in such a way that only the researcher is able to trace it back to the individual subject, and then only in cases where it is necessary to verify information at a later date or to obtain additional information. This means that protocols and recordings are labelled and stored anonymously and that personal details are not traceable. Respondents answer individual questions about communications processes or communications resources. At the start of the interview the interviewer states his/her name and the name of the organization (University of Twente) and checks whether this is an appropriate time for the interview to take place. If necessary, the interviewer arranges to conduct the interview at another time. The rules for face-to-face interviews given above also apply to telephone interviews. In groups, respondents answer questions about communications processes or communications resources. The moderator ensures that participants feel safe in the group and feel able to speak freely; he/she tries to prevent participants from being embarrassed or experiencing other emotional harm as a result of the behaviour of other participants. The rules for face-to-face interviews given above also apply. - The true or complete purpose of the research is not always disclosed to the participants in advance for a number of reasons, including the wish to prevent socially desirable responses. The true purpose of the research is explained to the participant during the debriefing. - Participants sometimes receive manipulated feedback (false feedback) about personality, capacity or achievements in performing a task, providing no permanent adverse effects can be foreseen; in all cases, subjects are informed of this retrospectively. - Participants are sometimes told that they are interacting with other subjects whilst this is not in fact the case. - Participants are sometimes told that certain tasks have to be performed whilst this is not the case (not extremely unpleasant or burdensome tasks). - In many cases one or more confederates are deployed to take on a specific role in the interaction with the participants who are unaware of this. Lab research generally takes no longer than 1 hour. There is no physical discomfort, and there are no health and safety risks. Stimuli which are not presented subliminally tend to be (1) environments, texts, images, film fragments which trigger emotions/moods (mood/emotion manipulation), and/or (2) behaviour of a confederate. Stimuli which are presented subliminally tend to be pictures and/or words with either emotional or neutral connotations/meaning (such as 'violence', 'flower'). Stimulus material cannot reasonably be interpreted as shocking, frightening or insulting. Stimulus material may be emotionally charged, in other words it has been specifically developed to trigger certain positive or negative emotions, or else it can reasonably be expected to trigger these emotions. In experiments in which subjects participate in groups (or dyads) there is no physical contact between subjects. In experiments which simulate conflict (such as research into negotiations or conflict management) the rule is that the experiment will be terminated if there is a risk of physical or verbal (cursing, screaming) violence. Subjects are asked to perform a specific task and/or answer questions based on one or more soft and/or hard copy documents. If the experiment requires the use of personal information, (for instance income details when completing a form) a fictional scenario is generally used. While performing the task the subject may be asked to 'think aloud' in order to gain a better picture of how they are performing the task, the considerations which influence the subject's decisions, the misunderstandings or problems which arise during performance of the task and potential irritations which arise while the task is being performed. During the task subjects may be asked questions at various times about the cognitive effort, the motivation and the appreciation of the task. The subjects' behaviour is recorded in audio and video recordings, registration of key strokes and mouse movements, and notes made by the moderator. Once the task has been performed, subjects may be asked questions about their experience of the task performance, their assessment of the materials used and other task-related aspects. Before or after performing the task, subjects may be asked questions about personality traits relevant to the research. The recording is stored and processed in such a way that only the researcher is able to trace it back to the individual subject, and then only in cases where it is necessary to verify information at a later date or to obtain additional information. this means that protocols and recordings (audio and video) are stored anonymously and that only the team leader knows which recording relates to which subject. In the written protocols, names and other elements which could identify the subject are replaced by indications such as [name], [company name]. Documents are analysed with the aim of identifying, defining and classifying language and text characteristics and/or drawing conclusions on their quality based on the analysis. Documents in the public domain may be analysed without advance permission from the authors. This applies to products available via mass media and to documents which are openly accessible on the Internet (i.e. not protected by password or other forms of protection). Text-analytical research may also use non-public documents but only to the extent that the researcher has obtained them via proper means. The researcher ensures that these documents are not distributed further and that any content deemed to be confidential in nature is not made public. When citing documents examined in publications, the usual rules for copyright (citation permission of the person concerned to acquire texts above 250 words). - The research units are situated so that they can reasonably be expected to be seen or heard by other people (for example in a shop). - The information being researched is of great public interest. - Conventional methods are highly unlikely to produce reliable results. - Innocent people should not be exposed to risks. Accordingly, measures should be taken to ensure the anonymity of research units/participants. The standard research of MCO poses questions which are not of a medical nature. In general, the questions are concerned with the normal functioning of the human being in relationship to media, communication and organizations. Two research areas can be distinguished within the Department of Media, Communication & Organization: e-Government and media psychology. a. Respondents individually fill in answers, in writing or electronically, to questions about themselves, their environment or others in their environment (friends, partner, fellow students, etc.) or are questioned orally either individually or as part of a group (focus group). b. No observation of behaviour takes place and no physiological measurements are taken. c. The real purpose of the research is not always disclosed to the participant prior to the research in order to prevent, among other things, socially desirable responses. The real purpose of the research is however always explained to the participant during the debriefing. d. Deception is allowed only if participants are fully informed at the end of the research about the manner in which they have been misled during the research. The following form of deception is often used: giving false feedback on personality/abilities provided that no lasting harmful effects are anticipated. e. Completing the questionnaire should not take longer than 1 hour; interviews and focus groups should not take longer than 2 hours. f. No physical discomfort or health and safety risks are involved. g. Content of frequently asked questions in MCO questionnaires and interviews includes: attitudes, opinions and preferences with regard to the use of media; emotional experiences/expressions with regard to particular media utterances; behaviour or behavioural intentions with regard to use of media; self-efficacy with regard to the use of media technology; motives for media use; personality factors. h. If questions are asked about emotional or sensitive topics (such as aggression, addiction, etcetera), the researcher is responsible for ensuring that the questions are formulated in such a way that neither the participant nor others in the participant's environment will experience any adverse effects. The questions posed in the research should always be of a neutral nature and therefore not judgemental. a. Procedure: Participants are exposed to stimuli (usually video fragments or other visual material) or they play a game. Their behaviour in reaction to the stimuli is measured by recording the behaviour and/or by letting participants fill in questionnaires. b. No physiological measurements have been taken to date, but this will take place in the near future. d. The following form of deception is often used: suggesting a particular task (for instance evaluating stimuli) whilst the actual measurement involves behaviour(al intentions), aroused emotions or memory abilities. e. Laboratory research should not take longer than 1 hour. g. Stimuli which are presented are often (1) video fragments to induce emotions/moods (mood/emotion manipulation), (2) games (including first-person shooters). The research is not medical in nature. The research is conducted at education institutions and professional organizations in close collaboration with the parties involved. Before taking part in the research, subjects (and where necessary their parents/carers) are informed in advance about the objective and the content of the research. In addition, they are required to give passive or active permission. Subjects take part in the research voluntarily and are rewarded in the form of a small gift, a sum of money, a presentation/information session or participation points. Subjects are recruited directly via educational institutions and work organizations or through advertisements or the SONA system. If desired, the subjects are informed of the results following their participation. In addition, subjects may contact the lead researcher with questions at any time. Anonymity of subjects is safeguarded. Anonymity is always guaranteed when it comes to reporting the research findings or giving feedback. If required by the research, some subjects may be excluded from participation. For instance if participants suffer from dyslexia, dyscalculia, attention deficit or other problems which might affect their ease of learning. Specific criteria for inclusion or exclusion may also be applied, for instance with a view to matching with other subjects on the basis of gender, pre-knowledge or intellectual capacity. a. Respondents individually fill in answers, in writing or electronically, to questions about themselves, their environment or others in their environment (parents, friends, partner, fellow students, managers, colleagues etc.) or are questioned orally either individually or as part of a group (focus group). b. In some cases audio or video recordings of the interview or observed behaviour of subjects are made. Only the researchers and their teams have access to identifiable data, and video and sound recordings will not be shared with third parties before obtaining explicit permission of the subjects concerned; recordings in which subjects are identifiable are carefully managed, and destroyed as soon as the interest of the research permits. c. It takes no longer than 2 hours to complete the questionnaire; in-depth interviews last no longer than a half-day. e. If there are questions about emotional or sensitive topics (such as conflicts, bullying, aggression) the researcher must ensure that the questions are posed in such a way that there are no adverse effects on the respondent him or herself or on other people in their environment. The questions are neutral in all cases. f. If required by the research question, it may be necessary to link the information obtained from the surveys to other data. If data are linked to other sources (e.g. data from other respondents, administrative details), the respondent is informed in advance. Based on this information the respondent may refuse to complete the survey or refuse permission for the data to be linked. g. If respondents are identifiable then the following applies: Only the researcher has access to the identifiable data. The personal details are destroyed as soon as the data linking is complete. a. In experiments subjects are exposed to interventions designed to influence how subjects learn. The interventions may include training and/or coaching sessions, supportive task structuring (e.g. scaffolding), visualization (e.g. concept maps, video etc.), hints, prompts and forms of adaptive feedback or other stimuli (task, playing games, light etc.). The interventions are supported by software or by a moderator. The effects of these interventions are evaluated through pre- and post-retention test designs with a control group and one or more experimental groups. Learning results are measured using standarized tests and validated tests. Learning processes (including behaviour) are measured on the basis of observations, questionnaires, interviews, protocols for interaction and thinking aloud, and computer log files. Only the researcher and his/her research team have access to data in which the subjects are identifiable. Audio and video recordings will not be shared with third parties without written permission of the respondents concerned. Recordings in which subjects are identifiable are carefully managed, and destroyed as soon as the interest of the research permits. b. The true purpose of the research is not always disclosed to the participants in advance for a number of reasons, including the wish to prevent socially desirable responses. The true purpose of the research is always explained to the participant during the debriefing. d. Physiological measurements are sometimes taken. e. There is no physical discomfort, and there are no health and safety risks. Het onderzoek van de vakgroep Finance en Accounting wordt uitgevoerd door middel van kwantitatieve en kwalitatieve onderzoeksmethoden. Het onderzoek is veelal kwantitatief van aard en richt zich vooral op publiek beschikbare gegevens van zowel kleine, middelgrote en grote ondernemingen en financiële markten. Hierbij valt te denken aan door ondernemingen gepubliceerde financiële en niet-financiële informatie, bijvoorbeeld jaarverslagen, berichtgevingen aan analisten, prospectussen, CSR rapporten, etc. Daarnaast maken we gebruik van databases welke toegankelijk zijn via de Universiteitsbibliotheek, bijvoorbeeld ORBIS. Bij onderzoek op basis van interviews of vragenlijsten worden er hoofdzakelijk vragen gesteld over de organisatorische en professionele omgeving van geïnterviewden en respondenten. Experimenteel onderzoek met proefpersonen welke wordt verricht door studenten en (onder leiding van) medewerkers van Finance en Accounting gebeurd in overeenstemming met de facultaire richtlijnen zoals vastgelegd in de Regeling voor Ethiek en Onderzoek en de richtlijnen die zijn vastgelegd door de Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association (aangenomen 1 Augustus 2012 en geldig tot 1 Augustus 2022). Verder zullen medewerkers van Finance en Accounting indien gewerkt wordt met proefpersonen vooraf toestemming vragen aan de facultaire Commissie Ethiek (CE) van BMS. Bij alle onderzoeksvormen zullen de personen (zoals bijvoorbeeld studenten, medewerkers, managers, aandeelhouders, analisten en overige professionals) deelnemen op basis van vrijwilligheid en zonder enige vorm van druk. Verder zullen de deelnemers niet worden blootgesteld aan ongemak, veiligheids- en gezondheidsrisico’s. Onderzoeksresultaten worden uitsluitend geanonimiseerd gerapporteerd tenzij in specifieke gevallen anders is overeengekomen. The department carries out research primarily in the area of effectiveness of policy development and implementation, on legal design and on understanding human decision-making in the economic domain. Research can take a form of a survey among individuals (e.g. private persons, entrepreneurs, farmers, civil servants, politicians, NGOs) or laboratory experiments with human subjects (both usually done through a specialised external partner). CSTM does not do research of a medical nature and does not engage in topics that may bring any damage to physical or mental health to objects of experimentation. Storage and access to research data: as UT and majority of funding agencies and some journals these days require to offer access to the data(-matrices) based on which certain research has been performed, CSTM data can be stored at the IGS DataLab. The data collected at CSTM, in as much as it concerns ‘data matrices’ (overviews of quantitative or qualitative scores on a number of variables per research unit) should be stored in the IGS Datalab unless there is a conflict with collaborators outside UT or a privacy issue involved. Qualitative data from interviews (like interview transcripts or interview voice recordings), which involves (i) sensitive private information or (ii) make a respondent identifiable, can be neither stored nor receive public access due to privacy reasons. Qualitative data that does not have either, can be stored in the IGS DataLab given that there are resources to digitise it. As a rule quantitative data needs to be stored in the IGS DataLab, unless it infringes upon respondents’ privacy. When data is stored in the IGS DataLab it should also provide basic information such as year of collection, research domain and the name of the contact person (by default the person who collected the data or responsible for collecting the data). Since data collection is often very costly and access to data influences the competitiveness of a researcher/research group, there may be a time lag between the period when the data is collected and when it should be stored for public access in the DataLab. Research conducted by CSTM is non-medical. When involving human respondents and representatives of organizations, it concerns normal functioning of human beings or human organizations and institutions in decision-making, decision implementation and adherence to social or legal standards or norms, economic choices and decisions under uncertainty. Selection of persons: subjects participate on voluntary bases, sometimes with remuneration/compensation for costs. If that stage of research is outsourced to a third specialised party (surveying agency, experimental laboratory at another institute), the latter applies its own regulated protocol here. Screening of persons: only on the basis of research/methodological criteria. If that stage of research is outsourced to a third specialised party (surveying agency, experimental laboratory at another institute), the latter applies its own regulated protocol here. Accidental discoveries: no general clauses exist on this aspect (e.g. findings on individuals’ criminal conduct or health impacts), as it seems unlikely to involve findings that affect respondents’ personal life/health. Informed consent and information brochure: given the nature of most CSTM research there is no brochure but the general policy is that the (responsible) researcher discusses with respondents about possible publication of data and how to address possible sensitiveness of information. Respondents individually or in pairs or focus answer questions raised by one or more interviewers. Questions are about themselves, their environment others in their professional environment, and societal challenges that have to do with sustainable development in one way or another. Questioned are raised orally and/or by written questionnaire, and are observed individually or by multiple researchers. The audio and video recordings are not made available to third parties without the written permission of the respondents concerned; recordings in which subjects are identifiable are carefully stored and are destroyed when no longer needed for the purposes of the research. Interview video and audio files are typically used to draft near-literal interview transcripts that can be used for qualitative and mixed-method data analysis. Data analysis of interview data takes place either in two forms: (i) by interpretation of interview data; and (ii) by treatment (‘coding’) and analysis of qualitative data using qualitative analysis software packages (e.g. Atlas.ti; NVivo). The latter is done to retrieve patterns or to compare data provided by (groups of) interview subjects. Answering of semi-structured questionnaires/doing the interviews takes between 30 minutes and 5 hours. Of course the length of the interview depends upon the willingness and permission given by the interviewee. No physical discomfort or health and safety risks are inflicted upon interviewees. Content of frequently asked questions in questionnaires and interviews addresses the following issues: attitudes, opinions and preferences with regard to sustainability issues, behaviour during conflicts or negotiations, opinions on security issues (and personality factors). Important with group observations is the team cohesion and the attitude toward the leader. Issues also typically involve the role of public administration and policies. If questions are asked about emotional or sensitive subjects (such as conflicts, bullying, aggression), the researcher is responsible for ensuring that the questions are formulated in such a way that neither the participant nor others in the participant's environment will experience any adverse effects. The questions posed in the research should always be of a neutral nature and therefore not judgemental. Links with administrative data (e.g. with regard to unexplained absence or productivity). Links to data obtained from other respondents (e.g. fellow team members, subordinates, supervisors). Links to data obtained previously from the same respondent (in longitudinal research). A combination of what is stated under a, b and c. Only the researcher has access to the identifiable data. The personal details are destroyed as soon as this is possible (that is to say, as soon as linking the data is completed). In general, the researcher must operate in accordance with privacy legislation. If data are linked to other sources (e.g. data from other respondents, administrative data), then the respondent is informed of this prior to linking the data. On the basis of this information, the respondent may refuse to fill in the questionnaire or allow the linking to actually take place. In longitudinal surveys, no more than 5 measurements may take place, and not more than 1 measurement per month. questioned orally or observed individually or as part of a group. written permission of the respondents concerned; recordings in which subjects are identifiable are carefully stored and are destroyed when no longer needed for the purposes of the research. Completing the questionnaire should not take longer than 1 hour; extended interviews (for example with police negotiators) may not last longer than one session(morning, afternoon). No physical discomfort or health and safety risks are involved. Content of frequently asked questions in questionnaires and interviews: attitudes, opinions and preferences with regard to risks such as floods or terrorism, behaviour during conflicts or negotiations, opinions on security issues (e.g. surveillance cameras or metal detector gates) and personality factors. Important with group observations is the team cohesion and the attitude toward the leader. Laboratory experiments with human subjects are undertaken to understand human decision-making a specific situation, primarily with respect to economic choices and decisions under uncertainty. To date, this has usually been carried out by CSTM staff in a laboratory outside UT. A typical experiment involves human subjects, who participate voluntarily and sometimes receive some monetary reward based on their performance. Participants usually sit individually behind computer screens in a lab and make choices depending on the rules of an experiment (clearly communicated to them) and information shown on a screen (usually information on own past performance and some aggregated data on the actions of a group, e.g. market price over time). Their choices (often a choice of an option A vs. B or a price they are willing to pay for a good with specific properties) are recorded and serve as a research data for analysis. An experiment may be accompanied by a brief questionnaire on basic socio-demographic data of a participant. No sensors are used. An experiment may last 1-2 hours. Please note that the application procedure for ethical approval by students and staff from the HTSR department is slightly different from the BMS procedure for other departments. HTSR researchers planning research with human subjects are always required to use the CCMO template. When the human subjects research is not assessed by a Medical Ethics Review Committee (METC), please answer and finish the questions in the BMS web application. Then email your completed CCMO template to the EC secretariat, make sure you mention your EC requestnumber in this email. Working in the environment of the technical university, this department specializes in two lines of HRM Technology & Innovation research: HRM & Innovation Performance and Innovating HRM Function. The sub-field HRM & Innovation Performance focuses on the contribution of HRM to multi-level individual, team and organizational performance. The sub-field Innovating HRM Function focuses on the effectiveness of various innovations in the HRM function and their value creation for organizations. Respondents individually fill in answers, in writing or electronically, to questions about themselves, colleagues, managers, or other people in their environment, about the organization (e.g. policy or strategy) or about HRM (HRM policy, HRM practices). Questionnaires are sent to multiple organizations or a single organization (case study). Respondents' behaviour is not observed and no physiological measurements are taken. Participation is voluntary and if any compensation is offered, it is proportionate (no more than EUR 10 per hour). Generally, it takes no longer than 1 hour to complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire is always sent with an explanatory covering letter or email. This shows at least who will be performing the investigation, whether it concerns research that is commissioned and – if this is the case – who the client is, as far as possible the purpose of the investigation, and what happens to the data obtained. If there are questions about emotional or sensitive topics, this is indicated in the accompanying letter in such a way that the respondent can estimate in advance whether he or she will contribute to this research. The questions are neutral in all cases (and not judgemental). The respondent may at any time refuse to complete the survey or parts of it. Anonymity of subjects is safeguarded and respondents are never asked to provide information which could serve to identify them. If, despite the precautions taken, the identity of a participant does become traceable (for instance if surveys are returned by email) the results are always made anonymous when reporting or in the feedback process. If research is carried out on behalf of a specific client, the results are reported to that client in such a way that the client cannot identify individuals. a. Link to administrative details (e.g. related to sick leave or productivity). b. Link to data obtained from other respondents (e.g. team members, subordinates, supervisors. c. Link to data obtained earlier from the same respondent (in longitudinal research). d. A combination of the situations stated at a, b and c. The personal details are destroyed as soon as possible (i.e. when the data linking is complete). Generally, the researcher operates in accordance with privacy legislation. If data are linked to other sources (e.g. data from other respondents, administrative details), the respondent is informed in advance. Based on this information the respondent may decide not to complete the survey or refuse permission for the data to be linked. 1. Respondents are questioned orally or are observed, either individually or as part of a group. 2. Respondents within a single organization (case study) or multiple organizations may take part in research. 3. In some cases audio or video recordings of the interview or observed behaviour of subjects are made. Only the researchers and their teams have access to identifiable data, and video and sound recordings will not be shared with third parties without explicit permission of the respondents. Recordings in which subjects are identifiable are carefully managed and destroyed as soon as the interest of the research permits. 4. Generally, the research takes no longer than 2 hours to complete. 5. There is no physical discomfort, and there are no health and safety risks. 6. Questions asked in HRM-related qualitative research focus on things like attitudes, beliefs, perceptions in respect of organizational policy, actors in organizations (such as managers), organizational units (such as HRM departments) or technology in organizations (such as e-HRM or social media). 7. If there are questions about emotional or sensitive topics (such as conflicts at work) the researcher must ensure that the questions are posed in such a way that there are no adverse effects on the respondent him or herself or on other people in their environment. The questions are neutral in all cases and not judgemental. The department of Industrial Engineering and Business Information Systems (IEBIS) conducts high-quality interdisciplinary research in the area of Industrial Engineering and Business Information Systems. The research is focused on the design and optimization of supply chains and logistics, healthcare processes, maintenance and reliability, security and risk management, and finance and professional services. IEBIS researchers closely collaborate with industries and institutes in the service and healthcare sector, as well as with companion knowledge institutes, as exemplified by the (almost exclusively externally funded) project portfolio. We focus on projects that substantially impact innovation of real life systems, while at the same time contributing profoundly to the international scientific knowledge base. Although the healthcare sector obviously concerns medical treatments, our research exclusively focuses on improving organizational effectivity, never the individual behavior of either cure and care personnel or patients/clients. That is: research is of a non-medical nature. Methodologically, our research is based on quantitative (Operations Research) models and algorithms for both deterministic and stochastic systems, discrete event simulation and serious gaming, ICT architectures and business modeling, data mining and business analytics, and prototyping to create and evaluate innovative concepts. Both central and distributed control architectures for inter-organizational systems (e.g. multi-agent models) are applied. In analyzing existing organizational practices, often interviews are used (oral and by telephone), group interviews, as well as stakeholder workshops to further explore and analyse organisational behaviour. In addition, sometimes questionnaires are used. With respect to cybersecurity, research may involve the observation of individuals in their reaction to specific challenges. In such a case, care is taken that all relevant management levels are informed and, in case of doubt, the Ethical Committee is consulted. Standard research with human subjects takes place under the following conditions. Participants are whenever possible informed about the aim and nature of the research activities in advance of the research. If the research takes place within an organization, approval and cooperation of the proper authorities within that organization (director, manager or board) is sought before approaching any individuals for the research. Participants are asked for explicit consent before the research starts. Interviews in general will not take more than 2 hours. If a questionnaire has te be filled in, completion will take maximally one hour. If responses, behaviour of and/or interactions between respondents are recorded on audio or video, respondents will always be asked permission for such recording before the recording starts. Only the researcher and co-researchers have access to identifiable information, and audio- and video recordings will not be shown to others without explicit permission of the respondent. Recordings which can be linked to the person of participants will be kept secure and safe and will be destroyed as soon as the research project allows. In transcriptions of interviews, observations, focus groups and workshops, participants will not be referred to by name, but by code or pseudonym. Participants will be asked for confirmation with the written reproduction of their recordings. Participants are made aware that they can withdraw from the research any time without giving their reasons, and such withdrawal is respected. The researcher takes care that participants at the end of the interview are clearly informed about the next steps in the research, and whether and how they will be approached during these steps. In particular, the researcher explains whether the participants will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the transcripts and/or the analysis of the interviews, and if so, when and how. Participants can indicate whether they would like to be informed about the results of the research, and the researcher takes care that those participants who are interested are informed as soon as possible. Focus groups and workshops last no more than one day. Each morning/afternoon/evening will have at least one break, and in between there will also be a break. The researcher ensures that the group meeting or workshop is properly moderated, so that all participants feel sufficiently safe to share their views, and have equal opportunity to participate. The researcher can moderate the meeting him/herself, or ask an independent person to do so. Next to the moderator, one or two additional observers may be present, who are introduced as such at the start of the meeting. The activities participants are asked to perform during the focus group or workshop are usually discursive. They will not cause any physical harm to, nor pose any safety- or health risk for the participants. The researcher takes care that participants at the end of the meeting are clearly informed about the next steps in the research and whether and how they will be approached about these steps. In particular, the researcher explains whether the participants will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the transcripts and/or the analysis, and if so, how. Research involving individual behaviour may for instance concern the reaction of students to particular challenges such as phishing mails. In such cases, all appropriate management levels are early informed and asked for explicit consent. The researcher takes care that nothing that s/he publishes or otherwise makes public permits identification of individuals or puts their welfare or security at risk. During their research, the researcher will always handle information received from test subjects most confidentially. Researcher will make sure that test subjects will be adequately debriefed and asked for their consent after their participation in the experimental set-up. The department carries out research among other things on the effectiveness of modern didactic methods in which ICT tools often play a role. The research is not medical by nature. The experimental environment is a school classroom in vivo whereby groups of pupils act as subjects. The school heads are kept informed of the nature and scope of the didactic experiments. In consultation with the school heads, the extent to which it is sufficient to inform parents of forthcoming experiments in which the drastic nature of the experimental didactic method with regard to the method in force is the criterion, is constantly assessed. The standard research of IST poses questions which are not of a medical nature. In general, the questions are concerned with the normal functioning of the human being in relationship to learning, reasoning and decision-making. The department carries out research on the effectiveness of modern didactic methods in which information technology often plays an important role. The subjects are pupils in primary and secondary education, and pupils/students in senior secondary vocational education, higher professional education and at university. School classes are regularly used as groups in research. The school heads are kept informed of the nature and scope of the didactic experiments. The way in which the parents/carers of the children are informed and their permission requested for the participation of their child in the experiments is determined in consultation. Selection of adult, competent persons: Subjects participate voluntarily in the research and are remunerated for their participation. This is not necessarily the case for research carried out in schools. Remuneration can be in the form of a small gift, an amount of money or so-called human subject points. Remuneration can also be in the form of a reciprocal service to a school (e.g. a presentation or providing information). Subjects are recruited via direct contact with schools, advertisements, posters or via the SONA system [web-based human subject pool management software for universities]. If the research so requires, some subjects are excluded from participation in the research. This could be on the basis of the presence of dyslexia, dyscalculia, attention deficit or other problems which make learning difficult. Further screening can be on the basis of vision problems, for instance in experiments where eye movements are registered or experiments where colour perception is important. Furthermore, specific inclusion or exclusion criteria can be employed for the sake of matching with other subjects on the basis of gender, foreknowledge or intellectual capacities for example. Accidental discoveries: In the case of EEG measurements, a provision is included in the informed consent for a procedure to be followed should any abnormalities be found in the EEG which could possibly indicate a disorder (e.g. epilepsy). The subject should provide the name and location of his/her general practitioner, or the full address of the GP’s surgery or group practice to be notified in the event of a discovery that may be of vital importance to the subject. Should the subject not have a general practitioner, then (s)he should agree to a student medical service doctor or, more commonly, a company doctor being notified. The subject must agree to this procedure and acknowledge this by signing a separate clause on the informed consent form. Informed consent and Information brochure: The subject (or his/her legal representative if the subject is under 18 years of age), after taking cognizance of the information brochure accompanying the research and prior to participation in the research, signs an informed consent form. If the research takes place in a school, this procedure can also be carried out via the school heads who inform the parents/carers thus providing, together with the researchers, a kind of passive approval. Parents/carers are obliged to indicate any objections. If they do not do so before a given date, then they have implicitly given their consent. Sufficient time must be given to the parents/carers in which to react. In this kind of research, subjects perform learning tasks which usually make use of digital learning environments. These can be an individual learning task or a task which should be performed together with one or more other subjects. Different conditions may apply in which the effect of a certain type of instruction or support is investigated. If the research is conducted in schools, care is taken to ensure that these instructions do not put subjects belonging to a certain condition either at an advantage or disadvantage in their functioning at school in relation to subjects belonging to other conditions. Taking the duration of the experiments into account, this is seldom likely to be the case. Pre-tests and post- tests, questionnaires (motivation, personality) or other specific tests (for instance intelligence tests, aptitude tests, neuro-psychological tests) may form part of the didactic research. In the (collaborative) learning environments, use is sometimes made of a chat system. The content of the chats, as well as the thinking out loud protocols and computer log files can serve as objects of analysis. This kind of research is carried out with the help of EEG and eye movement registration. Use is primarily made of visual stimuli which are related to aspects of digital learning environments (e.g. representations). Usability studies are studies in which learning environments are examined for their user friendliness. Subjects pass through a learning environment according to a set protocol and thereafter answer questions via questionnaires or semi-structured interviews on their experiences with the learning environment. This type of research is intended to optimize the design of learning environments. The standard research of the department concerns the functioning of science and technology, the development of new scientific knowledge and new technologies and the impact that science and technology have (or may have) on (parts of) society. Usually the research is performed by way of literature study or conceptual analysis. Research with human subjects is taking place when it is investigated empirically how technologies are developed, how existing practices of using a technology are functioning and what technology developers, (potential) users and stakeholders think of these practices and new developments. In these cases, the research is mainly qualitative and explorative. Standard methods used are interviews (oral and by telephone), group interviews, observations, focus groups, stakeholder workshops and text analysis of documents. The technologies and practices under investigation are sometimes of a medical nature. However, the goal of the research is usually not medical. If the goal of the research might be medical after all, the METC will asked to assess whether the research falls under the scope of the WMO. a. Respondents individually fill in a questionnaire (on paper or electronically), or will be interviewed or observed, individually or in groups. The purpose of the research will always be announced before the start of the research. b. In some cases the interview, discussion or the behaviour to be observed of respondents are recorded on audio or video. Respondents will always be asked permission for such recording before the recording starts.. Only the researcher and co-researchers have access to identifiable information, and audio- and video recordings will not be shown to others without explicit permission of the respondent. Recordings which can be linked to the person of participants will be kept secure and safe and will be destroyed as soon as the research project allows. In transcriptions of interviews, observations, focus groups and workshops, participants will not be mentioned by name but with a code. c. Filling in a questionnaire will last a maximum of one hour. Interviews in general will take no more than two hours. d. Focus groups and workshops last no more than one day (teach morning/afternoon/evening will have at least one break, and in between there will also be a break). The interaction between the participants can also be subject of investigation. e. Observations always concern existing practices (situations and practices will not be constructed especially for research purposes). The researcher must identify him-herself as such before the start of the observation. Permission of the participants always must be gained beforehand, if necessary also from the organisation the participants are part of (head of department or board). f. The research activities will not cause any physical harm to, nor pose any safety- or health risk for the participants. g. Common topics in questionnaires and oral interviews are: Knowledge of and beliefs about new technologies; ways a technology is used; history of practices; underlying motives and reasons for present ways of doing; views about desirability of innovation of existing practices, norms and values underlying these views. h. If questions are asked about emotional or sensitive subjects (like psychiatric problems or socially controversial subjects) the researcher will take care to phrase questions in such a way that they are the least confronting as possible. Documents are analysed with the aim to reconstruct and differentiate several ways of thinking and speaking, and/or to determine their quality on the basis of this analysis. Sometimes the interaction between several perspectives can also be the subject of analysis. Public documents can be analysed without prior permission of their authors. This also applies to products of mass media or documents that are published and accessible on the internet without password or other form of protection. Non-public documents also can be included in text-analytic research, but only if the researcher got access to these documents by asking the author and/or organization for permission. The researcher will take care not to circulate these documents any further and to keep their content, in so far as it is confidential, private–. The standard rules of copyright apply in case of quoting the investigated documents in a research publication (acknowledging its source, permission of the persons involved for including of texts parts over 250 words). The research conducted by PHT focusses on promoting mental health and healthy behaviour, prevention of illness in healthy people and the interaction between the mental and physical health of people with chronic conditions or mild to moderate mental health problems. Standard research conducted by PHT involves questions which are generally not medical in nature and which focus on topics such as positive mental health, quality of life, patient education, patient participation and life-style problems. However, some of the research does take place in a medical setting and among patients with chronic physical conditions. In addition, the department performs psychological and behavioural interventions amongst different sections of the general population or population groups with specific mental, physical or life-style problems. Research projects which may be subject to the terms of the Netherlands Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act, such as intervention studies or survey research which may be burdensome for participating patients, are therefore submitted to, and where necessary controlled by, the Medical Ethics Control committees of the centres taking part. Standard research with human subjects within PGT generally consists of cross-sectional or longitudinal survey research, qualitative research, psychometric testing and (secondary) cost-effectiveness research among adults. If these types of research are conducted in part or entirely with respondents who are minors, the research proposal is always submitted for approval to the entire Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences. Respondents individually fill in answers, in writing or electronically, to questions about themselves, their environment or others in their environment (family, friends etc.) Respondents' behaviour is not observed and no physiological measurements are taken. Participation is voluntary and any compensation offered is proportionate (no more than EUR 10 per hour). Generally, it takes no longer than 1 hour to complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire is always sent with an explanatory covering letter or email. This shows at least who will be performing the investigation, whether it concerns research that is commissioned and – if this is the case – who the client is, as far as possible the purpose of the investigation, and what happens to the data obtained. If there are questions about emotional or sensitive topics (such as sexual behaviour, delinquent behaviour, etc.) this is indicated in the accompanying letter in such a way that the respondent can estimate in advance whether he or she will contribute to this research. The questions are neutral in all cases (and not judgemental). The respondent may at any time refuse to complete the survey or parts of it. Anonymity of respondents is safeguarded and respondents are at no time asked to provide information which could serve to identify them. Results are always made anonymous when reporting or in the feedback process. If research is carried out on behalf of a specific client, the results are reported to that client in such a way that the client cannot identify individuals. a. Link to data obtained from other respondents (e.g. family, friends). b. Link to data obtained earlier from the same respondent (in longitudinal research). c. A combination of a and b. a. Only the researcher has access to the identifiable data. b. The personal details are destroyed as soon as possible (i.e. as soon as the data linking is complete). c. Generally, the researcher operates in accordance with privacy legislation. If data are linked to other sources (e.g. data from other respondents), the respondent is informed in advance. Based on this information the respondent may decide not to complete the survey or refuse permission for the data to be linked. In longitudinal surveys no more than 5 measurements are conducted, with a frequency of no more than 1 per week. a. Respondents are questioned orally or are observed, either individually or as part of a group. b. In some cases audio or video recordings of the interview or observed behaviour of subjects are made. Only the researcher and their teams have access to identifiable data, and video and sound recordings will not be shared with third parties without explicit permission of the respondents concerned. Recordings in which subjects are identifiable are carefully managed, and destroyed as soon as the interest of the research permits. c. Generally, participation takes no longer than 2 hours. e. Questions frequently asked relate to: attitudes, beliefs and preferences in respect of health-related concepts, health behaviour, risk behaviour, and the use of specific products such as e-health applications and questionnaires. f. If there are questions about emotional or sensitive topics (such as mental health problems) the researcher must ensure that the questions are posed in such a way that there are no adverse effects on the respondent him or herself or on other people in their environment. The questions are neutral in all cases, and not judgemental. Data obtained from the various types of questionnaire-based research are also used for secondary analyses, mainly in respect of psychometric analyses of both existing and newly-developed questionnaires, and cost-effectiveness analyses. The standard research of PCRS poses questions which are not of a medical nature. In general, these questions are concerned with the normal functioning of a human being in different interpersonal and group situations, such as in negotiations and conflicts or when working together under time pressure, and we examine attitudes in relation to social risks. The anonymity of respondents is guaranteed, and the respondent does not fill in any information which reveals or could reveal his or her identity. Results are always made anonymous for reports or feedback. a. Respondents individually fill in answers, in writing or electronically, to questions about themselves, their environment or others in their environment (friends, partner, fellow students, etc.) and are questioned orally or observed individually or as part of a group. b. In some cases, audio or video recordings are made of the interview or the behaviour of respondents to be observed. Only the researcher and his/her staff have access to the identifiable data, and audio and video recordings are not made available to third parties without the express written permission of the respondents concerned; recordings in which subjects are identifiable are carefully stored and are destroyed when no longer needed for the purposes of the research. c. Completing the questionnaire should not take longer than 1 hour; extended interviews (for example with police negotiators) may not last longer than one session (morning, afternoon). d. No physical discomfort or health and safety risks are involved. e. Content of frequently asked questions in questionnaires and interviews: attitudes, opinions and preferences with regard to risks such as floods or terrorism, behaviour during conflicts or negotiations, opinions on security issues (e.g. surveillance cameras or metal detector gates) and personality factors. Important with group observations is the team cohesion and the attitude toward the leader. f. If questions are asked about emotional or sensitive subjects (such as conflicts, bullying, aggression), the researcher is responsible for ensuring that the questions are formulated in such a way that neither the participant nor others in the participant's environment will experience any adverse effects. The questions posed in the research should always be of a neutral nature and therefore not judgemental. a. Procedure: Participants are exposed to stimuli (usually video fragments or other visual material) or play a game (for example a negotiation game). Their behaviour in reaction to the stimuli is measured by recording the behaviour and/or by asking participants to fill in questionnaires. The behaviour can be recorded on audio or video. Only the researcher and his/her staff have access to the identifiable data, and audio and video recordings are not made available to third parties; recordings in which subjects are identifiable are carefully stored and are destroyed when no longer needed for the purposes of the research. b. The real purpose of the research is not always disclosed to the participant prior to the research in order to prevent, among other things, socially desirable responses. The real purpose of the research is however always explained to the participant during the debriefing. - Suggesting a particular task (for instance solving a puzzle), whilst the actual measurement is really about induced emotions or behaviour and behaviour(al intentions) such as information seeking behaviour or deviant behaviour (e.g. leaving rubbish behind). - Participants are sometimes given manipulated feedback (false feedback) on personality, abilities or achievements when performing a task, provided that no lasting harmful effects are anticipated; in all cases, subjects are informed about this later on. - The participants are sometimes told that they are interacting with other subjects or will be interacting with other subjects, whilst this is not actually the case. - Use is sometimes made of one or more confederates who play a particular role in the interaction with participants who are unaware of this. d. No physiological measurements are being made as yet but this will take place in the near future. g. In experiments where conflicts are simulated (such as research on negotiation or conflict management), the experiment will always be terminated if there is any threat of physical or verbal (swearing, shouting) abuse. a. Links with administrative data (e.g. with regard to unexplained absence or productivity). b. Links to data obtained from other respondents (e.g. fellow team members, subordinates, supervisors). c. Links to data obtained previously from the same respondent (in longitudinal research). d. A combination of what is stated under a, b and c. b. The personal details are destroyed as soon as this is possible (that is to say, as soon as linking the data is completed). c. In general, the researcher must operate in accordance with privacy legislation. a. macro data using public sources (web sites etc, (legal and policy) documents). more recently some have started to use data that are not easily classified, like twitterdata (in which the units of observation are not individuals, but tweets) and data from the use of VAA’s (in which the respondents are completely anonymous, but could be connected to other individual data, or website behavior using IP addresses) (II.d). Although it is not possible to exclude the possibility that using secondary data may be ethically problematic in some cases, it is very unlikely that these types of data may cause unacceptable harm to respondents and informants. In most cases the data are public and the data are anonymized. In addition research using macro data using public sources is also most probably not ethically problematic. All research in the PA department therefore falls in category D. In the rest of the description of standard research, we will focus on IIb, IIc. and IId only. In none of these types of research medical data are be obtained and in none substantial harm can be caused, as long as data collection is confidential or anonymous. In all these types of research ‘informed consent’ is (mostly implicitly) obtained, because people are asked whether they are willing to answer some questions. It is always made clear they are allowed to refuse, so ethical rules are mainly about safeguarding anonymity of the informants and/or respondents (when required). Standard research in these categories is among adult, competent subjects, that are completely free to participate in the research, and to withdraw from participation whenever they wish and for whatever reason. In standard research there is no deception of respondents (not telling the true purpose of research). The standard research of PA poses questions which are not of a medical nature. In general, the questions are concerned with the normal functioning of the human beings. Respondents and informants individually fill in answers, in writing or electronically, to questions about themselves, their environment or others in their environment or are questioned orally either individually or as part of a group (focus group). No physiological measurements are taken. The purpose of the research is always disclosed to the participant prior to the research and no deception takes place. Completing the questionnaire should normally not take longer than 1 hour; interviews and focus groups should not take longer than 2 hours. Participants are always correctly informed about the length of the questionnaire/interview/group discussion.Content of questions in questionnaires and interviews include: attitudes, opinions and preferences; behavior or behavioral intentions; social characteristics of individuals. No physical discomfort or health and safety risks are involved when asking these questions.If questions are asked about emotional or sensitive topics the researcher will ensure that the questions are formulated in such a way that neither the participant nor others in the participant's environment will experience any adverse effects. The questions posed in the research should always be of a neutral nature and therefore not judgmental.Confidentiality is always ensured by the researcher, unless the participant allows to reveal his or her identity in the report. Individuals can never be identified by others than the researcher. In some cases interview data are linked to data from other sources. In this case the researcher makes sure that the only thing the researcher has access to is the identifiable data and the personal details are destroyed as soon as this is possible (that is to say, as soon as linking the data is completed). If data are linked to other sources (e.g. data from other respondents, administrative data), then the respondent is informed of this prior to linking the data. On the basis of this information, the respondent may refuse to fill in the questionnaire or may not allow the linking to actually take place. The department carries out research of a diverse nature and setup, both with and without subjects, which cannot be described as standard research. Proposed research can correspond to standard research such as is described in other departments. The standard research of the department focuses on the assessment and governance of innovations and emerging technologies. STәPS considers in particular strategic issues that are multidisciplinary:they involve developments in science, technology, politics and society, as well as interaction between them. Studies conducted within STәPS link analytical and normative perspectives,and consider not only technological innovations but also innovations in governance. Usually the research is performed by way of the study policy documents, non- or semistandardised interviews, field observation, and by discourse, conceptual or literature analysis. Research with human subjects is taking place when we investigate empirically how governance, technologies, sciences and research are developed, how existing practices of dealing with a technology or a science, with research and governance are functioning and what technology developers, (potential) users and stakeholders think of these practices and new developments.In these cases, the research is mainly qualitative and explorative. Standard methods used are interviews (oral and by telephone), group interviews, observations, focus groups,stakeholder workshops and text, image or video analysis. the Wet Medisch Onderzoek (WMO). ELAN’s research program aims to investigate the role of and ways of understanding and promoting scientific citizenship in education and communication settings, in formal as well as informal contexts. The research is not medical by nature. The research environment is the actual school or professional environment, whereby groups of pupils, teachers or other professionals act as participants. School principals and individual teachers are kept informed of the nature and scope of the studies. In consultation with the responsible principals and teachers, the manner in which parents of pupils will be informed of forthcoming experiments is established. Depending on the nature of the study (didactic intervention or survey study), parents are given an outline of the planned research and are given the opportunity to grant permission for their child to participate or not. Authorization EC: assessment of ethical permissibility by EC or by MEC: The standard research of ELAN/ poses questions are not of a medical nature. In general, the questions are concerned with the normal functioning of children and adults with regard to learning, attitudes, reasoning and decision-making. The questions for teachers and/or school principals could also concern their relationships, with their colleagues. This could include, but is not limited to, the nature/content and frequency of the relationship. Selection of subjects and participation: The subjects of studies are adults and students in different educational settings (ranging from primary schools to universities). Adult subjects are recruited via direct contact with schools. They participate voluntarily in the research, and in some cases are remunerated for their participation. This is not necessarily the case for research carried out in schools. With student participants, the school principals and teachers are informed of the nature and scope of the study. The way in which the parents/care takers of the children are informed and their permission requested for the participation of their child in the experiments, is determined in consultation with the responsible school personnel. Screening of subjects: Specific inclusion or exclusion criteria can be employed for the selection of subjects. These criteria are decided on the basis of the specific need of the study and they are decided on in collaboration with the participating schools or other institutions that contribute to the study. Accidental discoveries: Information that is accidentally discovered and that is not relevant for the studies undertaken is not disclosed to third parties. Informed consent and Information brochure: Participants in our studies (or their legal representatives if participants are under 18 years of age) will be informed about the research by an information brochure or orally by the researcher and have an opportunity to ask questions. After receiving the information, they are required to sign an informed consent form. If the research takes place at a school, this procedure can also be carried out via the teachers or principals, who inform the parents/care takers. The informed consent procedure may take on the form of passive approval. Based on the information given, parents/care takers have the opportunity to indicate any objections. If they do not do so before a given date, then they have implicitly given their consent. Sufficient time must be given to the parents/care takers to react. In this type of research, participants are confronted with various types of teaching and learning methods or learning materials that may include traditional materials or digital learning environments. Tasks may consist of individual learning assignments or group work with one or more other participants. Different teaching or learning conditions may apply, in which the effects of different types of instruction or support methods are investigated and compared to other conditions or a control condition. If the research is conducted in schools, care is taken that the various instructions do not put participants in one condition at an advantage or disadvantage in their general functioning at school compared to subjects in other conditions. Because the duration of the interventions is generally short, this will usually not be any reason for concern. Pre-tests and post-tests may take the form of knowledge or competency test, questionnaires (e.g., motivation, attitudes, personality) or other specific tests (e.g., intelligence tests, aptitude tests, neuro-psychological tests). In the (collaborative) digital learning environments, a chat system is sometimes used. In some cases audio or video recording are made. The contents of the chats, as well as the thinking out loud protocols and computer log files, audio and video recordings can serve as objects of analysis but will be treated anonymously. Specific type of standard research: Organizational and professional development in schools. In this type of research, teacher professional development is studied in the context of teachers’ work environment. This might concern teachers’ daily and natural work context or a longitudinal and collaborative group setting in which interventions are instigated by the researchers in order to bring about certain (learning or teaching) results in the school practice. The work of the teaching professionals is documented. This can be done by direct observations, video and audiotapes or by studying process documentation. Additionally, questionnaires, sociometric questionnaires, and interviews may be used to collect data on participants’ perceptions of the work, their relationships with their colleagues, and/or results of the interventions. Participants are informed ahead of time, either at the beginning of the intervention or at the time of the data collection activities, about the research purpose and the consequences of the study. They have the option to stop their participation at any point in time. The data collected are made anonymous. Data obtained from individuals are not communicated to third parties in their original form. Results are only communicated on a group level and with utmost care to ensure that findings will not be able to point to specific participants. Only the researcher involved in the data collection has access to information linking data to specific subjects. Any personal details are destroyed as soon as this is possible. Within the department TM/S, in general, the outcomes are anonymized. And often they work with dyadic data (of customer and supplier) and only the researcher is aware of the entities of both coupled parties. Research questions are about professional relationships, and obtaining informed consent of the test subject, is always part of the research process, as well is anonymization of the outcomes.

2019-04-18T22:53:08Z

https://www.utwente.nl/en/bms/research/ethics/standard-research-per-department/

Treating obesity has proven to be an intractable challenge, in part, due to the difficulty of maintaining reduced weight. In our previous studies of in-patient obese subjects, we have shown that leptin repletion following a 10% or greater weight loss reduces many of the metabolic (decreased energy expenditure, sympathetic nervous system tone, and bioactive thyroid hormones) and behavioral (delayed satiation) changes that favor regain of lost weight. FMRI studies of these same subjects have shown leptin-sensitive increases in activation of the right hypothalamus and reduced activation of the cingulate, medial frontal and parahippocampal gryi, following weight loss, in response to food stimuli. In the present study, we expanded our cohort of in-patient subjects and employed psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis to examine changes in the functional connectivity of the right hypothalamus. During reduced-weight maintenance with placebo injections, the functional connectivity of the hypothalamus increased with visual areas and the dorsal anterior cingulate (dorsal ACC) in response to food cues, consistent with higher sensitivity to food. During reduced-weight maintenance with leptin injections, however, the functional connectivity of the right hypothalamus increased with the mid-insula and the central and parietal operculae, suggesting increased coupling with the interoceptive system, and decreased with the orbital frontal cortex, frontal pole and the dorsal ACC, suggesting a down-regulated sensitivity to food. These findings reveal neural mechanisms that may underlie observed changes in sensitivity to food cues in the obese population during reduced-weight maintenance and leptin repletion. Copyright: © 2013 Hinkle et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: External funding supporting this study came from: NIH grants DK64473 and RR00645 (http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm), NIH/National Center for Research Resources grant UL1 RR024156 (http://www.nih.gov/about/almanac/organization/NCRR.htm#programs), and Department of Defense grant W56HZV-04-P-L (http://contracting.tacom.army.mil/CFDATA/SOL/SOL01.CFM). Recombinant methionyl human leptin was generously provided by Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing interests: Recombinant methionyl human leptin was generously provided by Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. This does not alter the authors’ adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. Obesity has become the most prevalent and costly nutritional problem in the United States and currently accounts for more than 10% of direct U.S. health care spending . Modest (10%) weight loss is sufficient to prevent or ameliorate many of the major medical and metabolic consequences of obesity . While most patients can achieve such weight loss by conventional means, the majority cannot maintain the reduced weight for extended periods of time . Our previous work has shown that maintenance of a reduced body weight is accompanied by disproportionately decreased rates of energy expenditure, largely attributable to increased skeletal muscle work efficiency as well as decreased sympathetic nervous system tone and circulating concentrations of bioactive thyroid hormones and increased parasympathetic nervous system tone –. This disproportionate decline in energy expenditure (∼300–400 kcal/day below the total predicted solely on the basis of weight and body composition changes) would have little consequence if it were easy to sustain a corresponding reduction in energy intake in order to maintain a reduced body weight. However, we , and others – have shown, this is not the case. Our previous fMRI investigation in a population of in-patient obese subjects compared responses to visual food versus non-food cues in a population of in-patient obese subjects in three treatment conditions: stabilized at maximal weight (Wtinitial), following stabilization at 10%–12% below usual weight while receiving twice daily injections of either a placebo (Wt−10%placebo) or while receiving twice daily leptin injection in doses titrated to restore 8 a.m. leptin concentrations to those present prior to weight loss (Wt−10%leptin) (See Figure 1). We found that during maintenance of a 10% or greater reduced body weight, there are increases in neural activity of brain areas that are associated with reward valuation and processing of food-related stimuli and decreases in neural activity of brain areas related to restraint in response to food . These previous fMRI findings accompanied behavioral studies in the same population demonstrating that individuals maintaining a reduced weight experience delayed satiation, decreased perception of how much food they have eaten and increased hunger . We also found that in the leptin repletion condition, the hypothalamus was more active and the cingulate, medial frontal and parahippocampal gryi were less active in response to food cues . These variations in activity patterns suggest variations in functional connectivity that were tested in the present study to advance understanding of the neural dynamics associated with the effects of leptin during body weight fluctuations. Figure 1. Increased functional connectivity in the reduced-weight maintenance with placebo injections comparison. Brain areas showing significant increases in functional connectivity with the hypothalamic seed (indicated in green, upper right) are shown on standard space axial brain slices with the color indicating the Z score per the color gradient on the bottom. FP (Frontal Pole), SFG (Superior Frontal Gyrus), MGN (Medial Geniculate Nucleus), HC (Hippocampus),MFG (Middle Frontal Gyrus), ITG (Inferior Temporal Gyrus), supLOC (superior division of the Lateral Occipital Cortex), dorsal ACC (dorsal Anterior Cinqulate Cortex), IPL (Inferior Parietal Lobule). The combination of decreased energy expenditure and dysregulation of systems controlling energy intake during reduced weight maintenance tend to bias physiological responses toward weight regain. Many of these changes in energy homeostatic systems following weight loss are at least partially reversed by exogenous administration of the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin , , . The previous findings contributed insight into the brain areas that respond differentially to food cues as a result of weight loss and leptin repletion, including the demonstration that leptin repletion reverses the decline in hypothalamic activation following weight loss. Beyond these findings, little is known about how functioning circuits, rather than individual loci, in the brain adapt their responses to food cues in weight loss or leptin treatment. In the present study, we expanded our in-patient cohort and used psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis to examine the functional connectivity between brain areas as subjects were exposed to food cues in the same three treatment conditions. This approach is based upon the understanding that the physiological connections between two or more brain regions vary with the function or psychological context . The benefit of PPI analysis is that it allows the identification of separate brain areas that, under certain psychological conditions (i.e. viewing food compared to non-food cues), form significantly coordinated functional networks. In PPI analysis a “seed” region of interest in the brain is specified and correlations with activations of other brain areas are determined based on the interaction of a psychological regressor (the time course of the external stimuli convolved with a hemodynamic response function) and a physiological regressor (the activation time course of the seed). Areas that show statistically significant correlations are said to be functionally connected (or coupled) to the seed when responding to the external stimulus, e.g. food cues. Based on our previous analyses of reduced weight maintenance and leptin effects on activation of individual brain loci in response to food, we chose the right hypothalamus as the primary seed of interest and tested two hypotheses: First, that the 10% weight reduced condition, compared to the initial weight condition (Wt−10%placebo contrasted with Wtinitial), would increase functional connectivity of the hypothalamus with the attention and visual systems when viewing food cues compared to non-food cues, as evidence of up-regulated sensitivity to food cues (e.g., increased reward value) during maintenance of reduced weight , . Second, that the leptin repletion condition, compared to the reduced weight condition with placebo injections (Wt−10%leptin contrasted with Wt−10%placebo), would (a) increase functional connectivity of the hypothalamus with the insula, as evidence of achieving some aspects of the homeostatic coordination within the intrinsic food regulation system , ; and (b) reduce functional connectivity of the hypothalamus with reward valuation areas when responding to food cues, as evidence of down regulation of extrinsic food cue salience . In addition to our primary hypothalamic seed, we examined the bilateral nucleus accumbens as a secondary or confirmatory seed. Given the pivotal role of the nucleus accumbens in actual energy intake behavior, one would predict similar effects on the changes in functional connectivity observed for both the hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens relative to the neural systems regulating energy intake. PPI analyses were constructed to test the effects of reduced-weight maintenance (i.e. Wt−10%placebo contrasted with Wtinitial) and leptin repletion (i.e. Wt−10%leptin contrasted with Wt−10%placebo) (See Figure S1). Table 1 summarizes changes in functional connectivity for the hypothalamic seed in these two comparisons. For these comparisons, Figures 1, 2, 3 present statistical parametric maps of increases in functional connectivity shown in warm colors and decreases in functional connectivity shown in cool colors, overlaid on normalized axial brain slices ranging from z = −40 mm to z = 52 mm relative to the anterior commissure-posterior commissure line. Figure 2. Increased functional connectivity in the reduced-weight maintenance with leptin repletion comparison. Brain areas showing significant increases in functional connectivity with the hypothalamic seed (indicated in green) are shown on standard space axial brain slices with the color indicating the Z score per the color gradient on the bottom. SupLOC (superior division of Lateral Occipital Cortex), inf LOC (inferior division of the Lateral Occipital Cortex). Figure 3. Decreased functional connectivity in the reduced-weight maintenance with leptin repletion comparison. Brain areas showing significant decreases in functional connectivity with the hypothalamic seed (indicated in yellow) are shown on standard space axial brain slices with the color indicating the Z score per the color gradient on the bottom. FP (Frontal Pole), SFG (Superior Frontal Gyrus), dorsal ACC (dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex), sup LOC (superior division of the Lateral Occipital Cortex), IPL (Inferior Parietal Lobule), OFC (Orbital Frontal Cortex), MFG (Medial Frontal Gyrus). Table 1. Changes in Functional Connectivity1. The changes in the functional connectivity of the hypothalamus as a result of reduced-weight maintenance were determined by contrasting the results of Wt−10%placebo with those of Wtinitial and are shown in Figure 1. The right hypothalamus seed area is shown in green (z = −12 mm, upper right). These results reflect an increased sensitivity to visual and attention processing areas relative to food cues. Increases in functional connectivity (coupling) of the hypothalamus when viewing food stimuli extended to multiple areas that can be broadly grouped as visual, memory and attention areas, as shown in Table 1 and Figure 1. These areas included ventral visual (occipital fusiform and temporal fusiform areas) and dorsal visual (superior lateral occipital cortex (LOC) and cuneus) areas, the hippocampus, and areas associated with attention and executive function systems (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and left middle and inferior frontal gyri). There were no significant decreases in functional connectivity with the hypothalamus, when viewing food cues as a result of reduced-weight maintenance. Changes in functional connectivity of the hypothalamus as a result of the leptin repletion were determined by contrasting the results of Wt−10%leptin with those of Wt−10%placebo and are shown in Table 1 and Figures 2 and 3. As a result of leptin repletion, there were increases in functional connectivity in response to visual food cues of the right hypothalamus with the right insula cortex, the adjoining central and parietal operculae, and with right-dominant visual areas in the ventral visual stream (occipital fusiform cortex and inferior division of the LOC), and the dorsal stream (the cuneus and the superior division of the LOC) (Figure 2). There were also decreases in the functional connectivity (decoupling) of the hypothalamus in response to visual food cues during leptin administration compared to placebo, with ventral frontal areas (the right frontal pole and the right orbital frontal cortex) and dorsal frontal areas (superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and the dorsal ACC) and the posterior left parietal cortex (Figure 3). By employing the nucleus accumbens as a secondary seed of interest, we confirmed strong similarities in the changes in functional connectivity observed in the leptin repletion comparison for the hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens. Specifically, like the right hypothalamus, the bilateral nucleus accumbens showed increased functional connectivity with the insula/operculum and the dorsal visual areas (Table S1 and Figure S2) and decreased functional connectivity with the OFC (Table S1 and Figure S3). We studied neuronal functional connectivity of the hypothalamus before and after weight loss and with and without leptin repletion following weight loss in a group of overweight subjects in an in-patient setting that rigorously controlled variables that have been shown to affect fMRI studies of food intake (e.g. macronutrient content, exercise and the social environment that food is administered) –. We hypothesized that changes in the functional connectivity of the hypothalamus with other brain areas would reflect changes in connectivity that may mediate the observed difficulty with appetite restraint during reduced-weight maintenance and the improved appetite restraint during reduced-weight maintenance with leptin repletion. The major findings of this study are, in response to viewing food cues: 1.) during reduced-weight maintenance, the functional connectivity of the hypothalamus increases with visual and attention areas, 2.) during leptin repletion following weight loss, the functional connectivity of the hypothalamus with the insula and the central and parietal operculae is increased and the functional connectivity of the hypothalamus with the OFC, frontal pole, and dorsal ACC is decreased, which indicate a possible reintegration of hypothalamic functional circuitry with certain frontal reward valuation and emotion processing areas. Taken together, these data are consistent with a mechanism of up-regulation of neural sensitivity to food cues following weight loss that is partially reversed by leptin repletion. In the reduced-weight maintenance comparison (Wt−10%placebo contrasted with Wtinitial), while responding to food cues versus non-food cues, the right hypothalamus was found to increase its functional connectivity principally with attention, executive function, visual and memory systems (Figure 2), i.e. in brain areas that have been implicated in the allocation of attentional and decision making resources . More specifically, the ventral visual stream (including the fusiform gyrus, and the inferior temporal gyrus) is critical in object recognition and the dorsal visual stream (including the inferior parietal cortex, superior LOC and cuneus) is critical in object localization and coordination with the motor cortex when in pursuit of an object . The hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus, which also increased functional connectivity with the hypothalamus in response to food cues following weight loss, are known to be involved in memory function. The areas found to increase their functional connectivity are consistent with those that showed increased functional activation in response to food versus non food cues in a recent meta-analysis . These findings are also consistent with the subjects’ reports that their hunger increased, their satiety was delayed and their perception of food intake decreased . The neural results reported here for the reduced-weight maintenance, suggest a mechanism by which physiological responses to a food-deprived state include strengthening the functional connectivity of the hypothalamus with attention, visual and memory resources when in the presence of external food cues. The leptin injections given after 10% weight loss were calibrated to return their circulating leptin plasma concentrations to the same levels as before weight loss (i.e. leptin repletion). As a result of the leptin repletion, there was an increase in functional connectivity of the right hypothalamus with interoceptive and right dominant visual areas (Figure 2) and decreased functional connectivity with right reward and attention-related areas (Figure 3). Specifically, we observed increased functional connectivity between the hypothalamus and the right mid- and posterior insula and the associated right central and parietal operculae (Figure 2), which are known to be related to interoception (including hunger) and gustation. –. The mid- and posterior regions of the insula are centrally positioned between the temporal, frontal and parietal cortices and as such well positioned for integrative interoceptive monitoring and processing. One recent study, which used a multi-modal convergent approach to mapping the insula in conjunction with an overlay from a behavior meta-analysis, identified the specificity for interoception with the insula . Another recent functional connectivity study of the insula, identified two distinct right mid-insula areas as subserving interoception, a ventral one centered at z = 0 and a dorsal centered at z = 16 . Our findings did encompass both of these locations but did not detect differences between them, which could be due to the increased size of our smoothing kernel (8 mm) as compared to theirs (6 mm). The observation that leptin repletion is associated with increases in functional connectivity with these interoceptive areas suggests a recoupling of homeostatic regulating mechanisms including the hypothalamus with the interoceptive monitoring and processing areas that were disassociated following weight loss. This interpretation is further supported by findings both in our single condition results and in other fMRI studies that examined reward activation. First, in our single condition result of Wt−10% placebo no significant functional connectivity is observed between the right hypothalamus and the insula (bilaterally) or the operculae (Figure S4) yet after leptin repletion the functional connectivity is significantly increased (Figure 3). Second, decreased connectivity of the right hypothalamus, relative to viewing food cues during leptin repletion, is centered on the orbital frontal cortex, the frontal pole, the attentional system and the dorsal visual system (Figure 3). The orbital frontal cortex has been shown to project to the lateral hypothalamus and identified as a primary reward valuation location with various dissociations between lateral and medial areas –. Our findings indicate decreased functional connectivity from the right hypothalamus to the lateral and mid-lateral reaches of the OFC and frontal pole. Two previous fMRI studies have shown that the lateral OFC responds to changes in the relative reward valuation. One showed that the lateral OFC response declines when the subject is sated . The other demonstrated that the lateral OFC responds parametrically to changes in positive reward values . Our observation of a decrease in the functional connectivity of the hypothalamus with the right lateral OFC, during leptin repletion extends these results and suggests that leptin repletion weakens the ability of the lateral OFC to project reward values to the hypothalamus. Thus, the decreased connectivity shown here suggests a mechanism by which leptin repletion decreases coupling between the right hypothalamus and the frontal reward areas resulting in reduced hunger and increased satiety . Similarly, the concomitant weakening of the functional connectivity of the hypothalamus with the attentional (dorsal ACC) and visual systems (superior LOC and inferior parietal lobule) in response to food cues during leptin repletion is consistent with this mechanism (Figure 3). To our knowledge only two previous studies examined functional neural circuits in obese subjects. Both studies compared obese to normal subjects rather than the within subject comparison of this study. Neither of the previous studies included the hypothalamus as a seed nor included a reduced-weight maintenance comparison or a treatment intervention. In one study brain responses to viewing high calorie v. low calorie food images were compared between 12 obese subjects and 19 normal-weight subjects. The connectivity test used was not PPI, rather, a form of path analysis was used that tests a specific a priori model of the directionality of connection in a pre-specified functional network. Their DCM model focused on differences in functional connections between the OFC, the amygdala and the nucleus accumbens. It was reported that the orbital frontal cortex of the obese subjects compared to lean subjects strongly modulated the nucleus accumbens. Our finding that leptin repletion reduced the functional connectivity between the OFC and both the hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens, reflects and extends their finding for a within-subject study where patients adapt to either weight loss with leptin or weight loss without leptin. In the other study , functional activation was used to locate the caudate nucleus as its seed. The study used PPI and reported a decreased functional connection from the caudate nucleus to the amygdala and insula in the obese subjects compared to the normal-weight subjects, when viewing appetizing v. bland food. As Figure S3 indicates, in the leptin repletion comparison, we observed a decrease of functional connectivity between the nucleus accumbens and both the right anterior insula and the left amygdala during leptin repletion, which is the condition most comparable to the physiological state of homeostasis in obesity. The findings from our study expand those above in three ways. First, our with-in subject cross-over design highlight brain connectivity changes that can be attributed specifically to the dynamics of weight-loss maintenance within the clinically important obese population. Second, by using PPI without an a priori model our technique is well suited to exploratory research in a little studied field. And third, our specific results indicate newly observed changes in functional connectivity between the hypothalamus and reward and attention areas, in response to food cues, that are worthy of further investigation. We observed variations in the functional connectivity of the hypothalamus during reduced-weight maintenance and leptin repletion. During reduced weight maintenance, functional connectivity of the hypothalamus increased to attentional, visual, control and reward-sensitive brain areas when viewing food relative to non-food cues suggesting a higher sensitivity to food cues and rewards by the obese during weight loss. During leptin repletion, we observed increased connectivity between the hypothalamus (and the nucleus accumbens) and the insula and operculae, suggesting a possible reintegration of some energy intake regulation mechanisms of the hypothalamus with the interoceptive monitoring of the insula. Finally, during leptin repletion, we also observed a decreased functional connectivity between the hypothalamus (and nucleus accumbens) with the lateral OFC, suggesting a down regulation of reward valuation signals reaching the hypothalamus. Taken as a whole and in conjunction with other recent studies, our findings are consistent with the hypotheses that the functional neural circuits engaged during reduced-weight maintenance biases behavior toward food intake and that during leptin repletion the functional neural circuits bias toward a normalization of appetitive drive and behavior, when exposed to food cues. It is also important to note that leptin repletion impacts the functional connectivity of many areas not directly reflected in our hypotheses. Despite having the advantage of a carefully controlled weight-loss and leptin repletion study protocol, several limitations to our findings are to be noted. First, during the entire study period, the subjects remained on a synthetic liquid diet and our stimulus set included the presentation of real food items. Thus neural responses of the subjects may also have represented interactions with long-term memory and other functional circuits as they reacted to the presence of real foods during scanning sessions. Second, several studies have shown modest structural differences in the brains of obese individuals. Our registration and identification of the functional network relied on the MNI-152 template, which is an average of 152 young men from the general population. This may limit the accuracy of our identification and localization of some brain structures. Third, two subjects did not have standard structural images of their brain available. This may also have limited the precision of our localization of brain structures. Fourth, the hypothalamus is a relatively small brain structure and is infrequently localized in brain imaging. Spatial smoothing of 8 mm likely limits the localization of each subject’s hypothalamus, though our two-step seed localization process may partially help offset this (see Methods). Fifth, that leptin also acts directly on the ventral tegmental area and can up-regulate its dopaminergic projections may play a role in indirect frontal cortex connectivity changes observed here and it is not possible to dissociate the direct effect of leptin from the indirect effect. Sixth, numerous studies suggest that the effects of leptin on energy homeostasis in humans are dependent upon the nutritional milieu in which leptin is administered , , –. Thus, the results of this study cannot be assumed to reflect the actions of leptin in any context other than reduced-weight maintenance, solely through caloric restriction. Seventh, our subject sample size is relatively small (n = 10) and no healthy control sample was compared to our weight reduced obese sample. Because our study protocol was a crossover design, each subject served as their own control. Eighth, this study examines the effects of short-term (5 weeks) leptin repletion on PPI in obese weight-reduced subjects following dietary weight loss. These results cannot be generalized to the possible efficacy of longer term leptin repletion. The observations that adaptive thermogenesis persists even many years after weight loss and the long-term efficacy of leptin repletion in leptin deficient subjects on both energy expenditure and intake , suggests that exogenous leptin administration following weight loss might be a useful adjunctive therapy, although this hypothesis remains untested. Finally, our choice of the right hypothalamus as our hypothalamic seed rather than the bilateral hypothalamus is based on prior GLM observations from a portion of this data set although we have no a priori hypothesis with regard to hypothalamic laterality. Ten obese (BMI >30) subjects (2 male, 8 female) remained as in-patients in the General Clinical Research Center at Columbia University Medical Center throughout the study. All subjects had been stable at their maximal lifetime weights for at least 6 months prior to admission, were in good health, were taking no medications and were right-hand dominant. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of The New York Presbyterian Medical Center and are consistent with guiding principles for research involving humans . Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects. Subject characteristics are presented in Table 2. Six of the 10 subjects included in this fMRI functional connectivity study were also included in our prior functional activation study (8). Table 2. Subject Characteristics (n = 10, 8 females). See Figure S1 for a diagram of the study design. Prior to the initial scanning session, subjects were fed a liquid formula diet (40% of calories as fat [corn oil], 45% as carbohydrate [glucose polymer], and 15% as protein [casein hydrolysate]), plus vitamin and mineral supplements, in quantities sufficient to maintain a stable weight for six to eight weeks. The initial stabilized weight plateau was designated the Wtinitial condition. Following completion of the Wtinitial imaging session (described below), subjects were provided 800 kcal/d of the same liquid formula diet until they had lost 10% of their Wtinitial weight. The duration required to lose the 10% of initial weight ranged from five to nine weeks. Once 10% weight loss was maintained for six weeks, caloric intake was adjusted upward until subjects were again weight stable at Wtinitial less 10% and then remained on an isocaloric diet through the remainder of the study. Subjects then participated in a crossover design of two five-week treatment conditions. During the Wt−10%placebo treatment condition the subjects received s.c. injections of saline. During the Wt−10%leptin condition the subjects received s.c. injections of recombinant methionyl human leptin (provided by Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc.). The leptin dose was calibrated to re-establish circulating leptin concentrations equal to those measured at Wtinitial. The order of the treatment conditions was randomly assigned for each subject. Between their two treatment conditions, each subject underwent a 2-week washout period during which they received no injections. During the two treatment conditions and the wash-out phase, subjects were unaware of the order of treatments and remained on the isocaloric diets that previously maintained their weight at the Wtinitial less 10%–12%. Images were acquired on a General Electric 1.5T scanner. Functional images were acquired with a T2-weighted echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence, using a TR (time to repeat) of 4,000 ms, an echo time of 60 ms, a flip angle of 60°, a field of view of 190 mm×190 mm with an array size of 128×128). Twenty-five contiguous 4.5-mm-thick axial slices were acquired parallel to the anterior-posterior commissure. The resulting functional voxel size was 1.5 mm×1.5 mm×4.5 mm. Structural images were acquired with a T1-weighted spoiled gradient–recalled (SPGR) sequence using a TR of 19 ms, an echo time of 5 ms, a flip angle of 20° a field of view of 220 mm×220 m, recording 124 slices at a thickness of 1.5 mm. The resulting structural voxel size was.86 mm×0.86 mm×1.5 mm. Structural T1 images were not available for two subjects. The mean high-resolution functional image for these two subjects was used in lieu of the structural T1 for registration purposes (see below). Scanning sessions for each of the three conditions were identical and occurred in a post-absorptive state beginning at approximately 9 am. Four functional scans of 36 acquisitions were collected, each lasting 2 minutes 24 seconds. Visual stimuli were the same as used in our prior functional activation study (8). In two functional scans 12 food items (e.g. fruit, grains, vegetables, sweets) were visually presented for four seconds each in a single block that was preceded and followed by a baseline. In the other two scans 12 non-food items (e.g. cell phone, jump rope, yo-yo) were visually presented in a similar manner. See Table S2 for a list of the stimuli. The order of stimuli presentation was randomly assigned a priori but was retained for each subsequent scanning session for each subject. All preprocessing and statistical analyses were completed using the FMRIB Centre’s FSL FEAT version 5.98 . Following image reconstruction and the deletion of the first three acquisitions, the data for each functional scan was slice time corrected, spatially smoothed at 8 mm FWHM, high-pass filtered at 100 seconds and motion corrected using McFLIRT. The functional and structural scans for eight subjects were co-registered using six degrees of freedom and the result was co-registered to the Montreal Neurological Institute-152 brain template (voxel size, 2 mm3) using 12 degrees of freedom. Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis was completed to examine changes in functional connectivity of neural circuits when responding to food stimuli compared to non-food stimuli. The PPI analysis was completed as a linear univariate regression within the Generalized Linear Model framework of FEAT . Given a region of interest seed in the brain, PPI analysis identified brain areas with activation more highly correlated during one condition than another. For each functional scan the regressor of interest (PPI) was constructed as the scalar product of the psychological regressor (the time course of the stimuli presentations convolved with a double gamma hemodynamic response function) and the physiological regressor (the activation time course of the seed). Nuisance regressors included the psychological regressor, the physiological regressor, a global mean regressor, a white matter regressor, and for further motion correction three translation and three rotation regressors. No CSF regressor was used because of the hypothalamus’ proximity to the fossa. Voxel level results were thresholded at a probability 0.05 and cluster-level corrections were made for multiple comparisons in the regression using Gaussian Random Field Theory with a probability for each cluster of 0.01. Prior to testing the specific hypothesis, we first tested for a presence of functional networks within each of the three individual treatment conditions: Wtinitial, Wt−10%placebo and Wt−10%leptin. Then, to test the reduced-weight maintenance hypothesis, we tested for significant changes by contrasting the Wt−10%placebo condition with the Wtinitial condition. To test the leptin repletion hypothesis, we tested for significant changes by contrasting the Wt−10%leptin condition with the Wt−10%placebo condition. The above sequence of tests was repeated for both seeds. Since the hypothalamus is a primary mediator of hormonal signaling regarding hunger and satiety, it was the primary seed of interest. The hypothalamus is thought to be the central locus for homeostatic feeding control and is the primary brain site for direct leptin action . Further, the hypothalamus was recently shown to modulate non-feeding behaviors by up-regulating dopamine (DA) projecting neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) when hypothalamic agouti-related protein (AgRP) cells are impaired . Moreover, in our prior study, the right hypothalamus presented a robust response to the leptin treatment. In addition, the nucleus accumbens was chosen as a secondary seed because it has a central role in hedonic motivation (including relative to food), is an indirect recipient of leptin action from leptin sensitive neurons in the ventral tegmental area via dopaminergic projections , –, is directly connected multi-synaptically to the both the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus and the lateral hypothalamus , and is reciprocally connected by hypothalamic projections into the shell of the nucleus accumbens/ventral striatum , which in turn projects to the dorsal striatum (putamen), where direct initiation and termination of behavior is observed. The results from the nucleus accumbens seed were used to provide additional support for our leptin repletion findings relative to the hypothalamic seed. The seeds for both the hypothalamus and the nucleus accumbens were constructed in a two-step process. We started with an externally determined group seed mask and then re-centered within that location based on the maximum activation of the individual subject within that group mask. Specifically, the location for the initial hypothalamic group mask was taken from the activation location reported for the right hypothalamus in our previous study . Around this location a spheroid was constructed using a 4 mm kernel. The resulting spheroid was then tested for the voxel of maximal activation for each subject. Around this re-centered voxel, the final seed for the hypothalamus was constructed as a new spheroid for each subject using a 6 mm kernel. For the nucleus accumbens, we started with a group mask derived from all voxels having a 50% or greater probability of being identified as nucleus accumbens by the probabilistic Oxford-Harvard Subcortical Structural Atlas. Within that mask, we then tested for the voxel of maximum activation for each subject. Around this re-centered voxel, the final seed for the nucleus accumbens was constructed as a new spheroid for each subject using a kernel of 6 mm. Study Design. Horizontal Axis indicates approximate duration of time in the study and comparisons between conditions. Vertical axis indicates approximate weight. The three conditions of the study Wtinitial, Wt−10%placebo, and Wt−10%leptin are shown in the burnt orange, yellow and light orange rectangles. The comparisons between the three conditions are illustrated in the two double-arrow blue figures. Scanning occurred at the end of each condition and the order of the two reduced-weight conditions was counter balanced . Increased functional connectivity of the nucleus accumbens in the reduced-weight maintenance with leptin repletion comparison. Brain areas showing significant increases in functional connectivity with the nucleus accumbens seed (indicated in copper) are shown on standard space axial brain slices with the color indicating the Z score per the color gradient on the bottom. STG (Superior Temporal Gyrus), PCC (Posterior Cingulate Cortex), sup LOC (superior division of the Lateral Occipital Cortex). Decreased functional connectivity of the nucleus accumbens in the reduced-weight maintenance with leptin repletion comparison. Brain areas showing significant decreases in functional connectivity with the nucleus accumbens seed (indicated in copper) are shown on standard space axial brain slices with the color indicating the Z score per the color gradient on the bottom. Med & lat OFG (medial and lateral Orbital Frontal Cortex), ventral ACC (ventral Anterior Cingulate Cortex), Amyg (Amygdala), FP (Frontal Pole). Increased functional connectivity in the reduced-weight maintenance with placebo injections condition. Brain areas showing significantly correlated functional connectivity with the hypothalamic seed (indicated in green) are shown on standard space axial brain slices with the color indicating the Z score per the color gradient on the bottom. Sup LOC (superior division of Lateral Occipital Cortex), dorsal ACC (Anterior Cingulate Cortex), MFG (Middle Frontal Gyrus), SFG (Superior Frontal Gyrus). Changes in Functional Connectivity. Seed: Bilateral Nucleus Accumbens. The authors acknowledge the invaluable contributions of the nursing and nutrition staff of the Clinical Research Resource at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons/The New York Presbyterian Medical Center and also of the imaging staff in the fMRI Research Center at Columbia University Medical Center. Recombinant methionyl human leptin was generously provided by Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc., San Diego, CA. We would also like to acknowledge Ms. Kate Pavlovich, Ms. Elisabeth Shamoon, and Ms. Yomery Espinal who were research coordinators during these lengthy and extremely complex studies and Dr. Laurel Mayer who assured the psychological well being of these subjects as well as supervising many of the behaviorally-related studies of ingestive behavior. Data will be made available in accordance with government regulated standards upon request to the senior author. Conceived and designed the experiments: RL MR JH. Performed the experiments: MR JH. Analyzed the data: WH MC MR JH. 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https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0059114

Царква давала імёны толькі пазначаныя ў спісе праваслаўных “святых” і вялікіх пакутнікаў. Аднак у жыцці людзі яшчэ доўга карысталі звыклыя нецаркоўныя імёны (Няждан, Таміа, Гасцята). Царква рабіла выключэнне толькі для князёў, дазваляючы ім даваць сваім дзецям імёны, пазычаныя ў скандынаваў (Ольг, Алег, Вольга, Ігар).Царква дазваляла вяльможам даваць і так званыя састаўныя імёны, што маюць і сёння дзве асновы (Святаслаў, Міраслаў, Уладзімір). Жаночых імён славянскага паходжання было няшмат, звычайна па імені бацьку (Яраслаўны), ці па характару асобы (Лада), ці сугучныя пэўнай зяве прыроды (Сняжана). Шмат пазычана было імёнаў з лацінскай мовы ў перыяд далучэння Беларусі да Польшчы. Яно ішло праз каталіцкую царкву касцёл, дзе таксама здзяйсняўся абрад хрышчэння. Так зявіліся на Беларусі Сергіуш, Канстанты, Ксеверы, Ванда, Тэрэза. Пазычалі і старажытнаяўрэйскія (біблейскія) формы (Іван, Марыя, Ганна). Як ні старалася, але царква не здолела вынішчыць адвечна славянскія, штодзённыя формы, якія шырока бытавалі ў беларусаў (Ксеня, Арына, Юрась, Восіп, Гаурыла, Мікола, Кірыла, Алесь, Пятрусь, Янка). Julia Roberts will receive a healthy salary for her next movie. In fact, that remuneration will make her the first woman to break the “$20 million hump” broken years ago by male stars. The gals earned it, for seven of her films have surpassed the $100 million mark (hey, thats more some of those guys flicks!), and her performances are consistent audience favorites. Roberts “atypical beauty” -- clear-eyed sparkle, wholesome wide grin and charismatic presence marks her as Hollywoods “Girl Next Door Superstar.” Atypical as well was her road to success. After high school graduation, Roberts left her native Georgia and joined her actor-sister in New York. At age 19 she was cast as her actor-brothers on-screen sister in the 1986 movie, Blood Red (released in 1989). She went on to roles in Firehouse (1987), Crime Story (TV - 1988), Satisfaction (TV - 1988), Before Your Eyes: Angelies Secret (TV - 1988), Baja Oklahoma (TV - 1988), and Miami Vice (TV episode - 1988). For her part in Mystic Pizza (1988) she received an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Important and award-winning roles in blockbuster pictures followed with Steel Magnolias (1989 - Golden Globe award and Oscar nomination), Pretty Woman (1990 - Oscar nomination and British Academy award nomination), Flatliners (1990), Sleeping With The Enemy (1991), and Dying Young (1991 - MTV Movie award nomination). Darkness descended. Roberts next role, in Hook (1991), was panned by critics and nominated for a Razzie Worst Supporting Actress slam. A breakup with fiancé Keifer Sutherland just days before the planned wedding was among the gossip column-fodder personal problems that led to a year of seclusion and naught but a cameo appearance in one film, The Player (1992). Light dawned. Roberts breathed new life into her career in 1993 with The Pelican Brief (for which she received an MTV Movie award). She married singer/songwriter/actor Lyle Lovett the same year, but the media-dubbed “pretty woman - ugly duckling” couple lasted only 21 months. She took on roles in Pret-a-Porter (1994), I Love Trouble (1994), A Century of Cinema (TV - 1994), Something To Talk About (1995), Michael Collins (1996), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), and Mary Reilly (1996 - oops, another Razzie nomination). The next three years were very good: Roberts was cast in My Best Friends Wedding (1997 - netting her a Golden Globe nomination, Golden Satellite award, Peoples Choice award, Blockbuster Entertainment award and MTV Movie award), Conspiracy Theory (1997 - Blockbuster Entertainment award), Stepmom (1998 - Roberts not only acted her way to a Blockbuster Entertainment award, but was the successful films executive producer), Notting Hill (1999 - Golden Globe nomination and Peoples Choice award), and Runaway Bride (1999). As well, Roberts was nominated for an Emmy for a guest appearance on the television series Law and Order (1999), and has three times been on People Magazines Best-Dressed list. Upcoming for this popular and talented producer/actor are roles in Erin Brockovich, The Moviegoer, The Women, and, tentatively, Beyond Borders, Oceans II, The Mexican, To Catch A Thief, Martha and Arthur, and From Alice to Ocean. Roberts is on top of the Hollywood heap, and no matter how high the salaries go, the good-as-gold performer is worth every penny. analyses of Europeanization and parties and party systems are a rather recent feature of the academic debate. To date, the development of a potential European dimension of party systems has dominated the field, such as it is, and unsurprisingly regarding parties, this is tied in most cases to the organisation of and elections to the European Parliament (see, e.g., Hix and Lord, 1997, and Pedersen, 1996). In addition, the term Europeanization has been used by some, e.g. Moxon-Browne (1999) and Daniels (1998), to denote a policy and strategic change by certain parties involving movement from a negative to a positive position regarding EU membership. Turning to national party systems, Mair (2000) finds very little impact of European integration on national party systems. Indeed, I suggest that of the many areas of domestic politics which may have experienced an impact from Europe, it is party systems in particular that have perhaps proved to be most impervious to change (p. 4). By this statement Mair means party systems have experienced little or no direct change to the format and mechanics of party systems. However, he makes a significant qualification when addressing a potential indirect impact arising from the European integration process: the first place, European integration increasingly operates to constrain the freedom of movement of national governments, and hence encourages a hollowing out of competition among those parties with a governing aspiration. As such, it promotes a degree of consensus across the mainstream and an inevitable reduction in the range of policy alternatives available to voters. Second, by taking Europe itself out of national competition, and by working within a supranational structure that clearly lacks democratic accountability, party and political leaderships do little to counteract the notion of the irrelevance of conventional politics (pp. 48-49). Mair does not intentionally analyse the impact of European integration individual parties. Accordingly, in the end, the absence of a genuine European level party system explains the insularity of national party systems from the impact of European integration. terms of format and mechanics (other than in the context of a European Parliament election), national party systems appear to exhibit very little in the way of Europeanization. Mair does not consider new party formation and party splits as very salient, in the sense of having an impact upon the relevant parties in a party system. However, the two points raised by Mair regarding an indirect impact are precisely the areas of investigation for evidence of the Europeanization of political parties, for they both draw attention to altered conditions of parties primary operating environments as well as crucial associated factors. Let us focus on his two points, namely the constraints on government policy maneuverability which hollow out competition among parties with a governing aspiration, and the growing notion of the irrelevance of conventional politics, both traceable as much as possible to effects emanating from EU processes. Increasing constraints on the prerogatives of government action, or even more importantly, the perception thereof, may influence over time the classic functions of political parties, e.g. recruitment, election campaigning, interest aggregation, interest articulation, party government roles, etc. If we accept this assumption, then it follows that those parties with a governing aspiration have an incentive to influence this phenomenon. Influence may take the form of finding new zones of penetration available for party goal attainment, e.g., the supranational dimension. Furthermore, a consequence of designing strategies to influence institutions or actors beyond the national arena may be the creation of new internal organizational patterns better able to engage this dimension or else to enhance party management, or both. An even more significant incentive for parties to adapt to these changed circumstances, though long-term in its manifestation, is growing irrelevance, defined as a diminishing capability to alter existing macroeconomic policies and a shrinking scope of issues for which resolution can be promised in election campaigns. in mind that as I have defined Europeanization there is an emphasis upon adaptation and policy change, and further, that Europeanization does not mean either convergence or harmonization, the evidence of Europeanization will vary across and within political systems. Consequently, we should view European integration as an independent variable and increased government policy constraints and the public perception of growing irrelevance of conventional politics as dependent variables. European integration influences the operating arenas, or environments, of national political parties, and the Europeanization of parties is consequently a dependent variable. We should search for evidence of party adaptation to this changed environment, be it policy change and/or organisational change. In other words, the Europeanization of political parties will be reflected in their response to the changes in their environments. The response can be identified in new and sometimes innovative relationships, policies or structures. political parties, unlike government bureaucracies, individual politicians, and interest groups, do not have the ability or opportunity to develop privileged or intimate relationships with authoritative EU actors. Interest groups may independently approach similar organisations in other EU member states in order to create European level associations, or respond to entreaties by the European Commission itself. Government agencies and bureaucracies come into contact with EU institutions, or else are obliged to develop new administrative means with which to translate EU regulations, directives, etc. into corresponding national ones. National government politicians may come to develop personal in Council of Minister meetings, European Council, etc. All of these actors have a certain amount of latitude in their adaptation to EU inputs, or else have little choice, as in the case of government agencies, and must therefore liase as quickly as possible in order to avoid negative repercussions later. Political parties, as I assume, have the incentive and motivation to come to terms with the changes in their environment as it impacts their fortunes, but unlike the examples just given, they are constrained in a number of ways. The most basic dilemma, though perhaps not so obvious, is that there is little if anything in the way of resources that the EU possesses that can be translated into a positive gain for a political party. New and explicit rules forbid a transfer of EU funds to national parties: The funding for political parties at European level provided out of the Community budget may not be used to fund, either directly or indirectly, political parties at national level (Article 191 amendment in Treaty of Nice). Furthermore, political parties do not have an extra-national space or environment of consequence to operate within. The European Parliament is of course a European institution, and although we may state that the problem of irrelevance is common to all parties with a governing aspiration, the European parliament has neither the mandate nor the composition to intrude upon national circumstances. The benefits of participating in the EP are therefore indirect at best for national parties, inasmuch as legislation can refocus the impact of European integration on those areas that affect party fortunes most. Bereft of direct channels into authoritative EU decision-making, yet subject to influences upon their own operating environments, the Europeanization of parties is very much a complex phenomenon to identify. This is especially so as when in government, national party leaders are also in most cases national government leaders, and as such may pursue policies and strategies with an appeal beyond the strictly partisan (this is most likely the case in instances of coalition government). Although we may agree with Mairs identification of the two indirect effects upon political parties, neither is so dramatic as to cause immediate and high-profile changes. Nevertheless, it is possible to outline the broad areas where one may recognise changes that reflect a process of Europeanization. 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The coining of clipped word-forms may result either in the ousting of one of the words from the vocabulary or in establishing a clear semantic differentiation between the two units. In a few cases the full words become new roots: chapman chap, brandywine brandy. But in most cases a shortened word exists in the vocabulary together with the longer word from which it is derived and usually has the same lexical meaning differing only in stylistic reference. The question naturally arises whether the shortened and original forms should be considered separate words. Though it is obvious that in the case of semantic difference between a shortened unit and a longer one from which it is derived they can be termed as two distinct words: cabriolet cab. Some linguists hold the view that as the two units do not differ in meaning but only in stylistic application, it would be wrong to apply the term word to the shortened unit. In fact, the shortened unit is a word-variant. Other linguists contend that even when the original word and the shortened form are generally used with some difference in style, they are both to be recognised as two distinct words. If this treatment of the process of word-shortening is accepted, the essential difference between the shortening of words and the usual process of word-formation should be pointed out. Also it is no trifling education that is needed for successful competition in this profession. The ramifications of the law are infinite, and the successful lawyer must be versed in all subjects. The law is not a mere conglomeration of decisions and statutes; otherwise "Pretty Poll" might pose as an able advocate. A mind unadapted to investigation, unable to see the reasons for legal decisions, is as unreliable at the bar as is a color-blind person in the employ of a signal corps. The woman lawyer who demands an indemnity against failure must offer as collateral security not only the ordinary school education, but also a knowledge of the world and an acquaintance with that most abstruse of all philosophieshuman nature. She must needs cultivate all the common sense and tact with which nature has endowed her, that she may adjust herself to all conditions. She must possess courage to assert her position and maintain her place in the presence of braggadocio and aggressiveness, with patience, firmness, order and absolute good nature; a combativeness which fears no Rubicon; a retentiveness of memory which classifies and keeps on file minutest details; a self-reliance which is the sin qua non of success; a tenacity of purpose and stubbornness of perseverance which gains ground, not by leaps, but by closely contested hair breadths; a fertility of resource which can meet the "variety and instantaneousness" of all occasions; an originality and clearness of intellect like that of Portia, prompt to recognize the value of a single drop of blood; a critical acumen to understand and discriminate between the subtle technicalities of law and an aptness to judge rightly of the interpretation of principles. Consistent implementation of the principles proclaimed on October 17 could lead to the design of the constitutional order. However, in late 1905 - early 1906 enacts a number of limiting civil liberties "temporary rules". In April 1906, the text appears in the new edition of "Basic state laws. Because of this "Code of Nicholas II" disappears definition of power of the monarch as unlimited, but remains its symbol - obviously ambiguous - as "autocratic". The most radical 86-I article "Code" reads: "No new law can not follow without the approval of the State Council and State Duma and absorb force without the approval of the emperor", ie for the monarch has the final say, and not determined by the necessary procedures advance the bill in case of disagreement with the Emperor. Next 87 article provided an opportunity in the event of termination or interruption of the Duma and State Council to conduct debates in the Council of Ministers, with subsequent confirmation by the king in the form of "His Majesty's orders, take effect immediately. And the king retained the right to interrupt the meeting of the Duma and the State Council. Emperor could not enforce the laws in the form of individually approved by the "acts of top management" [2, c.139]. In the exclusive jurisdiction of the autocrat were the foreign policy, finances, army and navy, the appointment to senior posts in the government bureaucracy. All other public institutions were of secondary nature. Nominally, reminiscent of some West European counterparts, Russia's parliament (State Duma - the lower "chamber plus the State Council - " upper "chamber) really is not. Not institutionally integrated, functionally, these "house" opposed to each other. a simple sentence there are two lexical-semantic variants in the word like - comparative and contrast. The word like in the sense of refinement doesn't have synonymous parallels with comparative-contrastive like.the constructions the word like isn't independent part of the sentence. All structures like + X function as secondary part of the sentence: attributive or adverbial contest, and also is a nominal part of the predicate.contrastive like is characterized by intersection of four parts of speech: preposition, adjective, adverb and conjunction.prepositions the word like draws the possibility of combining with nouns, adjectives, pronouns, gerunds, numerals. There is also presence of case valence and duplex syntactic relations which are mostly in binomial word combinations which are formed according to the model «pivotal word + like + dependent word».word like together with the input construction like prepositional phrase is characterized by the mobility of positions in the sentence. These prepositional phrases and constructions with the word like can have predicative, attributive and adverbial characteristics., the possibility of the word like to form the word form unlike and the combination much (more, less) + like doesn't allow to attribute it to preposition.adjectives the word like draw the presence of prefix in the structure of the word and also the possibility to form the degree of comparison., the word like is characterized by the right distribution which is not typical for adjectives.combinations Adj + N the article is used before the adjective, but in the combination like + N the article is used before the noun but not before like.adverbs the word like has possibility to follow after participle in the participle constructions, presence of prefix un in the structure of the word, possibility to form degree of comparison with the help of words much, more, less., there is a compatibility for the word like which adverbs don't have. As it is known, adverbs doesn't combine with nouns, but the construction like + N is very productive. Unlike adverbs which have unilateral connection, the word like has bilateral connection. Adverbs and adjectives are parts of sentences. The word like isn't part of sentence.conjunctions the word like draw the possibility of comparative phrase which refers to verbal predicate to be expanded into the subordinate clause.is impossible to attribute the comparative-contrastive like to any morphologic class because it has the character of morphologic syncretism.word like with the meaning of refinement doesn't have synonymic parallels with comparative-contrastive and functions as the word which introduces the enumeration. Here like has conjunctional function.of grammatical and semantical structure of composite sentences with the parts which are input with the clip like allows to affirm that they are grammatical and function in modern English. They are represented by three types of compound sentences - comparative-contrastive, commenting - valuating and qualificatory meaning. Casual and modal characteristics plays an important role in the realization of syntactic relations. The clip like functions as conjunction. LONELINESS: loneliness, solitude, separation; alone, singular, lonesome, sole. most Edgar Poes tales a motive of death is significantly felt. This theme was popular in the literature of American South, as it reflected the depression of decay of the Virgin Renascence period, affirmed the idea of inevitable destruction of the whole Splendid, Beautiful in the times of worship money flourishing. To some extent the Edgar Poes frantic world became the reflection of the reality, but the theme of death takes a psychological aspect the writers creative work. It is also interesting that death in Edgar Poes artistic system becomes an aesthetic category and isnt perceived as only biological phenomenon. The writer considers the notion death as a symbol and even a special state of human consciousness. Some heroes admit that they do not fell the boundaries between the life and death; they imagine the death to themselves as a special form of existance of human spirit. Hence the motives of life, death, immortality ideal of the Elation, Beauty, drifting, create a certain complex unity. The very atmosphere of horror, despair, solitude, deadlock move the reader into the unique fantastic world of thoughts and feelings. The category of death in Edgar Poes artistic system doesnt call any disgust, fear, on the contrary, it inspires the reader for the higher feelings and reflection about the sense of life. Callridge was right without any doubt, when he said that E. Poe gives his readers satisfaction from the delight of extraordinary magnificence of artificial horror.reading the Edgar Poes tales, we can always feel, that some powerful forces operate the life and destiny of the heroes. The presence of deep mystery is seen, which attracts the readers attention and calls peculiar elation and mental excitement in him. As a rule the reader endeavours to penetrate into the very essence of events, open the mystery, find the internal forces that rule them, but very often he leaves helpless in the face of the sacrament of existance: the author never gives unambiguous simple answer. We feel the internal fight of mysterious forces in every tale, and realize, hat the writer plunges into the essence of human existance, admiring and charming the reader. The frequent usage of the words God, Saint, Seraph, Heaven and others are the evidence of not the depth of writers religiousness, not of the useless human efforts and not of determinacy of the mans destiny, but most probably of the complexity of that ties, with which it is connected with the world. E. Poe always tried to realize the eternal problems of being, which worried the whole generations of great thinkers.evidence of this may be the usage of the lexical units, which have the common theme "mystery, superhuman, forces", which helps to create the elated tone in his tales. These are the following words and word combinations:, Divine Father, the Mighty Ruler of the Universe, Soul in Paradise, Heaven, Seraph, saint, angel, spirit, shadow, omnipresence, omnipotence, demon, destiny, fatality, fate, doom, futility, spell, mystery, riddle, secret, marvel, enchantment; mystic, Magical, phantasmagoric, superhuman, beyond human control, unnatural, fantastic, unreal, uncommon.. Poes psychological tales are marked with the solemnity and well-groundness. They are characterized by the philosophical depth and wide scale of the comprehension of problems. In the form of expression it shows itself in the frequent usage of abstract vocabulary: beauty, good, evil, being, existence, universe, Life, material world, spirit, Humanity, Time, limitless, nothingness, plentitude, abstraction.the world literature E. Poe is considered to be an unsurpassed master of creation the hard, sullen atmosphere. Considering that the surroundings of human being has a psychological influence on her, forms her emotions, feelings and mood, the writer very often goes into detailed description of houses, interiors, scenes. Every, even the smallest, detail in the decoration of interior, the unnoticeable at first sight subjects, serve for the creation of the general atmosphere and are a part of a whole.typical elements for such descriptions of architecture and interiors are the following attributive word combinations:abbey, melancholy House of Usher, misty-looking house, quaint and old building, prison-like rampart, mansion of gloom, bizarre architecture, comfortless and antique chamber, a large and lofty room, dark, high, turret-chamber, remote turret, dark and intricate passage, the Gothic archway of the hall, wilderness of narrow passages, vacant, eye-like windows, bleak wall, ebony blackness of the floors, smooth slim and cold wall, massy doors, ponderous gate; sable draperies, dark tapestries, fringed curtains of black velvet, gloomy furniture, gigantic sarcophagus of black granite, phantasmagoric armorial trophies, manifold and multiform armorial trophies.only the placement of fanciful subjects, that surround the heroes, plays a great role in the creation of general atmosphere, but also the light, sounds, even the movement of the air, which creates the impression of extraordinary things and mystery of everything that takes place.author pays a special attention to the depiction of the light. In the tales he clearly warps the reality and the ordinary feeling of environment, though the action always stays in the boundaries of the reality. The light creates a special effect and mood, hiding some and opening the other details. As a rule, these are the darkened and somehow sullen beams, which correspond to the general atmosphere of helplessness, downcast and depressed state. The examples may be the following word combinations:gleams of ancrimsoned light; some faint ray of light; wild sulphurous lustre; ghastly luster; the rays of the numerous candles; gleam and the radiance of the full, blood-red, setting moon; a blood of intense rays rolled throughout.the climaxes of Edgar Poes tales one and the same sound is repeated all the time, which cannot concentrate attention and raise the too tense atmosphere. For example:sharp, grating sound, certain low and indefinite sounds, the echo of the very cracking and ripping sound, a low and apparently distant, but sharp, protracted, and most unusual screaming, a distant, hollow, metallic, and clangorous, jet apparently muffled reverberation, an indistinct murmur.great attention is paid to the scene also, because, as a rule, E. Poes personages are isolated from the external world, and lead unsociable life, being plunged into their own thoughts and emotions. Thats why the situation of depressed state has peculiar psychological influence on the all heroes. The main personage of Edgar Poes tales is a man with his own passions and thoughts. On the pages of the writers works we meet rather different people. For the creation of human characters the literary artist widely uses the words and word combinations, united with common theme traits of character, and also the units of moral-estimated vocabulary, such as:, resolution, audacity, stern nature, Ardor, elevated character, spirituality, extravagance, penetration, sagacity, arrogance, vanity, virtue, faithfulness, cordiality, warmth, sincerity, gentleness, turpitude, wickedness, evil propensities, rooted habits of vice, soulless dissipation.the one hand, the vocabulary, which determines the thinking activity of the man, takes an important place, but on the other hand - the one, which expresses human feelings and emotions. It should be pointed out, that rational and emotional things compose somehow two opposite poles of human existance. But here there is no contradiction, on the contrary, the complicated combination of rational and emotional in one character is peculiar to E. Poes novelistics, and turns out to be the authors merit. In the very writers individuality we find harmonial combination of ability to the logical consistent thinking and inclination to the untamed passions and unlimited imagination. Heart and mind - we always feel mutual influence of these two phenomena in the complicated displays of human mentality. E. Poes heroes, as their creator, are inclined to quick shift of feelings and mood, they are very emotional and at the same time - people of high intellect, prone to analytical thinking. Moreover some double meaning is shown here: on the one side - the heroes completely depend on the circumstances, they are the slaves of their own passions, on the other side they are capable to appreciate the situation soberly in the even seeming hopeless conditions. E. Poe widely uses the vocabulary of rational and emotional aspects, creating the effect of fantasy and at the same time explaining everything that happens rationally, taking into account mutual condition of all phenomena in the world. Among the lexical units, that mean the process of thinking, the most frequent are: , reflection, reason, research, curiosity, thought, mind, brain, fancy, superstition, analysis, consideration, intellect, intelligence, mental existence, attention; to forget, to mean, to suspect, to conclude, to come to a decision.emotions and feelings of the human being are conveyed with the help of the following lexical units:, feeling, mood, bitterness, hopelessness, melancholy, grief, sympathy, pity, sorrow, temptation, animosity, depression, tumult, commotion, rage, vexation, ecstasy, glee, excitement.his tales, E. Poe deeply investigates the psychological and physical state of the human being in the extreme situations, when all her feelings are aggravated to the brim. The writer is the master of conveying human feelings perception of the environment, sometimes it even seems, that not the hero, but the reader perceives the world depicted in the tales. We feel the abruptness, inconsistence of impressions, lapses of humans memory and consciousness, exhausted from long sufferings. The question about the verge of being and not being, about the sense of being emerges here. Person, who wasnt on the verge of death, will never appreciate the Beauty and Charm of Life. The author often observed his heroes, who are in "the state of seeming nothingness"; mental and physical state of heroes in different situations is conveyed through such lexical units, as:, nervousness, tremour, iceness, dreariness, madness, stupor, mental disorder, intoxication, the elate of seeming nothingness, agony, swoon, delirium, confusion of mind, haziness, insensibility, imbecility, sickness, fit, unconsciousness; to unnerve, to dream, to faint.. Poes personages are, as a rule, very talented people. Their spiritual world is complicated and many-sided. They admire theatre, music, and painting. They are creative personalities with their own peculiar seeing of events and rich inner life, and often they try to find their self-expression in the creative work. Wide usage of words and word combinations, which belong to the lexico-semantic group Arts in the E. Poes tales determined it, such as:, art, thing of art, image, improvisation, canvas, painting, vignette, background, frame, design, pallet, brush, reading, verses, ballad, rhyme, volume, guitar, rhapsodies.system of the vocabulary of the work of art is determined not only linguistic, but also extralinguistic factors: thematic directivity of the tales, peculiarities of the depicted material, ideology, authors aesthetic views, his creative manner. Such approach allowed to understand deeply Edgar Allan Poes creative idea, ideal contents and aesthetic intentions. Protein storage doesnt take place in animals. Except for the small amount that circulates in the cells, amino acids exist in the body only in muscle or other protein-containing tissues. If the animal or human needs specific amino acids, they must either be synthesized or obtained from the breakdown of muscle protein. Adipose tissue serves as the major storage area for fats in animals. A normal human weighing 70 kg contains about 160 kcal of usable energy. Less than 1 kcal exists as glycogen, about 24 kcal exist as amino acids in muscle, and the balance-more than 80 percent of the total-exists as fat. Plants make oils for energy storage in seeds. Because plants must synthesize all their cellular components from simple inorganic compounds, plants-but usually not animals-can use fatty acids from these oils to make carbohydrates and amino acids for later growth after germination. Old Ukrainian literature took centuries to develop, influenced by two bookish languages. «The Precept of Volodymyr Monomakh» is an outstanding literary memorial of the distant past. The Kyiv-Pechersk Patericon» describes the lives of the Fathers of the Caves. In the 16th century poetry received a powerful impetus. Ivan Kotlyarevsky's epic burlesque «Aeneid» turned out the first creation of new Ukrainian literature. In 1840, his «Kobzar» came off the press. Realism flourished in the second half of the century. Mykhaylo was born into the family of a poor official (clerk). Mykhaylo Kotsiubynsky described the life of the Ukrainian people at the turn of the 20th century. Kotsiubynsky developed literary traditions created by Taras Shevchenko and Ivan Franko. At the age of fourteen, after his father's death Mykhaylo became the breadwinner in the family. He followed traditions of the school of realism of Levytskyi, Panas Myrny. His works were translated into Russian and Western European languages during his lifetime and gained popularity far, beyond the borders of Ukraine. The first English language translations appeared back in 1925. The most famous novel, written by Honchar is «Sobor». «Sobor» was unknown to the reader for a long period of time, because it was banned. I know by «Tvoya Zorya», «Ziklon», «Tronka». This author can justly be called the conscience of Ukraine. In his works such problems as the good and the evil, honour and dishonour, love and hate were raised.

2019-04-20T20:50:52Z

https://www.studsell.com/rubric/6/180

During the whole year 2014 I hadn’t been travelling abroad at all so my WP-list hadn’t got any bigger. It was already early autumn and I still had no ideas what to do on my summer holiday. I had been asking if there was any room on Corvo, Azores, but it seemed that there was no room in Comodoro or any rooms that Finnish birders had. So I ended up to ask if any of my foreign Facebook friends knew any place where to stay there. It was a nice surprise when a Swedish birder Stefan Ettenstam, who I had met first time on my previous trip to Corvo, contacted me and told that he had room in a double-room that he had booked! Everything went fast after I had contacted Stefan. He had planned to stay on Corvo from the 8th until 21st of October so soon we were booking flights. I had some holiday more so after all I booked my flights to Corvo from 8th to 24th. From Sweden there were direct flight to Sao Miguel so we planned to fly there and then to Corvo – luckily it happened to be the cheapest choice for me too. I also thought that I had already been twice on Terceira, it wasn’t necessary to go there. I hoped there might be something to twitch on Sao Miguel. Finally when the trip started to get close a Willet was found on Sao Miguel. So we just counted days and it looked good that the bird was staying there for long enough. On Monday the 6th of October after my work, I packed my car and drove to Kirkkonummi. It was a long drive and I did stop on the way to try to see some Pomarine Skuas in Taipalsaari Kyläniemi without luck, but finally at 9 p.m. I was with my parents. And I had to go to sleep early as I had an early wake up. On the 7th of October I woke up at 3 a.m. and soon I was in Helsinki-Vantaa airport where my dad drove me. Once I got to the right gate I met Markku Santamaa, the Finnish WP-lister nr 1, who had the same flights to Sao Miguel. Our flight left on time at 5:30 a.m. and I slept almost the whole time. We landed to Lisbon where on the next gate we met Dutch Thierry Jansen and Belgian David Monticelli. Finally at 11:55 a.m. (local time) our flight left to Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel. After landing to Ponta Delgada Thierry left immediately to twitch the Willet, but the rest of us had to get our luggage first. But soon we were taking a taxi and heading toward the ETAR, where the bird had been. First we stopped to Davids hotel where we also could leave our luggage with Markku. Then it was only 100 meters walk to ETAR. And once we got there Thierry was also just getting out from his taxi, he had got a slowly driver. We met a couple of French birders that had stayed on Sao Miguel for longer and they had already seen the Willet on the previous day. So we followed them as they knew the places better. And soon they found the bird with their telescope about 400 meters from its usual place. We all watched it through the scope and then started to walk closer. A lifer! The bird was sleeping on a rock just about 10 meters from a walking way. So soon we were photographing the bird very close! It did wake up for a while and cleaned its feathers but only some seconds every time. In almost a couple of hours we stayed there, it flew only a couple of times from a rock to another one and than we could see the beautiful wing-marks it had. Other bird we saw on the shore were a couple of Knots, a Dunlin, a Little Egret and a Kestrel that was migrating over us. Finally we had good enough pictures and with Markku and Thierry we walked to a harbor and to a cafeteria to have lifer-beers. David still stayed photographing the bird. Once we walked back to ETAR, Willet had moved to its usual place and was feeding along a small smelly river. David had followed it and was now photographing it on the rocky shore. Thierry had to continue to the airport as he was flying to Terceira, but with Markku we walked to David’s hotel to pick up our luggage and luckily got a ride from the owner to our own hotel Alcides. In Alcides we found out that it was completely full, so Markku had to move to the another hotel. I had already booked a room with Stefan Ettenstam and Seppo Haavisto, who were coming in the evening. After some relaxing we met with Markku again in Alcides restaurant and enjoyed really good steaks. Stefan and Seppo arrived late at night as their flight had been almost 2 hours late. I was already sleeping then. The rest of the night I was listening snoring of these too tired men. On the 8th of October we woke up at 7 a.m. and even though it was raining we decided to skip the breakfast and headed straight to ETAR. It was 10 minutes walk from our hotel and once we got there we couldn’t find the Willet. We soon spread around the area where the bird had been seen but we couldn’t find it. When we all were walking back to the smelly river, we saw it in flight and landing to its usual place again. It was a WP-tick for Stefan and Seppo. We watched the bird feeding for some time but then the rain started to get worse so we decided to go to have our breakfast. After the breakfast we took a taxi back to ETAR and the bird was still there, but on very bad light. Stefan decided to walk down along the river and managed to get to good light after all. Other birds there were the same Knots, a Dunlin, Turnstones, a Little Egret, a couple of Sanderlings and a Ringed Plover. But then our taxi-driver came back earlier than he should so pretty soon we drove back to hotel, picked up luggage and headed to the airport. At 1:20 p.m. left our plain to Faial, Horta where the plane got full of birdwatchers! There were my old friends Petri Kuhno, Tero Toivanen and Janne Kilpimaa, WP-lister nr 1 Ernie Davis and many other old friends and also some that I didn’t know yet. Soon we continued to Corvo where some birders had already been for a week and birders would stay until the end of October. I was going there for 16 days! At 15:25 we landed to Corvo and it was really strange that there was no bird to twitch right away. It was the first time even for Seppo that there was no hurry from the airport. It had been so quiet on Corvo that quite many birders were leaving to twitch a Short-billed Dowitcher from Terceira and Willet from Sao Miguel! And they all knew the first rule of birding on Azores – “Never leave Corvo!”. Well because of we weren’t in a hurry, we took our luggage and got a ride to our apartment that was close to the church. With Stefan we got a tiny room and a couple of German birders got much bigger ones alone, which was strange. Our host Fernando didn’t speak any English and her daughter Vera seemed to be in a hurry, so there was no point to say anything – we were just happy to be on Corvo! We had no idea if we were going to have a breakfast and Vera wasn’t really helping. She just said that we should go to Comodoro to have breakfast. It didn’t sound good for us, so after all we walked to Comodoro and discussed with Kathy “Katt” Rita and hoped she could talk to our hosts about it. Then we went shopping something to eat and drink. Only birding we did, was a short walk through the Middle fields and a twitched Spoonbill from the beach. At 8 p.m. we gathered to a big building close to a rubbish tip and had a good dinner. It cost only 10 € including drinks too – so it was really good! Like Janne K said: “We can drink our food cheap”. On the 9th of October we woke up at 7 a.m. and as we had no idea if we had a breakfast or not, we were planning to walk to taxis to Comodoro before 8 a.m. When we were leaving, Fernando came out and asked us to come in to downstairs and there was a surprise – we had a breakfast after all! We ate traditional bread, ham and cheese and were happy to make a couple of breads with us too. Then we had to hurry to get to taxi. At Comodoro there were many birders already and soon 3 Hiace-taxis arrived. So everyone could get either to upper road to Reservoir or Caldeira, middle road until Lighthouse valley or lower road until Cantinho. We, like many other, headed to Lighthouse valley where an exotic visitor, a Snowy Owl had stayed for a few days. We walked up and down the valleys before the Lighthouse valley as the Snowy Owl had been there but unfortunately we couldn’t find it. After all we started to walk back along the road with mostly Finnish birders. It was raining so we walked until Da Ponte which gave the best shelter from the rain. I had already walked until the bottom of the valley, when we heard from our walkie-talkies that there was a Scarlet Tanager found in Tennessee valley! I didn’t remember how to get there so I decided to climb back up and follow Seppo as he had already started walking there. It was raining pretty much when we walked along the road but luckily we got a ride from Comodoro’s owner Manuel. It was a wet ride on a pickup, but soon we were above the village Vila Nova and Miradouro view-watching place. From there we took a path up to the valley. It was a hard walk as I followed Danish Christian Leth and Petri who were almost running. So soon we saw a group of birders above us and thick blackberry bushes. We tried to get through the bushes but it was impossible! So soon we decided to go around them. Once we got to other birders we were told that the bird had been missing since it had started to rain, but luckily the rain had just stopped. And soon Christian found the bird! He was watching the bird just 10 meters above me but I couldn’t see it. I had to climb through some more blackberry bushes and a big stone wall but somehow I managed to get to Christian and soon found the bird! Scarlet Tanager was perched almost on the top of a bush but it wasn’t easy to find, so when many other birders came to us, most of them couldn’t find it before it dropped inside the bushes. But luckily it was active and came close to us when we played a tape for it. And finally even Petri managed to get his 700th WP-tick! More and more birders were still coming to see the Scarlet Tanager that was showing well, when we decided to start walking down to the village. My shoes were completely wet, so I went to change dry shoes and then walked to harbor to digiscope a White-rumped Sandpiper and a Little Stint that were there. I still went to evening seawatch but all I saw were 3 Common Dolphins and lots of Cory Shearwaters. After the dinner we both, me and Stefan, started to feel very sick. Our stomachs were really bad and after all I started to throw up. And I was very sick for whole night! 10th of October. I had slept maybe 15 minutes and still felt really bad but Stefan had managed to sleep and he had been less sick, not throwing up at all. Anyway we went to breakfast but I was mostly only looking at it. Then we walked to taxis but there we decided to stay down anyway. After we had walked a little bit, I started to feel too bad again and I had to give up and walk back to bed. Luckily nothing was found during the morning, so I could sleep pretty well. During the day I did a walk around the airfield but it was almost too much. I felt so tired on the halfway that I almost called a taxi! So soon I was back in the bed and trying to sleep. When some birders had already walked down to village and also plane-twitchers and some new arrivals had came too, walkie-talkie started to tell me about very nice birds here and there! A Rose-breasted Grosbeak, an Indigo Bunting, a Red-eyed Vireo, a Bobolink, a Scarlet Tanager and so on, but luckily I had seen all the species already and I didn’t have to go twitching. Of course I wanted, but I was just too sick to do anything, so I just tried to sleep more in my hard and noisy bed. In the evening I managed to join the dinner and even ate something, but anyway I had to go to bed as soon as possible. On the 11th of October I woke up feeling much better but still weak. Anyway after breakfast we walked to taxis and I got out from a taxi in upper Poco da Aqua with Kalle Larsson and Seppo Järvinen who had arrived on the previous day. We walked downhill along the dry river and stopped to check every single bush very carefully. We were almost on the Middle road when we met Danish Jens Hansen and Tommy Frandsen who were climbing up. I told them not to find anything as I was still too weak to run uphill. And after a couple of minutes we heard Tommy from the walkie-talkie – they had seen a Philadelphia Vireo on the bushes that we had just been watching last 45 minutes! We ran up and found Jens and Tommy soon but the bird had flight to a big bushy area a little bit lower. We walked there and soon there were many birders checking the bushes but the bird wasn’t found. We waited and waited, played the tape, but nothing. I saw very briefly a yellowish-green bird flying over us and Mika Bruun saw it too a little bit lower along the road and managed to see that it was another Scarlet Tanager! Finally we gave up and planned to walk to some of the ribeiras that are closer to the village. We were on the road when we heard a message in walkie-talkie, but all we could hear was that there was something in Fojo. I started to walk there immediately and when I got there, there were already many birders. Probably the same Philadelphia Vireo had been seen there! Seppo H played tape and soon Stefan noticed that there was some bird moving in the bush just in front of us. And there it was – a Philadelphia Vireo! It came very well visible in front of us and we could see it extremely well! Soon it flew to the trees behind the small open area but it still stayed there so everyone managed to see it very well. Once I had been watching the Philadelphia Vireo for long enough, I started to walk together with Hannu Palojärvi towards the village. I visited the shop again and then walked a little bit around the fields and managed to twitch a Bobolink that had been found once again, this time near Cape Verde fields. In the evening we had dinner and it was great to eat well again. Anyway I went to sleep early as I was extremely tired. On the 12th of October I got out from the taxi together with Seppo J and Kalle near Do Vinte. Once we finally found the right path to the forest we stayed there for some time but then it started to rain very much. We still climbed on the slippery hillsides for some time but it really wasn’t worthy. Only Blackbirds, Canaries, Chaffinches and Blackcaps were found. When the rain had stopped and we were having the second breakfast along the road, we heard that there had been a possible Northern Parula seen in Fojo. I left immediately there and soon I was in the picnic-area with many other birders. I walked a little bit in the forest where on Polish birder had seen the bird, but then went to sit on the bench and wait if the taping would attract the bird visible. Nothing happened so some gave up but I decided to stay there as long as someone is still trying. Seppo H was once again playing the tape when I heard a chip-call above me and saw a tiny bird flying over us. I saw to which tree the bird landed but couldn’t see it. Luckily Kalle found it soon and there it was – a Northern Parula! Kalle managed to get a couple of pictures of the bird before it flied over us again and landed to the trees where it still was visible for some time before it disappeared into the forest. Unfortunately it wasn’t found again so quite a few birders missed it. While we were still waiting a parula to come back we saw already second time a snipe flying over us. It really looked dark and it had no white trailing-edge on the wing. Surprisingly it landed to the road just behind us and we all could seen that it really was a Wilson’s Snipe! Some managed to get good pictures of it before it flushed again and then Stefan got a couple of good flight-shots too. After some time I left together with Seppo J to walk towards the village. We still got down to the lowest part of Poco de Aqua but couldn’t find anything. When we had climbed back to the road and got a connection to mobile-net, I got a message that a possible Common Yellowthroat had been seen in tamarisks South from the airfield. Together with Seppo and old Italian friend Daniele Occhiato we started to walk quickly towards the village hoping to get a lift from any car. There was no traffic at all so it was a long 45 minutes walk to the tamarisks where we saw other birders. But we couldn’t find the right path inside the tamarisks and we walked a long round around the area before we finally found the right path. And once we got there all the birders had moved a little bit. The bird had just been seen again for the first time for almost 2 hours and it had really been a Common Yellowthroat! We had missed it while walking around the tamarisks! Anyway we now knew where the bird might be and just stopped and started to wait. And once again the tape worked and the bird soon flew just in front of us! Cameras were busy while the (for us not so) Common Yellowthroat was showing extremely well just some meters from us! Then after a couple of minutes it moved into the bushes and disappeared. And nobody saw it later in that afternoon and evening. We left others to wait if the Common Yellowthroat would show up and walked together with Markku and Hannu through the fields and saw a young Lesser Black-backed Gull flying towards the rubbish tip. In the evening we ate again well and soon after that I was ready to sleep. It had been a day with 2 lifers! The morning of the 13th of October was misty but anyway we took the taxi to Cantinho, where while waiting the sun rise we stayed on the bridge and waited and listened if there were any calls. Then I walked up to climb the upper side of Cantinho from where I landed down to the lower part before continuing to the lower part of Canselas. But all I could find were Chaffinches and Blackcaps. Then I continued to Fojo and climbed up the northern side for some time but soon I realized the fog was coming lower so I walked back to the road. There I met Swiss Jerome and together we walked to Da Ponte where we met Seppo H, Bosse Karllson and Pierre-André Crochet. After some quiet listening PAC found a Red-eyed Vireo and we could see Pierre watching the bird which of course disappeared before we saw it. So all we could do was to wait it to come back. Most of the American passerines seem to make a round on the forest and come back sooner or later. And it didn’t take too long when Thierry, who had also came there found the bird. We could all see it well and once it came to the tree tops just above us, we realized that there were two Red-eyed Vireos together! After some time I walked back down to the village together with Hannu and Kari Haataja and after some rest I still went to seawatching. The western wind was very promising, but all better I could see were two Great Shearwaters. After the dinner we all gathered to Comodoro where we celebrated 10-years birding on Corvo birthday – the first birder to visit Corvo in autumn, Peter Alfrey, had arrived and we had a surprise parties for him. It was very nice, but anyway I left to sleep pretty early as I had an early wake up to work. On the 14th of October I headed to Fojo by taxi and from there I walked to Canselas together with French birder Daniel Mauras. But soon we heard that another Scarlet Tanager had been found in Cantinho so Daniel hurried there. I climbed up until the middle-road and then walked back down to lower-road through Southern Fojo. But all I saw were 2 Woodcocks. On the road I met Stefan and while we were walking near the picnic-area, we saw a snipe flying over us. It was clearly a Wilson’s Snipe again! We told about the bird to walkie-talkie and surprisingly Josh Jones had seen it landing near the crossroad above us. We climbed there and soon saw the bird hiding in a grass while a couple of photographers were taking pictures of it. But when more photographers arrived, the bird got enough and flight too far to see it landing. It was a mistake as many birders still missed this species, but luckily we soon saw it coming back and landing to a field above us. We sent messages about the bird and after some time everyone had arrived. Then photographers went to walk to the field while the rest of us waited on the road to see it flying again. The bird was flushed a couple of times and everyone saw it pretty well after all. So everyone was happy – I think even the snipe when it was finally let alone. Together with Stefan we continued to Da Ponte again where we stayed for more than an hour and saw the Red-eyed Vireo again. Then together with Janne K, Tero and Petri we started to walk back towards the village. We had planned to rest on the Lapa-bridge but there we met Pierre-André who had just seen and heard a small warbler in flight. We followed PAC up along the river, but lost him soon as he was going really fast. And of course soon he walkie-talkied that he had found the bird again and it was a Northern Parula. I was the only one of us who had seen the first parula so it was a lifer for Janne K and Tero so we continued walking higher. Soon we found PAC but the bird was missing again. Many birders were coming soon and most of them followed the river higher and some decided to stay where the bird had been seen last time. So I decided to walk back where the bird had been found. There I sat down to a rock and started to check a sheltered bottom of the river with nice hortensias and soon saw a tiny bird landing to a bush. All I could see were feet and white stomach, but it was enough, I walkie-talkied everyone to come and soon the bird was showing extremely well to everyone! I watched the Northern Parula for maybe 5 minutes and then decided to start walking again. While walking back to the road we saw another dark looking snipe again in flight. In the village I visited another shop that was close to our place and once I was back in our room I heard that another Wilson’s Snipe had been found in the harbor. I decided to go to try to get some digiscoping pictures. But when I got there, the bird was already flying far over the sea. In the afternoon I still went to seawatching with Hannu and we saw a couple of Great Shearwater, a Black-headed Gull and 3 White-rumped Sandpiper that came from the sea. In the evening we managed to move to a bigger room downstairs. This room had been empty all time, so we asked Fernando if we could move there as the room we were was absolutely too small. We should have asked about this much earlier! After the dinner I was ready to go to sleep again before 11 p.m. The 15th of October. We had agreed that taxis would leave 15 minutes later as it was still quite dark when we got up. But I think no-one had told it to our driver Joao as the first taxi had already gone when we got to Comodoro. There were several birders waiting for the next taxi but it didn’t come. We tried to call Joao but he didn’t answer. Finally after more than an hour waiting he came and we got up. With Kalle and Seppo J we went to Cantinho where I went first to lower part but found only plenty of Blackbirds from a big pear-tree. Then we climbed together on the upper parts, but found out that it was impossible to climb until the middle-road because of too many fallen trees. So we walked back to lower-road and until Fojo picnic-area. Then we heard that there had been a flock of 3 vireos, 2 Red-eyed and a Philadelphia Vireo in Northern Fojo, so we climbed there. We stayed there for some time but managed to see only those 2 Red-eyed Vireo briefly. I must say that after seeing Red-eyed Vireo now quite many time, even a singing Willow Warbler on the background was a better bird. After a couple of showers, I started to think we were too lazy and walked to the middle-road and there I got an SMS that a Black-and-white Warbler had been found in Da Ponte already more than an hour ago. While walking there I met a couple of birders that had already seen the bird and even managed to get amazing pictures – with using the tape of course. Once I got to lower Da Ponte the bird had already been missing for 45 minutes, but luckily we found it again soon! The Black-and-white Warbler was still showing well but now only pretty high on the trees. It had probably heard enough tape already? Then I decided to walk down to the village even though it was still quite early. Together with Hannu and a couple of British birders we went to seawatching but there was nothing happening. So I just went to rest a little bit. After the dinner we gathered to Finnish birders house where we celebrated Petris 700th WP-tick with Finnish and Swedish team. On the 16th of October I got out from the taxi near Do Vinte and climbed up to the higher part of the forest. The weather was really good in the beginning and Canaries, Chaffinches and Blackcaps were really active but then it started to blow so hard that I was afraid of trees to fall over me. So I walked back to the road and then down to Pico. There I followed a path until lower Da Ponte where the Black-and-white Warbler was still present. But the wind was getting so strong that birding even in Da Ponte wasn’t clever anymore, so I started to walk towards the village earlier than ever. So I was by the shop already before it opened at 1:30 p.m. In the shop I met Ilkka Sahi and Jouni Riihimäki who had just arrived which was a miracle – no-one really thought a plane could come in this weather! Then we heard that Daniele had seen a Catharus-thrush in tamarisks near the Common Yellowthroat place and we hurried there. Soon we were watching into a big bush with many other birders and together with Jouni and Seppo H we saw too briefly a bird in flight that might have been the right bird, but after that it was never seen again even though we stayed there for hours. When most of the birders had already given up, I found the Common Yellowthroat again, but it disappeared inside the bushes too soon before Jouni and Ilkka managed to see it. In the evening I was relaxing because of it had started to rain too much. After the dinner PAC showed us pictures from his trip to Western Kazakhstan. It really looked interesting and the areas were inside Western Palearctic. On the 17th of October the morning was still very windy and some showers moved over the island. Taxis had again left already at 8 a.m. so we were late with Stefan. We decided walk around the airfield and then go to see if there were still people searching for the yesterdays thrush. There were some birders and also we stayed there for an hour or so before I found again the Common Yellowthroat. Once again it was really fast and only a handful of birders managed to see it, and again Ilkka and Jouni missed it. I decided soon to go to walk to Middle-fields and heard later that they had soon after I had left finally seen the bird. And after that they had really managed to see almost everything else too that still was on the island. After 10 a.m. we took a taxi up to Caldeira with Kalle and Seppo J. On the way I finally saw a Collared Dove. 3 Collared Doves had been on the island all the time but I just hadn’t seen any yet. Once we got up to the crater the wind was extremely strong. We hoped it would be better inside the crater but surprisingly the wind only turned from the walls and it was eastern wind down on the bottom. We started to walk around the lakes and tried to find a flock of 5 Buff-bellied Pipits that had been there. After we had flushed some Common Snipes it started to rain very hard but luckily it didn’t last too long as there was of course no cover at all. There were quite a lot of birds but just all the same – Chaffinches and Canaries. We just couldn’t find the pipits. After some walking we found a Pectoral Sandpiper and soon after that 3 White-rumped Sandpiper. I tried to do some digiscoping but it started rain again so I had to give up with the pictures. When the rain stopped again, we found 4 Teals and probably another Pectoral Sandpiper. A couple of Black-headed Gulls were flying over the lake. Finally when we had walked back along the neck of land which goes between the lakes, we climbed to one hill and saw a flock of Mallards, hybrids and dark American Black Duck -type of ducks. They flushed once again too soon and I managed to see them pretty well with my scope and I would say that there was at least one real Black Duck. After some flying around the flock of ducks landed up to the cliffs! Once we had climbed back up, we called Joao to pick us up. The weather was still bad, but luckily he came soon. We then drove back to the village where we did some shopping, had muffins in Bomberos -cafeteria and then I still walked a little bit above the village checking the fruit-trees. Then I was just too lazy to go to seawatching which I should have gone as there were 2 Grey Phalaropes and a Storm-Petrel seen. In the dinner there were almost only Nordic birders eating in our ordinary place, other had moved to more expensive restaurants that were still open. On the 18th of October we went early to taxis as they still seemed to come at 8 a.m. Together with Stefan and some others we drove until Lighthouse valley where we first tried to find a Redpoll that had been seen on a couple of days before, but it wasn’t in ordinary junipers. Then we walked down to the valley but found nothing. We were already climbing back up when we met Jens who was going up faster than we did as we still tried to find something from the bushes. Soon Jens told in walkie-talkie that he had found a Great Grey Shrike! He was some hundreds of meters above us so we started to climb there. While we were climbing he told that he thought that the bird was “only” a European bird and he had even checked it from a couple of pictures that he had managed to get before the bird had flight up behind the hills. Of course it was still the first Great Grey Shrike for Azores, but I wasn’t very keen on climbing after it. At least because of it started to rain really hard! Soon there were a couple of twitchers more and when the rain stopped they started to climb after the bird. With Stefan we decided to stay where we were as it was probably the best place to scan the valley if the bird was coming back down. But soon Jens walkie-talkied that they had found the bird again a couple of hundred of meters above us. So we had to start climbing again. When I had finally climbed to Jens, David and Daniel and got the bird to my binoculars, my first worst were: “That has nothing to do with a European!”. The bird was darker – especially on the head, really scaly on its breast and flanks, mask was weak, tale was short with white only 2 outer feathers and the closed wing didn’t show any white at all. Chaffinches were attacking it but anyway it was calling and even singing and I could say that calls were also clearly different from North European race “excubitor”. It was clearly a “borealis” – Northern Shrike from Canada – soon a split and the first for WP of this sub-species! Finally the shrike got enough from the chaffinches attacks and flew over us, hovered a couple of times and showed its tiny white patches on the wings. Then it flew fast down along the valley and disappeared behind the hills. There weren’t many birders yet so others left after it but with Stefan we had got enough of Lighthouse valley and started to walk towards the road. We walked again a little bit on the Redpoll place but couldn’t find it. Soon other birders started to arrive and we had good news as the shrike had been found again. But it had soon disappeared again after some time so not all saw it. We continued to Canselas and right after it we took a path through the fields down to lower-road. Then we went to Fojo but in an hour we couldn’t see anything better. Stefan stayed still there and hoped to photograph some vireos, but I left to walk along the road were I met Kari and together we decided to walk up to Reservoir. It was a hard walk but we could see that there was a group of birders above us so we walked to them and there was a Dotterel that had been found on the previous day. I was wondering why these birders were watching a Dotterel when there was the first for WP on the island, but anyway I was happy to add this northern bird to my Corvo-list this easily. After some waiting another good wader which had been wandering around the area for some time, a Golden Plover landed to the fields too. Kari left to walk towards Tennessee valley, but I wanted to keep on going high up to the Reservoir. It was really windy and it started to rain very hard, but once I got to the top, the rain stopped. I found a long-staying Lesser Yellowlegs and a couple of White-rumped Sandpipers. Then I still walked a little bit around before headed towards Tennessee valley. I managed to follow the right valley down to Miradouro and soon I was back in the village. After some shopping I still went to seawatching, but already at 6 p.m. I went to Comodoro to check emails and so on. After the dinner I was very tired, I had been walking quite much today. 19th of October. We started the morning with a funny episode. While having a breakfast we locked the door and the key was outside in a lock. A British Stew decided to climb through a tiny window and ended up hanging head towards the ground while Fernando was holding from his feet. Somehow Stew didn’t hurt himself and got the door open. The wind had now turned and was from East, so we headed to Lighthouse valley again. All birders that hadn’t seen the shrike were also going there. With Stefan we checked the Redpoll place again and this time we managed to hear it a couple of times but couldn’t see it at all. We also walked through almost whole Lighthouse valley but again saw nothing. When we were already walking back to the road we heard that Northern Shrike had been found from Caldeira and again by Jens! So we jumped to the taxi that soon arrived and got a ride until Do Vinte. I climbed up to the forest again and I was just checking the highest area when I heard from walkie-talkie that Pierre-André had found a Black-throated Green Warber from the lower Poco da Aqua! I stopped for a second and decided that I am not going to twitch as I had seen the species already on the previous autumn. It was a good bird and a beautiful too but I really wanted to check Do Vinte if I could find something by myself. I walked around the forest quietly for 20 minutes but when I heard that the warbler was still showing very well, I had to give up and go to see it. Soon I had walked down to Poco da Aqua where I could see the Black-throated Green Warbler immediately. And it was showing really well indeed! It was the first “real” lifer for many and the funniest thing was that Mika and Markku had taken some cake with them from previous dinner so they could celebrate Markkus first lifer of the trip! When the warbler had been hiding for some time, I decided to go on birding. Luckily the bird stayed there in small area for the rest of the day and almost everyone managed to see it. I walked again along the path from Pico to lower Da Ponte and from there I continued together with Hannu and Petri to wet Lapa fields. A Corn Crake that Hannu had seen earlier wasn’t found, just some Common Snipes. Petri also dipped his shoe pretty well. Then we still walked down to rubbish tip, where had been a Buff-bellied Pipit twitchable for the whole day. It was still showing extremely well so I decided to get my scope and camera. Luckily the pipit was still there and I got really good pictures and videos of it. When I left and had walked a couple of hundreds of meters I heard the pipit calling and flying high on the sky towards the Miradouro. Maybe the cats that were living on the rubbish tip had flushed it, or then it was just going to sleep somewhere else? After the dinner I fell asleep very soon while Stefan was still packing his luggage. On the 20th of October after breakfast I said goodbye first to Fernando. I had decided to move to a Finnish apartment where was space now. I wasn’t happy to pay 30€ per night from the first week that we had stayed in tiny room without a single nail on the wall to put wet jacket or so on. I happily paid it from the second week room even though it was still more expensive than Comodoro. Then I said goodbye to Stefan who was leaving. Then I headed to taxi. Together with Kalle and a few Swedish birder that had missed the Black-throated Green Warbler on the previous day because of they had been up in Caldeira watching the shrike, we got to Poco da Aqua. After some waiting we heard clearly some chip-calls of a warbler with Kalle but couldn’t see the bird. After some more waiting we heard it again and soon the Black-throated Green Warbler flew over us and landed to the top of trees. But it really stayed on the top all the time and only me and Bosse managed to see it well before it flew again back down to the unreachable bottom of the ribeira. After some time we decided to give up and continued with Kalle to Do Vinte which I hadn’t managed to work well enough on the previous visit. But we got only to the road, when we got a message that there had been a Blackpoll Warbler near the village! We walkie-talkied the message so also Swedish friends got it and then waited for Bosse and Jesper Segergren to join us. Even Bosse needed this bird – he had missed it several times before. After some tries we finally contacted Joao and soon he came to pick us up. When we were driving above the village we could see some birders between the road and the rubbish tip. We headed there and soon were on the place where the bird had been seen last time. We heard that the bird had been extremely mobile and had been seen only a couple of times before it had disappeared. But everyone who had been on the village had seen the bird – even those who were now sitting on a plane in the airfield! Or everyone except Kari who had forgotten his walkie-talkie to his apartment. So together with Kalle, Kari and Swedes we started to search for the bird. We walked around and of course watched all the bushes where the bird had been seen, but it really started to feel hopeless after more than an hour. I still sat on the place where it had been seen last for a half an hour and then heard on walkie-talkie that Mika said in Finnish: “We are coming there”. I asked what was going on and heard that Jouni had seen a possible cuckoo-species in the tamarisks near the Common Yellowthroat place. Petri translated the information in English to walkie-talkie and soon everyone was hurrying towards the tamarisks. Once we got to the tamarisks Jouni told that they had seen the bird landing to the last tamarisk closest to the road. I planned to wait for everyone to arrive, but Kari was already going into the bush. And soon he shouted that: “Here it is, coming towards the top of the tree!”. I had no idea which side of the bush to go if the bird flushes! Then I decided to run to the road, which was at least the highest place. And luckily the bird had stopped almost to the top and was well visible from the road – it was a Yellow-billed Cuckoo! Soon there were people coming but luckily the bird stayed on its place. It really looked tired. But this was the bird that many of us had hoped to see. Of course many had seen it before as it wasn’t really that rare on Azores, but us who hadn’t – we were really happy! After some time I started to think if the bird would stay on its place so long that I could get my digiscoping equipment. I already took a couple of steps but then heard on walkie-talkie that Blackpoll Warbler had been found again – I just couldn’t hear where it had been found. But I saw Kalle and Kari running already and I followed them as fast as I could. We ran around the airfield and luckily after 400 meters running I saw it wasn’t going to be a marathon – there were birders looking down towards the airfield just 100 meters from us. And once I got there I saw the bird already while running – a Blackpoll Warbler! The bird stayed next to the wall on the bushes, cut branches and on the ground for about 10 minutes and everyone who was down managed to see the bird really well! When the warbler had flight to the other side of the airfield and gone missing again, I decided to go to get my scope and camera. Then I walked quickly back to see the cuckoo but it was gone. And it was bad news as at least Richard Ek had stayed up with the Black-throated Green Warbler as he had seen a Blackpoll Warbler before and he we didn’t know if he even knew about the cuckoo yet! Luckily the cuckoo was found again and I saw Richard walking towards us on the other side of the airport. I hurried to see the cuckoo too and hoped to get some pictures but photographers were there already. So I saw only backs and heads through my scope while photographers were going closer and closer to the bird. And then the bird flushed again – just before Richard arrived. But luckily there were birders already on the other side of the tamarisks and they saw it landing to a bush behind the fields and it was visible even from the road. So Richard finally got it too! The bird was inside the bush so it wasn’t really photographable anymore but I wanted to get at least some kind of pictures. And after all I managed to get close enough (it’s not needed to get very close when you are digiscoping) and got pictures that I was happy. After shopping I moved to the house next to Comodoro and got a comfortable room by myself. The cost was 25€ breakfast included. On the dinner there were only Nordic birders, but happy Nordic birders – it had been a great day! The 21st of October. Previous day had been so good that we were hopeful when we got to Cantinho where we walked together with Kalle first on the hill-forest and then got down to the lower parts, while Mika was doing the same round opposite way. Anyway nothing was found. After 11 a.m. we continued to Fojo where we sat down in the open area in the middle of the huge forest. There were also a couple of Germans and after a half an hour or so they started to talk something that had a word “vireo”. We watched if they were watching somewhere and realized that they were indeed watching a bird. With Mika we turned around very quickly and managed to find a bird that they were watching. But once I got it to my bins it flew down behind the bushes. All I saw were bright yellow breast and white stomach! We ran after the bird but couldn’t relocate it. So we climbed back to ask what the Germans had seen and now they were talking about a Northern Parula. But I was thinking that I had seen a little bit bigger and different-shaped bird and Mika thought so too. Mika and Germans had also seen two white wing-bars, and Mika said it could have been a Yellow-throated Vireo. Germans checked the book and said it really could have been it, after all they said they were 99% sure about it. We of course kept on searching the bird and also walkie-talkied about it and soon there were everyone searching for it, but it was not found anymore. I gave up after a few hours but some stayed searching for the bird until 5 p.m. On the walk back towards the village I saw a Collared Dove. While I was shopping I heard that a Yellow-billed Cuckoo had been found somewhere but I understood that it was somewhere near the Miradouro. After all it had been somewhere close to the shop, but it had been flushed by a photographer so almost everyone missed it anyway. On the dinner the atmosphere was quiet, everyone had expected the day would have been better. On the morning of the 22nd of October a wet foggy cloud was covering the higher parts of the island. Anyway we headed straight to Fojo where we hoped to see the yellow-breasted bird again. After an hour waiting the weather cleared a little bit, but unfortunately only for an hour. Then the fog came even lower and I decided to move and climbed for some time on the Southern part of Fojo but the forest was so wet that I gave up soon. I was completely wet when I got to the picnik-area where I met Darryl Spittle and together we walked towards Lapa. I had decided to walk down to Lapa but because of the fog I somehow though I was already there when I got off the road and walked along a river-bottom towards a small forest. Soon I realized that I was somewhere else which was Do Cerrado das Vagas that was impossible to check very well as the cliffs were too steep. Anyway I checked the places that were possible and then continued to Lapa which I walked down and back up but once again couldn’t find anything. With very wet boots I finally walked together with Mika and Kalle to the village where I did some shopping again and then went to have a muffin to Bombeiros. In the afternoon we still did a short walk around the fields and somehow I managed to hit an electric fence with both my legs. Nice! Once I got back to our apartment I met Janne Riihimäki who had arrived for the late season trip. In the evening our dinner was excellent! 23rd of October. It was my last full day on Corvo so I really had planned to try hard. The weather looked ok when we left up by taxi but soon we realized that the fog was even worse than on the previous day. So with Kalle we got out already in Pico and we walked down to check the forests there. But the forest was again so wet that soon we continued to Da Ponte. But nothing was found and soon my shoes were wet again. So we started to walk back down early. The weather was still much better near the village so we walked a lot checking all the fields and I also continued to the rubbish tip and around the airport but found absolutely nothing. After a short break I still continued to seawatching and it was a surprise that I was there by the windmills alone. Soon I found a Cory Shearwater chasing a small, pale bird very far on the sea. They were coming closer all the time but I lost the smaller bird many times behind the waves but luckily the shearwater kept on chasing it so I found it always soon. After some time they were so close that I could identify the bird as a Grey Phalarope! But right then it disappeared behind the waves again and the Cory Shearwater stopped chasing it. I walkie-talkied about it anyway as I thought it could be found when it gets up again. About 10 twitchers arrived but only 1 had a scope. After some time Peter Alfrey found surprisingly 2 Grey Phalaropes but they landed to the waves right away. Then I found one bird swimming, but it also disappeared when the first twitcher tried to see it with my scope. After some time I gave up and left walking around the airport. Soon after that the twitchers saw a Spotted Sandpiper coming towards me, but it also got lost somewhere. Then Petri saw 3 Grey Phalaropes from the camp-site but again the birds disappeared and they weren’t seen after that at all. In the evening I packed my luggage and at 8 p.m. we had the dinner again. On the 24th of October I and several other birders that were leaving went to say goodbye to all the birders that were going up by taxis at 8 a.m. The weather was still bad but I went to walk around the airfield one more time. I heard a Willow Warbler singing on the tamarisks but that was the only bird found. After all I had to go to get my luggage and at 10 a.m. we got a ride to the airport. After we had said goodbye to some of the birders and other people that were at the airport our plane left at 10:55 a.m. to Faial, Horta. There we said more goodbyes to some birders that were still going to Terceira and soon got back to the plane and continued to Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel. There we got our luggage, rent a car with Kalle and dropped Petri to twitch the Willet that had still been in ETAR and continued to search our hotel Alcides. Unfortunately I couldn’t remember how to drive there but finally after some searching we found it with help of my phones navigator. We dropped our and Petris luggage into our rooms and soon hurried towards the eastern parts of the island. Kalle was hoping to get lifer of the only endemic of Azores, Azorean Bullfinch – and I had nothing else to do so I had promised to join him. Of course it was good to go birding by a car. Kalle had got driving instructions to the last place where Finnish birders has seen the bullfinches, but they were through Povoacao. Se it meant that we weren’t driving the easiest and fastest roads. After many Common Buzzards and some U-turns we finally made it through Povoacao and found Serra do Trangueira road. Clouds were hanging low while we were driving slowly along this forest road which is the only place in the world to see Azorean Bullfinches. After about 5 kilometers I started to think that we were near the places where we had seen some bullfinches at 2011. And right after that I saw a bird just in front of our car on a dry branch. Kalle stopped and soon found the bird too! We got out and managed to get some pictures of the bird too, before it flew up to the tops of the trees. We walked around a little bit and found easily four Azorean Bullfinches but they were mostly calling from the tops of the trees. They landed to the hillside a couple of times but too far to get any more pictures. Other birds we saw were Goldcrests, Robins and lots of Goldfinches, Canaries and Chaffinches. Then it started to rain very hard, so we decided to continue driving to Nordeste from where we continued along the motorway towards Ponta Delgada. We drove straight to our hotel and soon Petri, who had already been celebrating his Willet-tick for a couple of hours, arrived too. Then it was time to go to eat well. We found a nice Swedish-owned 27 restaurant and luckily met also Kari there. It was nice to have a really good dinner in a good company! But soon we were too tired and had to go to sleep. 25th of October. With Kalle we woke up at 7 a.m and left to Mosteiros. Once there we tried to find a Double-crested Cormorant which had been seen there in many autumns but not in this autumn. But all we saw were 3 Manx Shearwaters. At 10 a.m. we continued backwards and to Lagoa Azul. There we met Swedish team, Bosse, Jesper and Richard who had already been birding there for whole morning. So we just checked the best place and saw 11 Coots, a Moorhen and 4 Common Waxbills as trip-ticks. Soon we continued to Ponta Delgada where we still visited ETAR where we met Richard Bonser who was still waiting for the Willet to show up. Richard was again going to Corvo for the late season. But Soon Kalle had to drive me to the airport. My flight to Lissabon left at 3 p.m. After a long flight I had to do some souvenir-shopping in Lissabon airport but I had almost 4 ours time so it was not a problem. Finally at 10:10 p.m. (local time) my flight left to Helsinki. A long and boring flight was over at 3:45 a.m. (local and winter-time that had just changed) and my father was picking me up. In Kirkkonummi I was able to go to sleep some more. The trip was after all very good, event though the autumn was one of the worst ones in 10 years birding history of Corvo. I got 7 WP-ticks and even though they weren’t super-rare birds, I had hoped to see at least some of the most common species missing from my list. My another goal was to find something good by myself but I failed on that. When there is only one bird found every day and even 43 birders searching you really need also luck to find it. I would say that I was trying enough. Anyway I was many times very close when the bird was found, so at least I was birding in right places. It was good to see most of the birds very quickly and then keep on trying to find something new. It was also good to visit Corvo on the peak-time when it is really full of birders. I had heard rumors of fights between birders but luckily everything went pretty smoothly. Of course information about rare birds could go much better and everyone aren’t best friends. But I got many new friends and of course it was nice to see many old friends too. Special thanks to Stefan Ettenstam and Kalle Larsson for giving me some bird-pictures that I am using in this report. This entry was posted in Azorit on 31.10.2014 by admin.

2019-04-18T21:14:31Z

http://www.caligata.com/tripreports/en/azorit-7-25-10-2014

As mentioned in an earlier comment, I think we are at a point where the cultural divide is so great that conversation is no longer possible in many cases. The Other Side responds to our arguments with genuine abhorrence: to them, merely to utter something vaguely pro-life is to place oneself beyond the pale. They don’t care what our arguments are, their minds are made up, they simply don’t want to hear it. They react with revulsion rather than reason. The reaction itself isn’t bad. Some arguments really are repulsive. Some ideas actually do merit derision, abhorrence, ridicule, and contempt. Some things are indeed “beyond the pale”. But here’s what’s interesting: we live in a divided culture where each camp finds the other revolting and intolerable. We are so far apart, for the most part, that we cannot stand one another’s company. We cannot have a simple conversation about fundamental values without going at each other’s throats or storming off in disgust. The abortion debate, for example, isn’t at all like slavery. The arguments for and against slavery were both rooted in a broadly Christian worldview with respect for the same authority and prescriptions. There was enough philosophical common ground to ultimately resolve the question. The same cannot be said for the hot topics of our time. There is no real debate or dialogue happening today: just shouting and emoting. The opposing camps simply do not have sufficient common ground for a rational discussion. The situation is obviously unsustainable. In the long run it can only be resolved in one of three ways: conversion, political separation, or (heaven forbid) civil war. In the event that it is not resolved – a more likely scenario – the tension will result in persecution at the hands of those with the greatest power and the fewest scruples. Don’t look for scruples in the pro-choice crowd. I leave the details to the reader’s imagination. Conversion would resolve it of course, but so might the recovery of reason. That’s why both Pope Benedict and Pope JPII defended reason so vigourously, with JPII going so far as to write an encyclical on it. Because you can’t really have a conversation with someone who is irrational, which is why dialogue with pro-choicers and Islamicists is dubious. The point of her talk was the moral and, to get down to it, intellectual dissonance that the abortion debate has planted in our psyches. When babies are babies when we want them and something else when we don’t, when things stop being simply what they are…you break, not only the baby, but the moral compass, shattering our ability to think rationally about anything. I was a biblical literalist Evangelical anti-abortionist for over ten years, and I try very hard to remember how I thought then in order to see things from your point of view. I understand that you believe abortion to be an atrocity. And I agree that both sides are shouting past each other. I just don’t see how we can resolve it, without making more of an effort to respect each other even when we disagree. My very wise professor once said that abortion is a matter on which people of conscience can differ. Can you grant us that much? That we acknowledge the gravity of the issue, but come to different conclusions? I’m here from Cecily’s blog. I think that the reason you may find it difficult to speak with people who support choice is because we’re coming at it from completely different idealogical viewpoints. If you, as a Catholic, believe that sperm + egg = baby = human life, then you believe a totally different thing than I do. A commenter above stated that there’s an intellectual dishonesty because people who are pro-choice believe that a fetus is a “baby” only when it’s wanted. I can’t speak for everyone when I say this, but I definitely don’t think that way. Instead, I believe that up until 22 weeks (which is the “edge of viability” for all neonates at this point), a fetus is a fetus. It’s not a “baby” until it’s viable outside the womb. I mean, frankly, I would go further than that and say that it’s not a “baby” much longer than THAT, but that’s a personally held belief. Anyway, to my original point, I guess the thing is that you believe those two cells are a human because of religious teachings. First of all, I don’t share your religion, so trying to impose those values on me is inappropriate and rude. I’m sure you could say that you don’t share MY religious beliefs, so trying to impose MY religious beliefs upon you is also inappropriate and rude. And that’s why the First Amendment guarantees you the RIGHT to do as you wish regarding your beliefs, but not to foist them upon me — which is exactly what an abortion ban amounts to. I will say that if there is ever proof that a sperm + egg = human life, then I will support a complete ban on abortion. But until that time, how could I ever logically support it? A fetus is a parasite (in the scientific and non-negative sense of the word) until it is born. I hope this doesn’t come off as judgmental. I’m trying to explain where I am coming from; I think I understand where you’re coming from. One thing we both agree on is that until our definitions are the same, we can never have a “conversation” that will result in anything final. I do think, however, that attempting to impose a Christian viewpoint of “life” onto people who are not Christian is inappropriate. And, all honesty, I’m a lawyer and I think I do understand the meaning of the First Amendment. Anyway, this comment is very long. Sorry for hijacking your comments section. Certainly I can grant that pro-choicers are people too, with consciences, and that many (or even most) of them are well-intended. But lots of mischief has been worked by well-intended people whose consciences are dull or malformed. When I say “don’t look for scruples in the pro-choice crowd”, I mean that pro-choice people are those who think it is OK to do bad things (abortion) to achieve a good end. Such people may not like abortion, but they think it is fine if a higher good results from it. There is no reason why they wouldn’t use the same kind of logic in dealing with their political adversaries. Unfortunately I don’t think we can go this far. The gravity of abortion derives from the fact that an innocent human being is deliberately killed. To acknowledge this fact has certain implications. If one knows this to be true, and yet concludes that abortion is nevertheless OK sometimes, then we have a problem with “acknowledging the gravity of the issue”. Well, Cecily regularly speaks of her boys as babies, even though they weren’t viable. That seems to be the case with lots of pro-choicers. I wonder if she really believes that. This is progress then! You are pro-life for all unborn babies older than 22 weeks! Correct? Now I’m confused. When, in your opinion, does a fetus become a baby? No, it isn’t rude or inappropriate. What if my religion is right and that fetus really is a baby? A baby is a baby. Just because you don’t believe it is a baby doesn’t change anything. My religion also teaches that women are people too. If you don’t happen to share that belief (for example), your beliefs don’t change the fact that my religion is right, and you are wrong, and I am going to seek to impose legal protections for all women against your will. No, I would not say that at all. If your religious beliefs are true, then you should impose them to the extent they benefit the common good. If they are false, you should discard them. What an abortion ban does is prevent you from foisting your belief that a fetus is not a child upon the child. What is so magical about being born that makes it cease being a parasite? A baby that is born still depends upon its mother for everything. It is still parasitic. It is still a physical, emotional, and financial drain on the mother and therefore on society. I don’t know why you would oppose infanticide, or indeed the killing of children up to the point where they can take care of themselves. I don’t think you really know where you’re coming from, but I’ll keep listening. No apology necessary, Ariella. Your comments are welcome. This is the closest semblance of an intellectual discussion of abortion that I’ve seen this week. Jeff, I agree with you that there is a big divide and it is almost impossible to cross it. Particularly on women’s blogs I’m sad to say. Strong liberal emotions in my experience will not tolerate calm, cogent logical argumentation. It doesn’t matter how compelling or persuasive it is, it will simply not be tolerated. That seems to be true in blogs, in the media, on the radio, television – its pervasive! Anyway, to my original point, I guess the thing is that you believe those two cells are a human because of religious teachings. Well to me those two cells are a human being because of biologic training. This is simply one phase of human existence and development much like infancy, toddlerhood, adolescence, and old age. What if there were no cost (financial or otherwise) associated with carrying a baby to term? The fact that there is a cost means there is a huge conflict of interest. That which is burdensome we will naturally devalue. Illegal immigrants are “migrant workers” to the businesses who need them. They are “illegal aliens” to those who see them as a burden on city services. For those who *want* to be pregnant, there’s no greater thrill than looking at their baby via sonogram. For those who *don’t* want to be, it’s a fetus or collection of cells. In practical terms, the difference between fetus and baby appears to be whether the child is wanted. Oh well. I appreciate that you tried to answer my questions. I am sorry you can’t respect my intelligence or my integrity, simply because I have reached conclusions that differ from yours. I’m curious, because I have a large number of hits from a Facebook account, and I was curious if maybe Mr. Culbreath and I were linked in this way. Rachel, while I can’t speak for Mr. Culbreath, I can say that I am just as much a pro-lifer as anyone, and that I do not disrespect your integrity and intelligence because of your conclusions about abortion. I do believe your conclusions to be incorrect, however. The two are not the same. For instance, I certainly respect the intelligence and integrity of St. Augustine of Hippo, though I believe he was wrong about double predestination. People who are wrong have the right to their opinions, but if I believe that I am right I will work to get laws which I believe promote the common good passed. Rachel, I don’t know anything about your intelligence or integrity. What I said is that one side “acknowledges the gravity of the issue” and the other does not. What I do know is that you approve of abortion. That may be a character problem rather than an intelligence problem. Do unborn children have anything to fear from you? They’re not too concerned about free speech. M.Z. Forrest: Cecily’s blog is here. I don’t know of any connection other than my posting some comments there. Daniel A: You can speak for me anytime. I would only add that, although being wrong doesn’t necessarily imply culpability, in the case of abortion being wrong is not generally without culpability. In theory I suppose it is possible to be pro-choice from invincible ignorance, but in practice I doubt it happens much. I’ve been following this on other blogs, and am now cautiously stepping into the discussion, because you sound very reasoned (and reasonable) here. In response to your comment on the “parasite” argument, I think it’s not disputed that, pre-viability, a fetus requires the mother’s body to sustain its life. Up till that point, it seems the law recognises that the mother’s rights outweigh that of the child, and, in the same way that it would be an infringement of an individual’s rights to force him/her by law to engage in, say, a life-saving organ donation (or even blood or sperm donation which would not put the donor’s life at risk), there would be a clear difficulty in having legislation which effectively forces mothers to give their bodies (even temporarily) as fetal life support. Post viability, as fetuses can survive outside the womb and be born and could (at least theoretically anyway) be “born”, the lawmakers can get away from the “parasite” scenario with its attendant difficulties. In a comment on another blog, you said that with advances in technology, the age of viability may be reduced to zero in 20 years’ time and the commentator would then be pro-life, and I would agree with that: to the extent that there would no longer be a rational basis, rooted in the rights of the individual, for permitting abortion – since a fetus would no longer “only” be a parasite but could survive gestating in an artificial womb, or other science fiction apparatus of your choice. Hope that makes sense; it’s the only way I’ve managed to make sense of what I’ve found to be a deeply difficult and troubling issue. A parasite is a species that survives by nourishing itself by consuming, but not killing, another species. I believe the correct term for this phenomenon you are describing would be “offspring” and “mother”. I don’t mean to sound snippy, but I think this falls into the category of “something so silly that only an academic could believe it”. For me, the debate on abortion ended when my first child learned to read. He spied a newpaper article on abortion and asked what the term meant. After an internal debate about how honest I should be I answered “sometimes a woman is pregnant, but doesn’t want to be, so she goes to the doctor and he will kill the baby”. When he laughed, I admonished him, “that is not funny at all!” Only then did he realize that I was not joking. Do you think that 6 year old child with a crystal clear sense of right and wrong would be persuaded if I explained to him that his pregnant mom in the next room was really the host for a parasite who we would later name Clare Francis? Could I credibly tell him that it is acceptable for women to kill their unborn children, but it still makes sense that we pray for the health of the parasite in mom’s tummy? I humbly submit to you that if you have to turn such mental contortions to convince yourself that you were once a parasite in order to justify abortion, then perhaps you need to start all over again with your analysis of the situation. We can debate all day about how to support pregnant moms, prevent unwanted pregnancies, and even whether and whom to prosecute in cases of abortion, but can anyone really honestly believe that abortion is no different than picking a tick out of one’s hair after a walk in the woods? I hope you can see the problem inherent in this position. An 18 week old fetus (let’s say) will not be ontologically different in 20 years than it is today. It is the same being, no matter what technology is available. That is why the viability argument really amounts to a meaningless diversion. In any particular case the viability of a fetus varies according to its own condition, the health of the mother, the level of technology available, and the ability to pay for it. Are you really prepared to argue that legal protection for human life ought to depend upon such things? I didn’t think so. The point is that the essence of the being itself does not change with viability. The fetus is either human, or it isn’t. As a civilization we protect human life because it is human, not because the circumstances necessary to preserve human life are inconvenient or burdensome. I once heard it said that for many women, the ‘choice’ to abort was the equivalent of a trapped animal chewing off its leg to survive. I talk to women about their reproductive systems day in and day out. It is what I do for a living. I have noticed that women can be either so defensive about past choices (on both sides, to abort or to carry) that they can not see any logic – only emotion. However, I have only rarely heard a woman say that she wishes that she’d chosen an abortion – and I have repeatedly heard women say that they wish that they had chosen (or been able to choose) to carry to term. I actually had one young woman tell me that she wished that there had been protesters at the abortion place the day she went in, so that she would have had an excuse to cancel her abortion. I beg the ‘pro-choice’ faction to allow for true informed consent – and this includes parental notification for minors, and possibly a waiting period. Currently abortion is the least regulated surgical procedure in this country – surely protection of women’s health should require at a minimum the same standards of hygeine and regulation that are demanded of a tattoo parlor or body piercing shop! I think this is a part of the fundamental difference that makes conversation between the two sides, if not impossible, at least difficult. The pro-choicer usually begins from an ideology of “abortion rights”, and they use scientific facts to back it up (after all, the fetus is fully dependent on the mother, the word “parasite” not being particularly helpful here.) The pro-lifer, by contrast, usually starts with something very different: a philosophy. When the pro-choicer and pro-lifer in a debate are merely discussing science, it is just a shouting match of “HUMAN DNA!” “NO, PARASITE” “NO, UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL” and so on. Not to say that science isn’t useful, and I would say that the facts support Life. However, reliance on science alone is not sufficient for either side. A pro-lifer asks how the fetus will be ontologically different at a different time in the pregnancy. A pro-choicer either doesn’t care about that question, or finds it interesting but not as important as other concerns. The pro-lifer is usally (in my experience) a moral absolutist, who wishes the pro-choicer to explain how an evil act can ever be right. The pro-choicer, by contrast, tends to want the pro-lifer to answer several horror stories about what would happen if abortion were made illegal. I have seen and participated in debates that have gone directly thus, and I have come to believe that the two sides are usually, though not always, coming from entirely different worldviews, and usually come away from debates thinking the people on the other side are cruel, ignorant, and dumb. None of this takes away from the fact that the pro-choicers are wrong, but I tend to think that a pro-lifer can better understand them than they tend to understand us…perhaps I’ll talk about that on my blog sometime. I suppose Daniel is right that reliance on science is not sufficient for either side, I think it is important to be accurate and honest about it. The question “when does a human life begin” is not normally a religious question. It certainly is not a religious question if we are dealing with the Roman Catholic religion. The Catholic Church has many dogmas in regards to faith and morals, but it leaves scientific questions to the scientists. The question of when a life begins is a biological question. Questions such as “when is killing a living human being morally justifiable” or “is a very early (pre-implantation, say) abortion morally justifiable apart from when exactly life begins” are ethical, and therefore religious questions. Of course there may be other religions, or non-catholic Christian sects, that do make when life begins a religious question, much as fundamentalism makes six-day literalist creationism a religious question, but if Aiella belongs to such a religion and this religion tells her that “pre-viable” human fetuses are not alive or not human, she belongs to a religion that is teaching something absurd, from the point of view of science. The same can be said of Aiella’s strange and very unscientific “parasite” argument. Thank you for engaging me in civil conversation. I hope that my use of “parasite” was not unduly inflaming, as I picked it up from another commentator upthread and hoped to use it as shorthand for the intimate connection that pregnancy requires of mother and fetus. Jeff, you said there would be little ontological difference between an 18 week fetus now and one in 20 years’ time, and I would agree – but then, I believe life begins in the womb, and that abortion is (avoiding overly emotive language) “Wrong”, save for instances concerning the health of the mother and defects incompatible with life. Put another way: the religious harmony laws of my jurisdiction prevent me from forcibly converting a non-Christian, even though I firmly believe in a saving knowledge of Christ. I would hope I lived my faith enough to donate an organ to a neighbour in need, but the law does not require that people do so, as that would infringe their rights over their bodies. Put yet another way – I believe the following matters to be Wrong (sorry, very politically incorrect list): adultery, divorce (save for instances of extreme depravity), homosexuality, the death penalty. Yet I understand why, for most part, these are not illegal, and why people who don’t share my beliefs might consider it an unacceptable imposition of those beliefs on them. Yet another – contraception. My church and denomination has, by and large, no issues with contraception, and, while I believe many orthodox Catholics (please correct me if I’m in error) would support it being made illegal, I would not. As you probably can tell, I struggle with this issue, as I struggle with the issue of civil unions, and it’s hard for me to have this debate with others (not here, obviously) who are shouting and emotional, and whom I have no desire to cause further distress. I deeply grieve for fetal lives lost (and you would have thought, even if pro-abortion individuals aren’t sure whether life begins in the womb, they would give the fetus the benefit of the doubt, per Pascal’s Wager). But in this fallen world, I can understand why legal standards do, and arguably, must, conform to the lowest common denominator – or else we’re back to forced conversions and A Handmaid’s Tale. I’d love to be convinced otherwise, of course (hence the contortionistic science fiction artificial womb scenario somewhat flippantly posited by me earlier). Thank you for letting me voice this. I wish all of you peace. I think that at least part of the problem is that there really can be very little crossover between the two sides. On the one hand, I find it reprehensible that a legislator would tell me what medical prcedures I can and cannot have done. Now, to be fair, I have a fairly constitutionalist view of government, and I don’t think the federal government belongs in these sorts of small scale things (not small scale in terms of implication, but small scale in terms of individual effect on the country as a whole. It’s simply not the province of the federal government). Even on a local level, I feel like medical decisions should be made between individuals and their doctors. That said, the problem is that for abortion to be legal AT ALL, in any circumstance, you have to legally classify a fetus as “not a person”. Otherwise, abortion legally is murder. The minute that legally a fetus is not a baby, then creating new stem cell lines to kill them off is legal, even though you are making embryos that could well survive. Then you legally get into a class of “not-babies” created for research, and that opens the door to a whole host of unsavory practices. While I believe that women should not be told by the government what to do with their bodies, while I belive that saving the life of the mother is important, and that allowing her to die to save a badly damaged fetus is wrong; I find myself in a quandary, because making abortion legal in any way is a “gateway drug” of sorts. So much of the abortion debate focuses just on the fetuses being aborted. When you think of it as just a “woman’s right to choose” issue, it can be easy to be pro-choice. The argument focuses on this procedure, or that procedure, and ignores the overarching issue. When you make a fertilized egg a “not-person” for all legal purposes, you remove basic rights and protections, creating a new legal class that can be killed, dismembered in womb, cut apart for stem cells, grown in a petri dish to harvest for organs, and so forth. Similarly, if abortion is legal, then laws allowing someone to be charged with assault AND murder for hitting a pregnant woman and killing the baby are unconstitutional. You allow the government to define what is and isn’t a person. In that way alone, it is similar to the slavery debate. The issue was whether or not slaves were “people”, and the conclusion was that allowing government to decide a persons’ humanity based on expediency (in that case, for the slaveholders who made their money from slave work, and in this case, for women and biotech) was unconscionable. The biotech research firms have lobbyists with big money pushing pro-CHOICE agendas, because it allows them to profit from what would otherwise be considered felony child abuse and murder.Even in cases of conjoined LIVE twins, doctors have to sometimes, after trying everything to save both, make choices as to which one to save. Despite the fact that their actions led to the death of a person, they don’t get charged with murder, or even malpractice, as long as they tried their best to save both. I find it highly unlikely that they will be punised any more harshly for making similar decisions when the two lives at stake are mother and child, despite any pushback of abortion law. I think that this is a debate where most REASONING people find themselves somewhat torn. Even the most vocal pro-choice individual will have to admit that it is a dangerous precedent to classify ANY human life as “not-people”. Even the most rabid pro-life individual will admit that it is not always medically possible to save both mother and child, and that if the mother wishes to be the one saved, that sometimes has to happen (this could be the point where I go on about single moms with children who need them, and so forth, but lets leave the emotion out, ok?). The biggest issue here, with the farthest reaching implications, is that allowing government to classify “people” and “not people” is a lot more dangerous to continued freedom than allowing it to regulate reproductive rights. Teresa: I hear you and your many good points, and actually think your post does go some way to finding some common ground, or at least basis for conversation, between both sides. But then the question becomes, if the government (or legislature, if we’re considering the separation of powers) isn’t in the right position to classify “people” and “not people” for purposes of legality, then who is? The courts arguably are less prone to lobbying by deep pockets lobby groups, but anyway, they do have the ultimate say (and seem to have, via Roe, more or less sanctioned the pre-life definition of “people”). Ack: I meant, the “pre-*viability*” definition of “people”. Sorry. Jehane- I hear what you’re saying about who gets to classify what is and isn’t a person. That’s just the problem. In my opinion, sperm+egg equals at least *possible* person, and so you can’t say “it’s ok to abort this embryo”, or “it’s ok to create this embryo in a lab to destroy it for cells” without ALSO having to say “it’s ok to hurt this woman and kill the 8 month old fetus she carries” and “it’s ok to make a fetus in the lab so we can harvest its organs”. You have to legally classify every embryo as a person, to protect any unborn child. If one is legal, sadly, they all have to be legal. While I am against allowing government to regulate the doctor/patient relationship, and against allowing them to regulate what goes on in my body, I feel like there is NO WAY to make abortion any kind of legal without opening the door to some egregious offenses against life. I don’t even see the need to drag G-d into this. The minute you do, people on both sides get up in arms, and since there are so many opinions on the identity and appropriate worshiping practices of deity, it immediately destroys reasoned debate, sadly. The issue has very little to do with religion, and a great deal to do with the morality of life itself. Whether or not you believe that life begins at conception, by allowing abortion to be legal, and thus, denying the *personhood* of the fetus, you destroy the constitutional basis for anything that will protect unborn life, even WANTED unborn life. You can’t define whether or not it counts as a baby merely on the basis of whether or not it is wanted. I don’t think anyone on either side of the debate is saying “abortion should be used as birth control” or “a woman should have to die so her 6 month old fetus has a chance at life”. I have spent most of my life as a RADICALLY pro-choice woman, even after personally choosing to go forward with a pregnancy that my doctor begged me to terminate, one that almost killed me. I would not make anyone else make my choice, but I couldn’t deny my son the chance to live, even though it meant that my daughter had to spend a few months in daycare since Mommy was on bedrest. I have a wonderful, handsome, gifted three year old son to show for it, and I am thankful every day that I ignored my doctor, and switched doctors when he wouldn’t leave me alone about terminating. I think that the other problem is that a LOT of doctors are very quick to encourage termination if there is ANY problem, and I don’t think they would be so quick if they had to try to save both or be charged with murder. Even after that, I still remained pro-choice, and I was as mad as anyone when I heard about the PBA ban. I was, however,VERY opposed to human cloning, biotech that involves killing embryos for research, etc etc. I realized that while conceivably you can draw a moral line between the two things, you can’t draw a legal one. If you allow killing embryos for abortion purposes, you have to allow killing embryos, period. If killing them isn’t murder, then it isn’t murder, no matter who does it or why. You have to allow ALL embryos to be people, and thus as protected as other people, or you have to deny personhood to ALL of them. Well said, Teresa, and thanks for saying it here! Food for thought, Teresa; thanks for framing this in a non-deity-centric way that defuses the religious persecution element concern. Blessings on you and your son. Steve Polson wrote that, for Catholics, the question of when life begins is a biological/scientific question, not a religious question. That’s not my understanding. The Catholic deposit of Faith, beginning with Sacred Scripture and endin with the latest Catechism, teaches that human life begins at conception. Science and biology uphold the same truth, of course, but that’s a bonus. However, the question of when precisely conception occurs is a scientific question. The Catholic Church does not and cannot teach as religious doctrine the biological facts of what happens in the womb and when it happens since that is essentially a biological question, a question for science. At the time of the Apostles and for many centuries afterwards it was a question that was understood by natural philosophy. Of course the Church has always taught that abortion is always a grave sin apart from the question of when life begins. (The Didache condemns it for example). For the most part, people who say it is a religious question are pro-choicers who are trying to keep it legal with the false argument “you are imposing your religion on others.” What we are imposing is the rights of human beings and the modern bioligical fact that the life of a child as an individual distinct from its parents begins at fertilization. For example, medieval science at times taught that conception (the beginning of the baby’s life) occured weeks after the sexual act. Many modern pro-choicers believe that conception occurs at “viability” and though they cannot come up with a cogent biological definition of “viability” they say it is roughly in the middle of the pregnancy or towards the end of the second trimester. Of course scientifically this is absurd but it would not necessarily be absurd in the absence of what science has taught us about the early stages of human life. The Catholic Church never taught as dogma that a life begins X number of days or weeks after the sexual act that produces that conception. Surely you can see that the Church could not teach such a thing as a religous dogma. What the Catholic Church does teach (as part of its moral teachings) is that abortion is always a grave sin and that after conception occurs (the unborn baby’s life begins) it is also murder in the most literal sense of the term. The new catechism is a more specific than that but that is because it was written in the light of modern scientific knowledge. OK, but maybe we need to hash this out a little more. I’ll take your point that the question of when precisely conception occurs is scientific and not religious. I don’t believe I said anything to the contrary. However, the real issue is not when conception occurs, but when personhood occurs: that is a religious and philosophical question. Whether personhood begins at conception, or at “ensoulment” as St. Thomas mused, or at birth, or at the age of reason, is not something the Church has left up to science. The Church – not science – has determined that personhood begins at conception, whenever that takes place. I understand why you might want to take one argument away from the pro-aborts by taking religion out of it, but I don’t see how that is possible or even desireable.

2019-04-18T16:46:09Z

https://culbreath.wordpress.com/2007/04/24/is-conversation-possible/

Dr. Ajay J. Kirtane, Herbert Irving Pavilion, 161 Fort Washington Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10032. Assessment of clinical outcomes such as 30-day mortality following coronary revascularization procedures has historically been used to spur quality improvement programs. Public reporting of risk-adjusted outcomes is already mandated in several states, and proposals to further expand public reporting have been put forward as a means of increasing transparency and potentially incentivizing high quality care. However, for public reporting of outcomes to be considered a useful surrogate of procedural quality of care, several prerequisites must be met. First, the reporting measure must be truly representative of the quality of the procedure itself, rather than be dominated by other underlying factors, such as the overall level of illness of a patient. Second, to foster comparisons among physicians and institutions, the metric requires accurate ascertainment of and adjustment for differences in patient risk profiles. This is particularly relevant for high-risk clinical patient scenarios. Finally, the potential deleterious consequences of public reporting of a quality metric should be considered prior to expanding the use of public reporting more broadly. In this viewpoint, the authors review in particular the characterization of high-risk patients currently treated by percutaneous coronary interventional procedures, assessing the adequacy of clinical risk models used in this population. They then expand upon the limitations of 30-day mortality as a quality metric for percutaneous coronary intervention, addressing the strengths and limitations of this metric, as well as offering suggestions to enhance its future use in public reporting. Calls for public reporting of cardiovascular outcomes have been growing, with transparency touted as a fundamental component of quality improvement in an emerging era of value-based health care (1). Public reporting of outcomes following coronary revascularization procedures is already available in several states, with a number of proposals for its expansion looming (2,3). As an example, the American College of Cardiology has announced plans for voluntary public reporting of process-related institutional data for limited metrics as a first step toward public reporting within the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (4). Increasingly, regulators are legislating public reporting, while payers may use these data to rank physicians (5). These efforts stem from a desire for transparency in outcomes to both ensure and incentivize high-quality care and to guide patients in their selection of providers and hospitals. However, fair comparisons among hospitals and physicians require accurate risk assessment and/or risk adjustment in the reporting process by accounting for case selection and case mix at the levels of both hospitals and physicians. In addition, it is imperative that data collection be accurate and that the reporting measure being publicly reported be truly representative of the quality of the procedure rather than be dominated by other underlying conditions of the patient. Risk-adjusted mortality reporting (RAMR) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been used as a conventional metric for evaluating the quality of PCI. If an adequate number of PCI procedures are performed, the use of RAMR can be useful for the identification of outlier hospitals and operators and as a base to anchor quality improvement processes. Mortality represents an easily ascertained endpoint of indisputable importance to patients. However, the use of RAMR as a surrogate comparative metric of PCI quality may be misleading, because mortality at 30 days following PCI is frequently not directly related to procedural quality itself (6). Herein lies a fundamental dichotomy related to the use of this metric: although there can be utility in the identification of hospital and physician outliers through examination of 30-day mortality rates, lesser degrees of variability encompassed within comparisons of these rates may have little to do with actual differences in PCI quality, and when taken out of context, these perceived differences can be inappropriately magnified. Risk adjustment may be one way to address the variability in patient and procedure selection. Yet although the underlying risk of patients undergoing PCI bears a strong influence upon the subsequent occurrence of 30-day mortality, the methodology for risk adjustment varies across state and national registries, with no clear consensus favoring a particular risk adjustment model or strategy. Inadequate accounting of risk in RAMR assessments can inadvertently—when these data are either used as part of a quality improvement initiative or publicly reported—impugn the quality of care offered by providers and hospitals. Particularly for higher risk patients, concerns about how public reporting of RAMR might affect the reputation of a physician and/or hospital can lead to “nonclinical” influences during case selection (such as risk aversion) (7) which may run contrary to the best interest of patients being assessed for treatment. The conundrum of how to incentivize high-quality care while minimizing the untoward potential impact of public reporting upon the care of high-risk patients is of critical concern to the interventional cardiology community. In this viewpoint, we review in particular specific high-risk patient populations currently treated with PCI procedures, assessing the adequacy of risk models assessing mortality used in this population. We then expand upon the limitations of 30-day mortality as a quality metric for PCI, addressing the implications of public reporting of this metric. We finally offer potential solutions to address the limitations of this metric if used for public reporting, particularly in the context of preserving and enhancing the assessment of PCI-related quality. Several subgroups of patients have traditionally been considered to be at high risk for adverse outcomes following PCI. These include patients with cardiogenic shock or the resuscitated cardiac arrest patients with post-arrest anoxic encephalopathy. Additionally, patients indicated for complex revascularization but who are deemed nonsurgical—because of extremely high surgical risk, unfavorable anatomy, or other factors precluding surgical revascularization—represent a subset of “high-risk” patients for whom there is increasing interest in the potentially less morbid revascularization afforded by PCI. In these high-risk populations, the increased mortality risk is frequently due to elevated baseline mortality risk, not the actual quality or complexity of the percutaneous revascularization procedure (8). Observational studies suggest better outcomes when early coronary angiography and revascularization are performed for patients post-arrest (9). In the INTCAR (International Cardiac Arrest Registry) registry of comatose post-cardiac patients, 80% of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) present on electrocardiography and 33% of patients without STEMI on electrocardiography had evidence of a culprit lesion (mostly total occlusions) on angiography; functional status among comatose patients even without evidence of STEMI was improved in those who underwent coronary angiography (10). Mortality rates for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest remain high even in contemporary trials, approaching 50%, with two-thirds of these deaths a result of neurological causes and occurring irrespective of whether coronary angiography and PCI are performed (11). When PCI is performed in these high-risk patients, it may have a significant impact on PCI-related outcomes for both the physician and institution performing these procedures if reported outcomes are not adequately risk adjusted. For example, in Washington State, although only 2% of patients undergoing PCI initially presented with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest statewide, these patients accounted for >10% of the case volume at low-volume centers (12). Patients in cardiogenic shock represent another high-risk category. A landmark randomized trial demonstrated that shock patients are among those with the most to gain from invasive management and coronary revascularization, with 62% of hospital survivors assigned to early revascularization alive at 6 years, compared with only 44% of patients managed conservatively (13). As a result of these data in addition to corroborative observational data, revascularization of patients with myocardial infarction complicated by shock is viewed as current standard of care, with a class I recommendation in current clinical guidelines (14). Given the high mortality, however, shock patients can be disproportionally represented in an individual physician’s and institution’s count of mortalities occurring after PCI, which is why some states current exclude these patients in public reporting. Patients who merit revascularization for anatomically severe or complex coronary artery disease but are not offered coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) represent another distinct high-risk subgroup often considered for PCI. Notably, the determination of high surgical risk and/or nonsurgical status may be institution and operator dependent and may be difficult to standardize. Thus, in accordance with current guidelines, these evaluations are ideally made in a heart team–based approach to possible coronary revascularization, considering the relative risks and benefits of medical therapy, PCI, and CABG. In a typical clinical scenario for a patient with symptomatic and severe coronary artery disease, CABG is deemed too high risk for the patient, and PCI is offered as an alternative because revascularization is indicated (either for symptoms or for prognosis). Sometimes PCI is conducted with possible CABG as a “safety net” in the event that PCI causes additional ischemia or poorly controllable hemodynamic deterioration. In other situations, the risk of CABG is truly prohibitive compared with medical therapy, and PCI is performed without the possibility of bail-out CABG. However, the patient’s risk for death with PCI in many cases may be due to the same comorbidities that precluded conventional CABG surgery. Risk prediction and risk stratification are critical components in the evaluation and management of patients undergoing revascularization. Many variables (clinical presentation, comorbid risk factors, noninvasive testing including functional testing, and anatomic delineation of coronary artery disease) inform the overall risk assessment of patients with coronary artery disease. Ideally, if risk assessment is performed pre-procedure, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies can usually be tailored by weighing the anticipated benefits of treatment against an individual’s predicted risk for adverse events. However, there may be factors that contribute to procedural risk that are not captured in validated risk calculators (15,16). In addition, there are conflicting data on the accuracy of these risk assessment tools in the highest risk patients undergoing PCI (17,18). There may be individual variability in levels of accepted and/or tolerated risk by both patients and providers, and some of this may be due to lack of confidence in RAMR methodology. The current assessment of PCI-based procedural risk has involved modeling risk on the basis of coronary anatomy, patient clinical characteristics, and in some cases a combination of the 2 factors. The major limitation with all purely anatomic and functional scores is the lack of clinical variables and acuity of clinical presentation in modeling, which reduces their overall predictive ability. In addition, angiography-based scores such as the SYNTAX (Synergy Between PCI With Taxus and Cardiac Surgery) score require rigorous and systematic assessments of the coronary angiogram, which can lead to substantial interreader variability (19), particularly if these scores are applied in real time at the point of care. This is particularly relevant when considering the use of such scores (which are not routinely calculated in clinical practice) within larger observational registries. Clinically based risk scores have the advantage of being easier to calculate (20–24). While strengthening their ease of use, the omission of angiographic criteria within some of these scores may limit their predictive performance. In further attempts to increase predictive power and to combine the prognostic importance of clinical and angiographic characteristics, several hybrid anatomic and clinical risk scores have also been developed (25–27). Procedural registries, such as the National Cardiovascular Data Registry’s CathPCI Registry and New York State’s Percutaneous Coronary Interventions Reporting System, provide large enough populations enabling the robust derivation and validation of risk models suitable for discriminating patients on the basis of predicted risk (23,28). These risk models depend on the breadth, depth, and accuracy of the data collected and may have limited mechanisms for auditing and overall quality control. In addition to capturing clinical and angiographic data (although not to the extent encompassed by the SYNTAX score), these models further incorporate patient-, operator-, and institutional-level variables, enabling the comparison of outcomes across institutions or operators while normalizing for potential differences in case mix. These scores can additionally be iteratively updated to incorporate information from the growing number of procedures performed in the registries and changes to the variables collected. Valid comparisons of hospital and operator outcomes are dependent on the methods used for risk adjustment. Factors that might determine whether risk adjustment methodologies have adequately addressed potential confounding due to differences in case mix include: 1) whether all characteristics that influence the risk for mortality after PCI are collected in the dataset used for risk adjustment; and 2) whether these characteristics substantially differ in prevalence among patients treated by different physicians and hospitals (29). Although no model can perfectly adjust for risk, adequate risk assessment (particularly when public reporting is present) engenders confidence among physicians that influences their willingness to perform revascularization procedures in the highest risk/benefit scenarios. This is critically important to avoid perpetuating a treatment-risk paradox, in which treatment is delivered to the patients with the lowest risk (and lower absolute benefit) and withheld from high-risk patients (with a higher absolute benefit). Because hospitals and operators may care for patients that differ in the severity of coronary disease and underlying comorbidities, as well as the technical complexities of the procedures performed, the possibility exists that comparisons of outcomes could be confounded. For example, elective or urgent patients who are transferred from a hospital with elective PCI capabilities but without cardiac surgery backup to a hospital performing PCI with cardiac surgery backup are likely to be at elevated risk compared with those for whom operators felt comfortable performing PCI at the original hospital (30). In contrast, some of these referring centers may have greater proportions of patients with emergent STEMI and/or shock relative to their overall volume. If variability in case mix at a given hospital leads to PCI in a greater number of high-risk patients with unmeasured variables, such a hospital may have an RAMR that is increased compared with regional or national benchmarks despite having similar or better quality. In the setting of public reporting that often emphasizes summary statistics, these subtleties may be overlooked. Inadequate risk adjustment emerges in part from the fact that the majority of patients included in most PCI registries are at low risk for serious adverse events, with only a small minority of patients falling in the intermediate- and high-risk ranges (31). As such, these intermediate- and high-risk patients, and their associated high-risk comorbidities, are underrepresented in the sample used to construct the risk model, leading to models that may not fully account for factors that may be rare but highly prognostic. Importantly, because rare but highly prognostic variables may not be captured in registry data collection forms, the influence of their omission can be challenging to evaluate. Notably, in an analysis of 6 different risk models applied to patients undergoing high-risk PCI with hemodynamic support, all assessed risk models were reasonably correlated but had poor discriminatory capacity for overall mortality (17). Efforts have been made to add additional covariates to strengthen the performance of risk models (32). In a recent analysis using data from the CathPCI Registry, RAMR was reported to be well calibrated among registry-defined high-risk patients, and those hospitals treating the largest number of such patients actually had better risk-adjusted outcomes than those treating patients with lower severity of illness (18). However, because high-risk patients in this internally validated study were necessarily defined by the variables collected in the dataset, such an analysis provides little assurance that unaccounted for markers of risk, such as frailty, will not distort comparisons in a manner that falsely impugns those providers and hospitals accepting the highest risk patients. Procedural registries not capturing these factors have no ability to assess the influence of their omission on public reporting metrics. Finally, in a detailed observational registry study evaluating patients referred for elective PCI of an unprotected left main coronary artery, one-half of the patients were considered to be surgically “ineligible.” Among the patients who were deemed unsuitable for cardiac surgery, three-quarters had at least 1 risk factor not captured on the CathPCI Registry form that contributed to a high risk for CABG (16). Notably, when compared with patients who underwent elective PCI of the left main coronary artery who were also “eligible” for CABG, these CABG-“ineligible” patients had a >6-fold increased risk for death at 1 year. After adjusting for European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation score, Society of Thoracic Surgeons score, or National Cardiovascular Data Registry–based predicted mortality, the mere presence of surgical ineligibility remained an independent predictor of 1-year mortality. Thus the bedside evaluation of such patients was able to identify important prognostic clinical factors that greatly increased patient risk and were not accounted for using conventional risk adjustment methodology. Because surgical “ineligibility,” in most circumstances, involves evaluation by a cardiac surgeon, it could be expected that such high-risk patients would be concentrated at tertiary care referral centers with cardiac surgical programs, fulfilling the preconditions for introducing statistical bias into the public reporting measure. The majority of current PCI registries do not collect specific data concerning patient frailty, patient preferences, or extenuating circumstances that may be highly relevant to the decisions being made for choice of revascularization. Physician’s judgment that a patient is “nonsurgical” is an important prognostic factor that is independently associated with a high likelihood for a poor outcome; however, this remains a difficult variable to reliably and consistently record. This is especially important when considering the notion of “gaming the system” by the up-coding of variables defining high risk; independent evaluation by a cardiac surgeon may help mitigate this risk. Overestimation of patient risk, termed “coding creep,” was suggested as early as 1995 in the Cardiac Surgery Reporting System in New York in the setting of CABG, for which the incidence of high-risk variables increased >10-fold when reporting was analyzed (33). Separately, an audit of high-risk variables in PCI found these factors overreported compared with independent adjudication (34). In this analysis, there were consistent differences between reported data and audited data, especially in cases with shock or salvage PCI or emergent cases in which acuity was in fact reassigned by the auditing committee, ranging from 15% to 43% of cases. When adjustment is applied to procedural-based registries, rather than disease-based registries, even the most accurate forms of procedural risk adjustment cannot take into account the clinical consequences of risk avoidance behaviors (or cases that never enter the procedural database because they are simply not performed). Despite the importance placed on risk-adjusted PCI mortality as a quality measure, it is not clear to what extent PCI mortality truly reflects the quality of the procedure. Because the “optimal RAMR” for any given case mix is largely unknown, RAMR can be used to identify “outliers” above the 90th percentile of RAMR to screen for variability in overall interventional program quality. However, in a review of PCI mortality over an 8-year period at a single center, 3 physicians reviewing all PCI-related deaths found that 93% of all deaths were either mostly or entirely unpreventable, and only 7% of total deaths appeared to be directly related to the PCI procedure (6). As a result, in circumstances in which RAMR identifies an outlier, the outlying institution or provider may have been singled out because of differences in patient selection and the willingness to perform high-risk procedures, rather than differences in quality of the procedure itself. Nonetheless, case selection itself is an important cognitive component of interventional quality, and it is important to audit this aspect of interventional management in addition to the technical performance of the procedure. Public reporting of PCI outcomes such as RAMR after PCI has been available in several states and amid increasing calls for transparency of outcomes has been proposed to become more widely available. The advantages to public reporting of procedural outcomes include further stimulation and adoption of rigorous quality improvement programs and institutional protocols, facilitating decision making among patients, and the establishment of preferred providers and institutions by payers. However, public reporting and external scrutiny of outcomes such as mortality following PCI may unintentionally result in risk-aversive behavior at both the physician and hospital levels (35). Interventional cardiologists, often under real or perceived pressure from hospitals and a growing number of other influencers, may alter their behavior because of a lack of confidence in the accuracy of RAMR methodology, whether justified or not, to the detriment of the most critically ill patients, who may have the most to gain from a revascularization procedure (36). Several studies have suggested that avoidance of PCI in high-risk patients may be more common in states with public reporting. RAMR for PCI was first introduced in New York State in 1995. An analysis of 545 patients with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock who were enrolled in the SHOCK (Should We Emergently Revascularize Occluded Coronaries for Cardiogenic Shock) registry demonstrated a lower rate of coronary angiography and PCI for patients with acute infarction and shock who were admitted to a hospital in New York State compared with their out-of-state counterparts (37). Another study comparing PCI indications and outcomes for patients in New York State with patients undergoing PCI in Michigan (a state that does not publically report PCI outcomes) demonstrated that patients in Michigan more frequently underwent PCI for acute myocardial infarction or cardiogenic shock than patients in New York State (38), despite having a higher rate of comorbidities, including a history of congestive heart failure, extracardiac vascular disease, and pre-procedural cardiac arrest. Similar findings were noted when evaluating PCI indications for patients treated in hospitals in Massachusetts, another state with RAMR (39). As another example of this problem of “risk aversion” behavior, a review of 7 years of PCI data involving more than 100,000 PCI procedures in non–federally funded hospitals in Massachusetts examined the effects of public reporting on PCI mortality in hospitals identified as outliers (7). The 4 hospitals identified as negative outliers were higher volume institutions performing more PCI for shock and patients with STEMI. Once identified as outlier hospitals, these institutions had a subsequent drop in the predicted mortality of patients undergoing PCI over the ensuing years. However, the improvement in mortality at follow-up for these hospitals was 18% greater than the overall secular trend in mortality reduction for all hospitals in Massachusetts. The investigators suggest that outlier hospitals may have either identified ways to further improve their mortality or alternatively may have selected a lower risk cohort of patients for PCI in the subsequent years to improve mortality data. A recent study using the Nationwide Impatient Sample compared outcomes among all patients with diagnoses of acute myocardial infarction in public reporting states compared with non–public reporting states (40). In this sample of more than 84,000 patients from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions between 2005 and 2011, patients who presented with acute myocardial infarction and underwent PCI had a lower mortality rate in public reporting states compared with those patients who underwent PCI for acute myocardial infarction in states without public reporting. However, there was a 19% lower chance of undergoing revascularization in a public reporting state, with even stronger effects observed in high-risk presentations such as STEMI, cardiogenic shock, or cardiac arrest. Notably, among the broader population of all patients with acute infarction, irrespective of whether they underwent PCI, the risk for dying in public reporting states was significantly higher, driven by a greater risk for mortality in patients who did not undergo PCI in public reporting states. This is of critical importance when considering public reporting of PCI-related outcomes. In an extreme example, an operator could have outstanding overall mortality (and RAMR) if he or she were simply to refuse all high-risk cases, particularly those whose true risk was not well accounted for by risk adjustment models. However, patients who ought to have been treated with PCI (e.g., patients with myocardial infarction or shock) would not even be offered PCI by this operator, which is a clear disservice to these patients, whose data will never enter a procedure-based PCI registry. Without information regarding the relative case mix (in a disease-based analysis) and the expected mortality rate for that specific case mix, assessing data based on procedural RAMR can be fraught with error. Although an examination of expected mortality rates for specific operators may provide indirect evidence of this effect, particularly for operators with smaller overall numbers, this approach is by no means definitive. Because RAMR is sensitive only to the covariates specifically included in the derivation of the risk adjustment models used to calculate RAMR, it is important to recognize that behavior driven by inadequate risk assessment can have unintended consequences for patient care. One possible solution that is already being used in specific high-risk scenarios is to introduce further captured variables into the databases used for the risk modeling. This might involve specific modeling for identified high-risk patient features. For example, a series of data fields that can assess surgical eligibility as part of a heart team–based approach (requiring documentation of the specific reasons for considering a patient too high risk for surgery, for example in Table 1), could capture those reasons that rendered a patient ineligible for CABG, and these could be used in subsequent risk modeling. The most recent proposed update to the data collection form within the CathPCI Registry contains several elements specifically designed to implement this approach (Table 2). However, it is important to also accept that no risk adjustment model will perfectly adjust for all possible risk variables. Therefore, other potential solutions, such as the exclusion of specific subtypes of high-risk cases from mortality reporting, should be considered. Exclusions for specific high-risk features are already present in certain (although not all) publicly reported registries. For example, in New York State, patients undergoing PCI who have refractory cardiogenic shock (using a clear definition) have been excluded from the publicly reported outcomes data since 2006. Additionally, patients with cardiac arrest who die of neurological causes following PCI are also excluded from public reporting. Two parallel analyses have recently examined the temporal effects of PCI use among patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock in New York State before and after the 2006 exclusion of shock patients. After 2006, there was a clear increase in the use of PCI for this condition, with commensurate declines in overall mortality (41,42). Despite this exclusion, however, the rates of PCI for cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction still lagged behind nonreporting states, suggesting residual risk aversion associated with public reporting. There is a groundswell of support for excluding high-risk patients from public reporting among interventional cardiologists. In a recent electronic survey distributed to members of the American College of Cardiology’s interventional cardiology section, 86% of 1,297 respondents stated that public reporting of mortality following PCI should exclude patients with cardiac arrest, and 76% stated that public reporting of mortality following PCI should exclude patients with cardiogenic shock following acute myocardial infarction. This concern is not limited to interventional cardiologists: in a survey in which 73% of all eligible cardiac surgeons in the United Kingdom participated, 58% of cardiac surgeons were against public reporting of surgeon-specific mortality because of concerns regarding risk aversion, gaming, and misinterpretation and favored instead team-based result reporting (43). Other states (e.g., Massachusetts) use external peer reviews to assess selected cases deemed to be of extreme risk. Although labor intensive and costly, this allows the more detailed assessment to ensure the accurate assessment of patient risk and the exclusion of selected cases deemed exceptional on the basis of pre-defined criteria. In Maryland, external peer review is already required for randomly selected PCI procedures to judge appropriateness. External peer review can provide a nuanced evaluation of both appropriateness and outcomes and reduce the ability to “game” the system. Furthermore, external peer review, if correctly implemented, could encourage interventional cardiologists to potentially revascularize high-risk patients who might have the greatest possible benefit, with the knowledge that rather than a statistical adjustment, their practicing interventional cardiology peers would review interventions in a blinded fashion and reintroduce clinical judgment into the evaluation of outcomes. Mechanisms for administration, cost allocation, and decisions on how cases would be selected for review (randomly selected procedures, procedures with complications, or other criteria), are still to be made, and whether the states themselves or state-specific chapters of societies will be able to take on the charge to lead these processes is uncertain. Devising solutions aimed at addressing objective outcomes assessment in high-risk patients is critically important in order to avoid scenarios in which patients are not being offered revascularization strategies that may substantially improve their quality of life and/or cardiovascular outcomes (Table 3). As a result, we are fully in support of recent efforts to capture previously unmeasured covariates that capture nontraditional elements of high patient risk and to include them in risk adjustment. Additionally, we propose the development of a mechanism to accurately characterize high-risk clinical scenarios, including patients with cardiac arrest, patients in cardiogenic shock, and nonsurgical patients. Definitions should be selective enough to avoid overinclusion of patients into the metric, while allowing acceptable parameters to identify patients appropriate for this classification. Using these universal definitions of a high-risk patient, reporting registries can generate several outcomes values for each institution and operator: 1 report would summarize the overall outcomes for each institution and operator inclusive of all patients, 1 report would provide a summary of outcomes for usual-risk patients, and 1 might report the outcomes for the high-risk patients. Finally, although challenging, we believe that it will be important to move toward disease-based registries, in which patients who do not undergo procedures are also included, as a more accurate assessment of overall quality delivered for a particular condition and a check against risk-averse behavior that can harm patients. Another approach would be to deemphasize outcomes measures such as RAMR and instead report on more process-oriented measures, as has been already established through the CathPCI Registry’s reporting of discharge medication use. In the interim, absent improved models of risk, only data on RAMR for usual-risk patients should be considered for public reporting; the outcomes reported for high-risk patients would not generally be relevant to the public’s need when selecting providers and hospitals and therefore need not be available for the public to scrutinize. Either high-risk patients should be excluded from the metric used to report overall outcomes to the public, or registry agencies should institute a process to allow external peer review of all mortality cases prior to potential public reporting, excluding cases if the deaths that occur are clearly unrelated to the PCI procedure or hospital quality of care. Dr. Guyton is a principal investigator for Edwards Lifesciences TMVR trial (no compensation). All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose. The views expressed in this manuscript by the American College of Cardiology's (ACC) Interventional Council do not necessarily reflect the views of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions or the ACC. (2012) Closing the quality gap: revisiting the state of the science (vol. 5: public reporting as a quality improvement strategy). Evid Rep Technol Assess (Full Rep), 1–645. (2014) Public reporting of clinical quality data: an update for cardiovascular specialists. J Am Coll Cardiol 63:1239–1245. (2016) The National Cardiovascular Data Registry Voluntary Public Reporting Program: an interim report from the NCDR Public Reporting Advisory Group. J Am Coll Cardiol 67:205–215. (2012) Cause and circumstance of in-hospital mortality among patients undergoing contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention: a root-cause analysis. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 5:229–235. (2013) Targeted temperature management at 33 degrees C versus 36 degrees C after cardiac arrest. N Engl J Med 369:2197–2206. (2014) Surgical ineligibility and mortality among patients with unprotected left main or multivessel coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Circulation 130:2295–2301. (2015) Performance of currently available risk models in a cohort of mechanically supported high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention—from the PROTECT II randomized trial. Int J Cardiol 189:272–278. (1989) A method of uniform stratification of risk for evaluating the results of surgery in acquired adult heart-disease. Circulation 79:3–12. (2014) Risk stratification for long-term mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention. Circ Cardiovasc Interv 7:80–87. (1999) Mathematical models and the assessment of performance in cardiology. Circulation 99:2067–2069. (2014) SCAI/ACC/AHA expert consensus document: 2014 update on percutaneous coronary intervention without on-site surgical backup. J Am Coll Cardiol 63:2624–2641. (2013) Risk-adjusted models of 30-day mortality following coronary intervention: how can they be made more clinically relevant? J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 6:623–624. (1995) Report cards on cardiac surgeons. Assessing New York State’s approach. N Engl J Med 332:1229–1232. (2011) Impact of independent data adjudication on hospital-specific estimates of risk-adjusted mortality following percutaneous coronary interventions in Massachusetts. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 4:92–98. (2016) Treatment and outcomes of myocardial infarction complicated by shock after policy changes in New York State public reporting. JAMA Cardiol 1:648–654. (2016) Invasive management of cardiogenic shock before and after exclusion of cardiogenic shock from public reporting. JAMA 1:640–647. (2016) National survey of UK consultant surgeons’ opinions on surgeon-specific mortality data in cardiothoracic surgery. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 9:414–423.

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http://interventions.onlinejacc.org/content/9/20/2077

Melatonin is a hormone secreted in the brain that regulates sleep. It appears to be highly sensitive to Light Therapy and Dark Therapy. Oral ingestion of melatonin may be used as a sleep aid. It is non-addictive. Our evidence-based analysis on melatonin features 387 unique references to scientific papers. This page features 387 references. All factual claims are followed by specifically-applicable references. Click here to see the full set of references for this page. If you're looking for a guide on getting some great sleep, check out our Sleep Supplement Guide. Melatonin is a neurohormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain and it is well known for causing and regulating sleep. Light suppresses melatonin synthesis. The primary use of melatonin as a supplement is to normalize abnormal sleep patterns. Irregular sleep patterns are associated with a wide variety of health problems and premature aging. Melatonin is the hormone used by your body to help you fall asleep, and thus supplementation is seen as a way to get regular sleep. This is particularly useful for people who engage in shift work or are jet lagged. Other benefits of melatonin include general neuroprotective effects, as melatonin is a powerful antioxidant. Melatonin also has several anti-cancer properties, and is currently being investigated for its role in fighting breast cancer. It does not appear to have much of an effect on lean mass or body fat, but it potentially stops your body from gaining more fat. Melatonin supplementation also benefits eye health, possibly reduces tinnitus, and improve mood (by helping you get better sleep). Melatonin’s primary mechanism is by helping decrease the time it takes to fall asleep (as a hormone, that's its primary job). There are some demographics that tend to have irregular melatonin production in their body. Smokers tend to be less responsive to supplementation, and older people tend to not produce as much during night time. Depression has also been associated with lower melatonin levels. Any side effects to melatonin? Taking melatonin is not associated with negative feedback (when taking supplementation causes your body to produce less of a hormone). It is also not addictive, and is not toxic. You are now following Melatonin. You will be notified when any significant update is made. Are you looking to get a good night's rest? While melatonin can help you fall asleep, but what the quality of sleep while you are asleep? Melatonin regulates the sleep portion of the circadian rhythm. Taking melatonin at other times of the day may cause drowsiness. For regulating the sleep cycle, doses of melatonin between 500mcg (0.5mg) and 5mg seem to work. Start with 500mcg, and if it doesn’t work, work up to 3-5mg. The benefits of melatonin are not dose-dependent - taking more will not help you fall asleep faster. To help with sleep, take roughly 30 minutes before going to bed. Growth hormone appears to spike slightly better at 5mg than 500mcg, although both doses are fairly effective. Read full answer to "Ten tips for better sleep" The Human Effect Matrix looks at human studies (it excludes animal and in vitro studies) to tell you what effects melatonin has on your body, and how strong these effects are. Melatonin is the reference drug for insomnia related purposes, and appears to be highly effective at 3mg (time release formulation) or lower concentrations when taken before sleep. There appears to be a significant protective effect on life in cancer patients with solid tumors, although the protective effect does not reach 'half risk' (RR of 0.50) and fluctuates in the range of quarter risk. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a peptide hormone and neurotransmitter most known for its regulation of sleep, where darkness causes increased synthesis and secretion of melatonin induces sedation and initiate the sleep cycle. Due to its structure, it is also classified as an indoleamine. Melatonin is produced naturally in the body, and is also a functional food component, similar to its amino acid precursor L-tryptophan, and some intermediate metabolites like serotonin, which is found in some foods. Melatonin is made de novo in the human body in multiple locations, with the pineal gland in the brain being the most well known. Other locations include bone marrow cells, the retina, and the gastrointestinal tract. The biosynthetic pathway of melatonin starts from the dietary amino acid L-tryptophan, which is converted to 5-hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP, by tryptophan-5-hydroxylase. 5-HTP is converted to the active hormone serotonin by the enzyme aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase, further converted to N-acetylserotonin by the enzyme serotonin-N-acetyltransferase (sometimes called arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase), and finally converted to N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine (melatonin) by the enzyme hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT). Increases in melatonin from supplemental L-tryptophan have been noted in non-human species to varying degrees. Sometimes, melatonin failed to increase. This may be due to the first rate limiting enzyme tryptophan-5-hydroxylase (regulating conversion of dietary tryptophan to serotonin). Thus, supplementing melatonin appears to circumvent this rate limit. The 'true' rate-limiting enzyme is arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase, which mediates conversion from serotonin to N-acetylserotonin and is the control point for external regulation by light and darkness, being suppressed with light-induced signals from the retina. Melatonin is made from serotonin, which is made from dietary L-tryptophan. It is regulated by sunlight, mostly in the retina. Given how the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the pituitary expresses melatonin receptors, it is thought that supplemental melatonin can suppress endogenous secretion via negative feedback. Oral melatonin supplementation at 500mcg, over a period of a week in shift workers, did not influence basal secretion, as cessation for one day prior to measurements did not show differences when compared to secretion status prior to supplementation. Twenty-four hour melatonin levels in this study, when graphed, essentially overlapped, suggesting next to no variance. These results, indicating a lack of negative feedback, have been replicated with 2mg and 5mg of melatonin. When a blind person supplemented a dose of 50mg in one case study (blind people being an example of a population with no sunlight-mediated melatonin production), this dose being 100-fold higher than the standard 500mcg, did not significantly influence basal secretion status. In this population, lower doses of 500mcg are also effective and without apparent negative feedback. Results in blind people suggest that an override of regulation from sunlight/darkness may not be the factor behind the lack of negative feedback, as some studies do control for persons with no conscious light perception. Regulation of melatonin secretion from the pineal gland does not appear to be negatively influenced by melatonin supplementation over the long term (multiple days) and no negative feedback from melatonin supplementation (less natural secretion after a period of supplementation) has been observed. Beyond just fluctuating throughout every day (higher in evening, lower during waking hours), melatonin may fluctuate throughout the seasons in humans, following a bimodal distribution with peaks in January and July. Some alterations of circulating melatonin level depend on the season. Clinical relevance is currently unknown. The circadian rhythm of melatonin appears to shift toward earlier clock hours later on in the aging process. When investigating rats divided into three age groups (correlating with youth, adult, and elderly), it appears that overall melatonin levels are highest in adults (only due to youth having smaller pineal glands; youth has the highest density of melatonin) and lower levels of melatonin are apparent in elderly rats. Similar trends were seen in N-acetylserotonin, another pineal hormone. This higher density in rat pups is seen in human youth, where spikes in melatonin occur around age 2-4 and then decline until puberty, where they remain constant, before gradually declining over the rest of the lifespan. The most drastic drop in nightly melatonin levels appears to occur around the ages of 41-60, where the melatonin levels of 41-50 year-olds is significantly higher than the age bracket of 51-60. Melatonin appears to fluctuate with age, decreasing steadily after puberty, but undergoing a significant decrease in average nightly melatonin levels around the ages of 41-60. Melatonin levels appear to correlate with one's dietary lifestyle. Consumption of plant-based products may influence circulating melatonin levels due to plants containing melatonin in possibly physiologically relevant levels, if a sufficient amount of the plant is consumed. At least in survey research, the highest quartile of vegetable intake (relative to the lowest quartile) is associated with a 16% higher urinary melatonin level. Studies on fasting people (or food restriction to less than 300 calories daily) note that circulating melatonin levels can decrease by up to 20%, with no change of urinary secretion rates over a period of 2-7 days. This may be secondary to transient glucose deprivation, as supplementation with glucose at 0.5g/kg during these periods restores circulating levels of melatonin, and suggests that the pinealocytes that secrete melatonin may require glucose for optimal functioning. However, when investigating rats undergoing caloric restriction (40% of basal metabolic rate) for the purposes of longevity, melatonin levels in serum are increased. Melatonin levels appear to fluctuate with overall caloric and food intake, as well as some food selections. Melatonin may be relevant for explaining some of the health benefits of vegetables, and this could potentially extend to alcohol-containing products. In people with major depressive disorder, serum melatonin disorders appeared to be lower than age-matched controls, with no difference in this sample during depressive episodes and during periods of remission. In people with bipolar disorder, serum melatonin disorders appeared to be lower than age-matched controls. Some alterations in circulating melatonin levels depend on clinical states, like depression or bipolar disorder. When comparing active smokers of tobacco against non-smoking controls, smokers appear to have approximately twice the circulating levels of melatonin when measured during the daytime (11-12h): 17.44+/-1.8 pg/ml in smokers relative to 9.77+/-1.4 pg/ml in non-smokers, while a study on 21 young female smokers taking measurements of serum melatonin at night (23-24h) found that, relative to non-smokers, smokers had reduced levels of melatonin (47.9+/-14.5pg/mL) and nonsmokers 47% higher levels (70.5+/-18.9pg/mL). A later study on smokers found endogenous levels of melatonin in smokers just above 2nmol/L/h, which is not significantly different from the nonsmokers in the previous study. This latter study did note, however, that smokers were about half as responsive to blood increases in melatonin from supplements, due to induction of the aromatase enzyme from Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in cigarette smoke. Alterations in melatonin status and smoking are complex and understudied. There may be a normalization of the circadian rhythm, which needs to be confirmed with further studies. Smokers appear to have less response to melatonin supplementation than do nonsmokers. Epithalamin is a hormone secreted from the pineal gland (similar to melatonin) that has been implicated in prolonging lifespan in Drosophilia, certain strains of mice, and rats. No influence was found in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) mice. For those that saw an improvement in lifespan, the values ranged from 10-35%, with rats experiencing a 57% reduction in mortality. In these tested animals, epithalamin administration increased melatonin secretion. One study administering epithalamin (6 courses of treatment of 10mg every third day for 15 days, spanning 3 years) to people aged 60-69 with aged cardiovascular systems and low serum melatonin noted that, 12 years after cessation of epithalamin treatment and during follow-up, some parameters associated with aging appeared to be either attenuated or reversed. The epithalamin group outperformed placebo on cycling power, improved lipid and glucose metabolism, and appeared to normalize the suppressed nightly spike of melatonin in the aged control. Epithalamin is a peptide hormone related to melatonin that seems to be able to prolong lifespan in research animals, and improve biomarkers in elderly humans. Melatonin exerts many of its effects vicariously through melatonin receptors, similar to how insulin affects the insulin receptor. The melatonin receptors are named MT1 and MT2, and are G-protein coupled receptors (GPRCs) coupled to Gi proteins (a heterotrimer of α, β, and γ that dissociates into α and βγ when the receptor is activated). These two receptors are quite different from each other, as they structure pharmacological characteristics and chromosomal location, yet both have high affinity for melatonin. A third 'receptor' exists, known as MT3, but it is not a GPRC like MT1/2. Due to the cytoplasmic protein quinone reductase II having the same melatonin binding properties as 'MT3', and deletion of quinone reductase II causing 'MT3' to disappear, MT3 may just be quinone reductase II. Two G-protein coupled receptors, with different actions, mediate the actions of melatonin, MT1 and MT2. Quinone reductase II may bind to melatonin and was thought to be a third receptor (MT3), but it is a cytoplasmic protein. Quinone reductase II may still be relevant, however. An orphan receptor on the nuclear membrane, named RZR/ROR, can mediate melatonin-like effects. A fourth receptor, located on the nucleus rather than the cytoplasm, appears to be intimately involved with nuclear melatonin signalling via cytoplasmic receptor cross-talk. Expression of melatonin receptors are in the Suprachiasmatic Nuclei (SCN) of the Pineal gland, where MT1 and MT2 both exist and MT1 activation suppresses neuronal firing, the hypothalamus, where both receptors suppress gonadotropin releasing hormone release, the retina, where MT2 reduces dopamine release and an MT3 receptor reduces ocular pressure, the pars tuberalis of the pituitary gland, the kidneys (MT1), the pancreas and beta-cells of the pancreas (both MT1 and MT2), the adrenal cortex, where MT1 activation suppresses cortisol secretion, the testes, where MT1 suppresses testosterone, the pituitary, where MT1 suppresses Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), and prolactin. Expression of melatonin receptors is also present in vasculature, where each main receptor mediates either vasoconstriction (MT1) or vasodilation (MT2) and on some adipocytes where MT1 negatively regulates adipose tissue proliferation and increases leptin secretion (there is no MT2 on white adipose tissue, but there is expression of MT2 on brown adipose suppresses glucose uptake). GPR50 is an orphan receptor (belonging to the same GPRC family as melatonin receptors), which appears to play a role in adaptive thermogenesis and is expressed in humans, specifically in the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus and tanycytes that line the third ventricle. Knockout of this receptor (abolishing its effects) appears to confer resistance to diet-induced obesity, yet paradoxically reduces the amount of weight lost in a fasted state. Knockout also reduced night time thermogenesis, despite 25% higher locomotion during waking hours. GPR50 appears to interact with leptin signalling, as administration of leptin can improve GPR50 nuclear activity in obese mice (with seemingly suppressed levels of GPR50) but not in GPR50-/- mice, suggesting leptin acts vicariously through this receptor, but only on matters related to thermogenesis (as feeding patterns appear unaltered). In fact, after leptin was administered to rats with the standard leptin receptor but no GPR50 receptor, the amount of genes activated by leptin in control mice (2,705) is reduced by just over 50% (to 1,327). It should be noted that melatonin is not a direct ligand of this receptor. GPR50 is an orphan receptor, which seems to mediate the aspects of leptin related to thermogenesis, but not appetite. It may mediate up to half of the effects of leptin as well. GPR50 appears to heterodimerize with the melatonin receptor MT1, which results in reduced efficacy of MT1 signalling, by preventing the binding of agonists to MT1. GPR50 has the capacity to heterodimerize with MT2, but does not influence the functions of MT2, similar to how MT1 and MT2 heterodimerization does not influence binding of ligands. Melatonin normally has a Ki of 0.73±0.26nM, yet the heterodimerization has a Ki of 0.37±0.28nM. Secondary to this, GPR50 appears to antagonize the effects of MT1. Co-expression of GPR50 alongside MT1 does not affect basal MT1 actions, but reduces the maximal response of MT1 by melatonin agonism by 50%. Reducing the expression of GPR50 reverses these effects. Expression of GPR50 appears to reduce the actions of MT1, and may alter the signals sent through MT1 via melatonin. In a model of delayed sleep phase syndrome, 500mcg of melatonin appears to be as effective as ten-fold the dose (5mg). A comparative study between 300mcg and 3mg in age-related insomnia noted that 300mcg was more effective than 3mg. A comparative study between 500mcg and forty-fold the dose (20mg) showed that 500mcg was more effective at regulating the circadian rhythm of a blind person (with no external melatonin regulation from darkness). A lower dose of 10mg in blind people appears to be more effective than 20mg, although insignificantly different from 500mcg. Although differences between very low (300-500mcg) and higher (3-5mg) doses tend to go back and forth in regard to efficacy, both seem to be more potent than superloaded doses (20mg). Oral doses of 500mcg melatonin (seen as the lowest active dose) in shift workers resulted in a Cmax of 1,580+/-329 pg/ml after a Tmax of 1+/-0.14 hours, noting that this high dose was above physiological ranges for up to three hours, but after the fourth hour levels returned to the physiological range of 24-198pg/mL. Other studies that use 500mcg note serum levels of 3,054+/-3,022pmol/L (709.4+/-701.9pg/mL) with a half-life of 0.68 hours. Studies that use 5mg of melatonin note that serum spikes of 1,638.0+/-61.9pg/mL are seen at 30 minutes, 23,982pmol/L (5,570.67pg/mL) with a half-life of 0.79 hours. With 6mg of melatonin, in one hour serum levels of 1,171.3+/-235.2pg/mL are seen. One study assessing 100mg melatonin (200-fold higher dose than the lowest active dose) noted serum peaks approximately 100 minutes after administration, or 652,310+/-82,456pmol/L (151,517+/-19,153pg/mL). This dose is able to stay in circulation longer than smaller doses, still affecting biology up to bedtime, when taken at 8am. The study noting the higher serum peak measured levels of 95+/-15pmol/L (22.06+/-3.48pg/mL) the next morning at 8am, which was still above baseline for these participants. Serum peaks are quite unreliable, although all small doses tend to increase circulating melatonin around 8-10 times more than the highest physiologically relevant concentration. Higher doses increase melatonin levels even further, and delay the time to peak concentrations while also delaying the excretion rates. When examining a large dose (80mg) of melatonin given to healthy people in the morning (7:30am), the various parameters recorded were: a 24m half-life, with stable levels 60-150 minutes after ingestion and a gradual decline in serum melatonin levels until 9pm, when they returned to physiologically relevant levels. The peak values were highly variable and significant in magnitude, 350-10,000fold higher than previously observed peak levels. Such variability has been seen elsewhere), and hourly dosing of 80mg melatonin was able to attenuate but unable to inhibit the decline throughout the day. Fast absorption appears to be similar between higher doses (80mg), 100mg) and lower doses (6mg). One study testing four low doses (100mcg, 500mcg, 1mg, 5mg) also noted that the absorption rates appeared to be nonsignificantly different, all taking within 0.78-1.25 hours to reach Cmax. Melatonin appears to be rapidly absorbed and very rapidly excreted, with the concentration in the blood between these times being significantly higher than normal levels. When administered intranasally to rabbits, melatonin had a bioavailability of 94% when paired with sodium glycocholate, but 55% without. This route of administration was accompanied by a 5 minute Tmax and a 13 minute half-life, with 1.5mg of melatonin conferring a Cmax of 493+/-290ng/mL at 5 minutes. These parameters mimicked intravenous injections. Melatonin administered via the nasal route may be markedly more effective than oral supplementation. At the stage of 6-hydroxylation of melatonin into its main urinary metabolite (6-hydroxymelatonin), aromatase (CYP1A1/2) appears to be very important, with some metabolism by CYP1B1 and CYP2C19. Metabolism of melatonin by CYP1B1 appears to be of greater relevance to central (neural) melatonin, due to it not being expressed much in the liver. Due to metabolism by aromatase, co-ingestion of aromatase inhibitors (in this case, fluvoxamine) can increase melatonin AUC and overall exposure. Habits that induce aromatase (such as tobacco smoking) appear to be correlated to reduced circulating melatonin. In humans, 3mg of melatonin is able to attenuate a stress-induced rise in adrenaline and noradrenaline in young healthy men, but is unable to abolish it. Without a stressor, oral melatonin at low doses (1-2mg) appears to reduce circulating adrenaline by about 60-90 minutes after ingestion. Melatonin may be able to reduce concentrations of circulating adrenaline and noradrenaline. Melatonin appears to inhibit dopamine release in the ventral hippocampus, medulla pons, preoptic area, and the hypothalamus (posterior and median), yet no inhibition occurs in the cerebral cortex, striatum, cerebellum, or dorsal hippocampus. This inhibition appears to be mediated by inhibiting calcium influx into co-stimulated nerves. In accordance to this inhibition, active in physiologically relevant nM ranges (although maximal potency is at pharmacological mM ranges), dopamine experiences a diurnal rhythm of release, vicariously through melatonin suppression. This inhibition of dopamine release appears to apply to amphetamine-induced dopamine release, which may be of concern to ephedrine supplementation. Mechanistically, melatonin appears to be a negative regulator of dopamine release in neurons. Melatonin works through the MT1 receptor on the Suprachiasmatic Nuclei (SCN) to inhibit cAMP element response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation, secondary to pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) and through the MT2 receptors of the SCN to facilitate changing of the circadian rhythm, a phenomena known as phase shifting. This appears to be mediated via protein kinase C (PKC). It is mostly through MT2, but to a lesser extent MT1, that melatonin acts to regulate sleep-wake cycles. MT2 works to regulate the phase shifts, while MT1 exerts general suppressive actions on cell activation. A 500mcg dose of melatonin appears to be able to increase secretion of oxytocin and vasopressin within 40-60 minutes of oral ingestion. However, 5mg has no significant influence on its own, yet it is able to suppress an increase in vasopressin normally seen with exercise. Another study using 50mcg as well as 500mcg and 5mg noted that, in roughly the same population, 50mcg was not significantly different than placebo in regards to vasopressin and barely more significant in increasing oxytocin, while 500mcg significantly increased both neurohormones by 40 minutes after dosing, levels of which appeared to normalize by 150 minutes. A 5mg dose showed a suppressive effect once again. This suppression was noted in a third study using 5mg nightly for 4 days. Melatonin is implicated in neuroprotection as an antioxidant compound and as a protector against the harmful effects of beta-amyloid pigmentation, by reducing levels of said pigmentation and by offering protection from downstream effects. Melatonin also seems to have preventive effects on hyperphosphorylation of the tau protein, which is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Melatonin may also confer neuroprotection via mediating the Akt/mTOR pathway, as it can induce the pathway in times of ischemia-reperfusion injury (when it should be suppressed), methamphetamine induced suppression of mTOR, and suppresses overexpression of this and the MAPK pathways via H202 stimulation. Melatonin shows synergism with Resveratrol in regards to protection against beta-amyloid pigmentation in regards to AMPK phosphorylation and its downstream effects; although its effects on the glycogen synthase enzyme expression (GSK-1) and glutathione depletion (both risk factors neuropathy) were not synergistic in vitro. Melatonin has been investigated for its usage in treating migraines, due to migraines having a circadian rhythm and insomnia being correlated with morning migraines. One study that tested this hypothesis in people aged 18-65, with an attack frequency of 2-7 per month, noted that melatonin failed to exert more benefits than placebo when taken at 2mg one hour before sleep for 8 weeks, although a (nonsignificant) improvement in sleep quality (assessed by the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index) was observed. This became significant when controlling for people with insomnia (correlated highly with those who had auras with their migraines). This study was criticized for its methodology, mainly because the combination of a crossover design and an 8 week duration limits the length observations could be made. Placebo response rate was much higher than expected, suggesting design flaws. Melatonin has not yet been shown to reduce the frequency or intensity of migraines, but has not conclusively been shown to be ineffective. More evidence is required. Melatonin supplementation exerts most of its benefits through decreased sleep latency, or a reduction of the time it takes to fall asleep. Some studies do not note a significant decrease in sleep latency, although the majority tend to note a shortening of the time it takes to fall asleep in otherwise healthy subjects. Although some studies, measuring REM sleep (indicative of sleep quality), note improvements, this is not inherent to melatonin. One study using 10mg melatonin one hour prior to sleep for 28 days in people aged 28+/-5 years (n=30) noted that this decreased sleep latency could occur without benefit to REM latency/density or sleep architecture. Improvement in sleep may also not necessarily be dependent on circulating melatonin levels. The best predictor of response to melatonin could be age (55yrs or greater) or the status of insomnia. A part of melatonin's pro-sleep mechanisms may be related to a decrease in body temperature, as the two are highly associated. Melatonin appears to be quite reliable for shortening sleep latency, and inducing faster sleep. This may be related to the hypothermic (temperature lowering) effects of melatonin, and does not necessarily indicate better sleep quality. In older people with primary insomnia, melatonin (2mg of a slow release formula) has shown efficacy in improving sleep quality. Melatonin has also shown efficacy for children suffering from insomnia that affects development. In this latter study, kids with an average age of 12 (8.6-15.7yrs), using melatonin in ranges of 0.3-10mg (average dose of 2.69mg), for an average of 3.1 years, did not significantly differ from a non-supplemented control when assessed by Tanner stages, three questions used to assess physical maturation of puberty. No differences in mental maturity were seen. Benefits to insomnia have also been noted for people who suffer from insomnia and also experience migraines with auras, which may be correlated. Due to melatonin shortening the time it takes to fall asleep (sleep latency) it shows most efficacy in insomnia treatment and, despite being used in all age groups, is surprisingly free of withdrawal and other side-effects at the doses used. Melatonin has shown some efficacy in improving sleep quality for people suffering from tinnitus. At least one study has noted synergistic sedative effects of melatonin and Monoamine Oxidase (MAO-A) inhibitors. In this frog study, clorgyline and moclobemide were used. Jet lag is a term used to refer to dysregulation between external regulators of time (light and darkness) and the internal clock located, in part, in the Suprachiasmatic Nuclei (SCN) of the brain. Jet lag is named after plane travel between time zones causing dysregulation of hours up to half a day (depending on time zones traversed). The general phenomena of dysregulation of the circadian rhythm also applies to shift-work (due to working at a time normally reserved for sleep), fluorescent lights in the late afternoon disrupting melatonin secretion. Blind people, due their having no influence from light or darkness, may also suffer. Melatonin is investigated for its usage in solving jet lag due to its ability to 'fix’' the circadian rhythm and restore desynchronization via signalling the SCN through MT2 receptors. In situations where external stimuli (sunlight and darkness cycles) and internal stimuli (the internal clock) are not in sync, supplemental melatonin is thought to help re-establish balance. A Cochrane database meta-analysis of 10 studies that transversed at least 5 time zones found that melatonin was significantly more effective than placebo, when taken at the destination's bedtime, in normalizing the circadian rhythm and reducing the symptoms of jet lag. According to the studies reviewed, there is no significant difference between 500mcg and 5mg on the effects of melatonin in reducing jet lag. Some better sleep was noted with 5mg. It should be noted that some people still experienced jet lag, as the meta-analysis noted that in the two studies that reported individual statistics, about 18% of subjects still experienced jet lag after melatonin, with placebo at 67%. The one study that did not report benefits can be found here. In studies comparing melatonin against other sedatives, it appears to be less effective than zolpidem (Ambien or Sublinox are the brand names) but also associated with less side-effects. Other interventions using melatonin for jet lag (in regards to travel) indexed in Medline are found here, and this phenomena as it applies to shift work is noted here. Melatonin, taken in the evening (sometimes 30 minutes before sleep, at times up to 4-5 hours before sleep with a higher dose) appears to normalize abnormal circadian rhythms. In order to fix jet lag, supplementation should be timed with the clock of the current time zone. Interestingly, green light treatment in the morning combined with 3g of melatonin the night prior, additively,but not synergistically, benefits correction of abnormal circadian rhythms. Bright light in the morning also aids in normalizing the circadian rhythm or otherwise shifting it to another time. Bright light, when observed in the afternoon and combined with melatonin, partially abolishes the effects of melatonin. In this study, while light treatment at 21:00 and 24:00 delayed normalization of the circadian rhythm by 0.68 hours. Supplemental melatonin at 20:40 corrected it by 0.4 hours. The combination failed to be significantly different than placebo. These results also suggest that melatonin can negate the negative effects of light at night, as it applies to jet lag. Melatonin at night works well with bright light therapy in the morning, for the purposes of lowering sleep latency, but is antagonistic with bright lights prior to sleep. The first night effect is a delay in sleep onset due to sleeping in new settings, common during travel. Similar to Panax ginseng, melatonin is effective in reducing sleep latency (time to fall asleep) and as an aid against the first night effect, which is sometimes seen in any study assessing patients in clinical settings during sleep. The opposite effect has been noted in people suffering from schizophrenia, despite improving sleep quality otherwise. The phase-shift hypothesis states that seasonal depression in the winter months is associated with alterations in light-sleep cycles and melatonin, alongside bright light therapy (night and morning, respectively), is able to normalize disorders of the circadian rhythm, including seasonal depression. A study on elderly people (86+/-6yrs) with mild cognitive impairment, given a combination supplement of melatonin (5mg), soy phospholipids (160mg), L-tryptophan (95mg), and fish oil (720mg DHA, 286mg EPA, vitamin E at 16mg) noted that nightly ingestion for 12 weeks significantly reduced the rating score of the MMSE and MNA (indicative of cognitive enhancement) without influencing short or long term memory parameters. The improved score appeared a minor trend to improve with supplementation, relative to a minor deterioration seen in control. One study assessing memory with 3mg melatonin given to healthy young men noted that melatonin supplementation was associated with improved memory encoding under stress. Taking melatonin one hour prior to a combined learning and stress experience improved the amount remembered the next day, relative to control, but tests conducted 15 minutes after the stressor (when cortisol was highest) were not different between groups. Adrenaline-mediated signalling (adrenergic) is a regulator of cardiac function and, in some clinical populations, can be seen as undesirable due to its hypertensive and pro-contractile properties. Melatonin appears to have anti-adrenergic actions in heart tissue. One in vitro study using excised cardiac tissue from rats noted that melatonin (50uM, with 25uM having no effect) appears to reduce Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) production in the heart by up to 34% via the melatonin receptors, although abolishing Nitric Oxide (NO), Protein Kinase C (PKC), or guanyl cyclase also abolished the effects of melatonin. A dose of 1-2mg melatonin is able to acutely reduce blood pressure in men and women, possibly secondary to a reduction in adrenaline, which is also observed. The difference between groups appears to be reduced when subjects are standing and mobile, Not all studies note an acute decrease in blood pressure, suggesting these acute effects (measured in a passive supine position) may not hold much practical relevance. An intervention using 5mg of melatonin supplementation for 2 months, taken 2 hours before bed, noted that melatonin, in people with metabolic syndrome, was able to reduce blood pressure from 132.8+/-9.8 systolic to 126.3+/-11.5 (95.1% of baseline) and decrease diastolic from 81.7+/-8.7 to 76.9+/-9.2 (94.1% of baseline). These effects were independent of major changes in body weight, and may have been secondary to melatonin's antioxidative effects. At least one study has investigated blood partitioning after ingestion of 3mg melatonin, in participants in a supine position. The researchers noted an increased blood flow to the forearms and less to the kidneys (without influencing cerebral blood flow) occurring 45 minutes after ingestion of melatonin, independent of changes in heart rate or blood pressure. Although administration of 5mg of melatonin nightly for 2 months in people with metabolic syndrome does not appear to significantly influence triglyceride levels, triglycerides may be acutely affected as assessed by a study involving 6mg of melatonin taken prior to exercise. The expected decrease in triglycerides during exercise was exacerbated with melatonin. When 5mg of melatonin is taken for 2 months, 2 hours before bed, by people with metabolic syndrome, there are no significant effects of melatonin on LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, or total cholesterol. A human study using melatonin supplementation and measuring serum leptin noted that, in a population of 11 people with idiopathic stomach ulcers, leptin increased from 6.2-7.0ng/mL to 12.2-16.2ng/mL after 7 days, maintaining this level up to 21 days, after 5mg of melatonin was taken twice a day, morning and evening. This same dose (10mg) in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease over 28 days with elevated leptin caused a further elevation of 33%. These effects have also been seen in rats at 25mcg/mL in drinking water (about 500mcg daily) for 9 weeks with either a high fat (35% fat, 35% carbs) or a low fat (4% fat, 60% carbs) diet, where leptin area under curve was increased, but only when measured from early morning to early evening, with no significant difference at any point in the evening. Another study in rats using a lower dose of 10mcg/mL (ended up being 35mcg daily) of water also found influences on circulating leptin, where levels were increased to approximately 150% of control (data derived from graph) after one month. This study also found an increase in circulating zinc. Similar results have been seen in cases of excessive melatonin administration (3mg/kg in mice via I.V), where leptin increased to 127% of control over 6 months. Melatonin supplementation over a period of longer than a week increases circulating leptin levels without changes in body fat or food intake. This increase does not appear to be dose-dependent. Due to interactions with the circadian rhythm, concrete numbers pertaining to the leptin increase may not be reliable. When examining isolated fat cells (where most leptin is produced), the amount of leptin secreted is not significantly enhanced when incubated with 1nM melatonin. However, this may be due to the incubation with melatonin alone, as other studies pairing melatonin with insulin note that melatonin may augment the insulin-induced secretion of leptin, as neither induced leptin secretion in vitro by themselves, while the combination increased secretion by 120% and mRNA content by 50%. Adding dexamethasone to the mixture increased these levels to 250% and 100%, respectively. Melatonin was able to suppress a Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP)-induced suppression of leptin release and play a synergistic role in activating the insulin receptor and its target, Protein Kinase B (Akt). Its effects were abolished when the MT1 receptor was prevented from acting. These effects were later replicated by the same research group, with the same potency, when adipocytes were incubated on a 12 hour on/12 hour off protocol to mimic the circadian rhythm. Melatonin appears to potentiate insulin-induced leptin secretion. Please refer to the section on Mechanisms and the subhead 'Non-Melatonin Receptors' for discussion on GPR50, a leptin receptor that negatively influences melatonin signalling through MT1. The increase in leptin may be a mechanism of negative feedback due to melatonin signalling. Melatonin has been investigated for its interactions with obesity, since rats lacking pineal glands that secrete melatonin (rats that have undergone a pinealectomy) experience increased lipogenesis and reduced lipolysis. The pairing of a lack of melatonin secretion and synthesis with weight gain suggests that melatonin may either be anti-obesogenic (reducing fat gain) or may induce fat loss. Melatonin appears to be somewhat of a negative regulator of adipocyte physiology, being able to influence Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) differentiation away from adipocytes and promote osteogenic cell growth secondary to Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR) inhibition while suppressing proliferation of mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes, secondary to suppression of C/EBPbeta transcriptional activity. When treated in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, melatonin is able to induce proliferation. This appears to act through MT1 receptor activation. Melatonin appears to influence mesenchymal cells (a cell that can develop into either adipose cells or bone cells) towards bone rather than fat, a process similar to that seen with resveratrol. In a model of PAZ6 adipocytes (the human brown preadipocyte cell line), it was found that the mRNA for both melatonin receptors existed, and via MT2 receptors, suppressed GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake by approximately 25% over 14 days incubation, but failed to significantly reduce activity after one day. In this study, brown and white adipocytes were both tested and although white had less MT1 than brown adipose, white expressed no MT2. A study using luzindole (an agonist of mostly MT2 but with some affinity to MT1) demonstrated it was less effective than melatonin at creating these effects, supporting the lack or either relative absence of active MT2 on white adipocytes. Activation of melatonin receptors appears to be associated with suppression of adenyl cyclase and a decrease in Cortisol-Induced Aromatase (cAMP) levels. This decrease in cAMP levels (associated with the Gi protein coupled to melatonin receptors) can suppress lipolysis induced by beta(2)adrenergic stimulation. White adipose expresses MT1 and little-to-none MT2. Although glucose metabolism is heavily influenced in brown adipocytes, humans do not have much (relative to rats), which means it may not be practically relevant. Signalling via MT1 in white adipose may be the most practically relevant mechanistic pathway of melatonin for humans. When investigating oxidation, incubation of preadipocytes with melatonin is associated with increased levels of copper, zinc, manganese and Superoxide Dismutases (SODs). An increase in catalase was observed after a 24 hour incubation. These trends reversed at the 48 hour mark of incubation. When rats are fed 500mcg melatonin daily via drinking water and concurrently given a high fat (35%) diet, the rate of weight gain is attenuated, independent of changes in calories. This has been replicated with 0.4mcg/mL, where a 7% decrease in body weight and 16% lower intra-abdominal adipose mass was recorded. When 5mg of melatonin is administered 2 hours before bedtime to a sample of people with metabolic syndrome, a small but statistically significant reduction of BMI has been observed (from 29 to 28.8) over two months, which correlates with improvements in blood pressure and antioxidant profile. Though melatonin is unlikely to be a potent weight loss or anti-weight gain agent, it does seem to beneficially influence these parameters. When 6mg of melatonin is taken by youth (18-20) immediately (30 minutes) prior to exercise, it is able to reduce the amount of lipid peroxidation induced by exercise (serum malondialdehyde (MDA)) and appears to significantly preserve, and perhaps slightly elevate, levels of endogenous antioxidant enzymes. In this study, plasma triglycerides from exercise were also significantly reduced upon melatonin supplementation, relative to control. After rats are subject to crush injury, melatonin injections at 10mg/kg bodyweight were associated with better muscle function (tetanic and twitch force) at 4, 7, and 14 days after injury relative to control, exhibiting about 1.2 to 1.3-fold better recovery. This appears to be secondary to an increase in satellite cells (2-fold) and a decrease in apoptotic cells, measured after the first dose, up to the 4 day marker (50% decrease) with no further influence. This increase in satellite cells was not observed in uninjured tissue. A reduction in apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction has also been observed with ischemia/reperfusion injuries to skeletal muscle. The mechanism of mitochondrial protection seems to be related to preserving membrane permeability, possibly secondary to melatonin's antioxidative capacity. At least one study pertaining to athletes investigated whether nightly melatonin supplementation (5mg) hampered daytime physical activity. The study failed to note any harm to physical performance from sedation. In a study where 5mg of melatonin was taken 3 hours prior to exercise, it was found that melatonin increased sedation and reduced reaction time, whereas it did not significantly affect physical performance as assessed by 4km cycling test. The authors suggest that the hindering effect of melatonin on physical performance during the day was more neural than physical. When investigating postmenopausal breast cancer survivors, melatonin does not appear to have any influence on circulating estrogens (17b-estradiol measured) after 4 months of daily 3mg melatonin supplementation prior to sleep. When examining the aromatase enzyme (CYP1A1/2, conversion of testosterone to estrogen), melatonin appears to interact with aromatase. In MCF-7 (breast cancer) cells conditioned to proliferate after testosterone administration (via estrogen), melatonin was found to slightly suppress proliferation and inhibit aromatase at physiological concentrations (approx. 58% of control levels at 1nM) as compared to pharmaceutical concentrations (75% at 10uM). It was able to suppress Cortisol-Induced Aromatase (cAMP) upregulation. These actions appear to be through activation of the MT1 receptor, secondary to downregulating aromatase-inducing genes. These effects have also been noted in fibroblast cells, a source of estrogen production in postmenopausal estrogen-responsive breast cancer. Melatonin appears to regulate aromatase, but the concentrations at which it does this may be more likely to prevent an age-related deficiency, rather than act as a pharmacological intervention that would be used with testosterone supplements. In the Leydig cells of hamster testes, melatonin appears to suppress androgen signalling via the MT1 receptor. Melatonin agonism of the MT1 receptor leads to downregulation of the StAR enzyme, as well as other steroidogenic enzymes, such as 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD. These effects appear opposite of D-aspartic acid and in parallel to the actions of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (CRH). Melatonin appears to increase intracellular corticotropin-releasing hormone levels which, paired with the passive diffusion of CRH from Leydig cells, led to researchers to pair melatonin with an antagonist of the CRH receptor, which completely abolished the inhibitory effects of melatonin on testosterone synthesis. Melatonin appears to work via MT1 to decrease phosphorylation of p38, which increases synthesis of CRH, after which CRH suppresses androgen synthesis. Melatonin is an indirect negative regulator of testosterone in the testes. When supplemented to otherwise healthy men, 6 mg of melatonin does not appear to significantly influence testosterone levels. It may trend to attenuate the exercise-induced decrease in testosterone. This same dose taken nightly for a month does not alter testosterone levels, luteinizing hormone levels or follicle stimulating hormone levels in otherwise healthy men. Despite the mechanisms of negative regulation, melatonin does not appear to actually influence testosterone levels in healthy men. Supplemental melatonin in young healthy men at the doses of 50mcg, 500mcg, and 5mg does not appear to influence circulating cortisol levels when taken at 2:30 and measured for 150 minutes afterward. When 5g of melatonin is taken at 5pm nightly, for four nights, in a similar demographic, and measurements are taken during sleep, the 24-hour area under curve (AUC) of cortisol is slightly increased. In a clinic study on non-obese, postmenopausal women aged 54-62, a 100mg dose of melatonin was observed to be able to keep melatonin elevated for up to 12 hours.) Melatonin taken at 8am was able to increase cortisol 24-hour AUC slightly (from 219+/-17 to 229+/-14nmol/L, a 4.5% increase) but caused a significant increase during the hours of 20:00-01:00, which was suppressed by exogenous estrogen. Melatonin supplementation appears to stimulate growth hormone secretion secondary to resensitizing the pituitary gland to Growth-Hormone-Releasing-Hormone (GHRH), as evidenced by augmenting the effects of single injected doses of GHRH and normalizing the magnitude of the second pulse (repeated doses of GHRH have an attenuated spike due to desensitization). It is thought that the mechanism is similar to that of pyridostigmine. Both 500mcg and 5mg of melatonin appear to be similarly effective in increasing growth hormone levels one hour after ingestion during waking, exhibiting a trend to normalize by 150 minutes after ingestion, with the area under curve (AUC) until this point increasing by 16+/-4.5 to 17.3+/-3.7mUh/L. A 50mcg dose is not significantly different than placebo. A 5mg dose has been tested elsewhere and measured over 24 hours, but the overall increase was less (increasing basal levels from 3.4+/-1.3mU/l to 5.3+/-2.4mU/l) and not statistically significant. A 500mg dose of melatonin may inhibit the release of growth hormone that is induced by serotonin, which appears to be exercise-related and insulin-induced hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Melatonin supplementation in the range of 500-5,000mcg is able to acutely increase growth hormone levels in otherwise healthy young males at rest, which is thought to be due to melatonin’s ability to sensitize the pituitary to the effects of GHRH, rather than through a direct stimulatory effect. Interactions between melatonin and exercise in regard to growth hormone are somewhat mixed, as one study using 500mcg and 5mg of melatonin against placebo in young and otherwise healthy people experienced with resistance training, noted that, for 120 minutes after exercise, 5mg melatonin significantly increased growth hormone response, relative to placebo, in men, while 500mcg trended towards significance. This study has a research grant from Iovate Health Sciences. Other studies on the subject note that a 5mg oral dose of melatonin taken before anaerobic bicycle exercise can significantly increase the peak and overall exposure to growth hormone by approximately 72%. One other study in resistance-trained adult men undergoing full-body resistance training supplementing 6mg melatonin an hour before exercise noted that melatonin actually decreased the exercise-induced spikes in growth hormone, relative to placebo. Melatonin at 50mcg, 500mcg, and 5mg does not appear to significantly influence prolactin levels over 150 minutes post-ingestion, a time frame during which melatonin influences other hormones. 5mg of melatonin taken for four days appears to positively influence 24-hour prolactin levels, however. Melatonin is a multi-modal antioxidant, being implicated in increasing the concentration of certain antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase and the superoxide dismutases, as well as inherently having a structure that confers antioxidative properties per se. Melatonin has shown benefits for inhibiting oxidation, secondary to oxygen-based free radicals hydroxyl radicals, and reactive nitrogen species like peroxynitrite and nitric oxide. Through antioxidant means, melatonin can inhibit mineral-induced damage to DNA (in this study, chromium III was used) in a dose-dependent manner, with 24+/-1% inhibition at 1uM and 80+/-3% at 100uM. Melatonin was the most protective, tested on a concentration dependent basis (outperforming green tea catechins, resveratrol, and alpha-lipoic acid). It has an IC50 value of 3.6+/-0.1uM. In at least one blinded intervention, 3mg of melatonin taken nightly also improved subjective ratings of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and reduced heartburn. It was less effective than omeprazole, but the two were additive when used in combination. In patients with stomach ulcers that test positive for Heliobactor pylori, twice daily dosing of 5mg of melatonin over 21 days (paired with omeprazole in all groups), complete healing of ulcers was seen in the melatonin group (n=7) and the L-tryptophan group, but only 3 of 7 had complete healing in control, given only omeprazole. These healing effects on ulcers have also been seen with H. pylori negative stomach ulcers, in combination with omeprazole, In a study on aspirin-induced stomach ulcers, melatonin in isolation showed protective effects. Melatonin is able to influence eye health, as the eye expresses melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2), where activation of retinal MT1 receptors decreases ocular pressure. This is seen after supplementation of melatonin in healthy men and when pre-loaded before cataract surgery. A 500mcg dose of melatonin, administered orally at 6 p.m., to otherwise healthy men was able to significantly reduce intra-ocular blood pressure by 9-10 p.m., and retained statistically insignificant suppression at 8 p.m. as well as 11-12 p.m. (latest measurement). One study, investigating mechanisms, noted that incubation of retina with melatonin agonists was associated with modulation of adrenaline receptors, downregulation of the beta(2)adrenergic receptor and upregulation of the alpha(2)adrenergic receptor, which is suppressive of adrenaline's actions. Protein content of carbonic anhydrases is also reduced with melatonin agonists, which may also confer reductions in ocular blood pressure. Melatonin appears to regulate ocular blood pressure, by reducing intraocular blood pressure through melatonin receptors. This effect may occur through suppressing the actions of adrenaline-mediated blood pressure increases. A 500mcg oral dose can reduce ocular blood pressure 2-3 hours after administration. The concentration of melatonin in the eye (aqueous humour) appears to be roughly similar between glaucoma patients and normal people, when measured in the morning and early afternoon (800 and 1600h), a time when levels are lower than in the evening. It is not known if people with glaucoma have lower sleeping melatonin levels in the aqueous humour. In an open-label pilot study using 3mg of melatonin nightly for 6 months on 55 people (110 tested eyes), melatonin was associated with either a slight improvement or stability of disease pathology in the majority of patients. One study investigating melatonin and tinnitus found that 3mg of melatonin, taken nightly for 30 days (double-blind crossover with 1 month washout), was associated with improvements on at least 2 of 3 rating scales for tinnitus (tinnitus matching, tinnitus severity index, self-rated tinnitus), with 57% of the melatonin group experiencing benefits and only 25% of the placebo reporting benefit. Melatonin appeared to benefit men slightly more than women. This study was a similarly structured replication of a previous study, which reported 46.5% of the melatonin group experiencing benefit, and 20% of the placebo reporting the same. Only one other study has been conducted on melatonin and tinnitus thus far, and in this prospective open-label study, 3mg of melatonin taken for 4 weeks was also associated with decreased symptoms of tinnitus that appeared to be, overall, unrelated to the benefits of melatonin on sleep. In another trial pairing, 3mg of melatonin, paired with the blood-flow enhancing drug Sulodexide at 250-500mg (with the other two groups being melatonin in isolation and control) during both combination therapy and melatonin in isolation were found to be more effective than placebo, while additive benefits against tinnitus were seen with combination therapy. Improvements were seen in 79.4% of combination therapy instances, and in 58.8% of people in the melatonin-only group, when assessed by both Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and acufenometry. This study is duplicated in Pubmed. Melatonin is not a cure for tinnitus, but it appears to be more effective than placebo at suppressing tinnitus-related symptoms and improving sleep, secondary to a lessened subjective sensation of tinnitus. Melatonin is one of the few supplements that demonstrates interactions with the telomerase enzyme (such as astragalus membranaceus), which is correlated with lifespan. In general, older subjects experience less telomerase activity relative to younger subjects, who still have higher telomerase activity. Telomerase is composed of two subunits, the catalytic TERT subunit and the RNA-containing TR subunit. A study comparing young and old rats fed 10mg/kg melatonin of intraperitoneal injections, daily for 21 days, found that melatonin increase telomerase activity in gastric mucosa. When only 55% of rat pups had detectable levels of telomerase activity, melatonin increased the levels to 100%, while older rats went from no detectable telomerase to 45% of the rats having detectable levels (assessed by a telomerase PCR ELISA kit). In vitro activation of the membrane receptor (MT1) was able to increase the RNA levels of the catalytic subunit of telomerase, TERT (observed in research as it correlates well with telomerase), in an MCF-7 cell line by about 50% at 1nM concentration with no dose-dependence. However, binding of an agonist to RZR/RORα (a nuclear receptor melatonin can bind with) can reduce expression of TERT in a dose-dependent manner by 30-40%, depending on concentration (1pM-1nM, the latter being the level of circulating melatonin). Neither receptor appears to influence the TR subunit. Melatonin appears to be able to positively and negatively regulate the catalytic subunit of telomerase, which appears to be of equal potency at physiologically relevant concentrations of 1nM. At least one rat study noted that pharmacologically high levels of melatonin via supplementation increased telomerase expression. Estrogens appear to be able to induce telomerase activity, due to an imperfect estrogen response element on the telomerase (TERT) promotor. Estradiol can upregulate telomerase via the ERα. Melatonin has the ability to regulate aromatase, and suppress excessive telomerase activity induced by estrogens and estrogenic compounds such as cadmium, which is useful for estrogen-responsive cancers that express higher levels of telomerase for cell viability. This inhibition of TERT expression in cancerous estrogen responsive cell lines has been observed in vivo with 0.1mg/mL melatonin in rat drinking water. Melatonin appears to be able to suppress excessive expression of telomerase through environmental and endogenous estrogens, via regulation of TERT transcription. This is more of an anti-cancer mechanism, with its implications for longevity currently unexplored. Melatonin has been noted in one meta-analysis to reduce the risk of death after one year in people with solid tumor cancers, with a relative risk (RR) of 0.66 and 95% CI of 0.59-0.73, suggesting approximately a quarter risk. Melatonin may exert a general protective effect in cancer patients, which results in less death. It has been hypothesized that melatonin levels, through markers such as circadian rhythm disturbances and urinary metabolite levels, is inversely correlated with breast cancer, and that a reduced melatonin status increases breast cancer risk. A few mechanisms have been investigated in regard to melatonin's role in breast cancer, including its role as a modulator of aromatase enzyme protein content, modulation of the cell cycle via suppressing cyclin D1, and influencing transcriptional activity of nuclear receptors. Melatonin at high doses (18mg) has been investigated in a trial on advanced gastrointestinal cancer, with or without high dose fish oil (4.9g EPA, 3.2g DHA). This study used treatment for the first 4 weeks and combination therapy for the next 4 weeks. No changes in circulating biomarkers or cytokines were observed, although both fish oil and melatonin had limited efficacy in stabilizing weight or inducing weight gain (38% of patients on fish oil, 27% on melatonin) while the combination had additive effects (68%), suggesting promise for cancer-related cachexia and anorexia. Melatonin’s life-extending properties are being investigated for a few reasons. A study in rats involved actually removing the pineal gland from young rat pups and putting it into live, elder, male mice. This process induced a 12% increase in lifespan and is theorized to be secondary to melatonin. This hypothesis results are strengthed by the reverse study where old pineal glands into younger rats accelerates aging,. The only currently validated method of life extension (caloric restriction) is associated with up to twofold higher circulating levels of melatonin, when compared to control rats fed ad libitum. It is currently unknown if this is a biomarker of longevity or causative thereof. A study comparing young healthy controls (n=20), clinically healthy elder people (n=24), and centenarians (n=24) found that those over 100 years of age had standard aging of thyroid parameters and dehydroepiandrosterone (decreases in accordance with age) but that the difference between daily and nightly melatonin excretion (urine) was more similar to the youthful control rather than the aged cohort, which experienced a normalization. Melatonin and the pineal gland are highly associated with longevity. Since melatonin levels decline with age, supplementation can have restorative effects. Melatonin has been shown (in rats) to alleviate the hyper-oxidative state forced upon mitochondria with aging. This can be seen as a protective effect, but it is not exerting a protective effect above what is observed in youth. Administration of melatonin through drinking water to BALB/c (albino, laboratory-bred) female mice between the hours of 18:00 to 08:30, at a concentration of 10ug/mL, increased lifespan from an average of 715 days in control to 843 days in melatonin-treated groups. This is an 18% increase. A life extension effect was also observed when male mice started melatonin at 19 months of age (elderly status). Another part of the study, using NZB mice given melatonin either nightly or throughout the day, noted that nightly administration increased lifespan from 19 months to 23 months with statistical significance, but administration throughout the day only increased lifespan by one month and was not statistically significant. Combination therapy of melatonin (1mg/kg) and growth hormone (2mg/kg) has been found to reverse some increases in inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1) and increase others (IL-10) in cardiac tissue of rats. Therapy also abolished age-related changes in NF-kB distribution (cytosol and nuclear membrane). The reduction in mitochondrial potential seen with aging in cardiac cells (SAMP8 mice) appears to also be normalized and is seen in rats in a rehabilitative manner (30 days of supplementation to older rats). Melatonin appears to confer a cardioprotective effect against aging.This is not abolished by growth hormone therapy, though the study in question was unable to assess synergism or additive effects. In SAMP8 mice and Wistar rats, oral melatonin (1mg/kg) appears to reduce some effects of aging on the skin. Melatonin administration of both 1 and 10mg/kg daily in rats is also able to prevent age-related changes in pancreatic tissue. and liver tissue. A reduction in age-related changes associated with oral intake of melatonin at 1mg/kg in rats and mice (0.08-0.16mg/kg bodyweight humans, or 5.45mg for a 150lb person) appears to extend to all measured organs. At least one study on human skin cells noted that glycolic acid, a small α-hydroxy acid commonly found in skin care products, reduced lipid peroxidation, as assessed by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), by up to 14% at 1mM concentration, yet melatonin at a 1:200 ratio (much less than glycolic acid) exerted 80% antioxidative synergism, as assessed by TBARS. More potent antioxidative synergism was observed between glycolic acid and vitamin E, however. The pathophysiology of hair loss involves oxidative stress which seems to extend to androgenic hair loss, as hair follicles have increased sensitivity to oxidative stress. Due to the potency of melatonin as a direct antioxidant, and the fact that hair follicle cells express and produce melatonin, it has been investigated for its role in preventing hair loss. Topical application of melatonin to the scalp does not significantly increase serum concentrations of melatonin, instead providing a clinically irrelevant increase in peak values, with no change in 20-hour mean values. In vitro, 1-5mM of melatonin has been found to accelerate the growth of hair (inhibitory at 30mM), which is thought to be secondary to the melatonin receptor, as the effect is abolished by receptor antagonists (study cannot be located online, mentioned indirectly through this paper). These growth enhancing effects were confirmed in a pilot study using 1mL of a solution of 0.1% melatonin, given to women with androgenic alopecia over 6 months, since the anagen phase was promoted, and a later study noted that there was a response rate of 54.8% of participants, in regard to increasing hair density and hair cell count over 3 months with topical melatonin (0.03%), with the increase being measured at 27.2% (3 months) and 42.7% (6 months) more than control. Although the study cannot be found online (again, mentioned indirectly through a review), there appears to be a large open-label study of 1891 people with androgenic hair loss, which reported that the rate of no hair loss rose from 12.5% to 61.5%, but stimulated hair growth in 22.5% of the sample. Melatonin receptors are expressed in hair cells. It appears to have a role in promoting hair growth. While melatonin does appear to be both effective and potent at inducing hair growth and stalling hair loss, even in androgenic hair loss, as is the case with a receding hairline, it appears to be somewhat unreliable and does not affect 100% of subjects. Caffeine is an adenosine receptor antagonist with affinity towards A2(A), and is seen as anti-sleep due to its effects. It is also stimulatory, but this effect wanes with time. Both caffeine and melatonin are metabolized by the same enzyme class, specifically, the aromatase enzyme (CYP1A1/2). Coingestion of the two appears to exert competition in metabolism, as the area under curve (AUC) of melatonin is increased by 120% when ingested with caffeine, without significantly affecting the half-life of melatonin. When investigating mitochondrial function in mice and in vitro, caffeine appears to exert similar effects as melatonin in preventing Alzheimer's-related cognitive deficit, but it is less potent and actively inhibs melatonin's benefit when coingested. This effect does not appear to occur through the adenosine receptors per se, but through Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibition and increasing Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) levels, which oppose melatonin's decrease of cAMP. Alcohol is a component of some beverages, like beer and wine, that, surprisingly, contains melatonin. However, when investigating how alcohol consumption affects circulating melatonin levels during social drinking (10-100g ethanol), some studies suggest a resulting reduction of circulating or salivary melatonin levels, with inhibition up to 41%, measured at night. Some studies suggest an increase in melatonin, as according to one study, using beer (7.2%), where women had 330mL and men had 660mL, reported an increase in melatonin levels 45 minutes after ingestion. When measuring urinary melatonin levels, however, there do not appear to be any significant influences from alcohol consumption, and one study suggests a decrease in urinary melatonin secretion between 9-17% (2-4 drinks, no effect seen from just one). The effects of alcohol on melatonin are not clear at this time. An in vitro study assessing melatonin (1uM) and vitamin C at 0.5uM demonstrated synergism in protecting DNA from oxidative damage induced by chromium III. The slightly pro-oxidative effects seen with vitamin C were reversed when melatonin was co-incubated. An in vitro study assessing melatonin (1uM) and alpha-lipoic acid (5uM) found that, in protecting DNA from chromium III induced oxidative damage, the two were synergistic in their protective effects. Tryptophan is the amino acid metabolized into 5-HTP, from which serotonin and subsequently melatonin can be produced. Melatonin appears to inhibit the tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) enzyme, which directs tryptophan away from production into 5-HTP by enhancing its catabolism. Inhibition of TDO via melatonin can enhance the amount of bioavailable tryptophan, independent of supplementation. Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is the main polyphenol referred to as green tea catechins. In an in vitro test on DNA-induced oxidation, it was found that co-incubation of melatonin and EGCG, both at 1uM, slightly suppressed each other's actions, demonstrating antagonism. It should be noted that the overall protection exerted with both was still greater than either in isolation, but that there was a less than additive benefit. When tested in vitro, resveratrol, the wine polyphenol, did not show synergism or antagonism with melatonin in protecting DNA from oxidative damage. However, the slightly pro-oxidative effects of resveratrol on DNA were abolished when melatonin was added to the medium. Resveratrol does display synergism with melatonin in regard to neuroprotection, where melatonin and resveratrol both showed dose-dependent protection from toxicity in hippocampal cells from beta-amyloid pigmentation (associated with Alzheimer's), since the combination required less of a dose to exert the same effects as either supplement in isolation. This appears to be mediated via antioxidative means, and superloading either in isolation overrides synergism. Although not a nutrient, melatonin has shown synergistic effects with physical exercise in regard to accelerating neuronal repair after nerve injury, and in terms of general neuroprotective effects. The former study noted more motor neurons in the ventral horn and improved functional capacity in rats given 10mg/kg of melatonin daily, in conjunction with exercise. This was hypothesized to occur via a suppression of Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) in neurons, which was observed, since iNOS tends to be increased during neuronal injury. The latter study noted that in mice prone to Alzheimer's disease, this same dose of melatonin, paired with free access to a running wheel, is able to preserve reflexes and memory function while synergistically decreasing neural oxidation and Alzheimer's pathology in the brain. Melatonin and exercise appeared to significantly increase CoQ9 in brain mitochondria, the precursor to CoQ10. A sodium selenate (source of selenium) and melatonin treatment, given to rats prior to ischemia injury (middle carotid artery occlusion) is able to confer protective benefits. Galantamine is a cholinergic drug that can inhibit the acetylcholinesterase enzyme, and elevate levels of acetylcholine in the brain (a mechanism similar to huperzine-A). While subeffective levels of melatonin (0.3-10uM) and galantamine (10-300nM) are able to confer synergistic protection against rotenone-induced oxidative stress, 300nM galantamine and 10uM melatonin protects neurons by 56% and 50%, respectively, and 0.3uM melatonin and 10nM galantamine combined confer the same level of protection, despite being in concentrations 30 to 33-fold lower. This synergism may not be restricted to the molecules, but may be mediated through the nicotinic and melatonin receptors. Up to 240mg and 500mg oral and intravenous injections of melatonin taken acutely is not associated with any toxicological effects. In older people with insomnia, 6 months of melatonin at 2mg (long-release formula) is not associated with any overt harm and appears to be safe and effective at 5mg (according to a caretaker interview) in children with the average age of 6 (at onset of treatment) that suffer from sleep disorders as symptoms of other medical problems (autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy). When the caretakers were interviewed 3.8 years after starting treatment, some caretakers had upped the dose to 10mg or 15mg. A study assessing 6 months (n=112) and 12 months (n=96) of melatonin treatment of 2mg in a controlled release capsule, taken 1-2 hours prior to sleep, people aged 20-80 with primary insomnia failed to show any tolerance to the treatment. The authors noted a slight sensitization to the effects of melatonin at the 3-4 month period, which was attributed to better entrainment of the circadian rhythm. These results have been replicated in another study, lasting 6 months, with a sample of 791 people. No melatonin tolerance due to usage was observed, Another study, lasting 6 months with a sample size of 421 people also replicated these results. A handful of large scale, 6-12 month studies, suggest continued administration of melatonin does not result in tolerance. Since benzodiazepines are a popular sedative and known to have withdrawal effects, it is a common concern as to whether melatonin supplementation confers withdrawal or dependence in otherwise healthy people. This concern is somewhat backed by melatonin interacting with benzodiazepine receptors. Melatonin is sometimes used for prolonged periods in youth with clinically meaningful sleep disturbance problems. In a study investigating children with sleep onset problems taking melatonin (1-5mg depending on individual efficacy) for 3 weeks, halving the dose for 1 week before stopping supplementation, the termination of effects was replicated where half-dosing for a week reduced the benefit to sleep latency nonsignificantly. Ceasing treatment removed the benefits of melatonin. This study also made note of an unpublished thesis, where the benefits of 3-week melatonin usage were abolished upon cessation. The thesis is not available online. One other study on people with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder given 10mg noted negative effects. In this sample of people (n=5), delayed sleep onset relative to baseline was observed. In contrast to this, at least one large scale (n=791) double-blind study on insomniacs noted that there were no withdrawal symptoms associated with stopping melatonin usage after 6 months, at 2mg of a sustained release formulation. Withdrawal was assessed by the Tyrer questionnaire, with about 28% in both placebo and melatonin. Data from 6-12 months of melatonin usage in insomniacs noted that during a 2-week monitoring period after cessation of melatonin, there was a slight residual effect of better sleep, no tolerance during long-term melatonin treatment, and no noted withdrawal effects significantly different than placebo. An apparent absence of withdrawal or dependence is more common in older people with symptoms of insomnia. Melatonin for usage of up to 6-12 months is not associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms, an example of a potential withdrawal symptom being exacerbation of insomnia. There is a lack of solid evidence to suggest the presence of withdrawal or dependence from melatonin supplementation. Some evidence affirms that there is no adverse effect on drug dependence or withdrawal. Doses higher than 2mg have not been sufficiently studied. It is possible that the termination of the benefits to sleep upon discontinuing melatonin may be seen as 'reactive insomnia', as sleep quality returns to the quality that it was prior to melatonin intervention. ^ Determination of the melatonin content of different varieties of tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) and strawberries (Fragariaananassa). ^ Melatonin is a phytochemical in olive oil. ^ Diurnal pattern of melatonin in blood and milk of dairy Cows. ^ Hormones in bovine milk and milk products: A survey. ^ Melatonin: A new bioactive compound in wine. ^ Localization, Physiological Significance and Possible Clinical Implication of Gastrointestinal Melatonin. ^ Annual rhythm of serum melatonin in man. ^ a b The Pineal Peptide Preparation, Epithalamin, Slows Aging in Drosophila melanogaster, Mice, and Rats. ^ Expression cloning of a high-affinity melatonin receptor from Xenopus dermal melanophores. ^ Melatonin Treatment for Age-Related Insomnia. ^ Low, but not high, doses of melatonin entrained a free-running blind person with a long circadian period. ^ Metabolism of Melatonin by Human Cytochromes P450. ^ a b Activation of MT2 melatonin receptors in rat suprachiasmatic nucleus phase advances the circadian clock. ^ Effect of inducing nocturnal serum melatonin concentrations in daytime on sleep, mood, body temperature, and performance. ^ Efficacy of Melatonin Treatment in Jet Lag, Shift Work, and Blindness. ^ Preflight Adjustment to Eastward Travel: 3 Days of Advancing Sleep with and without Morning Bright Light. ^ Biology of Depression: From Novel Insights to Therapeutic Strategies. ^ a b Melatonin orl-tryptophan accelerates healing of gastroduodenal ulcers in patients treated with omeprazole. ^ Melatonin As a Free Radical Scavenger: Implications for Aging and Age-Related Diseases. ^ Reaction of Melatonin and Related Indoles With Hydroxyl Radicals: EPR and Spin Trapping Investigations. ^ Pineal control of aging: effect of melatonin and pineal grafting on aging mice. ^ The Pineal Aging and Death Program. I. Grafting of Old Pineals in Young Mice Accelerates Their Aging. ^ a b Pineal control of aging: Effect of melatonin and pineal grafting on aging mice. ^ Oxidative Stress in Ageing of Hair. ^ Premature Senescence of Balding Dermal Papilla Cells In Vitro Is Associated with p16INK4a Expression. ^ Effects of caffeine intake on the pharmacokinetics of melatonin, a probe drug for CYP1A2 activity. ^ Triple-Transgenic Model of Alzheimer's Disease with Plaques and Tangles. 2013 Sleep in America® Poll: Exercise and Sleep (summary of findings), “Exercise is good, regardless of time of day” (pages 46–49).

2019-04-21T00:51:26Z

https://cf.examinecdn.com/supplements/melatonin/

Something you definitely shouldn’t miss on a trip to New Zealand is a visit to an island wildlife sanctuary. Even better, if you have the time, would be to give it a go and spend a few days or a week volunteering for some conservation group. DOC, New Zealand’s government conservation organization, has plenty of opportunities listed on their website, but there are many other organizations to volunteer for too. Trying it out can be a great experience and a way to learn new things about conservation work and New Zealand wildlife. Tasks differ a lot and depends on which island you are at, during which season, your own skills and so forth. Various islands are at various stages of development. Some islands recently converted to reserves will for example need volunteers for replanting. Others may need help with track maintenance, monitoring, weeding, collecting seeds or (occasionally) handling wild animals. Some islands are easy to go to, while others are difficult. Some require you to stay for a minimum of several weeks. Others are simple day outs in small groups, perfect for weekends or days off. I hope that this post will help you find a volunteering opportunity you want to apply to! But if it doesn’t and you continue your search and find something else that is not mentioned here, don’t hesitate to let me know so I can update the post! If you are interested in volunteering on the north or south island, I’ve written a post about it before. You can read it by clicking here. Just outside of Auckland in Hauraki bay are several islands sanctuaries. The most interesting perhaps is The Little Barrier island, but it’s the one too that you will be least likely to be accepted to. But since they accept only a small number of skilled volunteers, working ten hour days for several weeks at a time, perhaps you’d rather not go anyway! Most islands require you to stay for a working week, from a Monday until a Friday, or a full week, working for about five hours per day, giving you plenty of time to explore! Tiritiri Matangi is full off all kinds of wildlife, from birds to insects and reptiles. You will be doing all kinds of stuff around the island for a week, seeing and hearing birds as you work. First day you’ll get a free tour of the island and the last day you’ll have completely off. Help out monitoring shore plovers on Motutapu. Motutapu is a pest free island with plenty of wildlife and a variety of tasks to do. Just next door is Rangitoto, which you can even walk across to. Little Motuihe island also needs volunteers! The smallest island of them all? Apply to help out with some maintenance. Kawau island is the island in Hauraki bay with the most focus on historical buildings. They accept 1 week-volunteers for maintenance work. Finally, the Little Barrier Island is perhaps the most interesting of them all. DOC calls it “our jewel in the crown for conservation” and “one of the most important reserves of its kind in the world”. While it is a bit tricky to reach in many ways, ranging from transport to the strict quarantine rules, it should be well worth it if you decide to go. There are two ways to visit as a volunteer. One of them being with DOC, staying for two weeks, and the other with Little Barrier Island Supporter Trust, staying over a weekend. Requiring a lot both in terms of work, time, skills and commitment, volunteering on the Chatham islands would nontheless probably be an amazing experience. But expect your application to be rejected, unless you have relevant previous experience! Planting trees, grasses and bushes on the newly formed island reserves of the Bay of Islands. Project Island Song arranges all kinds of volunteer activities on various islands in the Bay of Islands. If you want to try out weeding, planting, bird monitoring or any other of the activities mentioned on their website, just let them know! Wellington has a fair bit of volunteering opportunities too. Mostly on Kapiti Island but also a Matiu or Somes island. Volunteer with FOMI on Mana Island outside Wellington. They do all kinds of things on the islands and if you want to join them for a weekend (it seems their groups usually leave Wellington at Friday and return on Sunday), just send them an email and ask when the next trip is. Their website doesn’t really offer much info. The south island has lots of opportunities, but while in the north much of the efforts seems to be concentrated mostly around Auckland and Wellington, in the south are it’s much more spread out. You’ll also be able to find islands in lakes, with several island sanctuaries located in lakes in Fiordland and outside of Queenstown. These two islands both have populations of the extremely rare kakapo. Both are part of the Kakapo Recovery project and gives volunteers the opportunity to stay for two weeks helping out with various tasks. You can work with the birds, helping out with nest minding or supplementary feeding, or you can help the researchers focusing on their research by volunteering as a cook, cooking for up to 25 people at a time. Ferry ticket is provided and you will get a 300 dollar contribution towards food and transportation too. Located in the Fiordland national park, Pomona and Rona are the largest islands in lake Manapouri, with Pomona being the largest island in any lake in New Zealand! Pomona Island Charitable Trust do conservation work on both island. You can read about the islands and the volunteering opportunities on them here. The trust only do one day volunteer stuff, never anything overnight. But worth to try perhaps if you are spending some time down in Fiordland and would like to do some stuff on days off! Pigeon Island is one of the islands in Lake Wakatipu outside of Queenstown. Volunteers will be able to help out with any activities on the island, which so far seems to be in it’s early stages towards becoming a great bird sanctuary. There’s some planting, weeding and track maintenance. For anyone interested in establishing a nature reserve. For a cost of 90 dollars, food, transportation and accommodation is provided. Pickup in Queenstown. 5 days volunteering. A short boat ride from Stewart Island, Ulva Island is part of the Rakiura national park. DOC calls it “the jewel in the crown of Rakiura national park”. They need volunteer rangers staying for a minimum of two weeks at a time. 1-2 volunteers accepted. Food is provided. Also known as Rakiura, Stewart island is the third largest island in New Zealand. Most of it is covered by the Rakiura National Park. There’s plenty of volunteering opportunities of all kinds on the island, and if you want to know more about it have a look here. Many of the listings are for other parts of the far south, such as Otago. Mostly you will get free transportation out to the island you’ll volunteer, but in worst case you at least always get a subsidized rate on the ferry ticket. And a few ten dollars bills more or less won’t really matter! Accommodation is free on any overnight volunteering trip. While it’s no luxury accommodation, you will often get the chance to spend time with researchers, rangers, volunteers and other interesting people! Buying food enough for a two week trip is really quite difficult! It’s easy to forget about things you take for granted while at home and then suddenly realize you are missing. So make sure to spend some time on thinking it through properly, write a list and don’t be worried about possibly bringing too much food, because it’s a lot better with too much than too little! Tiritiri Matangi is a small island in the Hauraki gulf of New Zealand. Just a short ferry trip from Auckland, it’s still a world away. Most of the island was up until the 1970’s leased as farmland, but as the lease expired and conservation biologists made an attempt to introduce threathened species onto the island, Tiritiri Matangi got a new purpose. Allthough only about 6% of the native forest still remained on the island and it was heavily infested with pacific rats, it was still a safer place for endangered animals than mainland New Zealand, which was infested by more challenging predators. Various kinds of skinks, geckos, weta and birds had survived their on their own (allthough in small populations) even before the conservation work began. Now, as the goal was to restore a native ecosystem best possible, they not only – following the eradication of pacific rats – saw their populations grow, but they were also joined by other endangered animals, such as the iconic takahe, the tuatara, and ofcourse kiwis. The island was planted with native plants in the hundreds of thousands, all by volunteer labor. At first hardy species were planted, to give shelter to more vulnerable species that would grow beneath them. In most places throughout the island, the forest is no older than 30 or 40 years, and 40% of the island is covered by grasses (in order for the critically endangered takahe to be able to feed), but there are a several larger patches of old growth forest and lots of small patches of groups of very old trees – some of them almost a thousand years old. The most widely visited two larger patches are easily accessible from the wharf, while the others are off trail and reserved for research purposes. Tiritiri Matangi was from early on a project that depended on volunteer labor. Among the paths, the buildings, the boardwalks, trees and often even animals themselves, none have not been touched by the volunteer labor that has been consistent on the island for decades, performing services such as maintenence, weeding, guiding and planting. It has been called the most successful conservation project in New Zealand and is by now so successful indeed that they do not need to import species anylonger – but instead send them to other places around New Zealand. I volunteered for one week on Tiritiri Matangi, arriving the 5th and leaving the 11th of August 2018. It was an amazing week, possibly the best I had in New Zealand, and I’d like to promote it a bit. I have so far not met a single backpacker who went there, no less stayed there for a bit of volunteering. So just in case there are others out there that are interested in trying this amazing thing out, I will give a bit of a description of my experience. And in case no one was interested from the start I do hope that at least a bit of interest is sparked by now, because it’s really a great chance to experience New Zealand native wildlife. As a day visitors it will be pretty much impossible for you to spot kiwi, tuatara and other nocturnal animals, and even the animals active during the day are more cautious and go off to hide in the bush. Not everyone sees a takahe during a day visit, while it’s impossible to not see plenty of them during a quiet day. Arriving on the ferry, the island looks a bit like a forest floating on the sea. A thick forest covers most of the visible parts of the island. I have arrived with the only ferry company actually taking passengers to Tiritiri, which has daily morning departures from Auckland. DOC (the department of conservation) has provided me a volunteer’s ticket, giving me a free return ticket along with bunkhouse accommodation and a complimentary group tour as an introduction to the island. At the dock I am met up first by a volunteer from Friends of Tiritiri Matangi, who instructs me about what to do with my backpack and my bags of food (and there’s quite a lot of food – as there are no food available on the island, volunteers must bring suplies enough for a week!). I’m also asked to look through my bag one more time, in case a mouse, skink, some ants or other possible foreign harmful species have slipped down during the night. If for example rainbow skinks would get a foothold on the island, it could very well mean the local extinction of the island’s endangered native skinks. I had already looked before departure, but gave it another go. Better be careful! No skinks or other animals or seeds in my open bag, I put them in the trunk of a vehicle and later listen to the DOC ranger’s introduction and greeting. I soon meet the other volunteer (there are two new volunteers per week), a young engineer from Auckland who has come for a bit of a birding holiday. He had never seen most native birds before and thought that it was about time. We are taken on a tour of part of the island along with a small group of other visitors, five in total. We visit the wattle valley and the east coast, before we head up to the visitors center (filled to the brim with information about the various birds and the work done on the island) where the group disbands and me and the other volunteer, Michael, go for lunch. Meeting up with the ranger Vonny after lunch, we are given another sort of a tour of the island, but this time with her showing us places relevant for us as volunteers. We walk around for perhaps an hour before we go for a bit of a drive around the island in a small golf wagon, Vonny showing us tracks that needs maintence. She’s showing us a total of four places or so and tells us that there is quite a lot of freedom of choice. We can work with any of the tasks when we want. She also tells us a lot of things about the island and other things, and throughout the week on the island she is very helpful in trying to spot different kinds of animals. The tuatara, for example, she tells us come down to the wharf in the evenings, to soak up the last of the heat stored in the concrete wharf. It’s perhaps the best place to see tuatara. Soon enough, the ”tour” is over and we are left with the whole day off, told that we will start tomorrow morning filling the throughs with water for the birds along the wattle valley track and in the area around the visitor center and the lighthouse. Me and Michael decide to take the chance to walk the East Coast track, which our tour guide had told us was her favorite track on the island. Even though it runs along the whole coast, it does not take more than an hour to walk it, and there’s lots of viewpoints to see the other islands of the Hauraki gulf, along with the more closeby patches of old growth forest. We stumble upon two takahe, feeding off the grass on a path through the forest. Big, blue, extremely gentle and cautious ground dwelling birds with sharp red beaks, I think I’ve never before seen an animal that endangered, with only a few hundred individuals left alive, believed extinct for decades until by chance they were stumbled upon in one of the most remote parts of the fiordlands, only a small isolated population still alive. We sit down and stay quiet. Soon the birds, still aware of us but no longer scared, come out and continue feeding. Soft strange sounds, unlike those from other birds, are heard as they forage for edible roots. The island is empty today. Two days per week – Monday and Tuesday-, there are no ferries arriving to the island. It must be in order to give the birds some peace and quiet, because as me and Michael leave the volunteer’s bunkhouse in the morning, we are amazed by how many pukoke and even takahe we can see in the fields around the lighthouse. We will fill the throughs with water, for the birds to swim and bathe in. There are a small number of throughs in two parts of the island, both in order for visitors to more easily be able to see birds, and in order for birds to always have access to water. Volunteers change the water in the throughs daily. While walking from through to through, we see birds of all kinds. Mostly such birds as tui, hihi, bellbirds and forest pidgeons, but throughout the week we also manage to see parakeets, quail and even the elusive kokako. Further up towards the lighthouse, and during the night, other animals can be seen at the throughs. The pateke, takahe, pukeko and even kiwi. After filling the throughs, we head to the visitor center to clean it out. While washing the floor and cleaning the windows, and at the outside sweeping leaves, we leisurly take breaks to read some of the signs. I had never before been very interested in birds, but while immersed in a place like this, completely surrounded by birds and information about them, it’s difficult not to get pulled along. And since I’m interested in general about environmental conservation, the signs about the work on the island are really interesting. I even read a little book about Tiritiri Matangi and it’s birds during my stay, available in the volunteers’ bunkhouse. After lunch, we head out to improve one of the tracks for a few hours before we finish for the day, withdrawing a bit until the evening, when we go out to try to find kiwis. Following the popular Kawerau track in the dark, we listen for the snuffling sounds the kiwi makes when it clears it’s nose. Probing the ground with it’s beak, the kiwi get it’s nostrils stuffed with earth, and has the blow it’s nose to open up it’s airways. After walking around for perhaps an hour, seeing nothing more than the tail of a tuatara, disappearing into a bush, we finally decide to sit down and switch of the lights. We use infrared lights but are concerned that the kiwis are cautious even about these. And true enough, after sitting down quietly for a few minutes, we hear a ruffling and snuffling little beast approach us. Another one is soon heard a bit further down the path. Turning on the infrared lights again, we observe the two kiwis for a few minutes while they forage among the fallen leaves. Having filled the throughs and cleaning the visitor center, we head out to improve one more of the tracks. It’s in the furthest northern end of the island, with fifty meters or so of it passing through an area prone to flooding. Extending the ditch to drain rain water out down a gentle slope, we dig and cut flax for an hour or two before we’re done and go to have lunch at one of the old maori village sites, located on the top of a small hill with views on three sides of the ocean. If it weren’t for the map telling us, we’d never have thought that a village had once existed there, and true enough, the only trace the archaeologists have found seems to be traces of meals eaten a long ago. One wonder how the island would have looked like. Going for a bit of a walk we decide to make a beach cleanup for much of the rest of the workday. Seeing seabirds feels a bit odd, so close to the more strange and exotic looking species that lives just a few hundred meters up into the forest. On the way back, for the first time we hear a kokako. Gently slipping into the bush, we manage to get a good view of it and for a minute or two we stand there, until – not having made another sound – it flies away. We clean the throughs extra thorougly today, as in a few hours the first visitors of the week will appear. While, much later, we are in a northern part of the island, cutting shrubs on the sides of a path, we encounter some of the visitors. People with big cameras. Couples. Several asians. The workday passes by quickly, mostly spent on cutting shrubs, but when we are done for the day we still have several hours before the sunset. We decide to head for one of the oldgrowth parts of the forest, which has no information about it anywhere and no trails on the map. It’s the biggest and furthest continious patch of old growth forest on the island, shaped like a long arm following a small creek. Perhaps it did not make sense to cut it down, since most of the land is too steep to farm anyway, and much of it is soggy and would get flooded during rains. We manage to find a way to enter it from the pohutukawa creek on the east coast. A small almost invisble opening, probably meant for researchers to use. The track is lined with nesting boxes for the island’s hihi or stitchbird. It takes about an hour and a half all in all, walking up to pohutukawa creek, through the forest and back to the accommodation, but it was a very interesting part of the island, with plenty of old growth trees, some of them just vaguely similar to their younger cousins around the freshly planted parts of the island. In the evening we go out again. We have been talking to a few visitors who are staying in the bunkhouse, there is space enough for perhaps 20 people or so, with most rooms having about 5 people each. Unless in high season, you’ll probably rarely find it very busy. Some of them go out early but me and Michael wait until perhaps 8 or so until we go. We have been out early before and not had much luck with either the penguins, tuatara or kiwi (which we only saw once). But today we depart at eight and manage to see not only all these various birds mentioned above, but also the pateke, which we did not even know existed until the moment we saw them. Small, cute and very endangered, these native ducks almost makes you want to try out that oldtimer’s activity, duckfeeding. We also saw a slightly less cute side of life on the island, when we encountered a tuatara (the perhaps closest living relative to the dinosaurs – actually even a dinosaur itself!) about to devour a lost and lone little baby penguin. It’s raining a lot but it doesn’t bother us. It’s still warm enough, and it’s amazing to finally be able to see some penguins, a few of them very close up, and in the end even a lone kiwi, which quickly runs of into the bush, not at all satisfying our curiosity. The tui have started fighting. We’ve been told that they are the most aggressive native birds and we can clearly see it now. They are fighting over dominance over the wattle trees, that are about to start flowering, producing an abundance of food. After doing all the throughs we head over to the two tracks we had been digging ditches for, to see how they survived the rain. The one through the wet area has seen it’s better days but it’s still better than when we got started on it. While we go to continue cutting bushes along another track, we suddenly hear a kokako. Again, we leave everything where it is and tries to locate where the bird could be. Carefully walking through the thick undergrowth, we manage to spot the kokako. We had only seen it once before and only for a minute, sitting on a branch, completely quiet. This time we had more luck. For several minutes we stood there listening, as the kokako sang, until suddenly it left, taking much of the strangeness of the world with it. Later on, we walk down the nearby track which we saw two kiwis on one of the first nights, and we notice that it was just in front of the perhaps biggest tree we had so far seen on an island. Completely unaware of it back then, we had assumed it was like any other patch of forest, but now during the day we could see further than with the dim flashlights. When we come back after lunch we start cleaning out the aviaries. These are a group of three little rooms in which the rangers keeps birds while they prepare to send them to other parts of New Zealand. Filled with various plants, our job is to get the twigs and brances and leaves out, jumble them upon a vehicle and then dispose of them in a remote corner of the southern grasslands. While it was the job of all which had the least fresh air, it was still very enjoyable and we managed to find in the remains of the plants not only skinks and beetles (and spiders), but also the massive wetapunga – ”God of Ugly Things” in Maori – which is a giant grasshopper-looking insect. It was a small wetapunga, but I really think it was the same species. It looks different from other weta. If you would see an adult one, they are massive – larger than your hand! Picking this finger sized one up with a twig, I leave it in a hopefully quite safe place, where it managed to hide until nightfall, which is the time of the day when they usually awake. What we did during nightfall was the same as usual – we went out to look for kiwis. This time, we thought, we should finally get a bit more lucky and see kiwis from up close and for a bit of a longer time. Within three minutes, we had a kiwi running towards us. When it noticed, it got scared and hid, but then it came out again and came to look at us. It was so curious that it even came up to smell the foot of my friend, standing just centimeters from him. As another kiwi was heard a bit further up, it ran off and disappeared. The rest of the walk, we see nothing, but when returning through the same patch of forest, again, we spot the same kiwi. At first cautious, again curiosity got the better of it and it came up real close, but this time to me. Standing just a few centimeters from me, it runs off again when another kiwi comes out of a bush. For several minutes we see him trying to seduce a slightly reluctant female. From only a few meters, this was the closest we ever came two kiwis, and the longest we ever got to observe any. We finish cleaning out the aviary before we start digging up heavy rubble onto a vehicle, in order to fill out the little sorry looking path passing through the wetlands. All kinds of rubble, it’s used instead of gravel as transporting gravel to the island is both expensive and risky – it would be possible to introduce various species (for example ants) that could damage the ecosystem. It’s the heaviest work so far, digging up various rocks and other rubble, and we manage to see only a horrible looking centipede and a skink. I think that most people would not have been asked to do this job, the volunteer said that volunteers are given tasks depending on such things as fitness, and that’s why me and this other young guy got to do so much of the heavy work. Anyway, after a while we’re done and now we just have to go to unload it onto the track which is a lot easier. We are given the rest of the day off, as a thanks I guess for having exhausted ourselves. And since for saturday – the last day – we only have to fill the throughs, we basically have 24 hours until the ferry, during which we can do whatever we feel like. Trying to spot the elusive rifleman, the only bird we have not yet seen – supposedly the smallest bird in New Zealand, which could be why we hadn’t seen it – we headed out towards the only other contiguos patch of old growth forest we had not visited. It’s a lot harder to navigate through and not really rewarding, dense and rugged and marshy, filled with weta nesting boxes. But now at least we have been everywhere on the island and almost anything is worth a try. Falling asleep later on, I go for a short walk, hearing kiwis outside the bunkhouse. Somehow I do not even bother much to try to see them. The experience the day before was a good last one and I just wanted to enjoy the quiet of the evening and the rotating lights of the lighthouse, the view of distant Auckland and it’s city lights. Surprisingly, the last day was one passed almost doing nothing, despite the fact that almost the whole day was off. I finished up the last of my food (having brought almost exactly as much as I needed to not be hungry – but a fair bit less variety than I would have needed to enjoy my meals) and went with Michael for a walk up the east coast to do a last beach cleanup. We did a total of three beach cleanups during the stay, finding all sorts of things, from rubber wheels to a New Zealand Royal Navy hat and plenty of interesting remains of sea creatures. Coming back to the visitor center, I read the last few signs and realize that the Rifleman does not exist on the island, despite what the other signs have said. They are just a bit ahead of their time: the rifleman will soon get introduced. Having been wanting to see it for several days and been joking about it not being a real bird, but a joke, it’s something of a revelation. Walking down towards the ferry, I laugh about it a bit with Michael when he suddenly says: ”Look there! It’s a yellowhead!”. Supposedly the Yellowhead is an even rarer bird which is very new to the island. I didn’t even know that the species existed. So in some strange way, the lack of riflemen was weighed up for. And as if providing an extra little reconciliatory bonus, Tiritiri Matangi gave us a view of a stingray laying to rest in shallow water, just down by the wharf, as the ferry came in and we were ready to leave. Both the Mongolian homestays are accepting visitors again! There has already been some guests out this season and perhaps some more will get the chance to go before winter comes! Just have a look at the contact page and send me a message! While Motueka may not be the most interesting town in New Zealand, lots of people do stop by there for it’s proximity to Abel Tasman national park or for the many farm jobs available in the area. This post will be geared towards orchard work and long term stays. If you want to find information about the things to do in the area, there is some at the bottom of the post. There are 3 options for backpacker accommodation in Motueka. While it’s difficult to say which one is the best, it’s easy to say which one is the worst. Happy Apple Backpackers is known to be the worst backpackers in Motueka. There are several reasons for this. The first and foremost perhaps is the owner, who has some anger management problems. Several Tripadvisor reviews mention being scolded by the owner and I personally have friends who got scolded for various odd reasons. These scoldings were not simple telling offs but cursing, shouting, threats about being kicked out – for such things as waiting with washing the dishes until after having eaten the meal. One friend had his big bag of groceries taken out of the fridge and put on the free shelf, since it was marked only with his name and not the checkout date. Since he had stayed there for a month or more and did not have a planned checked out date, he wrote only his name. The manager knew who he was and that he would not check out any time soon. Hot water showers lasts for five minutes and are more often than not broken. It’s the most expensive backpackers in Motueka and charges the same for people to sleep in their van at the parking as they charge for people to sleep in a hostel bed. If you check out even ten minutes late, you’ll not only risk getting scolded but also get charged an extra 10 dollars. Plates and cutlery are personal. You get your kitchen stuff at check in and then have to keep it through the duration of your stay. Feels like a prison almost. White Elephant and Laughing Kiwi are both good backpackers, closer to town, cheaper (god knows why) and overall just a lot better. The White Elephant is probably the best hostel for those looking to stay for a while as workers. The owner tries her best to make sure you find a job and feel good during your stay in Motueka. Overall I’d recommend The White Elephant the most. You can find their website here. While you can earn more than the minimum wage working as a picker or on other contracted work, most people working in packhouses and doing various stuff around orchards earn only minimum wage. These are different employers found in and around the area. You will also often find listing on http://www.seasonaljobs.co.nz/ and on backpackerboard. If you have some numbers that you want to share just share them in a comment or message and I’ll add them later. It’s better people can sort out a job before arriving. I met a lot of people who just sat around for days, making phone calls and waiting for text replies, simply because they could not find work fast enough. What to do in Motueka? That’s a question a lot of people ask themselves. The answer is that there is not so very much to do in Motueka. You can have a nice few days off but will quickly run out of stuff to do. Luckily the climate is great, it’s close to the coast and since you’re (if you’re reading this) probably there to work in an orchard, you’ll often work 6 days per week anyway. For a day off, the inlet walkway leading to the shipwreck in Motueka wharf and to the sandspit, is great. The sandspit is a wellknown site for migratory birds and one of the most important sites in the region. Even if you are not a birdwatcher, it’s great just sitting by the coast a sunny day and watching all those wading birds during low tide. Or if you want to relax properly, there is a saltwater swimming pool close to the sandspit too. The Motueka saturday market is well worth to visit for sampling snacks, buying groceries and so forth. A lot of farmers live in the area and if you arrive late, you can grab some really cheap and good quality locally grown veggies and fruits. But it’s better to arrive early. It’s a really nice little market. For other shopping, there are plenty of second hand shops around. You could also help out as a volunteer for Keep Motueka Beautiful (just send them an email) or why not ask for information about volunteering at the local DOC office. If you want to know more about volunteering in New Zealand, you could have a look at this post and it’s list of different volunteer jobs. The Ngarau caves are situated on the top of Takaka hill (and the drive up the hill is an experience in itself!) and possible to visit with a guided tour, costing 20 dollars per adult. It’s a beautiful little cave and very worthwhile. Tours depart hourly. The area around the caves are beautiful and nice to have a stroll around in after a completed tour. If already up at the hill, why not go a bit further up to Pupu springs, boasting some of the cleanest waters in the world. Depending on who you ask it’s either among the cleanest in the southern hemisphere or the world. See DOC’s information here. At the absolute top of the south island just outside of Collingwood, you will find the Farewell Spit nature reserve, which is one of the oddest geographical features of the areas. The spit stretches 35 km into the sea and is a more strictly protected nature reserve than a national park. While it’s closed down for the public, it’s open for tour operators and it’s possible to find information about the area and the tours here (expensive though!). Very close to Motueka, you can find something a bit different and not typical for New Zealand. Why not join the local hare krishna community for a very tasty, healthy and affordable meal and some chanting. New Zealand is perhaps one of the countries in the world where it’s the easiest to volunteer for environmental organizations. Ranging from day outs planting native trees to multiple month full time ranger positions, anyone interested in environmental volunteering in New Zealand should be able to find what they are looking for. While there are plenty of long term positions that require a lot of commitment, most volunteer work is done in a leisurely manner a few hours at a time at an ongoing basis. Many volunteer groups work in such a way that they for example meet up for 3 hours of planting native trees and weeding every other Friday. It’s a common social activity for locals and a way to learn more about this interesting part of kiwi culture. This post will be a bit about what kind of volunteering positions you normally can expect to find, how to get the position and why it’s a win-win for everyone and you should give it a go. It ends with a link list to various organizations etc that are looking for volunteers. The list is by no means complete but unless you are looking for something very specific, it will offer more than enough to choose from and several ideas about how to continue the search on your own, in case you did not find what you were looking for. Finally there are many job positions available for those who want to work with environmental conservation and so forth. You can find some links under a separate section in the list at the bottom. Be aware that these jobs are often unavailable to people who are not New Zealand residents. If you miss something in this post, let me know and I’ll update it! Requirements are different for different positions. Most positions have very few requirements but the more long term and popular one’s with limited capacity can often be tricky. They often take into consideration level of fitness (with volunteer ranger positions often requiring a high level of fitness), education (favoring those who are educated in or study relevant topics), employment history (past volunteering or work for environmental organizations are often a bonus), skills (for example: do you know how to use monitoring equipment?) and future plans (it’s sometimes a bonus to see the volunteering more as a stepping stone than a once in a lifetime interesting experience). So if you want to volunteer as a wildlife ranger, be prepared for some rough competition and possibly having to either volunteer a few months or not at all. If you want something more short term and less demanding, luckily a lot less is demanded in terms of commitment and previous experience. Sometimes you don’t even need to apply, but can just show up. If you anyway, no matter what wants to try for one of the more demanding positions and for example stay a month in the NZ wilderness monitoring wild kiwi, New Zealand’s department of conservation (DOC) has several online courses that you can take to better your odds . Don’t be intimidated by the fact that it’s more difficult to get a volunteer position as a ranger, but be aware that you have to put some effort if you want to get it. Even if it’s still lots of time until you want to start volunteering, start looking for positions already now. Many of the applications close months before the actual volunteering starts, so if you want to make sure to get a position it’s best to start early. Also try to find a local organization back home to volunteer with once in a while. By getting some experience and learning more, you will better your odds of being accepted. Put an effort into writing your CV. Think of previous experiences and how they could be helpful for you. Even if it’s not related to actual biological conservation, it could for example be helpful to have worked in a pet shop, as some common volunteering tasks are not at all very different from such work, only that instead of taking care of guinea pigs you’ll be taking care of endangered wildlife. You can volunteer even if you are only on a tourist visa. However, for some of the perks, you may need a work visa or residency. If a volunteering position offers you let’s say free food, then it’s counted as working for compensation and you would need a work visa. Generally speaking it’s for free to volunteer. That means that it won’t cost you anything to do the actual work. But as most long term positions do not provide much more than accommodation and most short term positions offer nothing at all, you will have to put some money aside for such things as food and transportation. Often such things as transportation can be coordinated, so that you – if you don’t have your own transportation – can go with others. If you don’t have equipment, then don’t worry. Unless you are going to do something very demanding, you most likely don’t even need it. But if there is something that you do need but don’t want to buy new, for example a good pair of boots, often you can find them cheap in one of the many second hand shops that are scattered across the country. If you want to spend a bit more you could do some “voluntourism”. By paying a organization some money, they will arrange your volunteering experience. I don’t know almost anything about these organizations and how they are in New Zealand, but from what little I’ve seen there seems to be some good value options, where food, transportation and accommodation is included, without it costing ridiculous amounts of money as it sometimes does. Perhaps some of them will lend you the equipment you need. Volunteer’s tasks usually includes one or several of the following: weeding, planting native trees, pest control, trapping pests, monitor wildlife, nurse native plants, nurse endangered wildlife mark and maintain tracks, guide visitors, clean facilities, gather seeds. Some tasks require some skills. For example managing kiwi chicks. Others are more simple. For example to survey a fenced in nature reserve to make sure that the fence has not been damaged. Many provide ample opportunities of learning a job. Much of the conservation work revolves around minimizing the harmful effects of invasive species. Some of it requires killing introduced predators by placing traps in the nature. Some volunteering tasks can be done online or in other ways, without having to leave the computer. You can find volunteering work almost anywhere in New Zealand. If you want to volunteer in a certain city or for a certain nature reserve, it’s often enough to visit their official website to apply. The link list below gives you a very wide range of possible volunteering positions, but in case you don’t find what you are looking for, do some searches of your own and probably you will find something. If you manage to find a organization or project that you want to volunteer for but they don’t have any application form or information online, try to just send them an email and ask. Environmental volunteering is very widespread throughout New Zealand and quite likely many will be open for suggestions, even if at first glance it does not look like it. There are many benefits to volunteering. Some of them are for you, other for the organizations you volunteer for, and most of them – of course – for the nature that you help preserve. You will, depending on what you do, learn new skills, experience New Zealand’s unique nature from close up, meet a lot of interesting people and – if you want that – get valuable experience for future employment in conservation. As conservation work globally is underfunded and very competitive (with lots of people wanting to do it for a living, but few positions available), conservation experience is often a stepping stone required for a paid job, even for those with education. Most conservation organizations in New Zealand to some extent depend on volunteers. They would not be able to do their work without volunteers. Many of the even relatively small organizations receive hundreds of thousands of hours of volunteer work per year. That’s millions of New Zealand dollars per year that they don’t have to spend. For a organization that does not actually strive to make money but to preserve endangered species and ecosystems, it would not be possible to pay for all this labor. Had it not been for volunteers, many endangered species’ of New Zealand would be extinct. Finally, if you have any questions or things to add, let me know and I will update the post! Hopefully it will make it easier for people to find what they are looking for. DOC is short for Department of Conservation and is the government body responsible for conservation work throughout New Zealand. Not only is their website great for those who want to volunteer, but they also have free online courses in such things as the use of monitoring equipment and the nature of New Zealand. It’s with DOC you will find many of the most interesting positions, for example as a kiwi tracking ranger in the remote wilderness, but they list all kinds of positions all over the country. Be aware that many of the more interesting positions have lots of applicants. Many cities have their own volunteering websites. Here are a few examples. If you want to find volunteering opportunities for e.g. Hamilton, just visit their website and see if you can find volunteering opportunities there. Most volunteering activities offered in the links below are not actually inside the cities, but close by and within easy reach. Often such things as transportation can be arranged with other volunteers, if you lack your own means of transport. Much of the most interesting stuff is going on on islands. Islands often work as sanctuaries for rare and endangered species, since it’s relatively easy to keep a small isolated island free of introduced predators. Small isolated islands are also often the least used by humans. Some of them have not been used for farming or logging. The Little Barrier Island for example has been called the most intact ecosystem in New Zealand.Since there are so many different kinds of volunteering opportunities on so many different islands I wrote a post specifically about volunteering on islands. Click here if you want to read it. These links lead to portals for different organizations. Various organizations offer different positions in different places. Most of the links lead to relatively similar volunteering opportunities, so only if you are after something very specific will you ever need to look through more than a few of them. Around the top of the north Island some brave volunteers are waging a war against the pine trees. Not the typical conservation volunteers (who are sometimes called “treehuggers”), these people kill trees by the hundreds. The reason is that pines, as an introduced species in New Zealand, are harming the New Zealand environment. Local plants, mushrooms, wildlife etc, is of course adapted to local trees, with which they have evolved together. The amount of species found in pine forests are vastly lower than the amount of species found in native forests. You’ll notice it if you compare the sounds in a pine forest compared to a native forest: while you’ll hear plenty of birds in the latter, the former is eerily quiet. So if you are up in the area around Marlborough and want to do a different kind of treehugger activity, try this out! Cleaning beaches, rivers and all kinds of places around New Zealand. You can even organize your own events and have interested people showing up helping out. So if you have no plans for a day off, why not check if there are any cleanup events going on nearby! Shared transportation can be arranged if you lack your own. Allthough most work takes place outdoors, some stuff require regular office or remote computer workers. If you want to help out with things such as fundraising, perhaps you will find something in the links below! Sanctuaries are very important in NZ conservation work. Many endangered New Zealand animals such as kiwis are kept only until they are big enough to survive by themselves in nature. Most wild kiwi chicks gets eaten by predators introduced from other parts of the world. By helping out at these centers you can both experience many rare species from up close and help them survive in the wild. Most of the animals you will work with will at some point be released into the wild. Similar jobs to sanctuaries, but with more international wildlife. NZ zoos are acclaimed for their conservation work and you will be able to help out with preserving endangered species etc. New Zealand zoos are well known for their focus on conservation work and could be a great way to learn more. These are a few websites for those who do not mind paying a bit to volunteer. Often transportation, food and accommodation is included and the overall price will not be much higher than if you would pay for everything yourself. I have not included any of the more expensive volunteering websites in this list. Some organizations charge up to a 150 New Zealand dollars per day for you to help out with various tasks! Most of the links here are to advertisement platforms that are not specifically used for conservation jobs. Some of the links below lead to search results for the word “conservation”. If you instead search for things such as “wildlife” different results may appear. Many sites have pretty much the same jobs listed, but if you are very keen to land a real conservation job it could be worth to have a quick look at a few of them. The most useful links are the three first one’s. Sign up for “conservationjobs” newsletter for weekly updates about upcoming positions. Also, many regions and cities etc have their own websites where current vacancies are listed. For example Southland lists positions here. If you want to find jobs in a specific place, try to find their websites. Upcoming homestays in India – make a request! I have an India trip coming up and want to try something out! I want to ask the readers (the few that are) what kind of homestay they would like to visit if they ever go to India. And if it is possible for me to find such a homestay, I would like to list it along with the other homestays! Most likely no more than three people will let me know what they would like to try, so if you are one of those three it’s not like you will have too much competition! So do you want to stay in the jungle or along the coast, a village or a metropolis, with christians, hindus or muslims, in a foodie or art heaven? Just send me a message through the contact form and I’ll see what I can do! Toubkal is both beautiful and accessible. It’s the highest mountain in North Africa and the highest in any arab country and in no way an easy hike. But most people who set out seem to make it to the top. When I was there I even saw a group of friends in their sixties. They weren’t the fastest, but eventually they reached the summit. Most probably almost anyone reading this will too. But in order to make the trip as enjoyable as possible, it would be good to keep a few things in mind ahead of the ascent. Leave your backpack at the refuge. A day hike from Imlil lays a group of 3 refugees. These are basically mountain huts for hikers. They are staffed and it’s possible both to eat and sleep in them. They all have the same prices. 150 dirham for a dormitory. 250-300 (I don’t remember exactly) for dormitory plus dinner and breakfast. These places aren’t really what you would call cozy and the food is only enjoyable because you just spent six hours hiking, but the places do their jobs. There are no villages or other buildings up at that altitude (the closest village being a three hour walk or so down the mountain), so there’s no reason to complain. Make use of these places not only by having a good nights rest and perhaps something to eat but also as a storage for your bags when you climb Toubkal. To bring only a daypack with some fruits, water and sandwhiches will make the hike a lot less demanding and a lot more fun. Staff are used to people leaving their bags and do not charge extra for it. The most famous refuge is Les Mouflons, which has it’s own website here. Don’t go for the sunrise. Most people visiting Toubkal try to climb it before sunrise in order to get to enjoy the view. I’m sure that the view is very beautiful, but there are a few reasons why I would recommend people to sleep in and start the ascent after sunrise. The number one reason is that a lot of people I talked to, as I met them when they were on their way dawn and I on my way up, regretted not doing just that. Yes, it’s Morocco and it’s supposed to be warm, but really, nights at 4000 meters altitude are not. And to reach the peak by sunrise you will have to wake up by 3 o’clock or so and walk the entire way up in the dark. It’s cold, it’s dark, it’s windy. And when you reach the peak you stand there for 20 minutes, waiting for the sun to rise so that you can get back down and pull a blanket over you. I met some people who were running down back to the refugee. They had not enjoyed the ascent, they had not enjoyed the descent, and they had probably not even really enjoyed the sunrise, but they had caught some nice photos of it. Make yourself a favor and go after breakfast. You body will have rested better, making it less likely to react negatively to the altitude or the physical strain of the ascent, and you will be able to enjoy the changing sceneries as you come higher and higher up the mountain. When you reach the peak you can sit up there warm and comfortable in the sun for half an hour having lunch. Then you can head back down. Also, the risk of injury will be way lower if you walk when it’s bright. There is a lot of slippery gravel on the path and some sections are very steep. Don’t worry too much. I met a few people who had wanted to go to Toubkal just to eventually decide not to. All of this “highest in North Africa” and “highest in any arab country” seems to intimidate people. Truth is that most reasonably fit people who give it a go will reach the top. The only thing is that while some may not find the hike very demanding, others will have to suffer a bit to reach the peak. While some can climb the mountain spending only one night in a refuge, others will perhaps be better of spending two nights in the refuges and acclimatize properly (actually I would recommend anyone to spend two nights up there). Most people will reach the peak if they are rested enough and bring some energizing snacks. And even those who don’t will get to enjoy the landscapes. It’s not as if the area is ugly except for when seen from the peak. Worst case scenario you will still encounter better views than anything you will find in Chefchaouen (or break a leg, stumbling over a rock you didn’t see, as the sun had not yet risen and you were too tired to focus). There are other hikes. If you just want to go hiking, there are plenty of options in Morocco. Toubkal is the most famous and it offers beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes. However, if altitude and views alone is not what you long for, perhaps you should consider going for another hike. Walkopedia lists different hikes and gives useful information about hiking in Morocco. Depending on what you want to do, some places will be better or worse than Toubkal. If you want to experience local culture, live in a berber village where few tourists have ever been, be close to the peaks of the mountains and eat fabulous food, perhaps the small homestay listed on this website is the place for you. It’s very different from the typical Toubkal experience in the sense that you will not stay in a refuge but in a family home in a berber village. The area rarely sees foreign visitors and most likely you and your friends will be the only non-berbers around. The peaks aren’t as high and the landscapes not as dramatic, but the area and the host has a charm entirely it’s own. Out of the blue in Agadir, I met an amazigh called Ridouane. It was by complete chance as I just wanted to ask someone for the way to the long distance taxi station. He said that it was just a few minutes away and that he would take me in his car. Not only that, but he also told me (after getting to know that I would go only a short distance with the shared taxi) that he would take me the whole way to my destination, free of charge. On the way we continued talking and he wanted to know more about my trip in Morocco. He was curious about what I thought about the amazigh culture. I told him that actually I did not know too much about it but that I would like to get to know more. He asked me “Why not come visit my home village for a few days?” and I took him up on his offer. We went to Taroudant and spent the night with his family in his appartment before early the next day we went together with some of his friends into the countryside north of Taroudant, high up in the Atlas mountains. It’s a beautiful little village reached only on winding roads, only a few hours hike below the peaks of the mountains. Ridouane has been working on village charity projects to develop the village. Water supply has been improved and a school for the women has been opened. It’s a very special place rarely visited by foreigners. It is practically untouched by tourism and filled with curious, friendly and very hospitable locals. After spending four days up there with Ridouane and his friends, I asked him if it wouldn’t be a good idea for them to try to get volunteers and tourists to the village. We were at that time out gathering wild growing thyme and rosemary on the steep slopes overlooking the village and started talking about different options and ideas. Ridouane was most of all interested in getting volunteers to visit, but also thought that welcoming tourists would be a good idea, as it would be a chance for them to experience the amazigh culture and a chance for the village to get some capital to invest in things such as improving education. Right now they need to buy study desks for the women’s school. Ridouane is now a member of workaway.info, as it will enable him to find volunteers, and I have offered to try to help out finding some tourists. As always on Anthropolodgy, 100% of the money spent stays with the locals. There are no fees of any kind involved. So even if you don’t go for the volunteering option, which would be for free, you will contribute a lot to the local community. Volunteer. A maximum workload of 5 hours per day, 5 days per week, with two days off. Free of charge food and accomodation. Long term volunteers preferred. Tourist. 0 hours work, 7 days per week. Private room. Meals included in the price. More suitable for short term visitors. 250 dirham/22 euro per day. Contact us through the contact form with any reservations or questions and we will get back to you soon! And if you want to earn a few easy bucks and help Anthropolodgy out with our hosting fees, you can click here. There are Tibetan areas in China outside of the Tibet autonomous region. These can be find in Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai, Yunnan and Sichuan. Travelling in these areas is generally a lot easier than travelling in the Tibet autonomous region, as you don’t need any special permits or tour guides to enter them. We have a host with contacts throughout the tibetan areas. If enough interest is shown in this, the host contacts will get added to this website soon. Just let me know through the contact form if it’s worth the effort. There has been a lot of problems recently for the host families in Inner Mongolia! First in East Ujimqin Banner, where one of the family members suddenly became seriously ill and hospitalized. Because of this, guests could no longer be received. Ofcourse they could still go to the Xilnhot homestay, but that too has become impossible now, as the host family now has to apply for a special permit to continue receiving guests. This is because the homestay is located in a sensitive area. Last but not least it’s late autumn and about time to close anyway, as it will be too cold to visit during the winter. As soon as there are any news the information on this site will be updated! Until then only the Bazernik and Nannuoshan homestays are open – perhaps with one or a few more being added before the end of this year! If you want to get to know as soon as new homestays are added or when the Inner Mongolian ones are open again, it’s just to follow us on Facebook!

2019-04-21T20:31:35Z

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This section goal is to go deep inside different interesting Gnostic topics every week. What does a Warrior-Jaguar symbolize? What does Teotihuacan mean within the Gnosis? In the archaeological zone of Cholula, where is represented "The Apostolate" of the arcane twelve of the tarot and what does it mean? What do the two columns of the temple of the Pyramid of the Lord of the Dawn represent, how should they be constructed? Why is the Glyph "9 Eye of Reptile" so important, what does it tell us? What is the relationship between Quetzalcoatl and Venus? What message do we find in the drama of Quetzalcoatl and Jesus? How does Quetzalcoatl symbolize the Logos? What kind of fire does Quetzalcoatl represent and why? In what part of the spiritual development is the title of Quetzalcoatl given? What is the emblem in which our Lord Quetzalcoatl left his teaching synthesized and what is its meaning? What does a jaguar symbolize by devouring hearts? What does Quetzalcoatl mean and what was his teaching? What is the message of the play "Searching for the Buddha from the previous Gnostic congress"? What is needed to develop the Chakras? What knowledge does the Rune Ur give us? What is the use of practicing the mantra "Wu"? What are the Lamasery exercises? Why is it useful to learn to listen to the Subtle Voice? What is the Esoteric Buddhism? Why is Yasodharā so important in the life of the Buddha? What are the four truths of the Buddha? What is the relationship between the Kundalini and the Chakras? What is the wheel of Samsara? What is the 2nd Jewel of the Yellow Dragon? What are the Seven Yogas? What is the purpose of experiencing the Illuminating Void? How does the law of karma work? What is and what does the Bardo Thodol contain? Inside the human being… Who is Manco Capac? Who was the Mother of the Corn for the Incas and what does that seed represent? What is the use, for our interior, of studying the universe? What is the meaning of Master Jesus' words when saying "And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch"? How do we transform an impression? The misuse of the five centers. An ancient allegory that represents the Psychological Ego. What does the Gnostic Movement invite us to do given the prophecies of the Age of Aquarius? What is the name of our Sun and what constellation does it belong? What is the influence of the Age of Aquarius in the Philosophical Schools? What are the characteristic waves of the Age of Pisces and the Age of Aquarius? What does the Tower of Babel represent? Who are the called to be part of the Army of World Salvation? Why is the meditation recommended for counteracting drug addiction? What attitude should we take in front of the Great Catastrophe? What message does Master Tlaloc give to us? What good would it do us to study the ancient codices in the light of Gnosis? Why did they bind the god Tajin with a rainbow? What do really represent the sacrifices to Tlaloc? Is croaking like frogs, as the ancient tribes of America did it, useful for something? Where is the Tlalocan and who lives there? What is the esoteric meaning of Tlaloc's goggled eyes? Why the angels of Christianity, devas of India and Aztec gods do represent the same? Inside of us, where can we find Tlaloc? What is Tlaloc and where does he live? What is the meaning of the name “Tlaloc”? Which are the Aztec gods of the 4 elements? Why the astral unfolding can never be dangerous? What is needed to dissolve an enmity? Inside us, who are the Lords of Xibalba from the Popol Vuh? What is the relationship between the Mayas and Atlantis? What does the feathered Serpent mean? What do the gods sowing from the Dresden Codex represent? What does symbolize the corn in the tomb of the god Pacal? What does the book of Chilam Balam contain? What is the main deity of the Maya and what is the meaning of his name? What do the waters of Mayan genesis symbolize? What do represent the earmuffs of the mayan God Chaac? What is the teaching of the building of the Snail (Caracol) in Chichen Itza? What kind of warriors were the engravings of Chichen Itza referring to? What is the Esoteric meaning of the Tzomplantli? What does mean the descent of Kukulkan? What does represent the field of the Religious ball of Chichen Itz�? What does represent the history of Prometheus for our interior work? Why are we told that the three furies are an obstacle for the awakening of the Conscience? Where is the origin of the Mayans and where are they now? What do we mean when we say we must learn to play the lyre of Orpheus? What are the three obligatory steps of the path of comprehension? Why is the ICQ logo a sea snail split in half? What?s the difference between Love and Desire? What do represent the two triangles forming the Solomon's Star? What does represent the Caduceus of Mercury? Why were there labyrinths in the ancient schools of Mysteries? What does Abraxas mean in Gnosis? What is the esoteric meaning of the Cross? What do represent the Runes in Gnosis? What does the serpent, in its positive and transcendental aspect means? How to fight the darkness? How does the Magic Flute play teach us the development of the clairvoyance? What qualities does the sphinx teach us to pass the trials of the elements? What is required to make the sun really and fully get to manifest in us? Why are there, in today's society, many failures at home? How should we understand our own Initiation? What do we mean in Our Father praying: “Give us this day our daily bread”? How can we free ourselves from the inferior law of Vengeance? What is the internal silence? Why is it essential to recover the quality of veneration? In the Path of Gnosis we arrive to a special state in our lives where we do not belong upside nor downside, everything is confusion. What is the name of this psychological state and how should we face it? Why do we have the wrong habit of judging others? What consequences do lying attracts to our life? What would the 9 solemn sounds of the oberture on the Magic Flute represent? How can we live the Christmas in our heart? Who are the Pennate Gods? What's the name of the elemental creatures of water and the earth? What's the name of the elemental creatures of the Fire and the Air? How is the elementary evolution carried out? What is and what is the Elemento-therapy useful for? What is an elemental and why it's called like so? Why do we recommend listening to Classical Music? What was the real objective of the Mesoamerican ballgames? What do the undulations of the serpent represent? Why were the ancient cultures of solar nature? Which one is the Astral Dimension? What benefits do we get from listening to the classical music? What is the Law of Equalization of the vibrations of many sources? What are the Tamasic, Rayasic and Sattvic foods? What's the benefit of chanting the mantra Abracadabra? What teaching deliver us every arcane of Tarot? What messages gives the Gnostic Anthropology? What's the relationship between the Tree of Life and the Human Being? What is the Gnosis looking for in archaeological sites? According to Gnosis, what are the benefits of meditation ? What message delivers the Sun Stone? What benefits gives a mantra? Why should Knowledge and Being balance each other? How can we worship Huitzilopochtli? What do represent the ornaments that Huitzilpochtli took from the 400 southerns? What?s the relationship between the dead of the Ego and Huitzilopochtli? What does it mean “Tonantzin Teteoina and what’s its relationship with the serpent of fire? What does the birth of Huitzilopochtli symbolize? How is the true liberation achieved? What is the true penance that really interests Divinity? Speaking about “she who has the skirt of snakes” (Coatlicue), the snake, besides being a symbolism of Occult Wisdom, what else does it represent? Who is “Left-Handed Hummingbird” (Huitzilopochtli) inside us? Where do we Return to with the Arcanum 22nd? What is the senselessness represented in the Arcanum 21? What kind of weakness is the Arcanum 20 asking us to eliminate? What alliance is the Arcanum 19 referring to? What are the hidden enemies of the Arcanum 18? What planet is Arcanum 17 related to and why? How could come the fragility of the Arcanum 16? What kinds of dangers announce the Arcanum 15? How to acquire the temperance indicated by the Arcane 14? What?s the death mentioned in the Arcanum 13 and how do we achieve it? What would you do to fulfill the apostleship of the Arcanum 12? How can we apply the persuasion of Arcanum 11? What?s the wheel of the Arcanum 10? What initiation does the Arcanum 9 represent? What tests are the ones announced by the Arcanum 8? The Arcanum 7 represents the triumph, but what should we do to achieve it? Which star is used to represent the Arcanum 6 and why? Which one of the Cosmic Laws is related to Arcanum 5? What part of the Being is the Arcanum 4 related to? What does the Arcanum 3 announce to us? What occult science is the Arcanum 2 referring to? What represent the eyes in the card of the Arcanum 1? How could we incarnate the Secret Teachings of the Popol Vuh? Why is humility the door for reaching Wisdom? What represents the bonfire where the twins died and the river where they were reborn in the Popol Vuh? What teaches us the symbolism of the animals in the Popol Vuh about advancing in the dead of our psychological defects? What would you do to be successful at the houses of coldness, fire, tigers and bat? What is the meaning of the house of Darkness? What?s the importance of the mosquito Xan in the self-discovery? How can the louse, the frog, the snake and the hawk help us in the internal Path? What does represent the mouse in the Popol Vuh? What represent Hunahpu and Ixbalanque from the Popol Vuh? It is possible for the essence of the animals (elementals) to help us? What do represent the four owls, the messengers Xibalba? What is the Dark House of Xibalba? Why are Ixpiyacoc and Ixmucan? our origin? Where did the Mayas get their wisdom from? How are we helping the world by removing our own Ego? What is the future of the shelterless child and what to do to change things? Why it?s absurd to criticize others religions, saying that those are useless and only mine is real? What are the dangers of the positive system to strengthen the “I”? Why is so important the Integral Comprehension on the Mind? Why is Avarice the mother of cruelty? What?s the method to end the alcoholism? How is it that envy has become the secret spring of most of our deeds? What food crimes are committed against the people and what are their causes? What I?s turn the customs into a world-size problem? Why it?s important to balance work and rest? Why the I can?t annihilate the I? Why is the war the worst plague that can suffer the Human Being? How can we balance Political and Spiritual issues? What?s the objective of setting cooperatives of lawyers for the people? What would be the use of large-scale cooperatives supported by the official government? What would be the most effective system to avoid illnesses? Why it?s so important to identify and understand the origin of pain? Why do the large corporations hire young people only? Why do we need Comprehension and not effort to eliminate psychological mistakes? Why our behavior should be authentic, without depending on anyone? How can we experience the Truth? Why does the human being want to acumulate, to become powerful at the expenses of others? What represents in us the birth of Huitzilopochtli? Why is Ehecatl represented with a peak? What does esoterically symbolize the Tiger or Jaguar? Where can we find the Sacred Fire? How is Camazotz internally related with us? Why does the Chac Mool has a recipient in the Solar Plexus? What can Xochipilli and Xochiquetzalli help us with? What symbolize the Eagle standing over the nopal, devouring a serpent? What's the name of Huitzilopochtli's Mother? What are the three basic forces in the Creation? How can we end the cruelty that we carry inside? How do the grafts and the canned food influence the nourishment? How do the excessive logging and extinguishing the species of animals affect in the vibratory level? Why is it that the more we think in a problem the more difficult is to solve it? Why violence cannot solve the problems of the World? Who preached the classless society? How should we use technology in the field in equilibrium with Nature? What social links have determined the type of Government that we have? How could we really work for Democracy? What's the current state of our thoughts, our mind and our reason? What is the relationship of the Laws of number, measurement and weight with Nature? Why is so important for us to know the Cosmic Laws, such as the Solionensius'? What is the relationship between the human lifetime and the Cosmic Values? What was the purpose of the Sacred Dances of Antiquity? What is the relationship between the loss of language and the human degeneration? What is the relationship between the Spatial Sense and the Color tones? What's the "Mali Mali" decease? How does develop the Law of Recurrence? What does the Society need for the work to become fertile and creative? Why is so serious for the human being to be turned just into a production/consumption machine? How much damage has caused the subjective reason to the humanity? When did the Consciousness of man get divided? What's the use of developing the Spatial Sense? What kind of Fire was worshipped by the ancient cultures? What are the opposites pairs of Philosophy? Why Nature does not take leaps? Where were located the Lemur Continent? What does the Metaphysics clarify us about Nature's phenomena? How could we live the Christmas in our heart? What are the Nature's Akashic registers? What is required for the moneylenders to fulfill a praiseworthy labor? How can we establish a Permanent Center of Gravity within? What is the relationship between the life Insurance and the three types of acts? Why home is something sacred for the human being? What is the origin of the Wars? Why is better the Work Standard than the Gold Standard? Why is so important to learn how to use the Solar Energy? What's the solution for the problem of unemployment? What are the three divisions of the Absolute? Why the Sehirot Jesod is called the Foundation? Why it's important to achieve a voluntarily and conscious astral projection? What are the symbols of Netzach? How can we create Soul? Why it is said that the Leaders of the Divine Law are judges of Consciousness? What is the symbolism of the Kala-Hamsa Swan? Why is the Birth of Christ celebrated in the Winter Solstice and His Death and Resurrection in the Spring Equinox? How can we get in touch with out Farther who is in secret? How should we behave with the real professional without academic degree? How can we the humans realize the Social Christ? Why we can't stand some people just at first sight? How would the problems resulting from the termination of employment be solved? How could be established the minimum wage? What area of land needs a family to live in a balanced way? For the world to change radically, what do we all the human beings should change? How could be practiced the A-Himsa in thought, word and deed? What would we achieve by inversing the I and the other in the development of the conscious cooperation? The current state of our Society is civilization or savagery? How does it affect us the pay rise? How do the bad taxes affect us? Why the prison system can't reform anybody? Why can't we stand a person at first sight, without knowing him/her? What would it be the social benefit ?of eliminating the cruelty within? Why do we have bad rulers? Why don't we have a real democracy and how could we reach it? How can the conflict worker-employer be solved? Why is it necessary to abandon the mechanicalness while eating? What actions could we do to fight the homelessness? How does it affect the quality of the home of an individual or family in the Society? Why is there so much hunger in the world if there are enough land to farm? Why the opinions can't solve the problems of the Society? What are the causes of the failure of the Unions? Why is the right to work a legitimate right? How can the big corporations affect the economy of a Country? How can the hunger of the people be finished? It would be possible for the world to leave the crisis behind with the suggestions of the politicians? Is there the real social justice? How can we be well related to money? What can we do to reduce the Infant delinquency? Are the car accidents in destiny? Why and how can we practice the real Charity? What should the human being make for the world to change radically? \What is the Mental Energy? What do we understand by Freedom? What is the Esoteric Teaching of the Sign Pisces? What is the Esoteric Teaching of the Sign Aquarius? What is the Esoteric Teaching of the Sign Capricorn? What is the Esoteric Teaching of the Sign Sagittarius? What is the Esoteric Teaching of the Sign Scorpio? What is the Esoteric Teaching of the Sign Libra? What is the Esoteric Teaching of the Sign Virgo? What is the Esoteric Teaching of the Sign Leo? What is the Esoteric Teaching of the Sign Cancer? What is the Esoteric Teaching of the Sign Gemini? What is the Esoteric Teaching of the Sign Taurus? What is the Esoteric Teaching of the Sign Aries? What exercise suggest the Master Samael to control Anger? What are the four kingdoms? What are the names of the Seven bodies in Sanskrit? Why the Gnosis does not interpret your dreams, but it teaches you how to do it by yourself? Why do we suggest to meditate on the Archaeological symbolism of ancient cultures? What values should we develop to facilitate the astral projections? What's the difference between an Astral Projection and the Jinas State? What are the five aspects of the Divine Mother? Why the Gnosis is not a Sect? Why the Gnostic student has no need of any kind of plant for the Astral projection? In an spiritual level... how do the drugs affect us? What is the Mystical Death and why it's so necessary? Which one is the best Religion and why? What Psychological defects keep the Love away? What do represent the Holy Week in us? What is the Law of Return? Why it isn't dangerous to project the astral body? Where can we find the Gnosis? Who are the Tula's Atlantids from, Hidalgo M?xico? What does represent Tonatiuh (Aztec) in us? How can we become a Sincere Mistaken Person? Why can't we miss any of the 3 factors of the Revolution of the Consciousness in our interior work? Which one is the older, the Earth or the Moon? Where lies the real Wisdom? What is the Psychological Gymnasium and what is it useful for? What psychological elements cause the wars? What's the shape of the Gnomes and Pigmies? The Brain is the Mind? What are and how do we get the Hydrogen 24, 12 and 6? What is the relationship between the Meditation and the phrase "Nosce Te Ipsum"? What are the Three States of the Ego? Why is the Contumacy so important in these Gnostic teachings? What is the Kalkian Personality? What is the Psychological Slavery? Why is the effort useless during the Meditation? Why the Gnosis DOES NOT AGREE with the year 2012 for the end of humanity or on the contrary, for a positive change? What is the Fallacy of the Ego? What is the Sophism of Distraction? What is the Particular Characteristic Psychological Trait? How can we explain so many internal contradictions? What's the origin of the process of anger (rage)? What thinks the Gnosis about the Woman? What harm do we get by opening the door to negative emotions? How the self-esteem keeps us from finding the Truth? What is the Countertransference force? What is the relationship between the Self-Respect and the Integral Well-Being? Why we don't have Continuity of Purposess? What's the Rhetoric of the Ego? What's the objective of studying the Psycho-Astrology? How do we achieve the Mental Relaxation in the Meditation? What is the Resistance of the Ego and how do we eliminate it? How does the struggle of the opposites block us? Where is the most serious problem of the public education? What's the difference between the real man and the human machine? What are the consequences of developing technology without taking into account the knowledge of oneself? Why the mind can't eliminate a psychological defect? What's the difference between the Bound and Loose Cathexis? What's the objective of performing the weekly practice? How can we experience the reality? What is the Mission of the Extra-Terrestrials? What year of Aquarius are we currently in and why? Why the jealousy is not compatible with love? When to be quiet or to speak becomes a crime? How does the TV affect the formation of the personality? What?s the influence of imagination in the motherhood? Why the knowledge should not be only delivered to the Thinking Brain? Why is the ?I? against our Vocation? What is the intelligence as an attribute of the Being? Why the mind will never be able to conceive the Truth? What is the Peace and how it comes to us? How the mind becomes affected by watching the bullfight and boxing? Why, if the experiences are not understood, they become useless? What is the defect that prevents the Integration the more and why? How can we achieve the conscientious action? What benefits brings the Generosity to the Marriage? What happen if we do not balance Wisdom and Love? How and what for do we need to learn to listen? Why the mental comparison is abominable? What is the difference between Love, Fear and Respect? What sorts of Ambition are there? What damage provokes us the fear and the search for security? Why is it better to teach how to think instead of what to think? How can we consciously combine order and liberty? How to become a Conscious authority? The people who are internally poor always search something out to be complete. How does the fear affect the free initiative? What?s the difference between the profane anthropology and the Gnostic Anthropology? What is the Secret Doctrine of Anahuac? What is the Christic Work? Why is the meditation indispensable for our transformation? Why is the Gnosis against the Drugs? What is called the Psychological Country? What is the Kundalini and what mission does she have? What is the Inner Mind? What is the Psichilogical "I"? What is the Dialectic of the Consciousness? Why did Goethe say: "Every theory is Grey"? What is the Gnostic Work and how to do it? How could we make the most of the tough times of life? How can we discover the psychological basis where we are lying upon and why is necessary? Why does the newborn enjoy Self-Consciousness? How does affect us the Psychological Song? What is the Internal Chatter and how does it harm us? What do we achieve with the Self-Observation? What is the Supersubstantial Bread and how do we get it? How can we attain the Individuality and for what purpose? All religions are precious stones strung on the golden thread of the Divinity. Why does the name of this Gnostic Institute have the word Quetzalcoatl? What is the Real order of the Days? What are the Seven Tatwas? What is the Work on Oneself? Why, by changing our level of Being our life changes? For how long has been the Aryan Race in the world? What is the difference between the Being and the "I"? Which is the main factor to achieve the Astral Projection? What Egos could get our Home destroyed? How to get our Psyche Organized? How can we modify the mechanical conditions of the World? What is the Objective of Transforming the Impressions? What is the Second Jewel of the Yellos Dragon? What is the First Jewel of the Yellow Dragon? What negative influences do we have to protect the mind of? Why having a Female Body would never be Karma? What are the characteristics values of Women? What practice does the Master Samael suggest to dominate the rage? Why shouldn?t we mix antagonistic forces, since from such mixture terribly destructive forces come? How is the matriarchy the base for a progressive race? How can we place ourselves in the center of the Law of the Pendulum? What is the relationship between woman and the great Initiates in history? What is the Vital Body? Why a misplaced virtue is bad? The woman has then, in this times, an inescapable duty which is that of helping to regenerate the man, and of fighting for universal peace. What are the causes of Neaurasthenia and how it could be prevented? Why should we stop criticizing others to be successful in life? What are the internal and external values of the word? What benefits gives the Objective Imagination to the pregnant woman? Inside the Gnostic teachings, why do women have the same rights as men? What are the Six fundamental dimensions? Why is the mind a very painful prison? Why do the Roses cure the moral pains preventing even the suicide? What are the Seven Yogas that Gnosis studies? What does it mean the phrase: "The level of Being attracts the level of Bein"? Why is Askokin intemately related to Wars? Why it is necessary to cultivate the Gratitude? Who is the Guardian of the Threshold ans what is this test about? Who is and what does the demon Algol? Why do we need to get rid of the Imitation? What is the meaning of Christmas in relation with the Sun? What are the changes that are comming with the entrance of the Earth into the the Rings of Alcion? What is the Law of Three? What are the Seven Races and what is their objective? How can we fulfill the SACRIFICE FOR HUMANITY? What is the Awakening of the Consciousness? How can we pay for the Karma? What is the Inner Urgency and what is useful for to know it? Which are the Seven Main Chakras? What is the Law of the Pendulum and how can we transcend it? What is the Law of Rounds? What are the centers of the Human Being? According to the Gnostic Principles? Why abortion is a crime? What is the Kabbalah and what is useful for to study it? Why the Gnosis doesn't agree with a predetermined date for the end of the Human Kind? What are the Gnosis' objectives? What is the Tree of Life? If we observe the Tree of Life as it is written by the Hebraic Kabalists we see Ten Sephiroth. What is a Tattwa? Tattwa (this is a Hindustani term) is vibration of the ether. What are the Seven bodies? "When the physical body is sleeping the other bodies escape. By night in dreams we meet the Astra..." Which are the three Minds? Since the Sensual Mind's concepts-of-contents are based on the external sensory data, undoubtedly it cannot know anything about the real, about truth, about the mysteries of life and death, about the soul and the spirit. According to Gnosis, what are the Goblins? To such creatures we will give the name of Elementals, in fact because they live in the elements. How can we transform the Impressions? "Life reaches us in the form of impressions and it is there, precisely, where the possibility of working upon ourselves exists". What is a Soolionensius and how it affects us? "A SOLIOONENSIUS is an interesting law. It happens that close to our ORS Solar System..." What is the Level of the Being and how could we modify it? "Whatever we are internally, munificent or mean, generous or miserly, violent or peaceful chaste or lustful, attracts the various circumstances of life" The Permanent Center of Gravity It is impossible to have continuity of purpose without a true individuality. What is called a "Good Master of the House" and why is a fundamental requirement to advance in Gnosis? Atlantis' Testimonies Atlantis! That vast and now disappeared continent was a poet’s envision. The creation of the initiate Plato’s divine mind indeed existed. Why shouldn't we criticize other's Religions? If the neighbor’s religion is not good, then neither is mine good because the values are always the same. Laws to understand the Dreams The messages which descend from the world of Pure Spirit become symbolic in the astral plane. What is a Ghost? This last is energy, it remains in the sepulcher, but sometimes it leaves from it and experiences the luxury of walking by diverse places. What is the Intuition and how to develop it? "The intuition gives the faculty of knowing without the necessity of the process of reason..." What is the Aquarius Age and how it influences us? "From that memorable date and under the regency of Uranus, the very venerable and most worthy Lord of Aquarius, the Dionysian wave vibrates intensely in the whole of Nature". What is the difference between Understanding and Memory "In true Understanding, in profound Understanding, in intimate Understanding there is only the intimate pressure of the Conscience, constant pressure born from the essence that we carry within and that’s all". What representes the ICQ's Logo? "The ICQ’s Logo is the shield seen in the different representations of Quetzalcoatl..." The Lion of the Law can be defeated with the scale. "If we on a plate of the scale put our good works and on the other put the bad deeds, both plates will weigh equal or there will be a lack of balance..." What are the Jinas States? Whay Gnosis considers an absurd that a Zodical Sign is not compatible with others? What does Gnosis says about giving our children a profession? "Children learn more by example than by rule..." What is the difference between Ego, Essence and Personality? "...Personality and Essence should develop in a harmonious and balanced way..." Which are the Seven Dimensions? "The dead ones are expelled from eternity because they still do not have BEING. Only those who have the BEING can live in eternity". How to Solve Problems? "One needs much peace and mental calm to solve a problem. An uneasy, battling, confused mind cannot solve any problem". What is the Creative Comprehension? "Comprehension is fundamental, but it is not all in the work of dissolution of the psychic aggregates..." What is the Conscience? "People confuse Conscience with intelligence or with intellect, and the very intelligent or intellectual person is called a conscious person..." What is the Being? "The Being is what is Divine, the immortal spark of every human being, without principle and without end, terribly divine". What is the Self-Realization? "The Gnostic experience allows the sincere devotee to know himself totally, and to achieve self- realization..." What is the Division af the Attention and what's it useful for? "We have to divide the attention in three aspecs, we need to comprehend the deeply meaning of the moment we are acting in..." Why the Gnosis states that only positive ET's can visit us? "Friends, sirs, do not forget that space is infinitely sacred and that therefore interplanetary navigation is controlled by very severe cosmic laws". What is Gnosis? "The Gnosis is a true scientific school of initiation on, that pursues a transformation of the human being..." What is the Karma? "My friends there is a law which is called KARMA; this means cause and effect, action and consequence..." How can we Deafeat a Psychological Defect? "Evasion, justification, and consideration must be eliminated if in reality we want to be conscious of the ?I? that we struggle to extirpate from our psyche" What is the Self-Observation? "The inner self-observation sense it is atrophied in every human being; by working seriously by means of self-observing from moment to moment, such sense develops in a progressive form". What are the Meditation's Benefits? If we want to stop being machines, if we want to awake our conscience, to have truly capability to do, then it?s urgent to start by knowing ourselves and then dissolve the psychological ?I? (defects). What are the Three Conscience's Revolution Factors? "In order to achieve the self-realization it is necessary to live three factors: to Die? (to kill our defects) to Born? (to make the most of our energies) and to Sacrifice? (to serve our fellow human being)". What is a Mantra? "Phonetic combination made with wisdom produces the MANTRAMS. Therefore, a MANTRAM is a wise combination of letters whose sounds determine spiritual, psychic, and also physical effects". What are the 49 regions of the Subconscious? "Since the three-brained or three-Centered biped, mistakenly called man, has not yet awakened consciousness has not created the existential bodies of the Being, he only possesses, in reality, subconscious and subjective states". What's the Gnosis origin? "Frankly speaking, let us say that Gnosis is a very natural function of the Consciousness; it is a philosophia perennis et universalis". Why shouldn?t we tell others about our Astral Experiences? "It?s better to practice quietly. To keep the triumphs in secret. One must be very quiet because this science is secret." What does "Inverential Peace" mean? "Then the followers of the White Fraternity, all with child figures, give us the welcome and when we salute them: ?May the Peace be with you!? or ?Inverential Peace!?, the answer is: ?and with your Spirit too?. Why Gnosis says that the Evolution Law cannot take us to the Real Transformation? "The laws of evolution and those of involution are the mechanical axis of all nature and have nothing to do with the intimate self-realization of the Being". What?s the difference between the Spirit and the Soul? "Buddhata, the interior Buddhist Principle, the psychic material or ?materia prima? to fabricate that which is called Soul". What's the similitude between a Dream and the Death? What?s the difference between Return and Reincarnation? "The Pluralized Ego Returns, comes back rather, this is not Reincarnation. The masses, the multitudes Return, but that is not Reincarnation".

2019-04-18T13:28:50Z

https://www.samaelgnosis.us/topic/teaching.html

Amazon over the past 20 years has been as meaningful an economic revelation as Walmart was in the 20 years before it, and I don’t say that lightly: Walmart is one of the wonders of the modern world, built from scratch in a hyper-competitive environment, scaled from nothing to the largest company in the US by revenue and by headcount, all resulting from a singular vision of saving everyday people money with everyday low prices. It is the most successful social welfare system ever implemented, saving billions and billions of dollars for everyday Americans without costing taxpayers a dime. It is a testament to the power of compounding interest, to the power of a focused plan executed violently for decades. But Amazon is something else entirely, isn’t it? Its amalgamation of businesses don’t seem to make sense. It lacks a cohesive product strategy. It defies norms of focus yet it executes faster than seems possible for an entity of its size, let alone scope. I am going to answer the question – what is Amazon? – but you can’t begin to understand Amazon without first understanding Walmart. Walmart revolutionized the retail game; Amazon “borrowed” Walmart’s playbook as a starting point, just as Walmart borrowed the playbook from the early discount retailers as a starting point before it. And so I’ll start by answering the question: what is Walmart? Few people outside of Walmart realize Walmart’s historical scope of innovation. It built the largest private satellite communications network, enabling unprecedented coordination at enormous scale. Computerized point of sale systems, a massive trucking fleet to enable best-in-class logistics, innovations in EDI, the Sam’s Club format. The list goes on. But all of these innovations were really just developed in order to optimize what was a very simple formula: that is, the selection, pricing, and inventory of SKUs in, say, a 30,000-200,000 square foot store. Choosing the right SKUs, prices, and inventory levels for a 30,000-200,000 square foot store – the business was as easy, and as hard, as that. In the business of retail gatekeeping, the cost of errors was high. Stocking a Walmart store with inventory that the customer did not want was a compounding error: not only did it provide zero value to the customer, it also robbed the customer of the opportunity to buy something that they did need. Shelf space was a zero-sum game. And, even after confirming that the item was something that the customer wanted, there were many other factors to consider: Would the vendor be able to supply enough in order to meet Walmart’s demand? Could the vendor ship on-time, and accurately? Were they in strong enough financial condition to absorb Walmart’s payment terms? Were they accurate enough in their costing to make sure that they weren’t selling at a loss, once all their indirect costs were taken into account? Walmart, again, became the best in the business at weighing these considerations. The buyers became proxies for the customers, deciding what customers were likely to want and negotiating for ever-lower prices for those items, and taking into account all of the things that mattered to the customer that the customer likely did not even consider – like the vendor’s ability to fulfill demand at projected volumes. Sam Walton drilled the idea of “thinking small” and focusing on the customer into Walmart’s culture: What will the customer want when they walk into the store? What price will they want to pay? And how many will they want to buy? Walmart reviewed more and more vendors, reviewed more and more SKUs. Most vendors and most SKUs did not make the cut, but, with the ones that did, Walmart’s selection grew rapidly, and it expanded the size of its stores as much as the local communities could sustain, and stocked them with as many viable SKUs from quality vendors as it could find. The story of Walmart reminds me, of all things, of the watchmaker analogy – the classic argument for intelligent design, for a superintelligent or divine creator of the world around us, first posed by William Paley in 1802. It goes something like this: suppose we were out walking in the woods and we came across a stone. We might pick up that stone and conclude that it had always been there, that it had occurred naturally. But if we continued on our walk and we came across a pocket watch, we would not likely think that the watch had always been there – we would conclude from its complexity, from its precision, from its unnaturalness, that at some point there existed a creator who understood its function, who contrived of its design and brought it into the world through careful thought and execution. The argument follows, then, that if one were to look at the entire world in all of its complexity – the careful precision by which nature works, with infinitely complex mechanisms like photosynthesis, weather patterns and migratory habits, food chains and even the complexity of an individual organism, that there must exist an infinitely-wise, infinitely-capable creator who contrived of the entirety of the system’s function and brought it into existence. I have to imagine that if a visitor from the 1800s were transported to a Walmart Supercenter in the year 1994, they would have come to the same conclusion that William Paley came to: marveling at the 100,000+ carefully-chosen SKUs around them, with the associates stocking the shelves, helping the customers, checking inventory, collecting the shopping carts, that the ‘invention’ – the creation – of Walmart was the result of intelligent design. In some ways, they would be right. Walmart, at its core – that is, a massive building filled with a selection of high-quality merchandise priced at the lowest possible prices – was a concept conceived of by a single man (though from what I’ve read about Mr. Walton, I doubt that he would have taken this sort of credit). But the hypothetical watchmaker in our story had designed and placed every single wheel, pinion, jewel, and jewel in the watch’s movement; Sam Walton certainly didn’t place every aisle, product, promotion, or set every price and inventory level in that Supercenter. Rather, Sam Walton was the ‘intelligent designer’ behind the Walmart algorithm: that is, a) “a wide assortment of good quality merchandise”, b) offered “at the lowest possible prices,” c) backed by “guaranteed satisfaction” and “friendly, knowledgeable service,” d) available during “convenient hours” with “free parking” and “a pleasant shopping experience,” e) all within the largest, most convenient possible store size and location permitted by local economics. In other words, the size, layout, format, product mix, and the selection/training of the associates in that Supercenter were the result of the algorithm that Sam Walton had designed. So, back to our question: what is Walmart? Or, more accurately, what was Walmart, circa 1994? Walmart executed on this algorithm almost uninterrupted for over 30 years, and it got very, very good at it, until, in 1994 – almost overnight – the algorithm that Walmart had methodically honed over the past three decades started to quietly work against it. Jeff Bezos had a big realization in 1994: the world of retail had, up until then, been a world where the most important thing was optimizing limited shelf space in service of satisfying the customer – but that world was about to change drastically. The advent of the internet – of online shopping – meant that an online retailer had infinite shelf space. While Amazon did not have the capital to stock every SKU on the planet, nor a warehouse large enough to do so, it didn’t have a constraint on the actual ‘shelves’ themselves. An online retailer would be limited not by each local market, but by the economics and behavior of the national or international population at large. Whereas a traditional retailer had to weigh tradeoffs within finite shelf space, an online retailer could display page after page of items with near-zero marginal cost for more items. Instead of choosing which items to stock, Amazon could let its customers do so – it would add all sorts of items to its catalog, measure web traffic for each item, and bring the items into stock that seemed most likely to sell. And so, back in 1994, Amazon kicked off its unbound search for the optimal selection of SKUs. Its algorithm – borrowed and modified from Walmart – was simple: a) a vast selection, b) delivered fast, c) at the lowest possible prices, d) backed by guaranteed satisfaction. Amazon added as many vendors as it could feasibly add, far outpacing other retailers because of a bar that was far lower. But the pace was too slow; Amazon was aggregating demand – that is, customer traffic – faster than it was aggregating supply – that is, vendor selection. Amazon had bumped up against its first constraint: the speed at which it could add new vendors to its catalog and associated inventory to its warehouses. Amazon correctly hypothesized that because vendor selection was not important in the world of infinite shelf space, Amazon itself – or, more accurately, its vendor onboarding process – would be the bottleneck to growth. Another way of saying this is that Amazon did not have enough time, knowledge, or capital to fill the infinite shelf space that they had created – and even for the items they did add, they did not have the time, knowledge, or skill to effectively negotiate terms with the tens of thousands of new vendors who had come knocking. Amazon would never be able to match Walmart’s hard-won skills in fighting on the customer’s behalf for better prices, even with a small set of vendors – let alone the exploding vendor base it was starting to manage. In its effort to remove this bottleneck, Amazon had an insight that would dramatically accelerate its strategy of mass SKU-aggregation: what if, instead of the painfully slow process of onboarding and negotiating with vendors, Amazon could instead open its website to third party sellers? In the original six-page memo advocating for Amazon Marketplace in 2002, the memo’s author had a vision: no matter where a seller was located and no matter what products that seller carried, the seller could start selling on Amazon immediately – even in the middle of the night. Amazon Marketplace solved a whole host of problems all at once. By allowing sellers to bypass the gatekeepers altogether, Amazon could rapidly fill its infinite shelf space with a vast selection of SKUs not available from other retailers. And instead of slowly building its own inventory on promising SKUs, Amazon could make a seller’s already-stocked inventory instantly available to eager customers. And, perhaps most importantly, it solved the problem of how to negotiate pricing with a rapidly-expanding SKU base. When Amazon was competing against sellers for a given SKU, there were two possibilities: either Amazon had negotiated the best possible price with the vendor and would ‘win’ the sale, or it had failed to get the best possible price and another seller would win the sale instead – but Amazon would collect a 12-15% commission, and gain a data point that its nascent vendor team could use in price negotiation. And, of course, ‘losing’ the sale to a third party seller still meant that Amazon would keep the customer. The advent of the internet had brought about a Cambrian explosion in SKUs. An increasingly connected global world meant that more and more products from abroad were coming to the US, and it was also easier than ever for US companies to launch and expand new product lines. The marketplace that Amazon had built took advantage of this trend; Amazon systematically removed friction from the seller onboarding workflow, doing seemingly small things like eliminating the UPC code requirement that would serve as a barrier for newer, less established sellers. All of these small changes started to add up, and Amazon became the fastest way for a company to start selling online. Customers began to associate Amazon with selection, and Amazon became the de facto storefront for the fledgling world of online commerce. With every seller that signed up for Amazon Marketplace, Walmart’s prized vendor selection machine became more and more of a liability. Here was an entire organization optimized towards one constraint – shelf space – and that constraint had been almost completely removed overnight. Even if Walmart had recognized this immediately, it would have been an enormous ship to steer – and, in the meantime, Amazon’s SKU aggregation juggernaut was running an unbound search for customer value nationwide, while Walmart’s army of finely-tuned retailer gatekeepers was still running a bounded search in local geographies. The effects began to compound, and Amazon’s ecommerce growth accelerated further. Walmart had solved problems of vendor management, product management, and bureaucracy at an almost unfathomable scale. It engineered intricate systems, aligned incentives, and built a culture of thinking small to stamp out inefficiencies wherever it could find them. Walmart solved problems that were almost impossible to solve at Walmart’s scale, creating a wonder of the modern world, perhaps the pinnacle of what is possible with complex coordination. And Walmart, at its heart, is a company of merchants; it is a human-powered company, and its advantage in the marketplace is that it merchandises better than any other company on the planet. Walmart understands its customers extraordinarily well, and its merchants play a hand in every product that shows up in its aisles. Amazon, by contrast, is an illustration of what happens when a massive global market is freed by the internet from the geographical constraints that previously kept it manageable; it is an illustration of what happens when you enter a problem space so large that you have to bypass the human element altogether. What was just barely solvable with carefully-built systems at Walmart’s scale of shelf space would have been impossible to solve with shelf space that stretched on to infinity. Amazon had to find a way of abdicating responsibility for solving these problems altogether; with Marketplace, Amazon had begun to grasp at a solution that would do exactly that. After removing the vendor bottleneck, Amazon had discovered the next constraint to filling its theoretically-infinite shelf space: computing power and data storage. To his horror, Bezos had discovered that Amazon’s software engineers were waiting weeks for technical resources like servers and storage to be provisioned. Instead of being limited by how fast they could write code, they were limited by how fast they could deploy that code to Amazon’s infrastructure, and so, alongside an effort to dramatically simplify and improve its codebase – which had evolved into a mess of ‘spaghetti code’ in the ten years that Amazon had been in business – Amazon began to build a platform that would allow its software engineers to provision on-demand resources immediately. In a radical move, the platform – Amazon’s own technological infrastructure – would be made available to external developers, too. It would be called Amazon Web Services. Another constraint had emerged around the same time, this time on the customer-facing front: Amazon could no longer practically keep up with the theoretical pace of innovation that its exploding SKU catalog had enabled. In other words, Amazon could not possibly develop features on its website fast enough to take advantage of all the merchandising opportunities that its products had brought. This became apparent as other sites – run by independent, third party members of Amazon’s affiliate marketing program – began ‘scraping’ Amazon’s catalog in order to surface new items, track price changes, and offer all manner of other functionality that Amazon.com itself did not offer. In other words, Amazon was not limited by demand (traffic) or supply (SKU selection) – it was limited by the conversion rate and average order value it could achieve with its current catalog functionality. Amazon needed to get faster at implementing new catalog functionality internally, and it could also benefit immensely from allowing the outside world to innovate using that same toolkit. In a similarly radical move, Bezos decided to expose Amazon’s entire product catalog via an application programming interface – an API – so that any software developer, internal or external, could programmatically access Amazon’s catalog and use the SKU data, within reason, in any way the developer saw fit. And so, circa 2002, we start to see the emergence of a pattern: 1) Amazon had encountered a bottleneck to growth, 2) it had determined that some internal process or resource was the bottleneck, 3) it had realized that it could not possibly develop and deploy enough resources internally to remove that bottleneck, so 4) it instead removed the bottleneck by building an interface to allow the broader market to solve it en masse. This exact pattern was repeated with vendor selection (Amazon Marketplace), technology infrastructure (Amazon Web Services, or AWS), and merchandising (Amazon’s Catalog API). Amazon was becoming a platform; that is, an aggregation of resources made available through a series of interfaces. In the case of Marketplace, the resource was customer demand, and the interface was a web portal called ‘Seller Central,’ which allowed sellers to list items in Amazon’s catalog and process the resulting orders. With AWS and Catalog, the resources were computing power and a monetizable ecommerce catalog, respectively, and the interfaces were corresponding web portals and APIs (application programming interfaces) that software developers could access programmatically. Platforms spring up as a necessity borne from unbound searches running at internet scale. A company like Walmart, despite being positively massive in terms of revenue, can operate as a monolith – that is, a tightly-coupled collection of internally-facing resources – because it is dealing with a constrained problem space. Walmart’s problem space (for argument’s sake, 100,000 SKUs and 100,000 square feet) was, for the most part, limited enough that Walmart could, with sufficient effort and innovation, solve its own problems internally. It could manage vendor selection, it could merchandise its own catalog, and it could manage, and mitigate, the growth of its own bureaucracy. There is a notable exception here: the scale of Walmart’s purchase order volume was so large that it could not feasibly continue to manage the purchasing process on its own. To solve this, Walmart built Retail link – perhaps Walmart’s first platform – to expose its purchasing ‘resources’ externally. Retail Link gave Walmart’s vendors tools to manage purchase orders and much more, taking an enormous burden off of Walmart itself. Walmart began sharing its inventory data with key suppliers, too. The problem of coordinating Walmart’s inventory had grown too large for Walmart to solve on its own. By sharing its inventory levels and internal projections with vendors – by making its internal numbers available externally – Walmart could draw on the wisdom of the broader ‘market’ – its vendors – to arrive at better outcomes than it could have achieved within a silo. Like with Amazon’s various platforms, Walmart built Retail Link out of pure necessity; without it, the purchasing process would have remained a constraint to Walmart’s growth. The difference is that, with its unconstrained shelf space, Amazon was encountering these problems – and implementing platform solutions – everywhere. It is worth noting that there is one key difference between Walmart’s Retail Link platform and the platforms that Amazon was beginning to develop in the early 2000s: forced competition. Suppliers have no choice but to use Retail Link; the supplier is a ‘captive customer’ of the Retail Link service. The problem with having captive customers is that, lacking external competitive pressure, a service inevitably begins to degrade over time. The service provider is removed from the feedback loop, since, 1) given sufficient market power, suppliers can’t feasibly stop using the service, and 2) the service provider itself doesn’t experience the pain of using its own service. The canonical example here is the DMV; while the DMV is technically a platform – meaning, it makes government resources available to external ‘customers’ – its customers cannot go elsewhere for service, and the DMV does not experience the pain of interacting with itself, and so the DMV will perpetually remain in stasis at best. Now, the DMV is an extreme example, and I don’t mean to imply that using Retail Link is in any way analogous to the experience of visiting the DMV. The point is that when a service has captive customers, it will inevitably degrade compared to market alternatives. With AWS, the risk was that Amazon would become a captive customer to its own technology services group. Amazon eventually arrived at an elegant solution: instead of just building an internal platform through which its software engineers could requisition resources on demand, it would open the platform to outside customers as well. Amazon had already established a strong culture of customer obsession; in any customer-facing product, AWS was virtually guaranteed to show continuous improvement and innovation. Amazon would simply use the exact same tools and products that its customers used, and would thereby get the exact same benefits that its customers enjoyed. In other words, Amazon would become just one of many AWS customers – solving its own technological bottleneck once and for all – without creating the typical trap caused by vertical integration. The addition of a massive, high-margin revenue stream would be a nice $30 billion side benefit to boot. As these examples of the same pattern – Marketplace, AWS, and catalog – emerged around the same time in 2002, Jeff Bezos had the most important insight he would ever have: in the world of infinite shelf space – and platforms to fill them – the limiting reagent for Amazon’s growth would not be its website traffic, or its ability to fulfill orders, or the number of SKUs available to sell; it would be its own bureaucracy. As Walt Kelly put it, “we have met the enemy, and it is us.” In order to thrive at ‘internet scale,’ Amazon would need to open itself up at every facet to outside feedback loops. At all costs, Amazon would have to become just one of many customers for each of its internal services. This principle, this practice, this pattern, would enable Amazon to become the sprawling maze of complexity that it would eventually become without collapsing under its own weight, effectively future-proofing itself from the bloat and bureaucracy that inevitably dragged down any massive company’s growth. Bezos did not meticulously assemble Amazon into the collection of high-growth businesses that it is today; he ‘merely’ designed Amazon’s algorithm. His first stroke of genius was in making it unbound; his second – the masterstroke – was devising a solution to the bureaucratic complexity that would have otherwise caused it to implode. Instead of being a bureaucratic liability, Amazon’s sprawl would become a massive surface area of customer contact from which Amazon could spawn dozens of revenue streams. With an established pattern for solving the practical and bureaucratic issues that arose from infinite shelf space, Amazon began systematically removing bottlenecks to growth. It found that Marketplace sellers were not particularly adept at shipping directly to Amazon’s customers, causing a poor experience for customers and a frustrating experience for the sellers themselves. At the rate that new sellers were signing up, Amazon could not feasibly convert all of these sellers to its vendor program, nor did it have sufficient capital to carry all of the inventory on its balance sheet; instead, Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) allowed sellers to ship their inventory to Amazon’s fulfillment centers, thereby giving Amazon complete control over the customer experience. It carried with it the tremendous added benefit of honing Amazon’s own rapidly-expanding fulfillment network, which were certainly at risk of bloat and slop, with the sharp edge of seller expectations; just as with AWS, Amazon became just one of many “customers” for its own fulfillment centers. Platforms became Amazon’s answer to every growth obstacle it encountered. Platforms became part of the algorithm. Sellers are limited by access to capital? Launch Amazon Lending. Customers can only buy things when they are in front of their computer or phone? Build Echo. UPS and FedEx can only deliver within 24 hours? Launch Amazon Flex and Amazon Logistics. Amazon assembled a massive machine to deploy its algorithm over and over, and the momentum was unstoppable. Every barrier in its path was solved with a platform – until one of these platforms led Amazon to a catastrophic mistake. From infinite shelf space comes a problem: how do customers discover new products? If Amazon’s website were visualized as a physical retail store, in other words, how would Amazon decide which products went on the end cap and which went halfway down the aisle on the bottom shelf? For a given category like water bottles, Amazon might have thousands of pages of search results. This creates a big problem for Amazon’s customers, who want the latest and greatest products, and for its sellers, who want to develop and sell exciting new items. Failure to satisfy these demands would put Amazon’s ecommerce dominance at risk. Amazon answered this problem in typical fashion: with a platform. Amazon Advertising allowed sellers to feature ‘Sponsored Products’ – paid ads that appear at the top of search results. Sponsored Products solved three problems at once: new product discovery for the customers, new product introductions for the sellers, and, as an added bonus, pure gross margin revenue for Amazon – to the tune of $8 billion annually. The problem with Sponsored Products is that sponsored listings are not actually good for customers – they are good for sellers; more specifically, they are good for sellers who are good at advertising, and bad for everyone else. Paid digital advertising is a very specific skill set; the odds that the brand with the best product also happens to employ the best digital marketing staff or agency is extraordinarily low. Further, the ability to buy the top slot in search results favors products with the highest gross margin – hence the highest bidder – not the products that would best satisfy customers. The issue is compounded by the fact that the average customer is unable to tell the difference between an “organic” search result and a sponsored product. The top four results in an Amazon search are now occupied by sponsored listings, which means that the average Amazon customer is disproportionately likely to be purchasing a sponsored product. And since the sponsored listings favor high-margin products pushed by savvy digital marketers, it is highly unlikely that Amazon’s customer is buying the optimal product that the market could provide. To be sure, very poor products get rated poorly and are weeded out quickly, but, by and large, sponsored listings drag the average quality of products sold closer to mediocrity, and further from greatness. That’s bad. Another way of framing the issue: as an Amazon customer, what benefit do sponsored listings bring you? The only answer I can think of is ‘new product discovery,’ but there are far better ways of solving that problem; one part of the solution would be a lifespan for product reviews. For high-volume categories, product reviews should not live on in perpetuity. After a period of time, product reviews should be removed – the faster-selling the item, the shorter the period. This serves a dual purpose: 1) it ensures that product reviews apply to the most current state of the product – solving the problem of an increase or decrease in manufacturing quality over time, while 2) evening the playing field for newcomers. For a fast-moving item, the review lifespan could be set, for example, as a rolling six-month period; rather than competing against 5 years of accumulated reviews, a new entrant would only need to compete against the most recent ones that were given over the past six months. Instead of solving the root cause of the discovery problem, Amazon layered a solution on top: ads. This would normally be a reversible decision, but the extraordinary amount of ad revenue it is generating will likely prove impossibly addictive for a company with Amazon’s appetite for capital. One way of thinking about this is that the $8 billion generated by Amazon Advertising fuels roughly ⅓ of Amazon’s entire R&D budget. This may seem like a minor footnote in the grand picture of Amazon, but it is an absolutely devastating misstep for Amazon’s retail business. This isn’t “just” search results; search results are the entire driver of Amazon’s retail engine. Remember that in the world of infinite shelf space, the ranking algorithm is practically the entire merchandising strategy. Organic, customer-centric product rankings – the strategy that brought Amazon to $250 billion in retail revenue – has been permanently distorted. And everyone is praising them for it. More broadly, though, Amazon’s misstep is symptomatic of the weirdness that eventually happens when an unbound search runs across such a massive problem space. In building Marketplace and removing itself as the constraint for vendor onboarding, Amazon has opened itself up to inevitable ‘gaming’ by sellers. Another way of saying this: as soon as a system’s rules are understood, it will be gamed according to the rules that have been created. With infinite shelves that are constantly expanding and filling without constraint, Amazon cannot possibly police the ever-growing universe that it has created. Another way of thinking about this is that while Amazon’s catalog of SKUs is constantly growing, the number of top slots for popular categories is not; no matter how many thousands of water bottles get added to Amazon’s catalog, there are a fixed number of page-one results. But the growing horde of competition puts enormous pressure on the entire system; companies are always trying to find ways to knock the current king off the hill. Bad-actor tactics inevitably surface, and Amazon is in a constant war to keep its own platform consistent with its customer-centric mission. This is a war that Amazon will never be able to “win”; the best it can hope for is to try to keep up with the evolving bad-actor tactics, which seems like a tall order given that the total set of sellers is constantly increasing (one might call this “the IRS problem”). The hidden cost of SKU proliferation, then, is that the overall quality of the SKU assortment begins to suffer. This is not a particularly meaningful problem when it comes to categories like phone cases, where the cost of a suboptimal purchase is minimal, but it leads to enormous frustration when customers are making a purchase of even mild consequence. The same customer who is somewhat annoyed by a poor quality phone case would be meaningfully more irritated if they bought a poor quality accessory for their muscle car, motorcycle, rifle, boat, or other passion or pastime-related item – let alone a more sensitive category like grocery or health. With its marketplace platform, Amazon has created a Wild West for sellers – with all of the tremendous benefits, and pitfalls, that come with it. It continues to accumulate marketplace sellers at an incredible pace. Amazon’s next decade (in retail) will be consumed with capitalizing on this opportunity, along with mitigating all of the extraordinary challenges that come with trying to maintain order in a marketplace at a literally inhuman scale. It is easy to look at Amazon’s exploding marketplace numbers and see insurmountable success, but we are only beginning to see what it has signed up for by building a world of infinite shelf space and opening the door to anyone who wants to set up shop. Amazon’s herculean challenge will be retaining its crown as “earth’s most customer-centric company” given the marketplace dynamics that it has created. Amazon, in other words, has not yet figured out how to extend its internal incentive structure – the incentive structure that has been so successful in keeping the company customer-obsessed – to its external platform participants: the sellers. I say this not as an Amazon naysayer – I say this as someone who has been, and continues to be, unabashedly, wildly bullish on Amazon – but, for the first time in a decade or more, Amazon’s expected value has, at least by my estimation, gone down. The question on my mind is whether Amazon has grown so large that, hidden beneath a golden goose laying $8 billion eggs and tens of thousands of new marketplace sellers every year, the missteps in its retail business – the loss of customer focus – might go unnoticed. Perhaps the most interesting wildcard here is the threat of antitrust action across the industry. Said a different way: I would be equally happy to own a half dozen Amazon stocks as I would to own one – perhaps even happier, since each resulting subsidiary would have a smaller surface area, and better focus. I remain fascinated to see what will happen next. Follow me on Twitter @zackkanter.

2019-04-23T01:55:01Z

https://zackkanter.com/2019/03/13/what-is-amazon/

Low back pain is a common and costly complaint. In most episodes of low back pain, a specific underlying cause is not identified or even looked for, with the pain believed to be due to mechanical problems such as muscle or joint strain. If the pain does not go away with conservative treatment or if it is accompanied by "red flags" such as unexplained weight loss, fever, or significant problems with feeling or movement, further testing may be needed to look for a serious underlying problem. In most cases, imaging tools such as X-ray computed tomography are not useful and carry their own risks. Despite this, the use of imaging in low back pain has increased. Some low back pain is caused by damaged intervertebral discs, and the straight leg raise test is useful to identify this cause. In those with chronic pain, the pain processing system may malfunction, causing large amounts of pain in response to non-serious events. Approximately 9–12% of people (632 million) have LBP at any given point in time, and nearly 25% report having it at some point over any one-month period. About 40% of people have LBP at some point in their lives, with estimates as high as 80% among people in the developed world. Difficulty most often begins between 20 and 40 years of age. Men and women are equally affected. Low back pain is more common among people aged between 40 and 80 years, with the overall number of individuals affected expected to increase as the population ages. Other problems may occur along with low back pain. Chronic low back pain is associated with sleep problems, including a greater amount of time needed to fall asleep, disturbances during sleep, a shorter duration of sleep, and less satisfaction with sleep. In addition, a majority of those with chronic low back pain show symptoms of depression or anxiety. Women may have acute low back pain from medical conditions affecting the female reproductive system, including endometriosis, ovarian cysts, ovarian cancer, or uterine fibroids. Nearly half of all pregnant women report pain in the lower back or sacral area during pregnancy, due to changes in their posture and center of gravity causing muscle and ligament strain. The five lumbar vertebrae define the lower back region. The structures surrounding and supporting the vertebrae can be sources of low back pain. The lumbar (or lower back) region is made up of five vertebrae (L1–L5), sometimes including the sacrum. In between these vertebrae are fibrocartilaginous discs, which act as cushions, preventing the vertebrae from rubbing together while at the same time protecting the spinal cord. Nerves come from and go to the spinal cord through specific openings between the vertebrae, providing the skin with sensations and messages to muscles. Stability of the spine is provided by the ligaments and muscles of the back and abdomen. Small joints called facet joints limit and direct the motion of the spine. The multifidus muscles run up and down along the back of the spine, and are important for keeping the spine straight and stable during many common movements such as sitting, walking and lifting. A problem with these muscles is often found in someone with chronic low back pain, because the back pain causes the person to use the back muscles improperly in trying to avoid the pain. The problem with the multifidus muscles continues even after the pain goes away, and is probably an important reason why the pain comes back. Teaching people with chronic low back pain how to use these muscles is recommended as part of a recovery program. An intervertebral disc has a gelatinous core surrounded by a fibrous ring. When in its normal, uninjured state, most of the disc is not served by either the circulatory or nervous systems – blood and nerves only run to the outside of the disc. Specialized cells that can survive without direct blood supply are in the inside of the disc. Over time, the discs lose flexibility and the ability to absorb physical forces. This decreased ability to handle physical forces increases stresses on other parts of the spine, causing the ligaments of the spine to thicken and bony growths to develop on the vertebrae. As a result, there is less space through which the spinal cord and nerve roots may pass. When a disc degenerates as a result of injury or disease, the makeup of a disc changes: blood vessels and nerves may grow into its interior and/or herniated disc material can push directly on a nerve root. Any of these changes may result in back pain. Pain is generally an unpleasant feeling in response to an event that either damages or can potentially damage the body's tissues. There are four main steps in the process of feeling pain: transduction, transmission, perception, and modulation. The nerve cells that detect pain have cell bodies located in the dorsal root ganglia and fibers that transmit these signals to the spinal cord. The process of pain sensation starts when the pain-causing event triggers the endings of appropriate sensory nerve cells. This type of cell converts the event into an electrical signal by transduction. Several different types of nerve fibers carry out the transmission of the electrical signal from the transducing cell to the posterior horn of spinal cord, from there to the brain stem, and then from the brain stem to the various parts of the brain such as the thalamus and the limbic system. In the brain, the pain signals are processed and given context in the process of pain perception. Through modulation, the brain can modify the sending of further nerve impulses by decreasing or increasing the release of neurotransmitters. Parts of the pain sensation and processing system may not function properly; creating the feeling of pain when no outside cause exists, signaling too much pain from a particular cause, or signaling pain from a normally non-painful event. Additionally, the pain modulation mechanisms may not function properly. These phenomena are involved in chronic pain. As the structure of the back is complex and the reporting of pain is subjective and affected by social factors, the diagnosis of low back pain is not straightforward. While most low back pain is caused by muscle and joint problems, this cause must be separated from neurological problems, spinal tumors, fracture of the spine, and infections, among others. There are a number of ways to classify low back pain with no consensus that any one method is best. There are three general types of low back pain by cause: mechanical back pain (including nonspecific musculoskeletal strains, herniated discs, compressed nerve roots, degenerative discs or joint disease, and broken vertebra), non-mechanical back pain (tumors, inflammatory conditions such as spondyloarthritis, and infections), and referred pain from internal organs (gallbladder disease, kidney stones, kidney infections, and aortic aneurysm, among others). Mechanical or musculoskeletal problems underlie most cases (around 90% or more), and of those, most (around 75%) do not have a specific cause identified, but are thought to be due to muscle strain or injury to ligaments. Rarely, complaints of low back pain result from systemic or psychological problems, such as fibromyalgia and somatoform disorders. Low back pain may be classified based on the signs and symptoms. Diffuse pain that does not change in response to particular movements, and is localized to the lower back without radiating beyond the buttocks, is classified as nonspecific, the most common classification. Pain that radiates down the leg below the knee, is located on one side (in the case of disc herniation), or is on both sides (in spinal stenosis), and changes in severity in response to certain positions or maneuvers is radicular, making up 7% of cases. Pain that is accompanied by red flags such as trauma, fever, a history of cancer or significant muscle weakness may indicate a more serious underlying problem and is classified as needing urgent or specialized attention. The symptoms can also be classified by duration as acute, sub-chronic (also known as sub-acute), or chronic. The specific duration required to meet each of these is not universally agreed upon, but generally pain lasting less than six weeks is classified as acute, pain lasting six to twelve weeks is sub-chronic, and more than twelve weeks is chronic. Management and prognosis may change based on the duration of symptoms. The presence of certain signs, termed red flags, indicate the need for further testing to look for more serious underlying problems, which may require immediate or specific treatment. The presence of a red flag does not mean that there is a significant problem. It is only suggestive, and most people with red flags have no serious underlying problem. If no red flags are present, performing diagnostic imaging or laboratory testing in the first four weeks after the start of the symptoms has not been shown to be useful. The usefulness of many red flags are poorly supported by evidence. The most useful for detecting a fracture are: older age, corticosteroid use, and significant trauma especially if it results in skin markings. The best determinant of the presence of cancer is a history of the same. With other causes ruled out, people with non-specific low back pain are typically treated symptomatically, without exact determination of the cause. Efforts to uncover factors that might complicate the diagnosis, such as depression, substance abuse, or an agenda concerning insurance payments may be helpful. Imaging is indicated when there are red flags, ongoing neurological symptoms that do not resolve, or ongoing or worsening pain. In particular, early use of imaging (either MRI or CT) is recommended for suspected cancer, infection, or cauda equina syndrome. MRI is slightly better than CT for identifying disc disease; the two technologies are equally useful for diagnosing spinal stenosis. Only a few physical diagnostic tests are helpful. The straight leg raise test is almost always positive in those with disc herniation. Lumbar provocative discography may be useful to identify a specific disc causing pain in those with chronic high levels of low back pain. Similarly, therapeutic procedures such as nerve blocks can be used to determine a specific source of pain. Some evidence supports the use of facet joint injections, transforminal epidural injections and sacroilliac injections as diagnostic tests. Most other physical tests, such as evaluating for scoliosis, muscle weakness or wasting, and impaired reflexes, are of little use. Complaints of low back pain are one of the most common reasons people visit doctors. For pain that has lasted only a few weeks, the pain is likely to subside on its own. Thus, if a person's medical history and physical examination do not suggest a specific disease as the cause, medical societies advise against imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. Individuals may want such tests but, unless red flags are present, they are unnecessary health care. Routine imaging increases costs, is associated with higher rates of surgery with no overall benefit, and the radiation used may be harmful to one's health. Fewer than 1% of imaging tests identify the cause of the problem. Imaging may also detect harmless abnormalities, encouraging people to request further unnecessary testing or to worry. Even so, MRI scans of the lumbar region increased by more than 300% among United States Medicare beneficiaries from 1994 to 2006. Management of low back pain depends on which of the three general categories is the cause: mechanical problems, non-mechanical problems, or referred pain. For acute pain that is causing only mild to moderate problems, the goals are to restore normal function, return the individual to work, and minimize pain. The condition is normally not serious, resolves without much being done, and recovery is helped by attempting to return to normal activities as soon as possible within the limits of pain. Providing individuals with coping skills through reassurance of these facts is useful in speeding recovery. For those with sub-chronic or chronic low back pain, multidisciplinary treatment programs may help. Initial management with non–medication based treatments is recommended, with NSAIDs used if these are not sufficiently effective. Increasing general physical activity has been recommended, but no clear relationship to pain or disability has been found when used for the treatment of an acute episode of pain. For acute pain, low- to moderate-quality evidence supports walking. Treatment according to McKenzie method is somewhat effective for recurrent acute low back pain, but its benefit in the short term does not appear significant. There is tentative evidence to support the use of heat therapy for acute and sub-chronic low back pain but little evidence for the use of either heat or cold therapy in chronic pain. Weak evidence suggests that back belts might decrease the number of missed workdays, but there is nothing to suggest that they will help with the pain. Ultrasound and shock wave therapies do not appear effective and therefore are not recommended. Lumbar traction lacks effectiveness as an intervention for radicular low back pain. Exercise therapy is effective in decreasing pain and improving function for those with chronic low back pain. It also appears to reduce recurrence rates for as long as six months after the completion of program and improves long-term function. There is no evidence that one particular type of exercise therapy is more effective than another. The Alexander technique appears useful for chronic back pain, and there is tentative evidence to support the use of yoga. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has not been found to be effective in chronic low back pain. Evidence for the use of shoe insoles as a treatment is inconclusive. Peripheral nerve stimulation, a minimally-invasive procedure, may be useful in cases of chronic low back pain that do not respond to other measures, although the evidence supporting it is not conclusive, and it is not effective for pain that radiates into the leg. The management of low back pain often includes medications for the duration that they are beneficial. With the first episode of low back pain the hope is a complete cure; however, if the problem becomes chronic, the goals may change to pain management and the recovery of as much function as possible. As pain medications are only somewhat effective, expectations regarding their benefit may differ from reality, and this can lead to decreased satisfaction. The medication typically recommended first are NSAIDs (though not aspirin) or skeletal muscle relaxants and these are enough for most people. Benefits with NSAIDs; however, is often small. High-quality reviews have found acetaminophen (paracetamol) to be no more effective than placebo at improving pain, quality of life, or function. NSAIDs are more effective for acute episodes than acetaminophen; however, they carry a greater risk of side effects including: kidney failure, stomach ulcers and possibly heart problems. Thus, NSAIDs are a second choice to acetaminophen, recommended only when the pain is not handled by the latter. NSAIDs are available in several different classes; there is no evidence to support the use of COX-2 inhibitors over any other class of NSAIDs with respect to benefits. With respect to safety naproxen may be best. Muscle relaxants may be beneficial. If the pain is still not managed adequately, short term use of opioids such as morphine may be useful. These medications carry a risk of addiction, may have negative interactions with other drugs, and have a greater risk of side effects, including dizziness, nausea, and constipation. The effect of long term use of opioids for lower back pain is unknown. Opioid treatment for chronic low back pain increases the risk for lifetime illicit drug use. Specialist groups advise against general long-term use of opioids for chronic low back pain. As of 2016, the CDC has released a guideline for prescribed opioid use in the management of chronic pain. It states that opioid use is not the preferred treatment when managing chronic pain due to the excessive risks involved. If prescribed, a person and their clinician should have a realistic plan to discontinue its use in the event that the risks outweigh the benefit. For older people with chronic pain, opioids may be used in those for whom NSAIDs present too great a risk, including those with diabetes, stomach or heart problems. They may also be useful for a select group of people with neuropathic pain. Antidepressants may be effective for treating chronic pain associated with symptoms of depression, but they have a risk of side effects. Although the antiseizure drugs gabapentin, pregabalin, and topiramate are sometimes used for chronic low back pain evidence does not support a benefit. Systemic oral steroids have not been shown to be useful in low back pain. Facet joint injections and steroid injections into the discs have not been found to be effective in those with persistent, non-radiating pain; however, they may be considered for those with persistent sciatic pain. Epidural corticosteroid injections provide a slight and questionable short-term improvement in those with sciatica but are of no long term benefit. There are also concerns of potential side effects. Surgery may be useful in those with a herniated disc that is causing significant pain radiating into the leg, significant leg weakness, bladder problems, or loss of bowel control. It may also be useful in those with spinal stenosis. In the absence of these issues, there is no clear evidence of a benefit from surgery. Discectomy (the partial removal of a disc that is causing leg pain) can provide pain relief sooner than nonsurgical treatments. Discectomy has better outcomes at one year but not at four to ten years. The less invasive microdiscectomy has not been shown to result in a different outcome than regular discectomy. For most other conditions, there is not enough evidence to provide recommendations for surgical options. The long-term effect surgery has on degenerative disc disease is not clear. Less invasive surgical options have improved recovery times, but evidence regarding effectiveness is insufficient. It is unclear if among those with non-chronic back pain alternative treatments are useful. For chiropractic care or spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) it is unclear if it improves outcomes more or less than other treatments. Some reviews find that SMT results in equal or better improvements in pain and function when compared with other commonly used interventions for short, intermediate, and long-term follow-up; other reviews find it to be no more effective in reducing pain than either inert interventions, sham manipulation, or other treatments, and conclude that adding SMT to other treatments does improve outcomes. National guidelines reach different conclusions, with some not recommending spinal manipulation, some describing manipulation as optional, and others recommending a short course for those who do not improve with other treatments. A 2017 review recommended spinal manipulation based on low quality evidence. Manipulation under anaesthesia, or medically assisted manipulation, has not enough evidence to make any confident recommendation. Acupuncture is no better than placebo, usual care, or sham acupuncture for nonspecific acute pain or sub-chronic pain. For those with chronic pain, it improves pain a little more than no treatment and about the same as medications, but it does not help with disability. This pain benefit is only present right after treatment and not at follow-up. Acupuncture may be a reasonable method to try for those with chronic pain that does not respond to other treatments like conservative care and medications. Massage therapy does not appear to provide much benefit for acute low back pain. A 2015 Cochrane review found that for acute low back pain massage therapy was better than no treatment for pain only in the short-term. There was no effect for improving function. For chronic low back pain massage therapy was no better than no treatment for both pain and function, though only in the short-term. The overall quality of the evidence was low and the authors conclude that massage therapy is generally not an effective treatment for low back pain. Prolotherapy – the practice of injecting solutions into joints (or other areas) to cause inflammation and thereby stimulate the body's healing response – has not been found to be effective by itself, although it may be helpful when added to another therapy. Herbal medicines, as a whole, are poorly supported by evidence. The herbal treatments Devil's claw and white willow may reduce the number of individuals reporting high levels of pain; however, for those taking pain relievers, this difference is not significant. Capsicum, in the form of either a gel or a plaster cast, has been found to reduce pain and increase function. Behavioral therapy may be useful for chronic pain. There are several types available, including operant conditioning, which uses reinforcement to reduce undesirable behaviors and increase desirable behaviors; cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps people identify and correct negative thinking and behavior; and respondent conditioning, which can modify an individual's physiological response to pain. The benefit however is small. Medical providers may develop an integrated program of behavioral therapies. The evidence is inconclusive as to whether mindfulness-based stress reduction reduces chronic back pain intensity or associated disability, although it suggests that it may be useful in improving the acceptance of existing pain. Tentative evidence supports neuroreflexotherapy (NRT), in which small pieces of metal are placed just under the skin of the ear and back, for non-specific low back pain. Overall, the outcome for acute low back pain is positive. Pain and disability usually improve a great deal in the first six weeks, with complete recovery reported by 40 to 90%. In those who still have symptoms after six weeks, improvement is generally slower with only small gains up to one year. At one year, pain and disability levels are low to minimal in most people. Distress, previous low back pain, and job satisfaction are predictors of long-term outcome after an episode of acute pain. Certain psychological problems such as depression, or unhappiness due to loss of employment may prolong the episode of low back pain. Following a first episode of back pain, recurrences occur in more than half of people. For persistent low back pain, the short-term outcome is also positive, with improvement in the first six weeks but very little improvement after that. At one year, those with chronic low back pain usually continue to have moderate pain and disability. People at higher risk of long-term disability include those with poor coping skills or with fear of activity (2.5 times more likely to have poor outcomes at one year), those with a poor ability to cope with pain, functional impairments, poor general health, or a significant psychiatric or psychological component to the pain (Waddell's signs). Low back pain that lasts at least one day and limits activity is a common complaint. Globally, about 40% of people have LBP at some point in their lives, with estimates as high as 80% of people in the developed world. Approximately 9 to 12% of people (632 million) have LBP at any given point in time, and nearly one quarter (23.2%) report having it at some point over any one-month period. Difficulty most often begins between 20 and 40 years of age. Low back pain is more common among people aged 40–80 years, with the overall number of individuals affected expected to increase as the population ages. It is not clear whether men or women have higher rates of low back pain. A 2012 review reported a rate of 9.6% among males and 8.7% among females. Another 2012 review found a higher rate in females than males, which the reviewers felt was possibly due to greater rates of pains due to osteoporosis, menstruation, and pregnancy among women, or possibly because women were more willing to report pain than men. An estimated 70% of women experience back pain during pregnancy with the rate being higher the further along in pregnancy. Current smokers – and especially those who are adolescents – are more likely to have low back pain than former smokers, and former smokers are more likely to have low back pain than those who have never smoked. Low back pain has been with humans since at least the Bronze Age. The oldest known surgical treatise – the Edwin Smith Papyrus, dating to about 1500 BCE – describes a diagnostic test and treatment for a vertebral sprain. Hippocrates (c. 460 BCE – c. 370 BCE) was the first to use a term for sciatic pain and low back pain; Galen (active mid to late second century CE) described the concept in some detail. Physicians through the end of the first millennium did not attempt back surgery and recommended watchful waiting. Through the Medieval period, folk medicine practitioners provided treatments for back pain based on the belief that it was caused by spirits. Emerging technologies such as X-rays gave physicians new diagnostic tools, revealing the intervertebral disc as a source for back pain in some cases. In 1938, orthopedic surgeon Joseph S. Barr reported on cases of disc-related sciatica improved or cured with back surgery. As a result of this work, in the 1940s, the vertebral disc model of low back pain took over, dominating the literature through the 1980s, aiding further by the rise of new imaging technologies such as CT and MRI. The discussion subsided as research showed disc problems to be a relatively uncommon cause of the pain. Since then, physicians have come to realize that it is unlikely that a specific cause for low back pain can be identified in many cases and question the need to find one at all as most of the time symptoms resolve within 6 to 12 weeks regardless of treatment. Low back pain results in large economic costs. In the United States, it is the most common type of pain in adults, responsible for a large number of missed work days, and is the most common musculoskeletal complaint seen in the emergency department. In 1998, it was estimated to be responsible for $90 billion in annual health care costs, with 5% of individuals incurring most (75%) of the costs. Between 1990 and 2001 there was a more than twofold increase in spinal fusion surgeries in the US, despite the fact that there were no changes to the indications for surgery or new evidence of greater usefulness. Further costs occur in the form of lost income and productivity, with low back pain responsible for 40% of all missed work days in the United States. Low back pain causes disability in a larger percentage of the workforce in Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden than in the US or Germany. Workers who experience acute low back pain as a result of a work injury may be asked by their employers to have x-rays. As in other cases, testing is not indicated unless red flags are present. An employer's concern about legal liability is not a medical indication and should not be used to justify medical testing when it is not indicated. There should be no legal reason for encouraging people to have tests which a health care provider determines are not indicated. Total disc replacement is an experimental option, but no significant evidence supports its use over lumbar fusion. 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"Appropriate use of diagnostic imaging in low back pain: a reminder that unnecessary imaging may do as much harm as good". J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 41 (11): 838–46. doi:10.2519/jospt.2011.3618. PMID 21642763. ^ a b c Steffens, Daniel; Maher, Chris G.; Pereira, Leani S. M.; Stevens, Matthew L; Oliveira, Vinicius C.; Chapple, Meredith; Teixeira-Salmela, Luci F.; Hancock, Mark J. (11 January 2016). "Prevention of Low Back Pain". JAMA Internal Medicine. 176 (2): 199–208. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.7431. PMID 26752509. ^ Chou R, Qaseem A, Snow V, et al. (October 2007). "Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain: a joint clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society". Annals of Internal Medicine. 147 (7): 478–91. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-147-7-200710020-00006. PMID 17909209. ^ a b c Guild DG (September 2012). "Mechanical therapy for low back pain". Prim. Care. 39 (3): 511–6. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2012.06.006. PMID 22958560. ^ a b Sahar T, Cohen MJ, Uval-Ne'eman V, et al. (April 2009). "Insoles for prevention and treatment of back pain: a systematic review within the framework of the Cochrane Collaboration Back Review Group". Spine. 34 (9): 924–33. doi:10.1097/BRS.0b013e31819f29be. PMID 19359999. ^ Sprouse R (September 2012). "Treatment: current treatment recommendations for acute and chronic undifferentiated low back pain". Prim. Care. 39 (3): 481–6. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2012.06.004. PMID 22958557. ^ Momsen AM, Rasmussen JO, Nielsen CV, Iversen MD, Lund H (November 2012). "Multidisciplinary team care in rehabilitation: an overview of reviews". J Rehabil Med. 44 (11): 901–12. doi:10.2340/16501977-1040. PMID 23026978. ^ Hendrick P, Milosavljevic S, Hale L, et al. (March 2011). "The relationship between physical activity and low back pain outcomes: a systematic review of observational studies". Eur Spine J. 20 (3): 464–74. doi:10.1007/s00586-010-1616-2. PMC 3048226. PMID 21053026. ^ Hendrick P, Te Wake AM, Tikkisetty AS, Wulff L, Yap C, Milosavljevic S (October 2010). "The effectiveness of walking as an intervention for low back pain: a systematic review". Eur Spine J. 19 (10): 1613–20. doi:10.1007/s00586-010-1412-z. PMC 2989236. PMID 20414688. ^ French, SD.; Cameron, M.; Walker, BF.; Reggars, JW.; Esterman, AJ. (2006). "Superficial heat or cold for low back pain". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (1): CD004750. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004750.pub2. PMID 16437495. ^ a b van Middelkoop M, Rubinstein SM, Kuijpers T, Verhagen AP, Ostelo R, Koes BW, van Tulder MW (2011). "A systematic review on the effectiveness of physical and rehabilitation interventions for chronic non-specific low back pain". Eur Spine J. 20 (1): 19–39. doi:10.1007/s00586-010-1518-3. PMC 3036018. PMID 20640863. ^ Seco J, Kovacs FM, Urrutia G (October 2011). "The efficacy, safety, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of ultrasound and shock wave therapies for low back pain: a systematic review". Spine J. 11 (10): 966–77. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2011.02.002. PMID 21482199. ^ Ebadi, S.; Henschke, N.; Nakhostin Ansari, N.; Fallah, E.; van Tulder, MW. (2014). "Therapeutic ultrasound for chronic low-back pain". Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 3 (3): CD009169. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD009169.pub2. PMID 24627326. ^ Chou, Roger; Deyo, Richard; Friedly, Janna; Skelly, Andrea; Hashimoto, Robin; Weimer, Melissa; Fu, Rochelle; Dana, Tracy; Kraegel, Paul (2016). Noninvasive Treatments for Low Back Pain. AHRQ Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US). PMID 26985522. ^ Smith C, Grimmer-Somers K (2010). "The treatment effect of exercise programmes for chronic low back pain". J Eval Clin Pract. 16 (3): 484–91. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2753.2009.01174.x. PMID 20438611. ^ van Middelkoop M, Rubinstein SM, Verhagen AP, Ostelo RW, Koes BW, van Tulder MW (2010). "Exercise therapy for chronic nonspecific low-back pain". Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 24 (2): 193–204. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2010.01.002. PMID 20227641. ^ Woodman, JP; Moore, NR (January 2012). "Evidence for the effectiveness of Alexander Technique lessons in medical and health-related conditions: a systematic review". International Journal of Clinical Practice. 66 (1): 98–112. doi:10.1111/j.1742-1241.2011.02817.x. PMID 22171910. ^ Posadzki, P; Ernst, E (September 2011). "Yoga for low back pain: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials". Clinical Rheumatology. 30 (9): 1257–62. doi:10.1007/s10067-011-1764-8. PMID 21590293. ^ Dubinsky, R. M.; Miyasaki, J. (2009). "Assessment: Efficacy of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation in the treatment of pain in neurologic disorders (an evidence-based review): Report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology". Neurology. 74 (2): 173–6. doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181c918fc. PMID 20042705. ^ Nizard J, Raoul S, Nguyen JP, Lefaucheur JP (October 2012). "Invasive stimulation therapies for the treatment of refractory pain". Discov Med. 14 (77): 237–46. PMID 23114579. ^ Machado, GC; Maher, CG; Ferreira, PH; Oday, R (2017). "Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for spinal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis". Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 76 (7): annrheumdis–2016–210597. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-210597. PMID 28153830. ^ Saragiotto, BT; Machado, GC; et al. (June 2016). "Paracetamol for low back pain". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (6): CD012230. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012230. PMID 27271789. ^ Machado, GC; Maher, CG; Ferreira, PH; Pinheiro, MB; Lin, CW; Day, RO; McLachlan, AJ; Ferreira, ML (31 March 2015). "Efficacy and safety of paracetamol for spinal pain and osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo controlled trials". BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.). 350: h1225. doi:10.1136/bmj.h1225. PMC 4381278. PMID 25828856. ^ Machado, Gustavo C; Maher, Chris G; Ferreira, Paulo H; Day, Richard O; Pinheiro, Marina B; Ferreira, Manuela L (2 February 2017). "Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for spinal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis". Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 76 (7): annrheumdis–2016–210597. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-210597. PMID 28153830. ^ Enthoven, WT; Roelofs, PD; Deyo, RA; van Tulder, MW; Koes, BW (10 February 2016). "Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for chronic low back pain". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2: CD012087. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD012087. PMID 26863524. ^ Chaparro, LE; Furlan, AD; Deshpande, A; Mailis-Gagnon, A; Atlas, S; Turk, DC (Apr 1, 2014). "Opioids compared with placebo or other treatments for chronic low back pain: an update of the Cochrane Review". Spine. 39 (7): 556–63. doi:10.1097/BRS.0000000000000249. PMID 24480962. ^ Abdel Shaheed, C; Maher, CG; Williams, KA; Day, R; McLachlan, AJ (1 July 2016). "Efficacy, Tolerability, and Dose-Dependent Effects of Opioid Analgesics for Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis". JAMA Internal Medicine. 176 (7): 958–68. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.1251. PMID 27213267. ^ Shmagel, Anna; Krebs, Erin; Ensrud, Kristine; Foley, Robert (2016-09-01). "Illicit Substance Use in US Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain". SPINE. 41 (17): 1372–1377. doi:10.1097/brs.0000000000001702. ISSN 0362-2436. PMC 5002230. PMID 27438382. ^ Franklin, G. M. (29 September 2014). "Opioids for chronic noncancer pain: A position paper of the American Academy of Neurology". Neurology. 83 (14): 1277–1284. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000000839. PMID 25267983. ^ a b Dowell, Deborah; Haegerich, Tamara M.; Chou, Roger (2016). "CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain — United States, 2016". MMWR. Recommendations and Reports. 65 (1): 1–49. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr6501e1. ISSN 1057-5987. PMID 26987082. ^ de Leon-Casasola OA (March 2013). "Opioids for chronic pain: new evidence, new strategies, safe prescribing". Am. J. Med. 126 (3 Suppl 1): S3–11. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2012.11.011. PMID 23414718. ^ Enke, Oliver; New, Heather A.; New, Charles H.; Mathieson, Stephanie; McLachlan, Andrew J.; Latimer, Jane; Maher, Christopher G.; Lin, C.-W. Christine (2 July 2018). "Anticonvulsants in the treatment of low back pain and lumbar radicular pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis". Canadian Medical Association Journal. 190 (26): E786–E793. doi:10.1503/cmaj.171333. PMC 6028270. PMID 29970367. ^ Chou R, Loeser JD, Owens DK, Rosenquist RW, Atlas SJ, Baisden J, Carragee EJ, Grabois M, Murphy DR, Resnick DK, Stanos SP, Shaffer WO, Wall EM, American Pain Society Low Back Pain Guideline Panel (2009). "Interventional therapies, surgery, and interdisciplinary rehabilitation for low back pain: An evidence-based clinical practice guideline from the American Pain Society". Spine. 34 (10): 1066–77. doi:10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181a1390d. PMID 19363457. ^ Pinto, RZ; Maher, CG; Ferreira, ML; Hancock, M; Oliveira, VC; McLachlan, AJ; Koes, B; Ferreira, PH (18 December 2012). "Epidural corticosteroid injections in the management of sciatica: a systematic review and meta-analysis". Annals of Internal Medicine. 157 (12): 865–77. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-157-12-201212180-00564. PMID 23362516. ^ "Epidural Corticosteroid Injection: Drug Safety Communication - Risk of Rare But Serious Neurologic Problems". FDA. 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014. ^ Lee, CS; Hwang, CJ; Lee, DH; Kim, YT; Lee, HS (March 2011). "Fusion rates of instrumented lumbar spinal arthrodesis according to surgical approach: a systematic review of randomized trials". Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery. 3 (1): 39–47. doi:10.4055/cios.2011.3.1.39. PMC 3042168. PMID 21369477. ^ Rothberg, S; Friedman, BW (January 2017). "Complementary therapies in addition to medication for patients with nonchronic, nonradicular low back pain: a systematic review". The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 35 (1): 55–61. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2016.10.001. PMID 27751598. ^ Paige, Neil M.; Miake-Lye, Isomi M.; Booth, Marika Suttorp; Beroes, Jessica M.; Mardian, Aram S.; Dougherty, Paul; Branson, Richard; Tang, Baron; Morton, Sally C.; Shekelle, Paul G. (11 April 2017). "Association of Spinal Manipulative Therapy With Clinical Benefit and Harm for Acute Low Back Pain". JAMA. 317 (14): 1451–1460. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.3086. PMC 5470352. PMID 28399251. ^ Dagenais, S; Mayer, J; Wooley, J; Haldeman, S (2008). "Evidence-informed management of chronic low back pain with medicine-assisted manipulation". The Spine Journal. 8 (1): 142–9. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2007.09.010. PMID 18164462. ^ a b c Furlan AD, Yazdi F, Tsertsvadze A, Gross A, Van Tulder M, Santaguida L, Gagnier J, Ammendolia C, Dryden T, Doucette S, Skidmore B, Daniel R, Ostermann T, Tsouros S (2012). "A systematic review and meta-analysis of efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and safety of selected complementary and alternative medicine for neck and low-back pain". Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2012: 1–61. doi:10.1155/2012/953139. PMC 3236015. PMID 22203884. ^ Lin CW, Haas M, Maher CG, Machado LA, van Tulder MW (July 2011). "Cost-effectiveness of guideline-endorsed treatments for low back pain: a systematic review". Eur Spine J. 20 (7): 1024–38. doi:10.1007/s00586-010-1676-3. PMC 3176706. PMID 21229367. ^ a b c d Furlan, Andrea D.; Giraldo, Mario; Baskwill, Amanda; Irvin, Emma; Imamura, Marta (1 September 2015). "Massage for low-back pain". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (9): CD001929. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001929.pub3. ISSN 1469-493X. PMID 26329399. ^ Gagnier, JJ; Oltean, H; van Tulder, MW; Berman, BM; Bombardier, C; Robbins, CB (January 2016). "Herbal Medicine for Low Back Pain: A Cochrane Review". Spine. 41 (2): 116–33. doi:10.1097/brs.0000000000001310. PMID 26630428. ^ Cherkin, DC; Herman, PM (1 April 2018). "Cognitive and Mind-Body Therapies for Chronic Low Back Pain and Neck Pain: Effectiveness and Value". JAMA Internal Medicine. 178 (4): 556–557. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.0113. PMID 29507946. ^ Cramer H, Haller H, Lauche R, Dobos G (2012). "Mindfulness-based stress reduction for low back pain. A systematic review". BMC Complement Altern Med. 12: 162. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-162. PMC 3520871. PMID 23009599. ^ Anheyer, D; Haller, H; Barth, J; Lauche, R; Dobos, G; Cramer, H (6 June 2017). "Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Treating Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis". Annals of Internal Medicine. 166 (11): 799–807. doi:10.7326/M16-1997. PMID 28437793. ^ Urrútia G, Burton K, Morral A, Bonfill X, Zanoli G (March 2005). "Neuroreflexotherapy for nonspecific low back pain: a systematic review". Spine. 30 (6): E148–53. doi:10.1097/01.brs.0000155575.85223.14. PMID 15770167. ^ Marlowe, D (September 2012). "Complementary and alternative medicine treatments for low back pain". Primary Care. 39 (3): 533–46. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2012.06.008. PMID 22958563. ^ a b Chou, R; Shekelle, P (2010). "Will this patient develop persistent disabling low back pain?". JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 303 (13): 1295–302. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.344. PMID 20371789. ^ Cunningham, F (2009). Williams Obstetrics (23 ed.). McGraw Hill Professional. p. 210. ISBN 9780071702850. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. ^ Shiri R, Karppinen J, Leino-Arjas P, Solovieva S, Viikari-Juntura E (January 2010). "The association between smoking and low back pain: a meta-analysis". Am. J. Med. 123 (1): 87.e7–35. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2009.05.028. PMID 20102998. ^ a b c d e Maharty DC (September 2012). "The history of lower back pain: a look "back" through the centuries". Prim. Care. 39 (3): 463–70. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2012.06.002. PMID 22958555. ^ a b c d e Lutz GK, Butzlaff M, Schultz-Venrath U (August 2003). "Looking back on back pain: trial and error of diagnoses in the 20th century". Spine. 28 (16): 1899–905. doi:10.1097/01.BRS.0000083365.41261.CF. PMID 12923482. Talmage, J; Belcourt, R; Galper, J; et al. (2011). "Low back disorders". In Kurt T. Hegmann. Occupational medicine practice guidelines : evaluation and management of common health problems and functional recovery in workers (3rd ed.). Elk Grove Village, IL: American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. pp. 336, 373, 376–377. ISBN 978-0615452272. This page was last edited on 4 January 2019, at 07:27 (UTC).

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http://www.let.rug.nl/~gosse/termpedia2/termpedia.php?language=dutch_general&density=7&link_color=000000&termpedia_system=perl_db&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FLower_back_pain

If there is a scene that epitomizes the West in early movies and song, it is that of the dusty trail. Cattle drives and wagon trains are accompanied by prevalent, pervasive dust. If there is anything that can be readily created in the West, it is dust. Today, dust (also known as particulate matter) is an unwelcome and unhealthy feature of poor stewardship of our lands. While dust from disturbed lands is predictable, it is also preventable. The Maricopa County Air Quality Department’s (department) Rule 310—Fugitive Dust from Dust- Generating Operations is a comprehensive set of regulations that, when properly implemented, will dramatically reduce dust emissions and improve air quality. The need for improved air quality for particulates is urgently important in Maricopa County. While air quality is often good to excellent, the number of days that do not meet or approach the particulate air quality standard established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are far too many and leave the region in nonattainment. The result of unhealthful air quality on far too many days is the imposition of stringent controls designed to curtail and control emissions. Rule 310 is a critical element in Maricopa County’s strategy to achieve improved air quality, and broad compliance with the Rule’s provisions is essential. The department has instituted an aggressive program to monitor compliance with the Rule, and strict enforcement is leading to reduced dust emissions. Every approach to improving air quality comes with a learning curve. Rule 310 imposes requirements and opportunities for interpretation under a variety of scenarios. In developing this handbook, the department has reached out to those most affected and asked for and received their input. The intent of this handbook is to craft a practical guide offering a comprehensive overview of how the Rule 310 is interpreted that will be useful and used—a document that will become dog-eared and tattered through frequent reference. The PM-10 nonattainment area includes a substantial portion of Maricopa County that includes most of the metropolitan Phoenix area. This area has been deemed a “nonattainment” area for air quality by the EPA and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). The PM-10 nonattainment area exceeds the acceptable national standard for PM-10 pollution levels. PM-10 (particulate matter 10 microns, or smaller, in diameter) includes dust, soot, and other tiny bits of solid material that are released into and move around in the air. PM-10 is produced by many sources, including exhaust from cars, trucks, buses, and planes; industrial sources like power plants; fugitive dust sources like construction, mining, and agricultural activities; as well as fuel combustion like the operation of fireplaces and wood stoves. Area A differs from the PM-10 nonattainment area. Within Area A, clean-burning gasoline measures (emissions testing; summer and winter fuel formulations) are applicable. The boundary has been used by many other state statues, rules, and ordinances (such as residential wood-burning) as the area of applicability for those respective regulations. Although Indian communities are found within the borders of Maricopa County, the department has no jurisdiction over them, because they are considered sovereign nations. This handbook does not apply to developments in Pinal County. Additionally, normal agricultural practices are under the jurisdiction of ADEQ, not Maricopa County. Construction activities on agricultural land are subject to Rule 310. Rule 310 applies to all of Maricopa County regardless of whether a site is located in the PM-10 nonattainment area or Area A (two related but distinct designations). The purpose of this handbook is to provide a practical guide offering a comprehensive overview of the department’s policies and interpretations of Rule 310. The intent is that this guide will be useful and used. The handbook is organized to respond to topical questions and it is structured to provide answers to the most commonly encountered compliance challenges. The department has also produced the Dust Abatement Field Guide for the Construction Industry, a pocket-sized, quick reference designed to provide information about how to comply with Rule 310 in the field. While not as comprehensive as this handbook, the Field Guide is a durable, reliable, and brief summary of the most important points that designated site representatives and workers in the field should know about Rule 310. This Dust Abatement Handbook and the related Field Guide are provided to assist in better understanding the provisions of Maricopa County Air Quality Department’s Rule 310—Fugitive Dust From Dust Generating Operations. The contents of this handbook and the Field Guide should not be viewed as the definitite statement of the Rule and how to achieve compliance. Where the clear language of Rule 310 and any formally issued policy related to Rule 310 conflicts with this handbook or the Field Guide, Rule 310 and the policy will prevail. The user of this handbook should clearly understand that the discussion contained in this document is not binding. The Rule itself should be relied upon for a final determination of compliance. This handbook is not intended to serve as an alternative to Rule 310 which is, by itself, the definitite statement of dust-control requirements. This document is expected to be updated from time to time. If you identify any area that requires clarification, please let us know. Send your comments to [email protected]. You may wish to check the website from time to time to see if any revisions are posted. Rule 310 is available online at http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/divisions/planning_analysis/rules/docs/310-1001.pdf. Rule 310 is also an appendix to this document. This handbook and the related field guide were developed in 2009 in a collaborative effort between the regulated community and the Maricopa County Air Quality Department. The basic document was developed by an internal working group within the Department and review and comment was provided by an external working group. The external working group was comprised of members of the regulated community who will rely on the contents of this handbook and field guide to improve compliance with Rule 310. Additional support was provided by Logan Simpson Design, Inc., working under contract with the department. When a reference to a period of days is mentioned, it will mean calendar days unless otherwise specified. It is recommended that this document be printed in color to allow all graphical features to be seen. The reference to the Control Officer in the document refers to the Director of the Air Quality Department. Because air quality in the greater metropolitan Phoenix area does not meet air quality standards for PM-10, it is necessary to a have a comprehensive program to control PM-10 air pollution. Maricopa County’s Rule 310 – Fugitive Dust from Dust-Generating Operations, was developed to provide part of this comprehensive program. Rule 310 is a county-wide rule and can be enforced in any portion of Maricopa County. Rule 310 also applies regardless of whether a site is located in the PM-10 Nonattainment Area or Area A (two related but distinct designations). Rule 310 applies to any construction activity that results in soil disturbance. While a few activities are exempt, a good rule of thumb is to assume that the activity you are planning is covered by Rule 310 until you confirm otherwise. The following activities are definitely covered: Land clearing using mechanized equipment, earthmoving, weed abatement by discing or blading, excavation, construction, demolition, bulk material handling, storage and or transporation operations, operating outdoor equipment, using staging areas, parking areas, haul and access roads, disturbing surface areas associated with a project site and installing initial landscaping or landscape maintenance using mechanized equipment. Rule 316 - Nonmetallic Mineral Processing is another rule that applies a separate set of dust control requirements on specific activities. Although many features are similar, there are distinct differences. Although tribal communities are found within the borders of Maricopa County, the department has no jurisdiction over them because they are legally considered sovereign nations. Note: check with tribal governments as some have their own dust control requirements. This handbook does not apply to developments in Pinal County. Additionally, normal agricultural practices are under the jurisdiction of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), not Maricopa County. A tenth of an acre is a relatively small amount of land. Most custom home residential projects will easily fall under the criteria to have a permit. Construction activities that take place on agricultural lands are subject to Rule 310. For example, construction of a new food processing warehouse on farmland would be covered and a permit required if the surface area disturbed met or exceeded 0.1 acre. Also, trackout originating from agricultural lands is covered under Rule 310 and is subject to enforcement. If you are engaged in a dust-generating activity covered by Rule 310, the rule requirements apply at all times (24/7). Even if you do not need to have a permit, the dust control provisions of Rule 310 still apply to your project. The threshold for a permit is based on the amount of surface area disturbed by a project. If the area disturbed will meet or exceed 0.1 acre (4,356 square feet) then a permit is required. The opacity of dust emissions from dust-generating operations, as pictured at left, cannot exceed 20%. What do you need to do to ensure that a project is in compliance? The following list of important Do’s and Don’ts are intended to provide a snapshot of some of the most significant provisions of Rule 310. This handbook provides more expansive discussions on each of these provisions in later sections. Understand your project— boundaries, type of work, areas where soil will be disturbed, locations of exits and entrances, storage areas, equipment paths—consider everything that could potentially create dust. Don’t start a project that disturbs greater than or equal to 0.1 acre until you have obtained a dust control permit. Include paths, foot traffic areas, and all other areas that are anticipated to result in soil disturbance, in your calculations to determine the size of the project. Plan ahead to ensure you receive your dust control permit before you start work—start the application process early. The department may require 14 days for review once an application is deemed complete. Also, factor in time for postal delivery of the permit. As part of the permit application process, you will be required to fill out an application which includes the Dust Control Plan. The approved permit and the plan must be on site before you start work. Read and understand your approved Dust Control Plan. During preconstruction meetings inform all project workers of Dust Control Plan requirements and ensure a successful project start-up. Request a courtesy visit by an air quality inspector or their presence at the preconstruction meeting to answer questions. One courtesy visit is allowed for each project phase (generally, these are demolition, land development, and vertical construction). Familiarize yourself with Rule 310 and this handbook. The Rule contains important details and requirements that may not be addressed in the handbook. Develop a working knowledge of the dust control requirements and related challenges. The department has up to 14 days to review a paid, technically complete permit application package. This timetable does not include postal delivery. Line up a Dust Control Coordinator, hydrants, and control equipment to be used at your site prior to submitting the application package. Consider municipal requirements, such as backflow prevention devices and obtaining hydrant meters. Ideally, the Dust Control Plan should be filled out by someone familiar with controlling dust emissions. If your project is 1 acre or larger in size, your application must identify the soil texture found at the site. The soil texture is generally found in a soils report prepared for the project site (alternatively, Appendix F of the department’s rules and regulations contains a map of soil descriptions). While trackout is prohibited for any size project, if the project site is 2 acres or larger or you will be moving 100 yd3 of material per day, establish a controlled exit with a trackout control device. If your project disturbs an area five acres or larger, an on-site Dust Control Coordinator is required. Make sure you have lined up a certified Dust Control Coordinator with a valid certification before starting work. Ensure that you are prepared to control dust prior to starting a project. (for example, secure a water source and be ready to apply water prior to initiating soil disturbance). Post required project information signs when the permit area is five acres or greater. Once you understand the project and the obligations of your Dust Control Plan, factor dust-control costs into your project bid and budget. Include the cost of signage, training, dust-control staff, trackout control devices, and all other personnel and materials used to control dust. Provide a Dust Control Plan with bid materials to subcontractors so they understand what is required and can submit accurate bids. Make sure subcontractors have a current registration number. Never allow on-site emissions to exceed 20% opacity. Actively monitor trackout during the course of the workday. Do not allow any visible dust to cross your property line. Apply water to control emissions before, during, and after earthmoving operations (Note: additional control options are available). If the primary dust control measure is ineffective, immediately implement the contingency measure from your approved Dust Control Plan. While the contingenecy measure can be applied along with the primary control measure, use of both, concurrently, is not required. Document the use of the contingency measure in your daily log. If dust emissions cannot be controlled, stop work. Understand and meet stabilization standards. Know when your permit expires and place the expiration date on your calendar along with the date by which the permit renewal application must be submitted (be sure to allow enough time for processing and postal delivery). Note: the department has up to 14 days to process your complete application. If the application is not complete or errors are present, additional time will be required to resolve any problems. Apply for permit cancellation when work is completed and ensure that disturbed areas within the permit area are stabilized and meet stabilization standards. What Activities Are Covered by Rule 310? Rule 310 regulates dust emissions associated with construction activities. Generally, if the surface of the ground is disturbed in some manner, or if bulk materials are moved from one location to another or stockpiled, the potential exists for fugitive dust emissions. Rule 310 applies to all activities that may result in fugitive dust emissions and a permit is required if the area to be disturbed is 0.1 acre or more. If you are engaged in dust-generating operations, no matter how small, you must control those emissions and comply with Rule 310. If you are disturbing 0.1 (one-tenth) acre or more, you must comply with Rule 310 and obtain a dust-control permit. One-tenth of an acre is just 4,356 ft². parking five pickup trucks next to each other on open dirt. staging 10 yd³ of aggregate base. Driving 360 feet onto undisturbed land. What is Considered a Dust-Generating Activity? land clearing, maintenance, and land cleanup using mechanized equipment. storage and/or transporting operations (e.g., open storage piles, bulk material hauling and/or transporting, bulk material stacking, loading, and unloading operations). establishing and/or using unpaved haul/access roads to, from, and within a site. 33disturbed surface areas associated with a site. installing or maintaining landscaping while using mechanized equipment. Disturbed surfaces do not have to be contiguous (connected to or adjacent to each other)! What Is Required Before Commencing Work at a Project Site? Be safe—get a permit before doing anything that will disturb the land. Apply for and receive a permit before doing anything that will disturb as little as 0.1 acre of land. Prepare a Dust Control Plan and submit it to the department as part of your permit application. permit coverage is required for only those areas in your permit that will be disturbed, including the working area, prep areas, and parking areas. You can add areas as needed using the Permit Acreage Increase Request Form. the dust control permit is good for one year (permits for shorter or longer periods are not available). a dust control permit is not effective until the fee is paid. a dust control permit and the approved Dust Control Plan must be kept on site at all times. Work cannot begin on the site until the approved permit is received and onsite. all project workers on your site, including subcontractors, should be familiar with the plan. If the site is one acre or greater, a description of the sire-specific soil designations must be prepared. (See Appendix F of the Maricopa county Air Pollution Control Rules and Regulations). Still need a permit even though your existing permit may soon expire? A new Dust Control Plan must be submitted. A new permit number will be issued. The project information sign should be updated with the new permit number. The applicant’s signature on the dust control permit application represents a binding agreement and obligates the applicant to implement identified control measures on the permitted area for the life of the permit (i.e., one year or until the permit is closed out by the department). The permit holder is ultimately responsible for ensuring the permitted site is in compliance at all times to prevent risks to the environment and the public, even if noncompliance is the result of an action by an owner, subcontractor, or trespasser. The provisions of an approved Dust Control Plan are binding and enforceable—if you don’t intend to implement a provision of the plan don’t include it. Conversely, if you plan to take an action to control dust, ensure that action is included in your permit as one of your options. The approved Dust Control Plan is effective 24/7, including holidays. Therefore, dust must be controlled 24/7. An easy way to ensure that the permit and approved Dust Control Plan are on site at all times is to post a copy of the permit document to some semi-permanent onsite feature. Alternatively, the permit can be kept in a more secure location onsite. The most important thing is to ensure that the permit can be produced during an inspection. While affixing the permit to a fence as shown in the photo is acceptable, the site superintendent should consider having a backup copy handy in case of vandalism or loss of the document. The dust control permit application package, which contains instructions for filling out the permit application forms as well as the Dust Control Plan associated with the dust control permit, is located online on the department’s website at http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/divisions/compliance/dust/Resources.aspx#Handbook_Guide. Include the appropriate fee for your dust control permit application. The completed application can be submitted in person (with payment by check, money order, credit card, or cash) or by mail (with payment by check, money order, or credit card). The Dust Control Plan is completed by the applicant and submitted as part of the permit application. The Dust Control Plan is an integral part of the permit and is effective upon approval of the permit. Given its importance, consider having the Dust Control Plan completed by someone familiar with dust-generating operations. A late fee of $100 is required for any application submitted in response to a violation. The fee for a block permit is $2,000. Make checks payable to “Maricopa County Air Quality Department: or “MCAQD”. The completed permit will be sent to the applicant’s address. Allow up to 14 days for permit processing plus sufficient time for delivery by U.S. Postal Service First Class mail. a new Dust Control Plan must be submitted with the new permit application. only include those areas that are still disturbed. Hardscaped and landscaped areas do not need to be included. The Dust Control Plan is submitted as part of the permit application. The department reviews each Dust Control Plan for completeness and technical accuracy. The approved Dust Control Plan can be revised at the initiative of the permit holder or as directed by the department. Revisions to the Dust Control Plan are not effective at time of submittal—they must be approved by the department before becoming effective. Changes to the Dust Control Plan required by the department’s control officer must be submitted within 3 working days of receipt of the control officer’s directive. Allow at least 14 days for the Department to approve revisions to the Dust Control Plan. You must follow your existing, approved permit and plan until you have received notice from the department that your changes have been approved. changes in the designated Dust Control Coordinator and/or his or her contact information. any change requested by the Dust Control Coordinator or designated site representative. At times, dust emissions may continue to occur even if the control measures contained in the Dust Control Plan are followed. When this occurs, the department will issue a notice to the permit holder requiring revisions to the Dust Control Plan. The permit holder must submit required revisions within 3 working days of receipt of the notice. If more than 3 working days are needed, the permit holder can request an extension. Even though the extension is available, it is not guaranteed that the extension will be granted. In any event, compliance with Rule 310 is expected immediately. OPEN YOUR MAIL – often documents will have a deadline or action date included. Don’t miss critical deadlines by failing to open mail from the department immediately. From the department’s perspective, the approved Dust Control Plan is a contract between the permit holder and the department—its terms are enforceable, even against subcontractors working on a site. The measures included in the Dust Control Plan are the measures that inspectors will expect you to apply to your site. Primary controls listed in the plan are to be used first. Contingency measures are to be used when the primary controls are not effectively controlling dust emissions. If primary controls or contingency measures don’t result in effective control, the approved Dust Control Plan must be revised. The obligation is clearly on the permit holder to control dust emissions. If emissions cannot be adequately controlled using all available measures, the project will be in violation of Rule 310 and subject to enforcement by the department. There is a new, streamlined Dust Control Permit Package that includes both a Permit Application and a customizable Dust Control Plan that can be downloaded, completed and saved electronically, and then printed and submitted. (On-line submission is expected in the summer of 2013.) The new Package cannot be filled out by hand. For a Dust Control Plan that can be filled out by hand, please use the Old Dust Permit Application Package. Both versions of the Dust Permit Application Package are available at: ttp://www.maricopa.gov/aq/divisions/compliance/dust/Resources.aspx#dust_applications. Under Dust Control Applications/Dust Control Plans, click on Dust Control Permit Package. When completing a Dust Control Permit Application, please be sure to complete both the Permit Application and the Dust Control Plan. Your permit application cannot be processed without both parts. Be sure to complete both the application and the dust control plan. Rule 310 requires certain personnel at a permitted site to receive training on dust control and emission reduction strategies. The level of required training and which personnel must be trained depends on the amount of acreage disturbed within the permitted area. The table below shows who must be trained and the level of training required by size of the disturbed area. There are two levels of certification: basic and comprehensive. To earn basic certification, individuals must complete the three-hour training course. As indicated in the table, water truck and water haul drivers are required to earn basic certification. On projects that disturb more than 1.0 acre, the permit holder must designate a site representative who has earned basic certification. In addition, a Dust Control Block Permit holder is required to have at least one individual who has received the basic dust training certification on those sites on which there is greater than one acre of surface disturbance. Employees required to have the basic dust training must renew their training certification once every three years. Certification of Dust Control Coordinators is not required but is strongly recommended. Comprehensive training is a six-hour training that covers dust control measures in detail. Individuals who complete this training earn comprehensive certification and may be designated as a Dust Control Coordinator. On projects that disturb 5 or more acres, the permit holder must identify a certified Dust Control Coordinator who must be present at all times during primary dust-generating activities. A Dust Control Coordinator must complete the comprehensive training program once every three years. Note: Comprehensive training includes basic certification. The need for Dust Control Coordinator to be onsite during dust-generating activities cannot be over emphasized. Experience has shown that violations often result when the Dust Control Coordinator is not available to oversee operations. To receive a dust control permit, the permit holder must name a site representative or Dust Control Coordinator who has the level of training required based on the area disturbed by the project (see table on page 3-1). If a site representative or Dust Control Coordinator is required based on the size of the project, he or she must be given the authority to act to control dust by the permit holder. This means the site representative or Dust Control Coordinator must be able to direct actions within an area covered by a permit to ensure compliance with Rule 310—including ceasing operations, if necessary, to ensure that dust is not generated. Maintain a legible photocopy of the certification card for each trained personnel member in a file or binder located onsite so that is accessible during an inspection. trained site representatives are required on projects that disturb 1.0- 4.99 acres; must be designated on the dust control permit; and must have basic certification. Dust Control Coordinators are required on projects that disturb five or more acres, must be designated on the dust control permit, and must have certification for attending the Comprehensive Dust Control training. permit holders who do not give site representatives and Dust Control Coordinators authority to act are subject to enforcement under Rule 310. a Notice of Violation can be issued if a Dust Control Coordinator does not have full authority to ensure that dust control measures are implemented on site. A Dust Control Coordinator is required whenever the disturbed area reaches or exceeds five acres. In some instances, a permit area may develop such that fewer than five acres of disturbed surface remain in one phase of the project but there are additional permitted, yet undisturbed, phases waiting to be developed. In this scenario, a Dust Control Coordinator would be required onsite unless the undisturbed phases were clearly identified in the dust control permit, as well as the Dust Control Plan, and the undisturbed area on the project site was clearly marked with access restricted to those project phases not yet active. When fewer than five acres of land (in all phases of the project) remain to be disturbed, then the Dust Control Coordinator requirement would no longer apply if previously disturbed areas have been stabilized and notice of stabilization has been provided to the department. Courtesy visits and industry presentations given by department staff represent another opportunity for training. If you organize an event such as a gathering of your firm’s project superintendents, it is possible to schedule an inspector to provide a presentation on aspects of Rule 310. Note: industry presentations are free of charge but do not take the place of formal training certifications. current dust control permit number. name and local phone number of person(s) responsible for dust control. Should the official complaint phone number ever change, the department will send a notice to all permit holders providing the new number. a new contact name or phone number. a change in the project name. The main entrance to a site is that which would normally be used by employees and subcontractors when gaining site access. As a project matures, an additional entrance may be established. The purpose of the signage requirement is to provide the public with information about the permit status of the project, and the sign should be posted where that information is most prominently observed by members of the public. The project sign requirement is based on the original acreage permitted. A sign is still required even if a project is reduced to under five acres. To avoid uncertainty when multiple entrances are used, a permit holder is encouraged to place signs at each site access point, especially where another project entrance is more visible to the public. However, only one sign is required by Rule 310. If only one sign is posted, it should be placed at the location that would be viewed by members of the public as the main entrance to the site. Don’t forget to change the project information sign to reflect changes in your permit. The dust control permit and all updates (must be on site). The Dust Control Plan and all updates (must be on site). Dust control logs documenting dust control measures used each day (must be available within 48 hours). observations of damp and crusted soil. trackout conditions and actions taken to clean up trackout. daily water usage (note how water is applied, how often, and the amount - a rough approximation is acceptable). maintenance of trackout controls (what kind and when installed). what kind and when contingency measures in the Dust Control Plan were used. what subcontractors were on site, include registration numbers. a list of employees who have completed dust control training, the date of the class, and the name of the company or person who did the training. Keep copies of training certificates on file. all supporting documentation (e.g., street sweeping or water truck receipts). types and results of all test methods conducted. two years from the date the record was initiated, as long as operations are ongoing. For example, a five-year project only needs a two-year record log. all records must be retained for six months following termination of site operations. While no exact format is prescribed for recordkeeping, a three-ring binder is recommended for pater records. Electronic recordkeeping, used by some permit holders, is a valid form of recordkeeping. A scanned copy of the Dust Control Permit accessible on a computer is an acceptable way to maintain an on site copy. any paved area with local nonconstruction traffic is considered accessible to the public. to ensure that an area is closed to the public it must be clearly posted (i.e., by using a sign that states “Construction Traffic Only”). Any place on a site where the area under construction and the area open to the public is indistinct will be considered an area accessible to the public. sidewalks are considered paved areas accessible to the public, unless they are barricaded or marked off with signage. Trackout on sidewalks will not be included in the cumulative distance trackout calculation; however, trackout on sidewalks must be removed by the end of the workday. parking lots, including those in strip malls and churches, are always considered areas accessible to the public unless marked otherwise with signage to restrict public access. The use of signs/barricades/ropes/ fences can help to define a controlled area. While the use of yellow rope or tape to separate the area is not required, it has practical value in ensuring that the area is seen to be separate from other areas where the public has ready access. Trackout extending from your project onto paved areas off site is a common violation. If an area is restricted and trackout is present, it will not be cited as a trackout violation. Registrations are good for one year from the date the registration is approved/issued. While the permit holder is responsible for all site activities that may result in a violation of the provisions of Rule 310, subcontractors may, under certain circumstances, also be held accountable. Anyone who enters an area that is subject to a Rule 310 dust control permit must obtain and a subcontractor registration number and follow the requirements of each project’s dust control permit and Dust Control Plan. a sign at the project entrance. painting it on a vehicle. a paper sign affixed to the vehicle or equipment. a magnet sign affixed to the vehicle, e.g., on the door or bumper. a rear view mirror hanger. not using a trackout control device. grading when opacity exceeds 20%. loading/unloading when opacity exceeds 20%. wet utility/dry utility installation when opacity exceeds 20%. removal of barricades to avoid use of a trackout control. untarped trucks exiting a site onto paved areas accessible to the public. truck freeboard limit exceeded and/or spillage while crossing a public area/ roadway. creating visible emissions beyond property lines. subcontractor was informed of their obligations by the permit holder. subcontractor’s actions can be clearly documented. subcontractor acted in disregard of established site protocols. subcontractor’s actions were observed by a department inspector. subcontractor can be readily identified. Subcontractors will be held accountable for their violations if the subcontractor can be easily identified and the permit holder has established appropriate fugitive dust controls. In accordance with the department’s subcontractor policy (dated April 18, 2006, and included in the appendices), it should be noted that the permit holder will be cited for a violation caused by a subcontractor unless the inspector can confirm that the permit holder did not cause or contribute to the violation by a subcontractor and that a subcontractor ignored controls put in place by the permit holder. The need for clear documentation of a violation by a subcontractor is essential to avoid the issuance of an NOV to the permit holder. For example, a subcontractor who has removed a barricade to avoid going over a trackout control device would be issued a NOV. The inspector would have to observe the violation occurring in order to issue the NOV to the subcontractor. In the above scenario, if the subcontractor was not observed and the surface was no longer stable as a result of the subcontractor’s actions, then the permit holder would be issued a violation for unstabilized soil (assuming the soil failed the applicable stability standard). Ultimately, a permit holder is responsible for all activity that occurs within a permitted area—including activities that are performed by subcontractors. While the permit holder is responsible for the actions of subcontractors and ensuring they conform to department rules when acting on their behalf, the department reserves the right to pursue enforcement action against the subcontractor and/or the permit holder depending on the circumstances and available evidence. Although not required by the rule, subcontractors are encouraged to have their employees complete the comprehensive dust control training (six-hour course). Coordinate with the department to schedule a dust control presentation. provisions that hold the subcontractor liable for any penalties issued by the department that may be the result of subcontractor activity. It is also helpful to review the approved Dust Control Plan, as well as the controls that have been established, with subcontractors prior to starting work. Clear communication with subcontractors and active monitoring of their on-site activity can be effective methods to avoid creating conditions that could Result in the issuance of an NOV. A courtesy inspection could be held in conjunction with a meeting where subcontractors are invited. A permit holder cannot delegate primary obligations of the permit to a subcontractor to avoid compliance responsibility. A permit holder may secure a subcontractor to perform activities within a permit area that are considered to be primary permit obligations. For example, a subcontractor may be hired to install or maintain a trackout control device. In the event that a violation occurs (for example, the trackout control device is found to be improperly maintained such that it is no longer effectively controlling trackout) and the violation is due to the inaction or untimely action of the subcontractor, the permit holder is responsible for compliance and subject to the penalties authorized by law. The permit holder is responsible for ensuring that onsite operations are being conducted in compliance with the permit. This obligation cannot be transferred to a subcontractor. Note: utilities are not considered to be subcontractors when operating under their own block permit. The purpose of the block permit is to allow municipalities, governmental agencies, and utilities to conduct similar activities at multiple sites across the county. Covered activities include routine operation and maintenance of urban infrastructure, as well as the expansion or extension of that infrastructure such as roads, utilities (e.g., pipelines and electric substations) and other public rights-of-way. This category of permit can only be issued to municipalities, governmental agencies, and utilities. While the permit is held by the authorized block permit holder, subcontractors to the authorized permit holder may operate under the cover of the permit as would the employees of the permit holder. The block permit will apply to those locations that are listed in the permit application. To conduct work at a location not listed in the application, the block permit holder must notify the department of the intent to work in a new location at least three days in advance of the planned activity. The notice must include information describing the location and the anticipated start date of the work. New construction of infrastructure that is not an extension of an existing system must be covered under a new dust control permit. For any project not listed in the Dust Control Block Permit application, the applicant is required to notify the department at least three working days in advance of initiating the activity. Similarly, at new subdivisions or commercial developments, a utility will operate under its block permit and is required to notify the department of its intention to work on a specific property. As with other areas, a block permit holder is required to provide the department with notification of its intent to operate at a location not previously identified in its block permit. Notification must be provided in writing and with three working days advance notice. The permit holder retains responsibility for all work conducted within the area covered by the permit. However, if a utility causes a non-compliant condition, the utility can be cited in accordance with Rule 310. This includes the obligation to ensure that areas disturbed during utility work are adequately stabilized. A utility is obligated to meet minimum stabilization requirements of Rule 310. Some block permit holders may require contractors to obtain their own dust permit and Dust Control Plan. Remember to allow at least 14 days for the department to process a new permit application. Utility access onto areas covered by a dust control permit appears to pose a special challenge. While the block permit holder is obligated to maintain stability conditions when accessing a dust control permit holder’s area, the permit holder is accountable for all site conditions within their permit area. A block permit holder can be issued a violation for not restoring a disturbed area to its former stabilized condition. Rule 310 specifies that a Dust Control Block Permit application should include a map of the owner’s and/or operator’s service areas and a list of sites that are 0.1 acre or greater. Trackout must be removed immediately when the cumulative distance of trackout reaches 25 feet either in one segment or reaches 25 feet when combined with smaller segments. The term “immediately” is viewed as when the trackout occurs. The expectation is that trackout that extends 25 feet (either alone or in combined segments) will be cleaned up immediately following deposition on the roadway. The presence of trackout at or exceeding 25 feet is cause for the issuance of an immediate NOV. Lesser amounts of trackout (less than 25 feet in cumulative length) can be cleaned up at the end of the workday. Note: Under the right circumstances, even a small amount of trackout could potentially result in an opacity violation if it is driven over or otherwise disturbed. Active trackout controls are required at work sites with a disturbed surface two acres or larger, or when hauling 100 yd3 of bulk materials off-si e, or hauling 100 yd3 or more of bulk material onto a site, regardless of acreage. (See the Trackout Controls in Section 7 for details about trackout control options). Trackout is the presence of material deposited on an area accessible to the public. Trackout can become airborne particulate matter when vehicles pass over and entrain the trackout into the air. In contrast, staining on a road surface is not considered to be trackout. While staining may indicate that trackout may have been present at some time in the past, staining itself is not considered trackout under Rule 310, nor is it a violation. Plan ahead and anticipate that trackout will occur. The presence of trackout greater than 25 feet during working hours, even though it may be in the process of being cleaned up, is subject to an NOV. While an inspector has discretion to evaluate the on-site conditions and actions of the permit holder, generally, the greater the extent of trackout, the higher the probability that an NOV will be issued. After working hours, the presence of any trackout will result in the issuance of a Notice of Violation. As a practical matter, it may be easier to clean up trackout immediately rather than measure it to ensure there is less than 25 feet in distance. The presence of trackout, however limited in extent, can result in an inspection based on field conditions. Remember: erosion is considered the same as trackout and must be managed accordingly. Soil found on sidewalks and in gutters is trackout. Soil on sidewalks will not count in the cumulative distance calculation while trackout in gutters will. Include the cost of trackout control and maintenance in your bid. The distance of individual trackout paths originating from a permitted area are combined to determine compliance. Here, three trackout paths cumulatively total 25 feet. When trackout reaches a cumulative distance of 25 feet it must be cleaned up immediately. Trackout is measured from an exit onto a paved surface and along the path of trackout to the point where it ends. This may follows to actual curved path of trackout or the horizontal distance may be used instead (especially where traffic/safety is a concern). Line C in the graphic below is an example. The graphic at right shows trackout extending from the exit of a permitted area. The gray rectangle represents a gravel pad. While trackout can be measured by using a surveyor’s wheel, on busy streets, the inspector may measure the distance along a line adjacent to the road (represented by line C) to determine trackout length. In both examples on this page, trackout has reached or exceeded 25 feet in cumulative distance and must be cleaned immediately. gravel pads: consisting of a layer of washed gravel, rock, or crushed rock, at least one inch in diameter; 30 feet wide (unless impracticable), 50 feet long (or as long as the longest haul truck). If the unpaved surface exit does not have an adequate width to install a 30-foot wide gravel pad, then the width of the gravel pad must cover the full width of the unpaved surface exit and be adequate to prevent trackout. a grizzly (20 feet long; bars must be three inches tall and six inches apart). a paved area: 20 feet wide; 100 feet long. (Note: the entire length of pavement must be within the permitted area to count as an effective control. A shorter distance of pavement within the permit area cannot count unless pre-approved by the department). Note: a paved area that is blocked to public traffic may also be used in whole or in part of this requirement. a wheel washer: use a standard wheel wash system. When trackout controls are required, if a vehicle exits a permitted area and fails to use a designated trackout control system (for example, by driving around a trackout control device or leaving the permit area at a non-designated exit) the permit holder and/or subcontractor (if applicable)are subject to receiving an NOV even if no trackout was deposited on the paved area accessible to the public. Managing the flow of traffic entering and leaving a permit area represents one of the prime challenges faced by a site superintendent trying to ensure the integrity of their dust controls. For some drivers and subcontractors, it can be tempting to take a short-cut across a vacant parcel to a paved road rather than winding back some distance to the designated exit. While the actual act of crossing disturbed land in a vehicle is not prohibited, it does trigger various provisions of Rule 310—for example, if there are many vehicles using an unauthorized exit, a new unpaved access road has been created. Trackout is likely to be associated with an unauthorized exit and the absence of a trackout control device at an unauthorized exit is an NOV waiting to happen. When exits are changed at the project site, you must update your Dust Control Plan. is a trackout control device in place and effective? Does my trackout control device need maintenance? do I adequately monitor trackout? did I clean up trackout at the end of the day? Ensuring that disturbed areas within a permit area are stabilized is a primary requirement of Rule 310. Remember, the site must be stabilized 24/7, including holidays, nights, and weekends. There are two distinct stabilization standards that apply in two separate circumstances—those that are active and those that are inactive for extended periods. An area covered by a permit may contain active and inactive areas at the same time. Before starting work, conduct a “site prep”— pre-water the site or phase work to the smallest portion of the area that can be affected at any one time. If you have chosen phasing as a control measure, then project phases should be clearly identified in the Dust Control Plan. Within a permit area, there may be several defined areas (representing project phases). One phase may be active with ongoing surface disturbance while another phase has not yet been disturbed. Ensure that areas not yet disturbed are clearly demarcated, identified in the Dust Control Plan, and access is restricted. When phasing work, it is important to meet the stabilization requirements of Rule 310 §304.3 for areas that have been disturbed but are not being actively worked. install wind fences/barriers and one of the above. *Moisture content is determined by using ASTM Method D2216-05. During dust-generating operations, the generation of a limited amount of dust is allowed. However, dust emissions can never exceed 20% opacity. If dust emissions are present, it may be an indicator that the area is not sufficiently controlled and that the area requires additional attention. Maintaining moist disturbed surfaces is an ideal site management practice. maintain a threshold friction velocity (TFV) of 100 cm/second or higher. maintain a flat vegetative cover equal to at least 50%. maintain a standing vegetative cover equal to or greater than 30%. maintain a standing vegetative cover that is equal to or greater than 10% when the TFV is equal to or greater than 43 cm/second. maintain a percent cover that is equal to or greater than 10% of the non-erodible elements. comply with an alternative test method approved by the Control Officer. Keep all disturbed areas visibly damp/moist or meet one of the stabilization standards. cover the area using gravel, pavement, or by using a suitable dust suppressant. establish a vegetative ground cover. pave, apply gravel or apply a suitable dust suppressant other than water or establish a vegetative ground cover and restrict vehicle access. apply water and prevent access (using signs, curbing, or barricades) sufficient to prevent trespass. Note: the specific measures intended to prevent trespass must be approved by the Control Officer. restore an area to a substantially similar condition (vegetative ground cover and soil characteristics) as that of surrounding or nearby undisturbed native conditions. This stabilization standard should be achieved within 10 days following the completion of the dust-generating operation. While a permit is still effective, the permit holder is responsible for any disturbance that occurs as a result of illegal trespass. If an area is disturbed after final stabilization and the permit is still in effect, the permit holder is obligated to ensure that stabilization is restored. If disturbed areas that are not stable are identified during an inspection, a violation can be issued. Essentially, Rule 310 is about ensuring that dust (particulate) emissions are minimized. Emissions are subject to two separate standards, depending on whether the emissions are observed onsite or off-site. Within the boundary of the area covered by the permit, visible emissions can never exceed 20% opacity. The method used to determine whether visible emissions exceed 20% opacity is found in Appendic C of the Maricopa County Rules and Regulations for Air Pollution Control. This method consists of the average of 12 observations of five seconds each taken over a period not longer than one hour. As a practical matter, the 12 observations will most likely be completed over the period of a few minutes. A property line is that demarcation between the area contained within a dust control permit and the area outside of the permit, when the area outside the permit is owned by an entity other than the permit holder. It is possible that, as a project matures, some areas within a permit area will transition to private ownership and will no longer be part of the permitted area (e.g., parcels within a housing subdivision that have been sold to homeowners). Emissions that extend from a permitted area onto privately held parcels violate Rule 310. The standard for visible emissions beyond the property line of an area covered by a permit is simple—none are allowed. According to Rule 310 § 303.1, visible emissions are measured using the standard that there shall be no visible emissions exceeding 30 seconds in duration during any 6-minute period using EPA Reference Method 22. When dust-generating activity occurs within 25 feet of the property line, visible emissions beyond the property line are allowed. However, the emissions cannot exceed 20% opacity (see Rule 310 § 303.2(d)). In the figure above, the brown area is covered by a dust control permit. Surrounding this area is an area in gray that is owned by the dust control permit holder. Visible emissions from the permit area are allowed onto this adjacent area since the property is owned by the permit holder - the emissions do not cross a property line. Should the emissions extend further and onto the property designated as a private home or onto the forested area, the emissions are crossing a property line and are not allowed. Submitting a clear and accurate map in your Dust Control Plan can help you delineate your property from others. When the emissions originate further than 25 feet away from the property line, no dust emissions are allowed to cross the property line. In the photo above, dust emissions are being generated but emissions are not visible beyond the property line (beyond the photo frame). Although the on-permit area emissions may exceed the 20% opacity standard (and be in violation), the emissions at the property line boundary may or may not be in compliance. No visible emissions are allowed to cross the property line if they are generated more than 25 feet from the property boundary. When dust emissions are generated within 25 feet of the property line emissions are allowed to cross the property line provided they do not exceed 20% opacity. In the photo above, dust emissions are being generated within 25 feet of the property line and are clearly visible into the street. Although visible emissions are allowed beyond the property line, they cannot exceed 20% opacity. Also, in this instance, a serious public safety hazard is created by impairing visibility in traffic lane. High wind conditions have the potential to dramatically degrade air quality. Revisions to Rule 310 adopted by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in January 2010 substantially revised the rule language affecting wind events. The intent of the new rule language is to require escalating controls as winds increase. Ceasing operations is the ultimate control when all else fails. Dust-generating operations must now cease at a lower threshold (e.g., earlier and more frequently). The previous definition of a “wind event’ has been deleted. First, ensure that all control measures and requirements of the Dust Control Plan are implemented and documented. Next, cease dustgenerating operations and stabilize any disturbed surfaces in a manner consistent with Rule 310 § 304.3. As a practical matter, this will mean maintaining a visible crust or establishing visibly damp/moist soil on disturbed areas during windy conditions. Finally, document the cessation of operations and the implementation of control measures and the requirements of the Dust Control Plan. The intent is to document that any visible emissions exceeding 20% opacity are not occurring due to a failure to fully implement the Dust Control Plan. Conditions may arise where winds will drive dust from one property (e.g., a vacant field) across another on which dust-generating operations are occurring under a dust control permit. Normally, visible emissions seen crossing the property line will constitute a violation. However, where visible dust emissions are seen transiting a permitted area and it can be determined that no additional dust emissions were contributed from the permitted area, a violation will not have occurred. As defined in Rule 310 §232, an unpaved parking lot should be designated as such in the approved Dust Control Plan. In addition to vehicle parking, an unpaved parking lot includes the following activities: maneuvering, material handling, or storing motor vehicles and equipment. Automobile impound yards, salvage yards, material handling yards, and storage yards would be considered to be an unpaved parking lot under Rule 310. While the use of an area for staging or for material storage may be clearly evident, an isolated instance of such use will not cause the area to be designated as an unpaved parking lot. An unpaved parking lot, as defined by Rule 310, is present when the use of an area by vehicles goes beyond what can be considered to be incidental use. An area used as an unpaved parking lot should normally be designated in the Dust Control Plan. However, identifying an unpaved parking lot in the Dust Control Plan is not required for an inspector to determine that one is present based on the observed use. To determine that a disturbed area is an unpaved parking lot requires observations of activities that reflect actual use of the property for an activity similar in scope to those examples provided in the definition. The definition also contains reference to the term “maneuvering.” After-thefact observation of tire tracks alone on an otherwise empty lot is not sufficient to classify an area as an unpaved parking lot without some supporting evidence that the area has been used in the manner contemplated by the definition. use of an area by a surveying crew. use of an area by a landscaping service. delivery of materials to a home and unloading them (for example, dropping off tile, drywall, or tools), provided those materials are not staged on the disturbed surface. Unpaved parking lots must meet a specified soil stability standard (silt loading cannot equal or exceed 0.33 oz/ft2) and operations on the lot cannot generate dust emissions greater than 20% opacity. If silt loading is equal to or exceeds 0.33 oz/ft2, then the silt content may not exceed 8%. (Note: As a practical matter, there is very little difference between the two values). Whether an area is considered an unpaved parking lot or an otherwise disturbed area, stabilization is always required. The presence of tire tracks alone may not be sufficient to classify an area as an unpaved parking lot. The inspector will rely on judgment and the responses from the permit holder to determine whether the tracks represent incidental use of the area by vehicles. Whether marked or unmarked, an unpaved haul or access road is a road within a permitted area that is used to move material, equipment, or people from one point to another. These roads are likely to change location frequently and meeting the stabilization requirements is likely to require close attention. silt loading cannot equal or exceed 0.33 oz/ft2. if silt loading is equal to or exceeds 0.33 oz/ft2 then the silt content may not exceed 6%. vehicle speeds are maintained below 15 miles per hour. apply water so the surface is visibly moist. apply and maintain gravel, recycled asphalt, or other suitable materials. vehicle speeds must be maintained below 15 miles per hour. if vehicle trips and speeds are limited, the Dust Control Plan must provide details of how these measures will be accomplished, including the identification of how many trips are allowed. If you choose the option of no more than 20 trips per day, always keep in mind that a trip to the site with one vehicle and off the site with one vehicle counts as two trips. (10 vehicles in and 10 vehicles out represent 20 trips). Note: once a project area meets a certain size, the number of trips becomes more difficult to control. Exercising this option implies that a high level of scrutiny will be applied by the inspector to validate limited vehicle usage. Different control measures may be selected for different areas provided they are clearly identified in the Dust Control Plan. Photo: Signs like this can help reduce dust. Remember, dust emissions cannot exceed 20% opacity, regardless of speed. while signage is not required, it is helpful. The silt load or content is within acceptable limits. The road is adequately stabilized. An unpaved road is any road, including an “equipment path,” used by motorized vehicles. An unpaved road is different from an unpaved haul/access road only by its designated use. While an unpaved road is, by definition, different from an unpaved haul/access road, control and stabilization of the disturbed area is still expected. At minimum, an unpaved access road must control visible emissions so that emissions do not exceed 20% opacity, the road surface is kept visibly moist, or a crust has been formed on the surface. An unpaved access road can be very short. For example, a driveway located on a nearly completed lot can be considered an access road. Photo: Even a driveway can be an access road. If you choose to limit speeds, the method used must be explained with specificity in the Dust Control Plan. Keep in mind that, in addition to limiting vehicle speed, dust emissions from vehicles must not exceed the 20% opacity limit. a grizzly: (20 feet long; bars must be three inches tall and six inches apart). a paved area: 20 feet wide; 100 feet long. (Note: the entire length of pavement must be within the permitted area or a restricted area outside the permit area, to count as an effective control. A shorter distance of pavement within the permit area cannot count unless preapproved by the department). Even the best trackout control device needs maintenance. During muddy conditions the trackout control device can easily clog and become ineffective. Rule 310 §306.1 requires that the trackout control device be properly maintained so that it prevents and controls trackout. If that is not occuring the trackout control device is not in complaince and a Notice of Violation will be issued. Keep a stockpile of replacement gravel near your trackout control device and use it to refresh the gravel pad when it becomes clogged with mud. The use of haul trucks to move bulk materials from or within a site is regulated. A haul truck can be any of a number of different types of vehicles. For example, a small pick-up, a flatbed truck, an 18-wheeler, a paddle-wheel scraper, a front-end loader, or a trailer towed by a motor vehicle. The purpose to which the vehicle is used is the determining factor - not the inherent nature or size of the vehicle. the truck’s load must be covered by a tarp. the freeboard must be 3 inches or more. the highest point of the load cannot exceed the height of the truck’s container. there can be no spillage through holes or seams in the container area. even when the truck is not carrying a load, the exiting haul truck must have a clean cargo bed or must be tarped or otherwise covered/enclosed. install a trackout control device (there is no lower acreage limit that applies when off-site hauling of bulk materials is occurring). the load must be covered. the freeboard must be three inches or more. install a trackout control device at the points where the publically accessible paved area will be crossed (Note: two devices may be required if traffic is two-way). If bulk materials are moved within a permit area and a paved area accessible to the public is used for a short distance to transit from one portion of a permit area to another, the load must be tarped. Be aware that spillage and dust emissions from a tarped load while driving on a highway constitutes a violation. Using any portion of an area accessible to the public (other than simply crossing the road) will require the load to be tarped. There is no minimum threshold distance to travel. A pile of bulk materials with a silt content 5% or greater, exceeding a surface area greater than or equal to 150 ft2 and reaching a height of three feet (at any point) is an open storage pile. By definition, an open storage pile is presumed to have a silt content of 5% or more. A permit holder has the option to conduct a test to show that the silt content is less than 5%. This test protocol is ASTM Method C136-06. Bulk materials encompass a wide array of materials including earth, rock, sand, gravel, soil, aggregate less than two inches in length or diameter, and demolition debris among many others (the full list is found in Rule 310 §203). When handled, bulk materials are capable of producing fugitive dust emissions. - mix the material with water or mix with a dust suppressant other than water. - apply water or apply a dust suppressant other than water. cover the storage pile with a tarp or other suitable material and ensure that the tarp or other material is sufficiently affixed to prevent its being dislodged by wind. apply sufficient water at necessary intervals to maintain moisture content at 12%. construct a physical partial enclosure (see details on enclosure requirements at Rule 310 §305.5(b) or Rule 310 §305.5(c)) and apply sufficient water at necessary intervals to maintain moisture content at 12% or maintain a visible crust. Open storage piles are challenging to manage. Extra care needs to be taken to ensure that they are in compliance. before and during the activity, water or a dust suppressant must be applied. apply a dust suppressant other than water. If a regulated weed abatement activity is occurring on an area 0.1 acre or more, a dust control permit is required. When is an Activity Completed? What Do I Need to Do to Close Out a Permit? A disturbed area under a permit will be considered eligible for permit cancellation when permanent stabilization is achieved. Generally, this will occur when building and landscaping is completed in an area, the area is stabilized, and access is restricted. The permit holder should submit a Permit Cancellation Request (PCR) form when the above conditions are met. The filing of a PCR form will trigger a site inspection and the results of the site inspection will determine areas that can be released from permit coverage. 1) use the PCR form. 2) attach a final status map of the area and identify any areas being transferred to other permit coverage (if any). 3) ensure the entire area under permit coverage is permanently stabilized in all respects. An area is covered by a permit until the permit expires, so, when a project has been completed early, it is important to officially close out the permit. Even though a project is complete and the permit holder may have ended their on site work, they remain responsible for the area covered by the permit as long as the permit is active. As long as the permit is active, the permit holder could receive a notice of violation if the property is inspected and found to be in noncompliance. A change in ownership of property included in an area under a dust control permit will trigger the need to secure a permit status change—for example, when a portion of a property covered by a permit is being sold or a lease allowing access by the permit holder is being terminated. Since the permit holder will no longer have the legal right to be on the property, a change in permit status is needed. 1) use the Parcel Sale Notification Form. 2) clearly note the area to be excluded from the permit on a map accompanying the form. 3) ensure the area to be removed from permit coverage is stabilized in all respects. This step is critical— a property owner will not want to assume the liability for an area disturbed by a permit holder unless it meets not only the department’s rules, but also any contractual obligations that were made between the parties. 4) an inspection will be conducted by the department to verify on-site conditions. 5) receive validation from the inspector that the site is stabilized and suitable for transfer. 6) document formal transfer and ensure that the new owner has accepted future responsibility of the property. 7) modify physical access and other appropriate measures to ensure that no encroachment occurs. 8) receive affirmation from the department that the transfer is approved. 9) remember, if a project is reduced to under five acres, a project sign is still required. Uncertain about what to do in this or a similiar circumstance? Ask the inspector supervisor. You can call the Desk Duty Supervisor at (602) 506-6734. If a change in address or a more substantial change is required to the Dust Control Plan (e.g., modifying a primary dust control measure), use the Dust Control Plan Change Form. Increasing the area covered by a dust control permit can be accomplished by submitting a Permit Acreage Increase Request form. The form requires the permit holder’s name and address, reason for acreage change, and the new acreage. A new site plan showing the increased site area must be submitted as well as the appropriate fee corresponding to the additional acreage amount. • Sites that increase to one acre or more may require modifications to the originally submitted Dust Control Plan. • Sites that increase to five acres or more require a project information sign. If the Permit Acreage Increase Request form is being submitted in response to the permit holder having received a Notice of Violation, then an additional $100 late fee is required to be submitted with the form (in addition to any fee associated with the additional acreage). When a Permit Acreage Increase Request is approved, the original dust control permit expiration date will not change; it will remain the same. A dust control permit is valid for a one year period. Technically, a dust control permit is not renewed - rather, a new application is submitted and a new permit is issued (with a new permit number). As noted previously, a permit application must be submitted at least 14 days prior to the expiration of the permit. If submitted less than 14 days in advance, the permit may not be renewed prior to its expiration. A permit that expires while an application is pending will be subject to immediate enforcement for operating without a permit. All projects covered by a dust control permit are expected to be fully compliant with Rule 310 at all times. While all inspectors are assigned to conduct specific inspections, they may, in the course of their duties, observe locations that exhibit “tell-tale” signs (e.g., the presence of trackout or dust emissions), that suggest not only that an inspection is needed, but that the site may not be in compliance. Paying attention to these indicators of potential non-compliance are important. Identifying problems and correcting them is key to avoiding violations. Stay and wait until an inspector has completed the inspection to receive a verbal inspection report. You may be able to clarify the inspector’s observations and gain useful information. Trackout on paved areas or roads accessible to the public. Lack of an obvious source of water. Trucks entering or exiting a site that are either overloaded or without a tarp. Lack of a permit sign or a sign that is missing required information. After an Opportunity to Correct or Notice of Violation is issued, a department inspector will conduct a “disposition inspection” to ensure that the violation has been corrected. This will often take place the day after the initial observation of the violation. issued after an inspection, a request for Ombudsman review must be made within10 days following receipt of the NOV. to determine compliance with Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S. Title 49, Chapter 3, Article 3) and/ or Maricopa County Air Pollution Control Regulations. to determine compliance with an Air Quality Permit issued pursuant to A.R.S. § 49-480, and Maricopa County Regulations Rule 100, Section 105. to determine compliance with an administrative or judicial order issued pursuant A.R.S. § 49-491, § 49-511, § 49-512. This inspection is being conducted pursuant to A.R.S. § 49-473, § 49-474, § 49-488, and/or the inspection and entry provisions in an Air Quality Permit or conditional order. There are no direct fees for this inspection. 2) I understand that I can accompany the department representative(s) on the premises, except during confidential interviews. 3) I understand that I have the right to copies of any original document(s) taken during the inspection, and that the department will provide copies of those documents at the department’s expense. 4) I understand that I have the right to request copies of documents that will be relied upon to determine compliance with licensure or regulatory requirements, if the agency is permitted by law to release such documents. Instructions for requesting records are available at http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/contact_us/public_records/Default.aspx. 5) I understand that I have a right to a split of any sample(s) taken during the inspection, if the split of the sample(s) would not prohibit an analysis from being conducted or render an analysis inconclusive. 6) I understand that I have the right to copies of any analysis performed on sample(s) taken during the inspection and that the department would provide copies of this analysis at the department’s expense. 7) I understand that each person interviewed during the inspection will be informed that their statements may be included in the inspection report. 8) I understand that each person whose conversation will be tape-recorded during the inspection will be informed that the conversation is being taped-recorded. 9) I understand that if an administrative order is issued or a permit decision is made based on the results of the inspection, I have the right to appeal that administrative order or permit decision. I understand that my administrative hearing rights are set forth in A.R.S § 49-482, §49-498 et seq. and Maricopa County Air Pollution Control Regulation IV, Rule 400. If I have any questions concerning my rights to appeal an administrative order or permit decision, I may contact the department’s Ombudsman at 602-506-1813. 10) I understand that the issuance of a Notice to Comply or a Notice of Violation is not appealable. I understand that if I have any questions or concerns about this inspection, or I wish to dispute the inspection finding, I may contact the department’s Ombudsman at 602-506-1813. 11) If a Notice of Violation is issued, I understand that I may check its status at http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/divisions/enforcement/nov/nov_status.aspx. 12) I understand that audit reports may be subject to privilege under A.R.S. 49-1402. The department may refuse to accept reports for which privilege is claimed. 13) Your feedback is essential in helping us achieve outstanding customer service, so please take a moment to tell us what we do well and what needs improvement by completing a Feedback Form located at http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/ under "Contact Us". 14) While I have the right to decline to sign this form, the department representative(s) may still proceed with the inspection/investigation. While inspectors may offer constructive operational suggestions, you should confer with your technical staff or consultant to determine your actions. Once an Inspection Begins, What Do Inspectors Look For? An inspection can be a nerve-wracking experience or a validation of the good on-site control practices being employed. When an inspector arrives, you can be reasonably sure several areas will be asked about. The brief list below highlights key points that an inspector will be reviewing. Is the dust control permit onsite and accessible? Has it expired? Records should be clear and meet the basic requirements. Are copies of all training certificates onsite? Is the Dust Control Plan onsite? Are the control measure commitments being used? Based on the size of your project, a Dust Control Coordinator may be required to be onsite during primary dust-generating activities. For example, if the only activity for the day is house painting and no one is disturbing soil, the Dust Control Coordinator may not be required that day. Be able to document that water is being used in sufficient quantities to meet operational requirements. Is a hospital, school, or senior residential area nearby? Is there the potential for sensitive groups to be exposed to dust from disturbed areas? In circumstances where a site representative believes that a subcontractor is directly responsible for conditions that may result in the issuance of an NOV, the site representative may request that the inspector confer with the subcontractor to determine whether the subcontractor should be cited for the violation. Make someone in your organization accountable for the environmental program. One person allows focus, creates consistency, helps compliance, and reduces costs. This person should be able to give direction, arrange and track training, record subcontractor registrations, etc. Is there any visible trackout? Does trackout extend beyond 25 feet in cumulative distance? Is someone engaged in cleaning up trackout? Have disturbed areas been adequately stabilized? Are contingency control measures listed in the Dust Control Plan being used? If required, does signage contain the required elements? The Dust Control Plan is an enforceable document. If commitments and/or procedures contained within the Dust Control Plan are not being met, a Notice of Violation can be issued. The intent of a courtesy visit is principally educational and is encouraged to be scheduled early in the term of a permit. By taking advantage of a courtesy visit, it is easier to plan ahead to ensure that follow-on activities will be in compliance. Courtesy visits can be requested for each distinct phase of a project (typically demolition, construction, vertical). A request for a courtesy visit should be set up with adequate advance notice provided to the inspector (scheduling the visit normally a takes a couple of days). During a courtesy visit, observations of minor violations are waived provided they are corrected while the inspector is onsite. One courtesy visit is allowed per project phase (demolitions, construction, vertical). To arrange a couresy visit, call the Small Business Assistance Office at (602) 506-5102. When a department inspector finds a condition that is non-compliant, he or she has a duty to issue either a Opportunity to Correct (OTC) or an Notice of Violation (NOV). A Notice to Comply is not referred to the Enforcement Division and is not considered in subsequent enforcement matters as a factor in determining a penalty. The Opportunity to Correct allows the permit holder to correct the violation and not receive a penalty.* The Opportunity to Correct is issued for only certain types of non-compliance and under certain conditions (the policy document describes this in detail). The inspector has only a limited amount of discretion to issue an Opportunity to Correct. An Opportunity to Correct will be converted into an NOV if documentation is not provided to the department within a short time validating that the non-compliant condition has been corrected. If the recipient of the NOV does not seek Ombudsman review (or if the Ombudsman has affirmed the NOV), an NOV will be referred to the department’s Enforcement Division where the case will be reviewed and a penalty amount calculated by the enforcement officer assigned to the case. The inspector is not involved in determining a penalty offer. Penalities are calculated using the department’s penalty policy which can be reviewed on the department’s website, http://www.maricopa.gov/aq/divisions/enforcement/resources/Default.aspx#penalty_policy. Once a penalty amount is determined, the NOV recipient is presented with a settlement offer to resolve the NOV. The NOV recipient has the option of engaging in a discussion with the department’s Enforcement Division to reach an agreed-upon penalty. If no agreement can be reached, the case is referred to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office where a penalty will be pursued through court action. A permit holder has the right to legal representation at any point during the enforcement process. Most of the enforcement actions taken by the department result in an Order of Abatement by Consent—a document that outlines the violations and the penalty that is agreed upon between the department and the respondent. The Order of Abatement by Consent may also contain additional provisions necessary to achieving compliance, such as obtaining a permit or paying outstanding fees. In the event the recipient of the enforcement action declines to accept a penalty offer, the department will refer the matter to the County Attorney’s office with a request to file a civil action in Maricopa County Superior Court. If, in the rare event, an Order of Abatement is issued (unilaterally by the department), the respondent has the opportunity to seek a hearing before the Air Pollution Control Hearing Board. This appeal must be filed in writing and within 30 days of receipt of the Order. An appeal to the Air Pollution Control Hearing Board is also available following the issuance of a permit, a permit revision, or a conditional order. When an NOV is issued, and the permit holder believes that a subcontractor is primarily responsible for the non-compliant condition, the permit holder may allow the subcontractor to pay the agreed-upon penalty. If a subcontractor agrees to accept responsibility for the penalty it will not have any bearing on the status of the enforcement action against the permit holder. An agreement or understanding between a permit holder and a subcontractor regarding who will accept responsibility for a violation will not be considered by the department in the disposition of an enforcement action. The figure at left indicates the frequency of violations issued for non-compliance under Rule 310 for the period of January through December 2009. *The Opportunity to Correct policy is included in the Resources section of this handbook. The Office of the Ombudsman was created to provide an opportunity for individuals seeking relief from some conflict with the department. An Ombudsman provides assistance to individuals and organizations with unresolved concerns and seeks to achieve a fair resolution. Importantly, the Air Quality Ombudsman reports to the director of the department and is empowered to work with department staff to resolve a concern. The Ombudsman acts as an impartial, unbiased party during disputes. The Ombudsman can investigate a complaint and make a recommendation, but has no direct, legal authority to make or reverse a decision. The services provided by the Ombudsman are open to anyone, including businesses, members of public-interest groups, and private citizens. With regard to enforcement actions, the Ombudsman may offer an independent review of an Opportunity to Correct, a Notice of Violation, or a review of the penalty assessment offered by the Enforcement Division. Generally, a request for Ombudsman support must be initiated within 10 days of receipt of an Opportunity to Correct or an NOV or 10 days after receipt of the department’s final penalty offer letter. The above chart shows the number of Ombudsman cases since the inception of the Ombudsman program through December 1, 2009 as compared to the number of Notices of Violation that have been issued during the same period. In addition to Ombudsman review, any person receiving a final offer to settle an enforcement action for a penalty determined by the department has the opportunity to request a hearing before an Air Pollution Hearing Officer. The hearing officer will take evidence and make findings of fact and conclusions of law that are then presented to the department’s director as a recommendation for a final decision on a penalty offer. A request for Ombudsman review of a final offer letter will not be considered a request for an administrative hearing. A separate request for an administrative hearing must be made to the attention of the Hearing Officer. Requests for public records are available through the Air Quality Records Management staff. All requests must be in writing and clearly state the records sought. If the records request is vague or broad in nature, records management may ask for further clarification or for the requester to be more specific about the records that are being requested. - indicate whether copies are being requested or if you wish to inspect the record in person. Submitting a Public Records Request? *Submitting a request in person does not guarantee that the department will have the resources immediately available to fulfill the request. Test methods are identified in Appendix C of the Air Quality Rules. This section provides information on these methods. Visible emissions of dust (not requiring opacity measurements) are determined using EPA Reference Method 22. A certified observer is not required. In this method, emissions may not exceed 30 seconds in duration during any sixminute period. The 30-second provision is cumulative, meaning that emissions may be observed in discrete segments that are shorter than 30 seconds and which are then added together. If the combined total of observed emissions exceeds 30 seconds when collected during a six-minute period, a violation has been observed. Appendix C, Parts 2, 3 and 4 Opacity emissions of dust are determined using Appendix C, Part 3 and 4 of the Maricopa County Air Pollution Control Rules and Regulations. Observations made using Appendix C require the observer to be certified and to use very specific protocols to determine opacity values. There are several distinct protocols for determining opacity based on the type of operation underway. 1. Non-continuous dust plumes including, but not limited to, those plumes generated by bulk material loading/unloading, non-conveyorized screening, or trenching with backhoes. This method averages 12 observations taken at 0 and 5 seconds for each event over a period not longer than one hour. As a practical matter, the 12 observations will most likely be completed over the period of a few minutes. 2. Continuous dust plumes, including but not limited to, plumes resulting from grading, trenching, blading, clearing, leveling and raking. This method consists of the average of 12 observations with each observation taken at intervals of ten seconds. 3. For unpaved roads and unpaved parking lots, two observations per vehicle at one meter plume height. This method averages 12 observations taken at 0 and 5 seconds over a period not longer than one hour. 4. Livestock activities (including corrals, pens, and arenas). This method uses momentary observations of plumes 1 meter above the ground and taken at 15 second intervals. 13 readings above 20% opacity represent a violation. Note: EPA Method 9 is not used by Maricopa County Air Quality Department staff or the determination of opacity values. Information concerning “smoke school” is provided in the Resources section. The above photos were taken during an ADEQ/ASU Smoke School held at Mesa, Arizona on March 26, 2008. The plumes of smoke were generated by a smoke machine that was calibrated on March 26, 2008 to meet EPA Method 9 standards for smoke generator machines used to certify candidates for EPA Method 9 Visible Emissions Evaluator. Please note that the EPA Method 9 does not recognize photography as a substitute for determination of opacity by human vision. Photographs may vary from picture to picture and camera to camera due to a variety of physical conditions and camera operator variability. The photos should be used as guidance to assist student learning. A simple test to determine if a soil crust is present is known as the drop ball test. A relatively small (15.9 mm) steel ball weighing between 0.56 and 0.6 ounces is dropped onto a 1-foot square area from a distance of 1 foot above the surface. The ball is dropped three times within this 1-foot square area. If the observation of the dropped ball passes the test criteria two out of each three times the ball is dropped, the area is considered to have passed the test. The criteria for passing is for 1) the dropped ball not to have sunk into the surface such that it is partially or fully surrounded by loose grains of soil and, 2) when the ball is removed, the surface upon which it fell has not been pulverized so that loose grains of soil are visible. Does a failed drop ball test apply to the whole project? Yes. Each sample area selected at random by an inspector is considered to be representative of the soil type in the disturbed area in its entirety. The best test method is no test method! If a project site is visibly moist throughout, then an inspector knows immediately that any test method will pass, and therefore a test method is not needed. As a practical matter, the first test is a common-sense visual (eyeball) test. Determining soil moisture [12%, as required in Rule 310 §305.11(b) (2)] requires the use of a specific test procedure that is done using an oven under laboratory conditions. This method requires several hours for proper drying of the sample. A synopsis of the test method is provided on the ASTM website and the full test method is available through ASTM at www.astm.org/Standards/D2216.htm. Silt content is determined using ASTM Method C136-06—Standard Test Method for Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates. The test is used to determine the compliance status of the resulting particle size distribution. Details on the sample analysis procedure can be found at www.astm.org/Standards/C136.htm. Silt loading is also determined using ASTM Method C136-06—Standard Test Method for Sieve Analysis of Fine and Coarse Aggregates. The test is used to determine the compliance status of the resulting particle size distribution. Details on the sample analysis procedure can be found at www.astm.org/Standards/C136.htm. The main difference between silt loading and silt content is a mathematical factor. Threshold Friction Velocity (TFV) is defined as the wind velocity necessary to initiate soil erosion. A test can be readily performed in the field by an inspector to determine whether soil conditions are susceptible to dust entrainment. The TFV value is specified in Rule 310 and soils that do not meet this value are not stable and a condition of non-compliance exists. By sorting a soil sample through a series of sieves, which allow soil particles of different sizes to pass through, a distribution of particle sizes in a soil sample can be determined. This distribution is then compared to a table contained in the test methodology that allows the determination of a TFV value. The standard contained in Rule 310 is to maintain soil conditions such that the TFV value is 100 cm/sec or greater. Have any and all site supervisors read and initial the approved Dust Control Plan. Review the approved Dust Control Plan with subcontractors. Keep the job site organized and presentable. Prominently post site rules for dust control. Restrict access to non-active areas. Conduct frequent dust control tailgate meetings. To better control trackout, one successful practice is to monitor exits at least every 30 minutes. Maintain records that provide a clear understanding of site operations— recordkeeping should be conducted in tandem with site operations and be used to help trigger corrective action. For example, an observation of trackout greater than 25 feet should be accompanied by notations of immediate action taken to control trackout. Be aware of sensitive areas that surround your site—anticipate complaints and inspections to investigate complaints. Park only in designated areas that are identified in the Dust Control Plan or, at minimum, in areas that are posted. Use courtesy visits and other department programs, such as the “Tailgate Talks” DVD, to aid your compliance program. See the Resources section to find out how to request your free copy. If you are hauling offsite, ask the permit holder to spray water over your load before tarping to ensure that dust emissions while driving are eliminated. Call (602) 506-5102 to schedule courtesy visits. Clark County, Nevada – Construction Activities Dust Control Handbook. Page 2-1 in June 2010 to reflect changes to Rule 280 affecting fees. In June 2013, Sections 11 and 12 were updated to reflect current procedures, and all links and contacts were updated. Only Appendices B is contained in this document. All others can be accessed by using the hyperlinks embedded in the handbook.

2019-04-18T20:18:39Z

https://www.soilworks.com/reference-library/2013-tpd1306137-rule-310-dust-handbook.aspx

The historian’s goal is not to collect the “facts” about the past but rather to acquire insights into the ideas and realities that shaped the past of lives of men and women of earlier societies. Some of the beliefs and institutions of the past may seem alien to us, others may also seem too familiar. But in either case, when we study the people of the past, what we are really learning about is the rich diversity of human experience. The study of history, however, is the study of the beliefs and desires, practices and institutions of human beings. African history is the study of the past institutions and cultures of the people who live in Africa. The economic, political and social activities of the people who had once lived in Africa are studied under African history. The following is the importance of studying African history. i. The study of history like other disciplines help some individuals to earn a living (career aspect). It serves as a source of employment for people who study the subject at a higher level. ii. The study of African history has helped in the discovery of the activities of man in far off times. Africa has been proved by researchers like Dr. Louis Leakey to be the original home of man (Homo sapiens). The study of African history would lead to more discoveries of hidden facts. It will highlight Africa’s contribution to world civilization. iii. The study of African history gives the individual the opportunity to relate his past with the present in a better way. Thus, the various stages of society’s development that has to be evaluated to understand the present situation. One will best understand the social, economic and political state of affairs of the society if they knows how things were done in the past. This gives them the key to find solutions to today’s problems. iv. African history has addressed the notion and misconception that Africa has contributed insignificantly to history and to dispel the idea of white superiority, e.g., the Hamitic hypothesis assumed that the African ‘Hamites’ were ‘whites’ akin to the European as they and their culture were inherently superior to the Black Africans and their culture, so that wherever Black Africans had apparently made a striking advance, the explanation must be sought in ‘Hamitic’ influence. Early Arab and European travelers met Africans in different cultural setting. The African has distinctive names, music and dances, political and religious settings as well as rites of passage. Because these practices did not conform to the cultural practices of the Europeans and the Arab writers, they classified Africans as primitive, backward or culturally stagnant. v. African history enables the student to develop a critical mind and appreciate the variety of human behavior and motives and understand politics, economics and society. In this respect, history in the African context can increase human tolerance and respect for differences in opinion. Knowledge of other cultures through the appreciation of history encourages students of history to engage in critical analysis of their own culture and society and to understand and criticize their own assumptions. vi. The study of African history is beneficial since it helps to acquire knowledge about African traditions, culture, norms, and values and to take pride in them and present them. One is able to perceive and recognize the meaning of events from a perspective other than our own to appreciate the diversity of human beliefs and cultures. vii. African history enables the history student to acquire knowledge of their own country and the African continent. viii. African history has a practical use in international relations and diplomacy. Its study promotes international understanding and sympathy. ix. Studying African history will enable the history student to acquire the skills and values that our past can give. African history students can be inspired by events and deeds of great people that will instill in them a sense of pride. x. A proper examination of the past can tell us a great deal about how we came to be who we are. xi. One studies African history to be able to appreciate the use of other sources in the writing and reconstruction of African history apart from written sources. xii. It enables the student to develop an accurate sense of African historical chronology. Most rural communities in countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, The Gambia and Ghana obtain their drinking water from streams or hand dug wells. One may describe such streams and wells as a community’s source of water supply. Similarly, historians use the term historical sources to refer to the means by which historical information is gotten. Again, by historical sources, the historian means traces that the past has left of itself in the present, in the form of document, artifacts, buildings, castles and forts, coins, institution, traditions, festivals, customs and so forth. Primary sources are materials produced by the people or groups directly involved in the event or topic under discussion, ether as participants or as witnesses. Some primary sources are written documents such as letters, diaries, newspaper and magazine articles, speeches, autobiographies, treatise, census data and marriage, birth and death registers. In addition, historians often examine primary sources that are not written. Examples are works of art, films, recordings, items of clothing, household objects, tools and archeological remains. Oral sources (interviews) and eyewitness accounts can be used as primary sources. It is easier to use written sources in the reconstruction of African history. This is because books or documents can often be carried from one place to another where the reader or the writer wants to use it. This cannot be done in the non-documentary sources. Written records of contemporary issues give first-hand information which is naturally more accurate and reliable. This is because dates and events are chronologically well recorded. For example minutes of meetings give exact and accurate date, and the time the meeting was held. Similarly, records written in diaries are recorded on the spot as events occur or soon after. This helped historians to know the exact dates for instance the Asante fought with the British because the wars were documented. Written sources help reduce any tendency of the historian to use guesswork in his work. Keeping accurate records of events is very difficult especially where written sources are lacking and people rely solely on oral tradition. One can say therefore that written sources are more effective means or method of keeping records of past events. Written sources of African history promote research work. For instance, when readers feel that there is a deficiency in a written account, they are encouraged to dig further in order to contribute to greater and more accurate knowledge about the issue. Written sources help in cross-checking data or information collected from oral and other sources of historical knowledge. This help to reach reliable conclusions. Documents provide more detailed information than oral sources, e.g. dates, illustrative pictures, names of participants in events etc.. Written sources can easily be destroyed by termites, rodents, fire, flood, earthquakes, humidity, etc. Written records destroyed by any of these disasters cannot be retrieved unlike oral sources which can be retold. Termites and rodents may also eat away vital information in written forms. Another major limitation of written sources of history is that they may contain biases and distortions. The writer may intentionally write to suit his opinions or leave out some aspects of the events which are not to his liking. For example some books written by European writers state that slave trading is a blessing to the people of West Africa. Others have written in their books that until the coming of Europeans in West Africa, the history of West Africa was only wars and misery. Again, one of the strongest demerit of written source is, once certain materials or information have been written down, people take them to be as fact even when they are not crosschecked. Not all the information found in writing or books should be taken to be historical truth; there could be a little bit of exaggeration, bias or prejudice. Written materials are expensive. The writer needs materials like paper, pen, book, diary, etc to put down events. Also, before one gets written materials, they may have to make use of the other sources like archeology, linguistics etc. Once again, written materials are hard to come by, especially in Africa where the art of writing started late. Even in Africa where they are available, they are fragmentary and far between. Since writing began very late in Africa apart from ancient Egypt, written records are generally scanty and scarce. This means that the historian has to rely more on the non-documentary sources, making the work more difficult. Written materials can get lost, thus depriving the people the historical information if they are the only sources of information. Documentary sources are written materials that have been put into writing and to be able to read one needs to be literate (able to read and write). Many Africans cannot read nor write, hence rendering written sources of African history deficient in the reconstruction of African history. Finally, to come out with authentic written materials, the services of experts in the other disciplines like archeology, linguistics, etc. are needed in order to interpret correctly historical events. This refers to pieces of information about past events collected from sources of history other than books and other written materials. This explains why this section refers to unwritten sources. Examples of non-documentary sources are Archaeology, Oral Tradition, Linguistic, Ethnography, Art forms/History, Ethnobotany, Ethnozoology, Ethnomusicology, Numismatics, and Serology. The fixed text type of oral traditions have an unchanging format and content and have to be memorized and passed on from generation to generation. Example of ‘fixed text’ type are words of folk music, praise songs, drum music and horn music. An example of drum music is the Mpintin drums of Denkyira which recall the past hegemony and wealth of that state in two terse lines: ‘kotoko som amponsem’ (the porcupine i.e. Asante serves Amponsem-the king of Denkyira) and ‘Boa Amponsem a odi sika atomprada’ (King Boa Amponsem who uses fresh gold all the time). Similarly, Abuakwa horn music immortalize the valour of Abuakwa’s Queen Dokuaa at the Akatamanso (1826) they sing ‘Dokua obaa basia a oko oprem ano’ (Dokua the valiant woman who fought before canon). The free-text type consists of accounts of events usually stool (dynastic) histories and family or village traditions. For example some court officials can memorize some aspects of the state history and can tell others when necessary. Some court officials include the linguist (okyeame), court heralds (esen) and executioners (abrafo) in the Akan states. Also, in Mali the (griot) and Togo (evne) played similar roles. Oral tradition is easily accessible in the sense that, gathering information by the historian does not involve much work. In every community, town or village in Africa, one can get some elders who are ready to give the traditions and historical events in the area. The historian in one way or the other, only need to contact knowledgeable informants and respondents for the necessary information needed. In the absence of other sources, oral tradition becomes one of the sole sources of writing history. In a situation where there are no written records or other pieces of information like personal diaries, minutes of meetings, journals etc. the historian often relies to a large extent on the information provided by oral tradition to compile his findings. Oral tradition as a source of African history has helped to confirm historical facts from other sources. For example, it helps the archeologist to confirm their findings thus throwing more light on the findings of the history of a place. Again, the archaeologist would have to be directed by a story from the local people before he goes to excavate the site. Therefore, without oral tradition, the archaeologist’s work become difficult. Oral tradition helps the historian to determine historical trends and events. Through the comparison of several oral traditions, the historian can eliminate biases, inconsistencies or inaccuracies in the written records they are using, to come out with an accurate historical account of the past. Oral tradition has also helped in the interpretation of archeological data dug from the soil. This is necessary because the artefacts found are both anonymous and fragmentary. For instance, if an archaeologist unearthed human skeletons with lost limbs apparently severed by sharp-edged materials, they may deduce that the excavated site was a mass grave where people who died after an armed conflict were buried. They may not conclude with that, but rather validate their evidence by embarking upon personal enquiry, interviewing target groups in the area. If they are lucky, they would have pieces of information about events similar to what they have speculated. Oral tradition has done a lot to assist with the reconstruction of African history, this is because Africans have relied on oral traditions to preserve their history for centuries. It is again, the only living source of historical reconstruction because it gives room for further questioning and analysis of the information given to ensure its validity or truthfulness. In the first instance, oral tradition is not precise in detail. The narrator may give information in a long clumsy way without any specific point. Important aspect of events and their sequences are forgotten as the informants advance in age. As these stories are retold to subsequent generations, they are filled with misrepresentation of facts. Oral tradition is full of exaggeration, biases and prejudices. The narrator might add irrelevant information or might leave out information which does not suit his interest. Narrators normally leave out these aspects of the story consciously or unconsciously leading to one-sided information that cannot serve as a sound basis for historical writing. Moreover, oral tradition cannot be dated with certainty. The narrator might forget part of the events or important dates. People tend to lose track of events through no fault of theirs and therefore forget the actual date and time that a particular event took place. For instance, situations where an event occurs frequently, it brings confusion in terms of specifics since the narrator does a lot of guesswork. Another shortfall of oral tradition is that, death or calamity affecting people can result in the loss of important aspect of oral tradition since only the living can tell it and not the dead. To top it up, if people were afflicted by a calamity leading to the loss of lives including the key informants, then the information of the affected area would be lost forever. Furthermore in using oral tradition as the main source of reconstruction of African history, details and sequences of events might be forgotten with the passage of time since the human mind keeps the history, one might forget some important points as years pass by. Indeed cross-checking becomes difficult in oral tradition if the narrator is the only source of information. It is a fact that oral tradition is most likely to contain inaccuracies and failures to collaborate the information gathered from other source might produce shoddy work hence the need to cross-check and test events. Oral tradition tends to lay more emphasis on personalities like kings, rulers and leaders as well as events like wars and migration to the neglect of social and economic aspects of people’s history, thus making the historical approach somewhat narrow, to the disadvantages of scholarship and posterity. viii. Oral traditionists are men, and thus there is a gendered bias in what is recalled, and the way it is recalled, which may diminish the role women have played in the African past. Archaeology is the study of a people’s culture of years past through excavation and examination of material remains that are found. It is the understanding of human actions in the past through a study of what they did rather than what they said of themselves. Again, archaeology provides information about how societies adapted their ways of life to suit their natural environment or how they modified their environment to suit their way of life. Archaeological information is obtained through the excavation or digging of specially chosen sites. In Europe, archaeology has been a useful source of historical evidence since the 19th century AD whereas in Africa, it has been helpful in the reconstruction of the past since the second half of the 20th century. The archaeologist uses radio-carbon dating (carbon-14 dating) to determine the age of artefacts. The use of this technique to examine running of houses tools and weapons etc. has contributed immensely towards the reconstruction of African history. Among the evidences are the famous Ife works of art in bronze and pottery, which came to the notice of the world through archeological excavations in 1910. Secondly, excavated sites at Igbo Ukwu in the south of Enugu-Nigeria has shown that a highly advanced society existed in that part of Nigeria in the 10th century AD. Thirdly, in the Brong-Ahafo region of modern Ghana, excavation conducted at Begho provided evidence of copper and iron industries. However there are many important sites in West Africa such as Kantora on the Upper Gambia river and Kansala – capital of the Kaabu empire in north-eastern Guinea-Bissau – which still require excavation. Archaeological information shows that African societies attained high levels of civilization and development in pre European time. Example is the site excavated at Igbo Ukwu and Ife in Nigeria which have revealed highly advanced societies where bronze and pottery technology were practiced. Archeology helps to reveal the kind of trade contacts that existed among people in the past. A good example is that of the excavations carried out at Begho in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana, which showed that long before the arrival of the Europeans, Africans were in contact with China, Indonesia, Arabia and Phoenicia, since porcelain, coins, pipes and bottles from these areas were found. Through the studies of archaeology we get an idea about the political organization of people, their religious/traditional beliefs and economic activities etc. These come to light when archaeologists excavate materials which experts examine and relate them. For instance, if a chief’s linguist staff is found after excavations one may relate it to religious/traditional belief or authority. Archeology also provides information about the way different people have adapted to their environment e.g. by revealing the tools they made for various purposes. Archaeology has helped historians to write history of pre-historic times. Since writing began late in most parts of the continent, archeology has become the main source of information for the reconstruction of African history of the distant past. Archeologists have revealed in their studies what our ancestors did and so help to provide useful evidence for writing about. Through archeology, the material culture of people in the past becomes known. It is only to excavations that we go to know the kind of building people built and the occupation they engaged in. For example, the ruins in Zimbabwe, Kumbi-Saleh (empire of Ghāna) and the pyramids in Egypt. Archeological studies have shown that human beings originated from Africa. From this source, it has been proved that Africa was the first home of man (Homo sapiens). This has been proved by the fossils discovered by Dr. and Mrs. Leakey at Olduvai Gorge in the Northern Tanzania. Archeological studies help us to date event e.g. the use of carbon-14 dating or radio carbon dating. It has been a reliable source of history since artifacts could be seen and felt. In archaeology, one is bound to use much guess work in the reconstruction of the past, thus leading to inaccurate information. Also, the use of radio-carbon dating always approximate dates. Artifacts found are anonymous and lack the sequence of daily life. Makers and users of such artifacts are usually not known. This makes the archeologist do guesswork. The use of archaeology as a source of writing African history is expensive. It is expensive considering high cost of labour excavating machines, finding the selected site, getting permit, laboratory expenses, and special tools among others. The use of the radio carbon dating (carbon 14) in determining the age of an archaeological find is very complex and expensive. The nature of the tropical climate in Africa makes it difficult for archeological findings (material remains) to be preserved in the soil. The tropical rainforest has high temperature and rainfall which promotes decay of fossil remains as well as chemical weathering. These conditions facilitate fossil decay and weathering of rocks leaving little or no traces of rock paintings or carvings which are very useful sources of information to historians in their attempt to reconstruct the African past. One major limitation of archeology is that the means by which information is preserved is not deliberate, so most of the findings discovered through excavations are accidental. With this we have the intuition of acquiring some knowledge, but would first at the same time be ‘gambling’. Archaeological finding is unable to provide a comprehensive view and analysis of the past because it does not tell about the ideological and sociological aspects of life. All these factors limit the scope of information available to the historian. The information derived from archeology is often spotty because the information is usually got depending on materials found. Archeology unfortunately needs knowledge of many disciplines to interpret information. For example, chemistry, botany, geology, art, history etc. That is, it is not easy to get one person with knowledge on such disciplines thus making interpretation a difficult task. Archeology rely on information given by oral tradition and written sources. The archeologists in most cases have to receive information about a site or read from a book about a site before excavations can take place. Without receiving information from the local people about a site of ruins, writing African history becomes difficult since the archeologist may be handicapped. Linguistics is the scientific study of the origin, structure and changes of a language that occur in the languages over a period of time. Languages do change in vocabulary and grammar over periods of time. Such changes can tell the historian about the adoption of new ideas by people. Some languages, when studied closely relate to the other (Ga and Adangbe; Wali and Dagari; Ewe and Fon; Fante and Bono; and Dagomba and Mossi etc.). One could project that those languages may have developed from one single parent language. The comparative study of such related languages can provide useful information. Linguistics study has several advantages and importance in the reconstruction of African history. Linguistics helps us to trace the origin of people and peopling of places e.g. Ewe, Akan, Bantu etc. Studies conducted by one linguist J.H.Greenberg into the origin of the Bantu and other West African languages have helped to arrive at the conclusion that the then Bantu speakers dispersed throughout the eastern and southern Africa originate from the Nigerian-Cameroon border region. Linguistic studies can help confirm or question stories of origin e.g. Ewe as against Ga stories of origin from east of Ghana. In reconstructing Africa’s history, linguistics has confirmed the established facts that Ewes once stayed with the Yoruba at Ketu, Benin and Togo before settling in Ghana. This can be found in the language of Ewe speakers in the West African countries. Linguistics helps in identifying people into ethnic groups e.g. Ewe, Akan, Ga-Adange etc. indeed language plays very key role in identifying a group of people. For instance, it is the Ewe people that speak the Ewe language; also Twi is spoken by the Asantes. Furthermore, linguistics enlightens us on the influences that have come to people from outside, e.g. the existence of Portuguese words in Ghanaian languages like paano (bread), bokiti (bucket), asopatre (slippers), krataa (paper) and prete (plate). Linguistics helps us to show the adoption of new ideas by people with changes in vocabulary and grammar. The changes that occur in languages can be studied to tell whether there has been an adoption of new ideas and general historical developments. Example, Akan words in Ga language like ‘anokwaley’, ‘abotaley’ etc. Linguistic studies of the Bantu and West African languages have established that the ancestors of modern Bantu speakers originated from the Nigeria-Cameroon border area. The study of related languages may show that they emerged from the same source, probably a proto-language called ‘Kwa’. Through the study of linguistics, historians can establish whether speakers of closely-related languages have a common root e.g. Ga and Adangbe,Wali and Dagari; Ewe and Fon; Fante and Bono; and Dagomba and Mossi. Professor Abena Dolphyne of the University of Ghana has studied Akan languages of the Asante, Fante and Bono. She concluded that the Bono language is more related to the Fante language than any of the two of the Asante language. This is confirmed by the oral tradition of the Fante that they stayed aTakyiman before moving to their present home. It is difficult to study and analyze a particular language if the researcher does not have fore knowledge about it. Linguistics is such a complex study that there is very little unanimity or agreement among even the linguists themselves on their conclusions. Linguistics cannot clearly point out changes in language over a period of time. This can lead to misrepresentation, loss or distortion of reality in history, thus making it very difficult to know the true origins or events needed by the writer. Linguistics fell short in reconstruction of African history, because as a discipline it is less developed in Africa. Hence, it does not contribute very much like other sources in the writing of African history.That notwithstanding, in recent times, linguists in USA and elsewhere are researching on African history. Linguistics in most cases, the historian has to largely rely on the other sources for validation and collaboration of information obtained. Some conclusions drawn by linguists based on words similarities may be sheer coincidence. In such cases, finding conclusive evidence remains difficult. Ethnography is the study of present-day social institutions as well as the crafts and artistic skills of people. Example is the collaboration of festivals, the process of making pottery, beads, weaving, construction etc. The conclusions drawn from the study and examination of these institutions and artefacts in examination of these institutions and artefacts in their present form help towards fully understanding and explain the past’s influence on the formation of present skills/techniques. The conclusions drawn from the study and examination of these institutions and artefacts in examination of these institutions and artefacts in their present form help to fully understand and explain the past. Ethnography provides a useful opportunity to study Africa rituals and festivals which are mainly re-enactment of historical event (for example, the performance of the warriors during the Egungun festival of the Yoruba). Also, if the performance by the Alaketu (ruler of Ketu) during his installation demonstrate a play-back of the experiences of the first Alaketu in establishing Ketu state. Similarly, among the Ewes the Hogbetsotso festival is celebrated annually to commemorate their exodus and liberation from the tyrannical rule of Togbui Agorkoli I of Notsie. One of the defects of ethnography is the study of present day social institution does not give the exact meanings to some traditional practices. The fast modernization and westernization of our traditional values may have swept away some important aspect of our cultural heritage. Africans are able through ethnography to trace their ancestry or record some important events like Homowo, Hogbetsotso, Egungun festival. Numismatics is the study of coins. This study helps us to know where the coins were minted and found. Numismatics studies has proved that Africans had an advanced economy in minting of coins. Numismatics throws light on trade contacts between people. For an example the discovery of 240 coins at Kilwa on the East African Coast show that from the 13th century AD, the sultans of Kilwa had their own mint. Numismatic gives accurate dates, names, places and events. For example the king list of Kilwa came to light when the 240 coins were discovered. It showed the sultans of the Swahili Coast. Discovered coins can be seen, felt or touched, makes history live, or more interesting or reliable. Numismatics shows the level of civilization to the people using coins. For instance, by the 13th century AD, the Sultans of the East African Coast had their own mint of coins for producing their coins for trade and other purposes. Also, gold weights represented the means of determining quantities of gold in Akan society where gold dust was the normal currency. The value of gold to be used in a money transaction was assessed by weights. Numismatics shows the political dominance in societies using coins. During the colonial rule, Ghana’s currency had the figure and name of the British crown. vi. Preservation for longer periods. Numismatics unlike the other artifacts, a coin can be preserved for a relatively longer period. Through the activities of numismatics, it is known that as far back as the 9th and 10th centuries AD, the people of East Africa and China had established trading links. Numismatics gives limited information in the story it tells. It may only identify a ruling class in the society engaged in trading activity who used the coin. This makes numismatics handicapped in tracing the other aspects of cultural lives of the user societies. Without the consultation of other sources like archeology and oral tradition, numismatics may somehow be impotent in revealing the entire cultural history of a society. This is also because not all pre-historic societies minted and used coins. Ethnobotany is the scientific study of ancient remains of plants which are termed flora. Ethnozoology is the scientific study of animal remains from the past which are called fauna. These studies help to trace the origins of plants and the animals our ancestors fed on and exploited in the past. It is through such studies that crops are classified as indigenous and non-indigenous. Through the study of ethnobotany, it has been established that, Africans were advanced in agriculture. For example ethnobotany has revealed that, the (Dahomey Gap) in modern Benin in West African coastal forest belt is the cradle of yam cultivation. Also animals like West African dwarf goat, pigs, cattle, dogs, cats and guinea fowl are all indigenous to Africa. Ethnobotany shows the interrelationships or contacts among peoples and the presence of some crops and fruits like guava, tangerine, mango, avocado pear and pineapple are known to have European origins. It has been observed that, the Bantu had for a long time relied on banana as a food source and therefore it has been suggested that the spread of banana to other parts of Africa had depended to a large extent on the migration of the Bantu. Ethnobotany and ethnozoology help to locate settlement of people. Certain plants and animals determine settlement of people since generation after generation has used them as staple foods and diets. The study of ethnobotany and ethnozoology has helped in dating events in the society. Ethnobotany has helped historians through the use of tree-ring dating method. It is the method used to date pieces of wood that are found in excavations to determine the ages of their use. The information about crop and animals being indigenous or non-indigenous may not be accurate. This is because weather and climatic conditions as well as the duration of the crop in a particular area might be so long that there is the likelihood of inaccurate prediction. A remarkable problem associated with ethnobotany is generalization. For instance it is established that Tetteh Quarshie brought cocoa to Ghana from Fernando Po but another source have it that the Basel missionaries brought cocoa from Surinam before Tetteh Quarshie. It will be incorrect to generalize that cocoa came to Ghana from Fernando Po or Surinam because the climatic condition in these places are the same. Ethnobotanist must work in conjunction with other sources of writing African history before they can establish the validity or otherwise of their find. Without this inter-disciplinary approach, ethnobotany will be impotent. Ethnomusicology is the scientific study of music (musicology) which focuses on the study of music forms in their cultural perspective. It deals with the role of music in the cultural history of a group of people, and how the formal structures of music evolve in different historical contexts. Ethnomusicology confirms and supports events of history. Most folk songs and ancient musical forms usually make reference to important socio-economic events and political events in the life of the people who composed and sang them. E.g. the Asafo songs of the Fante make references to the exploits of their three warlords which included, Obunumakoma, Odapagyan and Oson. Also, the Akyem Abuakwa’s warrior Queenmother Dokuah’s role in the courageous woman who fights with the gun. This describes Dokuah’s contribution to the Akyem Abuakwa state. Similarly, in Mande peoples, the epic of Sunjata Keita recounts the formation of the empire of Mali. It is also a storehouse of historical information in the form of drums, horn, music, dirges and praise songs. For instance, during the Damba festival of the Dagombas, they play drums that give messages about Toharjie-the great warrior who led them to their present settlements. Drums are one of the Africa’s great living books. The study of the changes that occur in people’s musical forms over a period of time is also another source of history, for example, a study of the religious songs of the Ga has revealed that the music as well as the song belongs to an older and different ethnic group. This supports the claim of Guan oral tradition that they occupied the highlands of the Ga state prior to the arrival of the Ga. Moreover the change in African musical instruments in the New World has given much information about diaspora history. One major defects of ethnomusicology is the authenticity of the text or lyrics the song conveyed. Another shortfall of ethnomusicology is that there is no African culture ever developed a notational system for its organization of culturally defined musical sound. This implies there is little hope in hearing African music with any accuracy of tracing the actual sound of music to any substantial time-depth. ARTS FORMS/ARTS HISTORY AS A FORM OF AFRICAN HISTORY. Art history is the study of art forms such as engravings, paintings, carvings and sculpture on stone surface, tombs, slabs or walls of caves, palaces and shrines. Arts forms or history helps to discover the economic activities, religious beliefs, culture and political power a group of people had in the past. For instance, the art works found in the Tassili Caves suggest that the dry areas of North Africa might not have been as dry in the past as they are today. Paintings of food crops found in the tombs in the Sahara give impressions that the early inhabitants of these region might have relied on grains as food source. This helps historians to know and determine the eating habits and occupations of the early inhabitants of the Saharan regions. Another painting found in the rocks of the Sahara might have shown that the Sahara had at a point in time harbored aquatic animals. This has given the impression that the Sahara has always not being as dry as it is today. Rock paintings which are peculiar to art forms are not common on the African continent especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This is due to the fact that painting was restricted to perishable surfaces such as textiles, wood, house walls among other therefore could not survive the high humid climatic conditions of the environment. The art historian encounters the problem of dating their artistic find. For that matter they resorts to the archeologist in dating things such pre-historic art. Serology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of blood types. It deals with the blood serum components that protect the blood against diseases. i. Human blood varies in composition from one person to another in the sense that some genes present in some people in some people are absent in others. For that matter people can be categorized according to their blood groups. It is therefore possible that adequate knowledge of a predominant blood type in another area or region should be able to establish some kind of hypothesis that the people of region A must have formed part of region B. Studies in the frequency of the sickle cell should be able to give the clue that, people belong to a particular source. A very good example of how the studies in the frequency in sickle cell can help historical research could be found in Windward Coast in Liberia. In this region, the Kru people are almost devoid of the sickle cell trait. Yet it is very common among the neighboring people. This confirms the fact that the Kru has been a close community who did not intermarry with their neighbors. To collect data for the reconstruction of African history, the historian must not rely solely on written sources or non-documentary sources but rather the following methods must be employed to check biases, prejudices and exaggerations. One method of gathering information from non-documentary sources of African history is interviewing of knowledgeable persons about the culture of a particular community. This is to say that the historian must interview people about the information of the past such as eye-witnesses or traditional historians like court linguists, older court officials and the elderly. The historian can record these interviews and later play, write out and analyze the information given. Another method of gathering information about African history is the interdisciplinary approach. Cooperation with scholars in other fields of knowledge gives information for African history. The historian has to cooperate with specialists like the linguists, archeologists, botanists, ethnographers among others to obtain materials that can be used to reconstruct African history. The researcher works together with these scholars to gather important information to draw valid conclusions. In writing African history, one can use the review method to get information by reviewing the written sources such as books, newspapers, journals, broadcasts, diaries, manifestoes, and private letters among others, by reviewing the research through written sources both primary and secondary for information which they examine and cross-check. Even though these written records have shortcomings and inadequacies, they can be reviewed by the historian to ensure an accurate reflection of the past. This helps to produce unbiased history which is backed by evidence. To get the best results of collecting data for writing African history, a carefully composed questionnaire should be used which must cover the political, economic, social, religious and technological aspects. In this situation, a series of well-structured questions are given out to persons who know about the past to solicit for information. The responses to these questions are gathered and analyzed by the historian in order to draw a reasonable conclusion. Through personal observation by visiting places of historical importance like slave sites, castles, forts etc. and personally recording events like festivals, funerals and the like, important findings can result in the collection of data for writing African history. Such details are necessary since they constitute first-hand information as the events happened before their own eyes i.e. eye witness account. Such accounts can be compared and questions are asked on them to get a reliable view of what actually happened in the past. Despite the fact that written and unwritten sources of African history have shortfalls, we can still describe them as adequately reliable, since the work of a historian is based on historical methods where they use scientific methods in drawing conclusions. Written records of history have a high level of precision and very reliable. All the documentary sources e.g. newspapers, personal letters, diaries, journals, manifestoes etc. can be reviewed and cross checked for a fair assessment of the past. This process helps to get rid of prejudices, biases to ensure truthfulness. By putting written records side by side with other forms of evidence, the historian can establish an objective conclusion. The reliability of unwritten sources of history cannot be underestimated since they all involve scientific methods in carrying out researches. For instance, the Ghanaian linguist, Professor Abena Dolphyne undertook a research on the Bono, Asante and Fante people and arrived at an important conclusion. She found out that the Asante language is less related to the Fante. Also, archeology which is our main source of information on African history uses scientific methods like reconnaissance, stratification, radiocarbon and potassium argon dating methods and data analysis. These methods help archeologists to come to accurate and reliable conclusions significant for historical writing. Reconnaissance involves the process of discovering sites and plotting them for digging. However, archeology as a non-documentary source of African history has some flaws. It is an unfortunate fact that there is no conscious system of preserving archeological knowledge. For that matter what archaeologists come across may be an accidental preservation. In this case, one goes into archeological excavation with the idea of acquiring some knowledge but relying on chance if not luck. Again, archaeological remains are subjected to wear and tear, weathering, and disfigurement and therefore are likely to present difficulty in the historians’ attempt to derive very reliable information from them. The process of radio-carbon dating is very expensive and that constitutes a hindrance to effective research. Moreover, oral tradition is full of exaggeration on establishment of information to suit the narrator’s interest. Many a time, they tend to present history in a way that would not only exclude portions that do not meet their interest but worse of all, it might not be able to give specific details due to genuine loss in memory. Again, oral tradition tends to put so much emphasis on personalities and events like wars, whilst playing down on social and economic aspects of the past With this, information becomes very scanty to the disadvantage of scholarship and posterity. In conclusion, we can deduce that both documentary and non-documentary evidence must be used to complement each other in the writing of African history. Since both are the work of human beings, one cannot be more reliable than the other since people tend to be subjective, biased and impressionistic. Mulira, James. “Sources of African History.” Current Anthropology 20, no. 1 (1979): 227-29. Nunn, Nathan. “The Importance of History for Economic Development.” Annual Review of Economics 1 (2009): 65-92. Palmer, Marilyn. “Archeology or Heritage Management: The Conflict of Objectives in the Training of Industrial Archeologists.” IA. The Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology 26, no. 2 (2000): 49-54. “Archeological Work Assists Restoration.” History News 17, no. 1 (1961): 2-3. Fallaize, E. N. “ARCHEOLOGY.” Science Progress (1933- ) 31, no. 123 (1937): 527-33. W. “NUMISMATICS.” American Journal of Numismatics, and Bulletin of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society 2, no. 2 (1867): 25-27. Kelley, Donald R. “Johann Sleidan and the Origins of History as a Profession.” The Journal of Modern History 52, no. 4 (1980): 574-98. Lewalski, Kenneth F. “THE STUDY AND TEACHING OF HISTORY AS A MORAL EXERCISE.” The Journal of General Education 16, no. 3 (1964): 237-45. Karamanski, Theodore J. “Reflections on Ethics and the Historical Profession.” The Public Historian 21, no. 3 (1999): 127-33. English in Africa 13, no. 2 (1986): 89-103. Barber, Karin, and Graham Furniss. “African-Language Writing.” Research in African Literatures 37, no. 3 (2006): 1-14. Kamian, Bakary. “International Congress of African History.” The Journal of Modern African Studies 3, no. 4 (1965): 617-18. Kaba, Lansiné. “IDEOLOGY AND AFRICAN HISTORY.” The Black Scholar 5, no. 4 (1973): 43-49. Stahl, Ann B. “The Archaeology of African History.” The International Journal of African Historical Studies 42, no. 2 (2009): 241-55. Marcus, Harold G. “The Greening of African History.” The Historian 51, no. 3 (1989): 467-74. Ott, Albert. “AKAN GOLD WEIGHTS.” Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana 9 (1968): 17-42.

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Appeal letter might be utilised in situations in which you are searching a few modification or rectification or in the event you’re searching to get some form of help. Keep in mindyour comprehension of the way to compose a excellent appeal letter for faculty might serve you properly also it is worth a try, but a lot of appeals remain still very lucrative. Proof reading the letter is critical! A typed letter will guarantee your communication is legible. Letters possess a particular area from the market universe. If you have gotten a Probation letter, you usually would not have to allure. Probation Letters are delivered simply to produce students alert to their Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. The letter should be your own personal. The letters need to present in depth understanding of your recent ailments. Attempt to be sure that every paragraph of the correspondence builds over the prior paragraph. Charm letters ought to abide by a very simple business suggestion strategy. It is critical to produce appeal letters on an official letter-head since they support to set up your credentials. Be sure you are polite ample while saying your points as it’s an appeal letter. Powerful letters of allure articulate genuine explanations for why a determination should be re considered. If it’s not connected to the suspension, then then it is maybe not really worth mentioning from the allure. Suspensions usually come about in the most egregious circumstances. DUI related suspensions take various fees predicated in your own specific drunk-driving offense The Florida Driver’s Handbook comprises an entire selection of penalties needed to reinstate your driver’s license. Your suspension will probably begin once they receive your permit and it is going to be reinstated while the suspension period will be over. Though an Amazon merchant accounts suspension may sound being a tragedy, it’s the one which can be reverted using a superior allure letter. 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It is likely to soon be glad to know that she’s communication with her or her or his advisor. The letter should clarify well why the pupil was not ready to keep informed regarding his performance along with an apology to receive the specific same. Don’t forget the individual examining through your letter could be sympathetic but reluctant to give your appeal with out some kind of evidence which you are proper and truthful in your assertions. Find out who should find the allure letter and endeavor to make arrangements to give it personally. A disciplinary charm letter is composed to locate helpfrom larger authority once the worker or employee faces a issue by making use of their coworkers or even the total team. Supporting your petition having the very most successful letters with regard is therefore crucial to your success. You must make your complaint to this business office that caused the issue. Additional grievances pertaining to academic status ought to really be addressed into the Graduate college. In academic appeals, you are always attempting to change a determination that has already been created. If you believe the decision on your own benefit or tax credit isn’t right, view the advice on our additional webpages. Do not reveal unfavorable individual opinions of those who made the decision you’re interesting. Depending on the form of suspension you’ve got, you can possibly be at a position to contest the decision with a hearing or attractiveness. You might need to file your appeal to the county court in which you live or where your suspension was awarded. The appeal is seen throughout January 18th. If it is unavailable, you should contact with the office. Appeals may not be made via telephonenumber. Broadly speaking, they will soon be determined in under 15 college days. Late and pristine allure wont be contemplated. From then on, ensure your allure is based on the legitimate reason that willn’t be rejected at an identical time. After you document your allure you are going to be provided a listing date. Please be aware, the Appeals Committee is not obligated to listen appeals for reinstatement to the present semester. When conducted thoroughly, a SWOT analysis can uncover an abundance of advice, also will be useful in several circumstances. Thus many projects and organizations on earth have to have more thorough comprehension of themselves, and it does not do precisely the trick. It is only effective if it requires everything into account. In summary, it’s the best method of resolving business difficulties and in the event that you should be looking to get a SWOT identification example, you have come to the ideal spot. Assessing a SWOT analysis is actually really a vital analysis procedure, and there are different matters one really wants to look at by doing this. It’s normally used to recognize. 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Transcript of a BriefingsDirect podcast on how The Open Group is addressing the information needs and challenges in the healthcare ecosystem. Listen to the podcast. Find it on iTunes. Download the transcript. Sponsor: The Open Group. Dana Gardner: Hello, and welcome to a special BriefingsDirect panel discussion coming to you in conjunction with The Open Group Conference on February 3 in San Francisco. I’m Dana Gardner, Principal Analyst at Interarbor Solutions, your host and moderator as we examine how the healthcare industry can benefit from improved and methodological information flow. Healthcare, like no other sector of the economy, exemplifies the challenges and the opportunity for improving how the various participants in a complex ecosystem interact. The Open Group, at its next North American conference, has made improved information flow across so-called boundaryless organizations the theme of its gathering of IT leaders, enterprise architects, and standards developers and implementers. Join us now, as we explore what it takes to bring rigorous interactions, process efficiency, and governance to data and workflows that must extend across many healthcare participants with speed and dependability. Learn how improved cross-organization collaboration plays a huge part in helping to make healthcare more responsive, effective, safe, and cost-efficient. And also become acquainted with what The Open Group’s new Healthcare Industry Forum is doing to improve the situation. Gardner: We’re also here with Eric Stephens, an Oracle Enterprise Architect. Welcome, Eric. Eric Stephens: Thank you, Dana. So first to you, Larry. Why is healthcare such a tough nut to crack when it comes to this information flow? Is there something unique about healthcare that we don't necessarily find in other vertical industries? Schmidt: What’s unique about healthcare right now is that in order to answer the question we have to go back to some of the challenges we’ve seen in healthcare. We’ve progressed in healthcare from a healthcare delivery model that was more based on acute care -- that is, I get sick, I go to the doctor -- to more of a managed-care type capability with the healthcare delivery, where a doctor at times is watching and trying to coach you. Now, we’ve gotten to where the individual is in charge of their own healthcare. With that, the ecosystem around healthcare has not had the opportunity to focus the overall interactions based on the individual. So we see an awful lot of fragmentation occurring. There are many great standards across the powers that exist within the ecosystem, but if you take the individual and place that individual in the center of this universe, the whole information model changes. Then, of course, there are other things, such as technology advances, personal biometric devices, and things like that that come into play and allow us to be much more effective with information that can be captured for healthcare. As a result, it’s the change with the focus on the individual that is allowing us the opportunity to redefine how information should flow across the healthcare ecosystem. Gardner: So I guess it’s interesting, Larry, that the individual is at the center or hub of this ongoing moving ecosystem with many spokes, if you will. Is that a characterization, or is there no hub and that’s perhaps one of the challenges for this? Schmidt: What you said first is a good way to categorize it. The scenario of the individual being more in charge of their healthcare -- care of their health would be a better way to think of this -- is a way to see both improvements in the information flow as well as making improvements in the overall cost of healthcare going forward. As I offered earlier, because the ecosystem had pretty much been focused around the doctor's visit, or the doctor’s work with an individual, as opposed to the individual’s work with the doctor. We see tremendous opportunity in making advancements in the communications models that can occur across healthcare. Gardner: Larry, is this specific to the United States or North America, is this global in nature, or is it very much a mixed bag, market to market as to how the challenges have mounted? Schmidt: I think in any country, across the world, the individual being the focus of the ecosystem goes across the boundaries of countries. Of course, The Open Group is responsible and is a worldwide standards body. As a result of that, it's a great match for us to be able to focus the healthcare ecosystem to the individual and use the capabilities of The Open Group to be able to make advances in the communication models across all countries around healthcare. Gardner: Eric, thinking about this from a technological point of view, as an enterprise architect, we’re now dealing with this hub and spoke with the patient at the middle. A lot of this does have to do with information, data, and workflow, but we’ve dealt with these things before in many instances in the enterprise and in IT. Is there anything particular about the technology that is difficult for healthcare, or is this really more a function of the healthcare verticals and the technology is really ready to step up to the plate? Stephens: Well, Dana, the technology is there and it is ready to step up to the plate. I’ll start with transparency of the information. Let’s pick a favorite poster child, Amazon. In terms of the detail that's available on my account. I can look at past orders. I can look up and see the cost of services, I can track activity that's taking place, both from a purchase and a return standpoint. That level of visibility that you’re alluding to exists. The technology is there, and it’s a matter of applying it. As to why it's not being applied in a rapid fashion in the healthcare industry, we could surmise a number of reasons. One of them is potentially around the cacophony of standards that exist and the lack of a “Rosetta Stone” that links those standards together to maximum interoperability. The other challenge that exists is simply the focus in healthcare around the healthcare technology that’s being used, the surgical instruments, the diagnostic tools, and such. There is focus and great innovation there, but when it comes to the plumbing of IT, oftentimes that will suffer. Back to you, Larry, on this boundaryless issue. There are standards in place in other industries that help foster a supply-chain ecosystem or a community of partners that work together. Is that what The Open Group is seeking? Are they going to take what they’ve done in other industries for standardization and apply it to healthcare, or do you perhaps need to start from scratch? Is this such a unique challenge that you can't simply retrofit other standardization activities? How do you approach something like healthcare from a standards perspective? I think it's a great term to reflect the vast number of stakeholders that would exist across the healthcare ecosystem. Schmidt: The first thing we have to do is gain an appreciation for the stakeholders that interact. We’re using the term “ecosystem” here. I think it's a great term to reflect the vast number of stakeholders that would exist across the healthcare ecosystem. Anywhere from the patient, to the doctor, to payment organization for paying claims, the life sciences organizations, for pharmaceuticals, and things like that, there are so many places that stakeholders can interact seamlessly. So it’s being able to use The Open Group’s assets to first understand what the ecosystem can be, and then secondly, use The Open Group’s capabilities around things like security, TOGAF from an architecture methodology, enablement and so on. Those assets are things that we can leverage to allow us to be able to use the tools of The Open Group to make advances within the healthcare industry. It’s an amazing challenge, but you have to take it one step at a time, and the first step is going to be that definition of the ecosystem. Gardner: I suppose there’s no better place to go for teasing out what the issues are and what the right prioritization should be than to go to the actual participants. The Open Group did just that last summer in Philadelphia at their earlier North American conference. They had some 60 individuals representing primary stakeholders in healthcare in the same room and they conducted some surveys. Larry, maybe you can provide us an overview of what they found and how that’s been a guide to how to proceed? Schmidt: What we wanted to do was present the concept of boundaryless information flow across the healthcare ecosystem. So we surveyed the participants that were part of the conference itself. One of the questions we asked was about the healthcare quality of data, as well as the efficiency and the effectiveness of data. Specifically, the polling questions, were designed to gauge the state of healthcare data quality and effective information flow. We understood that 86 percent of those participants felt very uncomfortable with the quality of healthcare information flows, and 91 percent of the participants felt very uncomfortable with the efficiency of healthcare information flows. In the discussion in Philadelphia, we talked about why information isn’t flowing much more easily and freely within this ecosystem. We discovered that a lot of the standards that currently exist within the ecosystem are very much tower-oriented. That is, they only handle a portion of the ecosystem, and the interoperability across those standards is an area that needs to be focused on. But we do think that, because the individual should be placed into the center of the ecosystem, there's new ground that will come into play. Our Philadelphia participants actually confirmed that, as we were working through our workshop. That was one of the big, big findings that we had in the Philadelphia conference. We understood that 86 percent of those participants felt very uncomfortable with the quality of healthcare information flows. Tell us a little about how the mission statement for the Healthcare Industry Forum was influenced by your survey. Is there other information, perhaps a white paper or other collateral out there, that people can look to, to either learn more about this or maybe even take part in it? Schmidt: We presented first a vision statement around boundaryless information flow. I’ll go ahead and just offer that to the team here. Boundaryless information flow of healthcare data is enabled throughout a complete healthcare ecosystem to standardization of both vocabulary and messaging that is understood by all participants within the system. This results in higher quality outcomes, streamlined business processes, reduction of fraud, and innovation enablement. When we presented that in the conference, there was big consensus among the participants around that statement and buy in to the idea that we want that as our vision for a Healthcare Forum to actually occur. Since then, of course, we’ve published this white paper that is the findings of the Philadelphia Conference. We’re working towards the production of a treatise, which is really the study of the problem domain that we believe we can be successful in. We also can make a major impact around this individual communication flow, enabling individuals to be in charge of more of their healthcare. Our mission will be to provide the means to enable boundaryless information flow across the ecosystem. What we’re trying to do is make sure that we work in concert with other standards bodies to recognize the great work that’s happening around this tower concept that we believe is a boundary within the ecosystem. Hopefully, we’ll get to a point where we’re able to collaborate, both with those standards bodies, as well as work within our own means to come up with additional standards that allows us to make this communication flow seamless or boundaryless. Gardner: Eric Stephens, back to you with the enterprise architect questions. Of course, it’s important to solve the Tower of Babel issues around taxonomy, definitions, and vocabulary, but I suppose there is also a methodology issue. Frameworks have worked quite well in enterprise architecture and in other verticals and in the IT organizations and enterprises. Is there something from your vantage point as an enterprise architect that needs to be included in this vision, perhaps looking to the next steps after you’ve gotten some of the taxonomy and definitions worked out? Stephens: Dana, in terms of working through the taxonomies and such, as an enterprise architect, I view it as part of a larger activity around going through a process, like the TOGAF methodology, it’s architecture development methodology. In the healthcare landscape, and in other industries, there are a lot of players coming to the table and need to interact. By doing so, using a tailored version of that, we’ll get to that taxonomy definition and the alignment of standards and such. But there's also the addressing alignment and business processes and other application components that comes into play. That’s going to drive us towards improving the viscosity of the information, that's moving both within an enterprise and outside of the enterprise. In the healthcare landscape, and in other industries, there are a lot of players coming to the table and need to interact, especially if you are talking about a complex episode of care. You may have two, three, or four different organizations in play. You have labs, the doctors, specialized centers, and such, and all that requires information flow. Coming back to the methodology, I think it’s bringing to bear an architecture methodology like provided in TOGAF. It’s going to aid individuals in getting a broad picture, and also a detailed picture, of what needs to be done in order to achieve this goal of boundaryless information flow. Gardner: I suppose, gentlemen, that we should also recognize that we are going about this in the larger context of change in the IT and business landscapes. We’re seeing many more mobile devices. We’re probably going to see patients accessing more information that we have been discussing through some sort of a mobile device, which is good news, because more and more patients and their providers can access information regardless of where they are. So mobility, I think, is a fairly important accelerant to some of this. And, of course, there’s big data, the ability to take reams and reams of information, deal with it rapidly, analyze it in near real-time and then scale accordingly for cost issues. It’s also another big thing. So let’s just quickly step aside from the forum activities and look at how the larger context of change is perhaps fortuitously timed for what we we’d like to do in terms of transformation around healthcare. Let me first direct that to you, Larry. How important are things like mobile and big data in making significant progress in the issues facing healthcare? Schmidt: Well, that’s interesting, because when we first stared with mobility devices, I actually built and think that the mobile devices become, what I will call a personal integration server. It will help the individual who wants to take charge of their healthcare or care of their health. It will give them the opportunity to capture information using other devices, such as biometric devices, blood pressure monitors, and things like that, and have that captured on a mobile device and placed in a repository someplace to allow either a physician or others, or even that individual, to look at trending over time. To me, the mobile device, from a standpoint of being able to gather data, is a great technology enabler that has come of age. It allows us the opportunity to streamline that information gathering that is necessary to provide the right diagnoses of working with your health coach or your provider. Of course, that has the possibility, at the individual level, of producing a lot of data, and it could be massive amount of data, depending on how the data is actually gathered. So big data and analytics, even at the individual level, being able to decipher or to understand trending and things that are happening to the individual over time outside of the doctor’s office, is something I think will really enable improvements in healthcare. One of the key success factors that is going to have to be addressed is interoperability. All that, of course, is fueled by the “Internet of things” and technology advances such as IPv6 to allow us to use devices like this across a network and actually keep them identified. Those two technologies that we see in IT trends, will be a great help in advancing healthcare and of course the possibility of it enabling boundaryless information flow. Gardner: Eric Stephens, do you want to weigh in as well on where these new advances in IT can play a huge role if those standards and the framework approach methodologies are in play? Stephens: Larry really hit the points well. I was thinking about the new terminology, the Internet of things or machine to machine, where mobile devices could end up being the size of a fingernail at some point. Do we get to the point where there is real-time monitoring of critical patients, going back through other mobile devices and into a doctor’s office or something, will we have the ability to do a virtual office visit, and how much equipment will you need in a home, for example, to go through and do routine checkups on children and such? One of the key success factors that is going to have to be addressed is interoperability. Back when we were all starting to cut our teeth on the Internet, one of the things that was fascinating to me is that, you have a handful of standards and all these vendors are conforming to them, such that you don’t have to think about plugging in a laptop to a network or accessing website. All that’s driven by standardization. One of the things that we can do in the Forum is start to drive some of that standardization, so that we have these devices working together easily, and it provides the necessary medical professionals the information they need, so they can make more timely decisions. It’s giving the right information, to the right decision maker, at the right time. That, in turn, drives better health outcomes, and it's going to, we hope, drive down the overall cost profile of healthcare, specifically here in the United States. Gardner: I should think makes for a high incentive to work on these issues of standardization, taxonomy, definitions, and methodologies so that you can take advantage of these great technologies and the scale and efficiency they afford. Schmidt: Actually, Eric and I are doing a joint presentation and we’re going to talk about some of the challenges that we think we can see is ahead of us as a result of trying to enable our vision around boundaryless information flow, specifically around healthcare. As an enterprise architect, I look at things in terms of the business, the application, information, technology, and architecture. The culture of being able to produce standards in an industry like this is going to be a major challenge to us. There is a lot of individualization that occurs across this industry. So having people come together and recognize that there are going to be different views, different points of views, and coming into more of a consensus on how information should flow, specifically in healthcare. Although I think any of the forums go through this cultural change. We’re going to talk about that at the beginning in the conference as a part of how we’re planning to address those challenges as part of the Industry Forum itself. Then, other meetings will allow us to continue with some of the work that we have been doing around a treatise and other actions that will help us get started down the path of understating the ecosystem and so on. Those are the things that we’ll be addressing at this specific conference. Gardner: Eric, anything to add to that, I didn't realize you are both doing this as a joint presentation? Stephens: Yes, and thanks to Larry for allowing me to participate in it. One of the areas I will be focusing on, and you alluded to this earlier, Dana, is around the information architecture. As an enterprise architect, I look at things in terms of the business, the application, information, technology, and architecture. When we talk about boundaryless information flow, my remarks and contributions are focused around the information architecture and specifically around an ecosystem of an information architecture at a generic level, but also the need and importance of integration. I will perhaps touch a little bit on the standards to integrate that with Larry’s thoughts. Schmidt: Dana, I just wanted to add the other work that we’ll be doing there at the conference. We’ve invited some of the healthcare organizations in that area of the country, San Francisco and so on, to come in on Tuesday. We plan to present the findings of the paper and the work that we did in the Philadelphia Conference, and get opinions in refining both the observations, as well as some of the direction that we plan to take with the Healthcare Forum. Obviously we’ve shared here some of the thoughts of where we believe we’re moving with the Healthcare Forum, but as the Forum continues to form, some of the direction of it will morph based on the participants, and based on some of the things that we see happening with the industry. So, it’s a really exciting time and I’m actually very much looking forward to presenting the findings of the Philadelphia Conference, getting, as I said, the next set of feedback, and starting the discussion as to how we can make change going toward that vision of boundaryless information flow. We’re actually able to see a better profile of what the individual is doing throughout their life and throughout their days. Gardner: I should also point out that it’s not too late for our listeners and readers to participate themselves in this conference. If you’re in the San Francisco area, you’re able to get there and partake, but there are also going to be online activities. There will be some of the presentations delivered online and there will be Twitter feeds. So if you can't make it to San Francisco on February 3, be aware that The Open Group Conference will be available in several different ways online. Then, there will be materials available after the fact to access on-demand. Of course, if you’re interested in taking more activity under your wing with the Forum itself, there will be information on The Open Group website as to how to get involved. Before we sign off, I want to get a sense of what the stakes are here. It seems to me that if you do this well and if you do this correctly, you get alignment across these different participants -- the patient being at the hub of the wheel of the ecosystem. There’s a tremendous opportunity here for improvement, not only in patient care and outcomes, but costs, efficiency, and process innovation. So first to you Larry. If we do this right, what can we expect? Schmidt: There are several things to expect. Number one, I believe that the overall health of the population will improve, because individuals are more knowledgeable about their individualized healthcare and doctors have the necessary information, based on observations in place, as opposed to observations or, again, through discussion and/or interview of the patient. We’re actually able to see a better profile of what the individual is doing throughout their life and throughout their days. That can provide doctors the opportunity to make better diagnosis. Better diagnosis, with better information, as Eric said earlier, the right information, at the right time, to the right person, gives the whole ecosystem the opportunity to respond more efficiently and effectively, both at the individual level and in the population. That plays well with any healthcare system around the world. So it’s very exciting times here. Gardner: Eric, what’s your perspective on some of the paybacks or metrics of success, when some of the fruits of the standardization begin to impact the overall healthcare system? Stephens: At the risk of oversimplifying and repeating some of things that Larry said, it comes down to cost and outcomes as the two main things. That’s what’s in my mind right now. I look at these very scary graphs about the cost of healthcare in the United States, and it's hovering in the 17-18 percent of GDP. If I recall correctly, that’s at least five full percentage points larger than other economically developed countries in the world. The trend on individual premiums and such continues to tick upward. Anything we can do to drive that cost down is going to be very beneficial, and this goes right back to patient-centricity. It goes right back to their pocketbook. And the outcomes are important as well. There are a myriad of diseases and such that we’re dealing with in this country. More information and more education is going to help drive a healthier population, which in turn drives down the cost. The expenditures that are being spent are around the innovation. You leave room for innovation and you leave room for new advances in medical technology and such to treat diseases going. So again, it’s back to cost and outcomes. Anything we can do to drive that cost down is going to be very beneficial, and this goes right back to patient centricity. Gardner: Very good. I’m afraid we will have to leave it there. We’ve been talking with a panel of experts on how the healthcare industry can benefit from improved and methodological information flow. And we have seen how the healthcare industry itself is seeking large-scale transformation and how improved cross-organizational interactions and collaborations seem to be intrinsic to be able to move forward and capitalize and make that transformation possible. And lastly, we have learned that The Open Group’s new Healthcare Industry Forum is doing a lot now and is getting into its full speed to improve the situation. This special BriefingsDirect discussion comes to you in conjunction with The Open Group Conference on February 3 in San Francisco. It’s not too late to register at The Open Group website and you can also follow the proceedings during and after the conference online and via Twitter. So a big thank you to our panel, Larry Schmidt, the Chief Technologist at HP for the America’s Health and Life Sciences Industries, as well as the Chairman of The new Open Group Healthcare Industry Forum. Thanks so much, Larry. Schmidt: You bet. Glad to be here. Gardner: And thank you, too, to Eric Stephens, an Oracle Enterprise Architect. We appreciate your time Eric. Stephens: Thanks for having me, Dana. Gardner: This is Dana Gardner, Principal Analyst at Interarbor Solutions, your host and moderator for this look at the healthcare ecosystem process. Thanks for listening, and come back next time for more BriefingsDirect podcast discussions. Register for the event here. Transcript of a BriefingsDirect podcast on how The Open Group is addressing the information needs and challenges in the healthcare ecosystem. Copyright The Open Group and Interarbor Solutions, LLC, 2005-2014. All rights reserved. Transcript of a sponsored BriefingsDirect podcast on how a major energy engineering company is delivering mobile capability to its managers in Brazil. Listen to the podcast. Find it on iTunes. Download the transcript. Sponsor: HP. Dana Gardner: Hello, and welcome to the next edition of the HP Discover Podcast Series. I’m Dana Gardner, Principal Analyst at Interarbor Solutions, your host and moderator for this ongoing sponsored discussion on IT innovation and how it’s making an impact on people’s lives. Once again, we’re focusing on how companies are adapting to the new style of IT to improve IT performance and deliver better user experiences and business results. This time, we’re coming to you directly from the recent HP Discover 2013 Conference in Barcelona. Our task: To learn directly from IT and business leaders alike how big data, mobile, and cloud -- powered by converged infrastructure -- are all supporting their business goals in new and interesting ways. Our next innovation case study interview highlights how Siemens Brazil is using HP Anywhere to improve how they deliver applications to users with mobile devices. Here to tell us how they’re making progress is Alexandre Padeti, IT Consultant and Applications Integration Technician with Siemens Brazil in São Paulo. Welcome. Gardner: Tell us a little bit about what Siemens Brazil. Then let's learn about your transition to mobile applications. Padeti: Siemens Brazil is an engineering company in Brazil, mainly responsible for 50 percent of the energy transmission in Brazil. With the mobility scenario within Siemens Brazil, we’re just starting right now to implement HP Anywhere in our field applications. Gardner: Why didn’t you just make these applications, customize them, host them, and deliver them? What was missing from your being able to do this yourselves? Padeti: In the beginning, we were looking for a tool that gave us the freedom to develop for any device. That's the main reason that we chose HP Anywhere. We have the freedom now to choose -- or give the freedom to the users to choose -- the device. Gardner: What types of applications have you targeted first for moving out to the mobile tier? Padeti: The main applications that we are working with at the moment is Workflow Approval, which integrates with our back-end SAP ERP system. With HP Anywhere, we’re trying to give the managers mobility, the option to make their approval on daily basis in a different way. Gardner: So it's more important to have workflow approved and managed on a real-time basis, wherever these individuals are and whatever device they happen to be using? Padeti: Yes. These are the main points of the solution. We’re trying to give this especially to our managers, who are used to being in meetings or moving from one place to another. They gain the ability to make this kind of approval on the go. Gardner: Tell us a little bit about the process of adoption. You've had a proof of concept (POC) phase? Padeti: Initially we had a POC with HP Anywhere together with HP Brazil and a local partner. From the beginning, it was well-suited. So we decided to go with HP Anywhere in production, and now we’re running a project that will cover nearly 200 users by the end of January. Gardner: Do you think this will lead to more applications and more mobile users? Does this seem to be a larger undertaking with movement toward even more mobility? We’re quite sure that 90 percent of the devices will be running on Android and a small percentage on iOS. Padeti: Yes, that's for sure. This will become bigger in Siemens Brazil, because it's a change of the mindset of the users. They will begin to change the way they’re thinking about requesting solutions from the IT department. In the future, I believe that we’ll have a lot of requirements to develop more such mobile applications. Gardner: Alexandre, do you have a sense yet what will be the majority of these mobile devices? Which are most popular among these 200 initial users there? Padeti: The standard for Siemens Brazil is based on Android. So we’re quite sure that 90 percent of the devices will be running on Android and a small percentage on iOS. Gardner: As you've gone through this process, are there any lessons learned that you could share for other organizations? What lessons have you learned, or what advice could you offer them? Padeti: The first one would be to think first about smaller processes. At Siemens Brazil, we’re starting with a not-so-big process. We’re using a not-so-complex one to start. This is a good thing to engage the users and allow them to be comfortable, and furnish proof of use on the solution. The next one would be to talk a lot with the users, because in our case we have requirements that the user could not think of before. We're learning constantly about what is possible with mobility. When you give to them the freedom with the mobility, new ideas will come up. I really advise you to talk with the users and know what they want, because most of the times they don’t come up with an idea until they use mobile, because they’re only thinking initially of desktop or notebook PCs. So when you give to them freedom with mobility, new ideas come up. Gardner: Well, very good. I’m afraid we will have to leave it there. We've been talking about how Siemens Brazil has been moving to more mobile applications delivery for its workers, in this case workflow applications to managers. Our guest has been Alexandre Padeti, IT Consultant and Applications Integration Technician at Siemens Brazil in São Paulo. Thank you so much. Gardner: And I like to thank our audience as well for joining us for the special new style of IT discussion coming to you from the recent HP Discover 2013 Conference in Barcelona. I’m Dana Gardner, Principal Analyst at Interarbor Solutions, your host for this ongoing series of HP-sponsored discussions. Thanks again for listening, and come back next time. Transcript of a sponsored BriefingsDirect podcast on how a major energy engineering company is delivering mobile capability to its managers in Brazil. Copyright Interarbor Solutions, LLC, 2005-2014. All rights reserved. Transcript of a BriefingsDirect podcast on how a hybrid storage provider can analyze operational data to bring about increased efficiency. Listen to the podcast. Find it on iTunes. Download the transcript. Dana Gardner: Hello, and welcome to the next edition of the HP Discover Performance Podcast Series. I'm Dana Gardner, Principal Analyst at Interarbor Solutions, your moderator for this ongoing discussion of IT innovation and how it’s making an impact on people’s lives. Once again, we’re focusing on how IT leaders are improving their business performance for better access, use and analysis of their data and information. Our next innovation case study focuses on how optimized hybrid storage provider Nimble Storage has leveraged big data and cloud to produce significant storage performance, and efficiency. Nimble is, of course, also notable for its recent successful IPO. Learn here how Nimble Storage has leveraged the HP Vertica analytics platform to analyze operational data on mixed-storage environments to optimize workloads. High-performing, cost-effective big-data processing via cloud helps to make the best use of dynamic storage resources, it turns out. A fascinating story. To learn more, join me in welcoming our guest, Larry Lancaster, Chief Data Scientist at Nimble Storage Inc. in San Jose, California. Welcome, Larry. Larry Lancaster: Hi, Dana, it's great to talk to you today. Gardner: I'm glad you could join us. As I said, it's a fascinating use-case. Tell us about the general scope of how you use data in the cloud to create this hybrid storage optimization service. Lancaster: At a high level, Nimble Storage recognized early, near the inception of the product, that if we were able to collect enough operational data about how our products are performing in the field, get it back home and analyze it, we'd be able to dramatically reduce support costs. Also, we can create a feedback loop that allows engineering to improve the product very quickly, according to the demands that are being placed on the product in the field. Looking at it from that perspective, to get it right, you need to do it from the inception of the product. If you take a look at how much data we get back for every array we sell in the field, we could be receiving anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 data points per minute from each array. Then, we bring those back home, we put them into a database, and we run a lot of intensive analytics on those data. Once you're doing that, you realize that as soon as you do something, you have this data you're starting to leverage. You're making support recommendations and so on, but then you realize you could do a lot more with it. We can do dynamic cache sizing. We can figure out how much cache a customer needs based on an analysis of their real workloads. We found that big data is really paying off for us. We want to continue to increase how much it's paying off for us, but to do that we need to be able to do bigger queries faster. We have a team of data scientists and we don't want them sitting here twiddling their thumbs. That’s what brought us to Vertica at Nimble. Gardner: It's an interesting juxtaposition that you're using big data in order to better manage data and storage. What better use of it? And what sort of efficiencies are we talking about here, when you are able to get that data in that massive scale and do these analytics and then go back out into the field and adjust? What does that get for you? Lancaster: We have a very tight feedback loop. In one release we put out, we may make some changes in the way certain things happen on the back end, for example, the way NVRAM is drained. There are some very particular details around that, and we can observe very quickly how that performs under different workloads. We can make tweaks and do a lot of tuning. Without the kind of data we have, we might have to have multiple cases being opened on performance in the field and escalations, looking at cores, and then simulating things in the lab. It's a very labor-intensive, slow process with very little data to base the decision on. When you bring home operational data from all your products in the field, you're now talking about being able to figure out in near real-time the distribution of workloads in the field and how people access their storage. I think we have a better understanding of the way storage works in the real world than any other storage vendor, simply because we have the data. Gardner: So it's an interesting combination of a product lifecycle approach to getting data -- but also combining a service with a product in such a way that you're adjusting in real time. Lancaster: That’s right. We do a lot of neat things. We do capacity forecasting. We do a lot of predictive analytics to try to figure out when the storage administrator is going to need to purchase something, rather than having them just stumble into the fact that they need to provision for equipment because they've run out of space. That’s the kind of efficiency we gain that you can see, and the InfoSight service delivers that to our customers. A lot of things that should have been done in storage from the very beginning that sound straightforward were simply never done. We're the first company to take a comprehensive approach to it. We open and close 80 percent of our cases automatically, 90 percent of them are automatically opened. We have a suite of tools that run on this operational data, so we don't have to call people up and say, "Please gather this data for us. Please send us these log posts. Please send us these statistics." Now, we take a case that could have taken two or three days and we turn it into something that can be done in an hour. Gardner: Larry, just to be clear, you're supporting both flash and traditional disk storage, but you're able to exploit the hybrid relationship between them because of this data and analysis. Tell us a little bit about how the hybrid storage works. Lancaster: At a high level, you have hard drives, which are inexpensive, but they're slow for random I/O. For sequential I/O, they are all right, but for random I/O performance, they're slow. It takes time to move the platter and the head. You're looking at 5 to 10 milliseconds seek time for random read. That's been the challenge for hard drives. Flash drives have come out and they can dramatically improve on that. Now, you're talking about microsecond-order latencies, rather than milliseconds. But the challenge there is that they're expensive. You could go buy all flash or you could go buy all hard drives and you can live with those downsides of each. Or, you can take the best of both worlds. Then, there's a challenge. How do I keep the data that I need to access randomly in flash, but keep the rest of the data that I don't care so much about in a frequent random-read performance, keep that on the hard drives only, and in that way, optimize my use of flash. That's the way you can save money, but it's difficult to do that. It comes down to having some understanding of the workloads that the customer is running and being able to anticipate the best algorithms and parameters for those algorithms to make sure that the right data is in flash. It would be hard to be the best hybrid storage solution without the kind of analytics that we're doing. We've built up an enormous dataset covering thousands of system-years of real-world usage to tell us exactly which approaches to caching are going to deliver the most benefit. It would be hard to be the best hybrid storage solution without the kind of analytics that we're doing. Gardner: Then, to extrapolate a little bit higher, or maybe wider, for how this benefits an organization, the analysis that you're gathering also pertains to the data lifecycle, things like disaster recovery (DR), business continuity, backups, scheduling, and so forth. Tell us how the data gathering analytics has been applied to that larger data lifecycle equation. Lancaster: You're absolutely right. One of the things that we do is make sure that we audit all of the storage that our customers have deployed to understand how much of it is protected with local snapshots, how much of it is replicated for disaster recovery, and how much incremental space is required to increase retention time and so on. We have very efficient snapshots, but at the end of the day, if you're making changes, snapshots still do take some amount of space. So, learning exactly what is that overhead, and how can we help you achieve your disaster recovery goals. We have a good understanding of that in the field. We go to customers with proactive service recommendations about what they could and should do. But we also take into account the fact that they may be doing DR when we forecast how much capacity they are going to need. You're right. It is part of a larger lifecycle that we address, but at the end of the day, for my team it's still all about analytics. It's about looking to the data as the source of truth and as the source of recommendation. We can tell you roughly how much space you're going to need to do disaster recovery on a given type of application, because we can look in our field and see the distribution of the extra space that would take and what kind of bandwidth you're going to need. We have all that information at our fingertips. When you start to work this way, you realize that you can do things you couldn't do before. And the things you could do before, you can do orders of magnitude better. So we're a great case of actually applying data science to the product lifecycle, but also to front-line revenue and cost enhancement. Gardner: I think this is a great example and I think you're a harbinger of what we're going to see more and more, which is bringing this high level of intelligence to bear on many other different services, for many different types of products. IT and storage is great and makes a lot of sense as an early adopter. But I can see this is pertaining to many other vertical industries. It illustrates where a lot of big-data value is going to go. Now, let's dig into how you actually can get that analysis in the speed, at the scale, and at the cost that you require. Tell us about your journey in terms of different analytics platforms and data architectures that you've been using and where you're headed. I have to tell you, I fell in love with Vertica because of the performance benefits that it provided. Lancaster: To give you a brief history of my awareness of HP Vertica and my involvement around the product, I don’t remember the exact year, but it may have been eight years ago roughly. At some point, there was an announcement that Mike Stonebraker was involved in a group that was going to productize the C-Store Database, which was sort of an academic experiment at UC Berkeley, to understand the benefits and capabilities of real column store. I was immediately interested and contacted them. I was working at another storage company at the time. I had a 20 terabyte (TB) data warehouse, which at the time was one of the largest Oracle on Linux data warehouses in the world. They didn't want to touch that opportunity just yet, because they were just starting out in alpha mode. I hooked up with them again a few years later, when I was CTO at a company called Glassbeam, where we developed what's substantially an extract, transform, and load (ETL) platform. By then, they were well along the road. They had a great product and it was solid. So we tried it out, and I have to tell you, I fell in love with Vertica because of the performance benefits that it provided. When you start thinking about collecting as many different data points as we like to collect, you have to recognize that you’re going to end up with a couple choices on a row store. Either you're going to have very narrow tables and a lot of them or else you're going to be wasting a lot of I/O overhead, retrieving entire rows where you just need a couple fields. That was what piqued my interest at first. But as I began to use it more and more at Glassbeam, I realized that the performance benefits you could gain by using HP Vertica properly were another order of magnitude beyond what you would expect just with the column-store efficiency. That's because of certain features that Vertica allows, such as something called pre-join projections. We can drill into that sort of stuff more if you like, but, at a high-level, it lets you maintain the normalized logical integrity of your schema, while having under the hood, an optimized denormalized query performance physically on disk. Now you might ask you can be efficient if you have a denormalized structure on disk. It's because Vertica allows you to do some very efficient types of encoding on your data. So all of the low cardinality columns that would have been wasting space in a row store end up taking almost no space at all. What you find, at least it's been my impression, is that Vertica is the data warehouse that you would have wanted to have built 10 or 20 years ago, but nobody had done it yet. Vertica is the data warehouse that you would have wanted to have built 10 or 20 years ago, but nobody had done it yet. Nowadays, when I'm evaluating other big data platforms, I always have to look at it from the perspective of it's great, we can get some parallelism here, and there are certain operations that we can do that might be difficult on other platforms, but I always have to compare it to Vertica. Frankly, I always find that Vertica comes out on top in terms of features, performance, and usability. Gardner: When you arrived there at Nimble Storage, what were they using, and where are you now on your journey into a transition to Vertica? Lancaster: I built the environment here from the ground up. When I got here, there were roughly 30 people. It's a very small company. We started with Postgres. We started with something free. We didn’t want to have a large budget dedicated to the backing infrastructure just yet. We weren’t ready to monetize it yet. So, we started on Postgres and we've scaled up now to the point where we have about 100 TBs on Postgres. We get decent performance out of the database for the things that we absolutely need to do, which are micro-batch updates and transactional activity. We get that performance because the database lives on Nimble Storage. I don't know what the largest unsharded Postgres instance is in the world, but I feel like I have one of them. It's a challenge to manage and leverage. Now, we've gotten to the point where we're really enjoying doing larger queries. We really want to understand the entire installed base of how we want to do analyses that extend across the entire base. We want to understand the lifecycle of a volume. We want to understand how it grows, how it lives, what its performance characteristics are, and then how gradually it falls into senescence when people stop using it. It turns out there is a lot of really rich information that we now have access to to understand storage lifecycles in a way I don't think was possible before. But to do that, we need to take our infrastructure to the next level. So we've been doing that and we've loaded a large number of our sensor data that’s the numerical data I have talked about into Vertica, started to compare the queries, and then started to use Vertica more and more for all the analysis we're doing. Internally, we're using Vertica, just because of the performance benefits. I can give you an example. We had a particular query, a particularly large query. It was to look at certain aspects of latency over a month across the entire installed base to understand a little bit about the distribution, depending on different factors, and so on. I'm really excited. We're getting exactly what we wanted and better. We ran that query in Postgres, and depending on how busy the server was, it took anywhere from 12 to 24 hours to run. On Vertica, to run the same query on the same data takes anywhere from three to seven seconds. I anticipated that because we were aware upfront of the benefits we'd be getting. I've seen it before. We knew how to structure our projections to get that kind of performance. We knew what kind of infrastructure we'd need under it. I'm really excited. We're getting exactly what we wanted and better. This is only a three node cluster. Look at the performance we're getting. On the smaller queries, we're getting sub-second latencies. On the big ones, we're getting sub-10 second latencies. It's absolutely amazing. It's game changing. People can sit at their desktops now, manipulate data, come up with new ideas and iterate without having to run a batch and go home. It's a dramatic productivity increase. Data scientists tend to be fairly impatient. They're highly paid people, and you don’t want them sitting at their desk waiting to get an answer out of the database. It's not the best use of their time. Gardner: Larry, is there another aspect to the HP Vertica value when it comes to the cloud model for deployment? It seems to me that if Nimble Storage continues to grow rapidly and scales that, bringing all that data back to a central single point might be problematic. Having it distributed or in different cloud deployment models might make sense. Is there something about the way Vertica works within a cloud services deployment that is of interest to you as well? Lancaster: There's the ease of adding nodes without downtime, the fact that you can create a K-safe cluster. If my cluster is 16 nodes wide now, and I want two nodes redundancy, it's very similar to RAID. You can specify that, and the database will take care of that for you. You don’t have to worry about the database going down and losing data as a result of the node failure every time or two. I love the fact that you don’t have to pay extra for that. If I want to put more cores or nodes on it or I want to put more redundancy into my design, I can do that without paying more for it. Wow! That’s kind of revolutionary in itself. It's great to see a database company incented to give you great performance. They're incented to help you work better with more nodes and more cores. They don't have to worry about people not being able to pay the additional license fees to deploy more resources. In that sense, it's great. We have our own private cloud -- that’s how I like to think of it -- at an offsite colocation facility. We do DR through Nimble Storage. At the same time, we have a K-safe cluster. We had a hardware glitch on one of the nodes last week, and the other two nodes stayed up, served data, and everything was fine. If you do your job right as a cloud provider, people just want more and more and more. Those kinds of features are critical, and that ability to be flexible and expand is critical for someone who is trying to build a large cloud infrastructure, because you're never going to know in advance exactly how much you're going to need. If you do your job right as a cloud provider, people just want more and more and more. You want to get them hooked and you want to get them enjoying the experience. Vertica lets you do that. Gardner: I'm afraid we'll have to leave it there. We've been learning about how optimized hybrid storage provider Nimble Storage has leveraged big data and cloud to produce unique storage performance analytics and efficiencies. And we've seen how the HP Vertica Analytics platform has been used to analyze Nimble's operational data across mixed storage environments in near real-time, so that they can optimize their workloads and also extend the benefits to a data lifecycle. So, a big thank you to our guest, Larry Lancaster, Chief Data Scientist at Nimble Storage. Thank you, Larry. Gardner: Also, thank you to our audience for joining us for this special HP Discover Performance Podcast. I'm Dana Gardner; Principal Analyst at Interarbor Solutions, your host for this ongoing series of HP-sponsored discussions. Thanks again for joining, and come back next time. Transcript of a BriefingsDirect podcast on how a hybrid storage provider can analyze operational data to bring about increased efficiency. Copyright Interarbor Solutions, LLC, 2005-2014. All rights reserved. Transcript of a BriefingsDirect podcast on how the strategy of dealing with malware is shifting from reaction to prevention. Dana Gardner: Hello, and welcome to the next edition of the HP Discover Podcast Series. I’m Dana Gardner, Principal Analyst at Interarbor Solutions, your co-host and moderator for this ongoing discussion of IT innovation and how it’s making an impact on people’s lives. Once again, we’re focusing on how IT leaders are improving the security and availability of services to deliver better experiences and payoffs for businesses and end users alike. We have a fascinating show today. We’re going to be exploring the ins and outs of improving enterprise intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and we will see how HP and its global cyber security partners have made the HP Global Network more resilient and safe. We’ll will hear how a vision for security has been effectively translated into actual implementation. To learn more about how HP itself has created role-based and granular access control benefits amid real-time yet intelligent intrusion protection, please join me in welcoming our guest, Jim O'Shea, Network Security Architect for HP Cyber Security Strategy and Infrastructure Engagement. Welcome to the show, Jim. Jim O’Shea: Hello, Dana. Thank you. Gardner: Before we get into the nitty-gritty, what do you think are some of the major trends that are driving the need for better intrusion prevention systems nowadays? O’Shea: If you look at the past, it was about detection, and you had reaction technologies. We had firewalls that blocked and looked at the port level. Then, we evolved to trying to detect things that were malicious with intent by using IDS. But that was a reactionary-type thing. It was a nice approach, but we were reacting. Something happened, you reacted, but if you knew it was bad, why did we let it in in the first place? The evolution was the IPS, the prevention. If you know it's bad, why do you even want to see it? Why do you want to try to react to it? Just block it. That’s the trend that we’ve been following. Gardner: But we can’t just have a black-and-white situation. It’s much more gray. There are sorts of intrusion, I suppose, that we want. We want access control, rather than just a firewall. So is there a new thinking, a new vision, that’s been developed over the past several years about these networks and what should or shouldn't be allowed through them? O’Shea: You’re talking about letting the good in. Those are the evolutions and the trends that we are all trying to strive for. Get the good traffic in. Get who you are in. Maybe look at what you have. You can explore the health of your device. Those are all trends that we’re all striving for now. Gardner: I recall Jim, that there was a Ponemon Institute report about a year or so ago that really outlined some of the issues here. Do you recall that? Were there any issues in there that illustrate this trend toward a different type of network and a different approach to protection? Gardner: I suppose what’s also different nowadays is that we’re not only concerned with outside issues in terms of risk, but also insider attacks. It’s being able to detect behaviors and things that occur that data can detect. The analysis can then provide perhaps a heads-up across the network, regardless of whether they have access or not. What are the risk issues now when we think about insider attacks, rather than just outside penetration? O’Shea: You’re exactly right. Are you hiring the right people? That’s a big issue. Are they being influenced? Those are all huge issues. Big data can handle some of that and pull that in. Our approach on intrusion prevention wasn’t to just look at what’s coming from the outside, but it was also look at data traversing the network. You have a whole rogue wireless-type approach in which people can gain access and can they probe and poke around. When we deployed the TippingPoint solution, we didn’t change our policies or profiles that we were deploying based on whether it’s starting on the inside or starting on the outside. It was an equal deployment. An insider attack could also be somebody who walks into a facility, gains physical access, and connects to your network. You have a whole rogue wireless-type approach in which people can gain access and can they probe and poke around. And if it’s malware traffic from our perspective, with the IDS we took the approach, inside or outside -- doesn’t matter. If we can detect it, if we can be in the path, it’s a block. Gardner: For those of our listeners who might not be familiar with the term “intrusion prevention systems,” maybe you could illustrate and flesh that out a bit. What do we mean by IPS? What are we talking about? Are these technologies? Are these processes, methodologies, or all of the above? O’Shea: TippingPoint technology is an appliance-based technology. It’s an inline device. We deploy it inline. It sits in the network, and the traffic is flowing through it. It’s looking for characteristics or reputation on the type of traffic, and reputation is a more real-time change in the system. This network, IP address, or URL is known for malware, etc. That’s a dynamic update, but the static updates are signature-type, and the detection of vulnerability or a specific exploit aimed at an operating system. So intrusion prevention is through the detection of that, and blocking and preventing that from completing its communication to the end node. Gardner: And these work in conjunction with other approaches, such as security information, event management, and network-based anomaly detection. Is that correct? How do they work together? O’Shea: All the events get logged into HP ArcSight to create the bigger picture. Are you seeing these type of events occurring other places? So you have the bigger picture correlation. Network-based anomaly detection is the ability to detect something that is occurring in the network and it's based on an IP address or it’s based on a flow. Taking advantage of reputation we can insert those IP addresses, detected based on flow, that are doing something anomalous. It could be that they’re beaconing out, spreading a worm. If they look like they’re causing concerns with a high degree of accuracy, then we can put that into the reputation and take advantage of moving blocks. So reputation is a self-deploying feature. You insert an IP address into it and it can self-update. We haven’t taken the automated step yet, although that’s in the plan. Today, it’s a manual process for us, but ideally, through application programming interfaces (APIs), we can automate all that. It works in a lab, but we haven’t deployed it on our production that way. Gardner: Clearly HP is a good example of a large enterprise, one of the largest in the world, with global presence, with a lot of technology, a lot of intellectual property, and therefore a lot to protect. Let’s look at how you actually approached protecting the HP network. We wanted to prevent mal traffic, mal-formed traffic, malware -- any traffic with the mal intent of reaching the data center. What’s the vision, if you will, for HP's Global Cyber Security, when it comes to these newer approaches? Do you have an overarching vision that then you can implement? How do we begin to think about chunking out the problem in order to then solve it effectively? O’Shea: You want to be able to detect, block, and prevent as an overarching strategy. We also wanted to take advantage of inserting a giant filter inline on all data that’s going into the data center. We wanted to prevent mal traffic, mal-formed traffic, malware -- any traffic with the "mal" intent of reaching the data center. So why make that an application decision to block and rely on host-level defenses, when we have the opportunity to do it at the network? So it made the network more hygienically clean, blocking traffic that you don’t want to see. Gardner: You’ve mentioned a few HP products: TippingPoint and ArcSight, for example, but this is a larger ecosystem approach and play. Tell us a little bit about partnerships, other technologies, and even the partnerships for implementation, not just the technology, but the process and methodologies as well. O’Shea: That was key to our deployment, because it is an inline technology and you are going inline in the network. You’re changing flows, where it could be mal traffic, but yet maybe a researcher is trying to do something. So we need to have the ability to have that level of partnership with the network team. They have to see it. They have to understand what it is. It has to be manageable. When we deployed it, we looked at what could go wrong and we designed around that. What could go wrong? A device failed. So we have an N+1 type installation. If a single device fails, we’re not down, we are not blocking traffic. We have the ability to handle the capacity of our network, which grows, and we are growing, and so it has to be built for the now and the future. It has to be manageable. It has to be able to be understood by “first responders,” the people that get called first. Everybody blames the network first, and then it's the application afterward. So the network team gets pulled in on many calls, at all types of hours, and they have to be able to get that view. That was key to get them broad-based training, so that the technology was there. Get a process integrated into how you’re going to handle updates and how you’re going to add beyond what TippingPoint recommended. TippingPoint makes a recommendation on profiles and new settings. If we take that, do we want to add other things? So we have to have a global cyber-security view and a global cyber-security input and have that all vetted. The application team had to be onboard and aware, so that everybody understands. Finally, because we were going into a very large installed network that was handling a lot of different types of traffic, we brought in TippingPoint Professional Services and had everything looked at, re-looked at, and signed off on, so that what we’re doing is a best practice. We looked at it from multiple angles and took a lot of things into consideration. We proxy the events. That gives us the ability to have multiple ArcSight instances and also to evolve. Gardner: Now, we have different groups of people that need to work in concert to a larger degree than in the past. We have application folks, network folks, outside service providers, and network providers. It seems that we are asking for a complete view of security, which means people need to be coordinated and cooperative in ways that they hadn’t had to be before. Is there something about TippingPoint and ArcSight that provides data, views, and analytics in such a way that it's easier for these groups to work together in ways that they hadn’t before? We know that they have to work together, but is there something about the technology that helps them work together, or gives them common views or inputs that grease the skids to collaboration? O’Shea: One of the nice things about the way the TippingPoint events occur is that you have a choice. You can send them from an individual IDS units themselves or you can proxy them from the management console. Again, the ability to manage was critical to us, so we chose to do it from the console. We proxy the events. That gives us the ability to have multiple ArcSight instances and also to evolve. ArcSight evolves. When they’re changing, evolving, and growing, and they want to bring up a new collector, we’re able to send very rapidly to the new collector. ArcSight pulls in firewall logs. You can get proxy events and events from antivirus. You can pull in that whole view and get a bigger picture at the ArcSight console. The TippingPoint view is of what’s happening from the inline TippingPoint and what's traversing it. Then, the ArcSight view adds a lot of depth to that. So it gives a very broad picture, but from the TippingPoint view, we’re very flexible and able to add and stay in step with ArcSight growth quickly. It's kind of a concert. That includes sending events on different ports. You’re not restricted to one port. If you want to create a secure port or a unique port for your events to go on to ArcSight, you have that ability. Gardner: We’ve heard, of course, how important real-time reaction is, and even gaining insights to be able to anticipate and be proactive. What is it that you learned through this process that allowed you to make that latency reduced or eliminated so that the amount of time that things go on is cut. I’ve heard that a lot of times you can't prevent intrusion, but you can prevent the damage of intrusion. So how does it work in terms of this low latency time element? O’Shea: With TippingPoint, you get to see when an exploit is triggered, TippingPoint has a concept of Zero Days and it has a concept of Reputation. Reputation is an ongoing change, and Zero Day is a deployment of a profile. Think of Reputation as a constant updating of signatures as sites change and how the industry is recognizing them. So that gives you an ability to have a view of a site that people frequented and may now be compromised. You have that ability to see that because the Reputation of the site changed. With TippingPoint being a block technology, you have the low latency. The latency is being detected and blocked, but now, when you pull it back into ArcSight, you have the ability to see a holistic view. We’re seeing these events or something that looks similar. The network-based anomaly detection is reporting some strange things happening, or you have some antivirus things that are reporting. That’s a different type of reaction. You can react and deploy and say that you want to take action against whatever it is you are seeing. Maybe you need to put up a new firewall block to alleviate something. That’s a different type of reaction. You can react and deploy and say that you want to take action against whatever it is you are seeing. Or on the other hand, if TippingPoint is not seeing it, maybe you have the opportunity to activate this new signature more rapidly and deploy new profile. This is something new, and you can take action right away. Gardner: Jim, let's talk a bit about what you get when you do this correctly. So using HP’s example, what were some of the paybacks, both in technical terms, maybe metrics of success technically, but then also business results? What happens when you can deploy these systems, develop those partnerships, and get cooperation? How can we measure what we have done here? O’Shea: One of the things that we did wrong in our deployment is that we didn’t have a baseline of what is mal or what is bad. So, as it was a moving deployment, we don’t have hard and fast metrics of a before and after view. But again, you don’t know what's bad until you start trying to detect it. It might not have been for us to even take that type of view. If you think back historically of how we dealt with them, those were kind of a Whac-A-Mole-type of defenses. Something happened, and you reacted. So I guess the metric would be that we’re not as reactionary, but do we have hard metrics to prove that? I don’t have those. Gardner: We can appreciate the scale of what the systems are capable of. Do we have a number of events detected or that sort of thing, blocks per month, any sense of how much volume we can handle? O’Shea: We took a month’s sample. I’m trying to recall the exact number, but it was 100 million events in one month that were detected as mal events. That’s including Internet-facing events. That’s why the volume is high, but it was 100 million events that were automatically blocked and that were flagged as mal events. The Professional Services teams have been able to deploy in a very large network and have worked with the requirements that a large enterprise has. Gardner: How do you now take this out to the market? Is there a cyber-security platform? Do you have a services component? You’ve done this internally, but how do you take this out to the market, combining the products, the services, and the methodologies? O’Shea: I’m not on the product marketing side, but TippingPoint has learned from us and we’ve partnered with them. We’re constantly sharing back with them. So the give-back to TippingPoint, as a product division, is that they can see real traffic, in a real high-volume network, and they can pretest their signatures. There are active lighthouse-type installs, lighthouse meaning that they’re not actively blocking. They’re just observing, and they are testing their next iteration of software and the next group of profiles. They’re able to do that for themselves, and it's a give back that has worked. What we receive is a better product, and what everybody else receives is a better product. The Professional Services teams have been able to deploy in a very large network and have worked with the requirements that a large enterprise has. That includes standard deployment, how things are connected and what the drawings are going to look like, as well as how are you going to cable it up. A large enterprise has different standards than a small business would have, and that was a give back to the Professional Services to be able to deploy it in a large enterprise. It has been a good relationship, and there is always opportunity for improvement, but it certainly has helped. Gardner: Jim, looking to the future a little bit, we know that there’s going to be more and more cloud and hybrid-cloud types of activities. We’re certainly seeing already a huge uptick in mobile device and tablet use on corporate networks. This is also part of the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend that we’re seeing. So should we expect a higher degree of risk and more variables and complication, and what does that portend for the use of these types of technologies going forward? How much gain do you get by getting on the IDS bandwagon sooner rather than later? O’Shea: BYOD is a new twist on things and it means something different to everybody, because it's an acronym term, but let's take the view of you bringing in a product you buy. BYOD is a new twist on things and it means something different to everybody, because it's an acronym term. Somebody is always going to get a new device, they are going to bring in it, they are going to try it out, and they are going to connect it to the corporate network, if they can. And because they are coming from a different environment and they’re not necessarily to corporate standards, they may bring unwanted guests into the network, in terms of malware. Now, we have the opportunity, because we are inline, to detect and block that right away. Because we are an integrated ecosystem, they will show up as anomalous events. ArcSight and our Cyber Defense Center will be able to see those events. So you get a bigger picture. Those events can be then translated into removing that node from the network. We have that opportunity to do that. BYOD not only brings your own device, but it also brings things you don’t know that are going to happen, and the only way to block that is prevention and anomalous type detection, and then try to bring it altogether in a bigger picture. Gardner: Well, great. I’m afraid we will have to leave it there. We’ve been learning about the modern ins and outs of improving enterprise intrusion prevention systems, and we’ve heard about how HP itself has created more of a granular access control benefit amid real-time, yet intelligent, intrusion detection and protection. I’d like to thank the supporter for this series, HP Software, and remind our audience to carry on the dialogue through the Discover Group on LinkedIn. And of course, a big thank you to our guest, Jim O'Shea, Network Security Architect for HP Cyber Security Strategy and Infrastructure Engagement. Thanks so much, Jim. Gardner: And lastly, our appreciation goes out to our global audience for joining us once again for this HP Discover Podcast discussion. I’m Dana Gardner, Principal Analyst at Interarbor Solutions, your host for this ongoing series of HP-sponsored business success stories. Thanks again for listening, and come back next time. Learn more about prevention detection. Transcript of a BriefingsDirect podcast on how the strategy of dealing with malware is shifting from reaction to prevention. Copyright Interarbor Solutions, LLC, 2005-2014. All rights reserved.

2019-04-22T05:59:30Z

https://www.briefingsdirecttranscriptsblogs.com/2014/01/

§ 6101. Scope and short title. § 6112. Exceptions to license requirements. § 6122. Powers conferred on certain licensees engaged in the mortgage loan business. § 6123. Mortgage loan business prohibitions. § 6124. Prohibited clauses in mortgage loan documents. § 6125. Mortgage lending authority. § 6126. Requirements as to open-end loans. § 6131. Application for license. § 6131.1. Prelicensing and continuing education. § 6133. Issuance of license. § 6137. Surrender of license. § 6138. Authority of department. § 6139. Suspension, revocation or refusal. § 6152. Relationship to other laws. § 6153. Preservation of existing contracts. § 6154. Procedure for determination of noncompliance with Federal law (Repealed). Enactment. Unless otherwise noted, the provisions of Title 7 were added July 8, 2008, P.L.796, No.56, effective in 120 days. Enactment. Part I (Reserved) was added July 8, 2008, P.L.796, No.56, effective in 120 days. Enactment. Part II was added July 8, 2008, P.L.796, No.56, effective in 120 days. Enactment. Chapter 61 was added July 8, 2008, P.L.796, No.56, effective in 120 days. Special Provisions in Appendix. See section 13 of Act 31 of 2009 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to applicability. Cross References. Chapter 61 is referred to in section 4302 of Title 12 (Commerce and Trade); section 6103 of Title 53 (Municipalities Generally). 6101. Scope and short title. (a) Scope.--This chapter relates to mortgage loan industry licensing and consumer protection. This chapter does not apply to a banking institution or federally chartered or State-chartered credit union, if the primary regulator of the banking institution or federally or State-chartered credit union supervises the banking institution or federally or State-chartered credit union. (b) Short title.--This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Mortgage Licensing Act. "Administrative or clerical tasks." The receipt, collection and distribution of information common for the processing, servicing or underwriting of a mortgage loan and communication with a consumer to obtain information necessary for the processing, servicing or underwriting of a mortgage loan. "Advance fee." Any funds requested by or to be paid to a person in advance of or during the processing of a mortgage loan application, excluding those fees paid by a consumer directly to a credit agency reporting bureau, title company or real estate appraiser. "Applicant." A person who applies for a license under this chapter. "Application." A request, in any form, for an offer, or a response to a solicitation of an offer, of mortgage loan terms, and the information about the borrower or prospective borrower that is customary or necessary in a decision on whether to make such an offer. (1) A State-chartered bank, bank and trust company, savings bank or private bank. (3) A federally chartered or State-chartered savings association. (4) A subsidiary of any of the entities listed under this definition. "Billing cycle." In respect to open-end mortgage loans, the time interval between periodic billing dates as established by the mortgage note and subsequent modification to the obligation. A billing cycle shall be considered to be a monthly cycle if the closing date of the cycle is the same date each month or does not vary by more than four days from that date. (1) Has the status of a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Public Law 99-514, 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3)). (2) Promotes affordable housing or provides homeownership education, or similar services. (3) Conducts its activities in a manner that serves public or charitable purposes. (4) Receives funding and revenue and charges fees in a manner that does not incentivize it or its employees to act other than in the best interests of its clients. (5) Compensates its employees in a manner that does not incentivize employees to act other than in the best interests of its clients. (6) Provides or identifies for the borrower mortgage loans with terms favorable to the borrower and comparable to mortgage loans and housing assistance provided under government housing assistance programs. (7) Meets other standards as determined by the department. (3) a place where records regarding the licensee's mortgage loan business are stored. "Branch manager." The supervisor of a branch. (1) The receipt, collection, distribution and analysis of information common for the processing, servicing or underwriting of a mortgage loan. (iii) offering or negotiating mortgage servicing terms. "Commercial context." Acting for the purpose of obtaining anything of value for an individual, or for an entity or individual for which the individual acts, rather than exclusively for public, charitable or family purposes. "Commission." The Banking and Securities Commission of the Commonwealth, as established under Subarticle C of Article XI-A of the act of May 15, 1933 (P.L.565, No.111), known as the Department of Banking and Securities Code. "Consumer discount company." A licensee under the act of April 8, 1937 (P.L.262, No.66), known as the Consumer Discount Company Act. "Delinquent." The date when an amount sufficient to cover a periodic payment of principal, interest and, if applicable, escrow becomes due and unpaid, and lasts until the time no periodic payment is due and unpaid, notwithstanding if the borrower is afforded a period after the due date to pay before the servicer assesses a late fee. "Department." The Department of Banking and Securities of the Commonwealth. "Dwelling." As defined in section 103(v) of the Truth in Lending Act (Public Law 90-321, 15 U.S.C. § 1602(v)). (i) Whose manner and means of performance of work are subject to the right of control of or are controlled by a person. (ii) Whose compensation for Federal income tax purposes is reported or required to be reported on a W-2 form issued by the controlling person. (2) The term includes such binding definition as may be issued by the Federal banking agencies in connection with their implementation of their responsibilities under the S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 (110 Stat. 289, 12 U.S.C. § 5101 et seq.). (1) The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. (2) The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. (3) The National Credit Union Administration. (4) The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. "Finder's fee." Any payment of money or other consideration for the referral of a mortgage loan to a licensee, except for consideration paid for goods or facilities actually furnished or services actually performed. (2) secured by any first lien mortgage, deed of trust or equivalent consensual security interest on a dwelling or on residential real estate. "First mortgage loan business." The mortgage loan business as applied to first mortgage loans. "Habitually and repeatedly." Engaging in any activity at least four times in a calendar year. "Holder." As defined in 12 Pa.C.S. § 6202 (relating to definitions). "Immediate family." A parent, spouse, child, brother or sister. "Installment sales contract." As defined in section 3(10) of the act of June 28, 1947 (P.L.1110, No.476), known as the Motor Vehicle Sales Finance Act. "Installment seller." As defined in 12 Pa.C.S. § 6202 (relating to definitions). (i) An individual makes installment payments to the seller of the dwelling or residential real estate. (ii) The seller retains title to the dwelling or residential real estate until some or all of the installment payments are completed. (i) An individual is not obligated to purchase the dwelling or residential real estate. (ii) The final payment approximates the fair value of the dwelling or residential real estate or the anticipated fair value of the dwelling or residential real estate and is not a nominal amount. "Licensee." A person who is licensed under this chapter. "Loan processor or underwriter." An individual who performs clerical or support duties. "Lock-in agreement." An agreement between a mortgage lender and a consumer whereby the mortgage lender guarantees, until a specified date, the availability of a specified rate of interest or specified formula by which the rate of interest and a specific number of discount points will be determined, if the mortgage loan is approved and closed by the specified date. If a specified date is not determinable, the mortgage lender may fulfill the requirement of this definition by setting forth with specificity the method by which the duration of the lock-in period will be determined. "Loss mitigation option." An alternative to foreclosure offered by the owner, holder or assignee of a delinquent mortgage loan that is made available through the servicer to the borrower. (1) A manufactured home as defined in section 603(6) of the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-383, 42 U.S.C. § 5402(6)). (2) A mobile home as defined in 75 Pa.C.S. § 102 (relating to definitions). "Mortgage broker." A person who engages in the mortgage loan business by directly or indirectly negotiating or placing mortgage loans for others in the primary market for consideration. "Mortgage lender." A person who engages in the mortgage loan business by directly or indirectly originating and closing mortgage loans with its own funds in the primary market for consideration. "Mortgage loan." A first or secondary mortgage loan, or both, a lease-purchase agreement or a mortgage loan modification, as the context may require. "Mortgage loan correspondent." A person who engages in the mortgage loan business by directly or indirectly originating and closing mortgage loans in his or her own name utilizing funds provided by a wholesale table funder or other funding sources under the circumstances described under section 6123(a)(6) (relating to mortgage loan business prohibitions) and simultaneously assigning the mortgage loans to the wholesale table funder. "Mortgage loan modification." An agreement that revises the terms of an existing mortgage loan, including an agreement to reduce mortgage loan payment amounts, balance or interest rate or to waive any accrued or prospective mortgage loan charges. The term does not include any agreement to refinance a mortgage loan into a new mortgage loan. (i) Takes a mortgage loan application. (ii) Offers or negotiates terms of a mortgage loan for compensation or gain. (iii) Represents to the public, through advertising or other means of communicating or providing information, including the use of business cards, stationery, brochures, signs, rate lists or other promotional items, that the individual can or will perform the activities described in subparagraphs (i) and (ii). (i) An individual who is involved only in extensions of credit relating to timeshare plans, as that term is defined in 11 U.S.C. § 101(53D) (relating to definitions). (I) Is licensed and registered in accordance with this chapter. (II) Is not required to be licensed in accordance with section 6112(9) (relating to exceptions to license requirements). (B) Who performs such duties solely with respect to transactions for which the individual who acts as a mortgage originator is not required to be licensed, in accordance with subparagraph (i), (v) or (vi). (iii) An individual who performs only purely administrative or clerical tasks on behalf of a mortgage originator. (iv) An individual who is a registered mortgage loan originator. (v) An individual employed by an agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government or a corporation otherwise created by an act of the Congress of the United States or an agency or instrumentality of a state or local government, the District of Columbia or any territory of the United States, including the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and other government housing finance agencies, who acts as a mortgage originator within the scope of employment. (vi) An individual who is employed by a bona fide nonprofit organization who acts as a mortgage originator within the scope of employment. (vii) An individual employed by a licensee or person exempt or excepted from licensure under this chapter who solely engages in mortgage loan modifications for existing mortgage loans held or serviced by that licensee or person and who does not otherwise act as a mortgage originator. (A) Is under the direct supervision and control of a licensed mortgage originator or registered mortgage loan originator. (B) Acts as a loan processor or underwriter solely for the individual's employer. (C) Does not represent to the public, through advertising or other means of communicating or providing information, including the use of business cards, stationery, brochures, signs, rate lists or other promotional items, that the person can or will perform any of the activities of a mortgage originator. (A) An employee of a broker-dealer registered under section 301 of the act of December 5, 1972 (P.L.1280, No.284), known as the Pennsylvania Securities Act of 1972. (B) Registered as a securities agent under section 301 of the Pennsylvania Securities Act of 1972. (C) Engaged in recommending, referring or steering a borrower or prospective borrower in the manner provided under paragraph (1)(iii) of the definition of "offer or negotiate terms of a mortgage loan for compensation or gain" to a banking institution, licensed mortgage lender, licensed mortgage loan correspondent, licensed mortgage broker or person exempt from licensing in a manner incidental to and in the normal course of his or her securities brokerage activities. (D) Not otherwise acting as a mortgage originator as defined in paragraph (1)(i), (ii) or (iii). (E) Not in receipt of any compensation or gain for such activities from the person making or brokering the loan, or a borrower or prospective borrower. (A) An employee of an insurance agency licensed under the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.789, No.285), known as The Insurance Department Act of 1921. (B) Registered as an insurance agent or broker under The Insurance Department Act of 1921. (C) Engaged in recommending, referring or steering a borrower or prospective borrower in the manner provided under paragraph (1)(iii) of the definition of "offer or negotiate terms of a mortgage loan for compensation or gain" to a banking institution, licensed mortgage lender, licensed mortgage loan correspondent, licensed mortgage broker or person exempt from licensing in a manner incidental to and in the normal course of his or her insurance activities. "Mortgage servicer." A person who engages in the mortgage loan business by directly or indirectly servicing a mortgage loan. "Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry." The licensing system developed and maintained by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors and the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators. "Net worth." Assets less liabilities and assets unacceptable to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for purposes of complying with 24 CFR § 202.5(n) (relating to general approval standards) or 202.8(b)(1) (relating to loan correspondent lenders and mortgagees), as applicable. "Nonoriginating person." A person, other than an individual, that does not engage in the mortgage loan business but is required to have loan processors or underwriters employed or supervised and controlled by the person licensed as mortgage originators. "Nontraditional mortgage loan." A mortgage loan other than a 30-year fixed rate mortgage loan. "Offer or negotiate terms of a mortgage loan for compensation or gain." (iii) recommending, referring or steering a borrower or prospective borrower to a particular lender or set of mortgage loan terms, in accordance with a duty to or incentive from any person other than the borrower or prospective borrower. (2) Receiving or expecting to receive payment of money or anything of value in connection with the activities described in paragraph (1) or as a result of any mortgage loan terms entered into as a result of those activities. (1) The mortgage lender may permit the consumer to obtain advances of money from the licensee from time to time or the mortgage lender may advance money on behalf of the consumer from time to time as directed by the consumer. (2) The amount of each advance, interest and permitted charges and costs are debited to the consumer's account and payments and other credits are credited to the same account. (3) Interest is computed on the unpaid principal balance or balances of the account outstanding from time to time. (4) The consumer has the privilege of paying the account in full at any time or, if the account is not in default, in monthly installments of fixed or determinable amounts as provided in the open-end loan agreement. "Person." An individual, association, joint venture or joint-stock company, partnership, limited partnership, limited partnership association, limited liability company, business corporation, nonprofit corporation or any other group of individuals, however organized. "Primary market." The market wherein mortgage loans are originated between a lender and a consumer. "Principal place of business." The primary office of a person at which the person's books, records, accounts and documents are maintained. "Purchase-money mortgage loan." A mortgage loan that is a residential mortgage transaction as defined in 12 CFR 226.2(a)(24) (relating to definitions and rules of construction). (1) Is a mortgage originator or meets the licensing requirements of a mortgage originator. (2) Is a management-level officer assigned to the principal place of business of a mortgage broker, mortgage lender, mortgage servicer or mortgage loan correspondent. (iii) an institution regulated by the Farm Credit Administration. (2) Is registered with and maintains a unique identifier through the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry. "Residential real estate." Real property upon which is constructed or intended to be constructed a dwelling. (2) secured by any secondary lien mortgage, deed of trust or equivalent consensual security interest on a dwelling or on residential real estate. "Secondary mortgage loan business." The mortgage loan business as applied to secondary mortgage loans. "Service mortgage loan." A collecting or remitting payment or the right to collect or remit payments of principal, interest, tax, insurance or other payment under a mortgage loan. "Single point of contact." An individual or team of personnel, each of whom has the ability and authority to discuss mortgage loan mitigation options with a borrower on behalf of a mortgage servicer. The mortgage servicer shall ensure that each member of the team is knowledgeable about the borrower's situation and current status. "Take a mortgage loan application." Receiving a mortgage loan application for the purpose of facilitating a decision whether to extend an offer of mortgage loan terms to a borrower or prospective borrower or to accept the terms offered by a borrower or prospective borrower in response to a solicitation, whether the application is received directly or indirectly from the borrower or prospective borrower. "Tangible net worth." (Deleted by amendment). "Unique identifier." A number or other identifier assigned by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry. "Wholesale table funder." A licensed mortgage lender or person exempt under section 6112(1) or (7) (relating to exceptions to license requirements) who, in the regular course of business, provides the funding for the closing of mortgage loans through mortgage loan correspondents and who by assignment obtains title to the mortgage loans. 2017 Amendment. Act 81 amended the defs. of "administrative or clerical tasks," "billing cycle," "clerical or support duties," "mortgage loan business," "mortgage loan correspondent," "qualifying individual" and "service mortgage loan" and added the defs. of "delinquent," "loss mitigation option," "mortgage servicer" and "single point of contact." Section 9(2) of Act 81 provided that the amendment of section 6102 shall take effect upon the effective date of regulations promulgated under section 6141 of this title. 2013 Amendment. Act 98 amended the defs. of "holder" and "installment seller." 6112. Exceptions to license requirements. (a) General rule.--Except as provided under subsections (b) and (c) and section 6112 (relating to exceptions to license requirements), on and after the effective date of this section, no person shall engage in the mortgage loan business in this Commonwealth without being licensed as a mortgage broker, mortgage lender, mortgage servicer, mortgage loan correspondent or mortgage originator as provided under this chapter. A mortgage originator may not engage in the mortgage loan business unless the mortgage originator is sponsored in the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry by a licensed mortgage broker, mortgage lender, mortgage servicer or mortgage loan correspondent, person excepted from this chapter or person excepted from licensure under section 6112 and is under the direct supervision and control of the sponsoring licensee or excepted person. (i) Act as a mortgage broker or mortgage loan correspondent without a separate mortgage broker or mortgage loan correspondent license. (ii) Act as a mortgage servicer without a separate mortgage servicer license for mortgage loans the mortgage lender has originated, negotiated and owns. (2) A mortgage loan correspondent may act as a mortgage broker without a separate mortgage broker license. (3) A person licensed as a mortgage broker may only perform the services of a mortgage broker. (4) A person only licensed as a mortgage servicer may only perform the services of a mortgage servicer. (c) Loans for business or commercial purposes.--This chapter shall not apply to mortgage loans made for business or commercial purposes. 2017 Amendment. Act 81 amended subsecs. (a) and (b). Section 9(2) of Act 81 provided that the amendment of section 6111 shall take effect upon the effective date of regulations promulgated under section 6141 of this title. Cross References. Section 6111 is referred to in section 7331 of Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses). (i) In the same manner as a mortgage lender, obtains and maintains bond coverage for mortgage originators consistent with section 6131(c)(5) (relating to application for license) and files a periodic report consistent with section 6135(a)(3) (relating to licensee requirements). (ii) Annually, in a form acceptable to the department, demonstrates to the department that all of the mortgage originators employed by or under the direct supervision and control of the entity have obtained and maintained the bond coverage required under section 6131(f)(4). (iii) A mortgage loan correspondent. (iv) A person excepted from licensure under this section. (vi) An agent of a person listed in subparagraphs (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v) and (v.1). (3) A person who originates, services or negotiates less than four mortgage loans in a calendar year, unless determined to be engaged in the mortgage loan business by the department. (4) Any agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government or a corporation otherwise created by an act of the United States Congress, including the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Government National Mortgage Association, the Veterans' Administration, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Federal Housing Administration, and employees thereof acting within the scope of their employment. (5) Any agency or instrumentality of a state or local government, the District of Columbia or any territory of the United States, including the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and other government housing finance agencies, and employees thereof acting within the scope of their employment. (6) Consumer discount companies, except that a consumer discount company that acts as a mortgage broker, mortgage lender, mortgage servicer or mortgage loan correspondent, shall be subject to the provisions of Subchapter C (relating to mortgage loan business restrictions and requirements) and sections 6131(c)(2), (3) and (5), 6135, 6138 (relating to authority of department) and 6140(b) (relating to penalties). Employees or individuals under the direct supervision and control of licensees under the act of April 8, 1937 (P.L.262, No.66), known as the Consumer Discount Company Act, that act as mortgage originators shall be subject to the licensing requirements of this chapter. Consumer discount companies that employ or directly supervise and control mortgage originators shall be subject to the same requirements as mortgage lenders in regard to the employment and supervision of mortgage originators. (v) ensure employees required to be licensed as mortgage originators have completed the requirements under section 6131.1 (relating to prelicensing and continuing education) and have obtained the required mortgage originator license. (8) Employees or individuals under the direct supervision and control of a mortgage broker, mortgage lender, mortgage servicer or mortgage loan correspondent, or a person excepted from licensure under this section, who are not otherwise required to be licensed as mortgage originators. (9) Registered mortgage loan originators when acting on behalf of their employers. (i) The organization shall be subject to the provisions of Subchapter C and sections 6135(a)(2), (3) and (4) and (c), 6138 and 6140(b). (ii) The organization shall be registered with the department. (iii) As required under 24 CFR § 3400.103(e)(7)(iii) (relating to individuals required to be licensed by states), the department must periodically examine the books and activities of an organization it determines is a bona fide nonprofit organization and revoke its status as a bona fide nonprofit organization if it does not continue to meet the criteria under 24 CFR § 3400.103(e)(7)(ii). (iv) For residential mortgage loans to have terms that are favorable to the borrower, the department must determine that the terms are consistent with loan origination in a public or charitable context, rather than a commercial context. (v) The department shall make the list of bona fide nonprofit organizations available on its Internet website. (i) Obtain a license as a mortgage originator, if licensed as an individual under 12 Pa.C.S. Ch. 62. (ii) Be registered with the department. (B) Annually demonstrate to the department that the mortgage originators employed by or under the direct supervision and control of the installment seller or holder have obtained and maintained the bond coverage required by section 6131(f)(4) in a form acceptable to the department. (iv) Ensure employees or individuals under the direct supervision and control of the installment seller or holder required to be licensed as mortgage originators have completed the requirements under section 6131.1 and have obtained the required mortgage originator license. (i) Be subject to the provisions of Subchapter C and sections 6135(a)(2), (3) and (4) and (c), 6138 and 6140(b). (iii) In the same manner as a mortgage broker, obtain and maintain bond coverage for mortgage originators consistent with section 6131(c)(5). (iv) Ensure employees or individuals under the direct supervision and control of the person required to be licensed as mortgage originators have completed the requirements under section 6131.1 and have obtained the required mortgage originator license. (15) Notwithstanding section 6151 (relating to applicability), a mortgage originator licensed by one or more other states and physically located in this Commonwealth that does not engage in any transactions involving Pennsylvania consumers, dwellings or residential real estate. (16) A person who engages in mortgage loan modifications for existing mortgage loans held or serviced by that person or that person's employer and who does not otherwise engage in the mortgage loan business. (17) An individual or entity licensed under the act of September 2, 1965 (P.L.490, No.249), referred to as the Money Transmission Business Licensing Law, if the individual or entity only engages in the mortgage loan business to the extent funds are transmitted from a mortgagor to make mortgage payments on behalf of the mortgagor in order to exceed regularly scheduled minimum payment obligations under the terms of the indebtedness. 2017 Amendment. Act 81 amended pars. (2), (3), (6), (7) and (8) and added par. (17). Section 9(2) of Act 81 provided that the amendment of section 6112 shall take effect upon the effective date of regulations promulgated under section 6141 of this title. 2013 Amendment. Act 98 amended par. (13). Cross References. Section 6112 is referred to in sections 6102, 6111, 6123, 6131 of this title. 6122. Powers conferred on certain licensees engaged in the mortgage loan business. 6123. Mortgage loan business prohibitions. 6124. Prohibited clauses in mortgage loan documents. 6126. Requirements as to open-end loans. Cross References. Subchapter C is referred to in section 6112 of this title. (1) Comply with all provisions of the act of January 30, 1974 (P.L.13, No.6), referred to as the Loan Interest and Protection Law (Usury Law). This paragraph shall not supersede section 501 of the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980 (94 Stat. 161, 12 U.S.C. § 1735f-7a) or the Alternative Mortgage Transaction Parity Act of 1982 (96 Stat. 1545, 12 U.S.C. §§ 3801-3806 et seq.). (2) Comply with all applicable State law, including the provisions of the act of December 3, 1959 (P.L.1688, No.621), known as the Housing Finance Agency Law, that are applicable to the licensee and the act of December 9, 2002 (P.L.1530, No.197), known as the Mortgage Satisfaction Act. (3) Comply with all applicable Federal law, including the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (88 Stat. 1724, 12 U.S.C. §§ 2601 et seq.), the Truth in Lending Act (82 Stat. 146, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1601 et seq.) and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (88 Stat. 1521, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1691 et seq.). (4) Give to the consumer a copy of the promissory note evidencing the mortgage loan and any mortgage loan agreement, mortgage instrument or other document evidencing a mortgage loan signed by the consumer. (5) Give to the consumer written evidence of credit life, credit accident and health, credit unemployment and property insurance, if any, provided by the licensee to the consumer. (6) If a payment is made in cash on account of a mortgage loan, give to the consumer at the time the payment is actually received a written receipt which shall show the account number or other identification mark or symbol, date, amount paid and, upon request of the consumer, the unpaid balance of the account prior to and after the cash payment. (7) Upon written request from the consumer, give or forward to the consumer within ten days from the date of receipt of the request a written statement of the consumer's account which shall show the dates and amounts of all installment payments credited to the consumer's account, the dates, amounts and an explanation of all other charges or credits to the account and the unpaid balance of the account. A licensee shall not be required to furnish more than two statements in any 12-month period. (i) Cancel any insurance provided by the licensee in connection with the mortgage loan and refund to the consumer, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Insurance Department, any unearned portion of the premium for the insurance. (ii) Stamp or write on the face of the mortgage loan agreement or promissory note evidencing the mortgage loan "Paid in Full" or "Canceled," the date paid and, within 60 days, return the mortgage loan agreement or promissory note to the consumer. (iii) Release any lien on the dwelling or residential real estate and cancel the same of record and, at the time the mortgage loan agreement or promissory note evidencing the mortgage loan is returned, deliver to the consumer good and sufficient assignments, releases or any other certificate, instrument or document as may be necessary to evidence the release. (9) Provide for periodic accounting of any escrow accounts held by the mortgage lender to the consumer not less than annually, showing the amounts received from the consumer and the amounts disbursed from the accounts. (10) Refund all fees, other than those fees paid by the licensee to a third party, paid by a consumer when a mortgage loan is not produced within the time specified by the mortgage broker, mortgage lender or mortgage loan correspondent at the rate, term and overall cost agreed to by the consumer. This paragraph shall not apply if the failure to produce a mortgage loan is due solely to the consumer's negligence, his or her refusal to accept and close on a loan commitment or his or her refusal or inability to provide information necessary for processing, including employment verifications and verifications of deposits. The licensee shall disclose to the consumer, in writing, at the time of a loan application which fees paid or to be paid are nonrefundable. (i) The expiration date of the lock-in, if any. (ii) The interest rate locked in, if any. (iii) The discount points locked in, if any. (iv) The fee locked in, if any. (v) The lock-in fee, if any. (12) Upon written request from the consumer or a person authorized by the consumer, provide, within ten days from the date of receipt of the request, a written statement regarding the unpaid balance of a consumer's mortgage loan or account. The statement shall contain the total amount required to pay off a mortgage loan and a specific expiration date for the payoff information. A licensee shall not be required to furnish more than two statements in any 12-month period. (i) Maintain supervision and control of and responsibility for the acts and omissions of all mortgage originators sponsored by the licensee. (ii) Maintain a list of all current and former mortgage originators sponsored by the licensee and the dates of the sponsorship. (iii) In the event that a licensee believes that a mortgage originator sponsored by the licensee has engaged in any activity that is illegal or in violation of this chapter or any regulation or statement of policy promulgated under this chapter, the licensee shall provide the department with written notification of the belief and the licensee's proposed corrective measures within 30 days. A licensee shall not be liable to a mortgage originator in connection with the notification. (14) In the case of a mortgage originator, clearly display the mortgage originator's unique identifier on all mortgage loan application forms and personal solicitations or advertisements, including business cards. (i) Request the mortgage holder release the lien on the dwelling or residential real estate and cancel the same of record and, at the time the mortgage loan agreement or promissory note evidencing the mortgage loan is returned, deliver to the consumer good and sufficient assignment, releases or other certificate, instrument or document as may be necessary to evidence the release. (ii) Request the mortgage holder cancel any insurance provided in connection with the mortgage loan and refund to the borrower, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Insurance Department, any unearned portion of the premium for the insurance. (iii) If a mortgage holder has delegated the responsibility to record satisfaction of security instruments to a mortgage servicer, the mortgage servicer shall be treated as a mortgage holder for purposes of satisfying the conditions of subparagraph (i) or (ii). 2017 Amendment. Act 81 added par. (15). Section 9(2) of Act 81 provided that the amendment of section 6121 shall take effect upon the effective date of regulations promulgated under section 6141 of this title. 2013 Amendment. Act 38 amended pars. (2), (8) and (13). 2009 Amendment. Act 31 added par. (14). Cross References. Section 6121 is referred to in section 6112 of this title. (1) To make first and secondary mortgage loans and, subject to the limitations of this chapter, to charge and collect interest, origination fees and delinquency charges for the loans. (2) To collect fees or premiums for title examination, abstract of title, title insurance, credit reports, surveys, appraisals, notaries, postage, including messenger and express carrier, tax service or other costs or fees actually related to the processing of a mortgage loan application or making of a mortgage loan, when the fees are actually paid or incurred by the licensee and to collect fees or charges prescribed by law which actually are or will be paid to public officials for determining the existence of or for perfecting or releasing or satisfying any security related to the mortgage loan and include these in the principal of the mortgage loan. (3) To provide access to credit life, credit disability, credit accident and health and credit unemployment insurance. A consumer shall not be compelled to purchase credit life, credit disability, credit accident and health or credit unemployment insurance as a condition of the making of a mortgage loan, and all contracts utilized shall reflect a clear disclosure that the purchase of credit life, credit disability, credit accident and health or credit unemployment insurance is not a prerequisite to obtaining a mortgage loan. If, however, the consumer elects to obtain credit life, credit disability, credit accident and health or credit unemployment insurance through the licensee, the consumer shall consent thereto in writing. If consumers desire joint-life or joint accident and health insurance, all consumers shall consent thereto in writing. The insurance shall be obtained from an insurance company authorized by the laws of this Commonwealth to conduct business in this Commonwealth. Any benefit or return to the licensee from the sale or provision of the insurance shall not be included in the computation of the maximum charge authorized for mortgage loans under this chapter and shall not be deemed a violation of this chapter when the insurance is written pursuant to the laws of this Commonwealth governing insurance. (4) To require property insurance on security against reasonable risks of loss, damage and destruction and to provide access to the insurance to the consumer. The amount and term of the insurance shall be reasonable in relation to the amount and term of the mortgage loan contract and the value of the security. This requirement shall be satisfied if the consumer demonstrates at the time the mortgage loan is made that the consumer has valid and collectible insurance covering the property to be insured and has furnished the licensee with a loss payable endorsement sufficient for the protection of the licensee. If the consumer elects to obtain property insurance through the licensee, the consumer shall consent thereto in writing, and the insurance shall be obtained from an insurance company authorized by the laws of this Commonwealth to conduct business in this Commonwealth. Any benefit or return to the licensee from the sale or provision of property insurance shall not be included in the computation of the maximum charge authorized for mortgage loans under this chapter and shall not be deemed a violation of this chapter when the insurance is written pursuant to the laws of this Commonwealth governing insurance. The premium for any property insurance may be included in the principal amount of the mortgage loan requested by the consumer. However, the premium shall be disclosed as a separate item on the face of the principal contract document and the licensee's individual consumer ledger records. (5) To collect a fee for a subsequent dishonored check or instrument taken in payment, not to exceed the service charge permitted to be imposed under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4105 (relating to bad checks). (iii) are included in the principal of the mortgage loan. (7) To collect reasonable attorney fees of an attorney at law in the collection of a delinquent mortgage loan and to collect court costs incurred in the collection of the mortgage loan. (8) To service first and secondary mortgage loans that are originated, negotiated and owned by the mortgage lender. (1) To collect title examination, credit report and appraisal fees actually related to the making of a mortgage loan when the fees are actually paid or incurred by the licensee and to include the fees in the principal of the mortgage loan which is being negotiated or arranged. (2) To charge a broker's fee if the fee is disclosed to the consumer for whom the loan is being negotiated or arranged. (3) To accept from a licensee a fee or premium for brokering or cobrokering a mortgage loan, provided that the payment and acceptance of the fee or premium is in compliance with Federal law, including the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-533, 88 Stat. 1724). (c) Mortgage servicers.--If a mortgage servicer is in compliance with this chapter, the mortgage servicer shall have the power and authority to collect and remit for a lender, mortgagee, note owner, note holder, trustee or primary beneficiary of a residential mortgage loan payment of principal, interest or an amount to be placed into escrow for any combination of the payment of insurance, hazard insurance or taxes. 2017 Amendment. Act 81 added subsecs. (a)(8) and (c). Section 9(2) of Act 81 provided that the amendment of section 6122 shall take effect upon the effective date of regulations promulgated under section 6141 of this title. 2009 Amendment. Act 31 amended subsec. (a)(1) and added subsec. (a)(6) and (7). Cross References. Section 6122 is referred to in section 6112 of this title. (1) Charge, contract for, collect or receive charges, fees, premiums, commissions or other considerations in excess of the limitations of those contained in this chapter. (2) Disburse the proceeds of a mortgage loan in any form other than cash, electronic funds transfer, certified check or cashier's check where the proceeds are disbursed by the licensee to a closing agent. This paragraph shall not be construed as requiring a lender to utilize a closing agent and shall not apply to disbursements by check directly from the licensee's account payable to the consumer, consumer designees or other parties due funds from the closing. (3) Advertise, cause to be advertised or otherwise solicit whether orally, in writing, by telecast, by broadcast or in any other manner any statement or representation which is false, misleading or deceptive. (4) Require a consumer to pay, to the licensee or any other person, a broker's fee, finder's fee, commission, premium or any other charges for obtaining, procuring or placing of a mortgage loan, except as provided under this chapter. This restriction shall not prohibit a mortgage lender from paying a fee to a mortgage broker in connection with the placement or procurement of a mortgage loan nor prohibit a consumer from requesting or directing a mortgage lender licensee to pay a fee from the proceeds of a mortgage loan or include it in the amount to be financed. (5) Make any mortgage loan on the condition, agreement or understanding that the consumer contract with any specific person or organization for insurance services as agent, broker or underwriter. (6) In the case of a mortgage loan correspondent, service mortgage loans or close mortgage loans utilizing funding other than a wholesale table funder, except in an emergency circumstance where wholesale table funding is not available. (7) In the case of a mortgage broker or mortgage originator, commit to close or close mortgage loans in its own name, service mortgage loans, enter into lock-in agreements or collect lock-in fees or be or designate the exclusive recipient of notices or other communications sent from a lender or servicer to a consumer, provided, however, that a mortgage broker or mortgage originator can provide a lender's lock-in agreement to a consumer on behalf of that lender and collect lock-in fees payable to that lender on the lender's behalf. (8) In the case of a mortgage originator, accept any fees from consumers in the mortgage originator's own name. A mortgage originator may accept fees payable to the mortgage originator's sponsoring licensee and fees payable to third-party entities on behalf of the mortgage originator's sponsoring licensee. A mortgage originator may not accept advance fees payable to the mortgage originator's sponsoring licensee unless the licensee is authorized to collect advance fees under this chapter. (9) In the case of a mortgage originator, engage in the mortgage loan business other than on behalf of the single mortgage broker, mortgage lender or mortgage loan correspondent or a person excepted from this chapter or a person excepted from licensure under section 6112 (relating to exceptions to license requirements) that sponsors the mortgage originator. (b) Mortgage loan servicer prohibitions.--A licensee engaging in the mortgage servicer business shall not fail to establish or attempt to establish a single point of contact with whom a borrower can communicate about foreclosure matters or loss mitigation options later than the 36th day of a borrower's delinquency, unless contact is inconsistent with applicable bankruptcy law or court order. 2017 Amendment. Act 81 amended the intro. par. and added subsec. (b). Section 9(2) of Act 81 provided that the amendment of section 6123 shall take effect upon the effective date of regulations promulgated under section 6141 of this title. 2013 Amendment. Act 38 amended par. (8) and added par. (9). 2009 Amendment. Act 10 amended par. (7). Cross References. Section 6123 is referred to in sections 6102, 6112 of this title. (1) An agreement whereby the consumer waives any rights accruing to the consumer under the provisions of this chapter. (2) An irrevocable wage assignment of, or order for the payment of, any salary, wages, commissions or any other compensation for services, or any part thereof, earned or to be earned. (3) An agreement to pay any amount other than the unpaid balance of the mortgage loan agreement or promissory note or any other charge authorized by this chapter. Cross References. Section 6124 is referred to in section 6112 of this title. (2) if the licensee is qualified, applicable Federal law, including the Alternative Mortgage Transaction Parity Act of 1982 (96 Stat. 1545, 12 U.S.C. § 3801 et seq.) and section 501 of the Depository Institution Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980 (94 Stat. 161, 12 U.S.C. § 1735f-7a). (iii) charge and collect a delinquency charge of $20 or 10% of each payment, whichever is greater, for a payment which is more than 15 days late. 2009 Amendment. Act 31 amended subsec. (b)(2)(ii). Cross References. Section 6125 is referred to in section 6112 of this title. (1) A mortgage lender may make open-end loans and may contract for and receive thereon interest and charges as set forth under this chapter. (2) A mortgage lender shall not compound interest by adding any unpaid interest authorized by this section to the unpaid principal balance of the consumer's account, provided, however, that the unpaid principal balance may include the additional charges authorized by this subchapter. (iii) by converting the monthly rate to a daily rate and multiplying the daily rate by the average daily unpaid principal balance of the account in the billing cycle, in which case the daily rate shall be 1/30 of the monthly rate. (4) For all of the methods of computation in paragraph (3)(i), (ii) and (iii), the billing cycle shall be monthly, and the unpaid principal balance on any day shall be determined by adding to any balance unpaid as of the beginning of that day all advances and other permissible amounts charged to the consumer and deducting all payments and other credits made or received that day. (5) The consumer may at any time pay all or any part of the unpaid balance in the consumer's account without prepayment penalty or, if the account is not in default, the consumer may pay the unpaid principal balance in monthly installments. Minimum monthly payment requirements shall be determined by the licensee and set forth in the agreement evidencing the open-end loan. (i) If credit life or disability insurance is provided and if the insured dies or becomes disabled when there is an outstanding open-end loan indebtedness, the insurance shall be sufficient to pay the total balance of the loan due on the date of the consumer's death in the case of credit life insurance or all minimum payments which become due on the loan during the covered period of disability in the case of credit disability insurance. The additional charge for credit life insurance or credit disability insurance shall be calculated in each billing cycle by applying the current monthly premium rate for insurance, as the rate may be determined by the Insurance Commissioner, to the unpaid balances in the consumer's account, using any of the methods specified in paragraph (3) for the calculation of loan charges. (ii) No credit life or disability insurance written in connection with an open-end loan shall be canceled by the licensee because of delinquency of the consumer in the making of the required minimum payments on the loan unless one or more of the payments is past due for a period of 90 days or more, and the licensee shall advance to the insurer the amounts required to keep the insurance in force during the period, which amounts may be debited to the consumer's account. (iii) The amount, terms and conditions of any insurance against loss or damage to property must be reasonable in relation to character and value of the property insured and the maximum anticipated amount of credit to be extended. (7) Notwithstanding any other provisions in this chapter to the contrary, a mortgage lender may retain any security interest in a dwelling or real or personal property until the open-end loan is terminated, provided that, if there is no outstanding balance in the account and there is no commitment by the licensee to make advances, the mortgage lender shall, within ten days following written demand by the consumer, deliver to the consumer a release of the mortgage, indenture, deed of trust or any other similar instrument or document on any dwelling or residential real estate taken as security for the open-end loan. The mortgage lender shall include on all billing statements provided in connection with an open-end loan a statement that the licensee retains a security interest in the consumer's dwelling or residential real estate whenever the security interest has not been released. (8) A mortgage lender may charge, contract for, receive or collect on any open-end loan account an annual fee not to exceed $50 per year. 2013 Amendment. Act 38 amended par. (7). Cross References. Section 6126 is referred to in section 6112 of this title. 6131.1. Prelicensing and continuing education. 6139. Suspension, revocation or refusal. (a) Contents.--An application for a license under this chapter shall be on a form prescribed and provided by the department. Consistent with sections 202 E and 405 F(1) of the act of May 15, 1933 (P.L.565, No.111), known as the Department of Banking and Securities Code, all applicants and licensees shall use the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry to obtain and maintain licenses under this chapter. (i) The name of the applicant. (ii) The address of the principal place of business and any branches of the applicant. (iii) The full name, official title and business address of each director and principal officer of the mortgage loan business. (iv) Any other information that may be required by the department. (ii) The name of the sponsoring licensee or excepted person of the applicant and location of the excepted person or licensed location of the licensee to which the applicant is assigned. (iii) Any other information that may be required by the department. (3) An applicant shall demonstrate to the department that policies and procedures have been developed to receive and process consumer inquiries and grievances promptly and fairly. (a.1) Licensing of principal place of business and branches.--All applicants and licensees must establish and maintain a separate license for the principal place of business and each branch. (b) Duty to update.--All applicants and licensees shall be required to provide the department with written notice of the change in any information contained in an application for a license or for any renewal of a license within ten days of an applicant or licensee becoming aware of the change. (2) Been approved for and will continue to maintain as a licensee a line of credit, repurchase agreement or equivalent mortgage-funding capability of not less than $1,000,000. (3) Established a minimum net worth of $250,000 at the time of application and will, at all times thereafter, maintain the minimum net worth. (4) Been approved for and will continue to maintain as a licensee fidelity bond coverage in accordance with the guidelines established by the Federal National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. (D) $500,000 for an applicant or licensee whose mortgage originators will originate or originated $250,000,000 or more in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year. (ii) For an initial license applicant, the amount of the bond shall be determined by the applicant's anticipated amount of mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate originated by its mortgage originators in the first calendar year of licensing. For a licensee, the amount of the bond shall be determined annually by the department based upon the amount of mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate originated by the licensee's mortgage originators as indicated on the licensee's periodic report. (iii) The bond shall run to the Commonwealth and shall be for the use of the Commonwealth and for the use of any consumer who is injured by the acts or omissions of the licensee's mortgage originators that are related to the mortgage loan business regulated by this chapter. No bond shall comply with the requirements of this section unless it contains a provision that it shall not be canceled for any cause unless notice of intention to cancel is given to the department at least 30 days before the day upon which cancellation shall take effect. Cancellation of the bond shall not invalidate the bond regarding the period of time it was in effect. (6) Designated an individual as the qualifying individual for the principal place of business and separate individuals as branch managers for each branch, as applicable. (1) Obtains and will maintain a bond in the amount of $100,000, in a form acceptable to the department, prior to the issuance of the license, from a surety company authorized to do business in this Commonwealth. The bond shall run to the Commonwealth and shall be for the use of the Commonwealth and any person or persons who obtain a judgment against the mortgage loan correspondent for failure to carry out the terms of any provision for which advance fees are paid. No bond shall comply with the requirements of this section unless it contains a provision that it shall not be canceled for any cause unless notice of intention to cancel is given to the department at least 30 days before the day upon which cancellation shall take effect. A mortgage loan correspondent who can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the department that the correspondent does not and will not accept advance fees shall be exempt from the bond requirement of this paragraph. (2) Establishes a minimum net worth of $100,000 at the time of application and will, at all times thereafter, maintain the minimum net worth. (i) The amount of the bond shall be $100,000 for an applicant or licensee whose mortgage originators will originate or originated less than $30,000,000 in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year; $200,000 for an applicant or licensee whose mortgage originators will originate or originated $30,000,000 to $99,999,999.99 in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year; $300,000 for an applicant or licensee whose mortgage originators will originate or originated $100,000,000 to $249,999,999.99 in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year; and $500,000 for an applicant or licensee whose mortgage originators will originate or originated $250,000,000 or more in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year. (4) Designates an individual as the qualifying individual for the principal place of business and separate individuals as branch managers for each branch, as applicable. (1) The department shall issue a mortgage broker license applied for under this chapter if the applicant obtains and will maintain a bond in the amount of $100,000, in a form acceptable to the department, prior to the issuance of the license, from a surety company authorized to do business in this Commonwealth. The bond shall be a penal bond conditioned on compliance with this chapter and subject to forfeiture by the department and shall run to the Commonwealth for its use. The bond shall also be for the use of any person against the mortgage broker for failure to carry out the terms of any provision for which advance fees are paid. If the person is aggrieved, the person may, with the written consent of the department, recover advance fees and costs from the bond by filing a claim with the surety company or maintaining an action on the bond. In the alternative, an aggrieved person may recover advance fees and costs by filing a formal complaint against the mortgage broker with the department which shall adjudicate the matter. The adjudication shall be binding upon the surety company and enforceable by the department in Commonwealth Court and by an aggrieved person in any court. Any aggrieved person seeking to recover advance fees and costs from a bond that has already been forfeited by the department or which the department is in the process of forfeiting may recover payment on the bond if, after filing a petition with the department, the department consents to the aggrieved person's requested payment or portion thereof. The department may pay the aggrieved person from the bond proceeds it recovers. Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting the ability of any court or magisterial district judge to award to any aggrieved person other damages, court costs and attorney fees as permitted by law, but those claims that are not advance fees or related costs may not be recovered from the bond. The department, in its discretion, may consent to or order pro rata or other recovery on the bond for any aggrieved person if claims against the bond may or do exceed its full monetary amount. No bond shall comply with the requirements of this section unless it contains a provision that it shall not be canceled for any cause unless notice of intention to cancel is given to the department at least 30 days before the day upon which cancellation shall take effect. Cancellation of the bond shall not invalidate the bond regarding the period of time it was in effect. (2) Mortgage brokers who can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the department that they do not and will not accept advance fees shall be exempt from the bond requirement of paragraph (1). (i) The amount of the bond shall be $50,000 for an applicant or licensee whose mortgage originators will originate or originated less than $15,000,000 in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year; $75,000 for an applicant or licensee whose mortgage originators will originate or originated $15,000,000 to $29,999,999.99 in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year; $100,000 for an applicant or licensee whose mortgage originators will originate or originated $30,000,000 to $49,999,999.99 in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year; and $150,000 for an applicant or licensee whose mortgage originators will originate or originated $50,000,000 or more in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year. (4) A mortgage broker shall designate an individual as the qualifying individual for the principal place of business and separate individuals as branch managers for each branch, as applicable. (1) Be an employee of or under the direct supervision and control of a licensed mortgage broker, mortgage lender or mortgage loan correspondent, a person excepted from this chapter or a person excepted from licensure under section 6112 (relating to exceptions to license requirements). The licensee or person shall sponsor the mortgage originator in the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry and directly supervise, control and maintain responsibility for the acts and omissions of the mortgage originator. (2) Be assigned to and work out of a licensed location of the sponsoring licensee or a location of a sponsoring person excepted from this chapter or excepted from licensure under section 6112, which, in the case of a sponsoring licensee, may be either the mortgage originator's residence or a location of the licensee that is within 100 miles of the mortgage originator's residence. (3) Maintain a valid unique identifier issued by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry. (i) The amount of the bond shall be $25,000 for an applicant or licensee who will originate or originated less than $7,500,000 in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year; $50,000 for an applicant or licensee who will originate or originated $7,500,000 to $14,999,999.99 in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year; $75,000 for an applicant or licensee who will originate or originated $15,000,000 to $29,999,999.99 in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year; $100,000 for an applicant or licensee who will originate or originated $30,000,000 to $49,999,999.99 in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year; and $150,000 for an applicant or licensee who will originate or originated $50,000,000 or more in mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate in a calendar year. (ii) For an initial license applicant, the amount of the bond shall be determined by the applicant's anticipated amount of mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate originated in the first calendar year of licensing. For a licensee, the amount of the bond shall be determined annually by the department based upon the amount of mortgage loans secured by Pennsylvania dwellings or residential real estate originated by the mortgage originator as indicated on the mortgage originator's periodic report. (iii) The bond shall run to the Commonwealth and shall be for the use of the Commonwealth and for the use of any consumer who is injured by the acts or omissions of the mortgage originator that are related to the mortgage loan business regulated by this chapter. No bond shall comply with the requirements of this section unless it contains a provision that it shall not be canceled for any cause unless notice of intention to cancel is given to the department at least 30 days before the day upon which cancellation shall take effect. Cancellation of the bond shall not invalidate the bond regarding the period of time it was in effect. (5) Only engage in the mortgage loan business on behalf of the single mortgage broker, mortgage lender or mortgage loan correspondent or a person excepted from this chapter or a person excepted from licensure under section 6112 that sponsors the mortgage originator. (g) Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry information challenge process.--A mortgage originator applicant or licensee may challenge the accuracy of information entered by the department to the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry regarding the mortgage originator applicant or licensee by filing a written complaint with the department. The department shall review the complaint and alleged inaccurate information on the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry and notify the applicant or licensee of corrective action taken by the department regarding the alleged inaccurate information within 30 days of receipt of the complaint. (h) License renewals.--Licenses shall be issued for terms not to exceed 14 months and may be renewed by the department each year on a schedule set by the department upon application by the licensee and the payment of any and all applicable renewal fees. The licensee shall demonstrate to the department that it is conducting the mortgage loan business in accordance with the requirements of this chapter and that the licensee or directors, officers, partners, employees, mortgage originators, agents and ultimate equitable owners of 10% or more of the licensee continue to meet all of the initial requirements for licensure required by this chapter unless otherwise determined by the department. (1) If an applicant is not a resident of this Commonwealth, as a condition to receiving a license under this chapter, the applicant shall be authorized to do business in this Commonwealth in accordance with the laws of this Commonwealth regulating corporations and other entities conducting business in this Commonwealth and shall maintain at least one office which is the office that shall be licensed as the principal place of business for the purposes of this chapter. (2) Out-of-State applicants shall file with the license application an irrevocable consent, duly acknowledged, that suits and actions may be commenced against that person in the courts of this Commonwealth by the service of process of any pleading upon the department in the usual manner provided for service of process and pleadings by the laws and court rules of this Commonwealth. The consent shall provide that this service shall be as valid and binding as if service had been made personally upon the person in this Commonwealth. In all cases where process or pleadings are served upon the department under the provisions of this section, the process or pleadings shall be served in triplicate; one copy shall be filed in the department's offices and the others shall be forwarded by the department, by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to the last known principal place of business of the person. (j) Disclosure of mortgage originator information.--Notwithstanding section 302 of the act of May 15, 1933 (P.L.565, No.111), known as the Department of Banking and Securities Code, the department shall make available to the public, including by access to the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry, the employment history of a mortgage originator. (1) Been approved by or meets the current eligibility criteria for approval as a residential mortgage loan servicer of at least one Federal Government-sponsored entity, government corporation or Federal agency. (2) Established a minimum net worth of $250,000 at the time of application and maintains the minimum net worth. (3) Been approved for and maintains as a licensee fidelity bond coverage in accordance with the guidelines established by the Federal National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. (i) The amount of the bond shall be $500,000. (ii) The bond shall run to the Commonwealth and shall be for the use of the Commonwealth and for the use of the consumer who is injured by the acts or omissions of the licensee's mortgage originators that are related to the mortgage loan business regulated under this chapter. A bond shall not comply with the requirements of this section unless the bond contains a provision that the bond shall not be canceled for any cause unless notice of intention to cancel is given to the department at least 30 days, excluding legal holidays, Saturdays and Sundays, before the day upon which cancellation shall take effect. Cancellation of the bond shall not invalidate the bond regarding the period of time the bond was in effect. (5) Designated an individual as the qualifying individual for the principal place of business. 2017 Amendment. Act 81 amended subsec. (a)(1) and added subsec. (k). Section 9(2) of Act 81 provided that the amendment of section 6131 shall take effect upon the effective date of regulations promulgated under section 6141 of this title. Cross References. Section 6131 is referred to in sections 6112, 6134, 6135, 6139 of this title. (1) Applicants shall complete prelicensing education required under subsection (b) and pass a written test regarding the education under subsection (c) in order to obtain a license under this chapter. (2) Licensees shall complete continuing education required under subsection (d) in order to renew a license under this chapter. (i) Three hours of Federal law and regulations. (ii) Three hours of ethics, which shall include instruction on fraud, consumer protection and fair lending issues. (iii) Two hours of training related to lending standards for the nontraditional mortgage loan marketplace. (iv) Three hours of Pennsylvania law and regulations, including this chapter, the act of December 3, 1959 (P.L.1688, No.621), known as the Housing Finance Agency Law, and the act of January 30, 1974 (P.L.13, No.6), referred to as the Loan Interest and Protection Law. (2) Prelicensing education programs shall be reviewed and approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry or as otherwise determined by the department based upon reasonable standards. Review and approval of a prelicensing education program shall include review and approval of the program provider. (3) A prelicensing education program approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry or as otherwise determined by the department may be provided by the sponsor of the applicant or an entity which is affiliated with the applicant by an agency contract, or any subsidiary or affiliate of such sponsor or entity. (4) Prelicensing education programs may be offered either in a classroom, online or by any other means approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry or as otherwise determined by the department. (5) Except for prelicensing education programs under paragraph (1)(iv), prelicensing education programs approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry or as otherwise determined by the department and completed for another State license application shall be accepted as credit toward completion of the prelicensing education requirements of this chapter. (6) An applicant that was previously licensed under this chapter that is applying to become licensed again under this chapter must demonstrate that the applicant has completed all of the continuing education requirements for the year in which the applicant was last licensed under this chapter. (1) A mortgage originator applicant, and at least one qualifying individual of a mortgage broker, mortgage lender or mortgage loan correspondent applicant, shall pass, in accordance with the standards established under this subsection, a qualified written test developed by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry and administered by a test provider approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry based upon reasonable standards. The department may also require applicants to pass a test regarding Pennsylvania-specific law, which shall be administered by a test provider approved by the department or as otherwise determined by the department under subsection (e). (ii) Federal law and regulation pertaining to mortgage origination. (iii) Pennsylvania law and regulation pertaining to mortgage origination, unless otherwise determined by the department. (iv) Federal and Pennsylvania law and regulation related to fraud, consumer protection, the nontraditional mortgage marketplace and fair lending issues. (3) A test provider approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry or as otherwise determined by the department may provide a test at the location of the sponsor of the applicant or an entity which is affiliated with the applicant by an agency contract, or any subsidiary or affiliate of the sponsor or entity. (4) (i) An applicant shall not be considered to have passed a qualified written test unless the individual achieves a test score of not less than 75% correct answers to questions. (ii) An applicant may take a test three consecutive times with each consecutive taking occurring at least 30 days after the preceding test. (iii) After failing three consecutive tests, an applicant shall wait at least six months before taking the test again. (iv) A formerly licensed mortgage originator applicant who has been unlicensed for five continuous years or longer shall retake a test. Any time during which the individual is a registered mortgage loan originator shall not be counted toward the five-year continuous period. (ii) Two hours of ethics, which shall include instruction on fraud, consumer protection and fair lending issues. (iv) One hour of Pennsylvania law, including this chapter, the act of December 3, 1959 (P.L.1688, No.621), known as the Housing Finance Agency Law, and the act of January 30, 1974 (P.L.13, No.6), referred to as the Loan Interest and Protection Law. (2) Continuing education programs shall be reviewed and approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry or as otherwise determined by the department based upon reasonable standards. Review and approval of a continuing education program shall include review and approval of the program provider. (3) A continuing education program approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry or as otherwise determined by the department may be provided by the sponsor of the licensee or an entity which is affiliated with the licensee by an agency contract, or any subsidiary or affiliate of the sponsor or entity. (4) Continuing education programs may be offered either in a classroom, online or by any other means approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry or as otherwise determined by the department. (5) A licensee may only receive credit for a continuing education program in the year in which the program is taken and may not take the same continuing education program in the same or successive years to meet the requirements of this subsection. (6) A licensed mortgage originator who is an instructor of an approved continuing education program may receive credit for the licensed mortgage loan originator's own continuing education requirement at the rate of two hours credit for every one hour taught. (7) Except for the continuing education program under paragraph (1)(iv), continuing education programs approved by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry or as otherwise determined by the department and completed for another state shall be accepted as credit toward completion of the continuing education requirements of this chapter. (8) An individual who is a mortgage originator, branch manager or qualifying individual of a mortgage broker, mortgage lender or mortgage loan correspondent is not required to complete the requirements of this subsection in any licensing year in which the individual has completed the requirements of subsection (b). (1) Pennsylvania-specific education and testing programs shall be approved by the department, unless otherwise determined by the department. The department may charge education and testing providers a fee, to be determined by the department, for department review of Pennsylvania-specific education and testing programs. (i) An outline of the proposed education and testing program, and the method of instruction and testing, whether in a classroom, online or by any other means. (A) An individual who has had his license denied, not renewed, suspended or revoked by the department or any other state. (B) An individual who has been the director, officer, partner, employee, agent or ultimate equitable owner of 10% or more of a licensee that has had its license denied, not renewed, suspended or revoked by the department or another state. (C) An individual who has been subject to a department order or agreement prohibiting the individual from engaging in the mortgage loan business in this Commonwealth or acting in any other capacity related to activities regulated by the department or similar order or agreement issued by another state. (D) An individual who has pleaded guilty, been convicted of or pleaded nolo contendere to a crime of moral turpitude or felony. (iii) Other information that the department may require. (3) The department shall be notified in writing at least 10 days prior to any change in instructors. A new instructor shall be subject to the criteria under paragraph (2)(ii). (4) Education programs offered solely to satisfy the requirements of subsection (d) shall not be required to include a written testing component. (5) The department shall have 45 days from receipt of a completed application to approve or deny the proposed education and testing program. An application shall be deemed completed when the requirements of this subsection have been fulfilled. If the department fails to approve or deny an application submitted by a prospective education provider within 45 days of its receipt, the education program shall be deemed approved by the department. The department may deny an application submitted by an education provider if the education and testing program or education provider fails to satisfy any of the conditions or requirements contained under this chapter. (6) Approval of an education program by the department shall be valid for one licensing year and shall not constitute permanent approval of the education program. (7) Education providers shall provide free access to the department to monitor education programs. In order to ensure the department's access to education programs, education providers shall provide the department with notification of the date, time and location of each education program that is offered by the education provider. (8) Education providers shall retain original records of attendance for each education and testing program conducted by the education provider for four years and shall provide the department free access to the records upon request. (9) The department may revoke its approval of an education provider's education and testing programs if the education provider fails to comply with any requirement of this chapter. 2013 Amendment. Act 38 amended subsecs. (b), (c) and (d). 2009 Amendment. Act 31 added section 6131.1. Cross References. Section 6131.1 is referred to in sections 6112, 6139 of this title. (a) Initial application fees.--Except as set forth in subsection (d)(1), an applicant shall pay to the department at the time an application is filed an initial nonrefundable application fee as set forth under this subsection. (1) For mortgage lenders and mortgage loan correspondents, $1,500 for the principal place of business and an additional fee of $1,500 for each branch office. (2) For mortgage brokers, $1,000 for the principal place of business and an additional fee of $250 for each branch office. (3) For mortgage originators, $200. (4) For mortgage servicers, $2,500 for the principal place of business and an additional fee of $1,250 for each branch location. (b) Renewal fees.--Prior to each annual renewal of a license, except as set forth in subsection (d)(2), a licensee shall pay to the department a nonrefundable license renewal fee as set forth under this subsection. (1) For mortgage lenders and mortgage loan correspondents, $750 for the principal place of business and an additional fee of $750 for each branch office. (2) For mortgage brokers, $500 for the principal place of business and an additional fee of $250 for each branch office. (3) For mortgage originators, $100. (4) For mortgage servicers, $1,000 for the principal place of business and an additional fee of $500 for each branch location. (c) No abatement of fee.--No abatement of a licensee fee shall be made if the license is issued for a period of less than one year. (1) An applicant shall not be required to pay the fee for a mortgage originator license as provided in subsection (a) if the applicant is also individually a mortgage lender applicant, mortgage loan correspondent applicant, mortgage servicer applicant or mortgage broker applicant. (2) A licensee shall not be required to pay the fee for a mortgage originator license as provided in subsection (b) if the licensee is also individually a mortgage lender licensee, mortgage loan correspondent licensee or mortgage broker licensee. 2017 Amendment. Act 81 amended subsecs. (a), (b) and (d). Section 9(2) of Act 81 provided that the amendment of section 6132 shall take effect upon the effective date of regulations promulgated under section 6141 of this title. (a) Time limit.--Within 60 days after a completed application is received, the department shall either issue a license or, for any reason which the department may refuse to issue a license under this section or for which the department may suspend, revoke or refuse to renew a license under section 6139 (relating to suspension, revocation or refusal), refuse to issue a license. The 60-day time limit specified in this subsection may be extended by the department for an additional 30 days if the department determines that the extension is necessary. The department shall provide written notification to any applicant whose application review has been extended and include the final date by which a decision shall be rendered regarding the application. (a.1) Investigations.--Upon receipt of an application for a license, the department may conduct an investigation of the applicant or a director, officer, partner, employee, agent or ultimate equitable owner of 10% or more of the applicant as it deems necessary. (b) Appeal of denial.--If the department refuses to issue a license, it shall notify the applicant in writing of the denial, the reason for the denial and the applicant's right to appeal the denial to the Secretary of Banking. An appeal from the department's refusal to approve an application for a license must be filed by the applicant within 30 days of notice of refusal. (1) The name and address of the licensee and the address or addresses covered by the license. (2) The licensee's reference number or unique identifier. (3) Any other information the department shall require to carry out the purposes of this chapter. (ii) is found guilty by the decision or judgment of a domestic, foreign or military court or Federal magistrate or by the verdict of a jury, irrespective of the pronouncement of sentence or the suspension thereof, unless the plea of guilty or nolo contendere or the decision, judgment or verdict is set aside, vacated, reversed or otherwise abrogated by lawful judicial process. (2) A license under this chapter shall be deemed to be a covered license within the meaning of section 405 of the act of May 15, 1933 (P.L.565, No.111), known as the Department of Banking Code. The department shall notify a licensee if a covered individual within the meaning of section 405 of the Department of Banking Code that is or will be employed or contracted by the licensee has a criminal background that renders the employee unfit for employment in the mortgage loan business. (i) Current outstanding judgments, other than judgments solely as a result of medical expenses. (ii) Current outstanding tax liens or other government liens and filings. (iii) Foreclosures within the past three years. (iv) A pattern of seriously delinquent accounts within the past three years. (1) The applicant has had a license issued by the department or another State licensing agency or a Federal regulatory agency revoked. If the revocation is formally vacated, this paragraph does not apply. (f) Conditional licenses.--The department may impose conditions on the issuance of any license under this chapter. If the department determines that conditions imposed upon a licensee have not been fulfilled, the department may take any action authorized under this chapter against the licensee that the department deems necessary. In the case of mortgage originator applicants, the department may issue mortgage originator licenses effective immediately upon receipt of an application, which licenses shall be conditional licenses issued under this subsection. 2009 Amendment. Act 31 amended subsecs. (c)(1) and (2), (d)(1) and (e)(1), (4) and (5) and added subsec. (e.1). (1) Be renewed on the licensee's renewal date each year upon completion of the requirements of section 6131(h) (relating to application for license). No refund of any portion of the license fee shall be made if the license is voluntarily surrendered to the department or suspended or revoked by the department prior to its expiration date. (2) Be invalid if the licensee's authority to conduct business is voided under any law of this Commonwealth or any other state, unless the licensee demonstrates to the satisfaction of the department that the applicable court or governmental entity was clearly erroneous in voiding the licensee's authority to conduct business. (3) Not be assignable or transferable by operation of law or otherwise. (2) Each licensee shall maintain at its principal place of business, or at another place if agreed to by the department, the original or a copy of any books, accounts, records and documents, or electronic or similar access thereto, of the business conducted under the license as prescribed by the department to enable the department to determine whether the business of the licensee is being conducted in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and the regulations, statements of policy or orders issued under this chapter. All instruments, documents, accounts, books and records relating to the mortgage loan business shall be kept separate and apart from the records of any other business conducted by the licensee. Records of first and secondary mortgage loans shall be easily distinguishable and easily separated. All records shall be preserved and kept available for investigation or examination by the department for a period of four years, unless otherwise determined by the department. The department shall have free access to and authorization to examine records maintained by the licensee. The costs of the examination, including travel costs, shall be borne by the licensee. The department may deny or revoke the authority to maintain records at another place for good cause in the interest of protection for Commonwealth consumers, including for the licensee's failure to provide books, accounts, records or documents to the department upon request. (3) A mortgage broker, mortgage lender, mortgage servicer, mortgage loan correspondent, or a mortgage originator that is required to obtain and maintain its own bond coverage under section 6131(f)(4) (relating to application for license), shall file periodically, as determined by the department, a report with the department or the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry, as determined by the department, setting forth such information as the department shall require concerning the first or secondary mortgage loan business conducted by the licensee. Licensees who fail to file the required report at the date required by the department may be subject to a penalty of $100 for each day after the due date until the report is filed. (4) Each licensee shall be subject to examination by the department at its discretion, at which time the department shall have free access, during regular business hours, to the licensee's place or places of business and to all instruments, documents, accounts, books and records which pertain to a licensee's first or secondary mortgage loan business. The department may examine a licensee at any time if the department deems the examination to be necessary or desirable. The cost of any such examination shall be borne by the licensee. (5) Each licensee shall include in all advertisements the licensee's unique identifier. (b) Accounting records.--For licensees with minimum net worth requirements pursuant to this chapter, the licensee's accounting records must be constructed and maintained in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles or as provided by department regulation. (c) Copies.--If copies of instruments, documents, accounts, books or records are maintained under subsection (a)(2), they may be photostatic, microfilm or electronic copies or copies provided in some other manner approved by the department. 2017 Amendment. Act 81 amended subsec. (a)(3). Section 9(2) of Act 81 provided that the amendment of section 6135 shall take effect upon the effective date of regulations promulgated under section 6141 of this title. 2013 Amendment. Act 38 amended subsecs. (a) and (b). Cross References. Section 6135 is referred to in section 6112 of this title. (a) Name and changes to name.--A licensee cannot transact any business under this chapter under any other name or names except those names designated in its license. A mortgage originator may not use any other name other than the mortgage originator's personal legal name. A licensee that changes its name or place or places of business shall notify the department or the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry, as determined by the department, within ten days of the change. (b) Other businesses.--A licensee cannot conduct a business other than the mortgage loan business licensed by the department under this chapter without at least 30 days' prior written notification to the department. 2013 Amendment. Act 38 amended subsec. (a). Upon satisfying the department that all creditors of a licensee have been paid or that other arrangements satisfactory to the creditors and the department have been made, a licensee may voluntarily surrender its license to the department by providing the department or the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry, as determined by the department, written notice that the license is being voluntarily surrendered, but an action by a licensee shall not affect the licensee's civil or criminal liability for acts committed. (1) Examine any instrument, document, account, book, record or file of a licensee or any person having a connection to the licensee or make other investigation as may be necessary to administer the provisions of this chapter. Pursuant to this authority, the department may remove any instrument, document, account, book, record or file of a licensee to a location outside of the licensee's office location. The costs of the examination shall be borne by the licensee or the entity subject to the examination. (2) Conduct administrative hearings on any matter pertaining to this chapter, issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of instruments, documents, accounts, books and records at any hearing. The instruments, documents, accounts, books and records may be retained by the department until the completion of all proceedings in connection with which the materials were produced. A department official may administer oaths and affirmations to a person whose testimony is required. In the event a person fails to comply with a subpoena issued by the department or to testify on a matter concerning which he may be lawfully interrogated, on application by the department, the Commonwealth Court may issue an order requiring the attendance of the person, the production of instruments, documents, accounts, books and records and the giving of testimony. (3) Request and receive information or records of any kind, including reports of criminal history record information from any Federal, State, local or foreign government entity regarding an applicant for a license, licensee or person related in any way to the business of the applicant or licensee, at a cost to be paid by the applicant or licensee. (4) Issue regulations, statements of policy or orders as may be necessary for the proper conduct of the mortgage loan business by licensees, the issuance and renewal of licenses and the enforcement of this chapter. (5) Prohibit or permanently remove a person or licensee responsible for a violation of this chapter from working in the present capacity or in any other capacity of the person or licensee related to activities regulated by the department. (6) Order a person or licensee to make restitution for actual damages to consumers caused by any violation of this chapter. (7) Issue cease and desist orders that are effective immediately, subject to a hearing as specified in subsection (b) within 14 days of the issuance of the order. (8) Impose such other conditions as the department deems appropriate. (b) Hearings.--A person aggrieved by a decision of the department may appeal the decision of the department to the commission. The appeal shall be conducted under 2 Pa.C.S. Ch. 5 Subch. A (relating to practice and procedure of Commonwealth agencies). (c) Injunctions.--The department may maintain an action for an injunction or other process against a person to restrain and prevent the person from engaging in an activity violating this chapter. (d) Final orders.--A decision of the commission, or an unappealed order of the department, shall be a final order of the department and shall be enforceable in a court of competent jurisdiction. The department may publish final adjudications issued under this section, subject to redaction or modification to preserve confidentiality. The department shall regularly report violations of this chapter, enforcement actions and other relevant information to the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry. (e) Appeals.--A person aggrieved by a decision of the commission may appeal the decision under 2 Pa.C.S. Ch. 7 Subch. A (relating to judicial review of Commonwealth agency action). (f) Orders affecting mortgage originators.--An order issued against a licensee is applicable to the mortgage originators sponsored by the licensee. 2013 Amendment. Act 38 amended subsecs. (b), (d), (e) and (f). Cross References. Section 6138 is referred to in section 6112 of this title. (1) Made a material misstatement in an application or any report or submission required by this chapter or any department regulation, statement of policy or order. (2) Failed to comply with or violated any provision of this chapter or any regulation or order promulgated or issued by the department under this chapter. (3) Engaged in dishonest, fraudulent or illegal practices or conduct in a business or unfair or unethical practices or conduct in connection with the mortgage loan business. (4) Been convicted of or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to a crime of moral turpitude or felony. (5) Permanently or temporarily been enjoined by a court of competent jurisdiction from engaging in or continuing conduct or a practice involving an aspect of the mortgage loan business. (6) Become the subject of an order of the department denying, suspending or revoking a license applied for or issued under this chapter. (7) Become the subject of a United States Postal Service fraud order. (8) Failed to comply with the requirements of this chapter to make and keep records prescribed by regulation, statement of policy or order of the department, to produce records required by the department or to file financial reports or other information that the department by regulation, statement of policy or order may require. (9) Become the subject of an order of the department denying, suspending or revoking a license under the provisions of any other law administered by the department. (10) Demonstrated negligence or incompetence in performing an act for which the licensee is required to hold a license under this chapter. (11) Accepted an advance fee without having obtained the bond required by section 6131(d)(1) or (e)(1) (relating to application for license). (12) Become insolvent, meaning that the liabilities of the applicant or licensee exceed the assets of the applicant or licensee or that the applicant or licensee cannot meet the obligations of the applicant or licensee as they mature or is in such financial condition that the applicant or licensee cannot continue in business with safety to the customers of the applicant or licensee. (13) Failed to complete the requirements of section 6131.1 (relating to prelicensing and continuing education). (14) In the case of a mortgage broker, mortgage lender or mortgage loan correspondent, conducted the mortgage loan business through an unlicensed mortgage originator. (15) Failed to comply with the terms of any agreement under which the department authorizes a licensee to maintain records at a place other than the licensee's principal place of business. (1) The condition which warranted the original action has been corrected to the department's satisfaction. (2) The department has reason to believe that the condition is not likely to occur again. (3) The licensee satisfies all other requirements of this chapter. 2009 Amendment. Act 31 amended subsecs. (a)(13) and (b) intro. par. Cross References. Section 6139 is referred to in sections 6133, 6140 of this title. (a) Persons operating without licenses.--A person subject to the provisions of this chapter and not licensed by the department who violates any provision of this chapter or who commits any action which would subject a license to suspension, revocation or nonrenewal under section 6139 (relating to suspension, revocation or refusal) may be fined by the department up to $10,000 for each offense. (b) Violation by licensee.--A person licensed under this chapter or director, officer, owner, partner, employee, mortgage originator or agent of a licensee who violates a provision of this chapter or who commits any action which would subject the licensee to suspension, revocation or nonrenewal under section 6139 may be fined by the department up to $10,000 for each offense. 2013 Amendment. Act 38 amended subsec. (b). Cross References. Section 6140 is referred to in section 6112 of this title. (1) Subject to paragraph (2), the department shall promulgate regulations which effectively incorporate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's mortgage servicer regulations at 12 CFR Pt. 1024, Subpt. C (relating to mortgage servicing), other than 12 CFR 1024.30 (relating to scope). (2) When the Federal regulations under paragraph (1) are altered, the department shall promulgate regulations making the appropriate incorporation. (i) Sections 201, 202, 203, 204 and 205 of the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.769, No.240), referred to as the Commonwealth Documents Law. (ii) Sections 204(b) and 301(10) of the act of October 15, 1980 (P.L.950, No.164), known as the Commonwealth Attorneys Act. (iii) The act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), known as the Regulatory Review Act. (1) The version of the Pennsylvania regulations in effect at the time of the alteration shall remain in effect for two years. (2) During the time period under paragraph (1), the department shall promulgate replacement regulations. 2017 Amendment. Act 81 added section 6141. 6152. Relationship to other laws. 6153. Preservation of existing contracts. 6154. Procedure for determination of noncompliance with Federal law (Repealed). (iii) notwithstanding the place of execution, secured by a dwelling or residential real estate located in this Commonwealth. (2) Any person who engages in the mortgage loan business in this Commonwealth. Cross References. Section 6151 is referred to in section 6112 of this title. (iii) originates, purchases, sells, assigns, securitizes or services any property interest or obligation created by a financial transaction or loan made, executed or originated by a person referred to in subparagraph (i) or (ii) or assists or facilitates such a transaction or loan. (ii) imposing reporting requirements or any other obligations upon a person regarding financial or lending activity. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to impair or affect first or secondary mortgage loans executed prior to the effective date of this chapter. 2013 Repeal. Section 6154 was repealed July 2, 2013, P.L.210, No.38, effective in 60 days. (1) Individuals not licensed as mortgage originators under 7 Pa.C.S. Ch. 61 who are required to be licensed as mortgage originators by virtue of this act may continue to engage in the mortgage loan business in their current capacity if they file an application for a mortgage originator license with the department within 60 days of the effective date of this section. (2) Licenses issued under 7 Pa.C.S. Ch. 61 prior to the effective date of this section that were conditioned upon completion of the education and testing requirements of 7 Pa.C.S. Ch. 61 existing prior to the effective date of this section shall be conditioned upon the completion of the education and testing requirements of this act by December 31, 2009. Explanatory Note. Act 31 amended or added sections 6101, 6102, 6111, 6112, 6121, 6122, 6125, 6131, 6131.1, 6132, 6133, 6135, 6138, 6139 and 6154 of Title 7.

2019-04-21T08:11:12Z

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/07/07.HTM

Für Absolventen mit herausragenden Leistungen vergeben wir jährlich den „Best Thesis Award“. Max Schneider untersucht in seiner Bachelor Arbeit auf sehr detaillierte Weise, wie sich durch den Einsatz von Sozialen Medien die Markenwahrnehmung bei Kunden steigern lässt. Herr Schneider hat die für die Fragestellung relevante Fachliteratur umfassend recherchiert und wissenschaftlich kritisch reflektiert. Darüber hinaus untersuchte der Autor mit Hilfe einer Befragung von 190 Nutzern von Social Media Plattformen das Nutzungsverhalten und die Erwartungen der Nutzer an die jeweiligen Unternehmen bzgl. des Kommunikationsverhaltens und der Markenpositionierung in den sozialen Medien. Mit Hilfe von fünf Experteninterviews analysiert er sehr differenziert, worauf Unternehmen achten müssen, wenn sie soziale Medien als Kommunikationsinstrument einsetzen wollen. Die Arbeit überzeugte durch einen stringenten Aufbau und ließ einen Bezug zur Fragestellung stets klar erkennen. Hervorzuheben ist dabei ebenfalls, dass die Ausführungen stets aufeinander bezogen und in der gesamten Argumentation eingebunden wurden. Mit der Erhebung und Auswertung der Daten für die Primärforschung bewies Herr Max Schneider ein hohes Maß an Qualität und wissenschaftlichem Anspruch. Einschränkungen z.B. hinsichtlich der Stichprobengröße bei der Befragung wurden dabei seitens des Autors kompetent und kritisch reflektiert. Max Schneider diskutierte dabei die gewonnenen Ergebnisse sehr differenziert und bezog diese immer wieder explizit auf die Fragestellung seiner Arbeit. Neben Empfehlungen für das Unternehmen „Coppeneur et Compagnon GmbH“ erläuterte Herr Schneider zusätzlich Ideen und Impulse für weiteren Forschungsbedarf. Franziska did an extraordinary thesis, in which she used over 80 scientific articles for her theoretical background and developed her own theoretical model linking concepts related to her study. Moreover, she applied a mix-method approach, conducting both a content analysis (where she created a comprehensive coding scheme) and an online experiment with 240 participants. For her analysis, Franziska used various types of statistical analysis with perfection, such as crosstabs, correlation, t-tests and ANOVA. Finally, the thesis presents insightful managerial applications of expert endorsement to products with varying levels of innovation. Following a strong literature review on the various tourism destination development models as well as a thorough review of the critical aspects in destination marketing strategy and destination branding, Ms. Bernholz developed a strong methodology based on a mixed research method approach using a convergent parallel design of ‘content analysis’ on one hand and ‘in-depth interviews’ on the other hand. The goal was to analyze the relationship between the way ‘Costa Rica’ is officially marketed and branded and what the global community perceive the destination to be in particular related to its sustainability image. The research findings showed that the brand identity and the brand image of Costa Rica are identical. Costa Rica managed to establish a green and sustainable image from its brand image inception maintained that brand perception to consumers. The qualitative findings further support the statement that the establishment of a successful destination brand and image is essential for a successful marketing strategy. In her thesis Nathalie Thomsen analyzed “Effective Complaint Handling for Relationship Management of Airports”. She wrote her thesis in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center in a project about noise mitigation. Her part consisted of finding ways of “good communication” to treat noise-annoyed people in a fair and transparent way. For this, she analyzed theoretical marketing literature as well as practical sources. The problem of the thesis derives from the fact that complaints are normally based on a dissatisfaction concerning a contractual discrete transaction. . In contrast to this, noise complaints constitute a long-term confrontation caused by regularly repeated noise events. So the topic of complaint handling was brought together with Relationship Marketing and its literature. By bringing together the topic of complaint, handling and Relationship Marketing Nathalie provided an excellent literature analysis. She has not only summarized the existing literature, but also linked them to an easy to read and logical story line. Then she applied the literature on a research gap, namely on serial complainers without contractual base. This is exactly the case for airports and the noise complaints they receive. With this innovative approach, the thesis analyzed a current problem and gave useful recommendations for the airports on the one side, but also for the running project in the German Aerospace Center on the other side. The brilliant way of presenting theoretical research and combine it with practical issues for everyday use for airports and policy qualifies Nathalie’s work for the “best thesis award”. In her thesis Vanessa examined the emerging market of smart clothing with the objective to determine sensible customer segments since products so far hard to sell due its somewhat often unclear customer benefit and its hybrid nature of being a fashion product and/or a technology product. Conducting 18 expert interviews with representatives from large and small companies as well as conducting a comprehensive survey, she provided an initial set of customer segments. However, since she was not satisfied with the usefulness of the results, she reiterated the study with a second approach to cluster analysis that yielded three customer segments, which provided a stronger scientific contribution and higher value add for practitioners. Apart from showing strong mastery of the theoretical concepts, a comprehensive literature review, a thorough methodology, and the ability to critically reflect on shortcomings, this thesis qualifies for the “best thesis award”, because the student showed persistence and creativity to provide useful results and ultimately developed the passion of a researcher. It showed both in the thesis as well as in the colloquium that she truly was an expert of the topic. Overall, the thesis shows creative ability, an originality, high level of intellectual work and suitability for publication. The bachelor thesis with the title “Collaboration or Competition for the Lufthansa Technik AG? – The Qualitative Value Chain Evaluation of Aircraft Overhaul Key Solutions of the Lufthansa Technik AG” written by Miriam Walden is an important contribution to the strategy and future development program of the Aircraft Base Maintenance unit of Lufthansa Technik. The topic by itself is close to Masterthesis level due to the acquisition, consolidation and assessment of the necessary data in combination with the scientific evaluation and utilisation of assessment methods. Furthermore the thesis deals with a high level of complexity in a technical environment. Due to a very structured approach in combination with scientific background and highly usable results your thesis receives the IUBH best thesis award. On behalf of the Gesellschaft der Freunde und Förderer der Internationalen Hochschule Bad Honnef and the whole IUBH team we congratulate you on your successful thesis and wish you all the best for your future. Employee Retention in Seasonal Hotels Exemplified by a Small Privately Owned Hotel in Greece? The aim of this present work is to establish a human resources toolbox aiming at retaining skilled employees, improving their motivation and loyalty at the seasonal hotel Perivolas, located on Santorini Island, in Greece. First of all, the terms "employee retention", "seasonality", "motivation" and "labour turnover rate" in the hospitality sector are defined, in order to create an overall understanding of the topic. As the terms job satisfaction and motivation go hand in hand in influencing whether employees want to stay with a business, or in this case study, whether to return to a working place the next season, motivation theories are reviewed in detail. After examining the term job satisfaction and what it means, a closer look at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is outlined, explaining the different stages of human needs and how these needs interact internally to motivate individuals to act upon their needs. Specifically, Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory illustrates that motivation contains two different sets of needs: one, motivators and two, hygiene factors. Moreover, in order to understand how motivation of human behaviour is generated, the Expectancy Theory is examined. In addition, the Goal-Setting Theory is illustrated, to confirm the assumption that motivation and performance is influenced by setting goals and by giving out feedback of achievement. To understand further the theory in practice, to figure out what motivates and what increases the loyalty of seasonal workers in Greece, a primary research study will be conducted, to independently question seasonal workers. This study finalises the material by creating a human resources toolbox aiming at developing a workplace with human resources processes that will increase motivation and satisfaction amongst staff. Additional recommendations include a corporation between the hotel Perivolas and a winter resort, to ensure continuous employment of staff. Continuous employment will bring increased staff motivation and as a consequence leading to higher employee retention. Internationalisation Strategies for Trade Fairs - An Analysis on the South African market: Specific Approach with Recommendation for the "Johannesburg Welding & Cutting 2015" This study provides insights into the internationalisation strategy of a German trade fair organiser, on the example of the WELDNIG & CUTTING, the world leading fair for the metal processing industry. The paper examines, further, the South African market with special focus on its trade fair market structure, in order to identify potential risks that harm the implementation of the fair in 2015. An exploratory research was conducted through reviewing the literature and interviewing two experts of the German and South African trade fair industry. Next, a descriptive research was applied to develop accurate knowledge on the welding and cutting industry. 66 companies of the industry were interrogated, to research on their interest for a WELDING & CUTTING trade fair in South Africa. 77.2% of the respondent tended to agree that South Africa is an emerging market for the metal processing industry, whereas 44% of the respondents are likely to exhibit at such an event. In addition, the paper gives a recommendation how to best approach the South African market and implement the trade fair. Understanding the importance of goodwill and goodwill impairment is essential for investors, analysts and stakeholders of corporations. Therefore, the following study examines the development of goodwill and goodwill impairment for DAX30 corporations between 2005 and 2013. In order to provide a sufficient sample, 261 observations were collected within the timeframe. Besides the descriptive statistics about the development of goodwill and goodwill impairment, current DAX30 corporations are clustered into industries and significant differences between groups are elaborated. Afterwards, the thesis conducts a research adopted from Jordan and Clark (2004) in order to test whether DAX30 companies practice Earnings Management to increase the value of the company. In addition, a regression analysis is performed to test whether impairment losses can be explained through different independent variables. A predictive power of the model would increase the validity of forecasts concerning goodwill impairments. During the literature review two hypotheses are created, which are tested within the research approach: H1: There are significant differences between industries concerning goodwill and goodwill impairment. H2: Goodwill and impairment losses are used for Earnings Management and Big Bath Behavior. The thesis confirms other research papers dealing with the development of goodwill and goodwill impairment. Furthermore, significant differences between industries are presented and implications for the market are identified. The study also illustrates that different industries convey different impairment patterns. Further research confirms that DAX30 companies practice Earnings Management. Especially Big Bath Behavior can be shown by the research findings. Moreover, the regression equation presents two significant variables, which influence the amount and frequency of impairment losses. Finally, recommendations for the market are made and both hypotheses are accepted. This descriptive research analyzed the impact of differential pricing on the perception of fairness. To provide a comprehensive understanding of the problem revenue management, approaches of differential pricing, as well as theories discussing the perception of fairness and the classification of hotels in Germany are discussed, by presenting previous researches and theories related to these topics. In total, 106 participants were asked to respond an online questionnaire regarding differential pricing. As revenue managers use rate fences to determine different prices, it was the core of the research to analyze perception of fairness of differential pricing and rate fences. The results have shown that differential pricing tends to be generally perceived as unfair by German customers. On the other hands, the rate fences used to determine different prices tend to be perceived as neutral or fair. While the results suggest that most demographic and travelling factors do not influence customers' perceptions of fairness of differential pricing, this research found that gender does. The findings show that women perceived differential pricing as more unfair than men. The reasons for such results are reviewed in accordance with the literature review. Finally, recommendations and further possible research on the topic are provided. The Failure and Success Factors of the German Tour Operator Business Model – is it still contemporary? Business Models are widely discussed within all industries. This dissertation investigates the tour operator business model on the basis of the current model, general business models and trends within the industry that may force a change within the current business model. Based on intensively reviewing relevant literature, the need of adapting a tour operator’s business model according to trends and the constantly changing environment is identified. This adaption becomes increasingly difficult given the frequently changing consumer behaviour. Due to various different attempts to define and construct business models along with contestability of the market, a given complexity can be inferred. To establish a contemporary tour operator business model, failure and success factors of the current tour operator business model are detected by analysing the Reiseanalyse 2008 as well as conducting two focus group interviews and an expert interview. As a result of these investigations a new tour operator business model is constructed that combines findings from the literature review and qualitative as well as quantitative research. This model describes how tourism companies compete in the market and how they choose to earn money. Furthermore, it especially focuses on the value propositions provided by the tour operator. Knowing the effect of dividend announcements on share prices is beneficial for many participants of a market. Therefore, this study provides empirical evidence about the power of dividend announcements to influence share prices of German, DAX listed corporations. In this study, a total of 150 dividend announcements were examined. The events were categorized in groups of dividend increases, decreases, and stable dividends. Due to the calculation of expected returns with the market model, this study found out if dividend announcements can promote significant abnormal returns, if dividends are relevant for DAX investors, and if the German DAX index is efficient. The results suggest that share prices significantly drop around the announcement of dividend increases. DAX investors show negative reactions to dividend increases, while they seem irrelevant of dividend decreases, and stable dividends. Further, information leakage and insider trading, as well as long-term abnormal returns following the announcement of dividend decreases, indicate that the market has characteristics of an inefficient market. Mystery Shoppers in Luxury - Hotels - An efficient tool of quality assurance in the luxury hospitality industry? Mystery shopping as a tool of quality assurance increased drastically over the last decades. After introducing it in different service sectors it became a frequently used practice in the luxury hospitality industry. However, it is difficult for hoteliers to determine the importance of such instrument with regards to service quality and customer satisfaction since the knowledge about its validity and efficiency is still insufficient. This study made an attempt to resolve the problem by analysing the measurement validity of mystery auditing. For that purpose the mystery shopping and guest satisfaction survey scores for various Kempinski properties have been compared based on different assumptions as high correlation and similar means. Furthermore, a case study has been conducted to examine the quasi-longitudinal development of mystery shopping in a particular hotel. Analysing the data revealed no significant correlation between the two variables but simultaneously similar means of the two scores in general, whereby certain regions differ in their results. Moreover, it has been proven that stronger focus is put on mystery shopping with the consequence to neglect guest satisfaction slightly. Therefore, mystery shopping showed being a valid but still imperfect tool for quality assurance. The A3 report is a tool for process improvement and problem solving developed and applied by the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota. This case study focuses on presenting details about the application of Toyota‟s A3 report in different departments of a hotel. The A3 has been applied as a tool for process improvement in the kitchen, the restaurant, the accounting, and the front office department of the “LAGO hotel & restaurant am See”. The author presents the different process improvement projects and their outcomes. In addition, this research illustrates the practitioners‟ perceptions of the A3 report and its problem solving process by analyzing the perspectives of the employees who applied the tool, and their respective supervisors. Furthermore, the author provides possible benefits of the A3 report, as a tool for process improvement, in a hotel setting. Finally, the author evaluates the transferability of the A3 report to the hotel industry and provides recommendations on how to implement this tool successfully. Efficient flight operations become more and more important for airlines due to the increasing fuel prices and growing environmental duties. Operation as close as possible to the optimal flight path is desirable for any airline in order to reduce fuel burn. Improving the inflight optimization possibilities is expected to hold a certain saving potentials which need to be quantified. Therefore, generally valid situations are elaborated in which the presently flown flight path deviates from the optimum one attributed to limited inflight optimization possibilities. A detailed benefit assessment reveals that for Lufthansa’s long haul fleet fuel savings of approximately 4,400 tons per year are realizable with vertical path optimization during mission. If also accounting for CO2 savings, this equals a sum of € 3.4 million which can be saved per year. However, the worthiness of implementing vertical flight path optimization during mission is not only dependent on savings but on the overall profitability of the undertaking. An investment appraisal, incorporating estimated costs besides the assessed savings, indicates that the undertaking yields a relatively high rate of return and that it can be approved economic. It is, therefore, recommended to undertake the realization of vertical flight path optimization during mission. This is a descriptive research paper looking at the rate parity of hotel room rates and hotel room availability across direct and indirect distribution channels in Germany. The existence of best price channels was also investigated. The study examined 100 hotels in German cities, covering the three- and four-star egments over two dates. The results were analyzed across channels, segments, locations and ownership types and it was found that rate parity did not exist in the aggregate across the hotels measured. In addition, the study found an intermediary to be the best price channel and directly calling the hotel delivering most expensive rates on average. Reasons for why the disparities occurred are reviewed with the help of literature and include technological incapability, problems with control of distribution channels and relationships between hotel operators and online intermediaries. This thesis aims at describing the importance of brand image on international strategies and market entry strategies of German retail companies. This target is reached by two kinds of research. The first is a literature review that is divided into three parts: branding and brand development, international strategies in relation to brand image and the German retail industry including recent trends. Following the literature, qualitative research in form of expert interviews is conducted whose methodology is explained, including limitations of the research. The findings of this research are then presented, interpreted and hypotheses are derived. The findings show a close relationship between brand image and international and market entry strategies. They also reveal the close connection between an internationally successful brand and a consistent and unique selling proposition. Additionally, assumptions concerning the market entry marketing in relation to the type of retailer are presented. In the end, recommendations for further research are given. The main objective of this bachelor thesis is to evaluate the correlation between air fares set by individual airline companies and the profitability of their flight operations. Additionally, a validation of traditional competition models is performed, in order to assess their applicability to duopolistic airline markets. The primary research necessary for the achievement of these objectives is based on data provided by Deutsche Lufthansa AG reflecting the market environment of the route from Berlin to Cologne, which is defined as the object of this causal study. Prior to analysing the market data the hitherto existing literature is perused. The major findings from this review are twofold. Whereas on the one hand, in 1883 Joseph Bertrand published his work constituting the impossibility to run profitable business operations in duopolistic markets, on the other hand modern game theory contradicts this hypothesis. With their conceptionalisation of the idea of coopetition in 1996, Adam Brandenburger and Barry Nalebuff most importantly contribute to this topic. They propose to perceive the other players in a market not only as rivals, but also as partner, in order to create win-win situations in otherwise devastatingly competitive environments. The subsequent concrete data evaluation substantiates the conclusions drawn from the literature review. Furthermore, it reveals the independency of the price setting strategy applied by Lufthansa from the mechanisms used by Air Berlin and vice versa. As price campaigns do not directly impact on the fares charged by the competition, the model of trigger strategies is unsuitable for managerial decision making. Therefore, this thesis concludes with the recommendation of co-opetitive behaviour for airlines serving duopolistic domestic markets, because it proves to be the most adequate and effective tool to understand and predict the dynamics of price competition. Due to its comparably small sample size and limited scope, the author intents this work to be rather thought-provoking than universally valid. Thus, further ideas for future research are incorporated into this bachelor thesis. This thesis contains an outline about the potential of Continuous Descent Approaches (CDA) illustrated at the example of night flights at the airport Cologne Bonn. First of all, aviations dependence on night flights and the consequences of nighttime aircraft noise are analyzed. In the following, the benefits and problems of CDAs are discussed in general before the Approach is evaluated for Cologne Bonn in specific. The example of Cologne Bonn emphasizes the high potential of CDAs in particular for specialized airports with high numbers of night movements. By means of a radar track analysis the effect of CDAs on over flight altitude above populated areas around the airport Cologne Bonn is determined. The investigation further concludes which areas benefit most in terms of noise. Moreover, the CDA's effects on fuel consumption, gas emissions and the monetary savings of airlines in Cologne Bonn are figured out. Apart from the advantages, also the disadvantages and problems of the CDA from the Air Traffic Control's and pilot's point of view are discussed. The following thesis discusses the topics of sustainability, environmental management, energy management, environmental, energy and self auditing, software quality and functionality. From the literature the author derives functionality criteria for free of charge online selfadministrative energy audit (FOSEA) tools. The author furthermore introduces currently available tools and compares the functionality of those tools by performing a value benefit analysis (VBA). In order to scientifically support the VBA the author uses structures from the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to weigh the importance of the different functionality criteria. The VBA and the AHP were performed by representatives of the Hyatt Regency Cologne (HRC) and the President Hotel Bonn (PHB). The results from the AHP indicate that differences exist in the weighting of the functionality criteria, between representatives from chain and independent hotels. The results of the VBA points out that the FOSEA tool from the Energie-Sparprogramm developed by the DEHOGA fulfills the functionality criteria the most out of the seven assessed tools. However, the analysis also showed that no tool fulfills every criteria of functionality. Additionally, it was pointed out that the weightings derived from the AHP influence the results of the VBA to a great extent. The author came to the final conclusion that this thesis gave valuable insights into the functionality of FOSEA tool and provided recommendations for the developers of such tools, however further research has to be conducted supporting these findings. The purpose of this thesis is to find out whether there is a difference between female and male student's perception in ethical decision-making and attitudes. Special focus was given to the International University of Bad Honnef - Bonn, Germany. Secondary research revealed that there is no clear verification of gender related differences towards ethical decision-making. Numerous tools and measures have been developed in order to find significant differences, however not offering significant findings. Primary research revealed some significant differences between male and female students, nevertheless not resulting in any clear results. Female students show slightly more ethical concern in the vignette situations (MEV), rating the ethical dilemma situations after a more deontological approach (rules and law-abiding) towards ethical judgment. Individual trait rating and the comparison between male and female students revealed the importance of traits such as honesty and trustworthiness. The most important recommendation that can be given to students is to begin with ethical education during the study program in order to prevent stressful ethical dilemma situations. Not only will individuals benefit from this on a personal level but also companies as this may prevent wrong economical situations in aspect to business ethics. This thesis contains an examination of the costs of governmental regulations in the European member states in the wake of the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull in April 2010. The costs of the regulations, which resulted in a one-week Europe-wide airspace closure, are analyzed by the application of Williamson's transaction cost approach. By means of a modification of Williamson's attempt to determine the most efficient asset supply of a firm, the inefficiencies of the current air transport policy in the EU are pointed out. The examination reveals that under the principle of subsidiarity, which is relevant to the relation of the EU to its member states, an integration of air transport policy to the European regulation level is overdue. To tackle the congestion of the European airspace and to develop preventive measures against potential future volcanic eruptions, the implementation of a single European sky is the only sustainable solution. This study uses pooled correlation and regression analysis to analyze the relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction in gaming centric casino restaurants over a period of 3 consecutive years for three different regions and three different restaurant types (buffet restaurant, coffee shop, and steakhouse). The nature and the strength of the relationship vary depending on front and back-of-the-house employee satisfaction, on different restaurant types, and on different regions and years. The results of this study show that there is a positive correlation between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction in gaming centric casino restaurants. Furthermore, the findings indicate that back-of-the-house employee satisfaction has a positive correlation to overall customer satisfaction. This relation is even stronger for back-of-the-house employees in the steakhouse and customer satisfaction in the steakhouse showing a medium correlation accounting for 75% of variance in customer satisfaction. These numbers emphasize the importance of satisfied kitchen staff in restaurant concepts with a high level of service. Further research should also differentiate between front-of-the-house and back-of-the house employee satisfaction and different restaurant types. Management implications are provided in the last chapter of this study. The cultural and heritage tourism market has become an increasingly important area of interest due to its share of approximately 40 % of the worldwide tourism market. Many previous studies analyzed cultural heritage tourists, but no study has focused solely on the German market. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the travel motivations of German tourists to visit a cultural heritage attraction by adopting the theory of push and pull motivators as the theoretical framework. First, theories with respect to heritage tourism, market segmentation, and travel motivations are described. On the basis of these theories, a questionnaire was developed to gather primary data at the World Heritage Site Sanssouci. Afterwards, factor and cluster analyses were employed to segment the German heritage tourism market. The results of factor analysis revealed three push and three pull factor dimensions. Among them, ‘rest and relaxation' and ‘heritage attractiveness' were viewed as the most important push and pull factors, respectively. Based on cluster analysis, the author identified three distinct segments within the German heritage tourism market. These segments were compared based on demographic and behavioral characteristics. The results of this thesis provide implications for managers of heritage attractions to develop effective marketing strategies for each segment.

2019-04-26T10:35:55Z

https://www.iubh-university.de/forschung/publikationen/publikationen-der-absolventen/

Weekly Index is coming to you from Canada today, amidst celebrations of Canada’s 150th anniversary as an independent nation. The CBC day-long celebratory broadcast is co-hosted by a second generation Indian-Canadian and a member of the Ojibwa nation, and their commentary, their interviews, and the cultural offerings and historical discussions on display are as inclusive, thoughtful, multicultural, and transparent about dark histories and systemic injustice as one might expect. Meanwhile, south of the border, time remains elastic inside Trumplandia, like Twin Peaks‘ atomic bomb sequence (which I suppose means that Donald is Bob, spawned forth in horror by humanity at its most ignorant, barbaric, and destructive). Thoughtful and tolerant Trump’s America is not; violent and venal it is. Briefly celebrates the new Senate Republican healthcare bill that, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would remove healthcare from 22 million people over the next decade. Reacts in a Tweetstorm to news that he himself is under investigation in the Russia inquiry; sends out surrogates to deny this and denounce all claims of Russian interference as bogus. But after news breaks in a landmark Washington Post story that Obama’s administration could have reacted more bullishly against Russian interference, Trump & Co. appear to change their stories, blaming Obama for failing to prevent Russian interference. His pivot does not go unnoticed. Celebrates as the Supreme Court agrees to take up his immigration ban in their next session and as they partially reinstate his ban in the meantime. Promptly undermines this victory by unleashing a Tweetstorm against the hosts of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, including derogatory comments about the IQ and appearance of co-host Mika. Spokesperson Sarah Huckabee-Sanders suggests that Trump is merely “fighting fire with fire,” and positions him as being perennially “bullied by the liberal media.” Others suggest that Melania’s anti-cyber bullying campaign should start at home–immediately. There is universal outcry, even from among Republicans, about the inappropriateness of his misogynistic and venial tweets. Huckabee-Sanders responds, “if you’re looking for a role model, I suggest God.” Morning Joe’s hosts issue a statement saying that they have long been friends with Trump, but that in recent years they have noticed several worrying changes in his personality, concluding that he is no longer mentally fit to watch Morning Joe. Hosts Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and gives him a low-key relatively cold welcome. Hosts Panama President Juan Carlos Varela and gives him warm welcome. Hosts South Korean president Moon Jae-In and gives him warm welcome, although they are expected to disagree on tactics for dealing with North Korea. Holds a fundraiser for his 2020 campaign at the Washington DC Trump hotel. Critics say that this violates ethics against self-dealing, and also that he should perhaps think about actually trying to govern in the present. The Senate finally shines a light on its proposed healthcare bill. It includes tax cuts for the rich, slashes Medicaid funding, ditches the individual mandate, and would allow insurance companies to charge the elderly jillions more than the young. It has been universally derided, including by Trump voters. And despite Trump’s earlier request for a Senate healthcare bill that was less “mean” than the House package, it is mean: devastating to those with preexisting conditions, those who are older, and those who, generally, are not wealthy. Mitch McConnell refuses to meet with March of Dimes–who once funded his own polio treatments–to discuss the healthcare bill. Kellyanne Conway reappears on the news circuit to talk about healthcare, saying that the administration doesn’t see the cuts to Medicaid as cuts. She also suggests that “able-bodied” people should just find jobs if they lose coverage. Refugees and immigrants from six majority-Muslim nations are yet again experiencing uncertain and turbulent times, after the Supreme Court partially lifts the ban on Trump’s immigration executive order, leaving refugees and immigrants without “a close business or family connection” to America in the lurch. The State department interprets this narrowly, ruling that those who have siblings or parents in the US can come, but those who have grandparents or fiancés in the US cannot. Hawaii complains, asking a federal judge to clarify what “close family” means, and asserting that grandparents should be included. The 600 jobs that President-Elect Trump negotiated to save at an Indiana air-conditioning manufacturer will, despite his early press conference to the contrary, still be lost and outsourced to Mexico. Democrat Jon Ossoff was defeated in the most expensive House race in history, catalyzing much handwringing and dire predictions about the fate of the Democratic party. Many call for the resignation of Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. There are murmurs that Trump may try to fire Robert Mueller, who’s leading the investigation into him Russia. An NRA ad goes viral that suggests that its members resist, in a generic sense, with the “clenched fist of truth.” Its militancy and vague fascism causes wide alarm. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry says that climate change is most likely caused by the ocean. The Supreme Court rules in favor of a church school requesting state funds for its playground upgrade, causing some to worry about the separation of church and state now that Gorsuch has joined the court. The court also announces that, in addition to taking up the Muslim immigration ban next term, it will hear the case of a Coloradan baker who refused to bake a cake for a gay wedding and, perhaps even more worryingly, a case about the extent to which states can gerrymander. The heartbreak and anger around the execution of Philando Castile continues to mount, with anger against the NRA for its silence, and against the judicial system for its failure, once again, to distribute justice. A woman kills her baby’s father live on YouTube: he had suggested they use their encyclopedia to see if it would stop a bullet, in a stunt designed to increase their following. She has been arrested; her partner died instantly. Just a smattering of readings for you this time around. The New York Times has catalogued each of Trump’s lies. Refresh your memory here, and bookmark this page. From Berkley professor George Lakoff, why we shouldn’t underestimate Trump. A much-shared Huff-Po piece about the fundamental lack of empathy coming out of American conservatives at present. A must-read piece on the charming, brilliant Sherman Alexie. Of all the sources, Cosmopolitan‘s piece on the NRA’s silence in the execution of Philando Castile is very good. An alarming Politico piece about liberal Portland’s nut-job militants, and how violence might escalate. Following news of Oliver Stone’s interviews with Putin? No? Us neither. Here’s why you shouldn’t. Warren Buffet, talking Trumpcare and telling it like it is. And more on Trumpcare’s barbarity here. A tribute to the amazing Simone Veil, Holocaust survivor and the woman who fought for legal abortions in France. Did you catch the news about the EPA trying to bully a scientist into sticking to their talking points in her testimony? A short video reminder that despite the political turmoil, and renewed ban on refugees, at home in America, the refugee crisis remains unabated and as desperate as ever. And a funny/not-funny video take on gun violence and vigilantism in America. Happy Fourth of July. And happy Canada Day, too. No harm in dreaming northwards right now. Admittedly, the Weekly Index is becoming more of a biweekly index, but so it goes: thanks for tolerating its erratic schedule. Anyway, let’s jump right back into the annals of outrage. Yet again claims that the Russia investigation is the “single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history — led by some very bad and conflicted people!”, after it is revealed that Special Counsel Robert Mueller may now also be investigating the President himself for obstruction of justice. Tries to deflect attention by relaunching his Twitter wars against “crooked Hillary” and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Responds almost presidentially to news of the softball shooting (below). Celebrates his 71st birthday, and the move-in of Melania and Barron to the White House. Reintroduces restrictions on American-Cuban trade and relations. Has lawsuits filed against him by two state Attorneys General and, separately, by 200 Democratic members of Congress to contest his unconstitutional self-dealing and possible violation of the emoluments clause. Names Eric Trump’s wedding planner to oversee federal housing programs in NYC. For real. Declares that he’s not going to deport Dreamers after all. Calls an unusual Cabinet meeting, in which members go around the table recounting why they are “blessed” and privileged to work for his administration and detailing why he is a great leader. The whole room seems about to implode with attendees’ self-loathing, but they nevertheless play along with Trump’s own pride parade. Global pundits compare the scene to North Korea, Zimbabwe, Stalinist Russia, and other autocracies. James Comey testifies before the Senate Russia investigation. Highlights include Comey’s confirmation that Trump asked him to drop the investigation into Michael Flynn, and that he considers the President capable of and likely to lie about the nature of their exchanges. It is gripping testimony, and an estimated 20 million Americans watch it live, including at the many bars that opened early for the spectacle (featuring drink specials like the “Comey Covfefe,” a modified Irish coffee). Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies–or, rather, mostly declines to testify–at an open hearing for Senate Russia investigation, instead claiming that he maintains his silence so as not to jeopardize Trump’s executive privilege. As one pundit notes, Sessions appears to have fabricated a new type of privilege: non-executive executive privilege. As such, he’s gambling that Senate Republicans will not challenge his newly created rule; as yet, they haven’t, at least en masse. An American lobbyist for Russian interests goes on record contradicting Sessions’ testimony. Four people, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La), are shot at an early morning congressional softball practice. Scalise remains in critical care; the gunman dies. The gunman may have been motivated by anti-Trump sentiment: relatives have confirmed that he was a Bernie supporter. The same day, a former UPS worker in San Francisco opens fire at a depot, killing three workers and then turning the gun on himself. Five Michigan government officials are charged with involuntary manslaughter in relation to the Flint water crisis. A Republican state representative in Texas threatens to shoot his Democratic counterpart. A white man in Washington State is arrested for running over two young Quinault Nation men while allegedly war-whooping and yelling racial slurs. One man, Jimmy Smith-Kramer, dies in hospital after being backed over by the perpetrator’s monster truck. The national media largely ignores the incident; local police don’t register it as a potential hate crime. Eric Trump calls the head of the Democratic Party a “total whack job” and says that “morality is just gone” from the Democratic party. “To me, they’re not even people.” Nice. In a conversation on NPR about food stamps, Nebraska Republican Representative Adrian Smith refuses to confirm that people are “entitled to eat” (and that the government has a duty to ensure that people have food). Batman actor Adam West dies. LA’s skyline lights up with the bat signal in memoriam. Uber CEO and über-dickhead Travis Kalanick goes on leave, just as one of his board members says–during a conversation on improving corporate culture–that bringing more women on board would merely lead to more chattering. Nice. A young Maine woman goes out for a jog and is attacked by a rabid raccoon, which she then drowns in a puddle. The police officer who shot Philando Castile five times at a traffic stop is found not guilty. VP Mike Pence hires a private lawyer in response to the widening Russia investigation. The Senate continues trying to ram through its healthcare legislation, which has been created and discussed only behind closed committee doors and has had no public hearings or transparent explanations of what it does and doesn’t advance. The expectation is that, like the House bill, it will remove healthcare from upwards of 23 million Americans; as such, there is widespread outcry that democratic process is being ignored and that a cloistered process is steamrolling over the public’s rights. Several Republican members of Congress have themselves voiced such concerns. Having called a snap election because of her confidence in winning a broader mandate, British Prime Minister Theresa May actually loses Tory seats on election day, and does not have enough votes to form a majority. With Britain in hung Parliament, May forms a shaky coalition with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland, a group even more conservative than May’s Tories. The Queen’s Speech–at which the new government would be ratified–is delayed. Britain’s position within the Brexit negotiations, slated to start on Monday, look all the more perilous now. And May is assumed to be operating on borrowed time. Que será, será, Cruella. British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is the winner of the night, kind of: although Labour didn’t win an outright majority, they gained both seats and influence. To celebrate, Corbyn accidentally cups a woman’s breast in a high-five misfire. Three men in London drive a truck into a group of people, and then run out and begin stabbing bystanders. Seven die, and London once more briefly shuts down. A man seen running from the attack while carefully protecting his pint becomes a national icon. Otto Warmbier, an American student, is released in an unresponsive state from a North Korean prison and returned home to his family and medical care. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson denies that basketball player Dennis Rodman’s visit to North Korea could have impacting the release’s timing…because we live in a world where such statements need uttering. Rumor has it that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein may recuse himself any minute from the Russia investigation because he will need to serve as a witness over Comey’s firing. Let’s repeat it: Donald Trump is likely under investigation for obstruction of justice. Oregon governor Kate Brown signs an equal pay bill; Oregon also becomes the first state in the nation to offer a third gender on their drivers’ license. Danica Roem becomes the first transgender person to win a Virginia primary. The far-right National Front barely wins any seats in the French parliamentary election. A federal judge rules that the Trump administration did not follow adequate procedures to survey the environmental and tribal impact of the Dakota Access Pipeline as it passes the Standing Rock Sioux’s territory. The ruling doesn’t halt the construction, but it may open the door to its cessation. At the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, which ministers to over 15 million Americans, leaders ratify a mandate to “decry every form of racism, including alt-right white supremacy.” Their publishing arm also releases the Christian Standard Bible, a new adaptation that prioritizes gender-inclusive language. Fox News drops its “Fair and Balanced” motto. Pride Week ramps up across America, with intersectionality, remembrance, vigilance, and unity as foremost messages amongst marchers. “When you come for one of us, you come for all of us,” reads one sign. Wonder Woman storms the box office, the first big-budget superhero film directed by and starring a woman. New York art-lover and philanthropist Agnes Gund sells a Roy Lichtenstein painting for $165 million and uses the proceeds to start the Art For Justice Fund, which will fight for criminal justice reform, primarily at state and local levels. Kapow! On violence, guns, and hate in America: from the WaPo, the Scalise shooting is the 154th mass shooting this year. Here are the numbers. | Another piece on America’s gun violence numbers, this time from the BBC. | Baseball and guns: America’s national pastimes, writes Chelsea Parsons in the LA Times. | From the New Yorker, Jane Mayer’s exploration of the link between gun and domestic violence in Scalise’s shooter, and more broadly. | Oh, and just a reminder about where America’s love affair with weaponry places it in comparison to other developed nations. A few bits and pieces: a lovely piece from poet Charles Simic on late poet Phillip Levine as a “Voice for the Voiceless.” | From Marcia Angell, also in the NYRB, a useful history and context of the anti-abortion debate. | A fascinating piece about the push for gender-equal education, and its imperilled status in today’s curricula. From Elizabeth Weingarten in The Atlantic. | And a sobering, shocking piece from Alex De Waal, writing in the London Review of Books, about famine as a weapon of war, then and now, them and us. Finally, on a lighter note, Happy Bloomsday! Here’s a piece in the Smithsonian about why Joyce would’ve loathed the tradition. | Another piece, from Vanity Fair, confirming why Joyce would’ve enjoyed the silliness of Bloomsday but hated its hagiographic elements. | And so, to honor the silliness and vulgarity of Ulysses, and undercut the hagiography, here’s a classic short film about Joyce and Beckett playing mini-golf. Bon weekend, tous! Of course, the world keeps turning, and global and domestic events are happening every second outside of the black hole of the White House. But holy god, a lot of scary, democracy-challenging, impeachment-inviting stuff’s happening in Trumplandia right now. Accordingly, this week’s Index is going to be short and anything but sweet. Unceremoniously fires James Comey, the Director of the FBI. Across the nation, jaws hit the floor, phone lines explode, and even a few Republicans muster the courage to declare this beyond the pale. At first, Comey’s firing is blamed on his pre-election disclosures of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails, and on the recommendations of the Attorney General and the deputy Attorney General. But just as soon as his spokespeople have gone into overdrive on this message, Trump contradicts them, saying that the firing was his idea: he wasn’t happy with Comey’s performance. Later, it comes out that he invited Comey to dinner and asked for his loyalty; Comey declined to pledge fealty. Comey, of course, was leading the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s Russian connections. Shares highly classified intelligence about ISIS with Russian officials, imperiling the info’s source, unnerving the intelligence community, jeopardizing international trust, and raising America’s hackles yet further. See this week’s Readings for more on both of these issues. Sean Spicer hides amongst bushes. The Director of the Census Bureau resigns, which could have far-reaching effects on how thoroughly populations are counted and thus how well they are represented legislatively. North Korea successfully launches a longish-range missile. Here’s a picture of a puppy. Feel free to revisit this little fella when you’re driving back and forth between town halls, relaxing after calls to your legislators, resting your thumbs from furious tweeting to the White House and DOJ, and trying not to stress about the state of our democracy. Have a glass of wine, too. Howdy, folks. Given the plethora of 100-day summaries inundating the recent media, Weekly Index took some time off. But it’s back with a vengeance now, and with a request: if Weekly Index is useful to you, or if it could be more useful or otherwise improved, let us know either via Facebook and Twitter or by email to weeklyindex [at] gmail.com. Meanwhile, as usual, SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED. Here’s the run-down. Celebrates his 100th day in office with an approval rating of 42%, the lowest 100-day approval rating of any president since polls began. Appoints renewable energy skeptic Dan Simmons to lead the renewable energy committee at the Department of Energy. Suggests that former President Andrew Jackson could have prevented the Civil War had he not died 16 years before it ended. He further speculates on the causes of the Civil War, and lamented the paucity of scholarly inquiry into its history. “People don’t realize, you know, the Civil War, if you think about it, why?” he asks during a radio call-in show. Reminds the nation that May 1st is Loyalty Day. Nation blinks. Signs executive order that had been expected to upend the Johnson Amendment, which among other things keeps religious groups from supporting specific candidates. But the executive order fell short of Trump’s threats, and those planning to sue for the Amendment’s preservation backed down. Plans to strip funding from State Department team that advances women’s rights across the world…just as his daughter Ivanka defends his record on women to a German audience, sharing a stage with Angela Merkel. Launches a new anti-immigration hotline so that victims or witnesses of crimes allegedly committed by immigrants could easily report them. Immigrants’ rights activists rally behind #AlienDay hashtag and overwhelm the hotline with complaints of crimes committed by aliens–from outer space. House Republicans shove through a more inhumane version of their previous healthcare bill, this time modified to placate the far-right Freedom Caucus. The new bill, which isn’t yet reviewed by the Congressional Budget Office, will slash Medicaid and insurance subsidies; imperil coverage for those with pre-existing conditions; let states waive the requirement to provide essential services coverage (eg. maternity or emergency care); defund Planned Parenthood; and cut taxes mostly to the benefit of the wealthy. A key provision guarantees that Obamacare benefits remain intact for legislators. At a town hall in Lewiston, in response to a constituent’s claims that the new GOP healthcare bill’s Medicaid cuts are tantamount to a death sentence, Representative Raul Labradour (R-Idaho) derides his constituent’s claim as ridiculous: “Nobody dies because they don’t have access to health care.” Jeers ensue. Minnesota sees largest measles outbreak for thirty years, a suspected result of anti-vaccination campaigns targeting vulnerable recent immigrant populations. The Interior Department lists monuments whose status are up for review, a process that could rollback protections on millions of acres of public lands. Public comment opens on May 12th. The Senate committee working on the rewrite of the House Trumpcare bill comprises 13 men, 0 women. Sally Yates, former acting Attorney General, gives searing testimony to Senate subcommittee about Michael Flynn and the Trump administration’s Russia ties. The E.P.A. does not renew the terms of five members of a major scientific advisory board, vowing instead to open up the regulatory review process to industry representatives and other energy stakeholders. “This is completely part of a multifaceted effort to get science out of the way of a deregulation agenda,” says Ken Kimmell, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists. U.S. jobless rate reaches a 10 year low. Media learns that former President Barack Obama warned Trump against hiring Michael Flynn two days after the election, advice Trump clearly ignored at the nation’s peril. The FCC investigates complaints against late-night comedian Stephen Colbert for a brief and brilliant on-air roast of Trump. Trump’s supporters flood the office with calls for his removal. A federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia begins hearing an appeal on the Trump administration’s revised immigration ban. Protester Desiree Fairooz is convicted for laughing during Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ confirmation hearing in January. Former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee tweets that he will spend Cinco de Mayo drinking “an entire jar of hot salsa and watching “old Speedy Gonzalez cartoons.” Condemnation is fast and furious. Congress is on recess this week. Take this opportunity to visit a town hall near you and let your legislators know how they’re doing. Britain’s prime minister Theresa May continues to barrel towards the snap election she called in April in order to quelch Labour party dissent against her hardline “Brexit means Brexit” agenda. So far, her tactics seem to be working: she seems to be laps ahead of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who’s widely reputed to be a very weak candidate. Russia withdraws from this year’s Eurovision Song Contest after Ukraine–this year’s Eurovision hosts–refuse their singer’s visa. Tensions flare, promising a particularly entertaining broadcast. The World Trade Organization rules in Mexico’s favor in a trade dispute with the US on the US’ refusal to sell Mexican-caught tuna. The decision allows Mexico to impose trade sanctions worth $163 million a year against the U.S. Turkmenistan marks its national Horse Day. This year’s celebrations culminate in authoritarian President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov first winning a horse race, and then singing a song–complete with backup dancers–he composed himself for himself. Turkmenbashi 2.0. An Australian bar is forced to cancel its plans to hold a wet t-shirt competition to mark Anzac Day, the anniversary of the first major World War One battle involving antipodean nations. Suspected Russian hackers attempt to shift France’s election toward far-right candidate Marine Le Pen via a release of sensitive centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron campaign information shortly before French voters went to the polls. The attempt fails. As a New Yorker piece puts it, France retains its right to claim intellectual superiority over America by voting for centrist Macron and against far-right Le Pen as their next president. Yes, 34% of French voters still supported a party that is racist, xenophobic, anti-EU, and fascist, but nevertheless, 66% did not, and it is worth celebrating France’s defiance of the tide of barbarism and nationalism rising elsewhere. Vive la France! More or less successfully diverts the nation’s attention away from the Russia investigation. Releases no tax returns, despite April 15th’s well-attended protest marches (or, according to Trump’s tweets, sad, small gatherings of Soros-paid anarchists). Hosts the annual White House Easter Egg Hunt, proclaiming the greatness of his America to hundreds of small children while flanked by an unblinking, human-sized rabbit and an unblinking, human-sized Melania. Rediscovers an appreciation for NATO. Supports US-led coalition strikes in Syria that kill at least 21, including several civilians. Drops the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal on an ISIS tunnel complex in Afghanistan, killing no civilians. Nicknamed the mother-of-all-bombs, its use unnerves many world leaders and seems more posture than pragmatism. In a Fox interview, joyfully recalls the “most beautiful piece of chocolate cake you’ve ever seen” that he was consuming as he informed Chinese President Xi Jinping of his decision to bomb Syria. “So what happens is I said, ‘We’ve just launched 59 missiles heading to Iraq.'” “Headed to Syria,” the interviewer corrects him. Celebrates the “armada” that he is sending to Korean waters. Causes diplomatic tension and anger amongst South Koreans when it is revealed that his “armada,” led by the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, is actually a thousand miles away and sailing in the opposite direction. Vows to support new Republican healthcare legislation that promises to be even more draconian, and less functional, than the prior attempt. Consolidates Jared Kushner’s and Ivanka Trump’s powers. Welcomes Sarah Palin to the White House, who brings Ted Nugent and Kid Rock with her (she asked them, she said, because Jesus wasn’t available). The resulting photo op further denigrates the dignity of the office and renders pointless all future satires of the Trump administration. Claims during Passover that “even Hitler didn’t use gas on his own people” in reference to Assad. Uproar ensues; Spicer digs himself deeper before finally apologizing. Judge Neil Gorsuch ascends to the bench, hearing his first cases as a Supreme Court justice. Motivated by the impending expiry of its stock of midazolam, a lethal injection drug, Arkansas moves to execute eight prisoners on death row. After stays of execution from both the state and federal supreme courts, the US Supreme Court eventually votes 5-4 to let the executions proceed. Ledell Lee, who has long protested his innocence, becomes the first person put to death in Arkansas since 2005; his lawyers argue that he was denied the opportunity for DNA testing that may have proved his innocence. Criticizing a federal district court’s ruling last month that halted President Trump’s immigration ban, Attorney General Jeff Sessions exclaims, “I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the president of the United States from what appears to be clearly his statutory and constitutional power.” Legislators from the State of Hawaii voice protest; residents grit their teeth. The U.S. accuses Russia of trying to cover up Syria’s chemical gas attacks. Turkey votes to give sweeping powers to President Erdogan, moving Turkey farther toward the right and farther away from Ataturk’s secular democratic ideals. Erdogan threatens to reinstate the death penalty, which would upend Turkey’s EU bid. Opponents cry foul and call for a recount. Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May calls a snap election for June, hoping to capitalize on her Labour opponents’ weaknesses. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn gives a surprisingly rallying campaign speech. A shooting at the Champs-Élysées in Paris leaves one officer and the attacker dead, rattling a nation already tense in anticipation of its imminent elections, which could swing the balance of power in Europe and threaten the EU’s longevity. Over sixty gay men have fled Chechnya in recent weeks, reporting that they have been detained and tortured with electric shocks and beatings. Authorities deny that there are gay people in Chechnya. Violent protests in Venezuela continue, as opposition leaders face off against increasingly autocratic President Nicolas Maduro’s supporters. Two churches in Egypt were bombed during Palm Sunday services, killing 45 people. Nine days later, an additional attack at a kills policemen at a checkpoint near St. Catherine’s Monastery on the Sinai peninsula. ISIS claims responsibility. In Stockholm, a man drives a truck into a crowd, killing four. Russian jets buzz the U.S. coast, flying over Alaska four times in as many days. There is “no other way to interpret this other than as strategic messaging,” a defense official says. The FCC withdraws legislation to allow cell phones on planes, preserving the one remaining decency of air travel. Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff wins the majority of votes in a runoff election for Tom Price’s solidly Republican seat, but not quite the 50% majority needed. He’ll go to a run-off in June. Not quite a victory for Dems, but a heartening trend. Utah Republican Jason Chaffetz announces he will not run for re-election (possibly because of a gubernatorial bid, and possibly because of backlash he’s facing from his constituents). *This two-week index is brought to you by the letter A, for the arseholes of the Intuit-led tax prep lobby that continually block attempts to simplify the tax code or move towards return-free filing. May you rot in the ninth circle of hell. The Trumpian winter continues, but there are hints of spring: tendrils of common sense have been spotted amidst conservative legislators, and small backbones may be sprouting within the administration. Announces Sexual Assault Awareness Month, to the jaw-drops of women and thoughtful people everywhere. Publicly defends Fox’s Bill O’Reilly as it emerges that Fox and O’Reilly have paid over $13m to settle five women’s claims of sexual harassment and misconduct. While the President of the United States remains by his side, advertisers flee O’Reilly’s show. Celebrates women’s equal pay day by not mentioning the executive order that he signed on March 27th that revoked the 2014 “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces” order. F*** you, Donald. Donates his first months’ salary of $78,333 to the National Parks Service. Sean Spicer presents oversized check to Tyrone Brandyburg, superintendant of the Harper’s Ferry National Historic Park. Brandyburg looks decidedly unimpressed: Trump’s budget would cut $1.5 billion from the Department of the Interior, which runs the National Parks. Hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping at the “winter White House,” Mar-a-Lago. Xi is reportedly unhappy with the location of the summit, preferring instead the symbolism of the White House. Pundits suggest that it is premature for Trump to call a summit with the Chinese, as so many key advisory and policy positions remain unfilled and as Trump has no clear sense of the American agenda. Claims anger against the Syrian gas attack, citing the deaths of “tiny babies” as core to his outrage. While ordering an American military response, he nevertheless suggests no change of course to his refugee ban. Steve Bannon is removed from the National Security Council. Chair of the House Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes withdraws from Russia investigation after protests about his ethical flaws and close ties to the Trump administration. Across the Netherlands, Dutch men hold hands in solidarity with attacked gay couple–in the office, on their commutes, at lunch…quite lovely. Senate Democrats threaten to filibuster Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch; Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) holds the floor for fifteen hours overnight as a pre-filibuster protest against Gorsuch’s confirmation. Republicans respond by deploying the “nuclear option,” voting to change the Senate confirmation rules to require a simple majority. This move further politicizes the Supreme Court and sets a precedent that will impact both parties’ nominees well into the future. Gorsuch is confirmed to the court. AG Jeff Sessions orders crackdown on marijuana; states that have legalized it issue strongly-voiced concerns. AG Jeff Sessions continues to imperil progress in police reform and will likely empower police targeting of communities of color: a move away from equity and justice. Fallout continues around the GOP/Trump removal of internet privacy restrictions. States scramble to pass legislation that protects their residents. A suspected sarin gas attack in Idlib, Syria kills over seventy people, including many children and infants, and triggers international outrage and anger against both Bashar al-Assad’s regime and against Russia and Iran, its protectors. After blaming Obama for the gas attack, Trump, whose administration earlier declared no intention to intervene in Syria (part of the “America First” policy), then claims a change of heart, decrying Bashar al-Assad and ordering missile strikes against an air base from which the gas attack was said to have been launched. Russia responds with hackles up. The world tenses. It is now illegal in Russia to share pictures of Vladimir Putin as a sad gay clown. Here is a picture of Vladimir Putin as a sad gay clown. Signs executive order easing restrictions on fossil fuels, calling upon EPA head and climate-change denier Scott Pruitt to dismantle the Clean Power Plan, a move that will likely do little to restore coal jobs or achieve further energy independence. Takes credit for Obama-era grant of $100+m to Detroit to improve its water systems. Claims that if China won’t take care of North Korea, he will. The House passes a bill to allow internet providers to sell your browsing history without your permission. Having already passed the Senate, this legislation is on its way to Trump’s desk. House Democrats–and citizens across the country–call for Devin Nunes, leader of House Russia inquiry, to recuse himself, and for an independent investigation to commence. News sources replay Flynn’s 2016 comments about immunity as existing only for those who’ve broken laws. Good times. Senate investigation begins, promising hopes of slightly more objectivity and rigor than its House counterpart. The Affordable Care Act repeal apparently returns to the GOP legislative agenda after pressure from hardline conservatives. ICE is stepping up its raids yet further, and is now targeting people en route to greencard and other immigration appointments. Not a great way to encourage legal immigration. By a 50-49 vote, Senate Republicans overturn an Obama-era regulation that lets states create retirement accounts for low-income workers whose employers did not provide them. Let’s see how that plays come re-election time. Senate Republicans aim for confirmation vote on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch next week; Democrats work to amass votes to block Gorsuch’s confirmation, thus triggering the dreaded “nuclear option” that would enable his confirmation with fewer votes. A fine thing for the GOP now, but it could come back to bite them later. It is revealed that Fox has paid out over $13 million to settle harassment suits against Bill O’Reilly over the years. Stay classy, Fox. Over 200 civilians die in US-led airstrikes in Mosul, amidst fears that Trump is calling for over-hasty military responses as a show of political power. Shocking news from Chechnya of mass arrests and killings of gay men. “You cannot arrest or repress people who just don’t exist in the republic,” says Chechen leader. UK Prime Minister triggers Article 50, formally commencing Britain’s departure from the EU. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine threaten to boil over in advance of this year’s Eurovision. If you don’t know what Eurovision is, you should: geopolitics interpreted in pop ballads. Sorry for the delayed posts. Between a busy work week and everything else, sometimes a little extra processing time is called for. Trevor Noah has a new Daily Show segment called “Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That,” in which he whizzes through all of the crazy events that happened that day and reminds us that, in normal times, each would be a huge story. The Index serves a similar purpose, except we’re cramming a whole week in. So here goes. In the biggest news of the week, a rushed vote on TrumpRyanCare is pulled after the GOP cannot amass sufficient GOP support to pass it. With only 17% of Americans endorsing it, it became a political hot potato, and despite last-minute, late-night, backroom dealmaking (including promises to axe mandatory benefits like maternity, ER, and mental health care), neither the Freedom Caucus nor some moderate Republicans come on board en masse. Trump and Ryan both give press conferences blaming the Democrats and everyone but themselves.Democrats rejoice. Ryan pledges to fight on, and then presumably hits the gym for some anger-cardio. Pump it! The Senate passes bill allowing Internet service providers to sell people’s info (including browsing histories and even emails) without asking permission first. Supreme Court justice nominee Neil Gorsuch completes three grueling days of Senate confirmation hearings in which the Democrats asked hardball questions about how he might vote in certain circumstances, which Gorsuch studiously avoids answering, and in which GOP-ers ask largely softball questions, such as (literally), “Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck?” (Gorsuch demurs.) Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) asks Senate Democrats to join him in voting against Gorsuch nomination, thus likely forcing Republicans to deploy the “nuclear option” to get their candidate confirmed. The House Intelligence Committee continues hearing testimony about Russian interference–and possible Trump administration collusion–with the 2016 election. High-/lowlights include an outstandingly clear introduction to the investigation by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA: worth a watch in full); FBI Director James Comey’s testimony that there is no evidence to support Trump’s wiretapping claims; his confirmation that the FBI is conducting an investigation into Trump campaign collusion with Russia; committee head Rep. Devin Nunes taking new evidence first to Trump and then to the press corps instead of sharing it with his committee, thus casting further doubt on the independence of the hearings; and Nunes then taking the committee behind closed doors, to the outrage of Democrats on the committee and the general public. Rumors that Michael Flynn may have struck a deal with the FBI start circulating. Promises to let Obamacare self-destruct, which may mean defunding it in his new budget proposals, thus opening the door to a new GOP plan. After his second Muslim-ban is ordered halted, orders that no computers or tablets be brought into the cabin on non-US carrier flights from eight Muslim-majority countries, including key allies. Calls Russian hearing developments “fake news.” Yawn. A terror attack on Westminster Bridge and at the Houses of Parliament in London leaves five people, and the attacker, dead, and scores injured. ICE raids and deportations continue. Israeli police arrest an Israeli-American teen in connection to a wave of bomb threats against Jewish community centers in the U.S. Conservative pundit Tomi Lahren is suspended from Fox News, likely because she said she is pro-choice. Chuck Berry dies; later the same week, his estate releases a new Chuck Berry record with new material. North Korea tests a new rocket engine–again. Germany votes for a law that would pay restitution and clear the records of gay men imprisoned for homosexuality in the decades after World War II. A lawsuit is filed against Saudi Arabia by 9/11 victims and their families, setting a worry precedent that may come back to bite the U.S. The OED Word of the Day on Friday is “phatic.” Hey, D.T., look it up. It’s gonna be great.

2019-04-23T16:39:34Z

http://weeklyindex.org/category/index/

In the last decade, K-12 schools have begun to accumulate sufficient resources to enable technology-supported teaching and learning. For example, in the United States, the ratio of nine students per instructional computer in K-12 schools reported in 1997 (CEO Forum, 1997) has been reduced to 4.2 students per instructional computer in 2002 (Skinner, 2002). As the public desires and supports technology instruction in schools (Starkweather, 2002), many K-12 schools currently promote the use of technology (e.g., computers, software, and peripherals) in teaching and learning. Toward achieving that goal, professional development targeting the mastery of technology, such as opportunities to learn new computer programs or technological devices, is offered to teachers and staff in schools. In addition, most schools/colleges/departments of education (SCDE) now offer educational technology courses within the teacher preparation program to prepare future teachers and to renew in-service teachers. Despite the availability of resources and increased emphasis on the use of technology, many teachers, whether preservice (Doering, Hughes, & Huffman, 2003; Willis & Sujo de Montes, 2002), novice (Web-Based Education Commission, 2000) or experienced (National Center for Education Statistics, 2000), currently feel ill-prepared to use technological tools and resources for the teaching of content. Two factors may be contributing to preservice, novice, and veteran teachers’ struggles with integrating technology into their teaching in innovative and effective ways. First, school leaders call for technology integration without actually defining their vision for integration (Perry & Aregaldo, 2001). Likewise, many SCDEs do not possess a clear vision of technology integration within their own institution or for K-12 schools (Mehlinger & Powers, 2002). Second, opportunities to learn technology (i.e., initial licensure course, graduate courses, school-based inservices) are developed without a theoretical framework to guide the nature of technology integration into teacher learning. Teachers’ learning opportunities, in turn, are predominantly skill-based when schools offer short-term technology skill workshops (McKenzie, 2001; Zhao, Pugh, & Sheldon, 2002) and SCDEs offer a single course in information technology (Moursund & Bielefeldt, 1999), and this implementation of short-term skill training is not increasing the effectiveness of technology-supported content area teaching, a goal in our nation (Riley, Holleman, & Roberts, 2000). A more coordinated vision for technology integration and productive learning principles may provide needed guidance for both preservice and in-service technology education. This article aims to meet this goal by presenting a foundational vision for technology integration and four guiding principles for technology learning. A focus on technology skill development in technology training initiatives (e.g., McKenzie, 2001; Solmon, 1999) lacks an overall vision for what teachers will do with these technologies once they are learned. A more productive goal may be to develop teachers into “technology integrationists,” a term I used in this paper to describe teachers possessing the unique ability to understand, consider, and choose to use technologies only when they uniquely enhance the curriculum, instruction, and students’ learning – a position that empowers appropriate technology decision-making in schools (Bradshaw, 2002a). Teachers who are technology integrationists are not necessarily “techies” nor have they necessarily taken many formal courses about computers, computer science, or technology. What distinguishes teachers who are technology integrationists is their ability to interpret new technology concepts through their professional knowledge – the knowledge that both consciously and subconsciously directs their daily teaching activities. Most notably, technology integrationists use their general pedagogical knowledge, subject matter knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1987) to identify promising, innovative ways technologies may be used to teach their subject area discipline to K-12 students (Drier, 2001; Dun, Feldman, & Rearick, 2000; Hughes, in press; Margerum-Leys & Marx, 2002). Descriptive portrayals of technology integrationists’ accomplishments in the classroom reveal innovative and creative uses of technology that enable students to learn subject matter more deeply and with more curiosity than without the technology. Chen and Armstrong (2002) described a myriad of project-based learning activities in which teachers used technologies to engage students as scientists in collecting data on stars for NASA, as explorers in wide-ranging expeditions around the world, as writers publishing poems or even literary magazines, and in a range of other innovative roles engaging in relevant projects. Mills (2003) described how she used calculator-based laboratory and calculator-based ranger for students to “gather, investigate, and make deductions about the physical evidence,” as well as graphing devices and handhelds during a mock trial in her secondary-level Crime and Justice class. Portrayals such as these demonstrate that technology integrationists exist and that technology is being used in subject matter learning, yet the process through which teachers learn to accomplish and sustain these practices is less clear. To facilitate teacher learning, research indicates that teachers need to reflect on their own beliefs (Borko & Putnam, 1995, 1996; Bransford & Schwartz, 1999), have access to alternative practices and beliefs that are reflective of their subject and grade level and observe the positive impact these practices have on students’ learning (Richardson & Placier, 2001; Sandholtz, Ringstaff, & Dwyer, 1997), yet these activities cannot be accomplished within the limited time constraints of short-term learning experiences (McKenzie, 2001; Moursund & Bielefeldt, 1999). Recently a shift toward content-based technology preparation has begun to occur in preservice preparation (e.g., Niess, 2001) and in-service education, (e.g., Crohen, 2001), and there is evidence that school districts are moving away from the short-term approach and building in long-term, ongoing professional development (Bradshaw, 2002b). However, it is unclear how widespread these trends are, as well as to what extent the ongoing activities target teacher reflection, observation, and experimentation. This paper offers a set of guiding principles that can be considered when evaluating, constructing, or redeveloping technology learning opportunities at the preservice and in-service levels that, if implemented strategically, may facilitate teacher reflection, observation, and experimentation and, ultimately, develop teachers into technology integrationists. In this section, four technology learning principles, grounded in emergent empirical and theoretical literature related to in-service and preservice technology professional development, are described. Extensive examples from literature are used to illustrate each principle and to discuss how the principle’s transformation into practice impacts different teacher-learners. Other teacher educators have enumerated technology principles for preservice education that vary according to subject matter, including English language arts (Pope & Golub, 2000), science (Flick & Bell, 2000), mathematics (Garofalo, Drier, Harper, Timmerman, & Shockey, 2000) and social studies (Mason et al., 2000). An important contribution to the field, the principles set forth in this collection of articles provided subject-specific, conceptual frameworks for teacher educators interested in creating “technology-based activities” (Garofalo et al., 2000) or “technology infusion” (Pope & Golub, 2000) in preservice education. This current article extends and strengthens this past work by identifying principles that apply across subject matter and teacher experience (preservice/in-service) and, most important, establishing the notion that implementation of these principles hold unique advantages and limitations for certain populations of preservice and in-service teachers. Technology learning should be closely connected to teachers’ professional knowledge, that which directs their professional activities. The explicitness of the connection cannot be understated, for it is crucial in enabling teachers to understand conceptually the potential for technology in their daily professional lives. A contemporary perspective emphasizes the need for teachers to learn about technology “in context,” that is, in the context of their subject matter and pedagogy, as opposed to a decontextualized technology tool. Instructional technologists (e.g., Molebash, 2002; Shoffner, Dias, & Thomas, 2001), as well as subject specific methods instructors (e.g., Flick & Bell, 2000; Flores, Knaupp, Middleton, & Staley, 2002; Garofalo et al., 2000; Jacobsen, Clifford, & Friesen, 2002; Mason et al., 2000; Pope & Golub, 2000), concur on this perspective. Based on research described in Hughes, 2003, there are two ways for teachers to develop and understand these connections. They include (a) a scaffolded connection occurring when another person (such as an instructor, in-service facilitator, or curriculum coordinator) offers preliminary connections for teacher-learners and (b) a self-identified connection occurring when a teacher independently identifies the technology-teaching connection through reflection and learning. Scaffolded Connections. In learning situations, an instructor may make explicit connections between technologies and professional knowledge as technologies, methods, or subject matter topics are introduced. When such connections are made during learning activities, teachers may place the technology learned in the context of their professional knowledge. For example, in the context of learning writers workshop method, teachers can simultaneously learn technological tools and strategies that support such an approach to writing, such as portable writing hardware like AlphaSmarts or handheld PDAs, word processing software, or software features like tracking changes (Microsoft Word). Due to the immediacy and explicitness of the connection, the teacher may categorize and connect these technologies with concepts like writing instruction and writers workshop method – concepts likely to be part of an English teacher’s pedagogical content knowledge. Likewise, teachers may experience learning that explicitly connects technologies with subject matter or general pedagogy. For example, in a rhetoric course, a teacher learns about hypertext and writes hypertexts through HTML-authored webpages. This teacher categorizes the notion of “hypertext” as a potential new subject matter to be taught in her English courses. On the other hand, a teacher may learn about alternative assessments as a general pedagogical strategy to be used across subject areas. The handheld PDAs and assessment software may be demonstrated as flexible tools that can be adopted by teachers to facilitate the use of alternative assessments in their classes. In the research literature, there are other examples of these types of scaffolded connections. Garofalo et al. (2000) and Flores et al. (2002) described scaffolded mathematics content learning, in which preservice teachers were assigned mathematics problems to solve using technologies such as parametric graphing with graphing calculators or exploring Pythagorean theorem using The Geometer’s SketchPad. In addition, Henriques (2002) acknowledged this type of scaffolded connection in her science methods course when stating, “The examples I give employ technology as a means of teaching pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.” Wiske (2001) described an online environment and tools that supported practicing teachers’ “talking about subject matter and learning,” as well as exploring, developing, and discussing technology-supported lessons in a collaborative environment. The environment, resources, and guided workshops used a Teaching for Understanding framework to guide teachers’ examination and to develop technology-supported curriculum. It is crucial that the instructor or facilitator of the learning – whether an educational technologist, a methods expert, or subject area instructor – use technology only when it supports subject matter content and instruction – thus, emphasizing technology’s connection to the professional knowledge of teachers. Self-Identified Connections. Certainly teachers are not reliant on instructors or facilitators to identify all or the only possible uses for technology. Frequently, teachers identify for themselves the ways technology can serve their professional activities. A very natural path to self-identified connections between technology and professional knowledge emerges when teachers have identified a problem-of-practice within their teaching or their students’ learning (Hiebert, Gallimore, & Stigler, 2002). A problem-of-practice, as such, is identified when teachers possess depth of knowledge about teaching and learning and also have time to reflect and consider their teaching practice. As teachers participate in learning opportunities, they may discover a technology that may offer possible solutions for their identified educational problem-of-practice. The technology can become conceptually associated with the unique nature of the problem – related to subject matter, pedagogy, or pedagogical content methods. For example, a teacher was interested in placing current events as a more prominent theme throughout his humanities curriculum. Yet, his students needed adequate access to current event periodicals to enable this focused change in his curriculum. When full-text articles became available through CD-ROM and online databases, this teacher initiated his own learning of these technologies in order to fulfill the subject matter and pedagogical changes in the classroom. Jacobsen et al. (2002) described preservice teachers engaging in self-identified technology connections in a redeveloped initial licensure program. This unique preservice opportunity situated learning in “professional seminars [that] offer students an opportunity to reflect critically on themselves as teachers-in-the-making, to pursue topics and skills of particular interest, and to engage in the many debates that surround the nature of education and teaching.” They used “digitally rich, inquiry-based learning environments on campus and in their field placements” to support preservice teachers’ development of thinking and teaching with technologies. Similarly, Hunter (2001) described Team Action Projects (TAP), a process for innovative practices and professional development for in-service teachers that “legitimizes the creative work of the teachers, drawing upon their knowledge and insights about their students’ needs and potential” (p. 490). Working in small teacher groups, an innovation or student learning issue was identified, such as writing conferences or project-based learning, after which the teachers identified technology tools that could support their innovations. Advantages. Explicitly making connections between technology and professional knowledge enables teachers to conceptualize technology’s role in education in ways that potentially will make the biggest impact on students’ learning. A significant advantage lies in offering teachers preliminary ideas concerning the connection between technology and their daily teaching responsibilities. These preliminary ideas offer a way for teachers to conceptualize the role for technology in education. These connections offer at least one way they could imagine using the technology, if not immediately, at some future time. It was this principle in action when Garofalo et al. (2000) decided to introduce graphing calculator features in the context of mathematics use, and they discovered that through this approach, preservice teachers could “see its direct applicability and usefulness.” In learning situations without such connections, the responsibility falls to the teacher learners to develop such connections. This can be a formidable task especially for preservice or novice teachers who have less experience and, thus, less professional knowledge with which to understand technology’s potential roles. Some experienced teachers, unless they are intrinsically interested in a technology or already have identified a problem of practice, may not be willing or able to spend additional time to identify ways to use the technology unless they have a starting point, as scaffolded connections provide. They [preservice teachers] moved beyond being mere proponents of ICT usage, or already-hardened skeptics, and became thoughtful professionals who choose tools appropriate for the tasks they needed to accomplish. Students developed an informed personal position on ICT use in education and articulated and defended that position with each other. These students developed personal visions, the ability to explain and defend their vision, and experience in choosing and using technologies in line with their vision, all of which provides the foundation of technology integrationists. The teachers in the TAP groups (Hunter, 2001), uplifted by “the living innovation, invented by the teachers” (p. 490), accomplished technology-supported innovations when school conditions for change were less than ideal. Limitations. The major limitation to this principle’s success is the teacher’s professional knowledge base. When offering scaffolded connections, the instructor or facilitator should choose ideas that match the professional maturity level of the participants. The connections need to be understood by the participants. If a group of preservice teachers begin learning about technology prior to taking methods courses or subject-specific courses, the instructor may need to spend much more time describing the subject matter or pedagogical aspects in order for the preservice teachers to truly understand the educational concepts with which the technology connects. At the same time, this strategy’s scaffolding also may hinder teachers’ abilities to independently develop connections between technology and their professional knowledge. The scaffold is not meant to serve as a permanent crutch; therefore, guidance and opportunity to reflect and self-identify these connections should be encouraged during learning experiences. Doering et al. (2003) examined how preservice teachers who received scaffolded connections like these throughout their teacher preparation program envisioned the use of technology within their future classrooms. Three interviews during their licensure program indicated a shift in participants’ perspectives about technology in education from skepticism to an awareness of its assistance in student learning. However, when asked for examples of integrating technology in education, the students repeated the examples (the scaffold) provided in their classes. After the student teaching experience, only one participant was able to generate a new technology integration idea. Preservice teachers need to be enabled to identify connections as they leave initial licensure programs and enter the teaching profession, much like what Jacobsen et al. (2002) accomplished. To accomplish this, a program might build a field-based activity in which preservice teachers either (a) identify how technologies they have learned in coursework might serve specific educational aims in the field context or (b) identify specific educational goals that can be supported by new technologies they have learned about in the field. Given the rate of technological innovation, these novice teachers will need the experience to self-identify connections as they learn new technologies. Experienced teachers may also be susceptible to a lack of facility to self-identify connections after learning experiences. Due to time constraints, practicing teachers may rely on the connections offered during in-service or by colleagues as their main source of ideas for using technology. Again, due to innovation, practicing teachers also need the experience of identifying connections for themselves. Alternatively, experienced teachers may feel limited, constrained, or distracted by the scaffolded connections presented in learning situations. Experienced teachers’ diversity of experience and knowledge situates them to interpret and reflect on technologies in ways that novice teachers may not be able to do. Scaffolded connections are still an important aspect of the learning experience in order to provide a foundation, but the instructors or facilitators should encourage all teachers to identify connections between a technology and their own professional knowledge. Technology will have limited impact on education, as Cuban (2001) described in cases at the primary, high school, and collegiate levels, unless technology plays a role in students’ subject matter learning. To achieve integration into subject matter learning, the “context” must involve specific connections between technology and subject matter and/or pedagogical content knowledge. Teachers know a lot about how technology can support general pedagogy. For example, they may use grading programs that allow students and parents access to up-to-date information; they use PowerPoint or other presentation tools to provide visual supports for lectures; they use word processors to write tests or create handouts. Pedagogical uses of technology have been well-established because general pedagogical knowledge is accessible to preservice, novice, and practicing teachers. Therefore, in learning experiences that cluster diverse teachers together, the only common knowledge shared by these teachers is general pedagogy. Thus, technologies taught have been connected with general pedagogical knowledge, and subsequent pedagogical technology use has not dramatically changed our schools (Cuban, 2001). However, Hargrave and Hsu (2000) noted a shift in instructional technology courses that focus less on the general pedagogy like teacher productivity and more on curriculum integration and content emphasis. Subject-specific, preservice principles also illustrate this shift. Mason et al. (2000) connected technology with development of citizens in democratic societies; Pope and Golub (2000) promoted technology as a literacy tool; Garofalo et al. (2000) and Flick and Bell (2000), respectively, focused on worthwhile mathematics and science in their technology use principles. Teachers know much less about how technology can support subject matter learning and instruction of students in learning subject matter (pedagogical content knowledge). Yet, it is this kind of activity that will potentially strengthen educational technology uses in schools. Therefore, connections between technology and subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge must be prioritized and privileged during learning experiences for teachers, which requires focused discussion of subject matter and instructional approaches to teaching that subject matter. As Harper, Schirack, Stohl, and Garofalo (2001) demonstrated, even teachers who possess depth in their mathematics content knowledge may lack conceptual knowledge of some mathematical topics, and learning these topics with technology may lead to many “ah ha!” moments. Further, they noted that these moments facilitate opportunities to discuss and contrast different teaching and learning methods. Browning and Klespis (2000) emphasized that preservice teachers may need more than simulated technology-supported K-12 content and instruction. They explained that “activities that are designed for their level of understanding, present new mathematics, and are facilitated by the use of technology in their initial constructions” (emphasis in original) may enable preservice teachers to determine technology’s role in their own personal learning. Warburton and Campbell (2001) similarly leveraged integrated language arts-technology activities that “focused on the student teachers’ own appreciation and understanding of poetry, and the possibilities offered by computer technology to provide a medium for the expression of poetic sentiments” (p. 588). Subject matter focused technology learning experiences such as these may be crucial, for many practicing and some preservice teachers have not personally experienced technology-supported content learning during precollegiate and collegiate schooling. Understanding the roles that technology plays in their own learning may provide a useful backdrop for understanding technology’s potential role for their own students’ learning. Advantages. Privileging subject matter and pedagogical content connections is essential during initial licensure and undergraduate education in order to enable preservice teachers to see and use technologies for more than general pedagogical purposes. Preservice teachers’ professional knowledge and practical teaching experience are not as robust as is practicing teachers’; therefore, their immediate concerns channel their thoughts to pedagogy. Yet, practicing teachers, even with years of experience teaching their subject area, also need these focused subject matter and pedagogical content connections, because the immediate and easy implementation of the technology is likely to be pedagogical. It does not necessitate changing the content or approach to teaching that content. By prioritizing and privileging connections between technology and subject matter and pedagogical content, preservice, novice, and experienced teachers will be better prepared to identify technological uses across their profession, including use of technology by the children they are teaching. For example, Warburton and Campbell’s (2001) study indicated that preservice teachers began to understand poetic language, developed more confidence in teaching poetry to children, and observed how popular culture and technologies could serve their instructional aims after participating in three integrated projects that immersed them in appreciating and understanding figurative language and poetic forms and communicating an original poem through text and computer-based illustrations. Limitation. To privilege these kinds of connections, the most productive learning situation is a subject-specific learning opportunity. Preservice teachers need subject-specific educational technology courses and/or content methods and content courses that acknowledge the role of technology. Novice and practicing teachers need subject-specific educational technology in-service opportunities. The need for subject-specificity may introduce significant additional expense, especially at the in-service level. Large initial licensure programs may have enough students to create subject-specific educational technology courses. However, most P-12 schools do not have enough duplicative grades to create groups of subject-specific teachers by grade levels. A solution could be to group schools together for in-service training to share resources and create groups of subject-specific teachers at certain grade levels. Another solution could be to create subject-specificity but broaden the grade levels of a group. In any case, facilitating the subject-specific consideration of technology, as described in this section, will require some expense and certainly some creativity in design of the learning experience. The first two principles emphasize the need to connect technologies with the professional knowledge of teachers. Put into practice, these principles would decrease the likelihood of teachers learning – and then forgetting – isolated technology skills and would increase teachers’ use of technology in support of instruction and student learning. The two principles aim to increase the likelihood of technology integration by helping teachers become aware of ways technology connects with their professional activities and knowledge, but these connections may not necessarily represent advancements in pedagogy and subject matter. For example, a teacher may learn about word processing, becoming convinced of its potential assistance in students’ writing habits. In practice, the students may merely type up their final writing assignments in the computer lab after they have written them by hand during or outside of class. In this case, the teacher’s instructional approach to writing is not truly process oriented; therefore, the advantages the technology might offer for writing instruction vanish. The goal of the next principle is to leverage teachers’ reflection about their own professional beliefs concerning instruction and learning through technology learning. In the literature, educational technology is touted as a change agent (e.g., Holland, 2001; King, 2002; Means, 1994), in which learning new technology leverages teachers’ reflections on the nature of teaching and learning during which they access, consider, question, and eventually change their professional knowledge and practice. Yet, the addition of technology into a classroom or school does not inherently nor naturally reform teaching or learning (Dede, 2001; Wiske, 2001). If and how teachers adopt technology determines if change in teaching or learning occurs. An outcome of change seems less likely than the many claims in the literature might make it appear, for “teacher cognitions have taken years to take shape and are, consequently, not easily changed” (Verloop, Driel, & Meijer, 2001, p. 454). Although learning technology does not inherently change teaching, instructors or facilitators can use technology to leverage teacher reflection that may possibly lead to reform over time. Although the essence of this third principle was not explicitly mentioned in the subject-specific preservice principles (Flick & Bell, 2000; Garofalo et al., 2000; Mason et al., 2000; Pope & Golub, 2000), challenging students’ professional knowledge is perhaps implicit in their guidelines. For example, Mason et al.’s (2000) fourth principle, “Foster the development of the skills, knowledge, and participation as good citizens in a democratic society” (p. 111), holds the potential to challenge or change preservice teachers’ subject matter knowledge by exposing them to new subject matter or new combinations of subject matter. In addition, implementing Pope and Golub’s (2000) fourth principle, “Evaluate critically when and how to use technology in English language arts classroom” (p. 93), should lead preservice teachers’ to deeply consider and develop their pedagogical content knowledge. Cullin and Crawford (2003) used this principle when preparing an intervention for preservice science teachers. First, they recognized that in-service and preservice teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and scientific knowledge concerning the role of models and modeling in science was not adequate. Subsequently, they designed a technology-based intervention that used dynamic systems modeling software, Model-It (HI-CE, http://www.hi-ce.org/), to augment students’ knowledge of modeling in science, especially the role for modeling in scientific inquiry and the critical advantage of teaching about and with scientific models. In addition to challenging subject matter knowledge, technology-supported activities also can challenge teachers’ assumptions about the role that technology plays in learning and instruction. Mason et al. (2000) described lessons that engaged preservice teachers in “learning beyond what could be done without technology.” Similarly, Howard, McGee, Schwartz, and Purcell (2000) targeted epistemological changes related to constructivist philosophies through “communication packages, multimedia tools, authoring software, and computer-based curriculum supplements that use constructivist methodologies” (p. 456-457). Introducing new technologies – especially those that are reflective of current curriculum and instructional goals – has the potential to challenge teachers’ beliefs. This principle acknowledges the role that teachers’ knowledge of instruction, subject matter, and their familiarity with their students’ needs has on examining new technologies but also acknowledges that teachers may benefit from an expanded awareness of advancements in educational theory and subject matter. Advantages. This principle’s main advantage is the challenge or “cognitive conflict” (Pressley & McCormick, 1995) that preservice, novice, and experienced teachers may experience when introduced to new technologies that inherently reflect new subject matter, epistemology, and/or pedagogy in the field. This principle seems applicable for preservice or novice teachers who are just beginning to learn about current approaches to curriculum, instruction, and student learning. Many novice teachers have developed assumptions about teaching and learning based on their own experiences as learners that do not reflect the current practices in the field (Lortie, 1975). Technological innovations that are used to exemplify current educational theories and practice may begin conversations and reflection that spur eventual changes in knowledge and practice. In Cullin and Crawford’s (2003) intervention, the preservice teachers came to believe that, in addition to using models to represent systems and relationships, they could have students use the tool for learning. This shifted the technology from teacher to student. Likewise, Howard et al.’s (2000) month-long professional development program found that teachers did change “from objectivist epistemological orientations to more constructivist ones” (p. 459). Activities built upon this principle also provide practicing teachers the luxury of considering new developments in instruction, learning, and subject matter that they may not have had time to explore or discover outside of their daily teaching responsibilities. Through using technology to challenge these teachers’ beliefs, teachers may be exposed to new educational theories, as well as to the fact that the theories of curriculum, instruction, and learning have wide implications – including the choices about technology-supported teaching and learning. Limitations. Implementing this principle does not guarantee change in teachers’ professional knowledge. However, this principle, as the research literature indicates, has been used to reform teaching. Instructors and facilitators of learning experiences can promote the evaluation and consideration of technology’s epistemological and content basis, but it is ultimately the individual teacher who determines the outcome. Established teachers may be less able or less inclined to face the challenges to their established practices and beliefs presented through this strategy. For example, Norton, McRobbie, and Cooper’s (2000) study of why mathematics teachers in a technology-rich school did not use technology revealed the deep roots of teachers’ beliefs about subject matter and instruction. They found that “resources were not used because the pedagogy, which was implicit in the activities contained in these resources, did not support the teacher’s preferred [transmission-oriented] teaching strategies” (p. 105). For teachers who do question their teaching beliefs, any subsequent change in beliefs and practice will take time to emerge. Furthermore, to really produce change, the learning experience needs to be sustained over time. Ongoing discussions and consideration are necessary, as was illustrated in the multiyear intervention that Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) orchestrated and researched (Sandholtz et al., 1997). Within the Cullin and Crawford (2003) intervention’s short timeframe, the preservice participants did not come to learn the importance of modeling for scientific inquiry. The researchers suggested that more exposure to these modeling concepts and experiences, such as in science content courses, might have been beneficial. Their finding of limited development of particular science and pedagogical content reflects the lengthy process required for change in knowledge, beliefs, and practice. The final principle emphasizes the need to teach about many different technologies. The overall aim of teaching about educational technology is to help teachers understand what the technologies are and how the technologies can serve students’ learning of subject matter. To do this, teachers ultimately must understand how the technology fits within their professional knowledge and activities. Because preservice, novice, and experienced teachers all have very personal and different professional knowledge that is impacted by the school context within which they work, it is unrealistic for one or two technologies to match all teachers’ professional activities. Therefore, to increase the likelihood that teachers may identify technologies that fit their needs, technology-learning opportunities must include many technologies. Flores et al. (2002) and Pope and Golub (2000) acknowledged the importance of providing preservice teachers a wide, changing range of technologies that students would use in content learning. Hunter (2001) described a wide-range of technology applications put into use with students through the TAP professional development investigations. Too many times decisions to adopt technologies are made at either the district or school-levels without consultation with teachers. The technologies chosen are usually targeted at administrative purposes, such as grading or attendance, rather than technologies that are put into the hands of students for learning purposes. Other technologies geared toward a specific subject area, purchased without consultation with teachers, will likely not fit teachers’ needs due to teachers’ varied instructional techniques, familiarity with the subject matter, and students’ needs. Certainly, limitations related to adoption and purchases of software and hardware exist in schools and districts. However, offering only a few technology options will reduce the number of technology-using teachers in the school, due to a lack of connection between the available technologies and the teachers’ needs. Some teachers may find valuable tools in the mix, yet other teachers will not. It needs to be emphasized that teachers may not find a valuable tool – not due to lack of interest in technology but due the limited technology options. Reprimanding or penalizing these teachers is unwarranted; they actually may be extremely thoughtful about their adoption and use of technology for their students and themselves. Offering a larger pool of technology options may support these teachers in identifying tools that may fit their needs. Advantages. Clearly, offering more technology options for teachers to investigate will increase the likelihood that they will find a tool that supports their professional activities. By examining a range of technologies, preservice, novice, and experienced teachers will understand the wide-ranging possibilities of the role for technology in education. This wider perspective may encourage teachers to examine technologies more thoroughly prior to adoption, possibly decreasing the existence of technology use for technology’s sake, because teachers will have more awareness of software and hardware that have specific advantages for student learning. Limitations. One of the main impediments to enacting this principle in technology-learning opportunities is financial constraint. The resources required to offer teachers hands-on access to a variety of technologies include both human and financial capital. A technology learning lab where demonstration or single copies of software and hardware can be compiled may benefit more than one school. A district or university learning lab such as this could serve school teachers, university students, and/or community members who may also be interested in identifying technologies for use at home. Schools, universities, community organizations, and vendors could share the cost of a learning lab. Being able to preview and examine technologies prior to adoption could reduce the expenditures toward unused technologies that exist in schools today. A disadvantage to this shared resource center is that it may be offsite for teachers. It would be valuable to be able to check out software and hardware for examination and experimentation onsite. Another limitation to this strategy is a possible reduction in the amount of time teachers spend learning each technology. If instructors or facilitators implement this principle, they should be aware that teachers might not learn all technologies equally well. In fact, it might be counterproductive to require teachers to learn all the technologies. In line with the vision of developing technology integrationists, teachers should be encouraged to find technologies that seem particularly promising for their needs and spend as much time as needed to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the technology, ultimately deciding if the technology is worthwhile and should be sought for use in the teacher’s classroom. In a university situation, instructors may need to shift their assumptions that all teacher-learners will learn all the technologies. In addition, as instructors grant teacher-learners more flexibility in focusing on certain technologies, the need for additional instructional and facilitation assistance may increase to serve all the learning needs during the learning experience. In contrast to “ratcheting up” teachers’ technology skills without clear implementation plans for the technology, this essay provided a foundational vision that seeks to develop teachers into “technology integrationists” who understand, consider, and choose to use technologies to uniquely enhance their curriculum, instruction, and students’ learning. To facilitate learning situations at the preservice and in-service levels that optimize the development of teachers as technology integrationists, a set of guiding principles were described that can be considered when evaluating, constructing, or redeveloping technology learning opportunities. The field of education needs to surpass the typical single course in information technology that is prevalent in teacher education institutions (Holland, 2001; Moursund & Bielefeldt, 1999; Rice, Wilson, & Bagley, 2001) and the short-term technology workshops available in K-12 schools for practicing teachers. Neither of these technology-learning approaches adequately implement the four principles described in this article. Single courses and workshops that involve cross-disciplinary and cross-grade level teachers, due to their diversity of participants, often focus on pedagogical issues rather than solid treatment of subject matter topics. A lack of focus on subject matter limits the enactment of Principles 1, 2 and 3, and the technologies taught would be limited to general pedagogical tools (e.g., PowerPoint, grading software). Alternative learning approaches that make more use of these technology learning principles need to be developed and established. Some subject-specific university courses and long-term technology in-service initiatives can and do implement many of these principles. Initial licensure and professional development programs are beginning to establish cohort models in which students enroll in subject-specific instructional technology courses (e.g., Sprague & Norton, 1999). Alternatively, initial licensure programs are considering the elimination of instructional technology courses and including technology instruction within content and methods courses (e.g., Confrey, Resta, Petrosino & Tothero, 2002). Overall, these recent developments in educational technology instruction hold promise for implementing the technology learning principles and developing technology integrationists. Another learning approach – collaborative inquiry groups, involving small groups of teachers who collectively investigate pedagogical and content issues (Crockett, 2002) – has emerged as an even more promising practice that implements all four technology learning principles simultaneously and meets the vision set forth in this paper. Subject-specific, technology inquiry groups (e.g., Hunter, 2001; Swan et al., 2002) may offer potential advantages over other instructional approaches to facilitate preservice, novice, and experienced teachers’ becoming technology integrationists. For example, teachers can group themselves (along with curriculum coordinators, administrators, and/or media specialists) into subject-specific, collaborative groups that meet in an ongoing fashion. During group meetings, teachers can discuss issues within their teaching to identify problems-of-practice that determine future inquiries into technology (Principle 1 and 2). Alternatively, group members can demonstrate new technologies and propose possible integrated uses (Principle 1) or allow the technology to inspire discussion into contemporary issues within teaching and learning (Principle 3). Finally, teachers need access to technology (Principle 4) to facilitate their inquiries into problems-of-practice, to examine as possible solutions, and to spur discussion about theory and practice. Hunter (2001) described “Team Action Projects” that were spearheaded by at least two school colleagues whose collaborative project was situated within authentic, school-based improvement goals, supported through a collaborative, vision-oriented discourse and working group, and accessed available tools that possibly could improve the issues under study. Within two years’ time, all participating teachers (of whom most began with few technology skills) were functioning at an “Invention” stage, in which technology flexibly supports new learning environments that are often collaborative, interactive, and customized. Swan et al. (2002) established the Capital Area Technology and Inquiry in Education (CATIE) initiative that placed educational technology mentors in schools (for two years) to work with teachers to develop and implement technology-supported lessons. The mentors collaboratively worked with teachers “to design computer-supported lessons that are integral parts of larger, classroom-based learning units” (p. 173). Thus, the technology learning was situated within the teachers’ own classroom setting and instruction, supported by informal discourse community focused on technology integration at the school sites, and guided by constructivist approaches to teaching and learning with technologies. Teachers reported “increased knowledge of computing technologies, greater confidence in using them, and more creative teaching with computers” (p. 187). The success demonstrated when technology inquiry groups are used with in-service teachers indicates that content-focused technology inquiry may be beneficial for preservice teachers as well, especially since the technology learning principles have been shown to be similar across preservice and in-service teachers. Partnerships among preservice and veteran teachers (e.g., Beckett, Wetzel, Buss, Marquez-Chisholm & Midobuche, 2001; Wright, Wilson, Gordon, & Stallworth 2002) could be forged to facilitate content-focused technology integration. Future research is warranted to examine the process of establishing and supporting technology inquiry groups, the knowledge participants learn and develop, and the impact of their learning on their teaching practice and students’ achievement. This field is seasoned for the development of other innovative learning approaches that integrate these principles, affording teachers engaging learning opportunities that, ultimately, will allow students to use technology for deep subject-matter learning. Beckett, E., Wetzel, K., Buss, R., Marquez-Chisholm, I., & Midobuche, E. (2001). Preservice and inservice teachers collaborate to integrate technology into K-8 classrooms. Proceedings of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2001(1), 1858-1863. Norfolk, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computers in Education. Borko, H., & Putnam, R. T. (1995). Expanding a teacher’s knowledge base. In T. R. Guskey & M. Huberman (Eds.), Professional development in education (pp. 35-65). New York: Teachers College Press. Borko, H., & Putnam, R. T. (1996). Learning to teach. In D. C. Berliner & R. C. Calfee (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (pp. 673-708). New York: Macmillan. Bradshaw, L. K. (2002a). Maximizing technology’s role in school reform. The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 68(3), 5-9. Bradshaw, L. K. (2002b). Technology for teaching and learning: Strategies for staff development and follow-up support. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 10(1), 131-150. Bransford, J. D., & Schwartz, D. L. (1999). Rethinking transfer: A simple proposal with multiple implications. In A. Iran-Nejad & P. D. Pearson (Eds.), Review of research in education (pp. 61-100). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association. Chen, M., & Armstrong, S. (Eds.). (2002). Edutopia: Success stories for learning in the digital age. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Confrey, J., Resta, P., Petrosino, A., & Tothero, M. (2002). Inventing new strategies for integrating technology into education. Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2002(1), 1726-1727. Norfolk, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. Crockett, M. D. (2002). Inquiry as professional development: Creating dilemmas through teachers’ work. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18, 609-624. Dede, C. (2001). A new century demands new ways of learning. In D. T. Gordon (Ed.), The digital classroom (pp. 171-174). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Letter. Doering, A., Hughes, J. E., & Huffman, D. (2003). Preservice teachers: Are we thinking with technology? Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 35(3), 342-361. Drier, H. S. (2001, March). Beliefs, experiences, and reflections that affect the development of techno-mathematical knowledge. Paper presented at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, Orlando, FL. Hargrave, C. P., & Hsu, Y. (2000). Survey of instructional technology courses for preservice teachers. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 8(4), 303-314. Hiebert, J., Gallimore, R., & Stigler, J. (2002). A knowledge base for the teaching profession: What would it look like and how can we get one? Educational Researcher, 31(5), 3-15. Holland, P. E. (2001). Professional development in technology: Catalyst for school reform. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 9(2), 245-267. Howard, B. C., McGee, S., Schwartz, N., & Purcell, S. (2000). The experience of constructivism: Transforming teacher epistemology. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 32(4), 455-465. Hughes, J. E. (2003). Toward a model of teachers’ technology-learning. Action in Teacher Education, 24(4), 10-17. Hughes, J. E. (in press). The role of teacher knowledge and learning experiences in forming technology-integrated pedagogy. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education. King, K. P. (2002). Keeping pace with technology: Educational technology that transforms. Cresskill, New Jersey: Hampton Press. Margerum-Leys, J., & Marx, R. W. (2002). Teacher knowledge of educational technology: A case study of student/mentor teacher pairs. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 26(4), 427-462. Mehlinger, H. D., & Powers, S. M. (2002). Technology and teacher education: A guide for educators and policymakers. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Mills, B. (2003). Raising the bar: Technology enhances learning during a mock trial project. Learning and Leading with Technology, 30(5), 42-45. Moursund, D., & Bielefeldt, T. (1999). Will new teachers be prepared to teach in a digital age? A national survey on information technology in teacher education. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education and Milken Exchange on Education Technology. National Center for Education Statistics. (2000, April). Stats in brief: Teacher use of computers and the Internet in public schools. Washington, DC: Author. Niess, M. L. (2001). A model for integrating technology in preservice science and mathematics content-specific teacher preparation. School Science and Mathematics, 101(2), 102-109. Perry, G. S., & Aregaldo, R. J. (2001). The computers are here! Now what does the principal do? In C. Collier (Ed.), Technology in its place: Successful technology infusion in schools (pp. 87-98). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Pressley, M., & McCormick, C. B. (1995). Advanced educational psychology for educators, researchers, and policymakers. New York: Harper Collins. Rice, M. L., Wilson, E. K., & Bagley, W. (2001). Transforming learning with technology: Lessons from the field. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 9(2), 211-230. Richardson, V., & Placier, P. (2001). Teacher change. In V. Richardson (Ed.), The handbook for research on teaching (4th ed., pp. 905-947). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association. Riley, Holleman, & Roberts. (2000). e-Learning: Putting a world class education at the fingertips of all children. The national educational technology plan. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. Skinner, R. (2002). Technology counts 2002: E-defining education. EdWeek, 21(35), 58. Sprague, D., & Norton, P. (1999). Studying technology as a cohort: Teachers’ reflections on the process. Proceedings of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 1999(1), 722-727. Norfolk, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. Starkweather, K. N. (2002). ITEA/Gallup poll: Interpreting what others think of technology teaching. The Technology Teacher, 61(8), 31-33. Swan, K., Holmes, A., Vargas, J. D., Jennings, S., Meier, E., & Rubenfeld, L. (2002). Situated professional development and technology integration: The Capital Area technology and inquiry in education (CATIE) mentoring program. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 10(2), 169-190. Verloop, N., Driel, J. V., & Meijer, P. (2001). Teacher knowledge and the knowledge base of teaching. International Journal of Educational Research, 35, 441-461. Warburton, J., & Campbell, R. (2001). Finding the poetic in a technological world: Integrating poetry and computer technology in a teacher education program. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 9(4), 585-597. Willis, E. M., & Sujo de Montes, L. (2002). Does requiring a technology course in preservice teacher education affect student teacher’s technology use in the classroom? Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 18(3), 76-80. Wiske, S. (2001). A new culture of teaching in the 21st century. In D. T. Gordon (Ed.), The digital classroom (pp. 69-77). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Letter. Zhao, Y., Pugh, K., & Sheldon, S. (2002). Conditions for classroom technology innovations. Teachers College Record, 104(3), 482-515.

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https://www.citejournal.org/volume-4/issue-3-04/general/technology-learning-principles-for-preservice-and-in-service-teacher-education/

وأكدت اللجنة في بيانها أن المؤتمر سيبحث دور الفلسطينيين في القارة الامريكية والشتات حيث تعقد ورش عمل خاصة حول التمثيل السياسي الفلسطيني وتطبيق حق اللاجئين الفلسطينين في العودة ، و دور الحركة الطلابية في الجامعات ، فضلاً عن تنظيم الشبيبة والناشئة وتفعيل دور حركة التضامن مع الشعب الفلسطيني وحملات الدفاع عن الاسرى والاسيرات في سجون الاحتلال. وأعلنت اللجنة عن اكتمال تشكيل لجنتي الاعلام والتواصل على مستوى القارة ، بمشاركة العشرات من النشطاء في المدن الأمريكية والكندية . كما تم إطلاق موقعاً إلكترونياً خاصاً للمؤتمر وتحديد أهم الندوات وورشات العمل واللجان الوظيفية واللوجستية. الفلسطينية الكندية في مقاطعة برتش كولمبيا واذاعة ” صوت فلسطين ” إضافة إلى عدد من أعضاء ولجان مناهضة العنصرية الاسرائيلية وغيرها . ويستضيف المؤتمر عددا من الفنانين والمبدعين العرب وفرقة العودة للدبكة الشعبية والفنانة الفلسطينية نسرين حجاج . وضيوف من فلسطين المحتلة وشخصيات من دول المنافي والمهاجر . ويسعى المؤتمر إلى تنظيم أوسع كتلة ضغط شعبية للنهوض بدور الحركة الوطنيه الفلسطينية في الشتات ولمواجهة الحركة الصهيونية وحماية حق الشعب الفلسطيني في اختيار ممثليه والمشاركة في إعادة تأسيس وبناء هيئاتة الوطنيه الموحدة. On this International Day Against Racial Discrimination, in an historic vote at the largest students’ union in Canada, York University’s undergraduate students’ union, the York Federation of Students, voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution to endorse the Global Campaign for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israeli apartheid. The resolution was drafted in response to the 2005 Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel as a means to pressure it to comply with international law and to end its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza; allow Palestinian refugees their internationally guaranteed right to return to their homes and villages; and grant equal rights to Palestinian citizens of Israel. With 18 votes in favour and 2 opposed, the board of the York Federation of Students passed the resolution to endorse the BDS campaign, as well as demand that York University abide by the BDS call; specifically urging the University to withdraw its investments from Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Amphenol and other companies that are selling weapons and military equipment to Israel . “The oppression of the Palestinian people at the hands of the Israeli state is not some far off issue that we can choose to ignore. We are already deeply implicated in the human rights violations of the Israeli State through our investments in the above-mentioned companies. We do not have the privilege to remain ‘neutral’ on this issue,” said Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) York collective member Huda Al-Sarraj. In November of this academic year, SAIA York achieved its first BDS success with the passing of a BDS motion at the York University Graduate Students’ Association (GSA). SAIA York now hopes to bring its demand for divestment to the York University Administration by lobbying for the implementation of a socially responsible investment policy. With the support of the GSA and the YFS, as well as the TA’s, GA’s and contract faculty union, CUPE 3903, which passed a BDS motion in 2006, SAIA York will now demand an end to the investment of university funds into companies that profit from violations of international law and human rights. The following piece, by Reham Alhelsi, was published at A Voice from Palestine. We re-publish it here today with greetings, salutes and love to all of the Palestinian mothers who nourish children and the land, nurture Palestinian society, and lead, march and fight in the struggle. On Mother’s day, as the Hannoun wakes up, and as the almond tree blossoms and you wear your green and red dress, we celebrate you. On this day, we celebrate the land, our heritage and our home, we celebrate you mother Palestine, the mother of us all. We celebrate your daughters: our mothers, our sisters, our comrades, who have carried the flame of resistance, protected it and kept it burning. We celebrate your daughters: the martyrs, the prisoners, the injured, the revolutionaries, the workers, the farmers, we celebrate Palestinian mothers. We celebrate your daughters: the mother of the martyr, the mother of the prisoner, the mother of the injured, the mother of the revolutionary, the mother of the worker, the mother of the farmer, the mother of every Palestinian. On this day, as we celebrate the mothers of Palestine, I write to you and to your daughters who are now with you, who have become part of you. On this day, I write to Palestinian mothers who sacrificed their lives for you mother Palestine, those who sacrificed their lives for us. Today, I write to the mothers who were killed while protecting their children, their homes and their land. On this day, I write to the mothers who were killed by Zionist terror gangs, by the brutal occupation with its bullets, tanks, drones, its dungeons, siege and its network of death-traps. I write to the mothers who are always on our minds, whose names we have printed in our memory, whose stories and sacrifices tell your story mother Palestine. On Mother’s Day, tell Hilweh Zeidan that we remember her on this day and every day. Tell her that we remember her courage, defying the bullets of the Zionist terrorists, standing by her husband and her son as they defend their home, as they defend Deir Yassin from the killers. Tell her that when she took her son’s gun, when she stood near her fallen husband and son, when she continued the struggle against the Zionists, Hilweh not only fought to defend her home, she fought to defend every one of us. Tell her that her spirit that feared no death, was our guide over the decades. Tell her that her blood which watered the land, paves the way for liberation. Tell Saliha Al-Halabi that the Zionist criminal who emptied his bullets into her body, killing her and her 9 month old unborn child, has not been brought to justice yet. Tell her that the Zionist criminal who afterwards ripped open her stomach and took out her slaughtered child is considered a hero by the terrorist entity that was built on where her village once stood. Tell her we still mourn her and the pregnant mothers bayoneted in the abdomen while alive. Tell her we still mourn the children maimed in front of their mothers before having their heads cut off. Tell her that 64 years later, her killers still kill Palestinian mothers, still commit massacres, still ethnically cleanse Palestine. Tell her that 64 years later, the Arab brethren still cry crocodile tears over our pain, still sell our blood to the highest bidder and still betray you mother Palestine. Tell her that 64 years later, we remember every victims of every Zionist massacre and every Zionist crime, we repeat the names of every Palestinian massacred, every village demolished, every field uprooted. Tell her that we are united by the pain and the blood of Deir Yassin, Beit Darras, Dawaymeh, Khisas, Sa’sa’, Balad Il-Sheikh, Abu Shusha, Beit Daras, Tantoura, Kufr Qasem, Qibya, Sharafat, Azazmeh, Beit Jala, Qalqilia, Jenin, Gaza, Bethlehem and every massacre committed by the Zionists. Tell her that 64 years later, we have not forgotten, have nor forgiven. Tell her that every day we tell the hypocrite world that it might turn a blind eye, but we will never cease until every single victim receives justice, until Palestine receives justice. Tell her that the march never stopped, and even though some have derailed, the majority has the map imprinted in their hearts, and with every march we come closer to Beisan, to Acca, to Tabariya, to Safad, to Jerusalem. Tell her, dear mother Palestine, that 64 years later, Palestine is as precious as ever, Palestine remains our home forever. On Mother’s Day, tell Umayyah Imran that we remember her on this day and every day. Tell her that the Zionists still kill Palestinian mothers and their born and unborn children at the European-paid military checkpoints. Tell her that her children place flowers on her grave every day, that they sing their kindergarten songs to her. Tell her that her children and the children of every Palestinian mother killed at Israeli checkpoints don’t fear these death traps, but repeat the oath given to their mothers; to remain steadfast, to continue the struggle. Tell her that on the spot where she was left to bleed to death, the poppies defy the death traps and bloom every spring, brining a promise of hope and justice. Tell her that students, workers and farmers are still humiliated at the checkpoints, are still hunted down by killers hiding inside towers. Tell 16 year old Fahmi Al-Darduk, that his mother still cries over her only son, shot at an Israeli checkpoint and left to bleed to death, his only crime was listening to music from his cell phone. Tell 22 year old Bahsar Al-Qadiri, who was stopped at the death trap, tied and thrown into a pit and forced to stay there under the scorching sun until he died, that his mother has kept his room and his university books as he had left them, that she kisses his picture every day. Tell Nada Hussein that her 8 children celebrate Mother’s Day every year at her grave. Tell her that the Israeli soldiers who killed her still prevent patients from reaching hospitals, still delay them at checkpoints, leaving them to die a slow and a painful death. Tell Kamla Ash-Sholi that her two children keep asking about her, keep asking their father why the Israeli soldiers who shot their mother at the checkpoint for no reason were not punished. Tell her that Nahil Abu Raja still mourns her stillborn baby Zaid, killed by the checkpoint. Tell her that the mother of Khalid Mousa, the mother of Jamila and Huda As-Safadi, the mother of Aminah and Fatima Al-Qadi, the mother of Rawan Hreizan and many others still mourn their children, still remember them playing with their toys, still remember the day they were born, still remember the day they were stopped at Israeli checkpoints, prevented from reaching hospital and their children left to die while Israeli soldiers laughed. Tell 18 year old Kifah Zu’rub that his screams and cries still ring throughout his home, that his mother remembers every minute and every second of that day when her son was attacked by Zionists’ dogs, and prevented at the checkpoint from reaching hospital, how despite the injuries he was turned back home to die a painful death. Tell her that while Palestinian mothers and grandmothers are humiliated and killed at Israeli checkpoints, Arab brethren extend their hands to the killers. Tell her that while Palestinian pregnant women are forced to deliver at the roadside under the eyes and laughs of Israeli occupation soldiers, Arab brethren continue to talk about dignity, about “honour”. Tell her their cries for help and their screams of pain are music to the Zionists and fall on the deaf ears of the Arab brethren. Tell her that as life slips away, as they close their eyes, the world turns a blind eye. Today, on Mother’s Day, tell her dear mother Palestine and tell every Palestinian mother, that their cry for justice will never be silenced. Tell them that we won’t rest until we seek justice for Aisha Nassar, Rihab Nofal, Laila Baheiri and Rana Al-Jayyousi and every Palestinian victim. Tell her that we mourn with ever mother who lost a child, mourn with every child who lost a mother. Tell Fawziyyah Ad-Darak we remember every patient prevented from reaching hospital, every patient killed at Israeli checkpoints. Tell her we mourn her and mourn Khadra Mustafa, Fatima Ash-Sharafi, Basim Ar-Rimawi, Aisha Hasan, Safia Qandil, Khatima Abdel Rahman and every Palestinian patient left to die at the Israeli checkpoints. On Mother’s Day, tell Wujdan Khalid that the Zionists still kill us with their American-paid poisonous gas. Tell her they still kill unborn Palestinian children, like they killed her 9 month old stillborn son Sa’d. Tell her they celebrate killing Palestinian mothers and their unborn children, they promote it and sing of “killing two for the price of one”. Tell her their racist minds see Palestinian babies as a “threat” that should be eliminated, and see Palestinian mothers as “weapons’ factories” that should be “demolished”. Tell her that they still throw gas canisters into homes, into crowded refugee camps, shoot them directly at protesters. Tell her that they still drown funerals with poisonous gas, that they still target schools and hospitals. Tell her that their poisonous gas still strangles mothers while in their kitchens baking bread. Tell her that their poisonous gas still kills the trees and silences the birds. Tell her that we mourn her, remember her, and remember Aziza Jabir, Dawlat Al-Masri, Amira Abu Askar and Nabila Al-Yaziji, Shukriyeh Faris and their unborn children. Tell her that we mourn and remember Amnah Darwish, Fatma Al-Walidi, Shamieh Jarrar, Fatma Salman, Kamleh Sharaf, Subhiya Mankush, Watfa Farajallah, Na’ima ‘Adi, Fatma Al-Khawaja, Rabi’a Ash-Sharafi, Khadra Abu Salameh, Khayriyah Alawneh and every mother killed by Israel’s poisonous gas. On Mother’s Day, tell Wafa’ Ad-Daghmah that her children still see her lying on the ground in a pool of blood, still tremble at the memory of that day when Israeli occupation forces blew up their home and killed their mother in front of their eyes. Tell her that her blood refuses to be forgotten, her pain refuses to be silenced. Tell Manal Al-Batran and her 5 children that the Zionists still occupy the sky over Gaza, still occupy the land and the water. Tell them that Gaza homes are shelled by bombs and missiles while the so-called PA talks about freedom and liberation. Tell them that Palestinian schools in Gaza are targeted with illegal weapons while Arab brethren race to normalize with the Zionists. Tell them that Palestinian children in Gaza sleep to the noise of drones, and mothers don’t sleep at all, hug their children and try to protect them from the next missile. Tell them that Gaza says farewell to her children almost every day, while those who claim to represent us fight over chairs and imaginary posts. Tell them that Gaza stands alone and defies the daily Zionist terror while Arab brethren meet to coordinate new NATO invasions of Arab land. Tell Zeina Al-Awawdah and her 3 children that the world remained silent when the Zionist missile blew her and her children into pieces. Tell them that world leaders did not announce that they “cry with the people of Palestine”. Tell them that the so-called PA sold their blood without a wink of an eye. Tell them that the Arab brethren don’t even condemn Israeli crimes anymore. Tell Hayat Sheikh-Khalil that Gaza is still besieged. Tell her that the siege still kills Palestinians, still makes widows and orphans. Tell her that Palestinian mothers have to watch their children die a slow and a painful death, and fathers have to hear the cries of their children and not be able to do a thing. Tell her how young people, once full of hope and determination, wither in front of their parents. Tell Huda Al-Khawaja that her killers are welcomed in every world capital. Tell her that leaving her to bleed to death in front of her 5 children and preventing medical treatment was termed “a mistake”, for whom no one is to be charged or punished. Tell her that the world saw her die slowly, saw her children plead for help, heard the Israeli soldier say in front of the camera that they were doing “purification” work in the refugee camp, and the world remained silence, turned a blind eye. Tell Mariam Ayyad and Wajiha Rabay’a that their children have a million mothers now. Tell them that Palestinian mothers continue to protect their children from Zionist missiles, bombs, bullets and dungeons. Tell them that Palestinian mothers continue to rush and save Palestine’s children from the Zionist kidnap gangs and the death squads. On Mother’s Day and on every day, tell them, mother Palestine, that we mourn them, we remember them, we remember their sacrifices, we won’t forget the crimes. Tell them that we continue the fight for our and their freedom, for our and their rights, we continue to seek justice for us and for them, no matter how long it takes, because justice will prevail. On Mother’s Day, tell Maryam Makhtoub and Najla’ Syam that Al-Aqsa is still in danger. Tell them that Zionist raids have increased while the actions of Arab brethren in support of Al-Aqsa remain non-existent. Tell them that Jerusalem is being ethnically cleansed, Judaized while those who claim to represent us “negotiate” over the colour of their VIP-cards. Tell them that Palestinian mothers still dream of the day when their children will be free, when Palestine will be free. Tell them that Palestinian mothers are forced to give birth inside Israeli dungeons while “PA” and Arab officials dine and wine in Tel Aviv, and while the whole world whines over the violations of human rights committed everywhere, but not those committed by the Zionist entity. Tell them about Intisar Al-Qaq, Majida Salaymeh, Umaymah Al-Agha, Samiha Hamdan, Mirvat Taha, Manal Ghannam, Samar Sbeih and Fatima Az-Ziq. Tell them that Palestinian mothers are kidnapped from the midst of their children, dragged away from the warmth of their homes and thrown into dungeons. Tell them how Palestinian mothers are harassed, tortured, isolated and threatened with their lives and the lives of their loved ones. Tell them about Iman Ghazzawi, Ibtisam Il-Isawi, Ireena Sarahneh, Qahira As-Saadi, Latifa Abu Thra’, Muntaha At-Tawil, Kifah Jibril, Hanan Al-Hmouz and Samha Hijaz. Tell them that the Zionist entity holds trials for the victims it killed, sentenced them and keeps Palestinian martyrs hostage. Tell them about Dala Al-Mughrabi, Darin Abu Eishah, Zeinab Abu Aalim, Hanadi Abdel Malik, Wafa’ Idris, Ayat Al-Akhras and Hiba Daraghmeh. On Mother’s Day, tell Fatma Ghazal and Fatma Abu Dayyah and all your daughters that Palestinian mothers continue to be the spearhead of resistance, continue to be the guardians of the land, continue to be the teachers of the revolution, continue to the leaders, the marchers, the freedom-fighters. Tell them that Palestinian mothers don’t fear the machine gun of the Zionist colonists, don’t fear the tank of the occupation soldier, don’t fear the interrogation cells of the dungeons. Tell them that Palestinian mothers are the martyrs, the prisoners, the farmers, the workers, the protectors. Tell them that Palestinian mothers still cry for their children, still talk to their children’s pictures on the wall, place a Hannoun over their children’s graves. Tell them that Palestinian mothers hold back the tears, but can’t hold back the waves of longing, can’t stop the pain. Tell them that when a Palestinian martyr is carried to our mother, to Palestine, over the shoulders of thousands of comrades, every martyr becomes the child of a million Palestinian mothers, and a million tears fall for him/her, and a million zaghroota are sung for him/her. Tell them they are our mothers, the daughters of Palestine. On Mother’s Day, tell my grandmother Mariam that I remember her every word and her every song about the land. Tell her that her smile is my constant companion, her courage and dignity my protecting armour. Tell her that I walk with her in Jrash, I hold her hand where my grandfather’s house once stood, I see her apple tree and her flowers. Tell her that the keys have not rusted, they are sacred and that the return journey to Jrash began the minute she was forcibly expelled from her home under the rush of bullets. Tell her that Jrash is closer than ever, though it might seem far away. Tell her the road to Jrash is clearer than ever, though it might seem blocked with so many obstacles. Tell her that her grandchildren are loyal to her legacy, carry her will in their hearts next to Palestine. Tell her that their compass points only towards Jrash. Tell my grandmother Aishah that I remember our walks up the hills, remembers her singing traditional songs. Tell her that her fig tree is still steadfast on the hill, standing in defiance, facing the illegal Zionist colony and the military checkpoint. Tell her that the olive trees that were burnt down to ashes have grown, have defeated death and are reborn, have defied uprooting and still cling to the land. Tell her that the land beyond the checkpoint and the barbed wire misses her, asks about her. Tell her that the lands asks: when will freedom come? On Mother’s day and on every day, tell your daughters who have become part of you, whose bravery guides us, that we remember them, that we see them in the eyes of every Palestinian child, in the smile of every Palestinian mother, in every Hannouneh and in every olive tree. Tell them that the mothers of Palestine will continue to raise freedom-fighters, martyrs, prisoners and revolutionaries. They will continue to raise Palestinians, sing to them the songs of Palestine, tell them about Haifa and Beisan and Safad, teach them that Palestine will always be one from the River to the Sea, that rights are not begged for but are taken. They will continue to lead the struggle for a free Palestine, free from the River to the Sea, for they are your daughters, mother Palestine. A full day festival celebration of the cultural richness of the Palestinian people! We know the struggles. We know the politics. We know the pain. Do we really know the talent of the people? It is time to celebrate the contributions Palestinians make to society through their art, film, food, products, knowledge, literature and their music. Our evening event will especially highlight their vibrant comic scene by featuring the amazing talents of MAYSOON ZAYID & ARON KADER! Featuring Maysoon Zayid & Aron Kader with local Edmonton talent. All proceeds donated to the LEAP Program for Palestinian refugee youth in Lebanon. If you cannot attend, please consider making a generous tax-deductible donation to support the educational empowerment of Palestinian refugee youth in Lebanon (www.leap-program.org/donate). To learn more about LEAP, please watch this video (http://youtu.be/OiXvRZT38Is). MARCEL KHALIFE is a distinguished composer, singer, and oud player that is best known for liberating the oud, an instrument integral to Arabic culture, from its traditionally strict techniques, expanding its musical possibilities, and contributing to its artistic and cultural revival. Over the decades, Khalife’s music and his own compositions have signified peace, reconciliation and breaking boundaries. He creates a sound that is always innovative, inspiring, and beautiful. Many of his recordings utilize traditional instruments mixed with western mainstays depicting a sophisticated musical marriage of classical Arabic and jazz music. As a composer, he demonstrates a deep attachment to and a profound understanding of the power of the written word. Khalife has distinguished himself not only as a virtuosuo oud player but also as a talented composer. Khalife’s educational and humanitarian contributions are as numerous as his creative endeavors. A tireless promoter of the arts and culture in the Arab world, he has been the recipient of many prominent awards and has performed in the most prestigious music venues in the world. In his quest to renew the vibrancy and significance of the Arabic song, he has based songs on the words of some of the great contemporary Arab poets, particularly the Palestinian poet and journalist who eloquently wrote of the exile, struggles, and hopes of the Palestinian people, Mahmoud Darwish. The following article was written by Omar Shaban, a member of the Conference organizing committee and of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights at UBC (SPHR-UBC), the conference hosting group at the University of British Columbia. This article was inspired by the poorly written article in UBC’s official newspaper The Ubyssey. There is no doubt that when an oppressor – no matter who they are – fails to make a good “moral” case as to why they are oppressing a certain person, or a group of people, this oppressor will try to find ways to reconcile between what they perceive as a necessity to oppress and the necessity to rebrand this oppression as a necessity. This is especially true when it comes to the Zionist oppression of the Palestinian people inside and outside of Historic Palestine. The Zionists have always tried to work on the two fronts I mentioned above: the necessity to oppress and the necessity to rebrand the oppression as a necessity. The perceived necessity to oppress is a very distinctive feature of the Zionist movement inside and outside of Palestine. Since the beginning of the Zionist project, earlier Zionists had no qualm with inflicting suffering and misery upon another population in order to advance their narrowly defined political project. From the perspective of Theodore Herzl, it was absolutely acceptable for the Zionists to displace an entire population, remove them from their roots and replace them with an entirely alien population using false rhetoric such as “a land without a people for a people without a land.” Successive leaderships of the World Zionist Organization expressed similar sentiments – sentiments that were later transformed into actions that culminated in the ethnic cleansing of over 750,000 Palestinians from their land. The oppression of the Palestinian people continued to be a necessity for the the Zionist project even after the creation of the Israeli state on stolen Palestinian land. For Israel to be a democracy and Jewish at the same time, the state must maintain a Jewish majority which means two important things: 1) keeping the Palestinians who were forcibly expelled from Palestine in 1940s outside of Palestine, and 2) creating laws, rules and regulations to control and exclude the Palestinian who remained inside of Palestine. Zionist rhetoric maintains that the Jewish state has, since day one, been facing an existential threat levelled against her by the brutal totalitarian regimes of the Arab world. Right after what they term as “the declaration of independence” (independence from whom? I am not sure), the newly born Jewish state was “invaded” by Arab armies bent on the inhuman objective of eradicating the only Jewish state in the entire world. The Jewish state has had to defend itself from her haters after this failure of an invasion numerous times – first the Zionists had to find methods to ward off the attacks of the Palestinian Fida’iyeen (self-sacrificers) whose activities were sporadic and disorganized, then they had to deal with a resurgent Palestinian National Liberation Movement represented by Fatah, then they had to fight the Arab armies in 1967, then an increasingly popular Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine in the late 1960s and early 1970s, then a united Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the 1980s and an Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the late 80s and early 90s. Because of this imminent threat against Israel, because of the numerous and systemic attacks against it, and because this state is isolated in a sea of Arabs who are fuelled by hate and anger, Israel has a right to not only defend itself, but also attack whom it perceives as a threat – and that can be combatants and freedom fighters as well as their support base which includes civilians, their properties, their schools and playgrounds and their entire livelihood. Over the past hundred and so years, the Zionist quest to rebrand and promote the necessity for oppression has undergone an extremely significant transformation. In the beginning, the Zionists sought to convince the leaders of Europe of the worthiness of their “cause” using the language of Realpolitik and necessity. The leaders of Europe must support the Zionist project despite their flagrant anti-Semitism because it is in their political and economic interest to do so. From the perspective of earlier Zionists, this necessity had to become the norm; a norm that allows them to operate around the political and economic structure of Europe, as well as within this structure. If the Zionist project is indeed a political and economic necessity, then the only intelligible course of action is to support it and this is what happened. It began with the Kaiser of Germany allowing Herzl to present his ideas, to the political leaders of Switzerland allowing him and his supporters to hold their first conference in Basel, to supporting and facilitating Zionist immigration to Palestine, to convincing Britain to promise the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, and eventually to creating a Jewish state after a long campaign of systemic ethnic cleansing. Now the quest to promote Zionism is taking place on University campuses. Barely an event organized by a Palestinian solidarity group on university campuses passes without invoking the need to have “constructive and meaningful dialogue” and forgetting about the divisive issues and focusing on moving forward and achieving “peace” (whatever that means). This insistence on “constructive dialogue” is indicative of a strong desire by the Zionists to pacify and neutralize any resistance to advancing the Zionist project. University students are now taking the lead and initiative to debunk all the Zionist myths – historical and current – about the reality of the situation in Palestine. The boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel is gaining ground in virtually every higher education institution all across the globe as students are becoming more aware that the last bastion of Western imperialism is an entity that should not be allowed to exist in its current form. More students are becoming more aware of Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and of the systemic racism Palestinians with an Israeli citizenship face on a daily basis, and of the unjust and inhumane repression that Palestinian refugees have been enduring in their host countries for six and a half decades. This increased awareness of the Palestinian predicament is making the Zionist promotion of their project more difficult as it poses a moral threat to the very foundations of this project. Thusly, rebranding the oppression of the Palestinians as a necessity becomes a necessity. Every crime perpetrated by the Israelis against the Palestinians and the areas where Palestinians are is framed within the context of self-preservation, protection and fighting an existential threat. Israel, which is facing this existential threat, cannot be reduced to a mere colonial entity created for the sole purpose of advancing the geopolitical interests of Western powers in the region – there is more to this “tiny state.” It is a state for its Jewish citizens who share a collective identity and a shared history represented by food, dance, culture, and music. These citizens are not merely political and military objects necessary for the maintenance of the regime, they are global citizens with achievements that span all disciplines, cross borders and boundaries and challenge pre-conceived notions. This elaborately fabricated structure which includes economic, financial, scientific and educational institutions was put in place by a people who have been yearning for emancipation for thousands of years; an emancipation that they finally attained in Palestine – a land which was apparently empty and a desert before the Zionist settlement in it. Such is the discursive dichotomy of the Zionist modus operandi. It is a dichotomy based on rewriting history, falsifying facts and disseminating propaganda to promote and legitimize a racist ideology. And this is why we can’t be friends with the Zionists. The fundamental premise of any friendship – no matter how deep or shallow it may be – is a mutual understanding, a shared empathy and a genuine sympathy with the experiences of the other. Such a framework does not exist when it comes to the Zionist oppression of the Palestinians. The relationship between the Palestinians and Zionists is that of an oppressed with their oppressor. In this case, the oppressor is not only seeking to eliminate the Palestinian national existence from both consciousness and history, but it is also seeking to normalize this eradication through a vicious campaign that depends on an interdependent duality – 1) the legitimization of oppression and the existence of the oppressor and 2) the delegitimization and demonization of the oppressed and their mere existence. President Obama’s visit to the occupied Palestinian territory comes at a time when our prisoners are waging a hunger strike battle in the face of Israeli government obstinacy, and in the face of US silence towards the slow murder these heroes are being subjected to. Most recently Palestinian prisoner Arafat Jaradat died during interrogation inside the Israeli prison of Megiddo. Moreover, the visit comes in light of the continued international isolation of Israel and the ever-increasing boycott campaigns against it. On one hand, it is simply naive to presume that U.S. policy toward Israel has changed since Obama took office. A March 2012 report by the U.S. Congress discusses a $3.1 billion in military aid for the year 2013 only, including financing the Iron Dome system, and increasing US bilateral support to Israel to $115 billion since 1949. In addition, the US is committed to maintain Israel’s security at the expense of the lives, land and livelihood of Palestinians; whether by justifying the massacres against Palestinians in Gaza, or through its silence concerning settlement expansion, destructions of homes, forcible transfer and other Israeli policies. On the other hand, it is hypocritical and disingenuous that the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) disregards the role of the Obama administration in blocking its membership request in 2011 at the Security Council, and its vote against the resolution at the General Assembly in 2012. Furthermore, the US congress has imposed financial sanctions on international institutions recognizing “Palestine”. And to add insult to injury, while the PLO/PA assure Palestinians they consider Jerusalem the Palestinian capital, yet they receive the US President in the Ramallah enclave. Despite the attempts of the Palestinian “leadership” to ease the atmosphere, with statements about Obama pressuring the Israeli government on the issue of Palestinian political prisoners, or promises of petty US aid, however, the ultimate objectives of the visit are clear. The visit aims to achieve three goals; first, to relieve the pressure off the Israeli government, which is suffering increased international isolation (albeit with words more than actions). Second, to restrain the frustration of the Palestinian street simmering in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners and finally, to prolong the expected lifetime of the PA, which after 20 years is becoming more and more disconnected from its people. The Palestinian people will not accept to play a role in achieving these interests, and will not succumb to these pressures. What is required of us as Palestinians is to persue a complete boycott of our occupier on all fronts: security, economical, political, cultural and academic, and to rebuild a representative entity for Palestinians everywhere. Not aid in relieving the pressure on the Israeli government by engaging in a futile process, and allowing it to complete its expansionary policies and annexation through uprooting Palestinians from their land and homes. Accordingly, we call on the masses of the Palestinian people to change this path and demonstrate against receiving he who considers Israel “the closest ally in the region”, and to refuse the return to futile negotiations. We call for entrenching the sacrifices of the martyrs and prisoners by refusing to surrender and to work with Palestinians everywhere to establish a strategic program of resistance, where political, economic, military, popular and various other forms of resistance and duties are shared each according to their ability. REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: Save with the special Early Bird rate! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY – SPECIAL EARLY BIRD RATE AVAILABLE! Registration is NOW OPEN for the Conference of the Palestinian Shatat in North America! This conference – which will take place at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver on May 3-5, 2013 – will bring together Palestinian and Arab organizers, activists and community members to discuss our collective role as Palestinians in our liberation movement and assert our voice as Palestinians in shatat/exile. There is more information about the conference at our website, palestinianconference.org This conference is being organized from the ground up, and will benefit from the active involvement and participation of Palestinian organizations and organizers across North America. The conference will include facilitated workshops, plenary discussions, conversations, and presentations – it welcomes your participation, your voice, and your active involvement in reclaiming the voice of the shatat. Registration closes on May 1st. We will soon be posting accommodations information. If you have any questions, or require solidarity housing, please email us at [email protected]. The PLO is historically regarded as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, an overarching mechanism by which we all came together to deliberate on the strategies of our national movement. In this plenary, we will discuss the histories of political representation in our national movement, and what representation might mean today. Some of the questions addressed will include: What did the PLO look like, what does it look like now, and how/can it be remade? What can we learn from our earlier revolutionary histories? How has the current lack of representation impacted our struggle, and our ability to develop a coherent and cohesive national strategy for liberation and return? How do we create representation bodies that are inclusive of all our people and forces, and serve the needs of our national movement? How do we embody our demands for popular and democratic representation in our own communities and associations? This plenary will examine Palestinian organizing in the shatat, looking at the past and moving to the present day. We will discuss the reasons and implications for how different methods and mechanisms came to frame our organizing as part of our liberation movement, and consider frameworks moving forward. Some of the questions addressed will include: What have been the organizing trends within the history of our movement? What has been the historical role of students, workers, and women? How do we forge our role and revitalize our sense of national responsibility in the shatat? How do our communities currently organize? What internal and external challenges are confronting our communities? How do we build community accountability and organizing discipline? How can we imagine and strategize ways to connect our organizing in North America with our brothers and sisters on the ground and in exile? This is a critical time for the Palestinian people and the national liberation movement, and this conference is an opportunity to connect, build and mobilize our people in North America. Conference participants will not only gain knowledge, but are expected to commit themselves to collectively and democratically working together to re-build and revive our national liberation movement. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY – Confirm the special Early Bird Rate! The Organizing Committee of the Conference of the Palestinian Shatat in North America is pleased to announce that the Conference will take place from Friday evening, May 3 through Sunday afternoon, May 5, at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, on unceded Musqueam territories. The host organization for the conference is Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights at UBC (SPHR – UBC). Conference sessions will be soon forthcoming with more details, and will include plenaries, workshops and cultural events. Join the Palestine Cultural Society and the organizing committee of the Vancouver Palestinian Shatat Conference for an Arab cultural evening commemorating Palestinian Land Day – experience Palestinian culture as we celebrate our connection to the land. The cultural evening will be held in Bonsor Banquet Hall in Burnaby, BC. Children are welcome – bring your family! This is an evening for community celebration, solidarity, and cultural resistance. Tickets on sale in advance and at the door: $15 general admission, $10 for students, $45 group rate for a group of 4, $65 group rate for a group of 6. Children under 12 free. Proceeds will support the Conference of the Palestinian Shatat in North America, taking place in Vancouver May 3-5, 2013!

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http://palestinianconference.org/page/3/

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2019-04-25T12:28:06Z

http://rtcit.com/list-motywacyjny-bez-dowiadczenia-wzor/

Whether you wear them as a camp shoe at the end of the day, or put ’em on to cross a stream so your boots don’t wet, or actually tackle your entire hike in them… sandals are practically required footwear for hikers. In fact, sandals are mankind’s oldest, and probably favorite footwear. And with new designs and technology, you can do more in a pair than you ever thought possible. This sandal buyers guide will help you find the right product for the combo of your feet and your favorite trails. The feeling you get when hiking in a sandal can be way more fun and comfortable than in a shoe or boot. Usually, sandals are lighter (though not always, as you’ll see below). Without something covering your whole foot, the airy feeling can not only keep your feet cool, but let’s you connect to the world around you. Most sandals are water-friendly (again, see below), so you can handle a trail or a stream without worrying, or without taking off your padded hikers so they don’t get wet. They’re easier to slip on and off. Some people keep sandals handy for when they’re done with a hike, to use as a camp shoe at the end of the day. That’s fine. In that case, you may want to go with something lighter and easier to pack. Some people keep a pair handy for those stream crossings I mentioned above. Again, the point is that a hiking sandal is an incredibly versatile piece of gear, so you want to get the pair that works for your needs. How do these compare to boots or shoes? They were aghast that I didn’t have a big, thick, chunky pair of boots to wear. Well, suffice it to say I was completely fine. I had no problems going up a 14,000-foot mountain except for the fact that once you get over about 12,000 feet, every two steps you take you need to take a break. But in terms of the biomechanics and how my legs felt and how my feet moved and the grip that I had and the traction that I had, everything was totally fine. The reason that most people say you need boots is because of the ankle support. Well, the only reason you need ankle support is because the boots have a really stiff sole. So if you step on something pointy with a really stiff sole, it’s going to make your entire foot rotate, it’s going to make your ankle unstable… and then you need stability because of the fact that the boot sole is so stiff that it made you unstable to begin with. In a pair of running shoes, I didn’t have that same instability issue. The sole was more flexible and my ankles had no problem. Fast-forward to 2016, which it is right now when I’m making this video, and what I can tell you is if you want to have even more fun, you can go hiking in a pair of sandals. Some people think that you can only use sandals for flat surfaces or easy surfaces or for boating or for paddling, but I can assure you that you can go hiking in a pair of sandals. We have thousands of people who have climbed tens of thousands of mountains in Xero Shoes, for example. One of the things that you get when you’re hiking in sandals that you don’t get in shoes or in boots is freedom. Your feet are free to feel everything around you. You have this incredible sense of connecting with the world because your feet aren’t all wrapped up in a pair of shoes or boots. The other advantage this gives you is that you don’t get all sweaty inside of your boots or inside of your shoes, which can be a real problem if you’re hiking in cold weather. That sweat can freeze and make your feet frostbite. And in hot weather, that sweat just builds up and creates, well, aside from bacteria and odor, it also makes your feet slippery which can lead to blisters, skin peeling, toenails that fall off… it can be horrible. So I can assure you that sandals are a great choice. In fact, with Xero Shoes it’s an even better choice I think because the sole is so flexible. You get natural, barefoot-inspired movement. Your foot can grip and bend and flex, so you’re using your foot in addition to the highly grippy sole that Xeros have. We have thousands of FOXes (Friends of Xero) who’ve climbed tens of thousands of mountains with no problem — including a lot of the 14,000-foot mountains in Colorado — in a pair of Xero Shoes. So, what are the top three hiking or travel sandals? I’m going to rely on a review that was recently done by ActiveJunky.com to tell you that. They took a collection of sandals out on a bunch of trips. They went to South America, they went to Central America, and they came back with three products that they reviewed. I’m going to tell you a little secret: Most of the time when they review products, it’s products that they have an affiliate relationship with. That means that when they review a product and people click on a link from their review to purchase the product, they get a commission. That’s their business model. Well, they listed three products, two of which they get commissions from and one they listed just because, they said, they like it so much that they wanted to include it in the review. It needed to be there, but they don’t get a commission on it. I will not spoil any surprise by telling you that that product is the Umara Z-Trail from Xero Shoes. They recommended two other products. One was the Chaco Z-Cloud which is, again, one of those big, thick products with prices between $95 and $105 typically. Then there’s a Keen product, the Keen Zambezi, which again, a really thick and stiff and heavy sandal that retails from $92 to $100. The Z-Trail from Xero Shoes, on the other hand, only $79.99, and it’s the only one that’s really lightweight; that gives you great protection, great flexibility, natural movement flexibility, really good comfort; lightweight enough to float. Rolls up, fits in your pack, in your pocket, and has our 5000-mile sole warranty. Get the Men’s Z-Trail here. Get the Women’s Z-Trail here. Who makes the best hiking sandals? If you’re looking for the best sports sandal or hiking sandal, you’ve got to think about the history of this type of sandal. It was 1982 when Teva was invented and 1989 when was Chaco was invented, and in the 25-30 years since those two things happened, those products have become synonymous with the hiking sandal. And so when most people think of hiking sandals, they’re thinking of those. And those sandals are big, they’re thick, they’re chunky. It almost seems like people now look at hiking sandals and trying to value them by the pound. The heavier, the bigger they are, the better they are. That’s not necessarily the case. While these do give you a lot of protection because there’s a lot of thickness, thickness isn’t required for protection. The other thing people have gotten used to is the notion of arch support. Both of these products, and most of the other sandal makers— Keen, ECCO, and private label brands from North Face and various other places—they have a lot of arch support. Now, here’s a reference to an article in the New York Times about support. I’ll talk about this more later but, in short, support is highly overrated and the research shows that it’s predominantly unnecessary. And if you think about it, the reason is pretty simple. Your foot is designed to move, to bend, to flex, to feel, and when you’re giving it “support,” what you’re doing is you’re immobilizing it. Think about it this way: If you put your arm in a cast, it doesn’t come out stronger at the end of the day. Or, if you take off the cast and you see that it’s gotten weaker, you now have two choices – continue to “support” it so that you’re not using it or start using it again so that you strengthen it. So a lot of sandals are made with support that really isn’t necessary. The reason that they put in the support is because the sandals tend to be inflexible, and if they’re inflexible, your foot can’t move properly anyway and the extra support makes it a little more comfortable. But if you have a product that’s designed to let your foot move naturally, then you don’t need support. Your arch is all the support that you need. In fact, as you use your foot, you can strengthen your foot, strengthen your arches. If you look at the Xero Shoes Z-Trail, it has a similar appearance to the Chaco/Teva/Keen that you’ve seen except that it’s much, much thinner. We’re using some high-tech materials to allow us to make something that weighs 76% less. Three pairs of Z-Trails weigh less than one pair of a popular Chaco (see the video below), and yet it still gives you incredible protection. On the bottom, we use FeelTrue rubber on the abrasion points, and it has our 5000-mile sole warranty. For the middle layer, we’ve developed a high-tech material that disperses the force. We call this TrailFoam. And then we developed a comfort layer that we call BareFoam for the top surface. Put these together and you have an ultra lightweight sandal that gives you an incredible combination of protection, comfort, lightweight, durability, versatility, and affordability. They even float. They roll up and fit in your pack or pocket. That flexibility is what lets your foot move naturally. People wear the Z-Trail for everything from taking a walk to being an approach shoe for a climb, taking a casual hike, running trail ultra marathons, and everything in between. When looking at sandals, pay attention to the webbing. A lot of sport sandals use a flat webbing, which means that it gives you an edge that can actually dig into your skin. What we’ve done instead with the Z-Trail and Z-Trek is used a tubular webbing. So there are really no edges that can catch on your skin. Another thing to look at with some of hiking sandals: they’re made with channels in the inside of the sandal for the webbing to pass through. Sometimes those channels can create abrasion, which causes tearing in the webbing. Something to pay attention to. Also, look for adjustability. Many sport sandals don’t have any adjustability on the heel. So, depending on the size and width of your heel the fit may not be correct for you. The Xero Shoes Z-Trail has an adjustable heel strap and adjusts along the top as well for a just-right fit. Hopefully, that’ll give you a good list of things to take a look at when you’re looking for best hiking sandal. Again, look for comfort, look for natural movement, look for something that isn’t going to hinder you or get in your way (which means something that weighs a pound and a half might not be right for you; something that weighs 5.4 ounces for men’s size 9 might be just right). If you’re going to be in water, you need something that floats. The Z-Trail is really, really secure on your foot, so they’re not going to fall off and go floating downstream. But just in case you have them in your bag or you have them just sitting in a boat and the boat capsizes, you want to make sure you’re going to be able to easily find your sandals and not have to go hunting for them in scuba gear on the bottom of a river or a lake. Anyway, hope that helps you find the best pair of hiking sandals. If you have any questions, you can just leave them here and I’m happy to answer. How do Xero Shoes Compare with Other Hiking Sandal Brands? First check out this video where I compare the weight of the Z-Trail to a popular sport sandal. What you’ll find, not surprisingly, is that unlike every other sandal product or every other hiking sandal, which has a big, thick, stiff sole that weighs a lot and costs quite a bit, the Xero Shoes Z-Trail is lighter, takes up less room, lets you have natural movement and flexibility, gives you just enough ground feel so that your feet are actually working properly, and lower-priced as well for something that has the same level of performance. Speaking of price, keep in mind that Xero Shoes come with an unmatched 5,000 mile warranty. How should sandals for hiking fit? When you put on a good pair of hiking sandals, you shouldn’t have your toes way, way back behind the front edge, or way over the front, or way off on one edge. Your foot should actually fit on the sandal and it should be a comfortable fit fore and aft, and left and right. We make sandals with different widths and different lengths to accommodate most foot sizes and shapes. And our do-it-yourself sandal-making kit let’s you trim the sole cut to match any shape of almost any foot. When you put on the sandal you want to go for what I refer to as a snug-but-comfortable feel. Many people try to over-tighten around the toe area. They think that’s the thing that’s holding them into the sandal, but it’s actually the area that goes around your ankle that holds you in. So you want to go for something that feels comfortable and feels secure, but not that’s ratcheting you down to the sole. In fact, many people find that they end up loosening the area around the toe strap more than they expected, and that’s totally, totally fine. It still stays stable on the sandal because of how it holds across the top of their foot and around their ankle. There’s more fitting instructions in the videos on this page. Where can I buy hiking sandals? Buying hiking sandals is not hard anymore. It used to be when they first invented the idea of sandals for hiking. You could only find them in specialty outdoor stores. But now, they’ve become ubiquitous and you can find them pretty much everywhere. So if you look in, well, obviously the outdoor stores like REI or EMS, you can definitely find them there, but you can even find them at Target, at Walgreens. And of course, if you look on the websites for the companies that make these products, there’ll be a list of stores where you can find them. If you look in an outdoor store, a camping store, a hiking store—some running stores will carry sandals that are perfect for hiking as well. Where else? Fishing stores, some of those will carry sandals that are perfect for hiking because if they’re good for hiking they’ll also be good for fishing. Climbing stores — sandals make a great approach shoe. So even if you’re not going to climb in a pair of sandals, just to walk to where you’re going to be climbing or to leave where you just finished climbing, sandals are a great option for that as well. Where else? Department stores, depending on the department store, you can also find them there. Suffice it to say, hiking sandals have become very popular and you can find them pretty much everywhere. Start online, then call around to the local stores around you and I’m sure you’ll find what you need. Do you wear sandals with socks? This is a style question. If it’s cold you can just wear a good pair of wool socks sport sandals. If it’s warm, you can wear a synthetic that has wicking properties and is valuable in other ways. So, yes, can definitely wear socks with sandals, although people might look at you a little strangely, depending on what you wear. Personally, I have a collection of tie-dye socks that once I started going barefoot and wearing huarache-style sandals I almost never wore. But with the sport-sandal style, I pull them out every now and then and they look pretty fine. Let’s talk about arch support, which is a very misunderstood topic. What I can tell you is, whether you’re a man or woman, have flat feet or high arches, the issue really is the same, and that’s about the strength and flexibility of your foot, not the support in your shoe. If you look at the reviews on our Xero Shoes website, you’ll see hundreds of people reporting that when they got out of their supportive shoes, that’s when they were fine. That’s when they felt stable. That’s when they got strong. That’s when they were getting rid of various pains because they’re using their feet naturally. A quarter of the bones and joints in your body are in your feet, and that’s not an accident. Your feet are designed to bend, to flex, to feel the world. If you don’t let them do their job naturally, that function, that flexing and bending and balancing function, tries to move up into the ankle, into the knee, into the hip, into your back. But those joints are not made for that purpose. They don’t have that same fine motor skill possibility. So when you immobilize your foot, you’re forcing those other joints to try to do a job that’s not theirs. That can cause problems. Similarly, you have more nerve endings on the bottom of your feet than anywhere but your fingertips and your lips, and this is not an accident. Your feet are supposed to feel things when they’re moving. They’re supposed to feel the surface underneath them. Support is like putting your foot in a cast and expecting it to somehow get stronger. Doesn’t work. If you break something and put it in a cast, it comes out weaker. Then you have two options—there are only two—one is start to use that body part again so it gets stronger; the other is keep supporting it because you’ve made it weaker. That’s what many people are doing when they immobilize their feet with arch support. I’m going to highly recommend that you start experimenting with letting your foot work naturally and strengthen naturally. There’s a great New York Times science reporter named Gina Kolata who did a piece of research that talks about how support seems to only be helpful for about 10% of a population and no one knows why, and a $500 custom-made orthotic seems no better—or worse—than a $20 Dr. Scholl’s insert that you can get at Walmart or Target or Kmart or wherever you find one of those things. Check out Gina’s article (and my comments about it) here. The research shows that orthotics and arch support and shoe inserts are not as valuable as people think. They make a lot of money for doctors though. And with shoes that have support, it’s basically just having an insole or an orthotic in there full-time. So, again, I’m going to encourage you to start using your feet naturally. (Now, if you have some real serious biomechanical problem, that’s a whole different story, obviously. Consult a doctor… ideally one who understands the value of natural movement). What if I have flat feet? Flat feet are not the problem people like to think they are. There’s no strong evidence to back up the idea that flat feet need support. The real issue isn’t about whether your feet are flat or whether you have high arches. It’s about whether your arches are strong, whether you’re using them so they become strong and resilient and flexible. People with high arches sometimes need to work on flexibility. Flatfooted people often just need to work on strengthening. And the best way to strengthen your feet is to be barefoot or in something like Xero Shoes, which are incredibly, incredibly flexible and give you all the fun and benefits of barefoot, but with a layer of protection and comfort. The gist is that you need to be moving your feet, to use your feet, which can strengthen your arch. The other issue is sometimes people will tell you you have a problem simply because you have flat feet, when they don’t really understand the biomechanics of it. Maybe you’ve got a problem not because your feet are flat but because you’re wearing some big, thick, stiff hiking boot or hiking sandal that doesn’t let your foot move, and so your ankle, your knee and your hip are trying to do the function that your foot would do if you let it move naturally. Anyway, all that said, once again, try the natural approach. Don’t worry about whether you have flat feet. Just develop some strength and resilience, and let me know what happens. Take a look at this article, too, about flat feet and high arches. What if I have wide feet? If you have wide feet, I have good news for you. Xero Shoes are designed to work for the way human feet are shaped. They’re designed based on the shape of feet. A foot doesn’t get pointy near the toes, which what most shoes are designed to do. Xero Shoes let your toes spread and to splay and to move naturally. They are designed wide enough to allow you to do that. If you’re a woman with particularly wide feet, you might want to look at the “men’s” version of our sandals because the men’s versions are just made a little wider. Conversely, if you have narrow feet, especially if you’re a man, you might want to look at the women’s style, which basically is the same thing but just a little bit narrower. So don’t worry about wide feet. We’ve been able to accommodate that. Now, if you have incredibly wide feet — and we have seen some surprisingly unusual-shape feet in the years that we’ve been selling sandles — you can get one of our do-it-yourself sandal-making kits. The soles in our kits come different sizes and lengths and widths, and they’re designed so that you can trim them to give yourself a perfect fit for whatever foot shape that you have. How do you make hiking sandals? For Xero Shoes, we have a relatively high-tech manufacturing process, especially for our Z-Trail sandals, which have a three-layer FeelLite sole. The high-tech materials let us make something ultra-ultra-lightweight, incredibly, incredibly flexible so it lets you have natural foot movement, but is still really protective, really durable, really comfortable. We bond three layers together. Our FeelTrue rubber is on the bottom surface for great grip and traction and durability. The middle layer we call TrailFoam, and that’s what evens out the bumps. It’s a force dispersion layer. And our top layer we call BareFoam. It has just a tiny amount of padding built into it that you would be surprised – it doesn’t seem like much when you feel it with your fingers, but when you put it on your foot, your foot reads that as, “Wow! That’s a lot of comfort and protection.” It also has this heel cup on the back to help keep your foot stable and centered, and also help keep debris out. We use tubular webbing and laces, so there are no edges that to dig into your skin. Then, we’ve developed exclusive hardware that lets you adjust the tension really, really quickly and easily and securely. Finally we have an adjustable heel strap so you can move your foot forward and backward and get just the perfect fit. How do they do in water or when wet? First of all, think about the comparison between hiking sandals and, say, hiking boots or trail-running shoes or shoes that you would wear for going on a hike. If you’re in boots or shoes and you get those things wet, it’s going to take forever for them to dry out. In fact, it can really, really damage your feet because when your feet are wet and they’re enclosed in something wet, you can get blisters and massive abrasion. If your feet stay wet long enough, your skin can start to slough off. I mean, it’s really, really horrible. So sandals give you the great advantage that you get in and out of the water and your feet dry off almost instantly. So that’s great news. We’ve made our Z-Trek and Z-Trail sandals with a nice grippy surface so that you get great traction. Now, there’s nothing that can prevent you from sliding in all situations. In fact, that’s sort of a fantasy people have, is they will have something that sticks in mud and sticks on ice and sticks on everything, but that’s just not reality. Frankly, the thing that keeps you stable — more than the surface of the shoe — is paying attention to your gait, paying attention to how you move your feet. If you’re placing your foot underneath your center of mass, underneath your body rather than reaching way out in front of your body to grab the ground and then pull towards you, you’re in a more stable position to begin with and you’re going to have less issue with sliding around at all. Xero Shoes customers include kayakers, paddleboarders, people who raft down rivers, fly fishermen—if you look on our website, you’ll see reviews from all of these people—who are loving the Z-Trek and the Z-Trail. The sport-sandal-style webbing is more secure compared to our huarache-style webbing. FOXes (Friends of Xero) are handling all sorts of terrain, wet and dry, without a problem in our Z-Trek and Z-Trail. Oh, one other thing about dealing with the water: If you compare the Xero Shoes especially the Z-Trail to, say, one of the familiar sport sandals from other companies like Chaco or Teva or Keen, the Z-Trail floats. If you’re not necessarily wearing the shoes but you have them just lying in a boat or sitting in a pack, you want to make sure they don’t sink to the bottom of whatever kind of water you’re in – river, lake, stream. They’ll just happily float which comes in really, really handy sometimes. Are these safe for toddlers? Are hiking sandals or Xero Shoes safe for toddlers? The answer is both yes and no-ish. The Yes is based on looking at how toddlers walk and run. They’re using their feet naturally. They run with amazingly perfect form almost all the time, until you start putting them in shoes. So to let them continue to use their feet naturally, to get that same barefoot experience but with a layer of protection and comfort, is a wonderful thing and I highly recommend it. The no-ish part is we’re currently not making sandals for toddlers. We’re not making our Z-Trail hiking sandal, for example, in a toddler size. What thousands have done, though, is get our do-it-yourself sandal-making kits and then lacing them up so they work well for toddlers. One thing about toddlers, they do tend to put a lot of friction on the bottom surface of a sandal, so if you’re going to make one of our do-it-yourself huarache kits, you’re going to want to use some flexible epoxy or what we sell as Shoe Goo and put that on the laces on the abrasion points on the bottom of the sandal and in the point just above the top of the sandal — the places where kids are going to generate a bunch of friction. That way, the laces will last longer. Are these for sale in the Philippines, Hawaii, or Costa Rica? Yes and no. As I mentioned in a previous video and in the article or above where we are now in the article, if you go to outdoor stores or running stores or climbing stores or even just department stores, you’ll find them. Check our list of stores to see if there’s somewhere near you, or just order online here. By the way, Hawaii has a great sandal culture, but they mostly wear flip-flops. And flip-flops are not good for hiking. You have to grip with your toes to hold them on you, to jam your foot in the thong, to hold them on your foot. They’re usually made of materials that are either too stiff or too heavy, or the exact opposite – too light and too flexible, that usually, not very durable. If you look at people who’ve worn flip-flops for a while, you’ll see that they’re often falling off one edge or the other because the foam has compressed in a way that’s now leading their foot to fall off one side, which makes their ankle out of whack, their knee out of whack, hips out of whack, back out of whack. So I don’t recommend flip-flops. We’ve gotten lots and lots of response from people wearing Xero Shoes who have taken these on hikes around the volcanoes in Hawaii. Our FeelTrue and FeelLite soles handle those volcano hikes wonderfully. Shop around and you’ll be able to find what you need and enjoy hiking, paddling, walking, strolling, hanging on a beach and anything else when you’re in places like Hawaii, Costa Rica, Philippines, Singapore. Which Xero Shoe is the best type of hiking sandal? This is not a simple question because people use all of our products for everything from taking a walk to going shopping, to hanging out in an urban jungle like New York City, to climbing mountain trails, to running a 256K race across Madagascar over dirt and mud and streams and rocks and everything in between. How much protection do you want versus how much of a barefoot feel do you want? We have products on both ends of that spectrum. Our 4mm Connect do-it-yourself kit is the closest thing you’ll get to barefoot. In our ready-to-wear products, the Cloud for Men or Women is super lightweight and just like being barefoot, but with a layer of protection and comfort. The huarache style, in a way, feels like you have nothing on your foot. It feels the most like barefoot, the most free, because you’ve just got this little bit of lace that’s holding it on your foot. Now, some people think that’s not secure. I can assure you that it is. We have lots of customers who’ve run ultra marathons in the huarache style. This sandal-tying style, the basics of it, is over 5000 years old and works surprisingly well. It’s all you need to hold a sole onto your foot, is that little sort of three-point lacing system just like that. The sport-sandal style, on the other hand, feels like someone has just replaced the sole of your foot with a tire tread. Because of the webbing, it has more surface area, so it feels more secure but you also feel more. There are good reasons to go for the most minimalist shoe you can get away with. You have more nerve endings on the bottom of your feet than anywhere but your fingers and your lips, and that’s not an accident. Your feet are designed to feel what’s underneath you. That helps for balance and agility, and also just knowing if you just stepped on something good or bad, dangerous or safe. And so if you want a real serious barefoot feel, again, you’ll find that with our 4mm Connect make your own huarache sandal kits. The kit is just a 4-millimeter FeelTrue® rubber outsole with lacing. You can actually lace them up in one of hundreds of different styles; making something ultra-ultra-minimalist or really night-on-the-town fashion-forward. You get a just-like-barefoot feel with a layer of protection. Some people want more protection than that and one option is still in our do-it-yourself kit: the 6mm Contact sole. The 6mm version gives you more protection but still great ground feel. If you don’t want to make your own sandals and still want a huarache style, take a look at our 5.5-millimeter ready-to-wear product we call the Genesis. The Genesis has our FeelTrue sole with our patented huarache-style lacing system. So that’s going to give you slightly more protection but still obviously really, really flexible, great ground feel. If you want something a little more comfortable and not necessarily as trail-friendly, then we look at the Cloud. The Cloud is actually just like the Venture except we’ve taken 3 millimeters out of the forefoot, just kind of dug a little trench, and replaced that with our BareFoam™ that gives you this tiny bit of cushioning. So it feels exceptionally comfortable and is ridiculously lightweight. So if you want to use this just as a camp shoe, the end of a day after you pull off your hiking-boot Xero Shoes and you just need something to get around the campsite, this is a great product. By the way, it also floats. So, really, really, comfortable, not quite as trail-friendly as the Venture. Maybe the ultimate camp shoe is our new Jessie sandal for women. . Super lightweight, super comfy, and it even looks good after you finish your hike and head out on the town with friends. Then, if we get into the sport sandals, check out our Z-Trek. The Z-Trek and the Genesis have same sole – 5-1/2 to 6 millimeters of our FeelTrue rubber, just this one was with the sport-sandal style. I like to say that when you’re wearing the Z-Trek, again, it feels like someone’s just replaced the sole of your foot with a tire tread. Really great natural movement; really, really flexible; really, really comfortable. Again, a great camp sandal because it takes up very little room. A men’s size 9, weighs about 6.4 ounces. And for some people, they say, “Well, that’s heavy for a camp shoe.” But when you consider everything you can do in it compared to the really lightweight stuff and how little room it takes up, I mean it packs and rolls flat, then the value is a whole different story. Our newest product, the Z-Trail. The Z-Trail uses our triple-layer FeelLite™ sole. This weighs 20% less than our Z-Trek because we’ve made this with a high-tech foam that we’ve specially developed to provide really great comfort, great durability, great force dispersion, great traction, great protection. It’s an incredible combination of features. It has our FeelTrue rubber on the abrasion points, on the bottom; it has our TrailFoam in the middle for force dispersion; and our BareFoam, which gives you just the tiniest bit of cushioning. A men’s size 9 in the Z-Trail weighs only 5.4 ounces. In fact, three pairs of the Z-Trail weigh less than one pair of this familiar hiking sandal. So, for people who want more protection, less barefoot feel, I highly recommend the Z-Trail. In fact, if you look at the reviews on our website, you’ll see the people who have tried all of our products just raving about the Z-Trail because of the level of comfort, the level of protection, but still flexible enough to give you great natural movement as well, let your foot really bend and flex. We have one customer in fact, he’s a hundred-mile trail ultramarathoner and for him the Z-Trek is just not enough protection. The Z-Trail, that FeelLite sole, gives him all the protection that he needs. So hopefully that gives you some advice on what Xero Shoes you’d like to wear. And if you have any questions, obviously, just a drop us a line. We’re happy to help. We just want to see you getting out there and Feeling the Freedom, Feeling the Fun, and Feeling the World with Xero Shoes. How do you wear a pair of Xero Shoes? Slide ’em on and #FeelRealFun. Actually, check out this page for instructions on adjusting your Xero Shoes for a proper fit. More important than how you wear them, it’s where you wear them. And the answer for that is, anywhere you can think of. Just enjoy. We have people who are doing everything from walking and running to skydiving, Crossfit, kayaking, paddling, standup paddle boarding, even yoga. some people refer to these as a portable yoga mat that everywhere you go you have a yoga mat right underneath your feet, and there are some great videos of people doing yoga in Xero Shoes in these beautiful, beautiful natural environments. I hope that’s helpful. I can’t wait to hear what you experience with your hikes and your travels, and I hope you decide to Live Life Feet First in Xero Shoes.

2019-04-22T07:05:09Z

https://xeroshoes.com/sandals/hiking/

Clinton v. Sanders: Democrats, Please Do Your Homework! I supported Obama in the last two presidential cycles and I support Sanders now. I have spent weeks pouring over numerous articles, studies, blogs, etc. on my laptop while watching the debates and related coverage on TV. Much of my time has been devoted to carefully comparing the positions and actions of Clinton and Sanders with respect to issues relating to foreign policy, the environment, Wall Street reform, social security, health care, money in politics, violence, racism, etc. Below is a summary of my findings thus far. During this election cycle, voters across the political spectrum are saying two things loud and clear: (1) we’re angry that the political system is rigged in favor of those with wealth and influence, and (2) we don’t trust establishment politicians to fix #1. There’s also a weariness of politicians doing whatever it takes to retain power or line their own pockets, including flip-flopping on issues, pandering, using smear tactics, misrepresentations, fear mongering, and accepting huge sums of money from powerful interest groups to gain a political edge. More voters are yearning for politicians to explain — in easy to understand language — what they believe in and why, and then back it up with actions that demonstrate that they are working on behalf of the wider public. On many important issues, it’s difficult to pin down Clinton’s position, as it tends to “evolve” over time or is sufficiently vague to be interpreted several ways. In contrast, with the exception of domestic gun control, Sanders has been remarkably consistent and clear in his positions over the years. On gun control, some of Sanders’ past votes can only be explained as pandering to his largely rural constituency in Vermont. As a “progressive,” I do not find that to be an acceptable rationale. In contrast Clinton has been more consistent than Sanders on the domestic gun control issue, although she has evolved on whether there should be a national gun registry. In her 2000 Senate campaign, she forcefully advocated for a national gun registry, but during the 2008 Democratic primary, she backed off from that position. If one expands the guns and violence issue beyond U.S borders, Clinton has a very different record. The International Business Times, reported that as Secretary of State, “Clinton not only rubber-stamped major weapons deals with 20 countries that donated to her and her husband’s philanthropic arm, the Clinton Foundation, but she also approved nearly double the amount of arms sales to those same countries as the State Department of George W. Bush’s second term. She approved a $29 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia, a country which Human Rights Watch criticizes for violently oppressing women. At a press conference announcing the deal, Assistant Secretary of State Andrew Shapiro declared that the deal had been “a top priority” for Clinton personally. The U.S accounts for well over 50 percent of the global arms market, or about five times as much as Russia. The IBT reports that Sanders has never advocated for major weapons deals to Saudi Arabia or any warmongering country. During the current presidential campaign, Hillary says, “that as president, she would aim to make the United States the world’s clean energy superpower.” Her campaign website provides a number of somewhat vague pledges. There is no mention of fracking, nor any mention of a carbon tax or a cap and trade policy for greenhouse gas emissions, although many economists, environmentalists, and business leaders have argued that a carbon tax or a cap and trade policy are essential for a fair, swift, and efficient transition to renewable energy. Hillary is basically espousing the same approach pursued by the Obama administration. As best I can tell from her various positions over time, she has avoided taking a firm position on fracking, except saying recently she would like to ban fracking on public lands with some conditions and she believes “natural gas can play an important bridge role in the transition to a cleaner energy economy.” On both Keystone pipeline and Arctic drilling, Hillary was for it before she was against it. Sanders consistently opposed Keystone and Arctic drilling. He has called for a ban on all fracking, something that several states and nations have already done. Sanders and Senator Boxer introduced carbon tax legislation, and Bernie has sponsored legislation to require fracking companies disclose all chemicals used in fracking and to eliminate fracking’s special exemption from the Clean Water Act (the so-called “Halliburton loophole”). Clinton expressed support for the death penalty when she ran for the Senate in 2000. At a 2015 campaign event in New Hampshire, Clinton was asked whether she supports abolishing the death penalty. According to a New York Times reporter at the event, Clinton answered, “We have a lot of evidence now that the death penalty has been too frequently applied, and too often in a discriminatory way. So I think we have to take a hard look at it.” She went on to say, “I do not favor abolishing it, however, because I do think there are certain egregious cases that still deserve the consideration of the death penalty, but I’d like to see those be very limited and rare, as opposed to what we’ve seen in most states.” In a 2015 speech on the Senate floor, Sanders said, “When we talk about criminal justice reform, I believe it is time for the United States of America to join almost every other Western, industrialized country on earth in saying no to the death penalty.” That has been Sanders’ position for many years. Having any difficulty understanding where Sanders stands on this issue? How about Clinton? Public support for the death penalty has been declining since the mid-90s. Will Clinton “evolve” on this issue? I’m unable to find any pre-2015 public comments from Clinton regarding the “symbol of hate,” including during the period she lived in Arkansas. What I do know is that then Governor Bill Clinton signed a law which designated a portion of the Arkansas flag to commemorate the Confederate States of America. Specifically, “The blue star above the word “ARKANSAS” is to commemorate the Confederate States of America.” Moreover, Arkansas celebrates a “Confederate Flag Day” every year, including the eight years that Bill was Governor. During the 1992 presidential race, the Confederate flag was present on some Clinton/Gore campaign buttons. It is hard to determine whether the buttons were “official” campaign buttons, but I don’t find any public statements from the campaign distancing itself from the buttons. Apparently a Republican Florida Governor was able to “evolve” much sooner than Clinton, and it didn’t take a widely-covered horrific shooting to prompt the evolution. At the very least, Clinton should be pressed to explain why it took a horrific shooting for the Clintons to conclude that the flag is a symbol of racism, and how this obvious departure from years of tacit approval of the flag squares with Clinton’s “long-held values and principles,” which she refers to constantly on the campaign trail. Even long-time Clinton supporter Paul Begala said in an interview last year that Hillary Clinton “absolutely” has to answer for her history with the Confederate flag. Still waiting. The Affordable Care Act was a step forward. The number of uninsured Americans has fallen by an estimated 15-17 million since 2013. Yet, about 40 million Americans still do not have health insurance. Moreover, a recent New York Times//Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 20 percent of people under age 65 with health insurance reported problems paying their medical bills over the last year. While the ACA required insurance plans to be more comprehensive, it did not reverse the insurance trend that began in the 1990s of requiring that customers pay an increasing share of their bills out of pocket through rising deductibles and co-payments. There are some that believe that the ACA actually encouraged increases in deductibles. The AJPH article points to evidence that U.S. health spending is at a point where further expenditures on per capita medical care could actually produce worse health. As a possible explanation for our nation’s “dismal performance,” the article points to research at Yale that shows, “the United States spends by far the most on a per person basis on medical care while spending nearly the least on a per person basis on nonmedical social service spending such as education, day care, job training, housing support, nutritional assistance, and more. Focusing less on medical care on more on needs relating to the social determinants of health seems to help produce more beneficial population health outcomes than our nation’s prioritization on the reverse. A major reason our health care is so expensive is that Americans pay more for medical products and services than people living in most other countries. Often much more. In January 2014, Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein wrote that an MRI costs, on average, $1,121 in the United States and $363 in France, and that an appendectomy costs $3,676 in the United States and $606 in Canada. A bottle of Nexium – a common acid reflux drug – costs $202 in the United States and $32 in Britain. Klein contends that the reason we pay more is because individual insurance companies don’t have the leverage to negotiate better prices. In contrast, insurance companies in Switzerland don’t negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer. The Swiss government simply sets its drug prices and lets Pfizer decide whether to sell in Switzerland – or not. In the U.S. payers are fragmented while in other countries they are unified even if they have many insurers. According to Klein, that leaves us with the worst of both approaches: “Prices aren’t set by the market, but they also aren’t set by the government. Consequently, Medicare’s negotiating power is weakened by the threat that drug companies or hospitals will opt to do business only with higher-paying private insurers. We simultaneously miss out on the efficiency of a purely private system and on the savings of a purely public one. What is Bernie’s Single Payer Health Care Plan (Medicare for all)? Bernie has proposed expanding Medicare so that it’s available to all Americans from birth to grave. Through tax revenue (employer payroll taxes and income taxes weighted toward the wealthy), the government would provide all the funding for health care costs (aka single payer) for all Americans. Private health insurers would no longer be needed unless there is demand from wealthier individuals to purchase supplemental coverage for services that wouldn’t and shouldn’t be covered under an expanded Medicare program (e.g., penthouse hospital rooms or cosmetic procedures). Because all Americans would be covered, existing programs like Medicaid and CHIP for the poor and Medicare for seniors and the disabled would no longer be needed. All healthcare services would continue to be provided by the private for-profit and non-profit sectors. Patients can keep their same health care providers or switch to new ones. Every citizen would carry a single Medicare-for-All card which would be used everywhere in the country. Public polls over the years have shown support for single payer. Even after the contentious ACA debate several years ago and the current campaign rhetoric, a recent poll showed nearly 80 percent support among Democrats and about 25 percent support among Republicans. For years, a number of political leaders, including Obama before he became president, and organizations have called for a universal single payer system in the U.S. Three such organizations are the 185,000-member U.S. Nursing Association, the Business Coalition for Single Payer Healthcare, and Physicians for a National Health Program. According to BCSPH, over 60 percent of small business CEOs support single payer, but they find it difficult to get their business associations to support it because they have health care and insurance members or they often sell employee insurance to their members. Below are some of the reasons people have advocated for a universal single payer program. There are various ways to fund such a single payer program. Sanders starts from the premise that in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, health care should be a human right not a privilege The Sanders plan would fund his program with an employer 6.2% payroll tax (employers currently pay a 1.45 percent payroll tax for Medicare), a 2.2 percent income-based premium on household income over $28,800 (employees currently pay a 1.45 percent payroll tax for Medicare), progressively higher personal marginal tax rates on income over $250,000, taxing capital gains and dividends the same as income from work, limiting tax deductions on households making over $250,000, raise estate taxes on the wealthiest 0.3 percent of Americans who inherit over $3.5 million, and eliminating certain tax breaks. There would be no co-pays or deductibles. All Americans will have access to health care. The Sanders plan includes the entire continuum of health care, including inpatient and outpatient care; preventative to emergency care; primary care to specialty care, including long-term and palliative care; vision, hearing and oral health care; mental health and substance abuse services; as well as prescription medications, medical equipment, supplies, diagnostics and treatments. Patients will be able to choose a health care provider without worrying about whether the health care provider and facility is in-network and will get the care they need without having to read fine print trying to figure out how they can afford out-of-pocket costs. No more fighting with insurance companies when they fail to pay for charges. Without co-payments and deductibles, sick people and their families will no longer have the added stress of worrying how to pay for care. Citizens and businesses will benefit from the freedom and predictability that comes from finally separating health insurance from employment. People would be able to start new businesses, stay home with their children or an ailing parent or leave jobs they don’t like knowing that they would still have health coverage for themselves and their families. Employers could be free to focus on running their business rather than spending time figuring out how to provide health insurance to their employees. For workers and businesses, the annual health care renewal nightmare would be gone. For health care providers, much less time and resources would be needed to obtain authorization and reimbursement for services and products. One payer means one set of forms and one set of procedures for authorizations and payments. Also, under the Sanders plan, there would be no need for providers to collect co-pays and deductibles. Almost immediately, overall healthcare costs will go down. First, the insurance company bureaucracy consumes between 17 percent and 31 percent of health care costs without providing any direct patient care (estimates vary by source). These costs go toward marketing costs, broker commissions, large executive salaries, utilization review (gatekeepers between the doctor and patient), actuarial costs, shareholder profits, costs of administering scores of plans and coverages in the 1,500 U.S. insurance companies, lobbying costs, and campaign contributions. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, administrative costs for the existing Medicare program are about 2 percent of operating expenses. Therefore, reducing administrative costs alone would lower health care spending between 15 percent and 29 percent. Second, with only the federal government to bargain with, pharmaceuticals, medical device makers, and health care providers will be forced to bring U.S. pricing more in line with prices in other industrialized nations. According to the Sanders’ website, businesses that currently provide health insurance to their employees would have an average net savings of over $9,000 per year per employee. The typical middle class family would save over $5,000 per year in health care costs. Who losses with single payer? Clearly insurance companies and brokers because they are out of the picture. Pharmaceuticals would make lower profits. Health care clinics and hospitals may get paid less on average, but their overhead costs will be lower and the health care providers will have more time to actually provide care to patients. Businesses that don’t currently provide health insurance to their employees will certainly pay more because of the mandatory payroll tax on all employers, but most that offer health care to their employees will pay less. This levels the playing field across all employers like we currently do with Medicare payroll taxes. Where Does Clinton Stand on Single Payer? Defend the Affordable Care Act and build on it to slow growth of out-of-pocket costs. Crack down on rising prescription drug prices and hold drug companies accountable so they get ahead by investing in research, not jacking up costs. That’s it! Just trust. She will defend, crack down, protect, and work. More recently, Clinton and her daughter Chelsea have used mischaracterizations (aka fear-mongering) of the Sanders plan to drum up opposition to his plan and support for Clinton’s non-plan health plan. Clinton has claimed that Sanders’ plan, which relies on states to administer the single payer plan, would turn “over your and my health insurance to governors,” This argument has two layers of absurdity, First, it’s not true. If a governor chose not to participate, coverage would be provided by the feds. Second, it’s actually the Clinton-backed status quo under the ACA that is allowing governors to pick and choose who to cover. In recent debates and interviews she has gone back to the politically unfeasible argument and added the always favorite Republican scare tactic about raising taxes on the middle class. While technically true, it’s more than a bit disingenuous not to mention that certain current costs would go away, especially when it appears that many middle class families could end up with more money in their pockets. Chelsea was out telling crowds in Iowa that the Sanders plan would take away Medicare coverage for old folks and Medicaid coverage for poor families. Yes, technically, those separate programs to go away, but what part of “Medicare for all” is hard to understand? Clinton’s latest attacks are that Sanders doesn’t show us his plan and the “the numbers don’t add up.” This second line of attack seems to contradict the first. If there was no Sanders plan, how are they determining that the numbers don’t add up? He does have a very serious and detailed plan, and he is even authored legislation for single payer on several occasions. It’s much more detailed and serious than Clinton’s defend-crack down-protect-work babble that she’s proposed. The Cintons have never offered a substantive policy argument against single payer. It’s pretty widely acknowledged that single payer like Sanders proposes would lower overall health care spending and cover everyone. In fact, Clinton herself seemed to advocate for it behind closed doors and before many millions of dollars started pouring in from the drug and insurance companies. Since they can’t debate single payer on its merits, the Clintons (all three of them) have resorted to fear mongering, mischaracterizations, half-truths and deception. Perhaps some of the numbers in the Sanders plan are too optimistic, but then let’s have an honest discussion about they need to be tweaked so that we provide truly universal coverage at less cost. Also, perhaps single payer would be more politically feasible if our politicians didn’t take money from the powerful interests opposed to it and so-called liberals like Clinton stopped using fear mongering and mischaracterization tactics. We already get enough of that from the Republicans. At a October 2015 New Hampshire event, Clinton did not categorically rule out Social Security benefit cuts or raising the retirement age, and she declined to endorse an across-the-board expansion of benefits. Clinton said, “If there were a way to raise the retirement age that would not penalize or punish laborers and factory workers and long distance truck drivers and people who really are ready for retirement at a much earlier age, I would consider it. But I have yet to find any recommendation that I would think would be suitable.” She went on to state, “I would look at raising the [payroll tax] cap,” but she did not endorse it saying she did not want to increase the tax burden on middle class families. At her campaign website, Clinton provides little more clarity regarding her position on Social Security other than to say she will fight off Republican attacks and ask the “highest-income Americans to pay more.” That’s it! Fight and ask. In January 2016, Hillary promised–via a tweet–not to cut social security benefits. At a recent nationally televised town hall, Clinton seemed to rule out raising the retirement age, although she also seemed to suggest that it could be a possibility for certain workers with longer life expectancy. Bernie introduced legislation in early 2015 “to lift the cap so that everyone who makes over $250,000 pays the same percentage of their income into Social Security as the middle class and working families.” The Sanders’ website claims that the Sanders’ Social Security Expansion Act would extend the solvency of Social Security for the next 50 years and increase Social Security benefits by about $65 a month for most recipients. Sanders has consistently stated that he would not cut Social Security benefits nor raise the retirement age. In January of this year, The New York Times endorsed expanding Social Security benefits. Progressive groups became encouraged that the tide seems to have shifted away from cutting benefits to expanding benefits. On an issue that affects all Americans, is it too much to ask that Clinton be more specific and consistent regarding Social Security? What changed between October 2015 and January 2016 to cause Hillary to reconsider taking a firm stand on benefit cuts? If you are a nurse, fast food worker, salesman, short distance truck driver, hair stylist, postal worker, teacher, etc., how confident are you that you would be exempt from an increase in the retirement age under a plan that Hillary is open to “considering”? Is it possible that union/corporate support and campaign donations could influence Clinton’s worker exemption criteria? If you are like my mother and millions of other seniors who rely on Social Security for food and shelter, which Democrat candidate do you want representing you in budget negotiations with Republicans? Exhibit A for many voters’ anger and distrust of establishment politicians is the financial crisis and Great Recession, which led to millions of foreclosed homes, lost jobs, and shrinking retirement funds. Minority communities and low and middle income families were especially hard hit. Taxpayer funds helped rescue Wall Street firms and may have prevented the crisis from getting even worse. Factors contributing to the financial crisis, include greed, fraud, deregulation, and lax regulatory oversight. Despite evidence that Wall Street greed and fraud contributed to the crisis, no Wall Street executives have served prison time because the Obama Administration decided not to pursue criminal charges. For many of us, not holding top executives personally accountable for criminal actions is a terrible signal to send to big banks and a disgraceful example of inequities in our justice system, particularly at a time when many people are locked up for such things as possessing marijuana. After the Great Depression, President Roosevelt signed the Glass-Steagall Act, which introduced banking reforms designed to prevent consolidation of commercial banks, investment banks, mortgage lenders, securities traders, and insurance companies. The Act also imposed regulation on speculative trading by banks. In 1999, President Clinton signed a law that repealed the Glass-Steagall Act. Wall Street banks were thrilled and went on a merger binge with investment banks, insurance companies, and mortgage lenders. Following the financial crisis, President Obama signed the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law. Proponents believe it creates the necessary safeguards to prevent another large-scale financial crisis. Skeptics argue it helps some, but does not go nearly far enough and suspect it was watered down due to pressure from Wall Street. The big U.S. banks are now five times as large relative to the size of the U.S. economy as the biggest banks were in the 1980s. What are the two Democratic candidates saying about Wall Street? Sanders consistently makes Wall Street and the influence of money in politics major themes in his campaign. Sanders was one of only 57 members of the House that voted against the bill that repealed Glass Steagall. Sanders voted for the Dodd-Frank Bill, but argues in favor of going further and breaking up the big banks under the slogan: “If a bank is too big to fail, it’s too big to exist.” Bernie has pledged to break up the too-big-to-fail banks within one year of becoming President, and he advocates for reinstating the Glass-Steagall Act. In response to Sanders’ insistence that Clinton explain to voters why they shouldn’t be concerned about her ties to Wall Street, Clinton essentially dismisses/dodges the issue by saying that Bernie “is just a single-issue candidate.” The Clintons have received many millions of dollars from Wall Street in the forms of donations and speaking fees. Many of Clinton’s closest aides held high positions on Wall Street. In a February 2016 piece for billmoyers.com titled “Elizabeth Warren Recalls a Time When Big Donors May Have Changed Hillary’s Vote,” John Light describes a 2004 interview with Bill Moyers where Warren strongly implied that donations from Wall Street influenced then Senator Clinton’s decision to vote for legislation to tighten bankruptcy laws. Wall Street pushed hard for this legislation. Warren feared it would hurt single mothers the most. Clinton was not a U.S. Senator when Glass-Steagall was repealed and Dodd-Frank was passed. Her campaign website says she will fight off Republican attempts to weaken Dodd-Frank and it contains a lot of vague, tough talk, but it does not call for breaking up the big banks or reinstating Glass-Steagall. In a recent interview, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari tells NPR’s Steve Inskeep that despite changes to Wall Street made as part of the Dodd-Frank law, big banks are too big to fail. “If there were another crisis and banks ran into trouble, I’m afraid that taxpayers would have to step in again and bail out these banks. So we have not solved that problem, and we need to.” He then compares these big banks to nuclear reactors saying, “If a nuclear reactor melts down, it’s truly devastating for society. Given that cost, governments will do whatever they have to try to stabilize the reactor before it melts down. These stark warnings come from a man who worked on Wall Street and the Treasury Department, and was once a Republican candidate for governor of California. Clinton, what part of “too-big-to-fail-too-big-to-exist” do you find objectionable and why? Also, why must we wait until you are president before you “will work to end conflicts of interest in government”? I know this may sound radical, but have you considered leading by example now? In my view, it is wrong to consider “foreign policy” views and priorities as though they’re somehow separate from “domestic policy” issues and priorities. Besides the intended and unintended human suffering of lives lost, injuries, and civilians fleeing war zones, wars cost a lot of money to prosecute and to properly care for decades for the wounded soldiers and their families (the Iraq War has cost trillions of dollars). Every dollar spent on war-making, is a dollar less to spend on education, healthcare, renewable energy, eldercare, etc., or to provide tax cuts to Americans falling behind in today’s economy. As Pope Francis often reminds, a nation’s budget is a moral statement of the nation’s priorities. A number of articles written by “progressives” and others have called Clinton a “hawk” or a “neocon” with respect to military and foreign policy. The most obvious example cited is her vote authorizing the Iraq War. In contrast, Sanders voted against authorization at a time when the majority of Americans supported invading Iraq. Unfortunately, all of Sanders’ publicly articulated reasons for voting against authorization came to pass. Clinton and Sanders had access to the same information prior to casting their votes, but Bernie’s judgment proved far superior. Clinton has since called her vote “a mistake.” It proved to be a colossal “mistake” by any measure, but she does deserve some credit for doing something few politicians ever do–admit a mistake. While we all make mistakes, in the political arena, voters should assess whether a politician has learned from past mistakes. Unfortunately, in my view, Clinton’s record since the Iraq “mistake” can only lead to one of two disturbing conclusions: 1) Hillary has not learned from the Iraq “mistake” or 2) the “mistake” was not really a “mistake.” I suggest that either explanation should disqualify her from being our Commander in Chief, as well as dispel any notion that she is “progressive” by any stretch on foreign policy matters. In an August 2014 article for the Washington Post titled “Everyone suddenly remembers that Hillary Clinton is a foreign policy hawk,” Paul Waldman writes that from her backing a bold escalation of the Afghanistan war, to pressing Obama to arm the Syrian rebels and later endorsing airstrikes against Assad, to backing intervention in Libya, to backing the expansion of lethal drone strikes, to refusing to place any blame on Israel for the Palestinian conflict, Hillary has consistently taken a militaristic/hawkish position as secretary of state. Let’s look at who appears to have Hillary’s ear on military and foreign policy matters. Hillary’s 2008 presidential campaign received more money from U.S. defense contractors than any other candidate, including Republican candidates. As noted elsewhere, the Clintons also have substantial ties to the fossil fuel industry, an industry that has had a prominent seat at the U.S. foreign policy shaping table for many decades. Rachel Maddow at MSNBC and others have proven that oil was the principal reason for our invasion of Iraq. But what about WMDs, removing a brutal dictator, and spreading democracy throughout the Middle East? Nope. Oil. How shocking! Clinton’s proud declaration during a nationally televised debate that she takes foreign policy advice from Henry Kissinger may have gone unnoticed by millennials, but for “progressives” who are old enough to remember the Nixon/Kissinger years, advice from Kissinger is downright frightening. Certainly not a badge of honor. Let’s take a walk down memory lane with the man whom supported the Iraq War and the late Christopher Hitchens called a war criminal in his detailed book titled The Trial of Henry Kissinger. It has been well documented that Former Secretary of State Kissinger has his fingerprints on a long list of slimy covert operations, rigged elections, and brutal dictatorships across the world, including but by no means limited to, brutal regimes and death squads in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Iran, and Greece. While it’s appropriate and often wise to seek advice from people with various perspectives, Hillary’s gleeful association with Kissinger has yet to be followed up with a name of a non-establishment progressive that might provide a counterbalance to Kissinger. There are reports that Hillary also receives foreign policy advice from the consulting firm Beacon Global Strategies, which appears to be comprised of former CIA and Defense Department officials and past Clinton aides. While BGS’s client list is somewhat unclear, there are reports that BGS also provides advice to defense contractors and the Rubio and Cruz presidential campaigns. Put me in the highly skeptical column on whether BGS is providing an effective counterbalance to the Kissinger worldview. Unfortunately, the horrific situation in Honduras suggests that Clinton has been an astute student of the Kissinger worldview. In a June 2015 article in salon.com, writer Matthew Pulver chronicles how Hillary’s fingerprints are all over the 2009 military coup in Honduras that ousted democratically elected President Zelaya. As is often the case with Clinton, the Honduran case involves a web of longtime Clinton family aides and financial ties to business interests. Since the coup, the country’s oligarchs have prospered while 65 percent of the population lives in poverty and tens of thousands of Hondurans are fleeing the country because of rampant violence. The country has the highest murder rate in the world. In public comments, Hillary suggests that drug trafficking is to blame for the mass violence in Honduras. While drug trafficking appears to be a problem, it is also the case that crime spiked following the 2009 coup and that various international groups attribute much of the violence to waves of oppression by the police and military, including murders and kidnappings of journalists, academics, and civil rights activists. Clinton has often argued for, rather than against, increases in military spending. While most Democrats were outraged in 2007 over George W. Bush’s increase in military spending, Clinton argued that more military spending was needed. She also fought to restore funding for the few weapon systems that Bush did agree to cut during budget negotiations. In 1994, President Clinton codified the Cuban embargo. In 2000, when she was running for Senate, and in 2008, when she was running for the Democratic nomination, Clinton was a staunch supporter of the embargo. In July 2015, Clinton announced in South Florida that if elected president, she will put an end to the embargo. For years, Bernie has advocated for lifting the embargo. In 1991, almost 90 percent of Cuban-Americans supported the embargo, but now only about 40 percent support the embargo. Are you feeling at all confident that Hillary has learned from her Iraq War “mistake”? Many of us are also disgusted with do-whatever-it-takes-to-win politics, often rationalized as the ends justify the means in a battle of good versus evil. We are told that politics is a rough and tumble sport and if you want to win you’re going to have to get dirty. The Clinton campaign uses this as an argument for why Democrats should nominate Clinton. The narrative goes something like, Clinton has had a lot of dirt thrown her way over the years, but she has proven she can bounce back and “fight.” I suggest that “fight” is a euphemism for a willingness to get as sleazy as needed. Of course Sanders would not know how engage in such a fight and he would buckle once the Republican dirt is thrown at him. I’m amazed at how quickly many of us forget the sleazy things the Clinton campaign said and did in the 2007/2008 campaign against Obama. Some of these tactics are resurfacing in the current campaign. First, let’s take a walk down memory lane. Be careful, it’s slimy. Clinton even attacked Obama for having served on the board of the Chicago anti-poverty group known as Woods Fund at the same time as former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers. Ayers has never been convicted of a crime and is now a distinguished professor of education at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Ironically, the Clintons invited Rev. Wright to the White House as a spiritual advisor and it was President Clinton who pardoned Ayers’ wife and a fellow Weather Underground activist. The Washington Post and other news sources have reported that evidence proves the whole Obama birther kerfuffle originated in the Clinton campaign. It began to take root with a now public 2007 strategy memo from Clinton campaign’s chief strategist Mark Penn. In the memo, Penn proposed “targeting Obama’s lack of American roots.” According to Penn’s memo, “His roots to basic American values and culture are at best limited. I cannot imagine America electing a president during a time of war who is not at his core fundamentally American in his thinking and his values.” Penn then goes on to suggest a number of tactics to drive this point home with voters, including advising Clinton to remind voters that she was “born in the middle of America.” While Penn cautioned against being too obvious, it didn’t stop Clinton and her zealous staff from going full frontal. There are many examples of how the troops carried out their orders, but here are few. Emails from her campaign and supporters questioned Obama’s birthplace and religion. Clinton staffers circulated a photo of Obama wearing a turban while on a trip to Africa. Clinton herself used a 60 Minutes interview to further stoke these lies. Clinton told Steve Kroft Obama is not a Muslim “as far as I know.” Obama’s campaign manager David Plouffe described the Clinton tactics “shameful, offensive fear-mongering.” Soon after, Clinton campaign manager Maggie Williams accused Obama of “trying to distract from the serious issues” of the campaign and being divisive. Obama had to spend much of the nomination and general campaigns stressing he is Christian and did not study at a madrassa. Penn’s strategy seemed to be working to perfection. During the first 45 minutes of a nationally-televised debate just prior to the Pennsylvania primary, not a single substantive policy issue was asked. Instead the focus was regarding Obama’s patriotism because of his failure to wear a flag lapel pin and similar efforts to portray him in a negative light. In just a few months, polls showed Obama’s negative ratings going from 8 percent to 42 percent. A mailing sent to New Hampshire residents claimed that Obama wasn’t really committed to abortion rights because he’d voted “present” on some abortion related legislative votes. New England Planned Parenthood’s Board Chair strongly refuted Clinton’s letter, pointing out that Obama had a 100 percent record on all the votes that really mattered. There were several unsuccessful attempts by Clinton surrogates to confuse voters into thinking that Obama wasn’t really against the Iraq War. The Clinton campaign and surrogates tried repeatedly to make “Obama’s early drug use” an issue in the campaign—despite his having addressed it directly and frankly in his book Dreams From My Father. FYI, he never claimed not to inhale. There were several instances where it appeared the Clinton campaign engaged in voter suppression tactics. One such attempt in Nevada was shut down by a judge. There were numerous credible reports that the Clinton campaign engaged in push polling during the campaign. Push polling is an underhanded attempt to influence or alter the view of voters under the guise of conducting a legitimate It’s usually done by framing the questions in a way that casts a favorable impression on the favored candidate and a negative impression on the opponent, often by distorting the opponent’s positions on issues. In this campaign, Clinton brought David Brock on board as a strategist. Brock is a well-known mudslinger in American politics. He once worked as an operative for right wing politicians and causes, but in recent years he has helped the Clintons and some other liberals. A spokesman for the Sander’s campaign described Brock as “one of the worst practitioners in the dark arts of dirty politics.” Brock is best known for a magazine article and book he wrote attacking Anita Hill’s character and raising doubts about the veracity of her accusations during the contentious Clarence Thomas nomination hearing. Hill was a distinguished African American professor. Nice hire, Clinton! Because Sanders’ Whiteness, Jewishness, and birthplace appear indisputable, these cards will be a bit trickier to play, but let’s see what’s happened so far. The thrust has been implying and overtly stating that Sanders is sexist and his supporters are largely sexist men. I will cover just one of the sexism cards played by team Clinton. Several weeks ago, it was widely reported that Sanders online supporters were largely a mob of crude, angry, young, sexist, males. These supporters were being dubbed “Bernie Bros.” Within hours, Clinton and her surrogates were using this handy pro-Clinton smear throughout the media outlets and applying it to anyone who spoke ill of Clinton. It was so widely covered that Sanders felt compelled to announce that he doesn’t condone crude, sexist statements and behavior. However, as time went on, the handy Bernie Bros narrative was proven to be a myth. First, the polls and the Iowa caucus showed that Sanders’ support extended well beyond young males. Second, Glen Greenwald and others starting doing some actual investigative reporting to determine the origins of this narrative. According to Greenwald, the Bernie Bros narrative began with a Mashable article “that cited a grand total of two examples, both from random, unknown internet users.” The first was a response to a Facebook post by Clinton supporter Senator Jeanne Shaheen from New Hamphsire. As Greenwald points out, it’s written by a woman, not a man, and while the woman uses the term “lying shitbag,” (not particularly unusual in online debates over politics) there was nothing remotely sexist in the response. The other example cited in the Mashable article and repeated by other media outlets originated from New Yorker TV critic (and Clinton supporter) Emily Nussbaum, who claims she was called a “psycho” by the “Feel the Bern crew.” Finally, the smoking gun that proves the Bernie Bro narrative is true! Nope. As Greenwald reports, it turns out the person who called her a “psycho” is a right-wing Tea Party supporter writing under a fake Twitter account – not remotely a Sanders supporter. In 2008, economist Paul Krugman (a Clinton supporter) used this same tactic on behalf of the Clinton campaign by claiming that Obama supporters were particularly venomous and cult-like. This time around, Krugman was one of the first high-profile Clinton supporters to spin the Bernie Bro myth. Media critic, Adam Johnson describes how team Clinton manufactured this scandal: 1) constantly assert BernieBro phenomenon based on a handful of cherry picked idiots; 2) have several big-name Clinton partisans and a few credulous journalists write about it (only one or two examples needed); 3) eventually Sanders camp says of course online harassment is bad; 4) use this as evidence that Sanders camp “admits it has a problem. When it works, you never have to talk about substance of any kind. Thank goodness there are still some real journalists that are not just political lapdogs. During the recent Nevada caucus, Clinton supporters were caught red-handed (on camera) changing from blue Hillary Clinton campaign shirts into red Clinton shirts that were nearly identical to the red shirts NNU members were wearing, in an apparent attempt to confuse voters. NNU is a very large nurse’s union that has thrown its support to Sanders. See health care discussion for classic half-truth and fear mongering tactics by the Clintons. There have been several reports of people being push polled in Nevada by Clinton operatives prior to the caucus. Clinton and her surrogates have also made a concerted effort to remind voters that Sanders is a socialist. Unfortunately for Clinton, red-baiting tactics aren’t nearly as effective as they once were, especially with voters too young to remember the cold war. It’s also a bit trickier to pull off when your target proudly wears that label on his sleeve, his “socialist” proposals are resonating with the public, and a billionaire, capitalist, Republican candidate has suggested that single payer makes some sense. My philosophical argument against do-whatever-it-takes-to win-politics is two-pronged. First, I don’t believe there are many legitimate situations where the ends (winning) justify the means. We generally agree that it’s wrong and unethical in sports, education, business, and in other facets of society. So why should politics be any different? Just because it has been that way and the pundits tell us it will always be that way “in the real world of politics”? This political path we’ve been on has led to widespread cynicism and distrust in government. Many people are turned off or tuned out of politics, which is unhealthy for a democracy. Second, we need to show our youth that we can have a vigorous debate on issues without fear mongering, personal attacks, misrepresenting opposing positions, misleading voters, dodging legitimate questions, or having to poll and focus group to determine a “position” on an issue. I’m dismayed by the number of Clinton supporters who cite experience and electability for supporting Clinton. Her campaign themes are clearly working. Please Democrats, do your homework! Penn’s PR firm Burson-Marsteller has provided assistance to Blackwater, Philip Morris, union-busting efforts, the Argentina military junta, and Union Carbide after the 1984 Bhopal disaster, as well as others.

2019-04-20T07:10:59Z

http://occupysaintpaul.org/clinton-v-sanders/

At Kabale, Western Province, Uganda. The Kabale Chief Magistrate’s Court has issued a demand notice against the State Minister for Economic monitoring, Mr Henry Banyenzaki, over alleged failure to pay Shs360,000 to Kabale businessman Johnson Ndyabanawe. Mr Ndyabanawe told the court Mr Banyenzaki hired his two lorries to carry people from different villages in Rubanda west constituency and drop them at Muko sub-county playground where President Museveni was addressing them on January 15. He also said Mr Banyenzaki paid him only Shs840,000 leaving a balance of Shs360,000 which he has failed to pay despite several reminders. The demand notice dated February 12, issued by the head of small claims procedure at Kabale Chief Magistrate’s Court, Mr Darius Kamugisha, requires Mr Banyenzaki to settle the debt within 14 days and failure to comply, the complainant shall obtain decree for the same amount of money claimed together with expenses permitted by court. But Mr Banyenzaki, on Friday said the claim is false and threatened to deal with the complainant for tainting his name. “The claims are false and aimed at tainting my reputation. That man must be mad because I have never contracted him. I have not received the demand notice as of now but I am ready to challenge it,” Mr Banyenzaki said. The Anti-Corruption Court Judge Lawrence Gidudu yesterday expressed dissatisfaction over the State’s failure to present a witness to testify against key suspects in the Shs88 billion pension scam. The suspects include former permanent secretary in the ministry of Public Service Jimmy Lwamafa, former Principal Accountant Christopher Obey, and former director research and development Stephen Kiwanuka Kunsa. Hearing of their case was set to proceed with submission by the acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Ms Adah Kabarokole Muwanga, but she failed to show up before court on grounds that she was unwell. This is the second time she failed to show up. This second instance annoyed Justice Gidudu who proposed they deal with her (Muwanga’s) testimony, saying her absence was a sign that she might never appear. However, the prosecutor, Ms Ms Barbra Kawuma, pleaded with court to avail her another chance to be heard, arguing that Ms Muwanga’s evidence is crucial for their case and being a civil servant, she has obligation to show up to testify and court should be granted another chance. Consequently, the judge allowed prosecution until January 8, 2016, and threatened to reconsider releasing the suspects on bail. Justice Gidudu explained that in criminal law, when suspects are on remand, their trial should be speeded and that if the prosecution is continuously dragging its feet, then he will be obliged to release the suspects on bail. Currently, prosecution is left with six witnesses who should testify before the end of February 2016, for court to rule on whether, the suspects have a case to answer. The suspects have been on remand since August this year and two different judges have on two different occasions, denied to release the suspects on bail, agreeing with the prosecution that once out of jail, they will jeopardise investigations like they did in the initial pension case of Shs165 billion that was dismissed. The trio is accused of fraudulently budgeting for over Shs88 billion of civil servants’ pension contribution to National Social Security Fund (NSSF) well knowing that civil servants don’t contribute to NSSF. PRISON SHOULD BE CALLED CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTE. Deposed Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe has for the first time publicly condemned his removal from office by the military last year saying he feels betrayed by his former protégé Emmerson Mnangagwa, who now leads the country. Mugabe blamed his successor for working with the military to stage a coup that dislodged his 37-year rule on November 15. He declared that he was removed from power through a military coup, contrary to observations by the Southern African Development Community, the African Union and other political bodies who viewed his ouster a constitutional matter mandated to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. In an interview with South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and several other media houses, Mugabe indicated that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is an illegitimate leader of Zimbabwe, who needs to discuss with him how to legalize his presidency. Mnangagwa and the military deposed him last November when the military said it wanted to arrest so-called criminals surrounding him believed to have belonged to a faction of the ruling Zanu PF party known as Generation 40, which allegedly wanted Mrs Grace Mugabe to succeed him. A defiant Mugabe told journalists at his family Blue Roof mansion, where he was put under arrest by the army last November, that he was forcibly removed from power by a person he saved from the gallows during the liberation struggle of the 1970s. Mugabe said the ZDF completely paralyzed other organs of the security services when it staged the coup d’etat with Mnangagwa and his associates, who belonged to a faction of the ruling party known as Team Lacoste. “He (Mnangagwa) could not have assumed the presidency of the country without the army. It’s the army which assisted him. The army made sure that other organs of state were neutralized … completely neutralized. They neutralized the Central Intelligence Organization many of whose members were bashed, whose heads were cracked and this is not an exaggeration. Some of them are missing to this day. Their guns were taken away from them. The police had their armoury completely emptied. He said some people decided to only call it a military intervention and not a coup d’etat. “That’s what it was but I don’t know what you would call it but our people had not experienced such an environment before. We had prided ourselves on being democratic. The former Zimbabwean leader, who ruled the country for more than 37 years said he played a key role in saving some of the people that were being sought by the army but noted that his staff has been harassed about their whereabouts. “Every day those young men and women we have are being called one by one to be asked very silly questions. Where is Jonathan, Professor Jonathan Moyo? Where is (Saviour) Kasukuwere? Where is (Patrick) Zhuwao? Ah! They are told ‘no’ there are mere cooks, they are mere messengers, gardeners. You don’t expect them to know. Why worry them? Ask me. I don’t even know where they are. Yes, once upon a time we assisted them to get to safety. Guns, volleys of bullets were being fired at their houses. And the cry came, please, please, and it was my wife. Mama save us, please save us. I wasn’t there. She organized some of her security and said go, go and save them. “… What happens to you, I don’t know. You may die on the way but go. And she put together the cars and the persons that she had. I wasn’t here. And so they were brought to our house … Jonathan, Professor Jonathan Moyo, Kasukuwere and their families. Mugabe noted that he has since been abandoned by the current president and his colleagues. Indeed Saddam Hussein must have been bitter like this African dictator now, when his security men gave him away to the Americans to determine his death. This hard working African man does not seem to see his luck to have to retire at 90 years and to go to his farm and look after his African long horned cattle. As parliament’s budget committee tussled with an avalanche of supplementary budget requests late last week, which totalled Shs 1.04 trillion, some officials confessed that they emptied their initial budget allocations in order to sustain President Museveni’s campaign expenditure. State House comptroller, Lucy Nakyobe, whose office tabled a supplementary budget request of Shs 49.7 billion, told the parliamentary budget committee on April 1 that her coffers were depleted by the so many inland travels of President Museveni, who addressed four campaign rallies daily on average for the campaign period. Four rallies, she said, meant more fuel for the 18-vehicle standard presidential motorcade and facilitation for the entourage. According to Nakyobe, Museveni also spent a large chunk of the money initially allocated to State House to fulfil presidential donations he had made across the country. A number of top government officials led by the minister of state for Planning, David Bahati, appeared before the budget committee last week chaired by MP Amos Lugoloobi (Ntengeru North) to defend their supplementary budget requests. Defence permanent secretary Rosette Byengoma told the committee that her ministry spent more money than originally allocated to them on wages for UPDF officers and men who worked during campaigns, elections and post-election period. The minister of state for Agriculture, Vincent Sempijja, and the officer in-charge of Planning and Agricultural Development, Sam Semanda, told the committee that their sector is in dire need of Shs 6bn to procure hoes for the people of West Nile. The duo, however, found a hard time. MPs argued that they need to investigate the claim because there is evidence that all MPs from West Nile got hoes during campaigns to distribute to their people. Other requests for additional funding before the current financial year ends in May 2016 came from the ministries of Defence (Shs 253bn), Local Government (Shs 23bn), Energy (Shs 24.4bn) and Agriculture (Shs 6bn), as well as the parliamentary commission (Shs 66.6bn) and Police (Shs 56.3bn). However, corruption watchdogs such as Cissy Kagaba, the executive director of Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU), say the confessions by the public servants is tantamount to an admission that they wasted public funds to serve the interests of an individual. Ahead of the 2016 general elections, the government hastily tabled before parliament and enforced the passing of amendments to the Public Finance Management Act which, among other things, to allow officials spend money and seek parliamentary approval later. The opposition chief whip, Cecilia Atim Ogwal, argued that unless the State House budget included buying food for people reportedly dying from hunger in Karamoja and Teso, the supplementary budget is uncalled for. “The Public Finance Management Act states that the supplementary budget must be on matters that are unavoidable and emergencies. Go back and reconsider fixing those demands in the coming budget,” Ogwal said, arguing that inland travels had been taken care of in the current financial year’s budget. Kagaba told The Observer that the claim by State House’s Nakyobe that some of the money went into donations to fulfill the president’s promises was a sign of the breakdown of systems within the Museveni-led government. MPs Ephraim Biraaro and Fox Odoi argued that it was embarrassing for State House to expect a supplementary budget to take care of donations instead of unforeseen emergencies. “Poverty is foreseen and everyone knows Ugandans are poor. Donations should be given to deserving cases and if not paid, the promise erodes and should not fall under supplementary budgets,” Odoi (West Budama North) said. The coordinator for the Citizens’ Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (Ccedu), Crispy Kaheru, said the issue of an incumbent running for re-election poses a challenge to attempts to level the playing field, especially where the incumbent has the capacity to use public funds during campaigns without the need to account to anyone. Kaheru suggested that the reforms should include the incumbent handing over his office to the next in the hierarchy in the event that he intends to run again for office, as well as setting benchmarks on what presidential privileges he or she retains as a candidate. But MPs Col Fred Mwesigye (Nyabushozi), Peter Ogwang (Youth Eastern) and Joseph Kiregheya Matte (Bughendera) said it was necessary to approve the supplementary budgets to enable the president and State House to work. He also welcomed the proposal to amend the constitution such that a sitting president enjoys fewer privileges but said the government would not deny the president his entitlements simply because of complaints that are not backed by law. “Whether you like it or not, he is the president of Uganda; so, you are not going to expose him to risks simply because he is seeking re-election,” he said. The supplementary budget requests of more than Shs 1 trillion come barely six months after the national budget of Shs 24 trillion was presented and approved in May 2015. Parliament has now summoned MPs for a special plenary session on Wednesday to approve the supplementary budget requests despite an adjournment last week (March, 29) until April 26. MPs have been spending the time scrutinising ministerial policy statements from sector ministries and statutory bodies for financial year 2016/2017. A source on the budget committee, who declined to be named so as to be able to speak freely, said most of the money the ministries and statutory bodies are asking for was diverted and spent on presidential campaigns. “Those ministries and agencies had enough funds but decided to divert it for presidential campaigns. They are now pretending that there’s an outstanding shortfall on wages and so on,” the source said. Other entities asking for more money include the Electoral Commission, which wants Shs 47.2bn to cover shortfalls incurred in the acquisition of the electronic results transmission system. External partners who were supposed to provide additional funding pulled out at a critical stage. The EC will also use some of that money to pay up the balance on the Biometric Voter Verification system. The External Security Organisation (ESO) wants Shs 2bn to run its counterterrorism operations against the Al Shabaab, ADF, and monitoring the Albertine region. Shs 14.9bn is for missions abroad and Shs 7.2bn for the ministry of East African Community Affairs. President Museveni didn’t forego any comfort in 1981. He saved well his person from prison. Cash money kept at most homes in Uganda. Whereas Besigye, finding himself in similar circumstances in 2001, opted for exile and (subsequently) imprisonment, Museveni opted for armed rebellion. Speaking in Jinja recently, the eloquent Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mr Jacob Oulanyah described President Museveni as a heroic figure who snubbed the alternative of a comfortable life, complete with air-conditioned offices and cars, to go to the bush. I don’t know whether Oulanyah was referring to 1971 or 1981; either way, he was wrong. Museveni’s options in 1981 were similar to those that came to be Kizza Besigye’s two decades later: exile, imprisonment or armed rebellion. Those who have probed into the circumstances surrounding the 1971 coup also reveal that when Museveni fled the country on January 26, he did so under the promptings of self-preservation since he was on coup makers’ hit list. Museveni has never forfeited the alternative of an “air-conditioned” life. If Oulanyah is looking for a hero in the mould of the Biblical Moses who, according to Hebrews 11, forfeited palatial pleasures to suffer the afflictions of the wilderness, he should consider Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, and perhaps join the Forum for Democratic Change. Museveni has never made such a choice, and whereas it’s fine to sing the praises of our heroes, such praise shouldn’t be at the expense of historical truth. The really remarkable thing about Museveni’s story is that he accepted the thorny bed that destiny had made for him, and after lying on it long enough, got a reward from the very same destiny. Let nobody fool us that victory either in 1979 or in 1986 was a function of superior military strategy. In 1978, Idi Amin, by invading Tanzania, gave the exiles the victory they would never have otherwise got. These exiles, Museveni included, had been thoroughly defeated and humiliated in Mbarara in 1972, and they had hit a dead end and settled in other careers before Amin’s impetuous invasion gave them a lifeline. Similarly, the triumph of 1986 is attributable to the tribal fissures within the UNLA that deepened after the death of Oyite Ojok and resulted in the 1985 coup. The truth then is that Museveni fought because he was cornered by circumstances, and his road to triumph was paved by the folly and weaknesses of his enemies more than it was paved by his own wisdom and strength. There was an unmistakable hand of destiny in the whole affair, which is why there may be some truth in the claim that he was anointed to lead us. But remember the Biblical Saul. He too was anointed to lead Israel, and then after he went astray, the anointing was withdrawn and given to David. Just like his predecessors, Museveni will come down because of the folly and weaknesses of his regime, rather than the wisdom and strength of his challengers. Increasingly, corruption and incompetence are becoming the defining characteristics of his government. Due to the poor quality of education, most civil servants cannot systematically study the problems of society and devise efficient and effective solutions. Instead, these civil servants are busy pilfering public funds. Several security agencies intervened in the pension funds fraud because the scale of the theft was considered a potential threat to national security. Actually, all corruption threatens national security because money is ending up in a few undeserving hands, and the millions of desperate youth will, like the Museveni of 1981, find themselves with no alternative but to take matters in their own hands. Cash flow equals income minus expenses. Some members of Uganda's parliament clearly skipped that personal finance management class. Among them are Felix Okot Ogong, Nakato Kyabanji Katusiime, Florence Kintu, and Simon Peter Aleper. All of them earn quite a bit of money and all of them are so deep in debt it has made headlines. Florence Kintu, the MP for Kalungu had her land in Mukono confiscated for failure to clear a Shs300 million debt and Dokolo MP, Felix Okot Ogong was in July rescued by the High Court when a bank moved to sell off a property he had mortgaged for a Shs1.6 billion loan. Ironically, Okot Ogong who is also a money-lender, had in July 2013 dragged fellow MP Simon Peter Aleper (Moroto) to court over a Shs70 million loan. Ogong was charging a loan-shark fee of 5% interest per month. Other MPs, like Christopher Aciro of Gulu have been accused of misappropriating funds generated by their constituents. In Aciro’ case, he reportedly mismanaged about Shs28 million belonging to 170 savings groups in the Acholi sub-region. Money troubles are nothing new in parliament but they are worsening. During the induction of the current parliament, the Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga who has been in parliament for over two-decades warned the new MPs to avoid loan sharks. Very few were listening. When reality sunk in a few months later, the MPs demanded a 50% raise in their allowances. But it appears not to have helped. Recently, some MPs from the ruling party appealed to President Yoweri Museveni for a bail-out. It failed and the desperate MPs turned to a Chinese firm which offered to buy their debt and offer them better repayment terms. That too was blocked. Even as the MPs cash flow problems appear not to abate, Kadaga recently threw the MPs to the sharks when she called a press conference to warn that her office would no longer second MPs loan requests to banks. Insider information from parliament indicates that Kadaga acted because some MPs, fearing that all their money would be taken by banks, had started asking parliament to post their cheques on different accounts. Some would hide within the precinct of parliament as bailiffs waited outside. Gomba Woman MP, Nakato Kyabanji Katusiime is among the unlucky ones. She was on Aug. 26 arrested for failure to repay a Shs100 million debt. Upon her release after paying an instalment of Shs20 million, she blames her constituency for her woes. “The constituency demands are too high for a mere MP to afford,” she told The Independent in an interview. But when Daily Monitor newspaper run the story; “Gomba Woman MP sent to jail over debt” on the day she was sent to jail, there was no sympathy in reader comments. Sabiitus wrote: “Let her not only be taken to prison but also made to work like others”. Even fellow MPs, like Serere woman MP Alice Alaso, rubbish the excuse that MPs borrow to fulfil their constituency obligations. She says some MPs, especially new ones, spend extravagantly and live lavishly. “How can you explain the scenario where one commits his entire salary to attending burials, wedding and paying voters’ school fees? To me, that’s biting more than we can chew and it’s definitely because some of us are financially illiterate”, she argues. Without financial literacy, some MPs appear unable to understand how money works; including how to earn it, manages it, invest it and spend it. They appear not to know how to make informed and effective decisions with all of their financial resources. The Parliamentary Commission is aware of this problem and occasionally outsources experts to talk to the MPs about money. “Unfortunately these expert chats are one offs yet financial illiteracy has played a bigger part in the members’ indebtedness,” says Alaso. This has also been noted and, Seninde says, members of the next parliament should be trained quickly to avoid the money troubles that have become common in the 9th parliament. Equally disturbing is the lack of sympathy for MPs among voters. That appears to be the general feeling. Many people in a country where the average income per month is about Shs80, 000 cannot understand why MPs who appear to earn quite a pile cannot pay their debts. In reality, the MPs basic salary is just Shs2.6 million per month before tax – just about as much as that of a small time bank officer. But the MPs have other perks; around Shs3.5 million mileage facilitation, Shs3.2 million constituency facilitation, Shs4.5 million subsistence allowance, Shs1 million gratuity, Shs1 million town running, medical allowances, Shs50,000 per committee sitting, and travel facilitation when they go for trips domestic and foreign. The various allowances make computing an MP’s salary quite confusing even for some of them, but it is generally said that MPs earn between Shs15 million and Shs20 million per month. Unfortunately, the perks bounty is no assured unless the MPs is street-wise, belongs to the right networks, and knows how to juggle multiple tasks. Foreign travel is one of the most coveted perks, but it is tightly controlled and used as carrot and stick. You do not get unless you press the right buttons. MP Alice Alaso says “it is embarrassing how MPs pop from meeting to meeting not because they are discussing issues but they are looking for allowances”. Semujju Nganda (MP Kyadondo East) is more direct: He says the biggest business at parliament is looking for money and that “members reach an extent of going to an event, sign, and rush to another one.” He says the MPs sign for events that happen within the same time. “They come to meetings without any clue; they just come to pick allowances,” he says. That perhaps explains why the MPs had in their budget proposals for the 2014/15 Financial Year, asked that their salaries and allowance be `consolidated into one package’. The Ministry of Finance knocked down the proposal because it would raise the wage bill by 30%. Unofficially, however, many recognise that giving MPs financial stability amounts to throwing away the executive’s carrot and stick. Not a good idea. But the misperception of the MPs true worth persists because some MPs have managed to navigate their complex financial lives without much trouble. The prosperous façade of a few fools many as it glosses over the indebted many. Unfortunately, those taken in by the façade of prosperity include the MPs themselves, their voters, and the banks. It starts in the beginning when, at the start of each five year term, the MPs; new and old, are given a motor vehicle allowance. For the current MPs, that was Shs103 million each tax free. An average Four-wheel SUV favoured by most MPs goes for about Shs50 million. The balance goes into acquiring a new wardrobe befitting their new status. Next comes a change in lifestyle; including acquiring a new, large and modern mansion in the city. The banks proper may shun them, but private money lenders are on hand to help. They easily give loans of Shs100 million and over. With the new SUV, city mansion, and cash in the bag, the fake new make-over is in place. It is not surprising, therefore, that in spite of the well document troubles, to be a member of parliament is one of the most attractive jobs in Uganda. Contenders usually start laying strategies for winning the next election immediately after an election. This is what exactly took place in Fort Portal Municipality when Alex Ruhunda won the parliamentary seat in 2011. As early as 2012, aspirants started moving around the villages, meeting voters in markets, mosques, and churches and making campaign promises. With such pressure on the MP; that someone is eyeing their seat, the incumbent MPs never go out of campaign mode and the spending that goes with it. Richard Mugisa, a village opinion leader at Bukwali village in East Division, Fort Portal Municipality says Ruhunda is quite a common figure in the constituency. Mugisa says apart from building for each homestead an energy saving stove, the legislator has made financial contributions to the Bukwali Youth Creative Club, a youth Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO). Awidah Kabagenyi from Kagote, another village in West Division, is also among those who have enjoyed Ruhunda’s generosity. Kabagenyi says, as their patron in Nikisoboka SACCO, Ruhunda “fills in the gaps whenever some money is needed”. In addition to that, the legislator is defined by many in the constituency as one of their own because he stands with them in both moments of joy and sorrow, in parties and at funerals. The voters expect it of every MP and they do not care how much it costs the MP. After, they say, MPs are wealthy. Nobody asks the important questions: If they are as wealthy as is claimed, why are so many MPs so deep in debt? What needs to be done about it? Why do so many people who should know better choose to lead a high expenses lifestyle well-knowing they have very little income? Dr. Apollo Karugaba, who represented Fort Portal Municipality in parliament 15 years ago, says MPs’ indebtedness started with the popularisation of the “politics of money”. “During our time, the electorate didn’t look at us as money churning machines and yet MPs were not as greedy as some portray themselves today. Both parties focused on constituency development”. The Leader of Opposition, Wafula Oguttu, agrees. He says MPs trouble starts when, instead of presenting issues to the electorate, they hoodwink them by buying them sugar, paying fees, attending burials, and weddings. “In 2011, I won an election without buying a single kilogram of sugar for any voter. Those who asked for tea, I advised them to try my opponents,” he told The Independent. Emmanuel Dombo, the Bunyole East MP who has been in the House since 1996 also says indebtedness is a problem faced by “amateurs who are excited and at the same time scared that when they don’t wash their electorate with money, they’ll be kicked out”. Dombo insists that in addition to money management lessons for MPs reviving meaningful Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is necessary. The CDF meant to facilitate legislators’ constituency work was erased upon misuse by some parliamentarians. “After spending millions in campaigns, some members went to parliament while already in a deficit. All that was on their minds was to make money to clear their debts. It’s no wonder that such members keep bothering the speaker requesting for travel opportunities so they can get bigger allowances”. Prof. Sabiti Makara, a political scientist at Makerere University says the MPs money troubles are because voters have understood that the idea of politicians representing people is something just theoretical. “Now that people have learnt that MPs represent themselves, they keep demanding for money and favours from them,” he says. He says the electorate only benefits when MPs are invited to fundraising events in the villages. Makara says being indebted should not be a problem but the MPs could be borrowing in the wrong way. “Politicians and other professionals worldwide are also indebted but they do it through good means from banks not from loan sharks who ask for exorbitant interests as it is here,” he says. Considering their kind of obligations, the professor says MPs have to look for other monies to complement salary. Makara, however, predicts that the next parliament is likely to have worse money problems. “It will be a `yes sir parliament’ full of youths, they are terrible opportunists. They’ll do anything for money and whatever the president will say; they’ll just be nodding in approval”. But that too is unlikely to help, unless the MPs learn to better manage their cash flow. KAMPALA - The case in which Timothy Kalyegira, a former Daily Monitor Journalist, is charged with defaming President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has resumed at City Hall in Kampala. On Tuesday, through his lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi, Kalyegira prayed to court that criminal defamation charges brought against him by the State be dismissed on grounds that Section 179 of the Penal Code Act, under which he is being charged, contravenes international standards and best practices of media freedom. Kalyegira further argues that according to the recent decision delivered by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) to which Uganda is party, found criminal defamation to be contrary to the guarantees on freedom of expression. However, Moses Nabende, the trial Magistrate, advised Rwakafuzi to furnish court with the said decision. Prosecution alleges that on July 12 and July 16, 2010 in Kampala district, with intent to defame the person of the president, Kalyegira unlawfully published defamatory matter on the Uganda Records, an online publication, when he published that government was responsible for the bombs that went off on July 11, 2010 killing close to 80 people at the Ethiopian village in Kabalagala and Kyadondo Rugby Club in Lugogo. In 2012, Kalyegira filed an application to the High Court raising a question of law as to whether online publication was envisaged under Section 179 of the Penal Code Act. In deciding the matter, Justice Lameck Kigozi held that online publication can constitute a commission of an offence under Section 179 of the Penal code Act and the case was referred to the trial magistrate for trial. However, the case was adjourned to January 16, 2015 for mention. Uganda Officials admit illegalities in public prime land giveaways in Kampala city, Uganda. In the Parliament of Uganda. Uganda Land Commission (ULC) officials yesterday admitted illegalities in city land deals. The officials also volunteered information to the ongoing House inquiry into the giving-away of real estate belonging to public education institutions, detailing how they helped an investor to mortgage a piece of land belonging to a city school. Documents presented by ULC chairman Baguma Isoke to the House committee carrying out the investigation, contain evidence of the transactions. The committee heard that ULC illegally allocated Plot 27 on Bombo Road, belonging to Buganda Road Primary School, to Jima Properties Ltd in January 2011. The investor was granted a five-year lease and when the lease expired, ULC officials extended the disputed lease for 49 years. “Uganda Land Commission is party to shoddy land deals in the city,” said Mr Wilfred Niwagaba, the committee lead counsel. “They grabbed the school land and gave it to an investor. They extended the lease for 49 years to help the investor mortgage the school land title to a bank,” added Mr Niwagaba. The documents showed how Mr Baker Mugaino, a land officer on September 8, 2014, wrote to the Commissioner Land Registration, confirming the extension of the lease to Jima Properties Ltd. The committee is investigating the people behind this company after ULC failed to disclose the names of its directors. However, in a May 5, 2014 letter, Mr Bulaimu Muwonge Kibirige, who signed as the managing director of Jima Properties Ltd, requested ULC’s consent to mortgage the land to his bankers for development financing as the only way to finish the project. The committee heard that in the lease offer, the investor was asked to improve the school football pitch with simple materials, yet the school management wanted security of the pupils while at school. Later, the investor allegedly agreed with the school to build a perimeter wall around the school. “Following our application for financing, the bank may request for a full lease so as to secure its money,” Mr Kibirige wrote. Mr Baguma and his team kept blaming the irregularities in various land deals on the current staff gaps at ULC. Mr Paul Idudi, a ULC official, said there is a committee within ULC which advises the commission’s board on various transactions. They requested for more time to study the advice the committee gave on the disputed land deals. Mr Theodore Ssekikubo, the MP who petitioned the House to form a select committee on the takeover of land belonging to public schools, accused commission officials of colluding with investors to fraudulently extend leases and later claim that they hold the land in trust for Ugandans. The committee also heard that former Mwenge MP Tom Butime was also given a piece of land belonging to Kololo SS to construct residential houses. The former MP later sold the land in question on which a mosque was later constructed. By press time, Mr Butime was not available for comment. Yesterday, ULC officials requested for a closed session with the committee to discuss the demolition of Nabagereka Primary School. Members who attended the closed-door meeting later told Daily Monitor that they were informed that the school land was sold by Buganda Land Board and that the government did not have any hand in the demolition. Ministry of Education officials are expected to appear before the committee today. Former prime minister Amama Mbabazi during the Capital Gang talk show. In his maiden Ugandan talk show as a presidential aspirant, former prime minister Amama Mbabazi yesterday faced tough questions mainly about his record within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the government, his alleged massive wealth and the involvement of his family in his campaign. Mr Mbabazi has since his long-awaited declaration of his presidential bid on June 15, preferred to talk about the future, offering himself as the candidate who will help Uganda transit from the leadership of the 1986 generation of leaders to the younger generation. This was the major focus of Mr Mbabazi’s presentations at two earlier appearances on international media platforms, the BBC and Voice of America. It also formed the bulk of his five-minute video-recorded declaration statement, together with many of his messages on social media. Mr Mbabazi’s opponents and critics, however, have sought to drive the debate back to his long record in government, looking to point out what they see as contradictions in what the former prime minister and ruling party secretary general says now and what he did over the many years when he was perceived as President Museveni’s right hand man. Mr Museveni himself, in his response to Mr Mbabazi on the same day he [Mr Mbabazi] declared his presidential bid, questioned Mr Mbabazi’s ability to reform the government when, according to the president, he had opportunity to do so from within. On the Capital Gang show on Capital FM yesterday, there were at least two “gangsters” who were resolute to hold Mr Mbabazi to his record. These were Mr Ofwono Opondo, the executive director of the government media centre, and Dr Kenneth Omona, the deputy treasurer of NRM. The two ruling party members, who share deeply in what many see as a herculean task of stopping Mr Mbabazi, were often joined by Mr Ssemujju Nganda, the Forum for Democratic Change publicist, and Ms Beti Kamya, a former presidential candidate and MP, in querying Mr Mbabazi’s record. Mr Mbabazi was challenged to explain why he supported the lifting of presidential term limits in 2005 yet they could have technically kicked out Mr Museveni and prevented the “inefficiency” that Mr Mbabazi now says has crept into government. He said he was “a vigorous” defender of the amendment of the Constitution to remove term limits because he thought that the idea of term limits ran counter to democracy, particularly the aspect of free choice. “However, from the experience of Uganda, I have looked at the experience of choice more deeply... for democracy to flourish, it makes sense to revisit this issue of term limits in order to minimise the abuse of state power,” Mr Mbabazi said. He said open terms can be abused in a system like Uganda’s, where free choice can be stifled by intimidation, bribery and corruption. Regarding queries that Mr Mbabazi orchestrated “repressive” laws, particularly the laws on public order management and phone tapping, Mr Mbabazi defended both as good laws, saying that the only problem is that the laws are being abused. Panellists poked fun at Mr Opondo during the first hour of the show, saying he had abandoned his usual habit of sipping at his coffee, ferociously taking notes as the debate progressed. Mr Mbabazi had talked of the lack of internal democracy and discussion within the party, saying, for instance, that it is only the party chairman, President Museveni, who spoke during the NRM delegates conference last December at which he was stripped of the secretary general position. Mr Mbabazi also distanced himself from the Kyankwanzi resolution in which NRM MPs declared Mr Museveni the party’s “sole candidate” for the coming election, saying it is illegal. Although he signed the resolution after it looked like he was ambushed with it, he later distanced himself from it and has since declared that he will challenge Mr Museveni within the party. Mr Opondo said whereas Mr Mbabazi was the minister in charge of Political Affairs in 2000, he did not protest when the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ruling Movement disowned Dr Kizza Besigye’s intention to compete for the presidency and “urged” President Museveni to stand as the unopposed Movement candidate. Mr Opondo said when the Movement became the NRM party in 2005, a similar process took place, and that the same happened in 2010. Mr Mbabazi was the party secretary general on the latter two occasions, Mr Opondo noted, but that Mr Felix Okot-Ogong was persuaded to let Mr Museveni run unchallenged within the party in 2005. Another aspirant, Maj Ruhinda Maguru, also got his name struck out of the list by the party’s organs when he sought to challenge Mr Museveni. Mr Mbabazi did not respond to many of the questions because he was time-barred and promised to return to the radio show another time. On her part, Ms Kamya wondered about Mr Mbabazi’s source of wealth and the “heavy” involvement of Mr Mbabazi’s family in his presidential aspirations, saying part of the accusation against Mr Museveni is his family’s involvement in state affairs and whether it won’t be the same with Mr Mbabazi. “We hear that Mr Mbabazi has immense wealth; what does he make to account for this immense wealth?” Ms Kamya asked. Regarding the involvement of his family, Mr Mbabazi said he does not discourage his family members, particularly his children, from participating in public affairs. He said in fact it makes him proud. He said, however, that it is not true that his family were playing the leading role in his campaign. “My family’s visibility is because I have been the centre of focus,” he said. The executive director of Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), Ms Allen Kagina, yesterday told legislators in a closed-door meeting that big people in government were benefiting from corruption in the roads sector. Sources who attended Parliament’s Physical Infrastructure Committee meeting told Daily Monitor that Ms Kagina accepted that some UNRA and government officials she did not name had formed companies to benefit from the road contracts and narrated how they intentionally delay road projects through sham administrative reviews. Ms Kagina, who led a team to the committee to give a status report on the road development projects under UNRA, explained that contactors are expected to be on the site by October 2015 and July 2015 respectively. “There is inside trading in UNRA,” Mr Ephraim Biraro (Buhweju) said, before the journalists were kicked out of the proceedings on the request of Ms Kagina. MPs led by Stephen Mikitale (Bulisa) demanded that the mandate of the ongoing Judicial Commission of inquiry into the corruption in the roads sector be widened to cover all the roads in the country. Ms Kagina requested the committee chairperson Mr Biraro to kick out journalists before she explained why UNRA had decided to hand-pick a Turkish contractor to work on 111km Hoima-Butyaba-Wanseko road. Mr Patrick Oboi Amuriat (Kumi) complained that single sourcing was akin to corruption and that the failure to advertise a project of more than $100m would deny Ugandans value for money. On the corruption at the weighbridge, Ms Kagina said starting next week UNRA would start an operation to protect the roads. She talked of a new rapid response unit with a mobile weighbridge and a clampdown on overloaded vehicles. She said the entire management would be reviewed.

2019-04-20T06:55:01Z

http://www.teddyseezicheeyeonline.com/luzira_prison.html?post_id=19479

In Santiago-Sepúlveda v. Esso Standard Oil Co. (Puerto Rico), Inc., (CCH Business Franchise Guide ¶14,604) the U.S. Court of Appeals in Boston held that a gasoline station franchisor did not violate the PMPA in connection with its withdrawal from the Puerto Rico market because its successor did comply with the PMPA’s requirement, for the most part, to offer franchises to the franchisees of the withdrawing franchisor in "good faith." The argument by the franchisees that any term violating a state law in any respect comprised a violation of the PMPA’s good faith requirement was rejected. Such a per se rule would put at risk a vast number of market withdrawals. The court noted that the offered franchise agreements, comprising interrelated contracts spanning about 100 pages, included hundreds of clauses, of which the lower court invalidated only five in part. In Ralph Gentile, Inc. v. Division of Hearings and Appeals, (CCH Business Franchise Guide ¶14,626), a Wisconsin state appellate court held that a motor vehicle dealer materially breached its dealership agreement with a franchisor by failing to achieve satisfactory sales performance. (4) The dealer failed to cure the breach within a reasonable time after receiving written notice of the breach. The sales-effectiveness rating used by the franchisor for determining the performance of the dealer was ruled proper, and the facts clearly showed that the dealer’s sales performance was well below the sales-effectiveness ratings earned by its predecessor. In Love of Food I, LLC v. Maoz Vegetarian USA, Inc., (D. Md., CCH Business Franchise Guide ¶14,633) allegations of common law fraud based on the franchisor’s understatements of start-up costs in a UFOC survived a motion to dismiss. The initial costs were allegedly understated by 85% or more. The franchisor argued that cost projections were statements of opinion and could not constitute fraud because they were not susceptible to exact knowledge at the time they were made. However, the court held that erroneous projections could supply a basis for fraud under Maryland law. Practitioners should be aware that an alert was issued by the Philadelphia Department of Revenue to notify taxpayers that the department's audit unit is currently working to find businesses having tax nexus with Philadelphia but located outside of the city. Nexus questionnaires are being sent out explaining business nexus and asking those businesses to report any activity they have in Philadelphia. If a taxpayer's business has nexus with Philadelphia and is not filing and paying Philadelphia business taxes, taxpayers are advised to contact the department to bring the company into tax compliance by entering into the Voluntary Disclosure Program. Taxpayers who meet the conditions of the program may be eligible for a waiver of all penalties owed (Amnesty Support Group and Nexus Project, Philadelphia Department of Revenue, May 13, 2011). The Federal Trade Commission announced yesterday that Reebok International Ltd. agreed to resolve charges that the company deceptively advertised its “toning shoes,” including EasyTone walking shoes, RunTone running shoes, and EasyTone flip flops. According to the FTC, ads for the shoes claimed that sole technology featuring pockets of moving air created “micro instability” that toned and strengthened muscles as you walked or ran. In one television commercial, Reebok represented that the EasyTone toning shoes were proven to strengthen hamstrings and calves by up to 11 percent, and that they toned the buttocks “up to 28 percent more than regular sneakers, just by walking,” the FTC alleged. As part of a settlement, Reebok has agreed to pay a $25 million judgment to be used for consumer redress distributed either through the FTC or through a class action lawsuit. Reebok also will be required to change its marketing for the relevant products, as it continues to sell the footwear. Reebok has agreed to refrain from making the challenged claims. A proposed consent decree would prohibit the company from representing that toning shoes and other toning apparel are effective in strengthening muscles, or that using the footwear will result in a specific percentage or amount of muscle strengthening or toning, unless the claims are true and backed by scientific evidence. Future health or fitness-related efficacy claims for toning shoes and other toning apparel would have to be true and backed by scientific evidence. The proposed consent decree also would require Reebok to refrain from misrepresenting any tests, studies, or research results regarding toning shoes and other toning apparel. Reebok has agreed to notify retailers and instruct them to remove marketing materials and cover portions of boxes making the challenged claims. Although Reebok agreed to settle the FTC’s allegations, it issued a statement defending its advertising practices. The FTC filed the complaint and proposed consent decree on September 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. A news release, complaint, and stipulated final judgment and order appear here on the FTC website. Further details regarding Federal Trade Commission v. Reebok International Ltd., will appear in the CCH Trade Regulation Reporter. Investors could proceed with civil RICO claims against defendants that allegedly engaged in a fraudulent investment scheme that involved the leasing of thoroughbred mares for a single breeding season, the federal district court in Lexington, Kentucky, has ruled. The defendants unsuccessfully argued that the plaintiffs were required to allege that each defendant had personally made misrepresentations or had used the mails or wires in order state a claim. They were unsuccessful, as well, in their argument that the plaintiffs did not allege a valid “investment” claim under RICO §1962(a). Although the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit required plaintiffs to identify with specificity the actions that each defendant had taken in furtherance of an alleged fraud, the mail and wire fraud statutes did not require a showing that each defendant had personally made a misrepresentation, the court explained. The defendants unsuccessfully argued that the plaintiffs failed to plead a valid “investment” claim under RICO §1962(a). According to the defendants, the plaintiffs failed to allege that specified defendants had used or invested income from a pattern of racketeering activity to acquire an interest in, or to operate an enterprise engaged in, interstate commerce. The plaintiffs, however, “clearly alleged” that the specified defendants had invested income from their racketeering activity (the proceeds they received from the mare leases) into a business that was used to facilitate the cover up of the alleged fraud, according to the court. The decision in ClassicStar Mare Lease Litigation will appear at CCH RICO Business Disputes Guide ¶12,106. Further information regarding CCH RICO Business Disputes Guide is available here. Lawmakers expressed concern about Google’s decision to expand into secondary Internet businesses and addressed charges that the Google search engine channels customers to its own businesses, during a September 21 hearing by the Senate Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights. The hearing was held to consider the competitive impact of the conduct of Google, which has been criticized for allegedly manipulating search results for its own benefit. The Federal Trade Commission is currently investigating Google’s business practices. “[A]s the dominant firm in Internet search, Google has special obligations under antitrust law to not deploy its market power to squelch competition,” Senator Kohl added. Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google Inc., defended the company from suggestions that it was hindering competition. Schmidt said that Google was “fully cooperating with the FTC’s investigation” and noted that “every decided antitrust suit that has been brought against Google regarding our search results has been dismissed. In a statement issued following the hearing, Senator Mike Lee (R, Utah) said that he was “disappointed” by Schmidt’s testimony. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has answered four questions that were certified to it by a federal district court for the District of Massachusetts in a dispute between Coverall, a franchisor of janitorial service businesses, and individuals who entered into janitorial franchise agreements with Coverall. The federal court had determined in earlier rulings that those individuals who were Massachusetts residents were employees who had been improperly classified as independent contractors by the franchisor. The certified questions related to the calculation of damages for one of the individual plaintiffs in the action. (2) Whether an employer could lawfully withhold wages to an employee if the employer and employee agree that such wages are not earned until a customer remits payment. The answer to both questions was "no," according to the Massachusetts high court. (4) Provide replacement supplies and equipment. The contract further provided for accounts receivable financing whereby Coverall would pay the individual interest-free advances for amounts billed to, but not yet collected from customers. If a customer failed to pay within 90 days, the individual was required to repay Coverall the advance in the form of a chargeback. The Massachusetts Wage Act required an employer to pay the wages earned to an employee within a fixed period of days after the end of a pay period, according to the court. Where an employee has completed the labor, service, or performance required of him, by common understanding he has "earned" his wage. That a Coverall customer did not pay its bill within a week after the pay period did not affect the plaintiff individual’s right to wages he had earned. Since the individual was an employee, the obligation to pay him earned wages rested with Coverall, not with third parties, the court held. The accounts receivable financing system incorporated into the individual’s contract with Coverall, in which wages were classified by Coverall as advances that could be recouped, violated the special contracts provision of the Wage Act, the court ruled. That provision prohibited a person from exempting himself from the Wage Act’s provisions by a special contract or other means. Coverall was not free to withhold, much less recapture, the employee’s earned wages. In answering the remaining questions, the Massachusetts court determined that the employees could recover as damages incurred any insurance premiums that they were obliged to pay to Coverall under the terms of their contract. In light of the federal district court judge’s statement that he welcomed other advice about Massachusetts law that was relevant to the case, the court addressed the franchise fees that the individual agreed to pay Coverall in order to enter into what the district court determined to be a direct employment relationship. The Massachusetts court’s view was that such fees constituted "special contracts," not usual between employers and employees. In substance they operated to require employees to buy their jobs from employers. In that respect, they violated public policy. Examined in the context of the Wage Act, the franchise fees paid by the plaintiff individual did not represent a clear and established debt. To the extent that such fees were paid back to Coverall out of wages earned from Coverall, they represented a prohibited assignment of an employee’s future wages to his employer, the court opined. The court emphasized that its concerns over franchise fees related to the potentially exploitative nature of payments by an employee to an employer for the purpose of securing employment and noted that it expressly did not conclude that franchise fees violated public policy when they were agreed to by parties who were not in an employer-employee relationship. The opinion is Awuah v. Coverall N.A., Inc., CCH Business Franchise Guide ¶14,671. The federal district court in Santa Ana, California, has refused to decertify a class of YoPlus yogurt purchasers who asserted that General Mills and Yoplait USA falsely represented that YoPlus yogurt products promoted digestive health, in violation of California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) and Consumers Legal Remedies Act (CLRA). The court ealier held that class certification was warranted under both the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Wal-Mart v. Dukes, 131 S.Ct. 2541 (2011) and the Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in Stearns v. Ticketmaster, ADVERTISING LAW GUIDE ¶64,386, which directly addressed the issue of class certification of claims brought pursuant to the UCL and the CLRA. The claims met the commonality and predominance requirements for class certification because they presented core issues of law and fact, and those issues predominated over the issues in the case that would have to be determined on an individual basis, according to the court. These common issues included (1) whether General Mills communicated a representation—through YoPlus packaging and other marketing, including television and print advertisements—that YoPlus promoted digestive health; (2) if so, whether that representation was material to individuals purchasing YoPlus; (3) if the representation was material, whether it was truthful; in other words, whether YoPlus does confer a digestive health benefit that ordinary yogurt does not; and (4) if reasonable California consumers who purchased YoPlus were deceived by a material misrepresentation as to YoPlus’ digestive health benefit, what is the proper method for calculating their damages. Neither Wal-Mart nor Ticketmaster contradicted the findings of commonality and predominance in this case, the court determined. The claims centered upon a common question: did the defendants state a false claim of a digestive health benefit that a reasonable person would have been deceived by, for purposes of the UCL, or would have attached importance to, for purposes of the CLRA? While individualized determinations may be required to calculate damages, those determinations did not warrant decertification. The common question was sufficiently central to satisfy commonality, and, when compared to individualized aspects of the suit, still predominated. The April 20, 2011, and the September 12, 2011, decisions in Johnson v. General Mills, Inc., SACV 10-00061, will appear at ADVERTISING LAW GUIDE ¶64,412 and ¶64,413. A janitorial business franchisor did not commit common law fraud or violate the anti-fraud provisions of the Minnesota Franchise Act (MFA) in connection with the sale of a franchise to three franchisees because the franchisor made no untrue statements of material fact or misrepresentations, a federal district court in Minneapolis has decided. The claims were initially brought as part of a putative class action against the franchisor, but the motion for class certification was denied in an earlier ruling (CCH Business Franchise Guide ¶14,335). After proceeding jointly through discovery, the parties agreed that the franchisor would move for summary judgment on the claims of three representative plaintiffs. As to the first of the three plaintiffs, the franchisor’s alleged statement to that "[i]f you buy more, you’ll get more" was not untrue, the court held. The franchisor structured its franchising business to correlate the amount of business it promised to offer a franchisee with the amount of initial investment made by the franchisee. In that sense, it was true that the more a franchisee bought (or the larger his initial investment), the more he would receive in gross billings of offered accounts, the court determined. The statement that owning one of the franchises was a "good business" and that the business could continue for "a long time" were puffery, the court ruled. In general, puffery includes statements of exaggerated boasting or vague, subjective claims of superiority. The franchisee’s counsel contended that the franchisor’s puffery should be evaluated in the context of the lack of sophistication of the franchisee—an immigrant with limited English ability and business acumen. However, immigrants were not a group so gullible that they could not recognize obvious puffery, the court reasoned. The first plaintiff also asserted that the franchisor falsely represented a guarantee of $1,000 per month in account billings, but the franchisee admitted in his deposition that he was not promised any level of profits or income. Even if such a representation was made by the franchisor, any reliance on representations regarding profitability was unreasonable as a matter of law because it was directly contradicted by the franchise agreement, the court held. The fraud claimed by the second of the three plaintiffs hinged on the franchisor’s alleged representations that he could earn as much money as a medical doctor or Ph.D., and its failure to inform him that declined accounts would be counted against the amount of business the franchisor was obligated to provide. The franchisee could not have reasonably relied on the alleged statement because it was made after he signed the franchise agreement, the court held. Further, the statement directly contradicted the franchisor’s Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC), which disclaimed any representations as to profitability or income level and was incorporated into the franchise agreement. The franchisee could not impose liability under a common law or MFA-based fraud claim merely because he chose not to read the UFOC, according to the court. The franchisor could not have defrauded the third plaintiff by allegedly failing to disclose that any offers of accounts that the franchisee declined would count against the total amount of accounts that the franchisor was obligated to offer the franchisee, the court ruled. A reasonable jury would find that the franchisee received a version of the franchisor’s UFOC that unambiguously made such a disclosure, the court decided. Evidence showed that: (1) the franchisee admitted, while a prospective franchisee, to receiving a "black book" from the franchisor; (2) the franchisor’s May 28, 2002 UFOC was bound as a black book; (3) the franchisee signed a written acknowledgment of having received the May 28, 2002, UFOC; and (4) most importantly, the franchisee produced the first two pages of the May 28, 2002 UFOC in the course of the litigation. The third franchisee’s claim that the franchisor violated the MFA by making misrepresentations regarding profitability, the availability of evening accounts, and the ability to hire employees was time-barred by the Act’s three-year statute of limitations. Had the franchisor made the alleged statements, and if they were false, the franchisee would have been aware of the facts constituting the claim within months of purchasing his franchise, the court decided. Thus, even if the discovery rule applied to the MFA to toll the statute of limitations, the claim was barred. The franchisee knew all of the facts constituting the claim in early 2003 but did not file the claim until approximately five years later. The decisions in Moua v. Jani-King of Minnesota, Inc., will appear at CCH Business Franchise Guide ¶14,665 and ¶14,681. A New York Internet subscriber could not state a New York deceptive business practices law claim against Time Warner Cable for allegedly misrepresenting the speed of its “Road Runner” Internet service, according to the federal district court in New York City. A California Internet subscriber also failed to state a California Unfair Competition Law (UCL) claim based on violations of the California False Advertising Law (FAL) and Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA). Time Warner advertised its Road Runner Internet service as having “blazing speed,” being “always on connection,” and the “fastest, easiest way to get online.” These representations allowed Time Warner to charge up to more than 100% of the fees charged by competitors, according to the subscriber. However, Time Warner failed to disclose that it interfered with and limited subscribers’ access to their Internet connections and their attempts to engage in peer-to-peer communications. New York and California subscribers sought to represent a class of all Road Runner service customers. In response, Time Warner argued that the service agreement included express provisions permitting the network management practices at issue. The company further argued that the statements at issue were mere puffery and not actionable under either the New York or California laws. To state a claim under the New York law (New York General Business Law Sec. 349), the subscriber had to show that the challenged advertising was directed at consumers, the advertising would mislead a reasonable consumer in a material way, and that the subscriber suffered an injury as a result of the advertising. To state a UCL claim under the unlawful prong, the subscriber needed to show that the company violated another law. While some of the statements were puffery, others could be actionable. However, the claims failed because there was no evidence that the Internet connection was not always available or that the speed of the service was slower than competing services, according to the court. The decision in Fink v. Time Warner Cable will appear at CCH State Unfair Trade Practices Law ¶32,322. The First Amendment barred former Rutgers quarterback Ryan Hart’s New Jersey common law right of publicity claim based on misappropriation of his likeness in the Electronic Arts video game NCAA Football, the federal district court in Trenton has ruled. Hart asserted the right of publicity in a class action complaint on behalf of other players. The court held that the First Amendment trumped the right of publicity because EA’s use of Hart’s likeness was “transformative” and also because the use was clearly related to the game and not simply an advertisement for an unrelated product. Borrowed from the copyright fair use doctrine, the transformative test balances the competing interests of the right of publicity and the First Amendment by protecting works that add significant elements of expression beyond the mere literal depiction or imitation of a celebrity for commercial gain. Elements of EA’s own expression found in the game justified the conclusion that its use of Hart’s image was transformative, the court held. NCAA Football contained virtual stadiums, athletes, coaches, fans, sound effects, music, and commentary, all of which were created or compiled by the game's designers. Over 100 virtual teams and thousands of virtual players were included. Focusing on Hart’s virtual image alone, the court acknowledged that a virtual player bore resemblance to Hart and was designed with Hart’s physical attributes, sports statistics, and biographical information in mind. However, the game permitted users to alter Hart’s virtual player, control the player’s throw distance and accuracy, change the team of which the player is a part by downloading varying team names and rosters, and incorporate players from historical teams into the gameplay. EA created the mechanism by which the virtual player could be altered, as well as the multiple permutations available for each virtual player image, the court noted. Because EA’s use of Hart’s likeness was clearly related to the game and not simply an advertisement for an unrelated product, the court determined that the right of publicity claim also was barred under the test developed in Rogers v. Grimaldi, 875 F.2d 994 (2d Cir. 1989). The Rogers test had been applied in cases when the appropriation of a celebrity likeness created a false and misleading impression that the celebrity was endorsing a product. As explained in Seale v. Gramercy Pictures, 949 F.Supp. 331 (ED Pa. 1996), applying Rogers to a Pennsylvania right of publicity claim, if a name or likeness is used solely to attract attention to a work that is not related to the identified person, the user may be subject to liability for a use of the identity in advertising. On the other hand, the use of a person’s name and likeness to advertise a work concerning that individual does not infringe the right of publicity, according to the court. The transformative test provided the best analysis, in the court’s view, but EA was entitled to protection under either the transformative test or the Rogers test, the court concluded. The September 9 opinion in Hart v. Electronic Arts, Inc. will be reported at CCH Advertising Law Guide ¶64,395. The federal district court in San Francisco has given preliminary approval to a $10 million settlement resolving price fixing claims brought on behalf of indirect purchasers of products contain cathode ray tubes (CRTs) against manufacturer Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd. A special master will hold a hearing to determine the sufficiency, fairness, reasonableness, and adequacy of the proposed settlement in March 2012. The indirect purchaser claims were brought on behalf of all persons or entities who or which indirectly purchased in the United States CRT products manufacture red or sold by defending CRT makers or their subsidiaries between March 1995 and November 2007. The net settlement fund will be no less than $5 million. The settlement calls for $2.5 million in attorneys’ fees and sets aside $2.5 million for costs, including costs of notice and administration of the settlement funds. Last year, the court refused to dismiss the indirect purchasers’ claims based on an alleged failure to adequately plead a conspiracy, the Foreign Trade Antitrust Improvements Act (FTAIA), or an alleged lack of standing. The complaint met the pleading standards articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court in Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly (550 U.S. 544, 2007-1 Trade Cases ¶75,709) and Ashcroft v. Iqbal (129 S. Ct. 1937, 2009-2 Trade Cases ¶76,785). The plaintiffs were not required to plead detailed, defendant-by-defendant allegations. It was sufficient that they made allegations that plausibly suggested that each defendant participated in the alleged conspiracy. The complaints contained allegations concerning certain defendants’ participation in alleged unlawful meetings and agreements. Regarding the FTAIA argument, the indirect purchasers alleged a conspiracy that was carried out both in the United States and abroad, that involved a substantial amount of import and domestic commerce, and that targeted and injured American consumers. The court also ruled that the indirect purchasers adequately alleged standing to assert state antitrust violations predicated on the Illinois Brick repealer statutes of Arizona, California, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The indirect purchasers alleged that they paid higher prices for CRT products than they would have paid in the absence of the conspiracy and that prices of CRT products were directly correlated to the prices of CRTs. CRTs purportedly account for approximately 60 percent of the cost of manufacturing computer monitors and a slightly smaller percentage of the cost of manufacturing televisions. The decisions are Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Antitrust Litigation, 2011-2 Trade Cases ¶77,592 and 2011-2 Trade Cases ¶77,593. Bridgestone Corporation has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $28 million criminal fine for its role in conspiracies to rig bids and to make corrupt payments to foreign government officials in Latin America related to the sale of marine hose and other industrial products, the Department of Justice announced yesterday. The company has agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department in its ongoing investigations and has committed to extensive remediation and to enhance its compliance program and internal controls. According to a two-count criminal information filed on September 15 in the federal district court in Houston, the Japan-based Bridgestone conspired to rig bids, fix prices, and allocate market shares of marine hose in the United States and elsewhere in violation of Sec. 1 of the Sherman Act and, separately, conspired to make corrupt payments to government officials in various Latin American countries to obtain and retain business in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The challenged conduct took place between 1999 and 2007. As part of the antitrust conspiracy, Bridgestone and others allegedly agreed to allocate shares of the marine hose market, agreed to establish a price list for marine hose in order to implement and monitor the conspiracy, and agreed not to compete for one another’s customers through bid rigging. With respect to the FCPA count, Bridgestone was charged with authorizing and approving corrupt payments to foreign government officials employed at state-owned entities in order to secure sales of marine hose in Mexico and other Latin America countries. The 11-page criminal information details e-mail exchanges purportedly detailing the company’s efforts to influence foreign officials through local sales agents. Bridgestone, best known for its tires, is the fifth company to be charged in the Department of Justice Antitrust Division’s investigation into bid rigging in the marine products industry. Last year, Parker ITR S.R.L. of Italy agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $2.29 million criminal fine for its role in the conspiracy. Two subsidiaries of the Swedish company Trelleborg AB, one based in Virginia and the other in France, agreed to plead guilty and pay a total of $11 million in criminal fines in 2009. British marine hose manufacturer Dunlop Oil & Marine Ltd. agreed to plead guilty and pay $4.54 million fine in 2008. Manuli Rubber Industries SpA of Italy also agreed to plead guilty to similar charges and to pay more than $2 million in criminal fines. In addition, a number of industry executives have been charged with participating in the marine hose conspiracy, including Bridgestone’s former general manager of international engineered products, Misao Hioki. While most of the executives have pleaded guilty, two have been acquitted. In 2008, an Italian national and a Florida man who both worked for Manuli were found not guilty of participating in the antitrust conspiracy by a jury in West Palm Beach, Florida. A German national and former executive with Dunlop's former parent company—Phoenix AG—who was indicted in 2007 is awaiting trial. Bridgestone issued in statement today, saying that the $28 million fine is a significant reduction from the applicable sentencing guidelines due to the company’s “extraordinary” cooperation in the investigation and remediation efforts. As part of the remediation efforts, Bridgestone has dismantled its International Engineered Products Department, closed its Houston office of Bridgestone Industrial Products of America, Inc., terminated many of its third party agents, and taken remedial actions with respect to its employees. The Justice Department has been investigating Bridgestone’s involvement in international cartel activities relating to the sale of marine hose since May 2007, according to the statement. The case is U.S. v. Bridgestone Corp., Criminal No. H-11-651. A Department of Justice press release on the development appears here. Bridgestone’s statement appears here. Labels: allocation of markets, bid rigging, conpiracy, horizontal price fixing, U.S. v. Bridgestone Corp. The Federal Trade Commission has proposed amendments to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule in order to ensure that the rule continues to protect children’s privacy, as online technologies evolve. The agency is seeking public comment on the proposal through November 28, 2011. According to a September 15 press release, the proposed amendments would give parents control over what personal information websites may collect from children under 13 years of age. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) (CCH Trade Regulation Reporter ¶27,590) requires operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13—or those having actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information from children under 13—to obtain verifiable consent from parents before collecting, using, or disclosing such information. The FTC rule implementing COPPA—the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (CCH Trade Regulation Reporter ¶38,059)—became effective in 2000. In April 2010, the Commission sought public comment on the COPPA Rule, posing numerous questions for public consideration, holding a public roundtable, and reviewing 70 comments from industry representatives, advocacy groups, academics, technologists, and members of the public. Definitions. The FTC proposes updating the definition of “personal information” that may not be collected from children under 13 without parental consent to include geolocation information and certain “persistent identifiers” such as tracking cookies used for behavioral advertising. The agency further proposed a change to the definition of “collection” to allow children to participate in interactive communities, without parental consent, as long as the operators take reasonable measures to delete children’s personal information before it is made public. Parental consent mechanisms. New proposed methods of obtaining verifiable parental consent would include electronic scans of signed parental consent forms, video-conferencing, and use of government-issued identification checked against a database. These new methods would supplement the existing methods of obtaining parental consent, which include signed parental consent forms, parents’ use of a credit card in connection with a transaction, and parents' calls to a toll-free telephone number. The FTC proposes eliminating parental consent through “e-mail plus,” an e-mail to a parent coupled with another step such as sending an e-mail confirmation. Confidentiality and security. Proposed rules would strengthen confidentiality and security by requiring that operators ensure that any third party to whom they disclose personal information has reasonable procedures to protect that information, retain the information for only as long as reasonably necessary, and properly delete that information. Safe harbor. The FTC proposes to strengthen its oversight of self regulatory “safe harbor programs” by requiring groups to audit their members at least annually and to report the results of audits to the Commission. The 122-page notice of proposed rule and request for comments appears here on the FTC website. Interested persons may submit comments online here or may send a hard copy of comments to: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex E), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. Write “COPPA Rule Review, 16 CFR Part 312, Project No. P-104503” on the submissions. The federal district court in Washington, D.C. has approved a consent decree resolving Department of Justice Antitrust Division concerns over a joint venture between Comcast Corp. and General Electric Co.’s subsidiary NBC Universal Inc. The joint venture combined Comcast—the nation’s largest cable operator and Internet service provider—and NBC Universal's cable networks, filmed entertainment, and television programming, including the NBC broadcast network. It is managed and 51 percent owned by Comcast, with GE holding 49 percent ownership. The consent decree resolved allegations that the transaction, as originally proposed, would lessen competition substantially in the market for video programming distribution by allowing Comcast to disadvantage its traditional competitors—direct broadcast satellite and telephone companies that provide video services—as well as emerging online video distributors (OVDs). The consent decree was found to be in the public interest. However, the court imposed additional steps to monitor implementation of the final judgment. The parties were required to report to the court for two years regarding the consent decree’s non-appealable arbitration mechanism for OVDs seeking to obtain the joint venture’s video programming content. An annual hearing was also required. The case is U.S. v. Comcast Corp. A memorandum order, finding the consent decree in the public interest, appears at 2011-2 Trade Cases ¶77,584. The final judgment appears at 2011-2 Trade Cases ¶77,585. Sharis Arnold Pozen, Acting Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, discussed civil antitrust enforcement efforts at the 38th annual Fordham Competition Law Institute’s international antitrust law and policy conference on September 7. In what panel moderator A. Paul Victor called her “maiden speech” as newly appointed acting antitrust chief, Pozen talked about how civil non-merger enforcement was "alive and well" at the Antitrust Division. Pozen had intended to focus her comments on non-merger enforcement, saying that she had said a lot about mergers recently. A week earlier, Pozen had delivered remarks at a press conference on the filing of the U.S. suit challenging AT&T Corporation’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile USA Inc. Moreover, a trial had just begun in the Justice Department’s action to halt H&R Block Inc.’s proposed acquisition of 2SS Holdings, Inc., the maker of TaxACT do-it-yourself tax preparation software. The official took issue with the suggestion that the Justice Department’s complaint in the AT&T/T-Mobile case did not reflect recent changes to the joint FTC/Justice Department Horizontal Merger Guidelines. Commentators have suggested that the Justice Department’s complaint in the case relies too heavily on market share analysis and structural presumptions. In her remarks at Fordham, Pozen said that the complaint in the AT&T/T-Mobile case does in fact represent the approach taken in the Horizontal Merger Guidelines and current Antitrust Division practice. She reiterated that the combination is a four-to-three merger that takes out an innovator. The Horizontal Merger Guidelines (CCH Trade Regulation Reporter ¶13,100), which were revised in August 2010, recognize the continuing need for market definition in merger analysis; however, the focus is on the competitive effects of a transaction. The analysis need not start with market definition, according to the revised guidelines. There has also been speculation that Sprint Nextel’s private suit challenging the AT&T/T-Mobile transaction could represent an effort by Sprint to bolster a weak Justice Department case. Pozen refused to comment on the Sprint suit other than to say that Sprint’s case was also before Judge Ellen Huvelle. Pozen did not know whether the suits would be combined. Further information about the Justice Department’s lawsuit to block the AT&T/T-Moble deal appears here in an August 31 posting on Trade Regulation Talk. With respect to civil, non-merger enforcement, Pozen discussed a number of recently-filed cases in sectors that “affect consumers’ pocketbooks.” In the health care industry, she explained that the Antitrust Division filed its first lawsuit since 1999 challenging a monopolist with engaging in traditional anticompetitive unilateral conduct. United Regional Health Care System of Wichita Falls—the largest hospital in Wichita Falls—agreed to settle allegations that it unlawfully used contracts with commercial health insurers to maintain its monopoly for hospital services in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. Another action noted in the health care area was the Antitrust Division’s ongoing lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, challenging the health insurer’s use of most favored nation (MFN) clauses in its provider agreements with various hospitals. The insurer has appealed a federal district court’s denial of its motion to dismiss (2011-2 Trade Cases ¶77,568), and the Justice Department has asked for dismissal of the appeal. In another “key industry for consumers,” the Justice Department is pursuing claims against American Express, challenging payment card rules that allegedly restrict price competition at the point of sale. MasterCard and Visa have agreed to settle similar civil charges (2011-1 Trade Cases ¶77,529). Pozen noted that the Antitrust Division is “vigilantly watching for signs of anticompetitive conduct across the economy.” She also pointed out that the Antitrust Division was willing to litigate to judgment if necessary. This point is reflected in the ongoing litigation against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and American Express. The acting antitrust chief said that she worked closely with her predecessor, Christine Varney, setting antitrust priorities. Among these priorities is a commitment to international cooperation, which she intends to carry forward. The recent Memorandum of Understanding between the Antitrust Division and FTC and China’s three antitrust agencies (CCH Trade Regulation Reporter ¶13,512) is a first step towards an enduring relationship, said Pozen. She noted that the federal antitrust agencies were pursuing a similar agreement with India, as that country develops its competition regime. Pozen reminded practitioners that antitrust agencies around the globe are talking to each other. She noted that many parties recognize the benefits of international coordination in investigations and suggested that permitting the agencies to share information can be beneficial to all who are involved. Labels: Fordham Competition Law Institute, Horizontal Merger Guidelines, mergers and acquisitions, Sharis Pozen, T-Mobile USA, U.S. v. AT and T Corp. An individual could not go forward with purported class-action claims that an advertising network violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) by monitoring her web browsing habits, but she could pursue claims under New York’s deceptive business practices statute and New York common law, the federal district court in New York City has determined. The network purchased advertisement display space from websites and displayed ads of interest to a computer user. The network’s clients were advertising companies and agencies. The network allegedly used “browser cookies”—text files that gather information about a computer user’s Internet habits—to create “behavioral profiles.” The network also allegedly used “flash cookies” to “respawn” the browser cookies when they were deleted by users, without users’ consent. The individual also accused the network of using “history sniffing” code that was invisible to computer users. This code contained a list of hyperlinks, examined the user’s computer’s browser information to determine whether the computer had previously visited those hyperlinks, and transmitted the results to the network’s servers for the purpose of selecting ads to display on the user’s computer. The individual could not satisfy the $5,000 minimum damages threshold for civil actions under the CFAA, the court said. She failed to quantify any damage that the network caused to her computers, systems, or data that could require economic remedy. Although she alleged that the network impaired the functioning of her computer, diminishing its value, she did not make specific allegations as to the cost of repairing or investigating this alleged damage. The collection of her personal information, and any associated invasion of her privacy, would not be compensable under the CFAA, which redressed only economic damages or loss. The collection of demographic information did not constitute damage to consumers or unjust enrichment to the collectors. The individual’s inability to delete or control the network’s cookies might constitute a de minimis injury, but not an injury sufficient to meet the $5,000 CFAA threshold, according to the court. Even if losses could be aggregated for purposes of the CFAA before a class was certified, damages resulting from the placement of cookies on multiple computers of prospective class members could not be aggregated because these losses would not result from the “same act” by the network. In addition, even if the individual represented a class of consumers, she would have to show that she had been personally injured. The advertising network’s behavioral profiling conduct could constitute a deceptive business act or practice under New York law, in the court’s view. The network’s use of flash cookies and history sniffing code could constitute deceptive conduct that misled consumers into believing their digital information was private, when in reality it was being tracked by the network. The individual and similarly-situated consumers allegedly were harmed in that they suffered the loss of privacy through the exposure of their personal and private information. The individual was not required to allege reliance to plead a claim under the New York statute. Although collection of personal information did not cause an economic injury, such nonpecuniary harm to privacy had been recognized as an actionable injury for purposes of the New York statute, the court said. The network’s conduct also could constitute a trespass to chattels under New York common law. The individual failed to allege facts demonstrating that any of the companies whose products were advertised by the network (the “advertisers”) had engaged in any deceptive conduct or trespass. Claims against the advertisers were dismissed with prejudice. The decision is Bose v. Interclick, Inc., CCH Privacy Law in Marketing ¶60,665. The Illinois Personal Information Protection Act has been amended to provide additional safeguards and penalties surrounding the protection of personal information, including prevention of and response to a security breach. A new provision added to the Act requires the disposal of “materials containing personal information in a manner that renders the information unreadable, unusable and undecipherable.” The law containing the amendments (H. 3025, Public Act No. 483) was approved on August 22, 2011 and will be effective on January 1, 2012. The amended Act provides additional details as to what security breach notifications must contain. Previously, the Act required entities to notify affected individuals that a breach had occurred, but it did not specify what the notification should include. • A statement that the individual can obtain information from these sources about fraud alerts and security freezes. The amended Act will apply security breach notification requirements to any data collector that maintains or stores computerized data. The current version of the Act does not apply to data collectors that merely stored data for others. Moreover, service providers will be required to cooperate with data owners or licensees in regard to the breach. • Electronic media or other non-paper media containing personal information may be destroyed or erased so that personal information cannot practicably be read or reconstructed. Any person, entity, or third-party is subject to a civil penalty of $100 (capped at $50,000) per individual whose personal information was not disposed of properly, and the attorney general may bring a civil suit to impose a penalty. Text of Public Act No. 483 appears here. The current version of the Illinois Personal Information Protection Act is reported at CCH Privacy Law in Marketing ¶31,300. A claim by table grape producers in California that the state's table grape commission violated federal antitrust law through a scheme involving the bad faith licensing and enforcement of alleged patent rights on grape varieties was properly dismissed for failure to identify a valid relevant product market, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. has ruled. Dismissal of the producers’ Sherman Act, Sec. 2 claims (2009-1 Trade Cases ¶76,522) was affirmed. The producers claimed that the relevant product market consisted of several distinct patented varieties of table grapes and that the existence of the plant patents limited the myriad other varieties of table grapes from being substitutes for the patented varieties in the worldwide markets. The complaining producers could not rely on the naked assertion that non-infringing grape varieties were not an adequate substitute for a patented product, especially when it was undisputed that other vines possessed at least some of the relevant characteristics that defined that product, the court reasoned. The grape producers needed—but failed—to make some allegation that, if proved, would define the market or submarket with reference to consumer demand for the product and consumer demand for its reasonable substitutes. The aspects of an invention that may have led the Patent and Trademark Office to issue a patent were not per se coterminous with the features of the patented product that may lead consumers to select that product over other similar ones, the court concluded. The decision is Delano Farms Co. v. The California Table Grape Commission, 2011-2 Trade Cases ¶77,578. Under new legislation that will take effect next year, persons and entities doing business in California will be required to make additional disclosures in the event that the security of their computerized data systems are breached. Existing law requires companies doing business in California to disclose data breaches involving the personal information of California residents. The recent legislation (Senate Bill 24, Chapter 197) amended California Civil Code Sec. 1798.82, adding several specific requirements as to the form and substance of breach notifications. As amended, the statute requires breach notifications to be in plain language. • The name and contact information of the notifying person or business. • The types of personal information that were the subject of the breach. • The date or estimated date of the breach. • Whether notification was delayed as a result of a law enforcement investigation. • A general description of the breach incident. • The toll-free telephone numbers and addresses of the major credit reporting agencies, if the breach exposed California residents’ Social Security, driver's license, or identification card numbers. • Information about what the notifying company has done to protect individuals whose information has been breached. • Advice on steps that persons whose information has been breached may take to protect themselves. In addition, if notification is made to more than 500 California residents as a result of a single breach of the security system, the notifying company must electronically submit a single sample copy of the notification, excluding any personally identifiable information, to the California Attorney General. The legislation was signed by Governor Jerry Brown on August 31, 2011, and will take effect on January 1, 2012. Similar bills were vetoed by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009 and 2010. The current version of the law appears at CCH Privacy Law in Marketing ¶30,500. In the wake of the Department of Justice’s filing of an antitrust lawsuit to block AT&T Corp.’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile USA Inc. on August 31, mobile wireless carrier Sprint Nextel brought its own antitrust action today, seeking to prohibit the acquisition as a violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act. Sprint filed the lawsuit against AT&T Corp., AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA Inc., and Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile’s parent) in the federal district court in the District of Columbia as a related case to the Department of Justice’s lawsuit. • Harm retail consumers and corporate customers by causing higher prices and less innovation. • Entrench “duopoly control” by “Ma Bell” descendants AT&T and Verizon of the almost quarter of a trillion dollar wireless market. • Injure Sprint and other independent wireless carriers. According to Sprint, a combined AT&T and T-Mobile would control more than three-quarters of the wireless market and 90 percent of the profits. The combined companies would be able to use its control over backhaul, roaming, and spectrum and its increased market position to exclude competitors, raise their costs, restrict their access to handsets, damage their businesses, and ultimately less competition, Sprint charged. According to last week’s Department of Justice complaint, the four nationwide providers of mobile wireless service—Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile—account for more than 90 percent of the national market. T-Mobile, the smallest of the four, has historically challenged the top three competitors by providing value, innovation, and aggressive pricing. The elimination of T-Mobile as an independent, low-priced alternative rival would therefore “remove a significant competitive force from the market” and “substantially reduce competition,” the Justice Department claimed. On August 31, Sprint issued a statement supporting the Department of Justice lawsuit, but did not hint that it was considering filing an action of its own. A news release on Sprint’s filing of today’s action appears here. Further information about the Justice Department’s lawsuit appears here in an August 31 posting on Trade Regulation Talk. Labels: mergers and acquisitions, mobile wireless service, Sprint Nextel v. AT and T Corp., T-Mobile USA Inc., U.S. v. AT and T Corp. the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco has ruled. A complaining hospital contended that the regulations prevented it from providing the procedures, known as elective percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), on a nonemergency basis. Judgment in favor of the Washington State Department of Health on the hospital’s antitrust claim (2010-2 Trade Cases ¶77,294) was upheld. The PCI regulations were a unilateral restraint of trade not subject to preemption, the court held. The regulations were complete upon enactment, and did not delegate any regulatory power to incumbent licensees. The court rejected the hospital’s argument that the PCI regulations granted regulatory power to incumbent licensees by calculating the need for a new certificate based in part on the number of PCI procedures they perform, thereby allowing the incumbent licensees to manipulate the number of PCIs they perform so as to exclude competing hospitals from the elective PCI market. conduct. Absent a hybrid restraint or other per se violation of the antitrust laws, there was no preemption. The decision in Yakima Valley Memorial Hosp. v. Washington State Dept. of Health will appear in CCH Trade Regulation Reporter. A permanent injunction and nearly $2 million monetary judgment entered against the marketers of two purported weight loss products—a "Chinese Diet Tea" and the "Bio-Slim Patch"—for engaging in deceptive advertising prohibited by the FTC Act were proper, the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York City has ruled. The federal district court in Bridgeport, Connecticut, did not exceed its authority in awarding monetary relief, and it committed no error in calculating the award or ordering the marketers to disgorge the full proceeds from their sale of the products, the appellate court said. The judgment of the lower court (2009-2 Trade Cases ¶76,840) was affirmed. The statute on which the district court’s jurisdiction was based—Sec. 13(b) of the FTC Act—empowered the court to award ancillary equitable remedies, including equitable monetary relief such as disgorgement of wrongfully obtained funds, in the appellate court’s view. That the marketers’ funds were wrongfully obtained was not in question, as the marketers had conceded liability with respect to the marketing of both products. There was no evidence that any of the marketers’ gains were "just" gains because the products in no instance worked as advertised, the court noted. By authorizing courts to issue injunctive relief, Sec. 13(b) invoked the equitable jurisdiction of the court. A money judgment was thus permitted as a form of ancillary relief because, once its equitable jurisdiction had been invoked, the court had "the power to decide all relevant matters in dispute and to award complete relief." An argument that the express provision of FTC Act Sec. 19 for monetary damage limited Sec. 13(b) to its explicit terms was rejected. The statute made clear that nothing within Sec. 19 affected the authority of the FTC under any other provision of law, the court observed. The marketers were not entitled to a reduction of the monetary award on account of bounced checks, credit card chargebacks, or other expenses. Their incomplete records did not allow them to calculate the losses from bounced checks and chargebacks that could be attributed to the two products at issue, only the losses across their entire line of products, which numbered more than 60. The district court’s refusal to apply a loss estimate equal to the two products’ share of the marketers overall share was within its discretion, in the appellate court’s view. The district court’s monetary award was not an impermissible legal—rather than equitable—award, the appellate court also held. The lower court’s failure to identify particular funds in the defendants’ hands that were specifically traceable to the fraudulently marketed products did not force the court "to conform its award to the ancient remedy of constructive trust" or limit its judgment to the profits generated by the two products at issue. Where the basis of a claim was a violation of the FTC Act, the court had to determine only that the nature of the underlying remedies sought was historically equitable. The substance of the monetary judgment comported with the equitable remedy of disgorgement, the appellate court concluded. Disgorgement did not require a district court to apply equitable tracing rules to identify specific funds subject to return. The decision is Federal Trade Commission v. Bronson Partners, LLC, 2011-2 Trade Cases ¶77,574.

2019-04-26T07:40:06Z

http://traderegulation.blogspot.com/2011/09/

Powers/Abilities: In his original body the Technocrat would have had the same potential for powers as any other Kymellian had, though it is currently unrevealed if he ever developed any outside of possibly teleportation. His pseudoplasmic body was infinitely malleable, though without an atmosphere it was unable to hold a pre-programmed shape and reverted into a liquid state. Presumably if re-exposed to an atmosphere the pseudoplasmic body could resume its pre-programmed form. While the full weapons array of his body armor is unrevealed, he was shown to fire a power-neutralizing "goop" from his glove. As part of his base's computer system the Technocrat was able to observe anyone anywhere on/in his "body" and project a holographic image of himself anywhere on the base to interact with visitors. He was also able to "see" (using his computers) what his other pseudoplasmic creations saw, even when they were on another planet, and direct their actions. He could teleport objects to and from his base over vast (galactic scale) distances, though it's unclear how much of this was native Kymellian teleporting ability and how much was done using machines on his base. He had control over the other machines that kept the base in working order, and evidently could rearrange the matter of small objects at will (or else he teleported Meraud's hand restraints away; the story was a tad unclear which it was). (Power Pack Holiday Special#1 (fb) - BTS) - The Technocrat was a brilliant engineer and inventor who evidently thought technological products were far superior to anything biology could produce, and believed the Kymellians were better off in space than on a planet. Besides designing spacestations for himself and others, he invented living pseudoplasm, a semi-solid thick liquid that could be programmed to duplicate living beings on a molecular level, fooling even fairly sophisticated Kymellian scanners, which led to the substance being outlawed on Kymellia. Centuries ago, when the Kymellians destroyed their original homeworld Kymellia due to a miscalculation in their formula for matter/antimatter energy conversions, the Technocrat built the space station Kymellia II to house the survivors as their new homeworld. An unspecified time later (though evidently still "centuries ago") the Technocrat was banished from Kymellian society for unrevealed crimes. He then made a moon-sized space station his new home and populated it with his pseudoplasmic servants. Under unrevealed circumstances the Technocrat transferred his consciousness into the station's computer system, and created a pseudoplasmic duplicate of his original body to physically interact with others. The fate of his original body is unrevealed. (Power Pack I#56) - The faux Alex was awakened in the middle of the night by Pack member Tattletale (Franklin Richards), who had had one of his "special dreams" (Franklin's powers had been reduced down to precognitive dreams at this time in his history) about his friend Nova (Frankie Raye) fighting the cosmic entity Star-Stalker, whose path of destruction was leading it towards Earth. While getting ready to find Nova, "Alex" discovered he was starting to loose his hair; the idea that he was going bald at age 13 threw him into a panic, though he didn't tell anyone about it right then. The Pack had their smartship Friday to take them to the planet shown in Tattletale's dream, where they found an Elan child that had been injured in the Star Stalker's initial attack on the planet. Initially feeling useless because the others were able to free the child without his help, "Alex" examined the alien and wished for some way to help it live. He then started to glow with an unknown energy similar to the Kymellian's healing power that also managed to seemingly heal the alien child as well. Unable to help Nova stop the Star Stalker, the Pack could only watch while the Stalker drained all of Nova's powers into itself, then settled down to sleep while Lightspeed (Julie) rescued the now-human Nova from dying in space. "Alex" got the idea to give the Stalker even more power while it was unconscious in an attempt to overload it and stop its menace for good, so he had the Destroyer (his brother Jack) feed it all the power he had stored up in himself, forcing the Stalker to create a cocoon around itself. It then teleported itself away, to land on the next planet in its path, Earth. . . . (Power Pack I#57) - Back on the smartship the Elan's condition began to worsen and it started to fire energy balls from one of its antennae. "Alex" immediately turned cloudy when one of the balls came towards him, but he was unable to stop another ball from hitting Tattletale and knocking him unconscious. When Jack managed to absorb enough of the Elan's energies to allow Friday to cauterize its wound, "Alex" reflected on how he was unable to solve the problem, then panicked when he noticed his hair loss had already created a noticeable bald spot and quickly recombed his hair to hide it. Back on Earth, the Pack soon found the Stalker rampaging through Central Park and quickly attacked the beast, with "Alex" using his cloud powers to hide the Stalker so its appearance would not create more of a panic than it had already caused. The Pack was able to keep the Stalker busy long enough for a now-awake Nova to go to the Baxter Building and retrieve a Stimulator (a device that can restore a superhuman's lost powers) and set it up to drain the Stalker's powers into herself. It worked, but the settings were slightly off on the Stimulator, and Nova became a power-mad brute herself. . . . Meanwhile, "Margret Power", following a feeling that something was wrong, got up to check on the kids, then ran hysterically back to her husband "James" and woke him up. "James" checked the kids" rooms himself, then lied to his wife and told her the kids were really still there to calm her hysterics. While getting "Margret" a cup of chamomile tea, "James" realized that he had a good idea that the kids were really super-heroes, and put in a call to Tattletale's father, Reed Richards (of the Fantastic Four), to tell him what he suspected: that their kids had formed their own super-team and were out having adventures and not telling their parents. (Power Pack I#58) - While Tattletale was off getting a weapon from Galactus to stop Nova, "Alex" tried to knock down Nova with a combination of his superdense form and Counterweight's (Katie Power) gravity power, but found Nova was able to counter both powers easily. "Alex" got the idea to douse Nova with water to snuff out her powers, so the Pack stole a nearby water tank and dumped it on Nova, but "Alex" then found that the backlash from the steam was causing him to dissipate before he pulled himself back from that. Meanwhile "James" met with Reed at an outdoor cafe to discuss his suspicions, but the talk was interrupted by noise from the battle. Rushing towards the fight, "James" was shocked to find that his kids were putting themselves in danger to stop Nova. While "James" could only stand around in a state of shock, Reed grabbed the Stimulator and reset it to absorb enough of Nova's powers in an attempt to return her to her right mind, and "Alex" used his cloud power to hide his family from the just-arrived news cameras. At this point Tattletale returned from space with an Elemental Obliterator (borrowed from Galactus, it had the same tendency to kill the person wielding it as the Ultimate Nullifier did -- when the big G. puts triggerlocks on his guns, he doesn't fool around!) to use on Nova to stop her mad rampage, while "James" kept Reed from stopping Tattletale's suicidal gesture. When the Elan decided to be the one to sacrifice itself to stop Nova, "Mass Master" wished for a way to somehow save the Elan from getting killed, and put a density field around the Elan, then found he could suddenly link his powers with his siblings and used their combined powers to push the Elan away from the gun before it self-destructed. The restored Nova then left Earth to continue her work for Galactus while the Pack and Reed left the park, not knowing that while painting in her studio, "Margret" had seen the newscasts of Power Pack fighting Nova, and that the revelation/confirmation that her children were now super-heroes had driven her into a massive hysterical attack, denying what she had seen. . . . . (Power Pack I#59 - BTS) - "James" asked Richards if Tattletale could move in with them for a while in an attempt to show his wife that their kids were not the only ones with superpowers, and somehow bring her out of her catatonic state. Richards enthusiastically agreed to have Franklin stay with them for a short time. (Power Pack I#59) - A day or so later "Alex" woke up before everyone else in the house did, and was distressed to realize he was still going bald. Deciding there was only one solution, "Alex" left the apartment and went to a local barber and had his hair cut down to a very short buzz cut. Later that morning "James" made a (barely edible) breakfast for the other kids while discussing a trip to the circus later that day (unbeknownst to them, the circus being advertised was -- wait for it -- The Circus of Crime!). "James" was startled when he learned Julie was more interested in seeing a rich handsome Indian prince that the papers announced was going to be there rather than the acts themselves ("his" little girl was interested in BOYS already!! ;) ) While "James" served "Margret" breakfast in their bedroom to avoid upsetting her further, "Alex" returned to the apartment. The two talked briefly in the kitchen. "James" berated "Alex" for going out without saying anything to anyone, and "Alex" revealed only that he had a personal problem that he didn't want the others to learn about, leaving "James" to assume it was simply a problem associated with puberty. "James" resolved to try not to ride "Alex" too hard, and to be more supportive of him while he going through puberty. When "Alex" showed the others his new haircut, "James" and the kids were taken totally by surprise by the drastic hairstyle change. After Franklin arrived and mentioned he liked "Alex's" new hairstyle because it was shorter than his, "James" made a joke about how lots of people get bad haircuts every day, which only served to put "Alex" deeper into his funk, and "James" to worry over him again. Later at the circus the kids witnessed the theft of the Indian Prince's ultra-valuable crown jewel (which he was wearing in his turban) by the Circus" Clown, Bruto the Strongman, the Human Cannonball, the acrobatic Great Gambonnos, and the cowboy Livewire (they had decided that the single jewel was that great a prize to go against the Ringmaster's direct orders to not pull a heist during the show). The Pack decided to intervene and changed into their costumes where they were seated in the bleachers and went on the offensive. A herd of various animals released by Clown and Livewire rampaged through the tent and almost trampled "Mass Master" underneath them, before he shrank himself down to a much smaller size to avoid being knocked down (why he didn't just turn cloudy I have no clue). The animals were then degravitized and juggled by Katie. "Mass Master" found the turban, and barely missed being crushed by the Strongman. Unable to see anything carrying a turban at that small a size, "Mass Master" decided to return to his original size, happily wearing the turban as "Prince Alex -- Ruler, Mover, and Shaker" until the Clown stole it off his head. "Mass Master" used his cloud form to herd the animals to safety when he noticed the Ringmaster now had the turban. The Pack could only watch while the Ringmaster decided to hand the turban back to the Prince under the pretense he was actually recovering it for him, then used his hypno-disc to make the Prince (and the just-arrived policemen) forget the theft attempt by his employees. Meanwhile, back at the apartment, "James" entered "Margret's" art studio to see how she was doing, and decided to look her most recent paintings over. He was shocked to find them all dark and grim in nature, like she had become suddenly obsessed with death and destruction. "James" found "Margret" in their bedroom staring out the window, oblivious to his presence, and staring at a vision of attacking monsters. He tried to talk to her, but the kids came home right then, and he had to go quite them down so as to not disturb "Margret". While "James" worried over his wife's sanity, "Margret" continued to stare at the vision she was experiencing. Later that night the kids stayed up late to watch TV. The others commented on how the new haircut made "Alex's" nose look bigger, and how the light from the TV made his hair look longer in the middle than on the sides. Disgusted by their comments, and experiencing a pounding headache, "Alex" made his way to the bathroom, and to his horror found that his nose really was bigger -- far bigger than any human nose should be, and that his hair had suddenly sprouted a Mohawk literally in the last few hours. . . . . (Power Pack I#60) - The next morning an upset "Alex" revealed to the rest of the team that he had turned into a Kymellian overnight. The others tried to comfort him with little success, but when Jack warned that their father was coming "Alex" quickly turned into cloud form and left via the window, grateful that his power at least still worked, though he now had an urge to allow himself to dissipate completely and essentially kill himself. Meanwhile "James" informed the kids that their mother "Margret" had now recovered and wished to see them before going off on their first day of school, and warned them not to mention their powers at all in her presence. While the kids were visiting their mother, "James" asked Jack about the whereabouts of "Alex", and was told "Alex" couldn't wait to see girlfriend Alison after summer vacation and had left early to see her, disappointing "James". "Alex" watched in cloud form while the others walked to school, then solidified on a cliff in Central Park to bemoan his fate, and was startled when a cloud that wasn't his formed around him. It disappeared a second later, leaving "Alex" to believe it was just a figment of his imagination. A few hours later the still-brooding "Alex" was contacted by Tattletale's dreamself and told that old Fantastic Four foe Puppet Master had somehow evidently taken control of Franklin and was forcing him to fight a quartet of turtle-like aliens at a local pizza restaurant (see comments below). He also told "Alex" where the Puppet Master was living then (in a house located on their route to school). While the rest of the Pack were trying to rescue Tattletale from the aliens, "Mass Master" entered the Puppet Master's house to somehow stop him from his mad plan, only to discover the Puppet Master napping on the couch and a mentally impaired boy playing with toy figures of Franklin Richards and a set of "Adolescent Microwave Shell-Shocked Amphibians" toys (called that because apparently there were legal reasons Marvel couldn't use the name "Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles" in even a one-panel reference to an actual real-life cartoon. Hey, I'm not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV. I really don't know what the legalities of this situation might be.) that Puppet Master had made for him from his special clay. When the Puppet Master realized what chaos Morty (his (step?)son) inadvertently caused everyone he apologized, since he never foresaw the possibility of actual aliens who were almost identical to the cartoon characters could exist (and thus be controlled by Morty), or that Morty would go against orders and get into the room where PM kept the dolls he used to control others and play with them. Meanwhile, "James" and "Margret" had spent the day enjoying themselves and celebrating "Margret's" recovery. They were sitting at the kitchen table laughing when the kids got home from school. "James" told Franklin about his parents" calling and told him he could use their phone to call them back. After Franklin finished his phone call "Alex" returned to the apartment, where he and Franklin had a small talk about "Alex's" transformation, with Franklin reassuring "Alex" that he was going to be all right no matter how he looked. The talk was interrupted by "James", who decided to confront "Alex" over his strange behavior. "James" was shocked by "Alex's" new appearance and was in the process of comforting a distraught "Alex" when "Margret" decided to enter the room herself to see what was going on with "Alex". When she saw her son's new look, she immediately fell back into her catatonia and collapsed at their feet. (Power Pack I#61) - During Friday's final approach to the Power's apartment building it was attacked by an energy attack from the Red Ghost, forcing it to crash-land in the Power's apartment instead of landing on the roof like it intended. Inside the apartment Destroyer (Jack) managed to absorb enough debris fast enough to create a "safe pocket" enabling his sister Counterweight to degravitize the debris above them and free themselves. Lightspeed asked Counterweight to degravitize their unconscious "parents" so she (Lightspeed) could fly them to safety, but Counterweight was afraid the roof would fall on them if she remover her powers from it. "Mass Master" managed to reach Lightspeed and their "parents" and placed a density field around them to keep the falling debris off them, but failed to put one around himself in time to avoid being knocked for a loop himself by the destruction. Tattletale managed to use his dreamself to take control of "Mass Master's" body just long enough for "Mass Master" to recover, and to send his dreamself to his parents for help while "Mass Master" protected his body and the others with the density shield. Power Pack, their "parents", Raymond (who had been pretty much a bystander in the book for the last few issues, and who had been out in outer space with Friday and the Elan), "Marty" the Elan, and the mechanical globe that housed Friday's consciousness were rescued and brought to Four Freedoms Plaza. There Mister Fantastic put Friday's "brain" on the computer equivalent of life support machines, and examined "Margret". He quickly determined that he could undo Lord Yrik's mindlock on her (which Yrik had used on the true James and Margret Power ages ago to help Power Pack keep their secret superhero lives from their parents, and which everyone in this storyline assumed to be the real cause of "Margret's" breakdowns), but at the possible price of irreversible brain damage to her. While "James" thought those options out and wished for his family to be normal again, Mr. Fantastic examined "Alex", running various radiation and DNA tests on him. Told that the tests were inconclusive, a dispirited "Alex" rested his hand on Friday's globe, transferring enough of his healing power into it to revive Friday's consciousness again. It then gave Mister Fantastic some needed information on Kymellian genetics, which allowed him to adjust one of his many machines for use in reversing "Alex's" transformation. While "James" wished to have more time to adjust to this new development "Alex" pressed to have the reversal done immediately. During the painful reversal process the Red Ghost (disguised as Tattletale) entered the lab to steal Friday's globe and attacked, gassing Mr. Fantastic and throwing "James" into the reversal machine, causing it to go haywire and trapping "Alex" in his cloud form. While the Invisible Woman and Power Pack dealt with the Ghost and his Super-Apes, "Margret" heard the commotion from her room down the hall, and began to panic when she couldn't see where her husband and children were. While Raymond went to investigate the Elan found there was one thing that could calm "Margret" down enough for her to sleep, and was happy to see it working so quickly. (As revealed next issue, the Elan altered its appearance to look like "James".) After defeating the heroes the Red Ghost laughed maniacally in his triumph, until he was suddenly confronted by "James", wearing a costume himself and ready to take on the Ghost and his Apes. (Power Pack I#62) - While "James" (actually the Elan disguised as him; I assume he didn't drop the disguise to keep the Red Ghost from realizing that he was fighting another alien until it was too late) kept the Red Ghost and his Apes busy, "Mass Master" looked the devastation over and worried that the reason he couldn't reform his body was because he was already dead. He then heard a voice (the one from #60) introducing itself (though not naming itself) to him. The voice told him that it would be there if he really needed it, and then encouraged "Mass Master" to focus his thoughts on reforming himself, which he finally managed to do. Feeling much stronger and more powerful than before, "Mass Master" looked over his fallen friends and determined to use his new strength to put an end to the Ghost's schemes, and was puzzled by the voice's parting comment about "an ending shall come", and decided to worry about it later. "Mass Master" turned his newly-boosted healing power on his friends and fixed them up in time to witness the Ghost defeating the Elan (and eliminating its disguise) and explaining how he learned of the true power behind a smartship (evidently he intercepted some Snark transmissions and learned about Kymellian technology, then tracked down Friday and attacked it to steal its brain). The Ghost and his Apes escaped, but they only got as far as Sheep Meadow in Central Park before Power Pack caught up with them. While "Alex" was feeling like a useful member of the team again, the Ghost had one of his apes take on "Margret's" appearance in an attempt to make the others believe she had been taken hostage, but Tattletale quickly learned that the true "Margret" was still back at the Plaza asleep, and used his dreamself to force the Margret illusion from the monkey's body and to keep the Ghost from using his dematerializing power to escape, while "Mass Master" knocked out the monkey with a density field and "James" felled the Ghost with a right to the jaw. Later back at the Plaza, Mister Fantastic re-examined "Alex" again, and found that "Alex" had mutated just enough to keep him from being restored by the original process. Learning to accept his new form, "Alex" wandered around the Plaza a bit, and realized by watching the Thing and Ms. Marvel (Sharon Ventura) that he could still have something resembling a normal life. He also watched as the Human Torch, with some help from the Elan, finished reassembling Friday, and was among those teleported to the roof by the Elan (he wanted to get Friday back outside where it could fly again). "James" then thanked the Fantastic Four for their help with their problems, and told them he had decided to try out a couple of other sources for curing his wife: the Institute of Psychic Research in London, England, and the Collard Institute for Psychic Studies in the Caribbean. "James" "Margret", Mass Master", Tattletale, the Elan, and the rest of the Power Pack boarded Friday, then left the Plaza for London. (Excalibur I#29 (fb) ) - Power Pack, "James", and "Margret" arrive at the Institute of Psychic Research at London (apparently after taking "Margret" to several other experts besides the ones in Marvel Super-Heroes III#6) looking to see if they had a cure for her. The staff there instead took them down to a room and gassed everyone into unconsciousness, save for "Mass Master", who changed into his gas form and escaped via the same vent used to release the gas. (see comments below). He barely managed to reach Friday and the Elan (now officially called Marty by the others) before passing out. Friday recalled that the X-Men Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) and Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde) were currently part of the British team Excalibur, and flew to their lighthouse to ask for their aid. (Excalibur I#29) - A wary Excalibur (Captain Britain (Brian Braddock), Meggan, Phoenix (Rachel Summers), Nightcrawler) approached Friday after it appeared above their home base. Nightcrawler teleported inside where he found the unconscious "Mass Master" in a corridor. He woke "Mass Master" up, thinking at first he was an alien. After "Mass Master" updated Nightcrawler on his recent transformation, Friday allowed the other Excalibur members in, and "Alex" swiftly told them what had happened to his family at the Institute. After Excalibur agreed to help, Friday took them to the Institute, where Captain Britain, Megan, and Phoenix disguised themselves as a doctor, nurse, and patient respectively, to infiltrate the Institute, while leaving "Alex" and Nightcrawler to teleport in, since they'd have some trouble passing for normal (and again giving "Alex" the idea that there really was someone else in the world who understood being that different from normal humans as he was). (Brief comment: the dialogue makes it sound like "Alex" did the teleporting since Nightcrawler was still weak from recent injuries, but the teleporting field shown was clearly Nightcrawler's, so who really did what is unclear.) "Mass Master" and Nightcrawler soon found where the Power family and Tattletale were being held, but before they could contact the rest of Excalibur they were discovered and attacked. During the ensuing melee, Excalibur found that the Institute's staff had been transformed into demons, but they were themselves gassed before they could do anything about it. They were offered up to the demon's master, who turned out to be Nightmare. Preying on each of Excalibur's darkest fears, he quickly turned Phoenix into his own personal slave and had her track down and enslave the others, which she did. "Mass Master" (after merging with Tattletale, who had been following an unconscious summoning by Phoenix) confronted the enslave Phoenix after Nightmare turned her into his "horse" and rode her around. Nightmare used Phoenix's power to absorb "Mass Master" into their merged form, but then Tattletale used his powers to unmerge them all, then merged himself with Phoenix to break Nightmare's hold on them and return them all to the waking world. Back in the "real world", everyone woke up (Excalibur back in their tower, PP back on Friday) believing that what they experienced was just a very bad dream (in fact, if I read the ending correctly, they evidently didn't even visit the Institute at all the whole issue, let alone meet up with Excalibur), with "James" deciding that the trip over there had been a waste of time, just as Friday began final approach to the Institute's grounds. . . . (Marvel Super Heroes III#6/2) - While "Margret" was treated at the Collard Institute for Psychic Studies in the Caribbean (with Marty to keep her company, I assume, since he isn't otherwise seen or mentioned in this story), "James" became engrossed with studying some aquatic phenomena (specifically some mysterious globes that had been found nearby) while the kids relaxed at the beach. Kate and Franklin asked "Alex" if he wanted to help build their sandcastle, but "Alex" decided it would be better for him if he stayed covered up (in jeans, overcoat, and baseball cap) to keep people from being frightened by his horsey appearance. When the sight of a finned creature swimming in the ocean sent the beach's population running away in a panic, "Alex" ran towards the ocean to see what was causing the ruckus. Under the waves "Alex" saw a humanoid fish, but had to come up for air before he could investigate further. However, the fishman followed him and punched him into a daze before departing. Rescued from drowning by Jack, "Alex" told the others what he had seen, but when he told how he had to come up for air, the others began to make fun of him, since he had temporarily forgotten that their uniforms could be modified in the otherdimensional Elsewhere to allow them to survive underwater. Searching the ocean floor for clues, Power Pack soon found some divers who were collecting some colorful globes and taking them to their ship. Appalled that the natural beauty of the waters was being despoiled, the Pack decided to board the divers' ship (called the Wild Thing) to see if what they witnessed was legal or not. Moments after boarding and noticing that the divers had "tons" of globes, the ship's captain immediately spotted them and ordered them to leave the globes alone. The ship was then attacked from below by an unknown attacker. The Pack used their powers to save the ship, but then a second attack broke the bow of the ship (where the majority of the globes were at), knocking some of the crew off and dropping the majority of the globes back into the water. "Mass Master", Lightspeed, and Tattletale spotted the fishman on the ocean floor, but the kids decided their top priority was to rescue the ship's crew from drowning, and left the monster for another time. Later at a local restaurant the kids discussed what to tell their father, only to be confronted by an angry "James", who had learned of their adventure from the head scientist that had been onboard the ship when it was attacked. "James" was upset that the kids had disrupted a legitimate scientific expedition, but calmed down when the Pack explained their side of the story. "James" apologized, saying that he still didn't know how to react to the kids" secret lives as super-heroes, and offered to rent a boat for them all as a way to relax. While out on the water, Franklin suddenly had one of his visions and asked "James" to turn the boat around. "James" angrily refused, saying they had come out there to relax, not get involved in yet more super-hero business, but "Alex" convinced "James" that helping to stop whatever bad thing Franklin saw happening in his vision was the right thing to do. They soon found the source of Franklin's visions was an attack by the fishman -- who Franklin identified as the Monster from the Lost Lagoon -- and his mate, who were trying to rescue their eggs (the globes the scientists were trying to study) from exploitation. Franklin convinced the Monster to stop his attack, while the rest of the Pack used their healing power on the Monster's mate, who had been seriously injured by the expedition's captain. Reunited with their children, the Monster and his mate thanked the Pack for their help, then left in their ship for space. "James" decided he was wrong to have not trusted the Pack from the start, and promised to be there for them from now on. (Power Pack I#62) - After dropping off "Alex" back in their home neighborhood so he could say good-bye to girlfriend Alison, "James" and the others returned to Four Freedom's Plaza to drop off Tattletale and to inform the Fantastic Four of their intention to travel to Kymellia and see if either Yrik or someone else there could remove the mindlocks from "Margret" and "James", and perhaps learn more of why "Alex" transformed the way he did. Meanwhile "Alex" found Alison talking with another guy, and thought that she must have decided she couldn't wait for him forever. Unwilling to let Alison see him in his transformed state, he said good-bye from several yards away, then ran off before she could turn and get a good look at him. Back at the Plaza the Pack said their good-byes to Tattletale and the FF while the Elan explained to Mister Fantastic that he was returning to his own sector of space. Taking a last look at Earth, "Alex" reflected on how everything was a miracle since Whitey gave them their powers (waaaay back in Power Pack I#1), and that it was Whitey who was the mysterious voice who "talked" to him during the Red Ghost encounter. He then relaxed, thinking he was in a sense finally going home. (Power Pack Holiday Special#1 - BTS) - At some point in their journey to Kymellia, Power Pack dropped off the Elan back in his own sector of space. Also at some (different?) point during the journey "James" developed his own set of super-powers. (Power Pack Holiday Special#1) - After Friday re-entered normal space in the Kymellian system, Julie tried to bring "Margret" out of her catatonic state by reminiscing about happier times, but was unsuccessful. While everyone continued to rest in either their seats or on a mattress, Julie reflected on recent events, and began to puzzle out what may have really happened to "Alex" and their parents. Observing this from his base, the Technocrat was persuaded by exiled Snark Queen Meraud to switch Lightspeed with another pseudoplasmic servant before Julie solved the riddle. The Technocrat transformed his servant Krenok One into a duplicate of Lightspeed, but before he could switch him for the real Lightspeed, the imprisoned Mass Master managed to escape from his containment tube and destroyed the machine used to reshape the pseudoplasmic servants into the four faux Powers, cutting off the signal keeping them in those shapes and causing the servants imitating Alex, James, and Margret, to revert to liquid form in front of the horrified Power children (and causing the fake Julie back on the station to melt as well). Before the Power children could do anything besides be horrified the Technocrat teleported Lightspeed off Friday and imprisoned her in a tube next to her recaptured brother. While Lightspeed and Mass Master compared notes on what was going on, Friday examined the remains of the three fake Powers, and explained to Counterweight and Destroyer what pseudoplasm was, and how it could fool even Kymellian scanners (not to mention the human Mr. Fantastic's scanners) into thinking the duplicates were living beings. Destroyer initially wanted to question the duplicates on who created them, but when he realized they would be unable to tell him anything (due to the duplicates not knowing/remembering they were duplicates to begin with) he and Counterweight reluctantly gathered the liquid remains of "Alex", "James", and "Margret" into Friday's ejection shoot, and dumped them into space before the orders to resolidify came through. Comments: Technocrat created by Louise Simonson (writer), June Brigman (penciler) and Roy Richardson (inker). The faux Alex, James, and Margret Powers were created by Michael Higgins & Seth Kruchkow (writers), Tom Morgan (penciler), Andy Mushynsky (inks). A character so obscure that he's not even listed on Snood's Master List :D (or at least he wasn't until I mentioned it). It's unclear from the story itself, but given his appearance it is possible that the original Technocrat had been a cyborg before transferring his mind into the satellite's computers. I am not sure if the Elan in Power Pack I#56-58 was supposed to be THE Infant Terrible, or just another juvenile member of its race. It never said, and no-one raised the subject of whether it was the Infant or not. Revealed in Infant Terrible's profiles in Annihilation#2 (as Delinquent), Marvel Legacy: The 1960s Handbook and the Fantastic Four Encylopedia. It was indeed Infant Terrible appearing in Power Pack. The quartet of aliens in Power Pack I#60 were from the planet Ciegrim-7, first introduced in one of the Hercules 2300 limited series. In Power Pack I#60 they had just crash-landed on Earth and were looking for some food when Morty inadvertently took control of them while playing with his toys. The Technocrat was invented for the sole purpose of retconning away some rather. . . . interesting. . . . . plotlines introduced in the last few issues of that Power Pack run, like Alex's tuning into a Kymellian, James Powers getting superpowers out of the blue, and Margret Powers's bizarre catatonic state. I THINK I got all the appearances of the faux Powers here, but since I couldn't find any listing of all the issues they appeared in anyplace (heck, I couldn't find anyplace that listed any of these guys as separate characters AT ALL, or even listed the Power Pack Holiday Special as an existing book!) there may be one or more I missed. If so, let me know and I'll add them in. Where Higgins and Kruchkow were planning on taking the alien visions "Margret" was having I have no clue, and as far as I know, it's never been touched on anyplace ever again. Come to think of it, if the Technocrat could do an exact "copy & paste" with someone's memories without doing harm to the original subject, then all he had to do was "copy & paste" from Dr. Powers to either his computers or to a pseudoplasmic servant, and sift through those copied memories to find the info he sought rather than going through the effort of kidnapping and replacing the actual Powers adults and sifting through their memories while on his station. But then there'd be no story usable to do a retcon with, so. . . . . Odd note on this version of the Marvel Super-Heroes comic: when searching for this online, I found that few listed this book at all under its own name, if listed at all. Mile High Comics had the series, but listed it under the title of Marvel Special Edition rather than as Marvel Super-Heroes. Not sure why they felt the need to list it under a title it never saw print under, since listing the publication dates would have easily distinguished this run from its 1960's predecessor. Go figure. The concept of a machine made from a semi-solid substance that could be formed into anything (including people) is not a new one, either in the Marvel Universe proper or in Science Fiction/Fantasy in general. It's been around for decades, at least. For all I know, John Campbell or Hugo Gernsback or someone in their stable of writers invented the stuff in a story someplace waaaaay back in the 1920's at least. It was stated that the technology to create pseudoplasm was destroyed when the spacestation Kymellia II was destroyed. Given the size of his own spacestation, the Technocrat should have had no problem duplicating the process in his own place rather than relying on Kymellia II to produce it for him. The only reason I can think of for why he couldn't produce pseudoplasm after Kymellia II exploded was that his process for creating it required the presence (or the by-products) of live Kymellians to succeed, which was the one thing Kymellia II had bunches of but the Technocrat's spacestation lacked. And it's probably advisable to not think too hard on that, unless you really want to be totally grossed out by what biostuffs the process might require. . . . . All in all, I rather liked this guy; he had a neat visual to him. And given his merging with a computer, he could very easily have had a back-up someplace that escaped his station's destruction, and could somehow recreate his body again, as well as those of his servants, including the faux Powers. but have no known connections to any other "Powers" characters running around the Marvel Universe. The Technocrat's servants in their originally programmed forms were indistinguishable from real Kymellians, exact copies down to a molecular level. They could also be programmed to believe they were "real" Kymellians rather than artificial ones. The Pseudoplasmic servants could also duplicate the native powers of the Kymellians, though to what extent they could do so remains unrevealed. Krenok One The only one of the Technocrat's servants referred to by name, he was chosen to become the duplicate of Lightspeed (Julie Power) when the Technocrat realized that Julie was close to realizing the truth of his deception. He was transformed into an exact copy of Lightspeed, but was seemingly destroyed before he could be switched out with the real Lightspeed. The powers he had in his original form are unrevealed. As Lightspeed, he would have had her power of flight, but that was never put to the test. The original name of this pseudoplasmic servant is unrevealed, as is what powers she had in her original form. As "Margret Power" she had all the real Margret's memories and desires, plus her artistic abilities. Unfortunately, her original programming began to overwrite the new programming, leaving "Margret" just unstable enough to go into a semi-permanent catatonic state when presented with the knowledge that her children had super-powers. While in her catatonic state she also saw visions of attacking aliens and their battles, though who these aliens were have never been revealed. Technocrat's base was a spacestation the size of a moon (and possibly was originally a moon converted to house a humongous underground spacestation), which he presumably built himself, and which became his home after being exiled from the other Kymellians. The base was destroyed when Meraud tricked him into firing a missile through the station in an attempt to kill the smartship Friday, but Meraud "accidentally" jostled the missile launcher and the missile instead tore through the fission chamber that powered the satellite, causing the explosion.

2019-04-20T20:10:38Z

http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix4/technocrat.htm

TTC ridership has been static for the past few years, as set out in the October 2018 CEO’s Report. Year-to-date ridership is down 3.2% compared to budget and 2.0% compared to 2017. Ridership has flatlined since 2014 due to various factors, including congestion, changes in customer mobility, and growth in digital ride-hailing services. The statements here present many factors, but do not attempt an analysis. One vital and missing component in the list is the question of service quality and capacity. If people cannot get on their bus, streetcar or subway train, or if the service is unpredictable enough, they will use transit as a matter of last resort, not as a first choice. The entire concept of a monthly pass was to remove the incremental cost of taking another trip, something which (at least back in the late 1970s when the debate raged over whether Toronto could have monthly passes) was an important factor. Fares are still an issue, but service is a troubling component too. The note about declining Metropass sales requires some explanation. The TTC, through user surveys, estimates the number of trips taken by the typical passholder in a month, and this sits at about 74. For every 100,000 passes they sell, they count 7.4 million trips. Obviously, the number of trips each passholder takes will vary, but things will average out. For example, in the first week of July when, by chance, I was part of the survey sample, I took 27 trips (and that’s counting a “trip” by the transfer rules then in effect). That translates to over 100 trips/month. The trips/day varied from a low of 2 to a high of 7. It was a busy week, and I made one or two round trips from home, plus a few stopovers, on the busiest days. If I had counted on the basis of the two-hour transfer, the “trip” count would have been close to 20 factoring out the stopovers and a few quick there-and-back-again round trips. Because each Metropass sale translates to so many trips in the stats, the loss of a sale has a big effect on the total TTC numbers. However, the people who “fall off” the Metropass group are likely to be those whose usage was borderline break-even and for whom convenience of a flash-and-go card had a value in its own right. Presto eliminates that value, and it would be no surprise to see many passholders switch over. The actual trips lost to the TTC are, for these riders, fewer than the average Metropass usage. The trips/pass for the remaining sales should go up if the low end of the market shifts to Presto, but it is not clear whether the TTC adjusts their multiplier frequently. The “lost” riding could be as much an effect of overcounting the lost pass sales (and associated trips), as it is a real decline in system usage. This problem will become even trickier with the two-hour pass available through Presto where trips that used to count as two (or more) fares will now only count as one. To re-establish sustained ridership growth, a new Ridership Growth Strategy (RGS) is being implemented. RGS initiatives include implementing a two-hour transfer on PRESTO and relieving overcrowding on surface routes. If one goal of RGS is to relieve overcrowding, then it is clear that at least part of the system needs more service to handle demand even while official “ridership” is not growing. There may be routes with falling ridership, but even they must be viewed with caution lest the fall be the result of irregular or even reduced service. Indeed, if there are overcrowded routes, why does the TTC not publish a list of routes, periods and locations where crowding is a problem that cannot be addressed without more capacity? Toronto cannot begin to talk about attracting new riders if it does not provide enough service to carry those who are already trying to use the system, or even understand the scope of the current system’s shortfall. The two-hour fare will accentuate the split between the trend in “fares” (considered equivalent to “ridership”) and boardings on vehicles. (A “boarding” is one passenger getting on one vehicle, and each transfer counts as a new boarding, except on the subway which is considered one route for this purpose in TTC stats.) This will add to the confusion between apparently falling “ridership” and system crowding. It is no secret that the TTC is capacity constrained. Although the bus fleet is now more reliable than ever thanks to better maintenance and the retirement of old clunkers, the actual size of the fleet is not growing because there is no place to put any more vehicles. Expansion plans are limited, as I have written before, and this is a major problem for the TTC’s future. On the streetcar fleet, new cars are gradually replacing old ones, and on close to a one-for-one basis bringing greater capacity to King Street this year, and to Queen in 2019. Subway capacity will not improve until early 2020 at best on Line 1 YUS, and 2026 or later on Line 2 BD. Even the new Express Bus network has limited benefit because so much of it simply rebrands service that already exists rather than making a real improvement in what riders experience. Of the changes to date, the most striking has come on 29 Dufferin, but on many routes the service is identical to, or only a slight improvement on, the old “E” branches that are now 900-series routes. The TTC has research underway on the effect of pass sales on ridership numbers, but this potential effect of the Presto migration was hardly unknown. If anything, the TTC has been derelict in placing so much focus on “ridership” while ignoring the basic question of service quantity and quality. On some routes, scheduled running times were inadequate to actual conditions, and short-turning was inevitable. Running times were lengthened (and service was often scheduled less often to stretch available vehicles to match longer trips). However, in some cases the padding has been excessive leading to dawdling vehicles enroute and queues of buses and streetcars that arrive early at terminals. When even padded schedules didn’t eliminate short-turns, the edict went out “thou shalt not short turn”. This can be counterproductive because there are cases where short turns are needed, but simply are not done and vehicles remain in a pack following a long gap. The matter of “on time performance” is a blatant case of cooking the metrics to make management look good. Previously, the TTC measured “on time performance” at various locations along routes. The results were not pretty. The metric was changed to look only at terminal locations on the premise that service which is on time at the start of its trip will remain so as it moves across the city. Alas that is not so. As we will see in a series of articles I will start publishing in coming days, there is a common problem on many routes that service may begin with vehicle spacing that is close to “on time”, but it takes only a short distance along a route for vehicles to catch up to each other and run in pairs or triplets. A further issue is that the TTC considers a bus or streetcar “on time” within a six-minute window, and this is meaningless for the frequent service on major routes. Because the service quality goal is only measured at the terminal, the actual reliability seen by most riders (who board elsewhere) is considerably worse than the values management reports. For its part, Council looks at ridership numbers, sees a system that is not growing and says “why should we give you more money”? When added subsidy does come, it is as likely to go into fare reductions as to service growth, but lower fares are cold comfort if a rider cannot rely on transit for a timely and comfortable journey. This entry was posted in Fares & Fare Collection, Service Cost and Quality. Bookmark the permalink. The big problem I see is that usage of different types of fares is not equally distributed across the system. It seems obvious that people using higher order transit are going to have higher order fare methods…the bus that goes to the Zoo is going to have fewer Metropasses per rider than the streetcar going to King and Bay…higher order fares often don’t require taps, where lower order fares require some sort of interaction…either tickets or tokens or taps. This would skew route level stats. It should be easy to figure out which routes have long dwell times at stops and then visually inspect stops to determine where there are long term overloading issues. The drivers could also simply press a button when riders can’t get on, and the stats would quickly show the problems. Steve: A few caveats here. First off, it is not clear whether the TTC has the same level of passenger counting capability today as in years past. Passenger counting staff have been cut back while, in theory, automated counting was supposed to be installed on new vehicles in the fleet. When I attempted to get some of this data, I was told that it is not available because the APCs either were not turned on, not installed, or not reliable. Presto data, of course, is limited to riders who tap, and major loading points at subway stations do not have “tap ons”. Those locations also include vehicle layovers that would be hard to distinguish from loading delays. As for dwell times at stops along a route, my understanding of the TTC’s analysis of its tracking data is not at the granularity needed to measure dwell times. Stop dwell time can also be affected by traffic conditions, of course, and this has to be factored out. It’s amazing that in neither the TTC’s report or your analysis, increased cost is never even mentioned. During the time frame 2015-2018, monthly metro passes for students increased by over 8% and for adults increased by over 9%. For the vast majority of people, i.e. poor people who can’t afford cars and/or daily parking, it makes ZERO sense to purchase a monthly pass now, unless you’re regularly making more than 2 trips per weekday and on weekends. Poor people don’t do that. In 2015, over 11% of Ontario’s workforce was earning just minimum wage, and almost 30% are low wage workers, earning slightly above minimum wage. See this Toronto Star article. These are the TTC’s largest customer base, with the least flexible income and budgets. When you increase their prices 3 times over the rate of inflation, of course they’re going to stop buying. The obscene price increases can’t be wholly attributed to the province not subsidizing the TTC enough. Instead of getting rid of management fat (such as lost and found room supervisors who earn over $70K), the TTC management has chosen to get rid of fare collectors and spend obscene amounts on the PRESTO debacle. At this rate of price increases, the only people who will be able to afford the fares will be TTC’s own management and the shrinking population of idle rich in the downtown core. This is why we need to move everyone to Presto right away. When everyone is on Presto, counting trips would be a lot easier. To get the 120 minutes fare, one must tap in on every vehicle. So, boarding a 92 bus at Woodbine Station in the fare paid zone will require a tap in. Every tap in is information. Vehicle utilization rates can be easily calculated. Some TTC riders might have shifted to GO Transit. Even though the hourly service on the Kitchener and Stouffville Lines are not really convenient. Those 6 car trains are not ghost towns either. I ride those lines often enough to see the increasing ridership. When the Stouffville Line is double track from Kennedy to Marilyn, counter peak service will be possible. In a years time, there might be all day both way 30 minutes service between Union and Unionville. People are using them because they are faster than the TTC. In a situation like that, it is no loss to the city. One more transit rider benefits everyone regardless who is the carrier. Steve: Actually a tap on to connecting vehicles is NOT required to obtain the two-hour fare. The original tap shows that you “paid” somewhere at a certain time, and that is all that’s needed. Ridership is an archaic measure of transit success. A good metric would not give an illusory decline in usage just because a person switches from a pass to single use fare while keeping transit usage constant. The TTC should move to a more modern metric. Maybe something like Average Revenue per User (ARPU), used by wireless firms. Or Load factor (percent of full seats per vehicle) used by airlines. Or whatever freight railroads use. Why does TTC avoiding the truth? The truth is clear and simple ; ridership has NOT decreased. What has indeed decreased is the amount of ppl paying their fare!! And this because fare payment is not sufficiently enforced. Enough is enough. Let’s face the truth. Steve said: Actually a tap on to connecting vehicles is NOT required to obtain the two-hour fare. The original tap shows that you “paid” somewhere at a certain time, and that is all that’s needed. When do I tap my card when riding TTC? Tap your PRESTO card every time you enter a subway station and whenever you board a bus or streetcar, regardless of whether it’s in a station or on the street. As long as you are within two hours from your first tap you will not be charged another fare. While the original tap does clearly that show you started the 2-hour period I suppose that tapping onto all transfer vehicles would allow the TTC to look at actual ‘journeys’. Of course, if you tap onto a surface vehicle and then enter the subway through a fare-paid area there is (currently) no way to tap onto the subway. Making all transfer customers tap on might give the TTC better data (which they would then not have time to use!@) but at subway stations would surely cause huge bottle-necks. Steve: There is a distinction between the TTC’s desire to get lots of data (which, as you note will still have holes in it) and what is strictly necessary to obtain a two-hour fare. This is extremely fallacious reasoning. To presume that people were buying passes mainly because of the tax credit is insane, and stinks of the elitism that was used to justify the obscene tax breaks to electric vehicle car owners. Spoiler: rich people like having the latest gadgets, and were going to be buying electric cars no matter the tax credit associated with it (as if they don’t already have enough legal tax avoidance schemes available to them). The budget conscious don’t use transit when there’s no absolute need to do so. That means two trips per working day. That is nowhere near your simplistic ratio of monthly pass price versus single ticket price. The fact remains that people buying passes was a steady and secure revenue stream for the TTC that is now gone. Price increases over and above the rate of inflation is solely responsible for that. When 95% of your revenue is based solely on customer fares, switching from a guaranteed monthly revenue stream to ad-hoc daily purchases is a colossally stupid idea. The underlying problem here is that transit “critics” like yourself and whatever consultants the transit agencies hire to give them “advice” refuse to acknowledge who their main customer base is, and likely don’t even care to find out. That’s how you get Metrolinx pricing the Pearson Express initially priced at $27.50 and don’t realize how out to lunch that pricing scheme is for people who actually use that route. Steve: If you can get off your high horse for a moment, you will see that I am actually trying to support your argument. Of course the budget conscious will only take the minimal number of trips per day, but to assume that this is 2 trips ignores the fact that people have other travel needs that, despite the cost of a TTC fare, would be even more expensive to take by other means. For people in the situation where their monthly rides are greater than 48, they save money with a pass compared to tokens. Both token and pass prices have gone up, and so the economic trade-off for TTC fares stays the same. If the TTC is no longer affordable, that’s a bigger issue than the price of a Metropass. You say that 95% of the TTC’s revenue stream is based on customer fares. That is not correct. The actual value fluctuates from year to year between 68 and 72%. This is still high, and puts the TTC in a budget crunch especially when they have projected stronger growth than they actually get, let alone if they start to lose riders. As for your comments about transit critics like me, I know perfectly well what the TTC’s customer base is and have worked in the past to reduce the Metropass multiple so that it was more in line with a two-fares per weekday model. As for UPX, I’ve been opposed to their fare model since the line opened. If you want to slag my positions, the least you can do is actually know what you’re talking about. There have been cases where I have argued for a modest fare increase on the grounds that if we use every penny of subsidy we can get to freeze fares, the result is that service and maintenance will simply get worse and worse. That’s no benefit to anyone. The real change that is needed is the recognition that transit funding must rise faster than inflation to cover the combined cost of improving service and rebalancing the fare structure. This does not necessarily mean that we freeze fares, but rather that we find a way to direct added subsidy to where it is really needed, not to every rider on the system. I am sure this is not a defining explanation for the trend, but I have noticed a recent decline in the quality and cleanliness of vehicles. While we are not back to the dark days of free newspapers scattered everywhere on every vehicle and in every station, but it seems the TTC has once again become generally dirty and unkempt. I get on the 504 every day to find spilled coffee, empty beer cans, and dirty grimy seats. This is not what I remember when they had a direct initiative to cleanup the system several years ago. I dread what it will be like this winter when it’s slush and salt everywhere. Steve wrote: Actually a tap on to connecting vehicles is NOT required to obtain the two-hour fare. The original tap shows that you “paid” somewhere at a certain time, and that is all that’s needed. Absolutely correct. There are only two different situations where a user needs to tap on non-GO transit operators: the start of a 2-hour period, and to provide validation of fare payment when entering a pay-upon-entry vehicle. Any situation that does not require payment upon entry to a vehicle, such as boarding a vehicle from a fare paid platform or boarding a vehicle where POP rules are in effect, does not require a tap if the card has been tapped within two hours. That said, tapping when it is not required has the benefit of being able to check how much time remains on the two hours, with the exception on the TTC where they have decided that doing so would violate your privacy (or so I have been lead to believe – or does the TTC only not display the dollar balance on the vehicle readers?). Steve: No, the TTC won’t tell you how much time is left on your fare. I disagree with the statement. Subways are more overcrowded than ever. The problem is people getting on subways without paying and nobody cares. I see this so often, when waiting for a bus. Different subway stations. Finch and Yonge: people walking from the street straight through the bus platform and to subway anytime of the day without paying a cent. Also Kipling subway and many others. Once while waiting for a bus on Kipling subway I saw few people coming from street to subway without paying, I asked the driver standing on the platform “didn’t you see that”. His response was “yes but we cannot do anything about it”. He also said that they spoke with their boss but he replied that “they have reserved fundings for those kind of losses”. I was stunned and said it’s so unfair and that’s why my Metropass is going up. He agreed but the same result. I have to pay higher fare because hundreds of people are getting in without paying anything and not being penalized. After so many years of buying Metropass, I’m considering leaving Toronto area where transportation is cheaper and maybe I will be able to afford to rent on my own. Steve: If the TTC actually put staff at the common “walk in” points at stations with the authority to ticket everyone they caught, this problem would end. However, the TTC (and their Council colleagues) are all about cutting, not increasing, staff levels. It’s a classic Toronto problem that goes well beyond the TTC: we love to have rules, but we don’t pay anyone to enforce them. Presto is the WORST! It allows at 5% of riders to ride for free A DAY! Be it hopping on a streetcar without paying, encountering a broken tap machine, to just walking though a open gate in a subway station. Then there’s excuses from those with Presto cards wanting to be cheap. “I tapped it when I boarded, but maybe I missed it?”, “What do you mean there’s no money on it? I just loaded it this morning I swear!” If you thought good actors came from Toronto before, Presto is about to make a LOT more! And thirdly Fare Inspectors wages and benefits will be twice that of a driver or collector. As there’s no protection for them, and need more equipment and tech to do their jobs. Which I’m sure after 8 months is going to seem like the worst career choice ever. So turnover will be high. Or, they’ll just make it look good and avoid accosting the majority of riders. How anyone can gain credible data from all of that I’m not sure? Steve: I assume you meant to say that Presto allows “at least 5%” of riders to ride free. Then why does TTC say you need to tap on every bus, streetcar or subway station? If you get stopped it shows a valid fare but not on that vehicle. Steve: Because they want all that juicy travel data knowing every time you board a new vehicle. However, a two hour fare is good anywhere, and not necessarily on a connecting vehicle. That’s the whole idea. If you get stopped, you have a fare that is less than two hours old. End of discussion. There is a straightforward analogy here to “old technology”. When you got a transfer, you might use it miles (and a few connections) from the bus where you paid your fare, but the simple check was “is this a logical place to use this transfer within a reasonable time”. Now the question is simply “is it under two hours”. I am a long-time MetroPass user and I am resisting switching to Presto for many reasons. I still don’t trust it (to scan correctly, to update at the beginning of each month, not to double-charge me, etc.), and, mainly I don’t like that it is connected to my name and financial information – I do not want to be tracked! Garth said: The truth is clear and simple ; ridership has NOT decreased. What has indeed decreased is the amount of ppl paying their fare!! And this because fare payment is not sufficiently enforced. Enough is enough. Let’s face the truth. Although this is not likely the sole reason for the decline in ridership numbers, I have to agree that it is a contributing factor. I witness this numerous time a week at automated subway entrances. The old ones were fortresses – no way you could get in without paying. These new plastic fare gates are flimsy and often out-of-order. Not only that, it’s easy to hop over the railing to get in (which I had to do once because the Metropass reader was down). I can’t imagine how many thousands of trips go unpaid every week because of this. And I haven’t even mentioned the Presto readers on streetcars that are often down! Toronto has broad acceptance that streetcars can not have turnstiles. Why are these not considered? Steve: It’s a question of passenger flow through the car especially with all doors used for loading and unloading. Note that a turnstile cannot “read” a transfer and unless the system converts completely to some form of electronic fare payment, this is not an option. I agree with others here than actual ridership (paid or otherwise) has not declined. In my experience one’s chance of getting a seat, even off-peak, outside the core is in decline. There are more bodies, not fewer. Unpaid riders are surely a portion of this (meaning illegal unpaid entry as opposed to children). I expect children may be a portion of the issue, as I imagine ridership is up, including stay-at-home parents vs when children were a paid fare. I wonder (do you know Steve?) what their modelling suggested would happen to child ridership w/the elimination of fares? Steve: The TTC estimated some growth in ridership due to free children’s rides and this is included in the total count reported. I do not know if there is any strong methodology behind this, although in theory we will have a better idea once children are required to have a Presto card at least to gain access to subway stations. Most of all, I suspect the issue of the Metropass presents a huge problem in as much as I don’t think it ever provided an entirely accurate gauge of ridership and the loss of sale being counted as a decline of 74 rides strikes me as very problematic. The first fundamental key here is to get an accurate read on actual ridership with means every vehicle in the system should have passenger count technology on it. There are so many ways in which to do this, not just traditional step counters, and most are not overly expensive or time-consuming to install. I’m very disappointed to at the TTC response to your data request for counters, and I think it demands (of them) a detailed, in writing, explanation as to why that data isn’t available and what they intend to do about it and when. Irrespective of its impact on ridership, the multiple for the Metropass in terms of its price, was always too high, and it borders on absurd in the light of the 2-hour, hop-on, hop-off fare. The multiple needs to drop to 40 rides. In so doing, the Metropass would cost $120 per month this is close enough to existing low-income pass price of $115.50 that one could argue for eliminating this pass as a discrete item, and likewise you could can the student/senior passes at $116.75 and eliminate some duplication and cost. I would anticipate such a move to result in higher uptake and more ridership and as such, as you have noted in many posts there remains a clear need to put new capacity on the roads and rails, in virtually all time periods. Proper line management and ATC would both do wonders on the capacity front, but I have difficulty imagining the TTC needing less than 10% more capacity across the board, and that’s without factoring any latent demand whatsoever. Some Commissioners and staff are going need more spine in seeking a material funding increase. Why does the TTC seem so surprised? With Presto and the 2 hour transfer the demand for a full Metropass will be less. One benefit of the Presto card with the monthly pass cap, is the TTC will see how close to max usage riders get. With the website feedback to each rider, users are more aware than ever of their use and will tailor their riding accordingly. This tracking feature is also why Presto cards for the under 14 crowd should be required. TTC can track the unpaid ridership, mom and dad can do the helicopter parent bit, TTC could work with the school boards to replace “yellow” buses – more cash for the TTC, less congestion on the roads. Fare evasion exists – to what extent no one really knows – rode Spadina streetcar, I was the only one to tap at my door, rode to Spadina station and the flood of people pushed past the fare inspectors (just 2 guys) ignoring calls for proof of payment – I guess they do stop some but I think the % is low. Steve: FWIW if you ride bus routes downtown which still require you to show or tap on entry, you will notice that the lion’s share of riders still have Metropasses, although the number of Presto cards is slowly going up. Try ou Bay or Wellesley as good examples. On the basis of what I see on bus routes, I have no trouble believing that many who simply board streetcars without showing anything have passes. I am one of them. Once the collector booths are closed, will all that staff turn to fare inspection, or is management looking to save some salaries? Steve: The collectors are supposed to become roving station agents. Good luck with that when the weather makes the station outside of the booth intolerable due either to cold or heat. This is one of Andy Byford’s bone headed ideas, and it’s based on the model he learned in London UK where the climate is relatively benign. So having said all that, the TTC needs to get its act together – forget fare sales, the 2 hour transfer alone will skew ridership by fare numbers – just count the butts in the seats, or just standing there! Get the APC’s working! True ridership numbers, not fares sold, are critical to show various levels of government the true value/demand for Transit. Different note Steve, on private ROW for streetcars (Spadina, St. Clair etc.) could the imposition of a signal (stand/Go) system be used to help space cars and promote consistency in service spacing? Having streetcars stopped on ROW would not alter traffic flow. If this worked, could “pockets” for spacing bunched Streetcars and/or buses be retrofitted to routes? A bus could sit in a bus bay at an intersection to allow a gap to build. With GPS via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth tech can TTC control not see when bunching of vehicles occurs? Can’t an automated signal tell the driver to speed up a little bit or slow down/wait if needed? Could part of a drivers compensation (collective bargaining nightmare) be tied to being “on time, but spaced out” as per the system? This theoretically would smooth out service, by providing more standard “gapping” intervals. Steve: Creating street space for transit vehicles to wait for their time would be very difficult in many places that do not already have bus bays. As for telling ops to better space service, this should have been part of the TTC’s new “Vision” system, but they are so focused on “on time performance” that they probably didn’t even make provision for this sort of thing. Will they buy the additional streetcars needed to “up” the service levels as you showed in your earlier article? Most of the political push is for Smart Track (JT tries to stay the course) or DRL+ (JK will build it faster) not for smaller grains of buses and streetcars. Steve: The question of more new cars depends on (a) what sort of proposals come in from potential vendors (the RFI is already in progress), (b) the makeup of our new Council, (c) whether DoFo will regard this as a local project that will get no provincial funding, and (d) whether the Feds will kick in part of the cost through PTIF Phase 2 (assuming Toronto asks for it). I thought I would offer a separate comment on line management. As you (Steve) and I have discussed in other fora, its absence has become painfully obvious and obviously painful on many routes. To set some sort of level of variation from headway (or schedule on less frequent services) where intervention takes place from Transit Control in order to even things out and use capacity more wisely. You and I discussed Victoria Park at some length not so long ago. Subsequently, I was on the bustituted Bathurst service found it running in pairs, but not in a way that worked. The first bus was completely overloaded and delayed, while the second was 1/2 empty. The second bus would not and did not overtake, leaving riders and the operator of the lead bus more than a tad grumpy. This sort of nonsense just has to stop. Its not only a bad rider experience its a waste of money. Overall capacity on paper for the route was probably adequate, but the way in which it was run made it feel as though it were not. Beyond that, as you have noted before, the +1, -5 at the terminals is absurd, as a basis for on-time performance, even if you retain schedule as opposed to headway. A tighter time frame, +1,-3, measured every 2km on route would be a much clearer way of seeing problems as experienced by riders, and would, in theory, better alert transit control to the need for intervention in real-time; and service planning to address issues where problems show up consistently on a particular route, during a particular period. Though we could agree on all frequent services, measuring headway would be more effective still. Steve: It is common to see the 505 Dundas buses running in threes, never mind pairs. PBNo said: Mainly I don’t like that it is connected to my name and financial information – I do not want to be tracked! You can avoid having “you” and your PRESTO card linked in any way by only loading it with cash. Steve: That is not possible for the annual Presto card which is an autoload that makes a bank/credit card withdrawal. Steve, the main problem with many of the Express routes is that they operate over a portion of a route (or the entire route.) For example, the 188 Kipling South Rocket (soon to be 944) runs over the exact same route of as 44 Kipling South – when it was started many people taking the 44 simply started taking the 188 instead. So a ‘new’ route – but not much new ridership. That does not always help the situation when new routes simply take passengers from other routes. Steve: The point of a service like the 188/944 was to provide a point-to-point service for those travelling between Kipling Station and Lake Shore Campus. Of course, depending on the timing and frequency of the express buses, someone who has just missed one can probably take the next local with no penalty, plus the assurance that they’re “on the way” rather than waiting for the next express to show up. I have no problem with this sort of service design. What bugs me is to have the TTC and the Mayor trumpeting the “new” express services when most of them are not new at all. A Ridership Growth Strategy that amounts to repainting buses is no “strategy” at all. But, hey, it’s the best transit system in NA, or at least was last year. When Steve said: Actually a tap on to connecting vehicles is NOT required to obtain the two-hour fare. The original tap shows that you “paid” somewhere at a certain time, and that is all that’s needed. Tom asked: Then why does TTC say you need to tap on every bus, streetcar or subway station? If you get stopped it shows a valid fare but not on that vehicle. Tom is mixing up two things. Only the original tap is needed to get the two hours. When boarding a pay-as-you-enter vehicle, a tap is needed for the same reason that showing a transfer or putting a fare in the farebox is needed: to authenticate that one has paid a fare. Unlike showing a transfer, if the 2-hours is up, then the Presto system will automatically deduct a new fare, so everyone waiting to load behind the person who has an “expired transfer” does not have to wait for them to get out a new fare or argue with the driver. PBnoJ wrote: I am a long-time MetroPass user and I am resisting switching to Presto for many reasons. I still don’t trust it (to scan correctly, to update at the beginning of each month, not to double-charge me, etc.), and, mainly I don’t like that it is connected to my name and financial information – I do not want to be tracked! So let me get this straight, in one sentence this person does not believe that Presto is able to do its job of tracking things, and in the next sentence does not want to use Presto because it can track them. I have news for people: Presto and the transit operators using it are too busy to track YOU, and you are NOT that important, even if you believe you are. Could tracking information be used in a police investigation? Sure, with the proper warrant, but the information it provides is equally as good in investigating a person as it is in exonerating them. In the earlier days of Presto on YRT, my card’s history would show that I tapped on a bus at a stop that was miles past where I got off the bus. The uselessness of this detail was so bad that they now only store what zone the tap occurred in (and now they only have one zone). An acquaintance of mine in another city refuses to use their card because of tracking, citing that if a crime were to occur at a station and at a time when he was near there, he did not want police banging on his door at 4 am to question him about anything he may have seen. ‘Nuff said. Thank you for the article Steve as it mirrors my experience of being a Metropass user purely for convenience. I was an early adopter of the PRESTO card and immediately saved $30 per month when I converted (early on a bit more as the fare readers were less stable). I really like how Hamilton stops charging a fare after riding 11 times per week. That seems like a great way to get the benefits of a pass without having to buy one. Is it just me, or does the idea that Metropass users ride 74 rides on average seem a bit absurd? There’s suggests a vast number of people riding 100+ times of week to make up for the bulk of us riding to work and back. It’s unfortunate that “Rides” seems to be the dominant metric. It’s seems inferior to counting “Boardings” which seems a better method to reflect system utilization. I suspect the story really should be “TTC experiencing more boardings as a result of 2 hour Transfer” instead of “Fewer Rides”. Steve: The 74 number is per month, not per week. The riding surveys are collected on a weekly basis and pro-rated to a moving average to get the monthly numbers. People who use transit every day, not just for work, would only have to take 2.5 rides per day to get to the average level (30 days times 2.5 = 75). An average of 74 is quite reasonable when you consider that there is more Metropass use on frequent routes downtown (this is from personal observation over the years) where hop off, hop on, travel would be common. It is unusual for me to have a zero-trip day, and I only need a few busy “transit days” with multiple outings each week to drive my monthly usage well over 74. Your point about the weekly cap is important: the capability to implement the equivalent of daily, weekly and monthly capping already exists in Presto. It is simply a case of the TTC asking for it to be turned on. They have resisted this because of the potential revenue loss to riders who would get equivalent-to-pass pricing without the need to actually buy a pass in advance. I think the boneheads in charge of the TTC really need their heads banging together and the council also. They really have to think what function the TTC does for the city, is it some sort of welfare for the poor as many right leaning politicians still think, or is it a system that enhances life in the city and help to move people more efficiently, well that if its run properly. At the end of the day it all comes down to money and how much people are willing to pay not only in fares but in their property taxes to fund the system. All too often things are looked in silos, never look at the impact one thing has on the other, that how transit has been looked at for decades, let’s see how much we can save and cut, without looking at the impact elsewhere, the Don Valley Car Park and the Gardiner “anything but an” Expressway, 60+ minutes to get from the 410 to the 404 is where it got you, just look at the lead story in today’s Toronto star. I don’t think it is rocket science that with the introduction of Presto and the two hour transfer and daily weekly capping would lead to the loss of Metropass sales. Rather than daily capping, why don’t they introduce a sliding scale of fares like GO does, you have so many trips per month at $3, then the next few trips at say at $2 and then after that all trips cost $1. Pitch it in such a way that it will be still cheaper to buy a the respective day/weekly and monthly pass if they continue to refuse to turn the monthly cap. As for the loss of riders I’m not so sure, since Pioneer Village station opened I feel the numbers travelling in the 60 west of there has increased, I always have to stand when i get on the bus at Signet Drive and the 84 at Sheppard West Station to Yonge (as a side issue I would be a beneficiary of an extension of Line 4 westwards!!!). I assume they have to provide service based on the number of boardings rather than the number of trips, again difficult to count, with the switch to Presto it will be easier to do but again only on trips to the subway. I guess with some bean counter somewhere they could track where the card starts its return journey (oops privacy issues!!!). AS I said at the beginning it’s basically what I’m saying the politicians have to sit a really think about what role transit has, as the Star claims it costs the GTA $6bn annually in lost productivity, if two of that billions is spent on providing better transit/traffic management then traffic congestion may only cost the city $3bn traffic, a billion back in the hands to the people (yes I’m plucking numbers out the air, but just to emphasize that for every penny saved on providing transit the cost in productivity will be more than the penny saved). Time to take transit planning out of the hand of the politicians. Steve: There has already been work done on trip modelling using partial tap data in other cities. Problem arise because of missing middle segments that might distinguish the path taken through the network when more than one is available, and the lack of tap-ons at fare paid areas removes information that could resolve this. That’s why the TTC is telling people to tap on everywhere even though for fare collection purposes it is not strictly necessary for trips within the two hour window (assuming that’s your fare mode). For “pass” users, the only purpose of tapping on is to signal that you have a valid card, the equivalent of waving your transfer or Metropass at the operator. Also, of course, it is relatively easy to detect regular trips for a pass even if some data points are missing because there will be enough info (the initial boardings at a minimum) to identify regular end-points which can reasonably be assumed to be a common O-D pair. “Wandering” trips that are taken ad hoc for occasional travel can be trickier, but they will have more “origins” and provide more data points. The question then becomes how much computing effort one wants to expend. It’s also worth mentioning that vehicle crowding data could, in theory, be available from automatic passenger counters provided that (a) they were installed, (b) turned on and (c) working reliably. That last point can be challenging when vehicles are very crowded and people are jammed into space close to the doors. It is frustrating to see the most basic questions not answered: Are the buses full? Are they leaving people at stops? Do they come in bunches with some buses jammed full and others running half-empty? We can screw around with fare collection data all we like, but there are basics of transit planning that require actually looking at routes and understanding how they behave. The data can help, but it’s not a panacea. Something that hasn’t actually been made clear to me – I am also a longtime MetroPass user putting off the Presto switch as long as I can – is this …. if I am using the equivalent of a MetroPass on Presto then do I need to tap on and off if I’m not passing through a gate? At stations, yes, I will tap in the same way that I swipe my MetroPass now, but if I’m getting on a streetcar or bus, do I tap? Steve: Strictly speaking, a tap when transferring is not required if nobody’s watching, but it will be a lot easier for fare inspectors to pick out possible cheaters by looking for people who don’t tap. Mind you, they could still be paying with some other medium at least until late in 2019 and simply have a transfer in their pocket. On a bus, everyone shows their fare when boarding, and so you would still have to tap, the equivalent of flashing your pass. It’s a bit more complicated for Presto users who don’t have a pass loaded onto their card because they are riding on what is, in effect, a two hour pass, and it gets validated every time they tap. If they’ve gone past two hours, Presto will take another fare and restart the clock. 2.6 When requested to do so by a proper authority, a person travelling on the transit system shall immediately surrender for inspection the fare media, an identification card or photo identification card under which the person is travelling. In other words, if someone wants to see that I have paid, I have to be able to prove this. That is not the same as tapping on to every vehicle. As for tapping off, that is only required on GO Transit (unless you have pre-registered a “standard” commuting trip). I, like the commenter above, and also VERY concerned about linking my Presto to my financial information – not because I worry so much about being tracked (though now I am thinking about it and I don’t like it) but that I DON’T TRUST METROLINX TO KEEP MY FINANCIAL DATA SAFE. If there is a breach then it’s my bank account or credit card that’s affected – that is terrifying. Steve: Presto has been holding banking information for ages for people whose passes auto-load either to top up the “cash” balance or to purchase monthly passes. The TTC has been doing the same thing with the Metropass Discount Program for years. It’s a choice you have to make. Thanks to Steve for being such a readable voice of reason in all of this. I am still not convinced there is any loss of ridership. I use the TTC DAILY (outside rush hours 99%.) I still see too much fare evasion and NO enforcement officers. This (Saturday) afternoon I walked into Jane Station to get a 935 Jane Express. Info board said two were due in 12 minutes. I was the second person waiting. By the time the first bus arrived there were about 3 dozen people waiting. Passengers got off and so did the Operator. People got on both doors (rear left open) and only ONE other person besides myself tapped on. No one put cash/token in the fare box. NO ONE had a transfer in their hand (that I could see) and few if any had a Metropass. Operator came back and we left SRO and two (plus?) paying riders. Perhaps at certain stations a fare inspector could be on hand to check riders getting on to ensure they are paying. The old way of closing the doors while the Operator goes to the toilet is NOT rider friendly especially outdoors in bad weather and delays departure. This Fare Inspector could assist ALL buses by loading rear doors when Operator stays at his seat. Steve: Through one of those bizarre practices of the TTC, I don’t think fare inspectors are actually intended/allowed to act as “loaders”. That’s an ATU 113 job, and the fare inspectors are non-union. Moreover, they’re paid a lot more. The TTC really needs to review its whole practice of fare collection and enforcement to deal with situations like this. Having said that, I’m not sure I would want to spend an 8 hour shift in February checking fares or loading at Jane Station. Now from what I see, all buses and streetcars now have numerous cameras installed, would it be too simple of me to think that loadings can actually be reviewed using the footage, just thinking!!!! Steve: But you would have to count them manually. Tedious. Well said. I am also frustrated that in the general public discourse, no one mentions street and road maintenance when discussing transit…as if these are not connected, and as if there is not a certain tradeoff between the two. No one talks about the fact that Toronto spends lots of money to maintain vast surfaces of concrete in a climate in which said concrete experiences huge thermal deltas during the year and invariably suffers…and that transit allows for a more efficient use of that concrete (or, in the case of rail, allows it to be omitted altogether), requiring less of it. Nobody complains of the money spent on road maintenance or the “subsidy” so given to drivers…that’s just taken for granted…and that’s just one aspect of the whole transit debate. I’m not advocating “free” transit (as in no fare collection, fully tax-funded), but if City Hall were to suggest it, there’d be an uproar. An equal one if you were to suggest that every driver pay a dollar every time they pull out of their driveway (I mean, we can gauge that from the response to the Gardiner tolls idea). I mean the City’s $60 vehicle registration tax was a major source of discontent (and Council, despite Tory’s urgings at some point, never brought it back since Ford killed it), yet everybody still expects the City to fix the streets. On the other hand the TTC must always find “efficiencies”. It makes no sense. Sorry Steve, I wasn’t clear, it would be tedious after I posted I realized what I meant to say was that they could be used to show evidence of the overcrowding not to actually count bums on seats. Correct me if I’m wrong, don’t the drivers actually have a way to alert control their buses are overfull. Steve: Yes, there is a way for a driver to signal that they’re “overtaxed”, but I doubt it’s well used as there is nothing Transit Control could do about it. One could always share their Metropass with family and friends if they didn’t need to use it at that time (i.e. you go to work, colleague needs to take subway for 2 stops at lunch so you give it to them, and then they come back and give it to you so you can go home). That pass is not registered to a name so it didn’t matter who was in “possession” of it at that point in time. If a fare inspector asks to scan your Presto card (with Metropass option) to see if a) card is valid, b) fare is paid; will it matter who’s name the card is under as long as the fare has been paid? Or will questions start being asked “who’s pass is this? why do you have it?” etc. Steve: Presto cards are fully transferrable. Sherilyn wrote: I, like the commenter above, and also VERY concerned about linking my Presto to my financial information – not because I worry so much about being tracked (though now I am thinking about it and I don’t like it) but that I DON’T TRUST METROLINX TO KEEP MY FINANCIAL DATA SAFE. If there is a breach then it’s my bank account or credit card that’s affected – that is terrifying. Presto only keeps your financial information (credit or debit card number) when you sign up for auto-load. If you want to reload online, your credit card number is entered only for the purpose of that transaction only and not stored by Presto. The downside to that is that one must enter it each and every time they do a load, but if one were using their own device or computer, one can have their Google account fill in the fields for them automatically, assuming you trust Google to manage that information for you. As for topping up by debit, the card number is not used at all. Presto transfers one to a page to select the bank and then it goes to a login for the bank’s online interface to do an eTransfer. When Sjors asked: If a fare inspector asks to scan your Presto card (with Metropass option) to see if a) card is valid, b) fare is paid; will it matter who’s name the card is under as long as the fare has been paid? Or will questions start being asked “who’s pass is this? why do you have it?” etc. Steve responded: Presto cards are fully transferrable. With one caveat: a Presto card registered for a concession fare (child, student, senior), then it should only be used by someone else who is entitled to that fare. I’m not familiar with the readers on TTC buses, but on YRT the readers have a significantly different sounding beep when a concession fare enabled card is validated. Note, if one registers a Presto card for a concession fare with one transit operator, that card will receive the comparable concession fare on all others, if it is offered by them. Steve: The same rules apply to a Metropass. A senior’s pass cannot be used by someone who isn’t entitled to that fare. And, yes, the TTC Presto readers have a different tone and coloured light when used by a card with a concession fare on it. For the fast processing needed when boarding a vehicle, Presto cards only carry their unique number and the ePurse balance, and a limited queue of recent activity. Fare inspectors have readers that can only read what is found on the card, and this does not include the name of the registered owner. That recent activity is beneficial should your 2-hour fare run out mid trip on a POP vehicle. One’s fare only needs to be valid when boarding a pay-upon-entry vehicle, but is supposed to be valid for the entire journey when on a POP vehicle. That said, if one does not act like an a-hole to a fare inspector, if the initial tap on their reader shows you do not have a valid fare in effect, they can re-read it for recent history to see if you very recently ran out. Generally, they are looking for those who didn’t tap in the first place, intending to ride for free. One-time set-up of your card up at the start of the 12 month agreement and your 12 Month Pass is available on your PRESTO card for the full year (payments are automatically processed each month). So, they have my financial info. Steve: Yes, any form of automatic pre-ordered fares will involve giving up your banking info. Metropass MDP users have done that already. Steve: Where Have All The Riders Gone? The riders are taking alternative means of travel while Toronto drags it’s feet when it comes to the subway expansion. Hopefully, with a more Scarborough subway friendly council just elected, we will get the Scarborough subway constructed soon which will bring back the riders. It is time to also extend the Yonge subway to Richmond Hill. And with Brad Bradford (Mayor John Tory’s Downtown Relief Line champion) newly in office, the Downtown Relief Line has gotten a big boost as well. And I am also hoping (though my fingers are crossed) that Doug Ford will bury the entire Eglinton Crosstown line. Rapid transit is what will bring back riders and trains running in the middle of the road is simply not rapid transit and does not attract riders especially in the suburbs where travel distances are much larger as everything is farther. And I am hoping that Mayor Patrick Brown will help push for the subway extension to Peel Region (Mississauga and Brampton). Let us extend the Sheppard subway as well (both directions). Congratulations to all those who were elected last night (Mayor John Tory, Mayor Patrick Brown, Councillor Mike Ford, DRL champion Brad Bradford, and others). And to those who have fallen (ex-councillor Giorgio Mammoliti and others), my sincere condolences but there is a federal election coming up and you are welcome to run in it. Steve: None of the proposed new lines will be open within the next two terms of Council or Queen’s Park, and so their potential contribution to ridership is off in the future. As for a subway to Peel, the more important changes for that region will be improvement of GO service. The big problem is that we cannot build subways everywhere, and there is a lot of travel that does not lie along any of the proposed subway corridors. If they are currently underestimating the pass ridership (having not adjusted it), then we’d see this in the monthly financials. Which are conspicuously absent from recent monthly reports. Not sure what’s insane. The number of trips required to make a pass pay for itself, increased from 41.4 to 48.8 a month (or from 38.0 to 44.7 for those using the 12-month or MDP pass). When I’ve counted my trips, I tend to average about 60, so it wouldn’t change my decision. But I know many people who average closer to 40-45 trips a month. With the added convenience of Presto, there’s surely a shift away from passes, to single fares. The same way we saw a shift towards passes when the tax credit came in. This isn’t insanity. It’s exactly what you’d expect from economic principals. Along with a bit of modal shift away from transit. Steve: There is no longer a federal tax credit for transit passes. It was eliminated in mid-2017. The provincial credit is only available to seniors. This really is not part of the decision process most riders will go through. What might well change things though, is that with the 2-hour transfer, my average of 60 rides a month will drop significantly. Ironically, this might drive me away from a pass, towards pay-as-you-go … especially when they implement daily fare capping for the unexpected days when you ride a lot. And then, with no pass, my ridership drops – as (for example) I’m less likely to take transit 4 stops to take the kids to school if I actually have to pay real $. If Toronto really wants ridership growth, they need to reduce the multiplier below 49 (compared to tokens/Presto). Montreal is currently only 30 (compared to 10-rides). Vancouver (Zone 1) is 37 (compared to Compass stored value). Sure, but Ontario is different. Actually it’s not. Ottawa is 34 (compared to Presto single rides). Kitchener/Waterloo is 31! Even York Region is only 40. Steve: The basic problem is that both Council and TTC management cannot get their heads around the idea that the majority of riders should pay for transit in bulk. Too many regard the delta from single fares to any form of discount as a loss, revenue that the TTC could otherwise have and subsidy that could be avoided. Until that attitude changes, you’re not going to see a lower multiple for pass or capped fare products. My takeaway is that the TTC has no idea what the actual ridership is, so they should stop publishing ridership numbers. The people who want more enforcement officers on the TTC will be sadly disappointed. I was on a streetcar that was subject to a fare check once. Three white people made some “excuses” and were able to pay after the fact. Two black people had their addresses recorded, but I think they were also not fined. I was a little unhappy with how race played a factor in the enforcement process. Honestly, this being Canada, I think we could probably get away with no fare checks, and just have everyone go on the honour system with the assumption that those people who aren’t paying have a good reason not to pay. It’s more likely that the SSE project will be cancelled rather than the entire Crosstown being buried. Nick L: SSE project will be cancelled. I don’t think so but I like how you keep hanging on to the last bit of false hope. The provincial government and the new council are more pro-SSE than ever. Both the mayor and the premier are fully committed to the SSE. The SSE report that was being withheld for the new council, bring it on as the new council is highly in favour of the SSE. Steve: When Ford and Tory get finished for paying for the expanded SSE, there will be no money left for anything else. That has always been the SSE’s big challenge. Just how far will governments go to support its ever-increasing cost. I quickly ran through my September/October Presto data exported from the Presto website. In both months (October to date), I’d have about 60 trips using the old transfer rules, and 48 trips using a 2-hour transfer (I’ve got an MDP pass now). It’s a coincidence that both are 48 and 60. But if that ratio holds for others – that’s going to push more people from passes to pay-as-you-go. I’ve averaged about 60, maybe 65 when I’ve looked at historic usage. At that point the pass was a no-brainer. If the average for me is now about 48 … then it isn’t and the whole thing is a bit of a wash. There’s always one month sometime in the year, when the usage drops because I’m out of town too much. It has nothing to do with hope. With the province adopting a “We’re broke!” mantra, expecting them to spend hundreds of millions more to bury the rest of the Crosstown is foolish. Add to that the recent news of the cancellation of the satellite university campuses, it becomes a simple case of stating the obvious that it would be more likely that the province would cancel the SSE project than to bury the rest of the Crosstown. nfitz said: There’s always one month sometime in the year, when the usage drops because I’m out of town too much. I came to a similar conclusion. My trips under the old transfer rules hovered anywhere from the low to high 40s, but when I took into account the new 2-hour transfer rules, plus the four or five weeks of the year when I am away or off work, it longer made sense financially to continue with the MDP. So I’m switching to pay-as-you-go on Presto starting next month. I suspect many others will do the same.

2019-04-23T06:41:47Z

https://stevemunro.ca/2018/10/17/where-have-all-the-riders-gone-2/?like_comment=57112

Feeling well on T3 therapy has everything to do with the T3 stimulation being strong enough to get the temperature up to normal, and steady enough to be well tolerated. With T3, steadiness is everything. 1. To feel well while on T3 therapy. 2. To remain well after T3 therapy has been discontinued. Accomplishing the first goal involves delivering sufficient T3 to break through the competition afforded by the T4/RT3 preponderance to generate a normal body temperature. It also involves providing that T3 smoothly and steadily enough to generate smooth, steady, productive, and well-tolerated T3 stimulation of the cell. With T3 levels, STEADINESS Is Everything. This cannot be over-emphasized. Note: The fact that most of us have not noticed our breathing in the past 2 weeks is not a testament to the insignificance of the steadiness of pO2 levels. It is a testament to how well our bodies regulate our breathing to maintain such steady pO2 levels. If someone came up behind me, and clapped a hand over my nose and mouth unexpectedly, it would be only a matter of moments before I would be uncomfortable. And I would be uncomfortable long before my pO2 dropped all the way to zero. Likewise, because we have been administering T4-containing medicines for years and have not seen any great need to pay much attention to the steadiness of thyroid hormone levels is not a testament to the insignificance of the steadiness of T3 levels. It is a testament to how steadily our bodies convert T4 to provide for very steady levels of T3. The significance of the steadiness of T3 levels becomes obvious when one is providing the patient with T3 directly. And even though the half-life of T3 is 2.5 days, enough is gone within 3 hours of a missed dose that the patients can often notice the difference. The lower the dose of exogenous T3 therapy the easier it is to keep the T3 level steady. The second goal is accomplished by resetting the system, which is accomplished by “capturing” the temperature with T3 therapy. The system is reset by giving T3. Just giving T3? No, enough T3 must be given to get the patient’s body temperature up to normal. Just up to normal? No, enough T3 so that the temperature goes up and stays up without dropping back down again. I refer to this as “capturing” the body temperature. This sometimes cannot be accomplished until T4 and RT3 levels have been depleted, or in other words, until the T4/RT3 preponderance has been removed. This would explain why T4-containing medicines are not useful in bringing about the resetting phenomenon. Personally, I feel that it is the depletion of the RT3 levels that is significant here. But depletion of RT3 levels comes about by the depletion of T4 levels. The first and second goal are accomplished concurrently but are separate and distinct. For example, the second goal can be accomplished without the first goal being accomplished. A person can be given enough T3 to capture her temperature, and reset her system without the T3 being administered steadily enough for her to feel well in the meantime. A patient’s temperature of 97.8 is raised to 98.6 by gradually increasing her dose to, say, 45mcg BID. Yet, she notices no improvement in her symptoms even though her temperature is averaging normal. But as she weans off the T3 therapy, and her own steady endogenous supply of T3 comes back up well enough to maintain her now normal temperature, it becomes more and more steady. As her T3 levels and body temperature becomes more and more steady around normal, her symptoms begin to subside, until they are resolved only after she is off the T3 therapy. This is not typical, but it does happen and does illustrate the point. Another example (or precedent) of a “resetting” approach is the one that is commonly used in women who are having irregular menstrual cycles. Their female hormone blood tests may be in the normal range, but clinically, they’re having irregular menstrual bleeding. Frequently, it is not felt that there is something anatomically wrong with the patient’s ovaries or uterus, but that her female hormonal milieu has established itself in such a functional pattern as to be problematic. So, exogenous control is taken of the patient’s menstrual cycles with oral contraceptive pills, with the patient’s own endogenous hormonal production being suppressed, for a time. The patient is cycled for several months to artificially re-establish a pattern it is hoped her body can then maintain on its own once the ocp’s are discontinued. Just as patients must frequently be cycled on ocp’s several times, so too do Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome sufferers frequently need to be cycled on and off T3 therapy more than once to fully re-establish the preferable thyroid hormonal milieu that corrects the symptoms, and that the patient’s own body can maintain naturally. It sometimes takes more than one cycle of T3 therapy to even get the temperature up to normal (which is not necessarily the same as capturing the temperature). See below for explanation. One explanation for this is that if a patient has a strong T4/RT3 preponderance, then the first cycle of T3 therapy (up to a dose of about 90 mcg’s BID) might not be able to break through the competition at the nuclear membrane receptor well enough to normalize the patient’s temperature; but only enough to deplete T4 and therefore RT3 levels somewhat, through negative feedback inhibition. When the first cycle of T3 therapy is weaned and the patient’s own T4 production begins to come up again, with less RT3 around to compete against it, the T4 to T3 conversion pathway is more favored than previously (which favors a smaller T4/RT3 preponderance than previously). At this point, if a second cycle is started, there is less of a T4/RT3 preponderance for the T3 to break through to stimulate the receptors, than there was prior to the first cycle. So the second cycle of T3 will have a better shot at normalizing the temperature, or at least of depleting the T4/RT3 preponderance more than was accomplished in the first cycle. And a third cycle (if needed) will often have a better opportunity than the second of getting more accomplished on lower levels of T3 therapy, and so on. Some have wondered what is the defect that causes Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome . I don’t feel there is a defect per se. If there was a structural enzymatic defect, I don’t imagine that it could be corrected with T3 therapy in as quickly as 10 days in some cases. I feel that Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome is a functional impairment because its onset and response to T3 therapy behave as such. When you push a lawn mower into deep grass, it can become “overwhelmed” and begin to slow down. If you pull it out in time, it often speeds back up to normal on its own again. If you do not pull it out in time it can slow down further and stop completely. Sometimes, the lawn mower has slowed down so much that it’s just on the verge of stopping when you pull it out. When this occurs, the machine can keep chugging along neither speeding up nor slowing down, and you can’t tell if it’s going to return to normal speed or if it’s going to stop completely. Sometimes, it can keep chugging along in this manner for a surprisingly long period of time. It seems to be just teetering on the edge, ready to lose its foothold and stall, or to gain the advantage and speed back up to normal. Here are three different and distinct modes of functioning: running normally, chugging along, and stopped. Yet in all three cases in our example, there is nothing mechanically wrong with the lawn mower. The blade, gas line, carburetor, and spark plug are all fine. It’s just that it’s a system in motion which has operational limits and an optimal operating speed. The machine can handle efficiently only so much grass per unit time. Likewise, our bodies have operational limits and an optimal operating speed. To further the analogy, please consider the explanation and picure below. If the lawnmower was chugging along, and there was some way you could give it a little push or advantage, you could help it to speed back up to normal (let’s imagine you had some sort of drill attachment you could use to speed up the top of the engine as it was spinning around). But if the engine stops, the drill attachment is not going to have enough power to start the engine, so you’re going to have to pull the starter cord. If the engine just stopped a few moments earlier, it may take only one pull of the cord. If it has been stopped since yesterday, it may take several. And if it has been in the garage since last season, it may take quite a few more. This is very much like the way the thyroid system behaves. When people are under enough physical and/or emotional stress, their metabolisms can slow down. When the stress goes away, they frequently come back up to normal on their own again. But sometimes they don’t, and their system stays depressed, chugging along even after the stress has passed (but because there is a functional impairment does not necessarily mean that there is an anatomical or mechanical impairment). It may be possible to give them a little push (T3 supplementation) to help restore them to normal speed without suppressing their own systems completely. This is like using the drill attachment. In more long-standing and severe cases, however, supplementation will often not be enough. In such cases, restoration must “start from scratch,” by suppressing the patient’s own thyroid system completely for a short time (T3 replacement). This is like pulling the starter cord. When the person is being replaced with T3, her T4, TSH, and RT3 may be close to the lower limits of detection. Indeed, in more severe cases, one pull of the cord may not be enough, and the patient’s system may have to be completely suppressed more than once by cycling on and off T3 replacement therapy in order to reset the system well enough for it to begin functioning properly on it’s own again. Also, it is not uncommon for diminishing cycles of T3 supplementation to be needed after one or more cycles of T3 replacement in order to fine-tune or coax the system all the way back to normal. In mild cases, the system can be reset (left with a net gain in endogenous T3 stimulation) without having to be very suppressed. Please see analogy in the Concept Block above if you haven’t already.T3 therapy is given to bring a low temperature up to normal.But because of negative feedback inhibition of the pituitary gland, as more T3 is given by mouth, the body then makes less on its own (endogenous system is suppressed), and the temperature may drop back down again.At such a time the T3 dosage can be increased to bring the temp up again.In mild cases, the system is chugging along on its own well enough (because it is not too bogged by T4 / RT3 preponderance) that the T3 therapy can get through and capture the temperature before the system is very suppressed (this is T3 supplementation and is likened to the little push with the drill attachment in the analogy). When the T3 therapy is weaned, the endogenous system comes back up again, often being able to maintain the normalized temperature on its own by virtue of a net gain in endogenous stimulation of the cell (resetting phenomenon). In less mild cases, higher doses may be needed to capture the temperature and the temperature may not hold on its own after just one cycle for one reason or another (such as the first cycle being weaned too quickly); so another cycle may be needed for fine-tuning. In less mild cases, higher doses of T3 (which cause greater suppression of the system) may be needed to capture the temperature.And, the body may not be able to maintain the temperature on its own when the first cycle of T3 therapy is weaned. And so, a second cycle (usually of lower doses) may be needed.The system might be reset to a degree, but perhaps not enough to remain normal after only one cycle.This may be due to a number of reasons such as weaning the first cycle too quickly, or because of outside stress, or unsteady T3 levels due to higher dosage levels/decreased compliance with dosage times, or some other reason. In rather difficult cases, the system must be completely suppressed with T3 replacement in order to capture the temperature. Once the temperature is captured, the patient is likely to need less medicine to get her temperature up on subsequent cycles. In rather difficult cases, the system is so bogged that T3 supplementation is not enough, and T3 replacement is needed.The system must be completely suppressed to remove the T4/RT3 preponderance before the temperature can be captured (this is likened to pulling the starter cord in the analogy).Note: Because T3 stimulation needs to be sufficiently steady to be very effective, the system can sometimes be completely suppressed with the temperature still not being captured. This can be due to T3 unsteadiness. The T3 may first need to be weaned (to let the T3 levels steady down) and then started back up again on the next cycle before the temperature can be captured. Lower doses which are easier to keep steady may then be able to capture the temperature (because higher doses on the previous cycle removed the obstructing T4 / RT3 preponderance).Before the temperature is captured, one can’t be very sure that the patient will need less medicine on subsequent cycles. But when the temperature is captured it marks the turning point in the resetting process such that one can then be very confident that the patient will be able to make progress by getting her temperature up on less and less medicine with each subsequent cycle (if any are needed) until the process is complete. In difficult cases, the system cannot be completely suppressed and the temperature cannot be captured with the first cycle. But the first cycle may pave the way so that the next cycle can capture the temperature. In difficult cases, the first cycle (with a maximum dose of about 90 mcg BID) is not enough to capture the temperature or to completely suppress the system.Note: If this does occur, it is usually more effective to wean off the T3 and to start another cycle than it is to increase the dosage level much higher (because rather than increasing significantly the effective stimulation of the cells, increasing the T3 level much more just tends to make the T3 level more and more unsteady).When weaning, the goal is to wean slowly enough that the temperature at least doesn’t drop lower than it is, even if it hasn’t been captured (c12).But it may be enough to break through and remove (through negative feedback inhibition) enough of the T4 / RT3 preponderance that the next cycle can completely suppress (or replace) the system, with the temperature probably being captured. In more difficult cases, several cycles may be needed to completely suppress the system and capture the temperature. And then some cycles of T3 supplementation may be needed to fine-tune the system to maintain the temperature on its own. In more difficult cases, it may take several cycles to completely suppress the system.Each cycle removes more and more of the T4 / RT3 preponderance until finally the system can be suppressed completely (p77).Once the system has been suppressed completely it is not uncommon for diminishing cycles of T3 supplementation to be needed (although they may not be) to fine-tune or coax the system to maintain the temperature on its own.So sometimes the endogenous system must be suppressed down, down, down before it can come up, up, up and maintain things on its own after the treatment has been discontinued. Note: For T3 therapy, I recommend a T3 preparation that is compounded with a sustained release agent. It will be described more fully later (p112). But for now, suffice it to say that the starting dose is usually 7.5 mcg p.o. every 12 hours, and it is made in 7.5 mcg increments from 7.5 mcg up to about 90 mcg. The benefits of T3 therapy are obtained by passing control of the thyroid system from endogenous control to exogenous control, and then back again (once through one cycle, or more than once through several). Passing control of the thyroid system from endogenous control to exogenous control involves starting the patient on the starting dose, and increasing the dose by 7.5 mcg/dose/day if the patient is without complaints until the temperature remains 98.6 on average (which is almost always when the patients symptoms are most improved) or until the dose is up to about 90 mcg BID (in which case the T3 may be weaned off for a time, and another cycle can be started). Once the patient’s temperature does go up to 98.6 under exogenous control on a certain dose of the T3, that dose is continued for a time. If while on that level of the medicine, the temperature drops back down again because of the body taking back control endogenously through negative feedback inhibition (I refer to this as compensation), exogenous control of the system is then regained and maintained by raising the dose to the next increment to bring the temperature back up to 98.6. The patient may compensate to the T3 therapy again, and the exogenous dose can be increased again (up to about 90 mcg, see Note). As this process continues, less and less T3 is produced endogenously, and more and more is supplied exogenously. The period of time from when a person’s temperature goes up to 98.6 with a 7.5 mcg increment, to the time it drops back down again, is what I refer to as a person’s compensation time. Once the T3 dose is increased, such that the temperature is brought up to 98.6, it may be captured or it may drop back down again after a time (compensation time) due to negative feedback inhibition of the pituitary. Compensation times are predictable and average about 4 days. If a person compensates to each of several increments of T3, the compensation time usually repeats itself. For example, a person with a 5-day compensation time (a 5-day compensator), might have her temperature go up on 30 mcg BID and stay averaging 98.6 only for it to go back down on the 5th day. Then, if it goes back up the next day when the dose is increased to 37.5 mcg BID, it may drop back down again 5 days later. This cycle will frequently repeat itself until the temperature doesn’t drop back down again. Compensation times vary among patients. The compensation times of people who do compensate range from less than one day to about 3 weeks, with an average of about 4 days. When a person’s compensation time (or three weeks if compensation time is not obvious) has passed by a couple of days and the temperature has not dropped back down again, I refer to the patient’s temperature as being captured (p75). The benefit of a cycle has been pretty well obtained once the temperature has been captured, but it is often preferable to allow the patient to remain on that plateau of T3 therapy for a time before weaning. This is the point at which control of the thyroid system has been completely passed from endogenous to exogenous control. This does not necessarily mean, however, that a person’s thyroid system has been completely suppressed. In less severe cases, or in the final cycle/cycles of therapy of more severe cases, T3 supplementation can often capture a patient’s temperature without completely suppressing the patient’s system. In the beginning of more severe cases, one or more cycles of T3 replacement that completely suppresses the patient’s system may be necessary before the patient’s temperature can be captured. It’s important to remember the difference between endogenous and exogenous T3 stimulation and it’s ideal to retain the best of both them. When passing control back and forth between the endogenous system and the exogenous therapy, it is good to bear in mind their differences. The endogenous system is the indisputable world champion at generating steady T3 levels, but sometimes has trouble generating sufficient T3 stimulation. On the other hand, the exogenous T3 therapy is excellent at providing sufficient T3 stimulation, but it is sometimes difficult to keep very steady. The ideal situation of course is when the patient’s own system has been reset to provide sufficient T3 stimulation that is endogenously steady. And as discussed previously, this can often be accomplished by the passing control of the thyroid system from endogenous control to exogenous and back again, once or more than once. It is important to keep the T3 levels steady since there are temperature thresholds above which or below which patients can experience temperature-mediated problems, even if there temperatures average normal. The whole trick is to keep the T3 levels as Steady as possible during this process of passing control from endogenous to exogenous and back again. One of the reasons for this is that patients can develop temperature-mediated problems when their temperatures are too high, or when they are too low (p18). So there is a range of temperatures (or window) within which people are less likely to experience temperature-mediated problems. That temperature window is bounded on either side by temperature thresholds above or below which temperature-mediated problems (or side effects) become more likely. So even if a temperature pattern averages about normal, if it is ranging so widely that it breaks through these thresholds, the patient may experience decreased benefits and some complaints. Rapid changes in body temperature can leave patients with an unsettled feeling. Another reason that steadiness is so important is that rapid changes in body temperature, in and of themselves, seem to be able to lead to decreased benefits and some complaints, even if the thresholds aren’t broken (p135). Note: This is probably due to the fact that different enzymes change conformation, in response to temperature change, at different speeds; and because the reactions they catalyze have different rates. If the temperature swings through the optimal temperature too quickly, some of the quickly-responding enzymes and reactions may start becoming less efficient again just as some of the more slowly-responding enzymes and reactions are beginning to function well. But when the temperature transitions are more gradual, then more enzymes are able to function well at the same time, so that the patient is left with a more settled feeling. When patients’ temperatures are fluctuating more rapidly (even if not beyond the thresholds), less time is spent by the system as a well-functioning unit, at the optimal temperature. When patients’ temperatures are fluctuating rapidly, they are more likely to have an unsettled feeling, or to feel on edge. For example, suppose you were a passenger in a car traveling 55 mph down a 4-lane highway (divided by a wide median, two lanes on either side). No other cars are in sight. As long as the car drives in one of the two lanes going your direction, and doesn’t drive off the road, you should be alright. But which do you think you would find more comfortable: for the car to swerve from edge to edge every 50 feet, or for it to drift from lane to lane every mile? If it were to swerve every 50 feet you wouldn’t be able to travel as far in the same amount of time (less benefit), and you’d likely not feel as well. Thus, the height and steadiness of the T3 level is not only determined by the amount and administration of the exogenous T3, but also by the nature of a given patient’s endogenous response to it. One-day compensators can actually over-compensate and so need to be managed well to avoid problems. Interestingly, how well T3 levels can be kept steady is not only a function of how the medicine is given, but also of how a patient’s body compensates to it. About one out of ten people compensate to a 7.5 mcg increase in the T3 in less than one day! They can compensate so quickly, they can even over-compensate, with their temperatures dropping lower than they were before treatment! The following principles deserve close attention, since even though only about 10% of patients will be one-day compensators, if not managed well they can easily account for 50% of the problems in managing these patients. Notice how much more jagged is the total curve for the one-day compensators. It is more difficult to keep the T3 level steady in one-day compensators, just by virtue of their being one-day compensators. Generally speaking, the more rapidly patients compensate (the shorter their compensation times) the harder it is to keep their T3 levels steady. Notice that if a rapid compensator is allowed to swing through the baseline temperature, like a child on a swing (by delaying dosage increases), greater amplitude of T3 unsteadiness often result. Let’s say a father was pushing his daughter on a swing. If he stepped forward under her, such that just as she started to swing back he could catch her and push her up again, he could keep her within a narrow range of swing (see illustration above). On the other hand, if he stepped backward, allowing her to swing all the way back before pushing her forward again, she would swing through a much broader range. Likewise, if dosage increases are not made quickly (often) enough, when needed, the system can over-compensate (swinging through the baseline of total T3 stim.) resulting in a larger amplitude of T3 unsteadiness (especially if the delayed increases are made at times that resonate with the swings in the T3 level). Consequently, body temperatures would swing through a broader range as well. Swinging widely can be fun when one is on a swing set, but widely swinging T3 levels (T3 unsteadiness) can increase the chances of side effects. If a person comes in and states that her temperature was lower the day after starting on the medicine than it was the day she started, that is your first clue she may be a one-day compensator. Notice how curve B is smoother than curve A, with less unsteadiness, and smaller amplitude. Slow compensators tolerate rapid increases better than fast compensators tolerate slow ones. Slow compensators often tolerate T3 therapy being rapidly increased quite well. They often enjoy temperatures that are quite steady with small ranges of displacement. Slow compensators tolerate rapid increases better than fast compensators tolerate slow ones. Since you can’t tell who are fast compensators and who are slow compensators by looking at them, I recommend gearing the T3 therapy towards the fast compensators by increasing the T3 dose by 7.5 mcg/dose/day in all patients. This is not to be careless, but to be careful, and deliberate. Because I know if I increase the dose each day as needed to keep the fast compensators steady and in good shape, I’ll avoid a lot of problems and disappointment, and the slow compensators will likely tolerate it well and do fine as well. Remember this is only when the T3 needs to be increased at all. When the temperature is 98.6, there is no need for the dosage to be increased. Note: A and B above are important also because of the ripples that are created in the T3 level. Please see discussion that follows the picture below. Suppose there was a little button 18 feet above the floor, on the wall of a room. And a young man has been told that if he can exert sufficient and continuous pressure on the button for a long enough period of time, he’ll have better than a 75% chance of having won an acceptance and $80,000 worth of scholarships to the university of his choice. Would that be worth a try? In the room are only a wiggly cane pole and a very large, very wide, and very heavy seesaw that is mounted to the floor. With the cane pole he can only push the button for a half-second or so at a time before the pole slips off the button. He realizes that he can reach the button if he climbs up and walks out on the seesaw. The seesaw is so heavy that when he walks out toward the end, it begins to lower only very slowly. He decides to back up and let the seesaw come up to its original position to get a fresh start. Would you recommend that he move out to the end swiftly, so that he can hold the button in for as long as possible before the seesaw lowers so much that he can no longer reach it? Or, would you recommend he move out to the end more slowly, and use the cane pole if he doesn’t reach the button with his hand in time? If he were going to try again, would you recommend he wait for the seesaw to come all the way back up to its original position and settle down, or not? For the analogy’s sake we’ll say that by moving slowly, his longest hold was only .75 seconds; but by moving swiftly, he was able to hold the button in for as long as 5 seconds, with the longest holds being when he let the seesaw settle down to get a fresh start. [perhaps the patient would get a very large benefit, likened to the scholarships]. Even if the combination of the two conditions of normal temperature and steady temperature [likened to holding the button in steadily] can be accomplished for only a short time (hours or days) at first, it could answer a lot of questions. And the longer that combination of conditions can be accomplished [the longer the button is held in at a time], the better the therapeutic trial, and the better the chance of it answering a lot of questions. Because if a patient’s symptoms do improve greatly, it would strongly suggest that the symptoms are temperature-mediated and that the T3 therapy is likely to be on the right track [likened to his 75% chance of winning]. At that point, resolving the patient’s complaints may very likely be just a matter of getting things regulated such that the temperature stays normal and steady. But when one starts a patient on T3 therapy to increase the temperature, the level of endogenous T3 often drops in compensation (p85), as does the temperature [likened to the seesaw lowering]. As the endogenous portion of the T3 level becomes smaller, and the exogenous portion becomes larger, that alone will tend to make the T3 level more unsteady and less beneficial [likened to having to use the cane pole instead of his hand], even if the T3 doses are taken properly and on time. So to maximize the amount of time spent with the combination of a normal and steady temperature, and the chances of a successful therapeutic trial, it is often best to get the temperature up to normal, with endogenous T3 making up as great a proportion of the T3 level as possible. And one’s best chance at that is often to quickly increase the T3 therapy on top of a steady endogenous platform before that platform recedes very much [likened to moving swiftly out and holding in the button as long as possible before the seesaw lowers very much]. The above is is why a steady platform of endogenous T3 upon which to build is very valuable [likened to a fresh start]. And this is why it is very important to start each cycle, including the first cycle, with a stable T3 level (Q13). It is also important to make the most of a nice steady start by taking the medicine very much on time from the start (p103), so as to keep the T3 level as steady as possible. It’s important to keep the T3 level steady from the start since steadying it down again, once unsteady, can take weeks. In a rapid compensator this requires increasing the T3 dose rapidly enough to get the patient’s temperature up to normal, rather than just enough to make the T3 level unsteady. The whole trick to this therapy is to start the patient steady and to keep the patient steady on the medicine. If the patient’s T3 levels do get unsteady on the T3 therapy it may take several weeks to “recapture” that steadiness (p101), which may involve having to wean the patient off the treatment for a time to get a fresh start, and then starting it back up again. If you don’t increase fast compensators quickly enough their temperatures will go back down when they compensate, and be as low as they ever were. But then, not only will their temperatures be too low but also they will be unsteady (because the higher the dose of exogenous T3 the harder it is to keep the T3 level steady), and they may feel worse than when they started. If you’re going to give people T3 therapy, then you need to give them enough to get their temperature close to normal. Otherwise, you’re not giving them enough to improve their temperature but only enough to make their T3 levels unsteady which increases their chances of side effects. You and the patient may choose to increase the T3 more slowly than each day, which in some cases may work out quite well. But if you do, you must accept the 10% risk that this patient is a one-day compensator, and may not do very well. In which case, at the first sign of side effects, those side effects may be addressed (p129) and the patient may be weaned off the T3 for a couple of days to let the T3 level settle back down. At this point it may need to be decided to increase the medicine each day or not at all. So T3 therapy (especially in those 10% of patients who are fast compensators) is a little like crossing a street that has a gutter filled with water. If you want to cross without getting wet then you may want to run fast enough and jump high enough to clear the water, or not jump at all. Another good reason to increase the T3 medicine every day, if needed, is that in more severe cases it may take a few cycles before the patient notices much improvement. Even if the dosage is increased every day, going on and off one cycle could easily take over 4 weeks. Some cases are such that, at this rate, it will be over 3 months before the patient feels much improvement! It is a discouraging prospect at the outset, but increasing the dose every 3 days, could lengthen that time to 6 months. With that possibility looming it would seem unprofitable to dillydally. Either the endogenous system should be in control or the exogenous therapy should be in control. Control should be passed smoothly, deliberately, and completely from one to the other. Backtracking in the middle of going on or off a cycle of T3 therapy can lead to difficulties and confusion. To avoid the pitfalls of this approach, one should make deliberate (not tentative), and gradual (not necessarily slow, but they should be gradual) one-way transitions between endogenous control and exogenous control. A patient has a temperature of 98.6F on 60 mcg’s twice a day of T3 therapy. Her doctor decides to wean her off the T3 to see her temperature remains normal as she weans, or if it doesn’t, to see if she can get her temp to 98.6F on less medicine during the next cycle. While the patient is weaning off the T3, her temperature starts to slip a little, so she and her doctor decide that she should go not wean off any more but go back up to the 60 mcg’s BID she was on. To their surprise and confusion, her temperature doesn’t go back up to normal when she gets to 60 mcg’s BID! This can happen and is probably due to T3 unsteadiness due to the changing T3 doses. If the patient had gradually weaned all the way off and remained off the T3 for a couple of days to allow her own T3 levels to steady down, and then started the next cycle, she might have well gotten her temperature to 98.6 on only 37.5 mcg’s BID. This may not make complete sense to you now, but it will after you read the rest of this manual. I just wanted to give you an idea of what sort of unexpected difficulties one can run into by deviating from the protocol. It is more effective to continue increasing the dose of T3 until the patient’s temperature is normal (Q8), rather than to leave the patient on a smaller dose of the T3 for longer periods of time. This is especially true in more severe cases that require several cycles of therapy to be corrected. If one “dillydallies” in such a case, a patient could be treated for 6 months with very little improvement, and very little being accomplished. Once a patient compensates to a dose of T3 very little more will occur over time. Some may hope that if the T3 lowers the T4, and that lowers the RT3, then there might be less inhibition of the conversion of T4 to T3, more T3 stimulating the cell, more suppression of T4, less RT3, less impaired conversion, and so on. Clinical observations do not support this hope. Theory and clinical observation suggest that the above mentioned effect has already occurred during the time it takes a person to compensate (e.g.-within the 3 day compensation time in a 3-day compensator). Remember, the majority of T4 is converted to RT3 which suggests the body is quicker to produce RT3 from T4 than it is T3. Also, the half-life of RT3 is on the order of hours, not days. [Occasionally, however, a temperature that is already normal sometimes begins to increase with no further increases in dosage, requiring the dosage to be decreased (and in this way a few patients are automatically weaned as their own systems come back up)]. It is rather surprising to see how important the steadiness of T3 levels is. If there is anything that has become apparent in this work, it is that the steadiness of T3 levels is more delicate and significant than it seems we have previously imagined. Consider this: There is a pharmacologic formula that states that one can calculate how long it will take to reach steady state when using a maintenance dose of a medicine without a loading dose, by multiplying the medicine’s half-life by 5.5. The half-life of T3 is 2.5 days. 2.5 days * 5.5 = 13.75 days or about 2 weeks. This means that if in the first two weeks of treatment (forgetting for the moment about compensation) the patient misses a dose or two, it will take a little longer to reach steady state. That is, a patient’s T3 level of today has something to do with doses taken about 2 weeks ago. But remember steadiness is nothing more than a patient’s level per unit time. So if a person’s T3 level can be affected by the dosing of the past two weeks, so can the person’s T3 level steadiness. Thus,if people miss a dose, completely or by a period of time, it puts blips, depressions, holes, gaps, or ripples into their T3 levels that can persist for 2 weeks. If it patient is taking a sustained-release medicine that is delivered at a steady rate continuously over 12 hours then the level will be steadier if the medicine is taken on time so that there are no gaps or overlaps. This is much like dropping a pebble into a puddle. The tiny stone touches only a small part of the water itself, but the ripple it causes spreads in all directions, all the way out to the limits of the puddle. Likewise, even though the half-life of one dose is 2.5 days, it’s influence on the next dose, and the next dose, and so on can last for up to two weeks. So you can see, if you miss every other dose by 20 minutes here, and 30 minutes there, pretty soon you’ll have nothing but ripples. In addition, if one ripple happens to coincide with an upswing in the T3 level due to another ripple of unsteadiness, the ripples can become superimposed, which can cause higher peaks and lower troughs, and in this way things can get unsteady, with a person’s T3 level “resonating” itself out of control. Once the T3 level becomes unsteady, due to not taking the T3 very well on time, it usually takes 4-5 day’s to settle down again when proper dosing is resumed. So it’s best to keep the T3 level steady from the start, especially since improvements can be lost before any side effects are experienced. Evidence for this settling effect can be seen clinically. Suppose a person has a temperature averaging 98.6 on, for example, 45 mcg p.o. BID and is feeling very well. And if that person stopped taking his medicine very well on time, and noticed some of his symptoms returning, and then started taking his medicine on time again, it would usually take about 4 – 5 days for his T3 levels to steady back down, and for his symptoms to improve again. This settling effect can often be seen in the steadying of his temperature as well. Sometimes however, the steadying takes up to 2 weeks (not usually longer). So you can see why it is so important to start patients steady and to keep them steady from the start, because if things get unsteady, they can stay unsteady for a couple of weeks. Note: There are a few management techniques that can be employed in cases such as the one mentioned above, to steady things down hopefully a little more quickly, such as a T4 test dose (p129), and/or weaning the patient off the T3 and then restarting it; but it’s much better not to have to implement those things in the first place (especially the re-cycling because that can take a few weeks). Another reason to start steady and keep steady is that ripples can cause a loss of improvement before they ever cause side effects, so it’s best to hold the T3 therapy as steady as possible from the start, because improvement can be lost with little or no warning. The 2-week settling effect is another reason not to dillydally in getting patients to the dose they might need, but to move the patients along as deliberately as possible, because the sooner the patients can be brought to the right dose, the sooner the 2-week stabilizing effect can begin. This is one reason also, that I don’t recommend making a lot of changes in a patient’s T3 dosage because of unrelated influences. For example, a patient has been doing well on 30 mcg p.o. BID for several weeks and gets a little fever because of a virus. I would recommend that the patient get through the several-day virus the same way he usually would with no changes in T3, because I don’t want to make 2-week changes, for 3-day vicissitudes. If I change the dose for a few days and then change it back again, it may take two weeks to again steady down as well. This same principle applies to women doing well on a certain dose, whose temperatures go a little higher than 98.6 the 2 or 3 days prior to their period, or in the middle of the month at ovulation. Changes in body function brought about by T3 can then result in a recalibration of other body systems, which probably helps the body’s function to remain improved after the treatment is discontinued. There is another settling effect worth mentioning. This effect is seen when a patient seems to feel better and better on the same dose even for up to about 6 weeks later, or more. This is a little different than the reproducible and recognizable 2-week stabilization effect mentioned above. I feel this is not so much related to the pharmacodynamics of the T3 therapy, so much as it is in the results of the T3 therapy, especially with respect to other body systems. It seems that once the thyroid system is being held in a favorable position, then the other systems can follow suit and function better also. I feel that these other systems falling into a new balance of functioning in relation to the thyroid system and each other, is part of what solidifies the inertia of the new position (or mode) of functioning that helps the body’s function to remain improved even after the treatment has been discontinued. Note: In the ropes and rings diagram above, we’ve pulled on the “Thyroid” rope. The thyroid rope is strong and it’s simple because it’s just T3 to get the temperature normal. It’s great when T3 does the job because the fewer the variables the easier the management. Nevertheless, some doctors find it helpful, and in some cases necessary, to pull on the “Adrenal” rope as well. Adrenal glandulars, DHEA, Florinef, and small physiologic doses of hydrocortisone (as per Dr. Jefferies’ work, “Safe Uses of Cortisol”), are some of the adrenal support measures doctors are using. (See Same Principles Applied Differently on page 205). The “Female” rope can be addressed as well as in Dr. Lee’s work, “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause,” where he advocates the use of progesterone cream. To summarize, the character of the process of resetting patients’ thyroid systems, and therefore their metabolisms, is like moving the position of a croquet ball on a sandy beach. The thyroid system has a great deal of inertia, and once it has settled into a certain position it tends to stay functioning in that same way. Imagine a croquet ball that has been sitting in the moist sand for a time. It has become embedded there. It takes a little effort to dislodge it from its position, but once it is free, it is relatively easy to roll along the sand. However, it’s position is more easily influenced by the wind and other forces as it rolls along the top of the sand, than it was when it was embedded. However, once you’ve let it roll to a new position, and held it there for a time, it will again begin to settle in and get embedded. Once it has become embedded in a new position it will have a tendency to stay there. This is very similar to the way the thyroid system behaves. It may take some decisive and deliberate effort to begin to reset a person’s system, but once her temperature has been captured, it is frequently relatively easy to cycle her with diminishing cycles of T3 until her temperature is normal off medicine. During the cycling process, however, her temperature and symptoms may be more easily influenced by changes in sleeping habits or work habits, traveling through time zones, emotional stresses, and timing of doses. This is why it is best during the cycling process to take great care to keep everything as steady as possible while her system is being reset. Once the patient’s symptoms are completely corrected it is sometimes preferable to leave the patient on the same dose of T3 for several weeks after the temperature has been captured to give her system more time to “settle in” to its new mode of functioning before weaning the T3. Once off treatment, the patient might consider not making any drastic changes in her life for 3 – 6 months, to allow further embedding, to decrease the chance of relapse. Once settled in, the patient should again be less influenced by the vicissitudes of daily life. When patients are treated with a cycle of T3 therapy, they often retain what symptomatic improvement they do get from that cycle, even if it is not complete. For example, a patient with a percentage index of 40% [patient feels 40% of what the patient imagines a normal person to feel like (c5)] may improve to 60% with the first cycle. That improvement to 60% often persists indefinitely, even if a second cycle is not started right away. With another cycle that patient may improve to 80%, and with the next cycle to 100%. There is a possibility, however, of factors pushing progress backward: if such a patient has progressed to a percentage index of 80%, and undergoes some stress, then his/her percentage index might slip back a step to 60%.

2019-04-23T05:01:04Z

https://www.wilsonssyndrome.com/emanual/chapters/treatment-principles/

A new 5-Man Expert is now available at level 70 in Starfall Prophecy. Adventure into the domain of Lady Glasya and discover her dark dealings with the Oculons of Fire. A new title, Bane of the Bloodfire, is available for those who discover all the secrets that lie within! * Fixed an issue with music in Alittu. * Fixed an issue preventing players from being able to leave a raid after completing LFR. * You can now bypass the LFR queue if you queue with a full raid and it should be instant. It is not required that you have the proper raid composition when queuing for this but you still must meet the gear requirements. - Note: The roles displayed might not be relevant to what the boss requirements are. * Rapidly casting Natural Healing now correctly grants stacks of Boon of Life as expected. * Legendary Earthen Renewal now correctly consumes Opportunity procs granted by Warlock and Eldritch Armor procs granted by Harbinger. * Random Chronicles: Increased the level 66+ platinum reward for players completing random Chronicles. * Fixed an issue with Infiltrator Johlen where if Devastating Bomb timed out, Shadow Phase would not be removed. The achievement “Surviving Obliteration” has been correctly changed to a Legacy achievement and removed from the Hammerknell Conqueror achievement. * Changed the Artifacts that come out of the Chest of Shiny things in Tok’s Proving Grounds from “Bind on Pickup” to “Bind to Account on Pickup”. * Fixed an issue with the achievement “Superiority Complex” not being granted properly if Cyril was killed with Mien of Superiority. * Mind of Madness has been re-added to the Intrepid Adventures queue. * Starfall Prophecy Weapon runes can no longer heal enemies in certain circumstances. Un nouveau donjon expert niveau 70 est maintenant disponible. Aventurez-vous dans le domaine de dame Glasya et découvrez ses sombres manigances. Un nouveau titre, [Bane of the Bloodfire] ("Ennemi juré des feu-sanglant" ?), est disponibles pour ceux qui découvrent tous les secrets de cet endroit. - Correction d'un bug qui empêchait les joueurs de quitter un raid après une recherche de raid. - Il est maintenant possible de lancer une recherche de raid avec un raid déjà complet, et l'arrivée dans le raid est instantanée. Il n'est pas demandé d'avoir la bonne composition de raid pour lancer la recherche, mais tout le monde doit avoir les statistiques nécessaires (précision, statistique principale). - Lancer Guérison Naturelle donne bien des accumulations de Bénédiction de vie. - Renouveau de la terre consomme bien les procs d'Anathema et de l'Armure Eldritch. - Le haut fait "Survivre à l'anéantissement" a été déplacé dans la catégorie Héritage, et a été retiré des prérequis pour le HF Conquérant de la Forteresse de Glasmarteau. - Correction des HFs "Non, c'est impossible", "Course vers la destruction", "Envie et Ruine, Ordre, Chaos" et "Chaos, Ordre, Envie et Ruine". - Correction des HFs suivants afin qu'ils donnent les bons titres : "Non, c'est impossible" et "Conquérant : Esprit de la folie". - Les artefacts obtenus dans le coffre de la quête hebdomadaire "Oh ça brille" sont désormais liés au compte, et non plus à l'âme. - Correction d'un bug qui empêchait le HF "Complexe de supériorité" d'être obtenu si Cyril était tué par sa mine de suprématie. - L'Esprit de la Folie a été remis dans les aventures instantanées intrépides. - Les runes d'armes de l'extension n'ont plus aucune chance de soigner les ennemis. * Resolved an issue that could block accounts from adding a payment method within the RIFT Store. * Fixed an issue with being unable to leave LFR without logging out. * If queuing with a full raid for LFR, you no longer need to meet the gear requirements or have any roles selected. The roles displayed might not be relevant to what is required for the boss. * Radiate Death now has a cooldown of 40 seconds and radiates to 2 targets (down from 6). Corrected a bug where Radiate Death would spread to less targets than intended and refresh DoTs in some cases. * Singed Spirit no longer converts all damage to Ethereal when it procs. It instead increases all damage you deal by 12% when it procs. * RIFTS: The achievement Stonesurge Champion is now correctly given when 150 rifts are closed. * Phase 1 of the Fortress Assault has it’s own timer to complete now. This should give people more time to gather for the more difficult phases of the event. * Hexathel now drops Planar Fragments in addition to its regular loot. - Correction d'un bug qui pouvait empêcher certains comptes d'ajouter un moyen de paiement dans la boutique Rift. - Correction d'un bug qui empêchait parfois de quitter la recherche de raid, à moins de se déconnecter. - Si l'on lance la recherche avec un groupe de raid complet, il n'y a plus besoin de choisir un rôle ou d'avoir le cap de précision et de la statistique principale. - Irradiation de mort a un délai de récupération général de 40 secondes et touche 2 cibles (contre 6 jusqu'à présent). Correction d'un bug qui pouvait faire se diffuser Irradiation de la mort à moins de cibles que prévu, et parfois réinitialiser les DoTs. - Singed Spirit no longer converts all damage to Ethereal when it procs. It instead increases all damage you deal by 12% when it procs. - Le haut fait "Champion de la pierre filante" est maintenant correctement donné lorsque 150 failles ont été fermées. - La première phase de l'assaut a un timer propre, ce qui devrait donner plus de temps pour rassembler du monde pour les phases suivantes. - Hexathel donne maintenant des fragments planaires en plus de son loot habituel. La mise à jour 4.1 est officiellement reportée au 29 mars, ainsi que le carnaval des Elus. La patchnote de la 4.1 fait plus de 3400 mots, sa traduction arrive morceau par morceau. Venture deep into the prison created by the Alaviax to imprison the dragons of the Red Flight so as to never again be subjugated under their rule. With Mount Pyre sundered, the way is now open. Go forth and stop Queen Carli’s plan to bring forth the Apocalypse and fulfill the prophecies of Aia! Thanks to our improved tinting system, your armor’s going to look better than ever. Not only have we updated our existing dyes so that the effects on your wardrobe are more accurate and more impressive (we have been adjusting individual armor pieces to maximize dye effects), but we’re also introducing 21 more dyes to increase options available to you, purchasable either together or individually! Additionally, we have added another 27 Deep dye shades (darker than dark!) and these are all available immediately for free! Arm yourself with the power of Eternal items! The Carnival of the Ascended is back and better than ever! Don't have Starfall Prophecy, but want to get the most out of 4.1's exciting new content? You can now purchase a copy of Starfall Prophecy using Credits or, if you're a RIFT Patron, Affinity! * Fixed an issue with auto scrolling on Quest Log so that it now ends upon user interaction. * Updated the quest sticky to properly show the Artifact tooltip and link to the Artifact tab. * Removed Conquest from the UI. * All mounts have been sent back to training and have learned how to walk. Even backwards! * Experience gain from killing NPCs while sidekicking has been significantly reduced. * The achievements pertaining to conquest have been added to legacy. In addition, the weekly and guild quests for CQ have been removed. * Fixed a display issue with icons on the Artifacts Tab. * Fixed issue with Alittu music entry stinger. * Players on different home shards can trade items and coin with each other via the trade dialog. * New Challenger’s Mark gear is available in the store now! Seals and Foci now have PVP versions that can be purchased with Challenger’s Marks! * Level 65 boost bundle is now purchasable in the store along with trade skill boosts to 450! * Individual Reward charge packs can be purchased in the store in quantities of 5, 20, and 50. * Six new Alittu-themed Building Block textures are now available in the store. Three can be found under Metal, and three under Stone. * New Music Boxes are available in the store. * A new dye bundle is available in the RIFT Store under Cosmetics -> Premium: Celestial Bundle of Dye Buckets. * Just like all Dyes these will not show up as usable until you log out and log back in after purchase. * Wardrobe – Some additional weapon skins have been added to the Storm Legion section of the Weapon Cosmetics area of the Rift store. * The Nightmare Thresher mount, Sinister Cappie mount & Umbral Baby Budgling pet are now available in the Affinity section of the RIFT store. * The damage and dps stat of ranged weapons will no longer be used in combat calculations. All such calculations will use the main hand or two handed weapon only. Ranged weapons will no longer display damage or dps on their tooltips. * Mastery: Divine Favor has been reworked. It is now a 1 minute cooldown that applies 6 stacks of Divine Presence to all nearby allies for 30 seconds. Divine Presence increases the healing you do to the target by 5% per stack. One stack is consumed each time you cast a heal on a target. * Legendary Condensed Obliteration no longer fires Bound Fate while dead. * Legendary Fae Mimicry: Now only affects 5 abilities for the damage increase. * Legendary Summon Faerie Healer: Effectiveness has been reduced to 9% of maximum HP in PVP. * Legendary Faerie Healer: Effectiveness in PVP reduced to 3% of max HP over 3 seconds (down from 9). * Legendary Radical Coalescence damage bonus increased from 25% to 35%. * Mien of Leadership: Now also increases incoming healing cast by other players by 30%. * Devout Deflection talent no longer interacts with Guard. * Eruption has been reworked and now causes 50% of overhealing to be applied to nearby targets. Only works on healing applied from the original caster. * Legendary Rune of Impending Doom deals 60% more damage per Runestrike and Rune of Castigation. * Legendary Light of Redemption healing increased by roughly 60%. It now scales more aggressively with spellpower. * Jolt base Damage increased by roughly 40%. * Legendary Icy Blow now increases air and water damage by 24% per stack for 20 seconds and stacks up to twice. * Legendary Bosun's Blessing's bonus has been reduced to 20% per HoT on the target. * Arcane Ward now also increases incoming healing cast by other players by 30%. * Archon's Bulwark now increases support abilities by 200% (up from 100%). * Healing Torrent will no longer incorrectly consume Boon of Life when it shouldn't. * Veils no longer block healing done by other veils. Veils now reduce damage dealt by 50%. This penalty is reduced by points in Chloromancer, down to 0% at 61 points spent. This damage penalty also affects non-Chloromancer damage. * Lifebound Veil healing is now counted as single target healing. * Lifegiving Veil healing increased by roughly 15%. * Wild Growth has been reworked. It is now an instant cast ability that consumes all of your charge to heal allies immediately. This healing is increased by 0.4% for every charge consumed. It also causes affected allies to recieve 40% increased Chloromancer healing from the caster. This buff lasts 0.1 second for every charge consumed by Wild Growth. * Legendary Bloom now has a 2 second cast time. Healing amount increased to compensate. * Vile Spores that come from Legendary Bloom no longer trigger Bulwark of Souls. These Vile Spores no longer benefit from the Timed spell bonus granted by Legendary Empyrean Ascension as they do not have a cast time. * Living Aegis no longer shows too many reactives for Vile Spores. * Rime healing increased by roughly 20%. * Legendary Earthen Renewal now ramps up more slowly and heals for a reduced amount. * Infuse Magic now ramps up at 12% per tick. * Ground Zero is now off the global cooldown. * Legendary Soul Bond now reduces cooldowns by 25% and increases Necromancer and Pet damage by 120%. * Ignition talent now reduces mana costs of all fire spells (rather than just non instant ones) by 8% per point, up from 4%. * Legendary Fusillade no longer grants Surging Cinders when Flame Bolt or Searing Bolt is cast. Passive bonus on * Cinder Burst is increased to 60%. * Legendary Internalize Charge now has a 20 second cooldown and no longer costs charge. Now affects cast time spells for a bonus of 100% increased damage. Tooltip clarified to show this ability does not cost charge. * Pyromancer's Blessing's internal cooldown has been reduced to 3 seconds. Thee tooltip now mentions this. * Legendary Internalize Charge is no longer overwritten by Charged Blade. * Mastery: Savage Blow: Now only stacks twice. * Non Legendary Icy Cleave can now be correctly cast without a target again. * Legendary Icy Cleave now correctly affects area of effect abilities that use chain or cone shapes to do their effects. * Legendary Seismic Smash is now only consumed by damaging abilities. * Legendary Tectonic Spike has been reworked. It no longer increases the damage of Aftershock or the maximum stacks of Tremor. It instead reduces the cooldown of Subduction to 4 seconds, and causes Subduction to also cast regular Seismic Smash when cast. * Blossoms generated by Legendary Deluge now correctly apply Conservation if known. * Resilient Growth is no longer double dipping on PVP adjustments. * Endless Shards talent has been reworked to reset the cooldown of Icy Shards when reaching 100 Fury or Cunning. * Titanic Spirit: Now also increases incoming healing cast by other players by 30%. * Legendary Vorpal Salvo no longer deals 5 times as much damage when in Cunning. Now passively causes your next Stroke of Brilliance to deal increased damage after passing through harmony. * Legendary Primal Avatar: Drake now counts as both Earth and Fire damage. Affects up to 20 attacks. Damage increased to 150% of AP. * Furious Power no longer incorrectly increases AP by 4% per rank. * Assassinate now has a 6 second cooldown. * Legendary Poison Malice starting bonus has been increased to 275%, and now has a 1 second lockout where it cannot be cast after the first cast. It no longer incorrectly adjusts your Global Cooldown. * Legendary Master of Poisons damage over time buff increased to 85%. Now applies to all damage over time abilities. * Legendary Thread of Death damage penalty removed. * Poison Malice can no longer be cancelled. * Jagged Strike now has a 6 second CD. * Dancing Steel now only affects up to 4 targets. * Hundred Blades now only affects up to 4 targets. * Legendary Hundred Blades now has a 2 second cooldown to prevent rapid reactivation. * Deadly Dance now has its effect doubled on Bladedancer attacks. * Improved Deadly Dance increased to 6% per talent point (up from 4%). * Legendary Side Steps movement speed increase no longer ends when you stop moving. Duration reduced to 12 seconds. * Side Steps is now correctly affected by the Counterbalance talent. * Barbed Shot damage increased by roughly 100%. Targets affected by your Barbed Shot take 20% increased damage from your other Marksman abilities. * Legendary Free Recoil now always forces Empowered shot to be instant. No longer applies a stacking buff, and no longer reduces the damage of Empowered Shot. Cooldown no longer decreased. Grants 3 CP. * Legendary Rapid Fire shot damage reduced by 12%. * Legenadry Deadeye shot damage reduced by 12%. * Legendary Free Recoil causes empowered shot to have a 2 second cooldown. * Legendary Flame Blitz damage bonus increased to 80%. * Legendary Dark Descent has been reworked. It no longer causes finishers to refund combo points. Instead, the affected finishers deal 30% more damage. Emptiness is still not consumed by finishers when Legendary Dusk Strike is selected. * Legendary Dusk Strike now has a 20m range. The energy penalty has been reduced to 10% per stack. The damage bonus has been increased to 30% per stack, and the buff duration increased to 20 seconds. * Ebon Blades debuff increased from 5% per stack to 12% per stack. * Legendary Emergency Response now has a 6s cooldown. * Fixed a bug where Saboteurs would lose sticky bombs after sidekicking. * Doubleshot now correctly grants you energy when triggering. No longer incorrectly grants the target energy. * Legendary Ace Shot procs no cause it to have no GCD. * Legendary Splinter Shot is now instant. * Rain of Arrows is now channeled for 1 second. Fully channeling it causes it to persist for up to 5 more seconds. * Guardian Phase: Now also increases incoming healing cast by other players by 30%. * Legendary Curative Engine Tactician healing bonus reduced to 100%. * Curative Torrent has been reworked. It is now a smart heal, and total healing has been reduced by roughly 20% to compensate for the conversion. It now has a wider zone (roughly twice as wide), and heals bounce much farther after initial application-- 25m instead of 15. It no longer heals pets during its initial beam, and the target of the initial heal can no longer be selected as the one target the heal bounces to. Now has a 13s cooldown. * *NEW* 12 Points: Impurity Siphoning Flask: Removes 1 Poison, Curse, or Disease. * *NEW* 28 Points: Wide Recalibration Matrix: Removes 1 Curse, Disease, or Poison from up to 10 party or Raid members. CD 10s. * *NEW* 36 Points: Reanimation Battery: Brings the fallen ally back to life, restoring 50% health and mana. Usable in combat. CD 5m. * Legendary Thunderous Strike no longer stacks twice. Debuff amount doubled to compensate. Duration increased to 45 seconds. * Legendary Punishing Blow is now half as effective on damage coming from Death Blossom, and now correctly affects area of effect abilities that use chain or cone shapes to do their effects. * Shield of the Hero: Now also increases incoming healing cast by other players by 30%, and now reduces non Paladin and non Void Knight damage by 25%. * Alacrity no longer reduces PVP damage. * Strike Like Iron increased to 50%. * Legendary Icy Burst now scales with the number of AP on cast. * Accord of Resilience: Now also increases incoming healing cast by other players by 30%. and now reduces non Paladin and non Void Knight damage by 25%. * Reduced healing generated by Legendary Battlesong by 50%. * Base Duration of Stand Tall increased to 2 minutes. * Enduring Chants now increases the duration of Stand tall by 36 seconds per rank (maximum 180 seconds). * Legendary Breaking Blow now consumes up to 30 additional Power maximum. * Legendary Sergeant's Order is no longer overwritten by another warrior casting it. * Legendary A Quick Death damage increased by roughly 35%. * Added further optimizations to speed up LFR queue times. * Fixed an exploit with the Maelstorm encounter. * Phase 1 now has its own timer to complete. This should give people more time to gather for the more difficult phases of the event. * Spiders no longer drop low-level loot. * Reduced the price of Hexathel’s Individual Reward cost to 2. * Thexahel no longer spawns adds. * Attempted to fix the crash that has been reported for the Killthraxus fight in Temple of Ananke. Please note, that as this issue has not been able to be reproduced on our end this fix may not have worked. * Many Starfall quests that previously did not have a minimum level now require level 65. * A new weekly quest to complete the Cracking Xarth’s Skull zone event is now available from Jinan Tawniks in Alittu. * A new weekly chronicle quest is now available. Pick up Celestial Tales from Viala Darkweather in Alittu. * Strike Force Commander Korel in Alittu now offers a weekly quest to complete Planar Assault Adventures. * New PvP daily and weekly quests are now available from Arthor Tourney in Alittu. * Sidekicked players are now capped to level 67 in this zone. * Sidekicked players are now capped to level 66 in this zone. Players over level 65 participating in Nightmare Rifts will now get currency and other rewards. Note that these rewards are NOT scaled up to lvl 70, but are instead the same as what a lvl 65 player would receive. * The new Alittu Mystery Box has been added to the Rift store! It contains many new items themed around the town of Alittu as well as a chance at the new Alittu Dimension Key! The Imperial Wonders Mystery Box is now retired. * The dimension rewards from Minions have been revised - almost 600 new dimension items have been added to the game that are exclusive to 4hour (Premium) missions! The 8 hour mission stashes contain the previous minion dimension rewards and 5/15 minute missions now only provide building blocks. - A lot more information can be found at The Dimension Touring Company (Thank to Feendish@Greybriar)! * Dimensioneers! The Dimension lists for Public (weekly) and Public (All Time) now report dimensions across all shards instead of just your own! Added a new dimension permission (for personal and guild) for the ability of visitors seeing the list of items used in the dimension. Dimensions – Check out the three new Dimension Scratchers: Passel of Potions, Candle and Torch Bundle, and Banner Bundle (Banner Bundle can be found in the Affinity section). Dimensions – The dimensional bartender NPC will now stay at the location where it was placed rather than snapping to the heightmap. The usable perimeter of the Strozza Estate Villa dimension has been increased by over 50%. * Capes are now double sided! * Empyrean Rage Runeshard can be correctly used on all level 65 Seals. * Synergy Crystals: Healing effects should no longer incorrectly interact with HoT effects. Tooltips in synergy crystals are now more clear about this. * Tenebrean Eel Lure will correctly fish up Tenebrean Eel sin both Deep and Shallow water. * Crafting dailies now only reward planar attunement XP and coin. Aventurez-vous dans la prison créée par les Alaviax pour enfermer les dragons du vol rouge afin de ne plus jamais subir leur joug. Maintenant que le mont Bûcher a été brisé, le chemin est ouvert. Mettez-vous en marche et arrêtez la reine Carli qui compte apporter l'apocalypse et réaliser les prophéties d'Aia ! Bien qu'il soit fait avant tout pour être accessible aux nouveaux raideurs, les Profondeurs Tartares contient tout de même grand nombre de récompenses qui sauront intéresser les raideurs plus expérimentés, avec entre autres la monnaie de raid et les améliorations actives. Qu'y a-t-il de mieux que de récupérer un nouvel équipement ? Le rendre encore mieux, plus beau, plus menaçant, plus impressionnant, plus tout avec les teintures d'armure ! Grâce à l'amélioration de notre système de teintes, votre armure aura l'air encore mieux qu'avant. Non seulement nous avons amélioré les teintures déjà existantes pour que leur effet sur votre garde-robe soit encore plus fidèle et impressionnant (nous avons fait des ajustements individuels sur les différentes pièces d'armure pour maximiser les effets des teintures), mais nous ajoutons également 21 teintes supplémentaires pour augmenter vos options, achetables d'un coup ou individuellement ! Nous avons en plus ajouté 27 teintes sombres et profondes, et elles sont disponibles immédiatement et gratuitement ! Êtes-vous prêt pour le nouveau niveau d'artisanat planaire ? Des tonnes de nouvelles recettes sont à disposition des artisans. Les meilleurs casques qui soient et des armes à distance ? Vous les avez. Des récompenses spécifiques pour chacun des métiers ? Évidemment. Un moyen d'accélérer l'apprentissage des métiers de récolte et d'obtenir encore plus de ressources d'un coup ? Bien sûr. Rejoignez R23-jk à Alittu ! Armez-vous de la puissance incroyable des objets éternels ! Les objets éternels représentent un tout nouveau niveau d'équipement dans RIFT. Chaque objet éternel est le meilleur de sa catégorie, et chacun possède des capacités qui peuvent changer le jeu, comme une réduction de dégâts pour tout le raid, une amélioration de la récupération de ressources, et des améliorations spécifiques à la classe ! Il y a deux manières d'obtenir un objet éternel : soit les trouver en monde ouvert, soit grâce à la suite de quête d'arme éternelle. Pour en trouver en monde ouvert, c'est exactement ce à quoi vous vous attendez : tuez des trucs et vous pouvez peut-être découvrir une pièce d'équipement incroyable. Cependant, lorsque vous récupérez un objet éternel, il n'est pas aussi puissant qu'il pourrait être. Si vous voulez débloquer le véritable pouvoir de votre équipement, vous allez d'abord devoir faire ses améliorations actives. Mais la récompense d'obtenir l'un des objets les plus puissants de tout Telara vaut le challenge. La série de quêtes qui vous permet d'obtenir une arme éternelle est similaire. Le carnaval des Élus est de retour ! En plus de vos jeux et événements préférés, des tonnes de nouveaux objets sont disponibles. Il y a la nouvelle monture, les habits d'Usukhel, les ailes ténébréennes, le ballon Tasuil, et tellement d'autres ! VOus n'avez pas l'extensio, mais vous voulez accéder au contenu de la 4.1 ? Vous pouvez maintenant l'obtenir avec des crédits ou de l'affinité ! - Les boucles d'oreille sont maintenant disponibles pour tout le monde. - Correction du scrolling automatique du journal de quête, qui s'arrête maintenant tout seul dès la moindre interaction. - Toutes les montures on été renvoyées à l'entrainement et peuvent maintenant marcher. Même en arrière ! - L'expérience obtenue en tuant des ennemis en étant en tandem a été réduite. - Les hauts faits liés à la conquête ont été mis dans la catégorie héritage. De plus, les quêtes hebdomadaires et les quêtes de guilde en lien avec la conquête ont été retirées. - Correction d'un bug avec les icônes de certains artefacts dans le menu d'artefacts. - Correction d'un bug concernant le déclenchement de la musique d'Alittu. - Les joueurs de serveurs différents peuvent maintenant s'échanger des objets et de l'argent (ou or, ou platine) via la fenêtre de transaction. - Les nouvelles marques de raid sont apparues ! Vous pouvez vous en servir pour acheter des sceaux. - Un pack niveau 65 est maintenant achetable, avec un boost de métier jusqu'à 450 ! - Il est possible d'acheter des packs de charges de récompenses individuelles par 5, 20 et 50. - 6 nouveaux types de blocs de construction sur le thème d'Alittu ont été ajoutés à la boutique. 3 d'entre eux sont dans la partie métal, et 3 autres dans la partie pierre. - De nouvelles boites à musique sont disponibles dans la boutique. - Comme tous les packs de teintures, ils ne seront pas utilisables tant que vous n'aurez pas fait une déco-reco. - Plusieurs apparences d'arme de SL ont été ajoutées à la partie Armes de la section Cosmétique de la boutique. - De nouvelles montures et un nouveau familier ont été ajoutés à la partie Affinité de la boutique. - Les dégâts des armes à distance ne seront plus utilisés dans le calcul de dégâts. Tous ces calculs se baseront sur la main principale ou l'arme à deux mains uniquement. Les armes à distance n'auront plus de dégâts indiqués dans leur description. - Pas prévu de réactiver la conquête non plus pour le moment. - La tenue 'forgee par la comète' devrait enfin pouvoir être teinte par les elfes femmes... Et celui là je m'attends depuis des SIECLES !! * Interactive doors and windows have been added to Dimensions! Check them out in the Store: Dimensions -> Interactive. On va pouvoir ouvrir et fermer nos portes et nos fenêtres!! Attention ce sont des items interactifs donc non redimensionnables. On peut inverser le sens d'ouverture. Pour ceux qui veulent tester, j'ai mis deux portes de ce type dans le domaine Imari à l'étage de la villa. C'est un grand pas pour les dims! * Queens Foci is now up in the Looking For Raid menu 100% of the time. en français : le Focus de la reine est ouvert tout le temps via la recherche de raid. * Eternal Weapons - Raid Buffs now have a cooldown of 5 minutes. * Fixed some missing sounds on primal lord abilities. * Damage of Legendary Molten Wave reduced substantially. * Legendary Deadeye Shot critical bonus damage reduced to 3.5x. Changed where this damage bonus is calculated to reduce its impact in certain cases. * Legendary Calculated shot now also increases the damage of Channels by 20% while active. * Zone Event: Feeding Frenzy: Fixed an issue where players would not get the achievement for completing the zone event. * Raid Rift: Decay of Ahnket: Fixed Xerrax’s ability “Soul Rip” so that it cannot be reflected back on him. * Raid Rifts: Egg of Destruction & Decay of Ahnket: Added new sounds. * That amazing Statue in Tavril Plaza is now visible from across the bridge. * Quest: The Queen of Suns: Asha, Orphiel, and The Queen of Suns now gather just outside of Kilcual only when defending Kilcual from the Storm Legion rather than forever. * Quest: Power to the Legion: Fixed an issue that prevented a number of players from being able to see the power cells. * Vostigar Peaks Jetpack Quests now have a minimum level of 70. * Quest: Maze of Steel: Added new sounds. * Quest: Source Decay: Bronze Goo in the Source Collectors should regain its form over time. That is if it doesn’t deconstruct all of the comet first. Best not to think on it too much. * Quest: Return to Sender: Fixed an issue with Return to Sender that prevented towers from respawning after having the tracking device placed on them. * Isabella at the Magician’s Tower no longer plays a subtle prank with the EULA on her porticulum master’s fine print. * The citizens of Uttila have learned new, cognitive patterns and created their own postal service: there is now a mailbox near the Uttilan faction vendor. Send letters to all your friends and let them know! * The Storm Legion has reinforced the defenses of the Maze of Steel, Fort Onocro, and Fort Strutio. Enter with caution. * Updated the population of the Forgotten Forest to account for instant adventure mobs! * Armes éternelles - Les buffs de raids sont maintenant applicable toutes les 5 minutes. * Il faut être niveau 70 pour faire les quêtes du jetpack. * Quête: Labyrinthe d'Acier: Ajout de nouveau sons. * Quête: Pourriture de source: Bronze Goo dans les Collecteurs se régénère maintenant. * Quête: Retour à l'envoyeur: Correxion d'un bug qui empêchait les tours de réapparaitre après avoir placé un marqueur dessus. * Paragons will no longer incorrectly benefit from the talent "Unleashed" without putting points into it. * The achievement “The Prosecution Ripostes” now implicitly indicates on how to actually trigger this achievement. * Malannon: Added additional sounds to this fight. * Rift assaults in the planes of Fire and Life have returned to Celestial Adventures! * Instant Adventure: Tools of the Trade: Now functions better for those that have also done the discovery quest of the same name. * Fixed an issue where players could not turn in quests in Scatherran Forest if they had also completed the quest, “The Shadow Market”. * Asha and Orphiel no longer spawn as companions in The Front after completing the main story arc. * Fixed an issue that caused the colossi in Vostigar Peaks to not show on the map for a week-- rather than a day-- after brutally murdering them for their shiny loot. * Zone Event: The Tempest Rises: Fixed a bug where a cannon at the forgotten forest would spawn out of line of sight. Thanks go out to Aileen for this report! * Quest: We Can Build It: Fixed an issue where quest items would not go into a player’s quest inventory. * Quests: The following daily quests have been modified to better share progress for players in a party: “Leaving the Door Open”, “Mind the Mines”, “Return to Sender”. “Ashes to Ashes”, “Death From Above”, and “Ritual, Begone!”. * Fixed the amount of Source Fuel needed for the Jetpack mount’s temp abilities to match the tooltip. * Equipped planar fragments now prompt you if you try to recycle them. * Les parangons ne profiterons plus du talent "Unleashed" sans avoir mis de points dedans. * Malannon: Ajout de sons au combat. * L'Aventure 'Tools of the Trade' fonctionne mieux pour veux qui ont déjà fait la quête du même nom. * Correction d'un bug empêchant les joueurs de rendre des quêtes si il avaient terminés la quête, “Le marché des ombres”. * Asha et Orphiel ne vous suivront plus si vous avez terminé l'histoire principale. * Correction d'un bug qui faisait que les rares ne s'affichaient plus sur la map pendant 1 semaine (au lieu d'1jour) lorsque vous les avez tué une fois. * Event: Correction d'un bug ou un des canons des forts était hors de ligne de vue empêchant la capture du fort. * Quête: 'On peut le faire': Correction d'un bug ou les objets de quêtes n'apparaissaient pas de l'inventaire de certains joueurs. * 6 quêtes journalières ont étés modifiées pour compter pour tout le groupe. * Les fragments planaires équipées vous demandent confirmation lorsque vous voulez les désenchanter. * Fixed an issue where Jetpack become stuck at incorrect area for Bahmi Female characters. * A new Power Pack is available in the RIFT Store! Pick it up today and unlock the Nightmare Razorback mount! * Fixed an edge case where the VFX for Drahknar’s “Fiery Pool” ability could persist on a player. * Quest: Lost Messenger: A shade of Ambriel will now be at the turn in location if you have started any of the Ashenfell questline. * Quest: Shadow Market: Turning in quests in Scatherran Forest while on this quest will no longer cause a continuity error that erases Tasuil from existence. * Fixed an issue where invasions would run into Tenebrean Schism and Ashenfell. * Invasions that cleave a bloody path of destruction through Bailghol will no longer get hung up on imaginary opponents. * Quest: Circle of the Thirteen: Fixed an issue with pet healing skills affecting the Skub companion, and not the player’s pet. * Marks of Prophecy can no longer be runebroken. * Opie Whistle now has an 8-second activation time and can only be used within Vostigar Peaks. * Quête: Messager perdu: L'Ombre d'Ambriel sera présente au point ou rendre la quête si vous avez commencé les quêtes histoires de la zone. * Quête: Marché de l'Ombre: Rendre des quêtes dans la forêt ne fera plus disparaître Tasuil. * Les invasions attaquant Bailghol ne devraient plus s'acharner sur des ennemis imaginaires. * Quête: Le cercle des 13: Correction d'un bug qui faisait que les effet de soin du compagnon affectait le pet et non le joueur. Maintenance hebdomadaire cette semaine mais pas de correctifs. * /suicide will now successfully deal enough damage to kill the player. * Fixed a bug preventing players from seeing another player's icon in the raid frame if they went out of line of sight. * Fixed an issue where you would sometimes fall through the world when changing video settings. * Adventure groups in the Featured Adventure and Intrepid Adventure queues will experience more variety of instant adventures. * Vostigar Peaks has been added to the Instant Adventures zone rotation! Hit [.] and select Celestial Adventures to get in on the action. * Fixed an issue with Zone Event notifications not properly displaying. Now, when the event is starting on a shard different from your home shard, the red alert text and flashing icon properly show in the UI and on the map. * Raid Rift: Iron Legion: Fixed a bug where the slow aura could get stuck on you. * Queens Foci: The weekly quest giver and the Mages of Alittu Quartermaster have now taken up camp in Camp Quagmire. Quest: Through Hell and Back Again: Clarified in the quest that it must be completed in LFR difficulty. * Quest: The Battle of Saint Taranis and the Echo of the Battle of Saint Taranis: Fixed an issue where sometimes Garn would not spawn in Saint Taranis. * Fixed floating grass around the Moonshade Highlands porticulum. * Quest: Gathering Power: Removed the ability to interact with Sourcestone Ore in Regent’s Fall. (This was mistakenly not removed in the Terminus revamp of yore!). * Soul Bond should no longer incorrectly fall off your pet if it moves more than 30m from you. * Wildfire Procs will no longer show too many reactive icons. * Bind Life/Air Lash now correctly describe what focus state they require to be cast. * Legendary Scything Strike has been adjusted to provide a reduced bonus, and its location in the math has changed so that it will be less potent when stacked with other effects. * Side Steps will now correctly come off cooldown when it says that it does. * Time Bomb and Charges should now work correctly after dying. * The Vigil’s plan to stop Shadavarian by dropping a giant statue on his head did not go according to prophecy. Therefore they have removed their artwork from the Ceremony of Attunement chronicle. * The Eye of Omnox trinket will no longer incorrectly be triggered by abilities other than damaging and healing ones. It will also no longer be overwritten when multiple players proc it at once. * Tok Box can now only be used in either Allitu or Tok’s Proving Ground. * Eternal: Hellion's Stompers should now correctly activate automatically when equipped and not persist forever. * Correction d'un bug vous faisant tomber à travers le sol lorsque l'on changait les paramètres videos. * Les aventures "Intrépides" et "Featured" seront plus variées. * Correction des notifications annonçant des évents de zones: Elle apparaîtrons bien sur l'UI et sur la carte lorsqu'un évent apparaît sur un serveur différent du votre. * Raid Rift: Légion d'Acier: Correction d'un bug qui faisait que l'aura de ralentissement restait sur les joueurs. * Correction d'un soucis d'affichage avec le monstre de mort. * Notoriety purchase limits are now character based instead of region based. * Fixed the overly bright sky in the Volcanic Playground dimension. * Fixed an issue with some lower level zone events giving lower level currency to lvl 65+ players that were properly mentored for the event. * Characters in Intrepid Instant Adventures are now able respawn within the IA without problems. * Assaulting forts during zone events should no longer occasionally reward low level essences. Instant Adventures in Vostigar Peaks will now count towards the weekly quest "Planar Assault" as they should. * Instant Adventures in Vostigar Peaks will now properly contribute to the objectives for the Celestial Adventures weekly quest. * Accepting the map invite for LFR if queued while as a premade inside of a raid will now properly teleport you to the correct map. * Queuing for LFR again after completing LFR will now properly place your raid in a new instance of that map and teleport you to the entrance. However, from this point forward, you will be considered a premade, not an LFR raid. * Eternal Weapons now correctly allow spells to benefit from the bonus damage if they would push your mana below the threshold. Mana cost increase reduced from 100% to 10%. * Arcane Aegis will now correctly grant the appropriate amount of armor to all affected players. Tooltip will now correctly describe the amount of armor granted. * Death's Edict now correctly triggers Dominant Personality and Swift Control. * Weathered will now correctly increase the health of pets. * Legendary Condemn has been reworked. It no longer grants stacks of Deathly Calling when it expires. It instead deals increased damage. It still increases the stack cap of Deathly Calling to 10. * Legendary Neddra's Grasp should now correctly apply Lingering Torment in all cases. * After several…unfortunate side effects on test subjects during experiments with Materialize Soul, it has lost the ability to be cast while dead. * Removed an extra damage number from Bind Life and Air Lash. This is only a tooltip change. Functionality remains unchanged. * Points in Roaring Rapids no longer incorrectly also grant the benefit of Nature's Keeper. * Cleanse now correctly describes how it affects the Focus bar when cast. * Legendary Scything Strike can no longer be triggered on targets more than 35m away. * Legendary Molten Wave no longer incorrectly has too large a range. * Ethereal Beam has had its damage in PVP reduced by roughly 50%. * Removed Charge counter from targets when playing as Saboteur. * Charges will now correctly restrict your explosives again. * Torrents can now trigger weapon enhancements such as Silver Tip Munitions. * Touch of Life now notes in the tooltip that it has reduced effectiveness in PVP. This is only a tooltip change. Functionality remains unchanged. * Weekly login gifts no longer have a chance to drop lock box keys. * Level 60-65 Mercenary Equipment Caches will now give loot to players above level 65. Note that this will still be level 65 loot. * The cosmetic cape “Sagum of Rain” has been added to the Uttila Resistance vendor at Glorified notoriety level. * Added two new dimension items to the Uttila Resistance vendor. * Reduced the recipe material cost for Blackthorn Burgers slightly. * Fixed some missing wardrobe associations with a few in-game items. * Opie got over her fear of Arkosian Hinterlands and Arjuros and these locations should no longer be a problem to teleport to. * Correction du ciel de la dimension "Forteresse de l'apocalypse" * Quête: Suivre l'argent: Il est maintenant spécifié que la quête doit être faite dans des donjons standards. * Les IA de Vostigar comptent bien dans la quête hebdomadaire "Assaut planaire" et celles des "Aventures celestes" * Quêtes journalières: Correction d'un bug qui réinitialisait l'avancement des quêtes lors du reset journalier. * Accepter une proposition de téléportation via la recherche de raid quand on fait partie d'un groupe déjà formé téléportera bien dans la bonne instance du raid. * Relancer la recherche de raid après avoir complété un raid avec la recherche de raid vous placera bien à l'entrée d'une nouvelle instance. Par contre vous serez considérés comme un groupe pré-constitué et non comme une "Recherche de raid" * Les caisses de mercenaire niveau 60-65 donneront bien du loot aux joueurs 65+. Mais ca sera de l'équipement 65. * Opie accepte maintenant de se téléporter à Arjuros et l'arrière pays Arkosien. * Zone Events: Several changes have been made in an attempt to address the issue of the loot not being awarded consistently. - Fixed Ahnket’s “Ray of Obliteration” so that it will no longer be able to be cast immediately after becoming unshielded. - Ahnket’s “Ray of Obliteration” now ticks 3 times, previously 4 times. - Ahnket’s “Ray of Obliteration” has had its cooldown increased to 35 seconds, previously 29 seconds. - Crucia’s “Lightning Breath” has an increased warning delay of 4 seconds, previously 2 seconds. - The “Shield” and “Heal” temporary abilities have been changed. - “Shield” is no longer an absorption shield. It now mitigates 75% damage from Ray of Obliteration. Note: This ability ONLY affects Ray of Obliteration, and nothing else. - “Shield” has had its duration increased to 8 seconds, previously 4 seconds. - “Heal” has had the initial heal increased to 30%, previously 20%. - “Heal” has had its heal over time effect increased to 8% health per tick, previously 5% health per tick. - “Heal” has had its cooldown decreased to 15 seconds, previously 25 seconds. * Fixed an issue with daily meta quests auto-completing on log out or crashing. * Trinket: Cursed Claw: Energy Manipulation no longer consumes Claw Curse. Tout ça... ça le passe en mode facile du coup? * Carnage icons now show in custom nameplates. * Characters can now join the appropriate starter guild successfully no matter what shard they are on. * Fixed the display of Guild Quests in the Guild manager window. * The Patron Treasure Map buff now properly boosts Captured Intel. * When characters leave an instant adventure, they will return to the point in the world where they joined the adventure. * Instant adventure groups that have at least one member not flagged for PvP will not be sent to instant adventures on PvP shards. * Fixed a few problematic locations where rifts could spawn in Gedlonia. * Quest: Hinder Crucia: The Maze of Steel: Fixed an issue where the daily Hinder Crucia Maze of Steel quests did not increment the meta daily Hinder Maze of Steel quest. * Adjusted the dyed appearance of the Ceremonial Hero armor and helmet. * Correction de pop de failles non prévues à Geldonia. *Correction des teintures sur le torse et casque de l'apparences "habits de Cérémonie du héros" * Fashion Week is back! Check out the winner of the recent wardrobe contest - Primarch Narsiro's Regalia Bundle! * Non-premium wardrobe armor bundles have been permanently reduced in price! * The costs for increasing item caps to tier 5 has been decreased for all dimensions. * The item caps for each tier for all personal dimensions has been increased. * Eternal Items with Passive effects now should work as expected. - NOTE: After leaving a warfront, these abilities currently do not turn back on automatically. Players will have to unequip and reequip the item to restart the effect. We are currently investigating fixes to this. * La tenue gagnante du dernier concours de tenue est disponible - Primarch Narsiro's Regalia Bundle! * Les coffres de tenue non premium ont vu leurs prix baisser de manière définitive. - NOTE: Un bug reste: Lorsque l'on quitte un champ de bataille, l'effet passif ne se rapplique pas automatiquement, il faut déséquiper et ré-équiper l'objet pour le déclencher. Au début j'étais un peu blasée ... Des pnj moui, des statues jolies ! Des cailloux pfff ... Et puis ... Les fleurs et les arbres !!! "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY !" * Available for a limited time: Unlock the Forgemaster's Inferno costume helm with your first purchase of a $19.99, €19.99 or £15.49 credit pack! Offer available until October 25th. * Abyssal Saga Quest: Blood in the Water: Now has a Primalist option. * Porting to or logging in near Calweddi will no longer result in a client crash. * All adventures in the Celestial queue now grant Planar Defense Force notoriety upon conclusion. * The Corrupting Inferno that could not be attacked in Gyel fortress has been moved to a nearby location so it can be killed. * Jusqu'au 25 Octobre, le skin du casque "Forgemaster's Inferno " est offert pour tout premier achat d'un pack de 19.99 euros de crédits. * Toutes les aventures célestes donneront de la réputation des forces de défense planaire à la complétion.

2019-04-24T07:49:42Z

http://www.lagardedraconique.org/t1746p175-patchnotes

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Concentrating on the tone of your skin is essential given that a few shades can be exceedingly extreme, or in actuality clean you out. Consider your personal design while selecting a covering. On the occasion that you incline toward quirkier outfit, you can likely attract off an insane side. Although that despite whether your design is regularly excellent – loco glasses could be an incredible technique to create a perception! They’re focused on bringing you spectacles at a sensible expense, despite whether your remedy is extra entangled than a lot of. The frameworks are light and also slim. You can get the perfect fit making use of Warby Parker’s net estimating instruments. Warby Parker uses simply the finest products obtainable. No matter of whether they’re making the frameworks from Japanese titanium or Italian cellulose acetic acid derivation, the developers visit the globe to bring customers the finest quality item. 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There’s a casing for each face compose! They run in width from slim, medium, and also broad, in enhancement, to deciding amongst common and reduced nose connect fits. Warby Parker uses simply the finest products available. No matter of whether they’re making the frames from Japanese titanium or Italian cellulose acetic acid derivation, the developers check out the globe to bring customers the finest quality item. Warby Parker’s sites make glasses on order and also are readily available online. Parker Warby eyeglass frames are furthermore provided totally free shipping as well as returns. At Warby Parker, their adage is bought a set and offers a set. Continually, they figure what number of glasses has been sold at that factor coordinate that number as a present to their non-benefit partners. The act of basically offering eyeglasses is on a regular basis a short-term service. Preparing group members to disperse eyeglasses has long-haul advantages. By offering these individuals function abilities, they’ve been enabled to have a long-lasting effect. Eyeglasses have made some remarkable development because the difficult structures you used as a kid or the specifications your grandfather could never ever show up to discover. Big as well as square or superbly rounded cases in tortoiseshell, dark and even fantastic shades have actually proceeded towards ending up being a pattern and not just for fashionable people and library sweethearts. The very best top qualities Warby Parker sunglasses are modest and also wise; in addition to they are easily readily available online. Along these lines, not exclusively will you look fantastic in your new Warby Parker designs; nevertheless you’ll additionally realize that your money is being utilized towards excellent motivations. 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When you make feeling of where you continue to be within the extent of slim to vast, you ought to have a few selections. Some of which can be rather balanced. The glasses it uses are of good as well as high top quality. Every set of glasses includes anti-glare as well as anti-scratch finishes together with UV protection at no additional expense, which is an incredibly decent choice. Looking with the coverings available at the website is genuinely basic as well. Next off, you should guarantee you’re choosing a form that compliments your face. A rounder face might require to attempt a square form and vice versa. A difference in the shade of a side can influence the shape to look completely adjusted. It’s essential to attempt a number of colors in the shape as well as size that fits you finest. Concentrating on the tone of your skin is important since a few hues could be excessively extreme, or in reality wash you out. Consider your very own style while choosing a casing. In the occasion that you incline toward quirkier clothing, you can likely drain a crazy side. Regardless of the fact that no matter whether your style is regularly exemplary – loco glasses could be an awesome method to create an impression! They’re concentrated on bringing you eyeglasses at a sensible cost, no matter whether your treatment is a lot more knotted compared to the majority of. With regards to glasses designs, Warby Parker is a genius. They provide a wide variety of designs, consisting of retro, classic, pilot, vintage and cat-eye. From metallic to pastels, the style can be found in a range of shades. Two-tone and also turtle varieties are in addition easily accessible. The frames are light as well as slim. You could get the perfect fit utilizing Warby Parker’s web estimating tools. Warby Parker makes use of simply the best products easily accessible. No matter of whether they’re making the structures from Japanese titanium or Italian cellulose acetic acid derivation, the developers see the globe to bring customers the best top quality product. At Warby Parker, their adage is acquired a pair as well as gives a set. The act of primarily providing spectacles is consistently a temporary service. Spectacles have made some fantastic progress since the troublesome structures you used as a youngster or the specifications your grandpa could never appear to locate. Significant and also square or magnificently rounded casings in tortoiseshell, dark and even fantastic shades have advanced towards becoming a trend and also not only for stylish individuals and also library sweeties. The ideal top qualities Warby Parker sunglasses are small and wise; in enhancement to they are quickly offered online. Along these lines, not solely will you look wonderful in your brand-new Warby Parker designs; nonetheless you’ll furthermore understand that your cash is being utilized in the direction of terrific inspirations. Warby Parker directions Not solely can an incredible match of glasses look terrific, yet they can rest very easy, enable you to see above anything you ever before have, as well as could affect you to forget that also you are using them. Be that as it may, there are, clearly, a great deal of eyeglasses brand names out there and also they’re not all equal. Warby Parker directions That, as well as glasses, could get fairly expensive so you’ll probably need to consider the glasses you purchase before you obtain them. Parker Warby eyeglass frames supply single-vision along with bifocal prime focus. It does not normally offer trifocal centerpieces, so you’ll need to bear in mind that Warby Parker directions . 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Warby Parker directions Determining the dimension is the least demanding part because of that one of the most important estimation is the width of the framework. When you make feeling of where you stay within the range of thin to large, you should have a few options. Some of which could be rather well balanced. The glasses it supplies are of great as well as high quality. Every pair of glasses features anti-glare and anti-scratch finishes in addition to UV security at no added expense, which is an incredibly good choice. Next off, you should guarantee you’re picking a form that praises your face. A rounder face could should attempt a square shape and also the other way around. A difference in the shade of a side could affect the shape to look completely adjusted. It’s important to try a number of shades in the form as well as size that fits you finest. Concentrating on the tone of your skin is essential given that a couple of colors can be exceedingly harsh, or in actuality clean you out. Consider your personal design while choosing a case. On the occasion that you incline toward quirkier outfit, you could likely draw off an insane edge. Although that no matter of whether your design is regularly excellent – loco glasses can be an incredible method to create an impact! They’re concentrated on bringing you eyeglasses at a practical price, regardless of whether your treatment is much more entangled than the majority of. With regards to glasses layouts, Warby Parker is a genius. They supply a vast array of designs, including retro, classic, aviator, vintage and cat-eye. Warby Parker’s glasses are understandable. The frameworks are light and thin. Intended to safeguard your eyes, the centerpieces are made making use of UV protection, hostile to scratch, and versus glow innovation. You could obtain the excellent fit making use of Warby Parker’s web estimating instruments as well. There’s a casing for each and every face write! They run in width from thin, medium, and vast, on top of that, to determining among conventional and reduced nose connect fits. Warby Parker uses simply the ideal materials available. Regardless of whether they’re making the structures from Japanese titanium or Italian cellulose acetic acid derivation, the developers go to the world to bring clients the best top quality thing. Warby Parker’s sites make glasses on order and are available online. All you call for is a brand-new remedy from an eye doctor. You can browse online for Warby Parker places in the USA. Parker Warby eyeglass frames are furthermore used totally free shipping as well as returns. Simply make certain that you keep the first invoice. At Warby Parker, their adage is acquired a set and also provides a set. Constantly, they figure just what variety of glasses has been offered at that factor coordinate that number as a gift to their non-benefit associates. The act of basically offering eyeglasses is frequently a temporary service. However, preparing group participants to distribute spectacles has long-haul advantages. By providing these people work capabilities, they’ve been enabled to have an enduring result. Glasses have made some incredible progression because the burdensome frames you put on as a youngster or the specifications your grandpa can never appear to find. Huge and square or magnificently round coverings in tortoiseshell, dark or perhaps dazzling colors have actually progressed towards becoming a trend and also not just for fashionable people as well as library sweeties. The very best qualities Warby Parker sunglasses are moderate and clever; along with they are quickly available online. Along these lines, not exclusively will you look remarkable in your brand-new Warby Parker styles; nonetheless you’ll furthermore recognize that your cash money is being made use of to wonderful inspirations. Warby Parker directions Not exclusively can an unbelievable match of glasses look terrific, yet they could rest simple, enable you to see superior to anything you ever have, and could influence you to neglect that even you are using them. All the same, there are, obviously, a great deal of eyewear brand names available and they’re not all comparable. Warby Parker directions That, as well as glasses, can obtain fairly pricey so you’ll presumably should consider the glasses you purchase before you get them. Parker Warby eyeglass frames provide single-vision as well as bifocal centerpieces. It doesn’t normally offer trifocal centerpieces, so you’ll should bear in mind that Warby Parker directions . Warby Parker directions Parker Warby eyeglass frames have a large amount putting all of it on the line consisting of sharp retro-hip casings, a smooth website, outstanding service highlighting a home try the program, cost-free sending and returns, and anarchical buzz that has been benefiting a substantial size of time. One more obvious offering factor for buyers is value: by much most of Warby Parker glasses offers a reasonable as well as inquisitively at a price of $95. Warby Parker directions One of the best things about Warby Parker Sunglasses is that it brags an effort on-at-home program. Warby Parker directions The program essentially enables you to select a solid 5 frameworks, after which you’ll get five days to check them out. Warby Parker directions Identifying the dimension is the least demanding part due to that the most essential estimate is the width of the framework. When you understand where you remain within the extent of thin to wide, you should have a pair of options. Some of which could be somewhat balanced. The glasses it provides are of excellent and also top quality. Every pair of glasses comes with anti-glare as well as anti-scratch coverings along with UV defense at no additional price, which is a remarkably suitable choice. Next off, you require to guarantee you’re selecting a form that praises your face. A rounder face could should try a square shape and the other way around. A distinction in the shade of an edge can influence the form to look totally readjusted. It’s crucial to try a couple of tones in the sizes and shape that fits you finest. Concentrating on the tone of your skin is important considering that a few colors can be exceedingly extreme, or in actuality wash you out. Consider your personal design while picking a covering. In the event that you incline toward quirkier attire, you can likely drain an insane side. Although that despite whether your design is consistently exemplary – loco glasses can be an incredible technique to develop a perception! They’re concentrated on bringing you eyeglasses at a practical cost, no matter of whether your solution is more knotted compared to many. The structures are light and thin. You can get the optimal fit utilizing Warby Parker’s web estimating instruments. Try not to offer the affordable costs a chance to deceive you. These spectacles are not successfully made. Warby Parker utilizes simply the most effective materials accessible. No matter whether they’re making the frameworks from Japanese titanium or Italian cellulose acetic acid derivation, the developers go to the world to bring clients the most effective top quality product. Warby Parker directions Amidst the growth procedure, every acetic frame is cleansed manually with a German wax substance prior to being rolled for a minimum of three days. Warby Parker’s sites make glasses on order as well as are readily available online. All you need is a brand-new solution from an optometrist. You can look online for Warby Parker places in the USA. Parker Warby eyeglass frames are also offered cost-free delivery and also returns. Simply guarantee that you keep the first invoice. Eyeglasses have actually made some incredible progression because the challenging structures you wore as a youngster or the specifications your grandpa can never ever show up to discover. Massive as well as square or wonderfully rounded housings in tortoiseshell, dark or perhaps dazzling colors have proceeded toward becoming a fad and also not only for trendy individuals as well as library sweeties. The best qualities Warby Parker sunglasses are moderate as well as clever; along with they are quickly readily available online. Along these lines, not exclusively will you look magnificent in your new Warby Parker styles; however you’ll in addition understand that your money is being made use of towards great motivations too. Warby Parker directions Not specifically could an incredible suit of glasses look fantastic, yet they can relax very easy, enable you to see premium to anything you ever before have, and can affect you to overlook that even you are wearing them. However, there are, undoubtedly, a lot of eyeglasses brand names out there and they’re not all equal. Warby Parker directions That, in addition to eyewear, can get fairly pricey so you’ll probably have to think about the glasses you acquire before you get them. Parker Warby eyeglass frames provide single-vision in addition to bifocal prime focus. It does not usually use trifocal focal points, so you’ll have to keep in mind that Warby Parker directions . 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2019-04-21T04:27:31Z

https://themotherscircle.org/warby-parker-directions/

Currently 306 words, if feedback doesn't add much, I may try to pare back for the bonus points (and I'll certainly appreciate suggestions on what to cut). You have defined what is -2, but it is not clarified what is -1 at all in the article. I don't really understand why it is Thaumiel. How are the in-universe people certain that -2 is a good measuring stick for Foundation loyalty? Is the picture a complete set or is there any anti-meme in place that only makes a selected few able to see the whole thing? And what is Project Kallinikos? There's hardly anything to decipher what is it all about, beyond their creation of -2? And why would these project members to amnesticised and exposed to -2 in the end? Overall, this does leave me in want of more "What is going on?" The following, is I feel too many spoilers, I was really hoping people could figure this out from the clues given. I'd appreciate it if reviewers only peeked here after reading the draft. Thanks! Knowing too much about -1 may be very dangerous. I suppose I can emphasize this. It was originally a Daevesite weapon that works much like their book does except on personal history rather than on political history. That's why the dig team was always a cult cell. They were exposed and retroactively converted into Daevesite cult moles. Because if you show it to anybody sapient they immediately and retroactively turn into a loyal Foundation member. It's a cure for almost any anomaly that transforms, possesses or otherwise compromises a person as long as they remain sapient. It completely eliminates moles. It can be used for rapid recruitment in an emergency. And all it costs is some ink and paper (or pixels). It's not a measuring stick, it's an assimilator. 100% of persons who view it are now (and always have been) loyal Foundation persons. It's a complete picture. Anybody who views the whole thing is now (and always has been) a loyal Foundation guy. And what is Project Kallinikos? There's hardly anything to decipher what is it all about, beyond their creation of -2? -1 was cut into several pieces, each team worked only on their piece (compartmentalized) to reverse engineer how it works and then a team which only had the information from the analysis team and zero exposure to -1 created a version "reprogrammed" for the Foundation. And why would these project members to amnesticised and exposed to -2 in the end? Because they were exposed to portions of -1 and they also knew the details of Project Kallinikos. As it says in the Containment procedures under these circumstances they needed to be either terminated, amnesticized or exposed to -2. I was hoping that I left enough clues. I'll see if I can't demystify without breaking it. It can't work if it is in the clear completely and in-universe its effect can only be deduced from the really weird facts anyway, it can't be directly observed since its effect is retroactive. Okay, I added a bit to the Containment Procedures which may help. And I added a bit to the description of Project Kallinikos that should elucidate the methodology better. Thank you for addressing my queries. Now, allow me to give a second evaluation. There was little to clue in on that, unless you count "Uzbekistan" (but there's a lot of history behind Uzbekistan, or most countries, that a relic could be anything). That does explain why the script is expunged, although it is not so apparent at first sight. You could highlight what -1 does, so that it can make more sense as to what -2 does. With the little known of -1, it feels like a memetic hazard that no one should ever know. And I personally can't invest myself in something so ambiguous. Just to clarify, the glyphs will retroactively convert people to the Foundation. Yes? Well, I'm wary of outright using the D-word for fear of coat-tail riding accusations. I was hoping the retro-cliodynamic action of this object being akin to that of the book was clue enough. Well, like -2 you can't actually directly observe the effect, only that 100% of people who are able see the thing are Daevesite cultists. Like the entire dig team. That's not normal. I have an idea though (ugh, more words). Okay, more clues but 420 words (ouch). I really need to cut now. Please suggest cuts if possible. Thank you. Tightened to 412 words, and I need to sleep. So, I read the current draft, and haven't yet read your spoiler clues. I'll put my interpretation in the collapsible, and then check the spoilers. Then I'll come back and edit this comment with my critique. The Foundation dug up an image (-1) which retroactively turns people who see all of it into cultists. That's why everyone who sees it turns out to be in a cult, despite no previous connection. Realising this, the Foundation split the image up, and reverse-engineered a second image (-2) which retroactively turns people who see all of it into loyal Foundation personnel. Okay, let's see how I did. Edit: Yay. So at least you can check the box for "comprehensible to the relatively-thick". 1) I like puzzle-box SCPs. I like this idea - a loyalty glyph that works retroactively. I am concerned that in terms of the contest, not everyone likes puzzle-boxes or will upvote, even if they work it out. I'm also concerned that too much of this draft deliberately obfuscates the mechanism of the SCP to ensure that it's a puzzle - that is something I have huge issues with in my drafting as well. As well as specific comments, I'm going to try to suggest ways to keep it tricky without being obtuse. 2) I am insufficiently aware of the Daevesites to have picked that up at all - even though I think I've read the relevant SCP. I think it's best to leave that fact as your headcanon (or for intuitive readers to pick up on) rather than hint at it. 3) The power of this SCP - particularly the -2 variant - seems quite problematic to me. There is no suggestion that the Foundation might be debating the implications - for instance, should they have it on every wall of every Site, or should they hide it forever, to prevent other GoIs from reverse engineering it. And while I understand the reason for classifying as Thaumiel, this also presents big risks to the Foundation if it ever got out of containment. If the Foundation turns out to employ huge numbers of people (with a sudden increase in the past few years), that is bordering on a broken masquerade or (at the extreme end) even a K-Class event. And what if you showed it to someone who was known to have committed an anti-Foundation act in the past (eg a captured member of CI or CotBG)? Would showing them -2 be a good idea, because it made them a productive employee, or a huge risk, because their past actions now never occurred, and you are at risk from the butterfly effect. Should we use it on hostile SCPs? I would almost prefer to see this pushed to long-form to explore some of those implications. Although I like -2 being included as an image in this article - is the Fridge Horror of that deliberate? If you're keeping it short, I would be tempted to reduce the effect of -2. Perhaps it only works on people who have been exposed to -1? Perhaps it simply stops them being cultists, without making them Foundation loyalists. That might also help with my next comment. 4) In order to keep the mystery in this draft, you can't allow the Foundation itself to understand the SCP's effect of changing personal history. But that Foundation has to have some understanding of how -1 works, or how did they manage to reverse engineer -2? Squaring these two points is quite difficult. For example, presumably they didn't get -2 right the first time. How was it tested? How did they know it was a success? I think your best bet is to make the Foundation at least partially aware of how -1 works, even at the risk of the reader catching on more quickly. There are lots of ways you could take this within the word count. Perhaps when the Eta-10 agents turn out to be cultists, the Foundation theorises that it is an infohazard which the cultists want to expose to others - they may think at that stage that it's only a prospective effect. So knowing that the image is causing problems, they give it to the infohazard team in pieces, aiming to reverse the effect. When they show it to the captured cultist moles, it turns out that they were all in fact double agents, loyal to the Foundation all along, and infiltrating the cell. The Foundation is confused as to why everyone was a double agent ("Man Who Was Thursday" style), but declares -2 unnecessary, -1 a possible infohazard for further testing, and leaves it at that. Exposure of other Foundation employees (or D Class) to -2 does nothing. Sorry, that is a huge change to what you have written, but I think it might be necessary. And I think that the puzzle box element can remain in this form, if you want it to. Although I think the idea is interesting enough that it may not need the puzzle. The remainder of my comments will stop trying to completely overhaul your idea, and concentrate on the text you've got. 5) As I'm sure you know, Thaumiel classification is an immediate risk of downvotes. For whatever reason, expectations will be raised. And if the Foundation doesn't know that -2 is changing history (if it did, the article would say so explicitly) then I'm not sure it knows enough to classify -2 as Thaumiel. Even if -2 has the power you've suggested, you could probably get away with an overall classification of Euclid, or even Safe. I suggest swapping the order so that -1 is referred to first. I found the third paragraph almost incomprehensible. The second sentence, in particular, could be deleted entirely without losing any meaning from the article (even on a re-read). Instead of "duplication of Project Kallinikos by any entity", perhaps you would just stick with "All possible effort should be made to prevent discovery or creation of additional instances or derivatives of SCP-XXXX." The third sentence could be shortened to "Any person exposed to, or possessing significant knowledge (as defined in Appendix C) of, any SCP-XXXX instance is to be terminated, amnesticized or exposed to SCP-XXXX-2 at the discretion of the SCP-XXXX project director." NB - here and elsewhere you have used "amesticized" without an "n" - is that correct? I suggest deleting the last paragraph - it doesn't add much to what's gone before. Again, I would switch the order so that -1 is described first, as an "image depicting glyphs in the [DATA EXPUNGED] script [which appears to have great significance to the [DATA EXPUNGED] cult]". Then go on to describe the recovery of -1. Then explain that -2 was created as a compartmentalized effort by the infohazard team to reverse engineer -1. Then describe -2's effect, and the fact that the Project Kallinikos team were amnesticized. Summary: this is a great idea, and I respect the puzzle-box construction. But I think that the idea is being hampered by the difficulty of creating a box with so few words. Suggest either letting go of: (a) the word count (and thus the contest status); (b) the puzzle entirely (and try another angle); (c) the complexity of the puzzle (to sort out what I perceive as logical issues). 1) I like puzzle-box SCPs. I like this idea - a loyalty glyph that works retroactively. I am concerned that in terms of the contest, not everyone likes puzzle-boxes or will upvote, even if they work it out. I am insufficiently aware of the Daevesites to have picked that up at all - even though I think I've read the relevant SCP. I think it's best to leave that fact as your headcanon (or for intuitive readers to pick up on) rather than hint at it. So less hints than currently exist, or fine as is? The power of this SCP - particularly the -2 variant - seems quite problematic to me. There is no suggestion that the Foundation might be debating the implications - for instance, should they have it on every wall of every Site, or should they hide it forever, to prevent other GoIs from reverse engineering it. Strangely I abandoned a "long form" approach to this for this very reason (this was a short article idea before there was a contest). Any answers I give to these will a) realistically take the form of very boring to read (not to mention write!) policy documents and b) not be as good as the readers own thoughts on these subjects. I was hoping that this works better if it only asks these questions. Yes, absolutely! That's nearly the entire stinger here! If you are reading this document, you are retroconveted into a loyal Foundation employee, and since you are both loyal and reading this document you are (and always have been) a person cleared for this information. Thus its a self-keeping secret (but of a different kind than SCP-055) if you work through the implications. I'd rather not, that fairly guts it of any of the really interesting implications of it, which I find to be essential. I'll think about this, though. In order to keep the mystery in this draft, you can't allow the Foundation itself to understand the SCP's effect of changing personal history. But that Foundation has to have some understanding of how -1 works, or how did they manage to reverse engineer -2? Squaring these two points is quite difficult. The Foundation does have a pretty good model of how it probably works, that's why they can duplicate it. However it is impossible to observe it working. Therefore I can't just say that it retroactively alters the past, because there's no way (barring SRAs or other super science; the lack of which is not negotiable here, I really don't like them) to observe the history that has been changed. It's only possible to observe the effect in the present. Which is that it's impossible to show it to anybody who isn't a loyal Foundation employee with a personal history that matches that profile. Which is of course itself impossible, unless this object is retrocreating these histories. So the evidence is in the description where it should be. Unless, of course, I'm missing some key piece of observable evidence that would exist. Am I? For example, presumably they didn't get -2 right the first time. How was it tested? How did they know it was a success? Sure, but anyone exposed to the previous attempts would have been finally been exposed to -2 and those previous attempts would have been completely erased. I think your best bet is to make the Foundation at least partially aware of how -1 works, even at the risk of the reader catching on more quickly. Again though, they are. All the evidence is right there. It's just logically impossible to observe what it does directly in-universe though. Unless I'm leaving something out that should exist but I'm not able currently to conceive of anything like this though. There are lots of ways you could take this within the word count. Perhaps when the Eta-10 agents turn out to be cultists, the Foundation theorises that it is an infohazard which the cultists want to expose to others - they may think at that stage that it's only a prospective effect. So knowing that the image is causing problems, they give it to the infohazard team in pieces, aiming to reverse the effect. When they show it to the captured cultist moles, it turns out that they were all in fact double agents, loyal to the Foundation all along, and infiltrating the cell. The Foundation is confused as to why everyone was a double agent ("Man Who Was Thursday" style), but declares -2 unnecessary, -1 a possible infohazard for further testing, and leaves it at that. That's why I added the footnote. This just seems to repeat the clues in the footnote in more depth. Usually repeated versions of identical evidence (despite the realism of such) make skips boring, IME. Also any such testing was likely to been erased when -2 was deployed on the survivors. What am I missing? Exposure of other Foundation employees (or D Class) to -2 does nothing. -2 doing nothing leaves me with a neutralized skip and about three lines of text… I'd lose all of the ethical, security, and temporal/cliodynamic implications, which is IMO, the fun part here. I really unable to figure out how, unless I use SRAs or something. Isn't it impossible to observe direct evidence of this effect? Or are you referring to something else as the "puzzle"? I have trouble seeing how if this is used at all, it isn't Thaumiel, it is far too useful and powerful a direct counter to other effects (especially other instances of the same object). The Foundation would seem to be stupid to not at least consider its use. Also again, using it opens a host of interesting questions, which I think is really the point of the piece. They can't know this (unless I'm missing something), but they can strongly hypothesize this, which they do. How (without SRAs or the like)? Did I miss some key piece of observable evidence? Even if -2 has the power you've suggested, you could probably get away with an overall classification of Euclid, or even Safe. I suppose I could. Are you suggesting I do this only because otherwise it may get downvoted? Or is there some non-meta reason for it? If the former, I'm not sure that is really honest. This definitely seems to be a box when you apply the locked box test. -2 is the object that's actually in active containment, so IMO, it should be the primary instance referred to in the document. -1 is neutralized and sealed in concrete blocks inside reactor vessels or buried 100s of meters underground or whatever all over the world. It's basically a footnote. Now that I had to include a footnote anyway (which I was hoping to avoid), maybe I should literally make it a footnote. Done. I like the impact of starting with "SCP-XXXX-2 is poses no threat to Foundation personnel" when you work through the implications of why that is. I'd be sad to lose it. I found the third paragraph almost incomprehensible. Okay, I'll consider reworking for clarity. The second sentence, in particular, could be deleted entirely without losing any meaning from the article (even on a re-read). I added that sentence to answer Wr. Wrong's question about why there's little information about -1 presented. Should I not have answered this question? Also the idea that it can retrocreate from people merely knowing about it, isn't really presented anywhere else in the article, so I think meaning would be lost. Is this information nonessential? Yes, much better, thank you. Yes, that is better but I don't like giving that much power to one person and having a weapon that only a single person can authorize deployment of means you don't really intend to use the weapon (like nukes in the real world). So I revised this to "at the discretion of Basilisk/3 personnel ". No, that's an artifact of me being a terrible speller and amnesticized not being a word that the spell-checker recognizes. Thank you! Wouldn't that be putting discovery before the contained object? Which is generally bad form. Well, I originally conceived of this as longer, but I don't think I can write pages of use of force policy and ethics commitee memos and it be any good. Isn't this something that's better left to the reader? Again, though if the "puzzle" derives from the impossibility of direct evidence of the effect, then I'm not sure how to do this. Am I missing something? (c) the complexity of the puzzle (to sort out what I perceive as logical issues). I'd love to simplify, yes. Edit: Additional information added to enhance clarity (hopefully). Including a sentence that should hopefully clear up any ambiguity about what the Foundation hypothesizes is happening. Wow. I've read the response above, and will aim to comment in full (and read the re-draft) when I'm next awake. On your most repeated question: I agree that (due to its retroactive effect) the Foundation will have no observable evidence of what the SCP does. But as you say, the Foundation will have a strong hypothesis - indeed, they must have that hypothesis in order to synthesise -2. In my view, the article must explicitly state that hypothesis. Otherwise, either the Foundation is being deliberately obtuse about a theory with plausible evidence (every test just happens to be on a completely loyal person), or the Foundation hasn't come up with the theory, and the reader is smarter than the Foundation. Either option doesn't paint the Foundation in a great light. And that's what I mean by simplifying the puzzle - by stating this hypothesis outright, you make it less difficult (read: fun) for the reader to work out what's going on. It occurs to me that if you really want to try to keep the puzzle, one way to deal with it is to lampshade it. You could describe the effect of tests, and then "see Documents XYZ for current theories as to SCP-XXXX's method of operation". That way the Foundation isn't dumb or obtuse, and while you are playing slightly coy with the reader, you're also hinting that they should be able to work it out. I'm not sure if you read the draft after I changed it in light of your feedback, but I believe I have added a sentence that states this hypothesis directly. Does that help? It occurs to me that if you really want to try to keep the puzzle, one way to deal with it is to lampshade it. You could describe the effect of tests, and then "see Documents XYZ for current theories as to SCP-XXXX's method of operation". Ok, I have some general issues with this. 1) Your image was clearly made in a paint program, so it looks kind of cheesy. What I would recommend is to print the Foundation logo, draw the rest of the symbols around it in Sharpie, and scan it. Edit: That, or do it in a vector graphics program, if that's in your wheelhouse. 3) Major point: In general, given that the Foundation definitely suspects history-altering properties, I think they should never expose any employees to this except those that might have some knowledge of XXXX, -1, or -2. In that case, it's kind of throwing good retrocausation after bad, so it comes out a wash. There are several reasons this shouldn't be a broad-use thing, but they pretty much all boil down to "The Foundation doesn't volantarily screw with history using a poorly-understood anomaly without very, very good reason." I mean, any employee you expose to -2 is going to have at least some portion of their personal experience poofed away in exchange for loyalty. In the best circumstance, they lose skills or knowledge or experiences that define their personality. In the worst circumstance, you've erased the conditions of their recruitment (such as letting a dangerous SCP go uncontained or wiping out their past in another GOI), so it absolutely poses a threat to both personnel and the Foundation. 4) I feel like you're really, really trying to make "cliodynamic" happen, and for me it is not working. Yes, you've defined it, but it is still a new enough term for the wiki to take some adjustment. More importantly, now every time you want to imply history is being altered you just slap cliodynamic in there. As far as the puzzlebox goes, you're not hiding anything with that. As far as narrative structure goes, slapping in a technical term is a sidestep and something of a failure of the show-don't-tell rule. You could still keep cliodynamic in circulation if you had more… "showing" I guess… in the text, but right now it is not helping. While it is possible for any person to view isolated portions of the image, 100% of persons who view the entire image are loyal Foundation personnel with XXXX/2 clearance or better. every person who has viewed the complete image is a loyal Foundation employee with XXXX/2 clearence or better. <sentence about corroboration you already have>. No record of any individual without such clearance or background of loyalty ever viewing the complete image exists. I know that this tacks onto your wordcount, but you've got room. The entire dig team was subsequently discovered to have been a [DATA EXPUNGED] cult cell within the Foundation and were killed resisting capture when MTF Eta-10 "See No Evil" recovered the object, ultimately suffering three casualties. If [DATA EXPUNGED] is just the word Daevite, then that's probably the appropriate level of redaction, but it's weird that the redaction is longer than the word. 7) It's odd and kind of unclear that the final paragraph is talking about -1, but never uses the designation. Maybe replace "the image." in the first sentence of that paragraph with "SCP-XXXX-1." Some of the sentence structure you use to frame the story doesn't work for me, particularly the one about loyal personnel. I also think "cliodynamic" isn't doing you any favors. As far as XXXX-2, I strongly think its use should be limited to XXXX-related issues, and I think it would be cool to lampshade that you are exposing the reader to it. Ultimately, I think there's a solid story here, but your attempts to obfuscate and dance around it are making the whole thing sterile and awkward. I'm not pushing for major changes outside of what I've stated above, but right now it would be a no-vote at best. Yes, it's placeholder like "XXXX". I actually intend to do it with a quill pen on parchment (and maybe also with Inkscape and seeing which looks better; if I have time). I'm more worried about the text for now. Interesting. I'm not sure how to make that work without putting the image well above the Item # (which seems like it will be considered "format screw"). I don't actually say its a broad use thing. I say that some personnel have Basilisk clearance (how many? I don't say) and are approved to use it under specific conditions (which are? I don't say that either. I'm trying to leave that question to the reader, but I'm guessing that's not working for you. I feel like you're really, really trying to make "cliodynamic" happen, and for me it is not working. Yes, you've defined it, but it is still a new enough term for the wiki to take some adjustment. I'm flattered, but I'm not Kenneth Hite (or remotely as cool). I didn't invent the thing. If you have another word that works better, I'll use it (sadly because I like Ken's word). Do you also hate "retrocreate"? As far as the puzzlebox goes, you're not hiding anything with that. No but I am not trying to. I am trying to save a word each time over "history altering" and giving some technical jargon based verisimilitude. That was the original phrasing, but I rephrased it in case people would read it (as Mr. Wrong apparently did) as a loyalty detector instead of a retroconverter. Yes, I've thought about this. I'll see what I can do in this vein. Do Daevite cults worship something specific. I thought they are dedicated to retrocreating the Daevite empire. I'll see what I can do. I don't actually ever say or imply that it isn't, though. I could make this less ambiguous. I'll think about it. and I think it would be cool to lampshade that you are exposing the reader to it. Don't I lose the "fridge horror" if I do? Is it better that way than when the reader realizes they've already been exposed? Ultimately, I think there's a solid story here, but your attempts to obfuscate and dance around it are making the whole thing sterile and awkward. It isn't really that deliberate. It's my SCP philosophy of only describing what can actually be observed and never ever using SRAs. I'm not pushing for major changes outside of what I've stated above, but right now it would be a no-vote at best. I'm kidding, I find you to consistently give me some of the most useful feedback, and I really appreciate it! Thank you! EDIT: I have no idea how to make that box work with the image. :( I am not very good at getting the wiki to do anything weird. EDIT2: Well, except for the above, I made some changes in line with your issues. Okay, here goes. This draft is an improvement, and is probably close to mainlist-survival threshold (as far as I have the ability to gauge) but I think it can still be improved further. Make -2 into SCP-XXXX. Then you can refer to it first without it being distracting. Turn -1 into "Previous SCP-XXXX-a, now Neutralised and referred to as…" - it could be SCP-XXXX-N, "the N-glyph" or something else. Keep the current designations, and reverse the order of the paragraphs, as previously suggested. I don't think you lose much by doing this. You can easily end the Special Containment Procedures with "SCP-XXXX-2 poses no threat to Foundation personnel." - I think the impact is increased by not having it as part of a longer sentence, even if you keep it at the start. 2) Containment Procedures: The downside of my first bullet point is that you then need to work out what "other SCP-XXXX instances" should be re-worded to. I don't think that you deploy -2 in order to contain images - you deploy it to reverse the effect that the images have on individuals - so I think the first Containment Procedures sentence should be re-worded. I also think the semi-colon feels odd in that sentence. Expanded deployment against other threats must be approved on a case-by-case basis by O-5 command. Just to make it clear to readers that you have thought through the implications, I would name check the Ethics Committee here, either in the alternative or in addition. Knowledge of any SCP-XXXX instance or portion thereof may present a timeline hazard and result in the spontaneous retrocreation of that instance. I still dislike this sentence. I didn't pick up the first time that knowledge of the skip will cause it to come into existence in the past, and I don't feel like that's necessary. I think readers will have a hard enough time following the effects without adding that to the mix. The risk still exists that there are other -1 images out there, or that someone will invent one, and if -2 can be used for other things, then even if we could be 100% sure that -1 no longer existed, there's sufficient threat in -2 that we don't need to add to the threat level of -1. 3) Daevestites - fine as is. I didn't find it distracting, and presumably others will pick up on it. Query why their name is always expunged - would it not be available to higher clearances, and thus redacted? That would solve Petrograd's concern as well. my suggestion is to describe the -1 image first, then its discovery, then describe -2, then its creation. SCP-XXXX-2 is an image depicting glyphs in the [DATA EXPUNGED] script originating from Project Kallinikos. I think this would read better as "SCP-XXXX-2 is an image created through Project Kallinikos, depicting glyphs in the [DATA EXPUNGED] script, which is based on SCP-XXXX-1." I think the first clause here is unnecessary. The implication of "view the entire image" should be sufficient. No record exists of any person viewing the complete image who does not fit this profile. Nor has any deliberate test with D-Class or any other person without appropriate qualifications, loyalty or clearance ever been successful. Interesting. I think this is a situation where things are made less clear by the attempt to clarify them. The second sentence sounds like there have been unsuccessful tests involving D-Class walking out of the room afterwards, rather than what's actually happening. Perhaps: "No record exists of any person viewing the complete image who does not fit this profile, including D-Class or other low-clearance persons who would be expected to be used as test subjects." The presence of physical evidence of appropriate personal histories for all individuals who have viewed the image strongly indicates a retroactive temporal effect, rather than a purely cognitive one (See Appendix B). This feels like it's trying to split the difference on hiding and showing. I think it should either be a puzzle to the reader, and merely allude to theories ("For current theories on the reasons for this pattern, see Appendix B") or it should be absolutely clear ("The research team's current hypothesis is that SCP-XXXX-2 retroactively changes the subject's history to one of Foundation loyalty."). If you go with the second option, you may need to do something similar for -1. The entire dig team was subsequently discovered to have been a covert cell within the Foundation dedicated to the retrocreation of [DATA EXPUNGED]. All seven personnel were killed resisting capture when MTF Eta-10 "See No Evil" recovered the object. It's not entirely clear to me why Eta-10 was sent in - this might be eliding too much. How did the Foundation know that the dig team were moles, and choose to send the right MTF for the job? All members of the project were subsequently amnesticized and exposed to SCP-XXXX-2. "All members of the project (including all subjects used in testing of SCP-XXXX-2 prototypes) were subsequently…" That would make me happier, although I admit it's not essential. It's a really weird test though, because there's no way to run controls! Still, that's not important. Usually repeated versions of identical evidence (despite the realism of such) make skips boring, IME. Agreed, that's not what I intended. But now irrelevant, as it only applied if you limited -2's effect. I'm going to take a huge liberty and create a draft in my sandbox, to show you how I suggest amending it. I hope that's okay. I'll edit this post when done. I can't and don't want to write to please everybody. I think I'm willing to take my chances with my audience and post work that I am happy with. :) Writing a good article is more important than winning, IMO. I absolutely agree with the sentiment. You have to be proud of what you write - vote-seeking is facile (and pointless, as "everyone's taste" doesn't exist on this site). All my comments are definitely aimed at making it better (to my taste, obviously). Ha! Not unless you help me sort out that second addendum! Got some more negative feedback in chat this week. Sorry, I know I said I'd edit, but this is going to be another long-ish post. I have hacked at a draft, which is in my sandbox under the "Stop! Thief!" tab. It is 442 words, which doesn't include the caption for the missing picture, and I'm sure it could be cut down. It is intended purely as an illustration of my comments above, and if you want me to delete it immediately, let me know. 1) You'll see that I've added a few extra sentences. Feel free to drop them - they were more experimentation than anything else. 2) I've tried to explain the logic of the recovery more clearly, at the expense of more words. 3) "All … effort" should either be "All possible efforts" or "Every possible effort". 4) I think the second footnote can live comfortably in the text. If you flesh out the recovery enough, you could even live without this section entirely. 5) If you do keep the Agent Swanson bit, saying that he/she"deliberately caused" the other agents' exposure doesn't make sense. They were all always cultists, so the other agents would look at it willingly. I've tried to fudge this in my draft. 6) I suggest "no exposure" rather than "zero exposure", as I prefer that phrasing for tone. I don't mind your draft, but I don't see how I can use it without disqualification. You do intend to submit your own entry still, yes? I didn't pick up the first time that knowledge of the skip will cause it to come into existence in the past, and I don't feel like that's necessary. Besides that I think it is cool, I don't see how the expungments and general paucity of information about the original is justified unless the information is itself dangerous. I am not sure if I can make this work now. I need to think about it. I think it's getting better! Edit: I rather appreciate the changes in the containment procedures. I agree with psul's comments about framing the effects, e.g. That you could either leave the retrocausation as unstated or deliberately stated, but that the final sentence concerning cognitive effects and the event in the footnote are in kind of a weird middle ground. I haven't seen psul's text, but I think if you went for the unstated option, the footnote could go something like (again paraphrasing) "During the recovery, Agent Swanson and two other agents were revealed to be a deep cult cell within the Foundation and were terminated while attempting to expose other MTF agents to SCP-XXXX-1." As far as the box goes, I wasn't imagining moving the image or anything. It would be in the typical SCP image field position, just with a box above the whole entry. So, rather than having the image show up in the terminal or warning or whatever, they just know that by viewing the normal SCP document that you have been exposed. I leave that up to you if you like the idea or not. For a standalone box, I would check the code on pages that have an RAISA warning. Tangent, I don't think Daevite cultists necessarily have to be focused on the retrocreation of that culture. Sure, the culture was (probably) retrocreated by (I don't remember the SCP number), but that's more a property of that SCP than of their culture. The Daevite culture had verifiable thaumaturgic power and had artifacts and individuals existing to this day, and any of those things could be a reason to start a cult. Sure, the cultists would happily spill blood on the book if they knew about it, but if the Foundation has successfully maintained secrecy they might not even be aware of it. Also, I don't hate cliodynamic (yay Ken Hite!), I just don't think it was serving any purpose well in that draft. See again psul's dichotomy between concealment and disclosure, where saying "cliodynamic" was sort of popping down a direct statement in otherwise rather indirect paragraphs. So, in that response, a lot of text, but maybe not as much of it helpful. Div box as suggested by Petrograd. I'm worried that it's cheesy, though. Opinions? Significant textual revisions that should address psul's problems without requiring I give him (a disqualifying) collaborator credit. 404 words, and a little over 24 hours to go. BUT, I must confess that if this is abstract, I don't qualify as a judge, because I generally have a hard time grokking what's abstract! What is the difference between -D and -F? What are their respective anomalous effects? What exactly happened at the dig site in Uzbekistan? Why? What does it do to hostile SCPs? EDIT Okay, I feel terrible about this. I feel like a moron. All I actually got from first reading (should say first readingS, because I did read it several times!) was… the fridge 'horror' (?). Yep, I'm a nice Foundation gal now, and have always been. A very stupid Foundation gal, but a nice loyal one anyway. Don't feel that way. People not understanding it is important feedback all its own. -D retroactively makes you a fanatic Daevite cultist. -F retroactively makes you a loyal Foundation employee with XXXX/2 clearance or better. Omniscient: The Foundation archeologists discovered -D and were retroconverted to Daevite cultists. In-universe: They were always Daevite cultists and deliberately were looking for -D so they could a) close the time loop and b) expose others to it. Counter the effects of any other glyphs of the same type. Counter any effect that converts, possesses, alters personal timestreams, or otherwise changes a sapient creatures history or loyalty. Emergency instantaneous recruitment of loyal personnel. As a weapon to turn enemies into allies. That's good. Do you think it should have been clearer at the outset? Thanks for the explanations, Sirpudding! Well, I don't know. If some people get it, or at least part of it, without lengthy explanations, why should you change it? OTOH, I read somewhere that every SCP should be written as standing on its own. Not knowing about Daevites, I couldn't possibly catch the reference… And a lot of understanding derives from this little detail. I couldn't possibly catch the reference… And a lot of understanding derives from this little detail. I tried to write it so that's just author headcannon. It shouldn't really matter what the [REDACTED] cult is as long as it fits the other elements (ancient dig site in Central Asia and fanatic hostile followers). Does it? Have you looked at the new draft? It's a significant change. Opinions? 1) Yeah, the div box is kind of cheesy. That's unfortunate. Edit: I had to upload a second version, because I forgot to fix some clipping errors. 4) I think I preferred it when the footnote about the agents turning was included. If you cut it for length or couldn't get it quite where you wanted it, I understand. 5) So, this is more of the directly-stated route. I think it works alright, although the alternative would produce more mystery. I do think the last paragraph would be improved if you removed the words "keyed to the Foundation", maybe subbing in "of SCP-XXXX-F" or otherwise keeping it as is. The readers will be able to figure out from context that -F is keyed to the Foundation, and it makes it a bit more fun this way. Kicks off something of a SCP-963-2 vibe, especially if they're being coy about it. I think that definitely looks computer generated (it's also a little busy for my taste). Doesn't it? Maybe I'll try again, but I don't think I'll have time. I'm starting to think this concept isn't going to work. I really felt this would have been a pretty straightforward concept and I'd have time to get the image right. Maybe I'll use yours even if it is computer generated. Maybe the Kallinikos guys were able to use computers to duplicate it? Is that plausible? Am I going to get dinged for having a computer generated picture? EDIT: Nevermind. Duh. Fixed. Thanks! I think I preferred it when the footnote about the agents turning was included. If you cut it for length or couldn't get it quite where you wanted it, I understand. Ah it seemed problematical and a little redundant. Explaining how it was surmised that Swanson was exposed first seems to be something that will add a lot of word count and both you and psul seemed to demand that I did. Unless I misunderstood you? So, this is more of the directly-stated route. I think it works alright, although the alternative would produce more mystery. There was an alternative? Psul seems to be saying there isn't. Unless again, I'm misunderstanding. I'm personally adverse to speculative material in SCPs anyway, so I'd like to not have it if it's possible. I do think the last paragraph would be improved if you removed the words "keyed to the Foundation", maybe subbing in "of SCP-XXXX-F" or otherwise keeping it as is. I felt I was repeating "SCP-XXXX-F" way too much in too short a space.

2019-04-21T12:07:39Z

http://www.scp-wiki.net/forum/t-1288517/retroconverter-short-works-contest

Given the public-private mix of the Greek health system, the purpose of this study was to assess whether variations in the utilisation of health services, both primary and inpatient care, were associated with underlying health care needs and/or various socio-economic factors. Data was obtained from a representative sample (N = 1426) residing in the broader Athens area (response rate 70.6%). Perceived health-related quality of life (HRQOL), as measured by the physical and mental summary component scores of the SF-36 Health Survey, was used as a proxy of health care need. Health care utilization was measured by a) last-month visits to public sector physicians, b) last-month visits to private sector physicians, c) last-year visits to hospital emergency departments and d) last-year hospital admissions. Statistical analysis involved the implementation of logistic regression models. Health care need was the factor most strongly associated with all measures of health care utilization, except for visits to public physicians. Women, elderly, less wealthy and individuals of lower physical health status visited physicians contracted to their insurance fund (public sector). Women, well educated and those once again of lower physical health status were more likely to visit private providers. Visits to hospital emergency departments and hospital admissions were related to need and no socio-economic factor was related to the use of those types of care. This study has demonstrated a positive relationship between health care need and utilisation of health services within a mixed public-private health care system. Concurrently, interesting differences are evident in the utilization of various types of services. The results have potential implications in health policy-making and particularly in the proper allocation of scarce health resources. Several studies have identified perceived health status or health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as a very important predictor of health service utilization [1–7]. Furthermore, many studies provide evidence that demographic characteristics also affect health care need and utilization. Specifically, women report poorer health and use primary health services more often than men, have higher rates of hospitalisation and surgery and increased total expenditures, whereas men are less likely to receive preventive medical services [3, 6, 8, 9]. Age is positively related to hospital admissions , and also to an above average length of stay, increased utilization of services and, overall, to greater need . Regarding men, marital status and specifically married, in a de facto relationship or divorced, was found to be positively associated with a first or further visits to a GP [3, 4]. Other studies have focused on the extent to which socio-economic differences affect the use of health services. Individuals with a lower level of education make fewer visits to specialists [11, 12]. Contrarily, those with a higher education or income, after adjustment for socio-demographic and need variables [1, 4, 13], demonstrate an increased likelihood of accessing GP services or making at least one visit to a specialist. Morris reports a pro-rich inequality in all types of hospital care and a pro-poor inequality in GP visits. Furthermore, an inverse income relationship has been observed with respect to needed, but not sought, medical care, with the proportion of individuals not seeking needed medical care increasing significantly in lower income groups . On the other hand, visit delay and/or cancellation, and underutilization of physician services were more evident in younger individuals, low-income and economically troubled, in chronic medical conditions or in individuals without a regular source of care or a physical care discount card . Many studies have examined the influence, on service utilization, of factors such as race/ethnicity or community area (rural/urban), with the latter differentiating access in favour of urban area residents . In the UK, it has been shown that Indians use more GP services than other minorities. Moreover children and young people from all minority ethnic groups make lower use of outpatient and inpatient services compared to white children and young people, and these differences persisted after controlling for socio-economic and health status variables [17, 18]. The purpose of this study was to examine if demographic, socio-economic and need characteristics of individuals influenced their use of the following health services: visits to public sector physicians, visits to private sector physicians, visits to hospital emergency outpatient departments and admissions to hospitals. In addition we attempted to identify factors that differentiate the use of public and private services. Based on previous research it was hypothesized that need factors ranked as the most important determinant of health care use. Concerning the different use of public and private services, it was assumed that socio-economic factors played an important role. This study contributes to the available literature as it investigates variations in health care service utilization in Greece, by using SF-36 Summary Scores, instead of the usual eight subscales, as proxies of health care needs. The results have potential health policy and planning implications and could support administrators in their difficult task of properly allocating health resources. Self-assessed health status was measured with the SF-36 Health Survey, a generic instrument constructed to be a brief alternative in health policy evaluations, general population surveys, clinical research and practice. It is the most widely used measure of self-perceived health with the aim of assessing concepts representing basic human values relevant to health status and well-being. The SF-36 has proven useful in comparing general and specific populations and for assessing the impact of disease and treatments on patients' perceived health state and quality of life . The SF-36 is a multi-item questionnaire comprised of eight scales: Physical Functioning (PF), Role limitations due to Physical problems (RP), Bodily Pain (BP), General Health (GH), Vitality (VT), Social Functioning (SF), Role limitations due to Emotional problems (RE) and Mental Health (MH) . Factor analytic studies have shown that the physical and mental summary factors account for 80%–85% of the reliable variance in the eight scales, leading eventually to the construction of two summary scores for physical and mental HRQOL. The use of summary scores provides the advantage of requiring fewer statistical comparisons in order to analyze SF-36 results, while not forfeiting the discrimination potential between physical and mental health status and outcomes. The two summary scores are usually normalized to a mean value of 50 and a standard deviation of 10 [20, 21]. In a recent study in Greece, the SF-36 was validated and the results were comparable to those from studies in other European countries and the USA . In a subsequent Greek study, the validity of the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores was also established . The National Health System (ESY) in Greece was established in 1983 with an axiomatic aim to provide coverage for the entire population. It has evolved during the 1980s, and this is reflected by a substantial increase in public resources (e.g. beds, health centres and medical personnel) . Meanwhile, the private sector, with a great tradition in Greece, managed to find ways to increase its market share by setting up diagnostic centres and investing in expensive medical technology . Given also the increased number of physicians in Greece (physicians per 1000 individuals: 2.0 (1974), 2.8 (1983), 3.9 (1993) and 4.5 (2000)) , the Greek health care system continued to expand and became a typical example of a mixed (public-private) system . The Greek health care system provides full coverage to the entire population, but at the same time has observed an increased use of the private sector. Access to all public services is free and there are no fees at the point of use, whereas the private sector requires out of pocket payments. Differences, between more and less prosperous insurance funds, concerning the extent and quality of services provided are evident. Health care services in Greece are basically provided by: a) the National Health System (public hospitals and health centres in rural and semi-urban areas) b) health units of Health Insurance Funds (health centres with salaried physicians or contracted physicians working in the private sector) and c) the private sector (hospitals, diagnostic centres, and private practitioners). Health insurance funds are public schemes financed by employees, employers and the public budget. In Greece it is mandatory for the entire workforce (including their families) to be insured according to professional status, via one of 32 different health insurance funds . It is worth mentioning that Greece spends 9.4% of its GDP on health, 59.1% of which is public expenditure coming from general taxation and social insurance contributions . The rest is covered by private sources and mainly out of pocket payments, which confirms the noteworthy growth of the private sector . Even after twenty years and a number of attempts to reform it, the Greek health care system remains fragmented in terms of coverage, and quite distanced from its principles of equity and efficiency . The study involved a stratified sample of residents of the broader Athens area, where approximately 35% of the Greek population lives. Institutionalized people were excluded. Participants were chosen proportionally to the population size, according to a three-staged sampling methodology. Specifically, in the first stage a random sample of 84 blocks of residences were selected according to information from the 1991 national census. In the second stage, households were selected from every block by systematic sampling. In the third stage, a participant (> 18 years) was chosen from every household by simple random sampling. Totally, 1007 out of 1426 candidates (response rate 70.6%) agreed to participate, constituting a representative sample of the population living in this particular area. Participants were interviewed and the survey included the SF-36 and various health service utilization and socio-demographic questions. The necessary approval for carrying out this study has been provided by the Review Board of the Hellenic Open University. Physical and mental health summary scores, calculated and presented in previous work, were used as a proxy of health need. Principal Component Analysis was conducted to extract two components, which were subsequently rotated to an orthogonal simple structure using the Varimax method in order to facilitate comparisons with published results and simplify interpretation . Health service utilization was measured by the visits: a) to public sector physicians within the last month b) to private sector physicians within the last month, c) to hospital emergency outpatient departments within the last year and by d) admissions to hospitals within the last year. Dependent variables were dichotomised to 0,1 values (0 → non use and 1 → use). Independent variables were grouped into three clusters, specifically i) demographic: age (continuous), gender (1 = male, 0 = women), marital status (dummy variable with reference category singles: 1 = married, 2 = divorced, 3 = widowed), ii) socio-economic: education level (1 = primary, 2 = secondary, 3 = lyceum, 4 = university), net monthly family income (continuous) and self-owned or rented residence (dummy variable with reference category residence freely provided) and iii) a proxy measure of need variable: SF-36 PCS and MCS scores. Only the variables demonstrating statistical significance (P < 0.05) were included. Multivariate logistic regression models were implemented, one for each type of service, in order to determine predictors of health service utilization. Initially, access to health services was assessed and particularly the characteristics of those using the services compared to those not, and secondly the frequency of health service use, i.e. characteristics of those having used the services once compared to those using them more frequently. As Andersen and Newman , underline "it makes considerable difference whether we are studying initial contact during a given period or whether we are studying the number of services received in a given period of time". There is no clear perception on how frequent and non-frequent users should be distinguished, as they are defined arbitrarily and there is a lack of consensus in the literature . Subsequently, we explored different predicting factors for the use of public, compared to private, services. Separate regression models were employed for primary and secondary services. The independent variables remained the same as in the analysis previously mentioned. The dependent variables were binary variables with 0, 1 values (0 → use of private services and 1 → use of public services). All statistical analyses were undertaken using SPSS v13.0. Out of 1007 participants, 53.4% were women and the entire sample, with a mean age of 45 years, is classified into six age groups. Detailed socio-economic characteristics are provided in table 1. Four hundred fifty seven individuals had utilized at least one of the four types of health services, implying that 42.4% of the sample was considered as "users" (at least once) of public or private health services. Specifically, 26.5% of them used services affiliated to health insurance funds and 67.6% were one-time users. Accordingly, 13.9% of the participants had visited a private doctor and 64.9% of them were one-time users. The mean annual admission rates to emergency departments and to hospitals were 12.4% and 12.2% respectively, with 9.7% and 10.3% admitted at least once. Upon initial investigation of the socio-economic characteristics of users and non-users (table 2), we observed that the users assessed that their general health was worse than that of non-users. At the same time their mental health, and even more so their physical health, was significantly lower. Women reported poorer physical and mental health compared to men (48.7% and 48.1% against 51.3% and 52.1%). Furthermore, an inverse relationship was witnessed between physical and mental health and age. Primary school graduates, the widowed and those with monthly family income less than 440 euros reported the poorest physical and mental health. Comparing physical and mental health of users and non-users (table 2) to that of the entire sample (table 1), users of all age groups -as it was expected- reported worse physical and mental health scores, with the exception of those aged 25–34 and 55–64. The same applies for all levels of education except in the case of high school graduates who report better mental health. In the case of marital status, it is the widowed (users) that report, once again, better mental health. Given the four types of health service utilization designated in this study, we used regression models combining both public and private sector users, in order to determine the best predictors of utilization. Utilization of primary health services (table 3) appears to depend on demographic variables (13.8%), minimally on need variables (1%) and not at all on socio-economic factors. Women, elderly and those with worse physical health were more likely to use primary health services. Following this, separate models were implemented for public and private primary care users, and this resulted in various interesting observations. Table 4 shows the regression model for last-month use of insurance fund primary services, which explained 18.2% of the variance. Demographic variables predicted 11.9% of the variation, socio-economic variables contributed with a further 2.3% to the explanation of health service utilization and health status, as measured by PCS and MCS scores, predicted a further 4.4%. More specifically, it appears that women utilized significantly more primary services, provided by health funds, than men. The elderly were 26.6% more likely to use these services, whereas wealthier people reported lower use. As for self-perceived health status, we observed that those with lower PCS scores were more likely to use health insurance services than individuals with higher PCS scores. Concerning visits to private physicians, within the context of primary health care, the regression model (table 3) explained only 13% of the variation. This figure is broken down to 7.9%, 3.0% and 2.1% variation explained by health status, socio-economic and demographic factors respectively. Women were more likely to visit private physicians. People with higher education were about 42% more likely to use primary health services from the private sector. Individuals with higher PCS scores were less likely to have consulted a private doctor within the last month. Table 5 shows the regression model for the utilization of emergency department services and, in this case, only health status explained the variation. A trend was evident individuals with lower PCS and MCS summary scores reported higher use of emergency departments within the last year. The regression model for hospital admissions, shown also in table 4, predicted only 12.3% of the variation, with 10.1% predicted by health status and the remaining 2.2% by age. Specifically, age was related with admission and the elderly were more likely to be admitted, but after adjusting for health status, age was marginally not statistically significant. People with low PCS and MCS summary scores demonstrated a higher likelihood of having been admitted to a hospital within the last year. In the previous analysis, regression models were implemented to distinguish between users and non-users in an attempt to examine possible socioeconomic barriers to initial care seeking. Another basic element, in this study, is the frequency of use for those making at least one visit, and the identification of predictors of the number of subsequent visits . In the context of primary care, we classified people into two groups, those making one visit and those making more, and this was chosen because those who had made one visit to public and private sector physicians constituted 67.6% and 64.9% of the sample respectively. An inverse relationship was evident between family income and more than one visit to public sector physicians working for health insurance funds (table 6). Less wealthy and people with poorer mental health were associated with a higher likelihood of having made more than one visit. The regression model for subsequent visits to providers of the private sector resulted in statistical insignificance. The logistic regression model in table 7 focuses on the factors associated with utilization of public vs private primary health care services. Demographic variables explain only 7.8% of the total variance, and the addition of socioeconomic variables increases the explained proportion significantly to 16.9%. Married people were more likely to visit doctors affiliated to their insurance funds. More educated and wealthier people show higher likelihood to contact private doctors rather than their insurance fund doctors. The logistic regression model concerning hospitalization in public, compared to private, hospitals explains 44.8% of the total variance. Demographic, socioeconomic and health status variables contribute 19.5%, 21.6% and 3.7% respectively. Married, divorced and widowed are more likely (than singles), to be admitted to private (rather than to public) hospitals. The elderly show a significantly higher likelihood of being admitted to public hospitals. Indeed, the risk of being admitted to public hospitals increases 98% with age. Contrarily, as net monthly family income increases, people make more admissions to private hospitals. Finally people with higher MCS scores -better mental health- use the private hospitals more. In this study we investigated the impact of demographic, socio-economic and need factors on the utilization of health services. The data showed that self-perceived health status -as a proxy measure of need- is the most important contributor to the utilization variance for three of the designated services (private physician, emergency departments and hospital admissions), a finding which is consistent with many previous studies [1–7]. Demographic variables such as age and gender were most strongly associated with visits to public (provided by health insurance funds) sector physicians. Socio-economic variables such as income and education did not have a statistically significant relationship with utilization, particularly in the case of secondary health services. The results of the study seem to suggest the existence of equity in the use of primary health care services. Demographic and, to a lesser degree, need factors affected utilisation and no socio-economic gradient was apparent. Things were slightly different when the public and primary sectors were analysed separately, but once again inequity is not implied. Use of primary health services, provided by health insurance funds, was made according to demographic, socioeconomic and health care need variables. Women, elderly, less wealthy individuals and people with a lower physical health status visited their insurance fund physicians more. Demographic variables were the most important contributors and this may be explained by the fact that women reported higher consumption due to their increased awareness of health problems and symptoms when assessing their health status . Furthermore age is a factor inversely linked to health, therefore elderly -a high-risk group from the aspect of health status and economic welfare- seek more public primary services, which are free at the point of use. Utilisation of private services was also affected by socio-demographic and need factors. Women, well educated and those once again of lower physical health status were more likely to visit private providers. It was expected that economic factors like income would affect utilisation of private physicians, which involves out of pocket payments. However, this was not confirmed by our study as opposed to an earlier study in Italy , where a linear relationship between the level of income and private utilization was observed. A possible explanation, in our case, is the underestimation of income. One third of the sample had not reported income. Even people who did may have underestimated it because the Greek population is often reluctant to answer these kinds of questions. Another noteworthy fact is that the independent variables in the regression model (table 4) explain only a low portion of utilisation of private primary services. Besides the underestimation of income mentioned previously, another reason could be the small proportion of users having visited a private physician (14.0%), since the sample comprises an overall healthy population. An interesting topic for future research is the users' satisfaction from public primary services and if quality variations actually directed them towards private physicians. An important implication, which will be discussed subsequently, is that low-income individuals use primary private services as well. Visits to hospital emergency departments and hospital admissions were related to health care needs, and no socio-economic factor characterized the use of those types of care. As reported in an earlier study, hospital utilization and the volume of inpatient services were significantly influenced by medical needs or as Andersen explains, hospital services received in response to serious problems and conditions would be primarily explained by need and demographic characteristics. The small amount of variance explained here implies the coexistence of other factors (e.g. lifestyle) that could affect the utilization of these health services, and this itself is another issue for future research. Upon examining the number of visits, no socio-economic influence was revealed. The poorer and those with worse mental health visited more frequently physicians linked to their health insurance fund. Other studies [3, 4] have shown that people with higher education visited specialists more frequently or that they were more frequently referred to one. Socio-economic variations in the utilization of specialist services seem to be well-established in health systems in which referrals to specialists are made by primary physicians who play an important role in follow-up visits and hospital admissions. The structure of the Greek health system is different, primary health services concern mainly specialist services, which people choose freely without a referral. Patients' preferences, awareness of their medical profile, availability of services and their expectations are important factors in seeking referred health care, mainly from specialists, in many European countries. Higher educated or wealthier individuals have different attitudes about the potential benefits, so they are more motivated to request specialist care . In the Greek health system there is no observed inequality in access or frequent use, but patients' expectations, awareness of their condition and educational level consist basic factors in tackling a health problem within a complex mixed public-private health system. After studying the different use of public/private services (table 7), a pro-rich inequality was observed. This does not contradict what has been previously mentioned about the use of private services only (table 4), where the effect of income is not evident, most likely because the respondents are homogenous (i.e. users of private services). Contrarily, income is important when the combined (public/private) users are studied. People better off in respect to education and income levels were more likely to use private health services. Results from another study in Greece reported that the two higher income groups spend approximately the same amount of money as the others combined. This inequality becomes more severe when low-income people are forced to use needed health services from the private sector (because of the incomplete network of public primary health services, long waiting lists, "under the table" payments and low quality of provided services) burdening their limited family budget. Low-income individuals have greater health care needs expressed by lower physical and mental summary scores, and further supported by research in western European countries showing that morbidity and mortality risks are higher in lower socioeconomic groups . Although it seems that low-income individuals generally use health services, it is apparent that they are not exclusive users of the public services, but they are often forced to use private health services as well. This implies inequity in the distribution of care since the consumption of private health services is not limited to the higher incomes, but is extended to the lower ones as well, thus giving rise to issues of horizontal and vertical inequity. A possible explanation could be the inadequate public financing. Greece has the lowest percentage of public health expenditures among the EU countries. According to OECD data in 2002 , total health expenditures per capita were 1814$, of which public health expenditures per capita were only 960$. On the contrary, private expenditures are the highest among the EU countries, and this means that the income, in all socio-economic classes, is burdened for the use of health services. Another possible explanation is the structural problems of the system. The large number of health insurance funds and the different range of health services they cover is the most typical characteristic in this case. More specifically, wealthier funds cover a large range of services, provide a better set of inpatient services or, in many instances, offer reimbursement when individuals purchase from private providers. Often, people insured by the most prosperous health insurance funds (approximately 10% of the insured population) are covered, to a large extent, for hospitalization in prestigious private hospitals, for all illnesses, specialized operations and examinations . This unequal distribution of provided health services, within the public sector, constitutes a structural weakness of the Greek health system, which the private sector exploits. In spite of social insurance coverage of Greek citizens, the use of private services is extensive throughout the country. This could be attributed also to the absence of the "family doctor" in Greece, and the inability to select the desired physician in primary and secondary health care. The absence of the family doctor affects the delivery of care, access and the referrals to the health system. This results in patients accessing secondary care based on their own initiative. The adoption of a gate keeping system could result in a link between primary and secondary care, and an effective patient transfer. Moreover it could give emphasis to issues such as prevention and over-consumption (especially of hospital care), which pose a great burden on the health system . On the other hand, insurance funds covering people of low income are either incapable of fulfilling their needs, or they provide lower quality health care, in conjunction to long waiting lists, all of which affect the degree of satisfaction. Overall, a significant personal cost is created for the users, who are forced to turn to the private sector and spend a large part of their income. This implies that a more complete and satisfactory network of services could result in lower use of the private sector. Finally, two limitations should be briefly underlined. First, this study concerned the broader Athens area, the capital of Greece, where medical personnel is more experienced and better equipped technologically, and consequently more specialised health services are available. The heterogeneous dispersion of resources in relation to the population throughout the country reflects an unequal availability of health services, which is expected to be more intense in rural areas. So the first restriction reflects lack of data on the pattern of use of the rural population. Another limitation, reported also in a study by Morris , was the fact that utilization measures were zero-one variables for four defined types of use and there was no information on the quality of provided services. This study has demonstrated a positive relationship between health need and the utilisation of health services under a mixed public-private funded health care system. Health need, defined by self-perceived health status, was the most important determinant for visiting public or private sector physicians, emergency departments and admissions to the hospitals. Moreover, health need and low income were the main factors influencing subsequent visits to public sector physicians. Concerning the use of public vs private services, we observed that socio-economic characteristics of individuals were the main determinants. People with higher education and income levels used more private sector services, although they were not the exclusive users, since low-income groups used private services as well. In Greece, it seems that access into the health system is relatively easy. However the aim is to access a complete, uniform and satisfying public health system with respect to the quality and the extent of provided services. Despite 25 years of Greek NHS reform, this target has not yet been achieved. Collection of data for this study was supported by grants from the Greek Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity. We are grateful to our colleagues Dr. Fotios Anagnostopoulos for statistical assistance in preparation of this manuscript and Mr. Nick Kontodimopoulos for useful comments in an early version of this paper. EP has participated in the design of the study, the statistical analysis, the interpretation of the results and drafted the manuscript. DN conceived the study, interpreted the results and made refinements of the manuscript. Both authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

2019-04-20T08:30:51Z

https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com.preview-live.oscarjournals.springer.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6963-6-146

Many people struggle with with patellar tendonitis for months because they think – like I once did – that rest, ibuprofen, and doing a few stretches are enough to heal knee tendonitis. Following this standard treatment suggestion will actually make your knee worse. On this page, you’ll learn what to do instead. Do you want to get your life back and beat patellar tendonitis? Update: I published a whole book about how you can get your life back and beat patellar tendonitis by fixing hidden causes of pain that most doctors ignore. You can download the first chapter for free to get started healing your knees today. Knee pain is an indication of some aspect of the body not working as it should and finding that underlying problem is the tricky part. By getting more familiar with the disease, we increase our odds of solving the tendonitis knee riddle. The following paragraphs will detail symptoms, causes, risks and conservative treatment options of patellar tendonitis. Picture: Where you’ feel the pain. The pain can occur in one or both knees. The symptoms for knee tendonitis are pain on the side of, in front of, below or even behind the kneecap. Most commonly the pain will reside below the knee cap, where the patellar tendon attaches to the patella. The pain usually gets worse with activities like squatting, running, climbing stairs and jumping. Additionally, you may feel tenderness below the kneecap and in the area of the bony protrusion right below. You should also know that patellar tendonitis progresses in stages and that each stage requires a different healing approach. To learn more about the symptoms of the individual stages, go here: patellar tendonitis symptoms. Jumper’s knee is an overuse injury and the result of repetitive microtrauma to patellar tendon. Usually such microtrauma is caused by activities that include a lot of jumping, running and cutting. Not surprisingly, sports such as basketball, volleyball and tennis have a high incidence rate of this injury, but it is not limited to these groups. A common theme among people who suffer from knee tendonitis is playing through pain or regular overexertion on the court. Pain, just like fatigue, causes movement patterns to deviate from the desired optimum and the worse you move, the more likely you are to suffer injuries such as patellar tendinopathy. But what happens if it is left untreated? Initially tendonitis will make itself felt as the pain accompanying the inflammation in the tendon below the kneecap, but with repeated tissue damage cellular degradation will set in. The body is unable to repair the damaged tissue and tendonitis turns into tendinosis: a painful chronic condition that will take months, if not years to heal, especially if the athlete lacks commitment to getting healthy before competing again. Ignore tendonitis and your pain will get worse, your condition will get more permanent and your weakened patellar tendon will be more prone to tearing. Do nothing and your athletic career might be over before it even started. Act early and you can be back to competition in a few weeks. Watch this video to learn more about how long recovery will take and how to avoid 3 dangerous mistakes that will add months to your recovery time, if you make them. Some athletes get relief by wearing an infra-patellar strap, which helps by improving load distribution in the tendon. There are several conservative treatment options for tendonitis. A common recommendation is the RICE-protocol (rest, ice, compression, elevation), combined with the use of NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Other modalities used to deal with knee tendonitis include ultrasound treatment, deep friction massage, shockwave therapy and plasma-rich platelet injections. Speaking of injections: in his book “Framework for the Knee”, Nichalos DiNubile, MD, explicitly warns against cortisone shots, as they can “cause a rupture of the tendon” (page 20). In physical therapy, the rehab protocols for tendonitis revolve around strengthening and stretching of the leg muscles, with a focus on stretching the quadriceps muscle group. Keeping these traditional approaches in mind we can build on them to create a more holistic approach for knee tendonitis. This will help us to deal with jumper’s knee more thoroughly and also seems necessary, as the traditional methods of treatment apparently only provide temporary relief. There are a lot of simple things you can do at home to deal with patellar tendonitis and most of them don’t even require additional tools or help by others. The following list will get you started with your healing process and after that we will cover a number of exercises which will help you put the plan into operation. Healing Knee Tendonitis Step 1: Freeze right there! As most of you know, the inflammation in the tendon can be decreased through icing, which is mostly done after exercising. Using a wet towel between the ice and the knee is recommended, as this will prevent frostbite and improve temperature distribution. Apply the ice for a maximum of 20 minutes, directly post-exercise or several times throughout the day. You can also apply ice after performing rehab exercises, to minimize pain and inflammation. However, icing only helps with pain management and will not speed the healing process if you have already progressed from tendonitis to tendinosis (i.e. you have knee pain not just post-exercise, but also throughout the day and the condition did not improve after two weeks of rest). If this is the case you can experiment with using a warm water bottle or a heating blanket for 20 minutes, several times a day. With the warm water bottle you again have to use a wet towel to prevent burning and improve heat distribution. When using heating blanket you should wrap it around your knee and then wrap a big towel or a blanket around it, to keep the heat in. I have successfully used heat with my patellar tendon pain and I felt like it definitely sped up the healing process, which is only logical as the increased temperature improves circulation. On the other hand, being outside in the cold winter weather increased knee pain noticeably. Your mileage may vary, so just experiment to find out what works best for you. In conclusion one could say that while ice is the way to deal with inflammation you feel after exercising (be this rehab or performing in your sport), it actually slows healing once you’re dealing with tissue degradation instead of inflammation. Tendonitis pain should go away after a week or two of rest, but if the knee pain persists you’re more likely dealing with tendinosis. Only you and your physician know where you stand. Driving a car with your feet on the gas and the brake at the same time will ensure lower performance and early malfunctions. This is what’s going on in our bodies most of the time when we suffer from ailments such as knee pain, as bad biomechanics prevent us from achieving our athletic goals and predispose us to injury. Anterior Pelvic Tilt (forward tilted hip) is one of the conditions which can lead to patellar tendonitis, as Dr. Perry Nickelston points out in his article on “Lower Crossed Syndrome and Knee Pain”. Check where you stand in terms of posture and immediately address every problem you uncover. You can use this article on anterior pelvic tilt as a starting point. The exercises at the end of this page will also help you improve your posture. I’ve only devoted three paragraphs of this article on improving posture, but believe me: it’s of utmost importance. As explained earlier, jumper’s knee occurs when the patellar tendon is overloaded. Dr. Kelly Starrett of San Francisco Crossfit points out that this can actually occur as a result of tight calves and hamstrings, which is all the more obvious when looking at the muscles around the knee. Hamstrings and gastrocnemius are both responsible for knee flexion and if either of these structures is tight, the quadriceps has to work against additional resistance when extending the knee (research supports this). This will obviously put additional load on the patellar tendon. Before stretching, tissue quality has to be addressed first. You can have this done by professionals, using active release massage technique for example, or you can do it at home using a foam-roller. In my free email course I’ll show you a special technique that brought me great results without having to buy any tools. Once you’ve improve tissue quality you can get started with the stretching. Remember: with stretching you’re not lengthening the tissues; you’re actually reprogramming your nervous system to allow for more muscle extensibility. You will be a lot more effective at retraining your central nervous system if you stretch daily or even several times a day. The stretching will help take load off the patellar tendon and will have an immediate impact on your knee discomfort. The exercises further down will give you detailed instructions on how to improve tissue quality and length. We need a certain degree of mobility and stability at every joint. Some joints need more stability and some need more mobility. Both, the hip and the ankle, need to be mobile and if they lack mobility the body will make up for it by increasing mobility at the neighboring joints (i.e. knee and lower back), which should not be too mobile. This can translate to knee ailments such as knee pain, lower back pain and a host of other problems that are beyond the scope of this text. Decreasing tendonitis knee issues will require more than just diligent stretching though, because a lack of mobility can actually be caused by low stability (i.e. you cannot move safely through certain ranges of motion and your central nervous system knows that, which is why it will stop you from entering those ranges). By tensing up, the central nervous system uses your muscles to protect the body against injury. Hence, a lack of mobility can sometimes be attributed to the CNS not knowing how to use the muscles properly and it uses tension to keep you from performing movements that it deems dangerous, like touching your toes or doing a full split. In the section on jumper’s knee exercises we will go through several drills that can be done daily and will help you improve mobility and stability by retraining your central nervous system to allow proper movement. Assume a stance with your feet directly under your hip and parallel. Now squat down by sitting back as far as you can, rather than dipping straight down. Pay attention to how your knees move: does one knee cave in? Do both knees cave in? Do you have trouble maintaining your balance in the bottom position, meaning, do you keep falling over backwards? If you answered yes to any of these questions you have one or more imbalances, which you need to fix before venturing into the field of athletics. If you don’t, you risk getting tendonitis knee pain or worse, a torn ACL or meniscus. Here is how an imbalance like that can lead to knee pain: if your knee collapses inward during running or when landing, you will put excessive stress on the patellar tendon and thereby increase your risk of getting knee tendonitis (and slowly shred your ACL). The only way to retrain your central nervous system is by moving the right way and since you need to overwrite wrong programming, you’re going to have to do it very often. We will get to that in the exercise section. The gluteal muscle group is very important for knee health. Strong and functional gluteal muscles will not only help you produce force more efficiently, providing a more forceful hip extension which allows you to jump higher or sprint faster, they also resist movement in the opposite direction. This is important for preventing knee tendonitis, because healthy glutes will prevent the knees from collapsing inward when landing from a jump. On top of that, poor gluteal function can lead to overworked hamstrings, which in turn leads to a tighter muscle, requiring more tension in the knee extensors, thereby putting the patellar tendon under higher load. Poor gluteal function will also put you more at risk of pulling or even tearing your hamstrings, as these muscles are chronically overworked. Finally, among many other problems, weak or non-functional gluteals can cause lower back pain. With all that in mind it’s safe to say that gluteal training should be included in the training regimen of every athlete and it should be emphasized for those suffering from jumper’s knee. Pro tip: train your glutes throughout the day when climbing stairs. Shift the load from your quads to your glutes and try to squeeze your glutes hard with every step. This will help strengthen the neural connection to your glutes. Research indicates that eccentric exercises can be very beneficial for speeding up the healing process of damaged tendons. To apply this method to knee tendonitis we simply have to squat with an emphasis on the lowering part of the lift. Lower yourself down slowly (i.e. taking 4 to 5 seconds) and get back up assisting yourself, for example by grabbing a hold of a sturdy piece of furniture, a doorway or the hand of your training partner. The efficiency of eccentric squats can be improved further by performing them on a slanted board of around 25 degrees, as this puts more load on the patellar tendon than if you were to do squats on even ground. All this can be compressed in one simple, albeit hard to follow, piece of advice: take it slow! If you train too hard, too often, you’re going to get injured. The irony of that is that most people train hard with the intention of progressing quickly, but they eventually get injured, which stalls or even regresses their training progress. Don’t be that guy (or gal). Once you’ve crossed the Rubicon and have gotten injured you will need to take it slow with getting back to training, or else you risk delaying recovery indefinitely. The following exercises address the issues we covered in the 8-step action plan. Once you know all the exercises you can start the recovery program for tendonitis knee pain. You don’t need a gym membership to perform these drills, as a matter of fact, you only need to get two tools: a foam-roller and an elastic band (I use Therabands). I suggest you get one of the stronger rubber bands, but not necessarily the strongest one there is. Additionally you will need a blanket and a stick, such as the stick of a broom for example. Unless stated otherwise, all exercises are to be performed barefoot. This will help strengthen your ankles and will enable you to derive maximum benefits from the exercises. The only acceptable reasons for wearing shoes are the need to wear orthotics and having to train in public places with a high risk of infection (e.g. the gym). Wear minimalist shoe wear in that case. For more information on that: benefits of minimalist shoe wear. A few words of caution before we get started: foam rolling should not be used on body parts that you have recently suffered an injury to. You should consult your physician about foam rolling if you have circulatory problems or chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia. Please also take note that while foam rolling is a cheap and easy way to improve tissue quality, results will not appear overnight. You will have to work on your fascia daily for a week or more in order to notice improvement. With foam rolling you’re targeting your soft-tissue (i.e. you should not be rolling your joints or other bony structures). Adjust the pressure you create with the roller to not cause pain, but don’t use too little pressure either. Just imagine you’re getting a massage: you wouldn’t want the therapist to leave bruises, yet at the same time you don’t want them to be too gentle either. In time, tissue quality will increase and you can spend less time foam rolling, but in the beginning you might have to spend between 1 to 2 minutes per muscle to achieve results. Don’t roll a muscle longer than that, as it can actually have a negative impact on tissue quality. If you want to do more, just do several sessions per day. Once you’ve done this for a couple of weeks you will know when you’ve reached the point of diminishing returns. Releasing trigger points in the quadriceps muscle group is an important part of our exercises because it will increase the efficiency of the quadriceps stretches we’ll do later. A muscle with trigger points or other soft-tissue problems will resist stretching, making the process not only more time-consuming but also more painful. Get in a plank position and place the roller under your thighs. Roll back and forth moving your thighs across the roller by pushing and pulling with your arms (make sure to not shrug your shoulders towards your ears). Keep your knees straight for a few repetitions and then experiment with bending your knees, turning your feet out and combining both variations. This will enable you to hit certain spots you might have missed before. You can increase the intensity by just rolling one leg. Once you have rolled out the tension in your rectus femoris, simply turn your body to one side to proceed with the next patellar tendonitis exercise. The Vastus Lateralis is on the outside of your leg and can sometimes become attached to the iliotibial band, thereby restricting free gliding of the fascia. This way a tight Vastus Lateralis can contribute to lateral knee pain. You can hit the Vastus Lateralis better by rolling a bit more on the front of your thigh, as opposed to just on the side. As with the other drills you can increase or decrease pressure by placing more weight on the supporting limbs. Like in the previous drill, try bending the knee of the leg you’re working to hit some unnoticed trigger points. Once your vastus lateralis is all nice and soft, just continue turning to the side and proceed to the next drill. The iliotibial band runs down the outer side of your thigh and rolling it might be a bit uncomfortable the first couple of times. Reduce the pressure by putting more weight on your supporting limbs if it’s too painful for you. To foam roll the iliotibial band, just place the roller on the outside of your thigh and then roll back and forth until you feel the pressure “melting”. Remember to relax. Don’t react to trigger points by tensing up your muscles and that also applies to facial expressions: keep a relaxed face. After a couple of sessions you can increase the pressure by putting more weight on the working leg. Once more thing: sometimes space is limited and if that’s the case rolling in short strokes might be more feasible than doing the entire ITB in one long stroke, especially if you’re a tall person like I am. Once you’re done with your ITB you just move the roller up to the side of your hip for the next exercise. The area we’re targeting with this drill is on the side of your hip, slightly to the front. Lie down on your side, with the roller under your hip, slightly to the front. Avoid all bony prominences in that region and just concentrate on the soft tissue. You can change the intensity by putting more weight on your supporting limbs. Gently roll back and forth for a few minutes until there’s no tension left. As with the other drills: go slowly. Once you’re done with the TFL turn sideways to prepare for the next exercise. To hit the Gluteus Maximus you sit down on the roller, balance with your hands behind your back and just roll back and forth like in the previous drills. You can increase the pressure by just rolling one side. Some coaches recommend using a tennis ball or lacrosse ball, but I found those small implements to be too inconvenient. I spent more time fiddling with the setup than I spent actually rolling. You might want to give it a shot though, as tennis and lacrosse balls are cheap and can also be used for other muscle groups like the chest. From this position you can easily move to the next area by moving your body backwards and letting the roller move to the back of your thighs. By the way: in some cases rolling your Gluteus Maximus can alleviate back pain, as too much stiffness in the GM can cause flexion in your lower back. Rolling on the back of the thigh you can hit your hamstring muscle group. I prefer to roll each leg individually, as this makes it easier to roll all muscles. On the inside of the back of your thigh you can hit the semimembranosus and semitendinosus. The biceps femoris is on the outside of the back your thigh. Make sure to be thorough, as soft tissue problems in this region can directly contribute to hamstring “tightness”, which will place more stress on your patellar tendon, as your knee extensors have to work harder (i.e. against the additional resistance of the “tight” hamstring). Push the roller down to your calves and journey on. Foam rolling the lower leg is very similar to rolling the thigh. Roll your calves keeping your knees straight to hit the Gastrocnemius and then roll your calves with your knees slightly bent (not pictured) to hit your Soleus. You can also tilt your body to the side to hit the muscles on the side of the lower leg (e.g. Peroneals) and on the front (e.g. Tibialis Anterior). Be careful not to use too much pressure though, as these are very small muscles. If you have a tennis ball or a lacrosse ball you can use it here. Just place the ball under your foot (without shoes on obviously) and roll the bottom of the foot (Planter Fascia). This can magically free up additional range of motion in the rest of the body, as the fascia of the whole body is interconnected. Patellar tendonitis exercises wouldn’t be complete without a good stretching regimen. We’re going to stretch the quadriceps muscles, the TFL, the calves and the hip flexors. As I’ve mentioned before, tightness in the hamstrings can contribute to tendonitis knee pain, as the knee extensors have to work against additional resistance, which will put extra load on the patellar tendon. In most cases it is not a good idea to stretch the hamstrings though, as the tightness you feel is just your body’s reaction to that muscle being overworked. The typical postural misalignment of today is anterior pelvic tilt (pelvis tilted forward), because we sit a lot, which leads to a neurological shortening of the hip flexors (e.g. rectus femoris, iliopsoas). Once we stand up, those short hip flexors pull the top of our hip and our lower back closer to our thighs, creating an excessive curvature of the lower back. This will lengthen the gluteals, because they are the antagonists of our hip flexors and normally create hip extension. The gluteals will slowly lose function and the hamstrings now have to pick up the slack to create hip extension which will lead to overworked and tight hamstrings. This is why I suggest you stretch your hip flexors and strengthen your glutes: it will remove factors that are very likely to contribute to hamstring tightness and thereby allow your hamstrings to get back to normal. It is very likely that you are in a similar situation, in which case simply aggressively stretching your hamstrings will not work to remove the tightness permanently. That being said, let’s finally move on to the stretches. The hip flexor stretch is tricky and easy to do wrong. Set up in a lunge position with your bottom knee padded using a blanket, towel, yoga mat or something similar. Keep your back straight and vertical. Looking at the anatomy of the human body you can see that some hip flexors attach to the hip and the Psoas Major even attaches to the lower back. Now, if you want to stretch the hip flexors you have to lengthen the muscle, which creates forces that try to tilt your hip forward and increase the curvature in your lower back. You have to resist these forces by bracing your core and strongly tensing your glutes. In order to stretch your hip flexors you have to brace your abs (as if bracing for a punch) and tense your glutes. Depending on the surface you work on you now either have to sink forward and down, having your upper knee travel forward or you can get everything tight and push the rear leg backwards by tensing the glutes. Tensing the glutes will not only increase your ability to engage them actively, but it will also help stretch the hip flexors through a process called reciprocal inhibition: if you use a certain muscle, its antagonist relaxes. To make change, perform this stretch for at least two minutes per side. I usually start with my tighter hip flexor and stretch both sides twice for a total duration of 4 minutes. You can also make this stretch more dynamic by moving your hip forward and back, thereby increasing and decreasing the stretch with the movement. Just make sure not to slip into the compensational patterns. Once you’re familiar with this stretch you can combine it with a simple ankle mobility drill. Place a stick just on the outside of your toes and as you sink into the stretch you move your knee beyond the stick on the outside. This will prevent your arch from collapsing and will improve your ankle mobility. Don’t force the range of motion, but only go as far as you can without straining. With mobility drills you won’t feel a stretch and the exercise is more about working the available range of motion of the joint to slowly restore its complete ROM. The setup for the quadriceps stretch is similar to the hip flexor stretch, but here you grab your leg with the arm of the same side. Make sure to have ample padding under your knee for this one. Personally, I prefer getting into position for this stretch by lunging down to have my knee on the pad, after which I will lean forward at the hip and grab my ankle (don’t grab the foot). After that I will get my torso upright again, holding on to the ankle and get into a good position for the stretch. Getting into position this way made it easier for me to find a more comfortable position for my bottom knee. At this point you need to pay attention to the same things as with the hip flexor stretch: keep your back straight and vertical, don’t let your hip tilt forward and don’t lean forward. To move into the stretch you can pull your leg closer, tense the glutes and let your hip move forward (not tilt forward!) and sink down. In a nice variation of this exercise (easier on the arms) you prop your rear leg against a wall. To perform this drill, set up with your side towards a wall, bend the leg that is away from the wall and place it forward, while keeping the other leg straight. The forward leg will help you support your weight and maintain balance. In the beginning this setup will be a bit tricky and it takes time to find a “comfortable” way to do this. Once you’re in position for this stretch, sink down, keeping your torso upright or slightly bent away from the wall. You should feel the stretch on the outside of your hip. Increase the intensity by leaning away from the wall. Remember to always keep the bottom leg straight. It helps to have a surface that prevents the foot of the working leg from slipping away from the wall, but you can also have a training partner block your foot from slipping away. There are several ways to stretch your calves, but I found this one to work best for me. You will need something sturdy to stand on and shoes with a solid sole. Step on the object, placing the balls of your feet on the ledge. Now sink down into the stretch, keeping your knees straight. You can intensify the stretch by putting more weight on one leg. A word of advice: don’t let your arches collapse and keep your knees aligned over your feet. Your ankles shouldn’t rotate inwards at all. If you feel pain in your ankle you will need to find another position to perform this stretch (e.g. standing on a curb and leaning forward). Once you’ve stretched your calves with your knees straight, you can bend your knees. This will shift the focus to different muscles in your calves (from the Gastrocnemius to the Soleus). With the strengthening exercises we’re going to improve strength and function of your gluteal muscles, improve your mobility at the ankle and the hip and we will also speed the healing process up by directly strengthening your patellar tendon. To derive maximum benefit from these exercises you have to pay attention to proper postural alignment of all body parts. With regard to your feet and knees: keep your feet either pointing forward or pointing in the same direction as your thigh. Your thighs will only point outward when working in a very wide stance and therefore your feet should also only point outward when working in a very wide stance. Lie down on your back and bend the knees to create a 90 degree angle, while your hip is still on the ground. With both feet planted, push through the heels squeezing your glutes to form a straight line from your chest to your knees. This is the regular glute bridge. In the advanced version you keep one leg straight and push yourself up using only one leg. Just like in the two-legged version you squeeze your glutes and lift your body up. In both versions you have to hold the elevated position for around 5 seconds, squeezing your glutes hard during that time. Touch the gluteal muscles with your hands to help your nervous system rediscover the neural pathways to the muscles, should you have trouble getting them to fire. The main workload has to be felt in the gluteals and not in the lower back, hamstrings or abs. Only move on to the one-legged version once you feel your glutes working hard and you can keep good form throughout the set. Put the stick on the middle of your back and have it touch your head, your back between your shoulder blades and your tailbone. Maintain these points of contact during the movement and don’t tilt your body to the side, or else the stick will roll off. The distance between your lower back and the stick should not increase too much. You can have a partner cue you through the movement or use a video recording (e.g. your cellphone). If these options are not viable, you can put your hand in the space between your lower back and use the stick to gauge the distance. In the advanced variation of this exercise you will also raise your opposite arm toward the front. With the side-lying clams we train another movement pattern at the gluteal muscles. This is a very subtle movement in the beginning, as the neural pathways to the required muscle have been dormant in most of us. Pay attention to performing the exercise the right way. Lie on your side with your body straight. Now bend both knees a bit. Rotate the upper leg out without tilting your hip back to perform one repetition. I prefer to hold the upper position for 2 or 3 seconds, as this helps me feel the correct muscles working. As the name suggests your legs should imitate the opening motion of a clam. Keep your upper body in place throughout and don’t roll on your back (3rd frame) to increase the range of motion. This will trick you into using the wrong muscles for the job. This is the third exercise we use to retrain the gluteal muscle. Lie on your side with your body forming a straight line. Then raise the upper leg upward, just moving from your hip. As in the previous drill, your upper body remains in place and does not contribute to the movement. Only go as far as you can without compromising technique and hold the top position for two to three seconds. Keep your feet parallel to each other or lead with the heel of the working leg. This exercise is specifically designed to teach you to resist movement at the hip. Take your rubber band and hold it out in front of you. Now step onto the band with your feet hip-width apart. Put the bands into the opposite hands and you’re in the starting position. From the starting position you squat down slightly by sitting back and now you walk sideways, moving one leg at a time. Don’t let the “rear” leg drag on the ground, but pick it up and resist the tension of the band. You can make this exercise (a lot) harder by using a stronger band or pulling on the band more. Just like in the other strengthening drills: move without using momentum. You should be able to stop at any point and then reverse the movement into the opposite direction. I suggest you perform this exercise with a stick as a guide for the first couple of times. This way you can find your ideal head and back alignment a lot easier. Have the stick touch the back of your head, your upper back between your shoulder blades and your hip at all time. I also highly recommend performing this drill with the big toe of the other foot on the ground (as shown in the picture). This helps grooving the proper movement in the beginning, as the body would quickly resort to unwanted compensational patterns if it felt too threatened or overwhelmed. For our purposes, the error you need to avoid is having your knee collapse inward (last frame). This is the at-risk position for injuries to the knee from simple patellar tendonitis to ACL-tears. Strengthen the correct movement pattern and your risk of injury will drop significantly. To perform this exercise you assume a stance with your feet hip-width apart and pointing forward. Move one leg back and bend it, so that only the big toe touches the floor. The majority of the weight will now be on the working leg. Start the movement by sitting back and once your knee is bent a little, you bend forward at the hip. Keep your shins vertical and your back straight (i.e. touching the stick at the supporting points). Go as low as you can without compromising technique. To return to the starting position, squeeze your glutes hard and reverse the movement. Keep squeezing your glutes until you’ve locked out in the top position again. You can experiment with different degrees of knee bend. The less you bend your knees, the more hamstring flexibility the exercise will require. You can progress to more demanding variations of this exercise once you’ve mastered the easier versions. To make the exercise more difficult you take the supporting foot off the ground. This step should be open to you after the first week of training. Be sure not to have your knees collapse inward und continue to use the stick if you need to. You can also gradually improve the range of motion, although this happens automatically in my experience. The next step in loading would be holding a weight on the hand opposite to the working leg. Use a light weight to be able to maintain flawless technique. Once you feel confident you can of course use heavier weights and later you can even hold weights in both hands. The benefit of this exercise goes way beyond knee health, as the improved proprioception and strengthening of the ankle will also bullet-proof your ankle. In spite of landing on other people’s feet after rebounding I haven’t sprained my ankle even once after implementing this exercise into my training. The King Deadlift is a very difficult single-leg exercise that will require a lot of strength and a good deal of balancing skills. This is a strength drill, so perform it in a controlled fashion without any bouncing or momentum. You have to be able to freeze at every point during the movement. To perform the King Deadlift you stand on one leg and start sitting back while keeping the other leg bent. The knee of the other leg should be the first thing to touch the floor (use padding in the beginning!), but of course it’s ok to assist yourself with your other leg a little bit at first. To get up from the bottom position you must not use momentum. If you don’t have the strength to get up just using one leg you can assist yourself with your back leg. Always remember to never sacrifice poundage lifted for technique, because in the end that mentality will not only get you injured, but also prevent you from setting records. When doing the King Deadlift you also have to pay utmost attention to the position of your knees. Don’t let your knees collapse and don’t let it travel forward too far. The knee should stay behind the toes of the foot. Eccentric squats on a decline surface have been shown to speed the recovery of patellar tendonitis and they should therefore be included in our training. You can improvise a slanted board using wood and some books, but you could also go to a hill. As a last resort you could wear shoes with a sturdy sole and stand with your heels on the curb. The shoes shouldn’t restrict your ankle though. Be creative. To perform the eccentric squats you assume a squatting stance on the board and squat using just the strength of your legs on the way down. Support your weight in some way on the way up. I used the stick to push off from the ground. Many people perform squats in a way that is more stressful on the knees and doesn’t recruit the gluteal muscles a lot. To perform it the right way, imagine sitting back on a chair that is far away, rather than dipping straight down. Start and lead the movement with the hip. Only start bending at the knee once it’s necessary to go lower, but keep your shins close to vertical throughout (will happen automatically if you sit back as far as you can and only move from the hips). Don’t let your knees collapse inward. To reverse the movement, you push your hips back as far as you can. You should feel your gluteal muscles working as you get up. Oh and don’t let your knees collapse inward. Depending on your strength and pain level, you have to determine how low you want to squat. In the beginning you can just squat to slightly above parallel (second frame) and once you feel confident you can perform the full range of motion. The question of how deep you should squat is controversial to say the least and could fill another 25 page article, but I will trim it down to one paragraph. Without a heavy barbell putting additional load on your back it’s totally safe to squat all the way down. Children do it all the time. Billions of people in other cultures spend a significant amount of time in a full squat and you know what? Their incidence rate of hip and knee pain is a lot lower. On top of that the cartilage in the knee only gets supplied with nutrients if the knee is moved through the complete range of motion. If you only ever squat to parallel your cartilage will not get enough nutrients to stay healthy. This is a very advanced drill that should only be performed if the two-legged version can be done pain-free through the complete range of motion for at least 50 consecutive reps. You also have to be proficient in the one-legged deadlift and king deadlift before trying this. Steve Maxwell has written an excellent piece on the full ROM single-leg squat (aka pistol) and I suggest you read it before tackling this skill: how to become a pistolero. Since this is a very advanced variation you don’t need to read it now, as there will still be plenty of time in the coming weeks while you work on the foundational movements. To perform the single-leg eccentric squat you lower yourself on one leg sitting back as far as possible (just like in the regular squat). Use the second leg on the way up. If you need to hold on to something for balance you can use a training partner, doorway or a sturdy piece of furniture. Depending on how you are built you might have to use a light weight between 5 to 10 pounds for balance (hold it out in front of you). Hang on to a doorway or a sturdy piece of furniture if you have to. Range of motion in this drill is even more controversially discussed than ROM of the two-legged squat. I’ve been doing pistols for years now and the only time I ever felt it in my knees was when I increased my volume injudiciously (as in from 3×6 to 5×9). Now, we know from the graph in “Step 8: take it slow” that there will be tissue breakdown before pain sets in, so we have to give our bodies enough time to recover and only increase volume (number of reps), frequency (how often you train it) and intensity (how low you go) judiciously. That being said, if you slowly increase one training variable (volume, frequency or intensity) in a given training cycle of 6 to 8 weeks you will derive great benefits from a properly performed pistol. If you do too much too soon with improper technique, you will get hurt. Now that you are familiar with the exercises we can put them in a program for tendonitis knee pain. The program is divided into phases and it’s up to you to decide when to go to the next step. The number of repetitions given for single-leg drills has to be performed with each leg. On the surface this phase may seem boring and useless, but trust me, performing these seemingly simple drills can teach you a lot. Those are the basics that everyone has to master and any athlete that has a flawed foundation will never reach his or her full potential. Stay in this phase for at least 1 to 2 weeks. In the second week you go through the strength training circuit twice (so four times a day). Perform the foam rolling at least 4 times per week. Do the stretches at least 5 times per week (perform the hip flexor stretch with the stick to work ankle mobility). Practice the unassisted one-legged Deadlift drill two or three times per day. Only do a couple of repetitions per set and then rest before starting the next set. Pay utmost attention to picture perfect form and never exhaust yourself. Perform the foam rolling 3 times per week. Do the stretches at least 4 times per week (perform the hip flexor stretch with the stick to work ankle mobility). Three times a week: perform the one-legged deadlift. Start with 2 sets of 8 reps and add repetitions once you feel proficient and strong enough. Technique should be as close to perfect as you can manage. Stay in this phase for at least 2 to 3 weeks. Perform the foam rolling at least 3 times per week. Do the stretches at least 3 times per week (perform the hip flexor stretch with the stick to work ankle mobility). Practice the King Deadlift two or three times per day. Only do a couple of repetitions per set and then rest before starting the next set. Pay utmost attention to picture perfect form and never fatigue yourself. Once per day, perform one-legged eccentric squats to just above parallel on the slanted board (use both legs to stand up), 2 sets of 5 – 7 reps (rest as much as needed between sets and hold on to something for balance if you have to). Remember: sit back as far as you can and keep your shin vertical! Three times a week: perform the one-legged deadlift. Start with 3 sets of 8 reps and add repetitions once you feel proficient and strong enough to perform the amount of work with very good technique. Twice per day, perform one-legged eccentric squats to just above parallel on the slanted board (use both legs to stand up), do 2 sets of 5 to 8 reps. Don’t add more than one rep per week and rest as much as you need to maintain perfect form. Once you have followed the 5 phase program you will have stronger muscles, healthier joints and better movement patterns. By then it will be time to move on. You will have to prepare yourself for the rigors of the athletic world. Depending on your sport you could add force absorption work, full range of motion single-leg squats or other demanding exercises that will strengthen your joints, muscles and tendons even further. That is a topic for another day. I’ve tried to put as much knowledge as possible into this article and it gives you everything you need to know to start fixing your tendonitis knee pain. There still is a lot more that can be said about the topic of knee health. I also highly recommend you check out my book Beating Patellar Tendonitis. It’s a very comprehensive resource about all the possible mistakes you are probably making right now and that are preventing you from getting rid of patellar tendonitis. Alfredson, H.; Pietila, T.; Jonsson, P.; Lorentzon, R. (1998): Heavy-load eccentric calf muscle training for the treatment of chronic Achilles tendinosis. In Am J Sports Med 26 (3), pp. 360–366. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (1998): Patellar tendinopathy: some aspects of basic science and clinical management. — Khan et al. 32 (4): 346 — British Journal of Sports Medicine. With assistance of K. M. Khan, N. Maffulli, B. D. Coleman, J. L. Cook, J. E. Taunton. Available online at http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/32/4/346.citation, updated on 1/12/1998, checked on 6/03/2012. Perry Nickelston, D. FMS SFMAC: Lower Crossed Syndrome and Knee Pain. Available online at http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=52178, checked on 6/03/2012. Chek, Paul (2004): How to eat, move and be healthy! Your personalized 4-step guide to looking and feeling great from the inside out. San Diego, CA: C.H.E.K. Institute. Christian Thibaudeau (2006): 7 Secrets to Rapid Recovery | T NATION. Available online at http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/7_secrets_to_rapid_recovery, updated on 27/01/2006, checked on 6/03/2012. DiNubile, Nicholas A.; Scali, Bruce (2010): Framework for the knee. A 6-step plan for preventing injury and ending pain. Emmaus, Pa: Rodale. Dr. Kelly Starrett: Episode 33: FGB Push Press Prep. Patellar Tendonitis – YouTube. Available online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydoRfEXvmU8&feature=player_embedded, checked on 6/03/2012. Frohm, Anna; Saartok, Tonu; Halvorsen, Kjartan; Renstrom, Per (2007): Eccentric treatment for patellar tendinopathy: a prospective randomised short-term pilot study of two rehabilitation protocols. In Br J Sports Med 41 (7), pp. e7. Lian, OysteinB; Engebretsen, Lars; Bahr, Roald (2005): Prevalence of jumper’s knee among elite athletes from different sports: a cross-sectional study. In Am J Sports Med 33 (4), pp. 561–567. Peter Blanchonette (2006): Eccentric Exercise – A Solution to Tendonitis? | T NATION. Available online at http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/eccentric_exercise_a_solution_to_tendonitis, updated on 3/09/2006, checked on 6/03/2012. Stanish, W. D.; Rubinovich, R. M.; Curwin, S. (1986): Eccentric exercise in chronic tendinitis. In Clin Orthop Relat Res (208), pp. 65–68. Steve Maxwell: How to Become a Pistolero | Steve Maxwell Strength & Conditioning. Available online at http://maxwellsc.com/blog.cfm?blogID=60, checked on 6/03/2012. The Sports Physical Therapy Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (2010): EVIDENCE–SUPPORTED REHABILITATION OF PATELLAR TENDINOPATHY. With assistance of Marsha Rutland, Dennis O’Connell, Jean-Michel Brismée, Phil Sizer, Gail Apte, Janelle O’Connell. Available online at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2971642/?tool=pubmed, updated on 1/01/2010, checked on 6/03/2012. Visnes, Havard; Bahr, Roald (2007): The evolution of eccentric training as treatment for patellar tendinopathy (jumper’s knee): a critical review of exercise programmes. In Br J Sports Med 41 (4), pp. 217–223. Witvrouw, E.; Bellemans, J.; Lysens, R.; Danneels, L.; Cambier, D. (2001): Intrinsic risk factors for the development of patellar tendinitis in an athletic population. A two-year prospective study. In Am J Sports Med 29 (2), pp. 190–195. Wolf, Robb (2010): The paleo solution. The original human diet. Las Vegas: Victory Belt. This page was originally published by Martin Koban on the 6th of March 2012.

2019-04-20T06:52:06Z

https://www.fix-knee-pain.com/patellar-tendonitis-knee-tendonitis/

New Century Academy has kicked off its seventeenth school year in Hutchinson with great anticipation. Located at 950 School Road SW in Hutchinson, New Century Academy is a PUBLIC-TUITION FREE Charter School serving grades 7-12. In 2002 the school was opened on the Hutchinson Technology campus and completed its first five years of education in the Learning Center building located on Bluff Street. In 2008 the school moved to 5th Avenue into a new building built by local investors. Last June (2017) the School Board was presented with an opportunity to move into a larger space on School Road. This opportunity included a remodel plan for a full gymnasium, upgraded kitchen, an improved science lab and several creative learning spaces. The New Century Academy School Board was in full support of the move and students, families and staff have all worked tirelessly to create a collaborative and creative learning space. We completed a full year of education in our new home, amidst construction and at times confusion, the students and staff did an amazing job adapting to our ever-changing environment. As a PUBLIC-TUITION FREE Charter School, our world is always changing and adapting. The very nature of our efforts is to adjust to the changes that take place amongst our students and families. As an educational institution, we believe that it is our duty to meet the students where they are at, rather than always expecting them to conform to an educational system that hasn’t truly changed in 100 years. This is a culture that we have fostered from our beginning and continue to construct as we move into the future. After all, you can change the outside appearance of the package but if the present inside is the same, it may not excite you! Students and families who choose New Century Academy have much to look forward to in this new school year. We continue to expand our extra-curricular activity offerings and are excited about these opportunities for our students. Our goal is to learn, compete and most of all, have fun together! Our fall activities include Cross Country, 6-man Football and Volleyball. Our winter activities include Boys and Girls Basketball and Archery. Spring activities include Archery and Trap Shooting. With the construction of a regulation gymnasium this last school year, students can enjoy the indoor space during practices and competitions. Along with our extra-curricular activities we continue to work to develop unique and creative clubs that students can participate in. Students will again provide a Gaming Club, Photography Club, Yearbook, Student Council, Reading Club and Art Club. Our hope is that more students will show interest in Speech, Knowledge Bowl, Math League and a Rock Climbing Club. We have completed the construction of one of the two rock walls within the gymnasium. Students, families, staff and community can look forward to challenging themselves on the only rock wall available in this community and surrounding communities. Students can also look forward to the continued development of our Work Study program where students can enroll in an elective course that will teach them hands-on employability skills. Students may select from the Food Service, Office-Clerical, Maintenance and our very own Coffee Shop! Students will work along with a staff member to develop essential skills needed for the work environment. The Coffee Shop is a unique experience in which students develop menu items, the associated costs and marketing techniques to conduct their business. All of the profit goes back to the shop and to student activities. Our goal is to have this Coffee Shop open to the public! In addition to our Work Study program, we will continue to provide the same required course work that all public schools must offer as well as electives like trigonometry, calculus, STEM, Careers, Fitness and Activity classes, Band & Choir and various levels of Art. At New Century Academy, students have the option to enroll in online elective courses through Edynamic Learning. The program offers over 50 online elective courses. Our Band program, directed by a St. Paul Orchestra Director, will be in its second year of development. The first year of Band saw great improvement and tons of excitement. We look forward to expanding our Band program and attracting new, talented musicians! In addition to a typical Band program we will continue the development of our Music and Video Production program. Students will have the opportunity to explore these artistic areas through blogs, podcasts, mixing and recording music and much more! Students will also have the opportunity to explore college courses through our PSEO program. As a PUBLIC-TUITION FREE Charter School, we continue to provide our Project Based Learning program. This program allows students to obtain elective and core credit through the development of independent projects. These projects are chosen by the students and can be developed around any passion or interest they have. Once the idea is in place, student embark on a project development process with an advisor and other students. Students learn project management skills, resource development in both community and print, collaboration and teamwork as well as refining their skills in evidence based research and presentation skills. Through the recent remodel construction, we have created two unique Project Based Learning Spaces on either wing of the school building. These spaces allow for students to spread out and get to work whether it be by themselves, in partner groups or small groups. One of many great things about our staff is that many of them have worked in other professional capacities before coming to education. For example, we have employees on staff who have worked as an EMT, Orchestra Director, Athletic Trainer, Apparel Business Owner, Cable/Satellite Installer, Lawyer, Parks and Recreation, Early Childhood, Nursing Home Worker, Childcare, Military Personnel, Restaurant and Food Service Worker and many more! All of these employees share these experiences with students and use their past skill development to help students discover their potential career interests. Our staff knows that education is more than just teaching and learning, it’s about connecting with students and families and connecting them to the community. It is our job as public education to serve our students and families, not the other way around. This has often been lost in many traditional public schools as they continue to meet the needs of a certain type of student. While this might be an easier approach when attempting to educate a larger number of students in a big school, it may not meet the needs of students who are less traditional and maybe non-conforming. What if you don’t fit into that traditional mold? What if you’re looking for something different? Something that meets your needs as an individual. This is the advantage a small PUBLIC-TUITION FREE Charter School can offer. We have a better staff to student ratio on purpose. Our class sizes are designed to be small on purpose. We believe we can help those students who need to reconnect to their education. We also believe we can help those students who need more or who believe in having more control over their education. If you are a student who needs a place you can feel that you belong, are wanted and can find empowerment, then New Century Academy is the school for you! If you are a parent who wants their child to find excitement and curiosity again in their education, then New Century Academy is the school for you! Spring and warm weather is finally here! I’d like to take this opportunity to celebrate the success of our school year. I will speak to you about some of our successes and some of our challenges. I will also take time to share our future plans and possibilities. New Century Academy started this journey 16 years ago with the hopes of providing an educational environment that made students the center of their own learning. The vision for the school included students working together with their peers, teachers, family members and community to solve problems and discover confidence and ownership in their learning. This included the development of a Project Based Curriculum combined with the traditional methods of education. Throughout New Century Academy’s existence this approach has evolved and changed with the leadership, teaching and learning styles of our students. This student involvement and choice in the learning model has always been a staple of our program. This choice extends to the enrollment of all our students as we are a public school of choice. This means that all students are open enrolling, by choice, from their home districts. We celebrate the choice families make each year to entrust our staff and programming with the education of their children. I would like to take a few moments to reflect on the successes we’ve had this year and the plans for the future. It has been a busy year to say the least. At the close of last year we were presented with an opportunity from the ownership of our then building on 5th avenue, which we’ve occupied since 2008. That opportunity involved a well-known facility on School Road. Did you read that? ON SCHOOL ROAD! It had long been a frustration of mine that we always, from our inception, seemed to be tucked behind the industrial areas of town. From our first building on the Hutchinson Technology campus to our most recent building just down the road from 3M and the Household Hazardous Waste facility. Although these were good neighbors, it always felt like we were somewhere we didn’t belong. It felt isolated and although the building itself was sufficient, the opportunity to grow and expand was limited. I believe students never quite felt like they owned the space. This obscurity was made clear to me over the course of the last couple of years as Director. As I worked through the community more and more about the opportunity New Century Academy could make available to students, I observed three misconceptions by citizens who have lived in the community for decades. First, that we were a private school and charged tuition. Secondly, that we were a school but people were not sure of where we were located as they had spent very little time driving down 5th avenue. And third, that some citizens had no idea we even existed. I’m not sure what more motivation we needed than what I’ve just explained. The opportunity to have a Public Charter School of choice located on School Road, right in the middle of the education sector of the community – was a no-brainer. The school board and staff took immediate action to explore our options and decide a course of action. Through the months of April, May and June we worked tirelessly to explore our options. Finally, we made the decision to move and realize the potential. This new location allows us 10,000 more square feet, a full regulation gymnasium, additional science lab space, property and much more. I would like to thank staff, students and families for their patience this year as we worked through the series of construction phases. We recently finished the interior phase of construction and have only one item remaining pertaining to the exterior of the building. Although this process has had its challenges, the overall scope of the project has been a success and students and staff have enjoyed their new home. There have been several new opportunities this year at New Century Academy. Our new home has allowed us additional space to expand our activities. We were very proud to host our first ever home basketball competition! We look forward to future basketball games as well as volleyball in the fall. This new gym space allowed us to add a rock climbing wall and stage with a connected shower room. This will allow for increased activity opportunities for students within their physical education classes and future performing arts. With the help of our Activities Director Josh Krych, we have continued our archery program and added a trap shooting team. Students are very excited about these opportunities and we all look forward to watching them compete. Next school year we will be competing in 6 man football and are very excited to offer this activity. Another highlight is the cafeteria space and kitchen which provides unique sitting areas and, with the help of our amazing food service director, unique opportunities to learn food service job skills and provide a service back to the school. I believe those of us who have eaten the food would all agree that it is amazing! In addition, students are realizing new job skill learning through our coffee shop, office and maintenance work study program. During second semester, students and staff have been working in our new science lab and I’ve heard many compliments on the design and equipment available for learning. I can honestly say that students and staff have embraced our new building and feel a larger sense of ownership in our new home. The school has also realized new programming and the addition of several new staff members. We hired a new math teacher, Mrs. Stansbury, and a new instructional coach for students, Ms. Mumford. These efforts centered around our declining performance in the area of math. Both of these individuals have been great additions and have worked hard with students to help them improve. It will take some time to reach our goals and I feel very confident that the teaching and learning in this department will make that happen. In the area of reading, Mrs. Haugen continues to be influential in our continuous improvement and her efforts along with the students resulted in an increase in our academic performance. Mrs. Haugen, along with teachers and support staff across the curriculum, will continue to find ways to collaborate and combine our efforts in reading to help students realize their full potential. Another first for New Century Academy was the addition of a music teacher who specializes in band and orchestra. Mr. Carvell has done an amazing job in cultivating interest and starting our first band! I have been very pleased to see the interest and talent of our students in this area. Again, this will take time to develop this program and I’m confident this will be an area of interest for our students as we move forward. All of our teachers and support staff work hard each day to create a welcoming environment that supports students mental health, confidence, sense of belonging and progress toward the purpose of secondary education which is a well-rounded person, able to graduate and move into the community as a contributing member. I would like to share my gratitude for taking the time to read this update and for all that you do to support us during the year. This is the time to celebrate a year that is coming to a close, and expectations of a new year rapidly approaching. Our staff eagerly anticipates the challenges, growth, successes, lessons learned, and triumphs that will occur in the next school year. We look forward to serving families and students for many years to come. Thank you. Welcome all of you to a new school year and a new horizon for New Century Academy! I, Jason Becker and Board Chair, Kathy Prellwitz, would like to thank you all for your patience and understanding as we move forward in our new building with exciting possibilities. We are writing this email to inform all of you of the progress we have made as we approach the start of a new school year at New Century Academy. We have all been working very diligently to execute the remodeling and construction of our new building. This process involves the State of Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, including the plumbing and mechanical departments. These departments are involved in the approval of our construction plans. Once approved, the City of Hutchinson issues permits to allow the various levels of construction. The original plans were submitted for approval in early June. Unfortunately, it took until August 11th to receive approval for construction from the state. At that time, the state had not approved certain pieces of the mechanical and plumbing plans. It took several resubmissions before the state would approve the mechanical and plumbing plans. We received approval of these remaining pieces today, August 29th. While I’m confident we will receive a Certificate of Occupancy soon, we will not have enough time to complete critical pieces of construction needed before the original calendar start date of September 5th. For these reasons, we feel, in the interest of student safety, that it is necessary to move the school start date to Monday, September 11th. This would then mean that we would move the school end date to June 1st. However, please know, these decisions are being made in the best interest of the students: we want them to start a new year in a steady and structured environment, as proud and excited as we are! I understand that this may change plans for some families, and I apologize for any inconvenience this will cause. Please understand that it is in our highest interest to start the year off conveniently with as much access to the building as possible. We value every day that we have with your children and will work tirelessly to prepare. There will be a Special School Board Meeting held tomorrow night, Wednesday August 30th, at 6:00pm at the new school site on 950 School Road SW in Hutchinson. This meeting will be to approve a move of the school start date from Tuesday, September 5th to Monday, September 11th. This change in start date will be to accommodate the construction and acquisition of a Certificate of Occupancy issued by the City of Hutchinson. We invite all of you to join us for the special board meeting on Wednesday night, particularly if you have any questions or concerns. We truly appreciate your patience as we make this tremendous and exciting transition into a new spectacular location, and we truly appreciate your patience and commitment to NCA. We are so excited to be a part of your child’s future! The Open House and Ice Cream Social will remain for this Thursday, August 31st. Student schedules will be available as well as the opportunity to meet new and returning staff. Please join us for a social and preview of the construction project. We look forward to seeing all of you! Happy Spring New Century Academy families! As we move away from another winter and into a beautiful spring season I hope this letter finds you all well rested and healthy. Students and staff have been working very hard to prepare for our upcoming spring assessments and the end to another successful year at NCA. All of us at New Century Academy thank you for your choice to attend our school and the privilege we have to help your students achieve their goals. It is hard to believe that Graduation is only a few short months away! Conferences for Quarter 3 will occur on Thursday, March 9th from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm and Friday, March 10th from 7:45 am to 3:45 pm. Teachers are allowed a one hour lunch between 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm and will be unavailable at this time on Friday. Your child’s advisor should be scheduling a conference with you. This may be done through an email, phone call or through your child. Our goal is to have 100% attendance at conferences. Staying connected to your child’s education is critical to their success. Your child’s advisor is the point person and your first contact for conferences. All teachers are available during conferences, however you may have to wait to speak to a specific classroom teacher. For this reason, please check our website and reach out to your child’s classroom teachers if you have questions before or after conferences. Your child’s advisor will work to answer questions you may have. Please remember that you can set up access to the parent portal for updates on academic progress. Once set up, you can receive these updates through email, phone or other device. You can also adjust the settings to receive notifications about attendance, grades, missing assignments and other important information. This is a great way to stay connected to your child’s education and can be critical in helping us hold your child accountable. New Century Academy students have submitted their art work to the Hutchinson Center for the Arts exhibit. The exhibition is open for viewing until March 9th. The Hutchinson Center for the Arts building is located next to the police station and is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Saturday from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm. There will be a reception on March 9th from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Please attend the exhibit and support New Century Academy Art students! Tonight, Thursday March 2nd at 6:00 pm the New Century Academy MS and HS Choir groups will be performing songs in our second concert of the year. Everyone is invited. Please show up to support Mr. Sood and his students in their efforts. They have been working very hard. This Friday, March 3rd all of the students and staff will be at the Minnesota Science Museum for a day of learning. This field trip is not optional and will count as our day of school. Any student who chooses to stay home will be considered absent unexcused. All students were given a permission form to bring home for you to sign. Please return this form before Friday if you have not already done so. The cost of the trip is $10. March 6th through March 9th the 7th, 8th and 10th grade students will be taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment along with all other students in the state. This is an opportunity for our students to show what they can do! We are confident that if the students put the best effort into this test, the results will reflect how awesome we already know they are! Please help improve your child’s chances by getting them plenty of rest and good nutrition. A healthy brain is a successful one. It is very important that your child takes the assessment seriously and performs at the best of their ability. Please have a conversation with your child about their approach to this assessment. Future MCA tests will occur in Math and Science during the months of April and May. There will be no school from March 10th through March 17th. Hopefully this will be a time of rest and relaxation for our students and staff. Our third Eterm will occur immediately following Spring Break. This is a great time where we get to know our students outside the typical classroom, learning things that may seem non-traditional but have enormous value in the development of the complete student. Your child should bring home a packet March 3rd with all the details. Please review this document with your child and help them pick a seminar for both the morning and afternoon sessions. Students also have a chance to sign up for an all-day seminar as well. Your signature is required on the document so that we know that you approve of their choices. Some of the seminars cost money. Please know that we do work with payment plans that work for you. We will also be offering a Driver’s Education course for the second time this school year. We need a minimum of six students to sign up for this seminar. The cost is broken up into three payments: $50 down at sign-up, $99 by the end of class, and $149 when the behind the wheel portion is completed. This has been a great seminar to offer our families. You get all the course work done in one week. We had our second Family Night on December 12th at the school. Students, staff and their family members enjoyed an evening of free food and entertainment. Those who attended participated in a free game of bingo with prizes. We are so thankful to all of the businesses in Hutchinson and surrounding communities who helped supply the prizes. Thank you to all that attended. Our next Family Night is scheduled for April 3rd from 6:00-7:30 pm. The free supper begins at 6:00 pm with activities to follow. Please join us for the festivities! The 2017 Annual Meeting for New Century Academy will be held on Wednesday, April 19th from 6:30 – 7:30 pm at the school. This is an opportunity for us to celebrate our school year and to elect new school board members. Please let the school know if you are interested in a school board position. Everyone is invited to learn about the successes of our students and staff and to see what lies ahead for NCA. Graduation will be held on May 19th at 7:00 pm. The event will take place at the Hutchinson Event Center. A senior student picnic is also scheduled that day at 12:00 noon at Northwoods Park in Hutchinson. If you have questions about cap and gown or anything else related to this event please contact the school office. Welcome back to a beautiful fall and another school year at New Century Academy! I hope this message finds your family in good health. New and exciting things are happening at New Century! We are working hard to help your children become positive leaders and productive citizens. Thank you for your trust in our efforts. Conferences for Quarter 1 will occur on Tuesday, October 18th from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm and Wednesday, October 19th from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Teachers are allowed a one hour lunch between 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm and will be unavailable at this time on Wednesday. Your child’s advisor should be scheduling a conference with you. This may be done through an email, phone call or through your child. Our goal is to have 100% attendance at conferences. Staying connected to your child’s education is critical to their success. Your child’s advisor is the point person and your first contact for conferences. All teachers are available during conferences, however you may have to wait to speak to a specific classroom teacher. For this reason, please check our website and reach out to your child’s classroom teachers if you have questions before or after conferences. Your child’s advisor will work to answer questions you may have. We will have someone available in the computer lab during conferences to assist you with the Parent Portal access for grades and attendance updates. Once set up, you can receive these updates through email, phone or other device. This is a great way to stay connected to your child’s education. This Thursday, October 13th the staff will be playing a friendly game of flag football with the students who have been participating in this extracurricular. The game starts at 3:30 pm. Please show up and support your students and staff! At 6:00 pm the New Century Academy MS and HS Choir groups will be performing three songs in our first concert of the year. Everyone is invited. Please show up to support Mr. Sood and his students in their efforts. They have been working very hard. This Thursday and Friday students at NCA will be taking the NWEA test. This is a computer assessment that allows us to track progress and growth in the areas of math, reading and language usage. This information is used to provide students with supplemental support and targeted services to help them improve their academic skills. Please help improve your child’s chances by getting them plenty of rest and good nutrition. A healthy brain is a successful one. It is very important that your child takes the assessment seriously and performs at the best of their ability. Please have a conversation with your child about their approach to this assessment. At the end of each quarter this school year students will be participating in something that makes New Century unique and a great place to learn. Our Eterms (Exploratory Terms) have become a great part of the education at our school. Students and staff participate in all types of learning opportunities! This is a great time where we get to know our students outside the typical classroom, learning things that may seem non-traditional but have enormous value in the development of the complete student. Your child should be bringing home a packet this weekend with all the details. Please review this document with your child and help them pick a seminar for both the morning and afternoon sessions. Students also have a chance to sign up for an all-day seminar as well. Your signature is required on the document so that we know that you approve of their choices. Some of the seminars cost money. Please know that we will work with you with payment plans that work for you. This year we will be offering supplemental reading support to our 7th, 8th and 10th grade students based on both NWEA and MCA standardized assessment scores. Each Eterm, students that are selected will have the choice of either a morning or afternoon seminar designed to help them improve their reading abilities as we lead up to the MCA assessment this Spring. Our goal is to have everyone reading at grade level. Please encourage your children to do their best if they are selected for this seminar. We will also be offering a Driver’s Education course. We need a minimum of six students to sign up for this seminar. The cost is broken up into three payments: $50 down at sign-up, $99 by the end of class, and $149 when the behind the wheel portion is completed. This has been a great seminar to offer our families. You get all the course work done in one week. We had our first Family Night on September 26th at the school. Students, staff and their family members enjoyed an evening of free food and entertainment. Those who attended faced off in a friendly game of Family Feud with the winners receiving prizes. We finished the evening with a prize drawing. Thank you to all that attended. Our next Family Night is scheduled for December 12th from 6:00-7:30 pm. The free supper begins at 6:00 pm with activities to follow. Staff are working hard to receive and gather donations for prize drawings and a bingo competition. Please join us for the festivities! Thank you for taking the time to read this message. Enjoy the few days we have left of beautiful weather. My hope is that this letter finds you all well rested and in good health. Summer time is a great time to enjoy family, friends and beautiful weather. Please take time to enjoy your family, especially the little ones as they grow up so fast! We are excited as we look forward to the next school year at New Century Academy! Soon we will all be back in the swing of things. As we anticipate and continue to plan for the next school year there are a few items I would like to bring to your attention. Please read through each topic paragraph and let us know if you have any questions. Our summer office hours are 9 am to 2 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Please stop in if you need anything. You can also reach us by phone at 320-234-3660 and my business email is [email protected]. Registration: Included in this form are registration documents that we need as soon as possible. Please fill out the forms and drop them off at school or mail to the school address. All students will be registered for courses according to their grade level and based on graduation requirement needs. Elective courses will be available for registration at the ice cream social on August 18th starting at 7 pm. Ice Cream Social on August 18th starting at 7 pm. First Day of School is August 22nd. School starts at 8:30 am this year. First 2 hour late start is September 14th. School starts at 10:30 am on late starts. September 20th is an all school Field Trip to WE Day. Our first Family Night is September 26th. Free supper starts 6 pm, games and prizes follow until 7:30 pm. Enrollment: New Century Academy is a tuition free public school of choice. In order to offer our school as a positive choice for families we need students. A couple of years ago our enrollment dropped significantly. Our enrollment last year stabilized around 123 students. Our goal is to be at 150 students. We have plenty of openings in grades 7 through 10. Please encourage anyone you know who might be interested in New Century Academy to stop by for a tour or call with questions. We need students in order to continue to build our programming. Attendance: As you all know, attendance is a key factor in student success. This is an area that we need your help. The impact that attendance has on student learning as well as the financial stability of the school is something we all need to be concerned about. When a student is not present, it interferes with their ability to absorb all the necessary information and skills. From a financial stand point, the Minnesota Department of Education adjusts our funding based on our daily membership. So, when your child does not attend school it not only hurts them directly but also impacts the other students indirectly. Our goal is to have a 92% attendance rate. Last school year we ended with an 89% rate. I am confident we can improve! Please do everything you can to get your child to school so that we can meet this goal together! Programs/New Staff: We have been working hard to bring back what makes New Century Academy unique. Project Based Learning is what the school was founded on. We have taken steps to ramp up our project based learning opportunities. Students will be expected to complete projects within their advisory course. Your child’s advisor will lead them through the process, which advances in complexity and rigor at each grade level. We have also added additional E-terms to our scheduling. We have four E-terms this year, one at the end of each quarter. We are excited to add Band and Choir to our programming this year! We are also in the process of attempting to hire either an Agriculture instructor or and Art instructor. These electives will be available for registration on August 18th at the Ice Cream Social. Come and meet the new staff and register for their programs. Our extra-curricular activities will include Flag Football, Student Council, Yearbook, Basketball, and Archery. Our hope is to also conduct the following activities: School Play, Robotics, Knowledge Bowl, Bowling, Mock Trial, Speech, Trap Shooting. If you have any interest in coaching these activities, please contact the school. School Board: We are looking for an interested parent or community member to fill an open position on the board as soon as possible. The board meets every third Wednesday of each month. Occasionally we hold additional meetings for training purposes. This is a great way to get involved in your child’s education. You can have a direct impact on the school and the children we serve. Please inquire in the school office or email our School Board Chairperson Kathy Prellwitz at [email protected]. Thank you for the opportunity to share this information with you. Please stay informed by checking your email and the school website. You can also reach us through Facebook. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and we look forward to serving you again.

2019-04-22T18:58:24Z

https://www.newcenturyacademy.com/category/directors-update/

Many pre-service teachers feel under-prepared to teach students with a diverse range of needs and abilities and continue to be concerned about classroom behaviour management when undertaking practicum experiences. In order to address these concerns, teacher educators have explored alternative pedagogical approaches, including computer based simulations and immersion in virtual worlds. This paper reports on the results of a pilot study conducted with eight pre-service teachers who operated avatars in a virtual classroom created within Second Life (SL)™. The pre-service teachers were able to role-play students with a diverse range of behaviours and engage in reflective discussion about their experiences. The results showed that the pre-service teachers appreciated the opportunity to engage in an authentic classroom experience without impacting on "real" students, but that the platform of SL proved limiting in enacting certain aspects of desired teaching pedagogy. The findings of this pilot study are discussed in relation to improving the preparation of pre-service teachers for practicum. Integrating theory and practice within pre-service teacher education programs has long been identified as problematic (Korthagen, Loughran and Russell 2006; Lenz Taguchi 2007). Unlike in other professions, pre-service teachers tend to bring to their preparation firm attitudes and beliefs about what comprises good teaching and good teachers from their own prior experiences as school students (Lortie 1975; Sirotnik 2001). These types of predispositions have been shown to exert a much stronger socialising influence on pre-service teachers than either their teacher education program or subsequent socialisation into the workplace (Zeichner and Gore 1990). Accordingly, one of the biggest challenges confronting teacher educators is to impart theoretical understandings that go some way at least in altering the deeply-held, acculturated views of teaching and learning that prospective teachers bring to their pre-service education (Segall 2002). It has been widely argued that this will not occur without the introduction of new and more effective pedagogies that enable pre-service teachers to both conceptualise and also enact ways of doing and behaving in the classroom (Yayli 2008; Meijer, de Graaf and Meirink 2011). One of the areas in which pre-service teachers' predispositions remain most intractable in teacher preparation is behaviour management (Wubbels 2011). Many pre-service teachers have been shown to rely upon "tried and true" methods from their own schooling (Allen, 2009), with little consideration for new times, new generations of school students and, most importantly, new social behaviours. Also at play is the cautious anticipation, if not fear, that most pre-service teachers experience in relation to behaviour management (Darling-Hammond and Bransford 2005). Although strategies to promote positive behaviour cannot be separated from other dimensions of teachers' pedagogy, behaviour management has consistently proven to be the one that causes most pre-service (and in-service) teachers concern (Woolfolk and Margetts 2007). Therefore, it is incumbent upon teacher educators to ensure that those being prepared to enter the profession are equipped with knowledge and skills around behaviour management, both as they progress through their degree and upon graduation. Another particular source of anxiety for pre-service teachers is their capacity to cater for the education of students with diverse needs and abilities (Hemmings and Woodcock 2011). Regular classroom teachers have an increasingly important role in implementing inclusive educational practices (Attorney-General's Department 2006; Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership 2011; Forlin and Chambers 2011; UK Department for Education 2012), yet pre-service teachers often state that they feel under-prepared to teach students with a diverse range of needs and abilities, citing: (1) the limited time devoted to inclusive education in pre-service teacher education programs; (2) a lack of experience in primary or secondary inclusive education settings in terms of their own schooling background; and (3) the increasingly greater demands upon classroom teachers to effectively include all students (Hemmings and Woodcock 2011). A strong practicum component is acknowledged as essential in teacher preparation, yet many pre-service teachers report that the in-field experience provided by practicum does not effectively prepare them for their professional role (Gregory et al. 2011). Due to increasing enrolments and limited availability of suitable field placements, many pre-service teachers are often restricted in their access to quality practicum experiences. Even when placements are found and undertaken, there is no guarantee that pre-service teachers will be exposed to exemplary practices or have the opportunity to trial behaviour management approaches, particularly those associated with students with additional needs that are advocated through their university programs. A common strategy to prepare pre-service teachers for practicum experiences and to encourage them to engage in discussion about classroom practices has been to use videos of teaching sessions. Teaching videos have been regarded as an effective means of deepening pre-service teachers' learning (Llinares and Valls 2009), with follow-up discussions used to assist pre-service teachers to appreciate alternative viewpoints and to think more critically (Lin, 2005). While we have used such resources with our pre-service teachers with some success, we recognise the limitations in providing examples that are seen as truly authentic by pre-service teachers. The static nature of the footage also limits active engagement and participation and lacks the sense of a "lived experience" that SL can provide. Responding to similar concerns, some teacher educators have explored alternative approaches, including supplementing traditional practicum placements with professional learning in the virtual world (Christensen, Tyler-Wood, Knezek and Gibson 2011). One such virtual world is Second Life (SL) (www.secondlife.com) - a popular, online 3D world where each user has an avatar (graphical representation of the user or user's character) that represents him or herself (Campbell 2009). While a common use of virtual worlds is in multiplayer online role-playing games (MMPORGs), SL is not a game but, rather, a space for social interaction (Baker, Wentz and Woods 2009). The avatars interact with each other through conversations and gestures (Gao, Noh and Koehler 2009) in a non-scripted environment that is beginning to show its potential for use in educational settings. Virtual worlds have been utilised as communication spaces, simulation of space, and experiential spaces (Hew and Cheung 2010). Of most relevance to this paper is the use of virtual worlds which have been designed to create simulations of real world phenomena to provide opportunities for experiential learning and training (Eschenbrenner, Nah and Siau 2008). In 2008, it was estimated that nearly 12 million unique SL avatar accounts existed worldwide and SL is being increasingly used in educational contexts, with over 100 universities conducting classes or sessions in SL (Gao et al. 2009). The benefits noted by educators include the opportunity to conduct activities and tasks in a risk-free environment, enhanced collaboration and communication between participants, particularly those who are geographically dispersed, and increased engagement (Gao et al. 2009). While no specific pedagogical model for developing instruction in SL is apparent, there are some principles of instruction that were devised by Driscoll (2005, as cited in Atkinson 2009) which provide for useful consideration. The principles are as follows: (a) the learning process engages learners through exploration and reflection; (b) learning is embedded in a 3D environment where learners interact through role-play; (c) learning is proactive and collaborative where learners test and compare multiple perspectives; and (d) learning simulates real life in authentic contexts through real world activities, behaviours, actions and events (Driscoll 2005 as cited in Atkinson 2009). According to Atkinson (2009), instruction in virtual worlds should involve immersion, interaction, identity and integration. While these aspects could arguably also be applied to learning in the physical world, they were taken into account when designing and implementing the pilot study described in this paper. Although the body of literature concerning SL practice in teacher education is limited, some research studies and anecdotal evidence show that teacher educators have begun experimenting with the use of SL to both supplement pre-service teachers' learning and as part of their preparation for practicum (e.g. Cheong 2010; Gregory et al. 2011). Given that it is not always possible for pre-service teachers to have sufficient opportunities to practise teaching prior to their work in a classroom setting, SL may provide an additional opportunity for this to occur. Using the environment of SL, Gregory and her colleagues (2011) designed VirtualPREX in order to assist pre-service teachers to acquire a range of professional skills and to develop their self-confidence before they were placed in a real-life classroom. VirtualPREX allows pre-service teachers to engage anonymously and freely in teaching practices and to trial their pedagogical strategies. As Cheong (2010) found, SL has the advantage of providing opportunities for pre-service teachers to improve their teaching abilities without impacting on "real" students. According to Gregory et al. (2011), the pre-service teachers who had used VirtualPREX reported that they found the experience of role-playing students and teachers in SL to be interesting, novel and valuable, with the main drawbacks being the limitations associated with text chat in slowing down the actions. Although SL does support spoken interaction, this facility was not incorporated into the VirtualPREX experience. More recently, the study of Gregory and Masters (2012) suggested that role-plays for pre-service teachers conducted through SL could approximate the benefits of equivalent face-to-face role-plays. Gregory and Masters (2012) argued that, with the potential for additional flexibility afforded by role-plays through SL, further research and experimentation is warranted to explore the utility of SL in this and other contexts. This paper reports on research that goes some way in responding to this identified need. How valuable did the pre-service teachers find the environment of SL in terms of taking on and managing a diverse range of student behaviours? The aim of the SL design was to create a highly immersive environment that was, within the constraints of the virtual environment, typical of an upper-primary classroom. Creating the virtual classroom was a three-stage process involving conceptualisation, locating and purchasing objects, and assembling the objects into a finished product. Techniques for building in a 3D world were applied, including the need for: proportions to be upsized [a] from the physical world; clear areas in which students can gather before entering the classroom; and views to the outside to be available, given that enclosed areas can create a sense of discomfort among users. Textures for these elements were chosen carefully to give a sense of space, light and realism. Virtual chairs and tables, notebooks, pens and other classroom decorative items were purchased using in-world currency (known as "Linden dollars"). A screen shot of the classroom is shown in Figure 1. Further infrastructure that was added to facilitate and record the sessions included signage and instructions and a specialised 3D navigator joystick was used to smoothly pan and zoom camera viewpoints. Video capture software (Snapz Pro X) and video-editing software were used to record the live sessions and to produce the final movies (machinima), which were uploaded onto the "vimeo" website for ease of viewing. Matak is a 12-year-old boy who arrived in Australia from Sudan three months ago, having spent the previous ten years in a refugee camp in the Congo. He speaks English and comprehends spoken English quite well, but it is apparent that he has not learnt to read or write and often misinterprets colloquial and/or non-literal language. He does recognise most letters of the English alphabet and the symbols for numbers up to ten. In class, Matak is frequently off-task, leaving his seat during personal work time to walk around the room and/or check the contents of his school backpack. Matak speaks very politely to the teacher, but rarely seeks help or initiates interactions with adults other than his mother. He often seems withdrawn and in a "daydream" but is reluctant to share with others what he is thinking about. Matak loves to play soccer. He is fast and quite skilful for a boy of his age. This year, he has joined the school futsal team and is beginning to make friends with some of his classmates through the sport. Also provided to participants was a list of typical student avatar behaviours. For Matak, these were: Leaving seat, picking up/holding school backpack, walking around classroom, swinging on chair, avoiding eye contact, kicking a soccer ball. While it eventuated that not all these actions were able to be performed by the avatar, they were originally included in order to fully portray his character. Once ethical approval was obtained from the relevant Social Sciences HREC, pre-service teachers enrolled in their second and third year of the Bachelor of Education (Primary) program (2011) were invited by email to participate in the pilot project. Eight female pre-service teachers who were enrolled in their second or third year of study eventually volunteered to participate, after we sent out a number of requests. This number, though disappointingly low, was considered appropriate for the purposes of the pilot study as each session needed to be restricted to eight or less participants to avoid noise congestion and audio feedback associated with using the SL voice mechanism. All eight were studying the course either fully or partly online, six were mature-aged, and only one had any prior experience with using SL. At the beginning of the project, participants were given self-guided tutorials in SL to assist them with movements, gestures and speaking. In hindsight (and as discussed further in this paper), participant feedback indicated that more time was required in order for them to feel confident with operating in the SL environment. Consequently, some designated teaching sessions were preceded with "warm-up" tutorials to practise actions and gestures. Initially, pre-service teachers played the avatar role of students and one nominated researcher played the role of the classroom teacher. This assignation of roles was selected in order to allow pre-service students to reflect and later debrief on the responses made by the teacher avatar (played by a lecturer) about the types of responses she made to student avatar behaviour. It was also done to alleviate pre-service teachers' initial reluctance to take on the teacher role as many felt that it would be too challenging to do this until they were comfortable with operating within the SL environment. Fortunately, one pre-service teacher felt confident enough to take on the role of the teacher, Miss Carpenter, in the fifth and final session. A total of five sessions were conducted over a period of six months. It was initially intended to hold six to eight sessions but, due to factors such as participants' availability and individual limitations with access to technology, a number of sessions had to be cancelled and rescheduled. All the participants were physically dispersed and logged in from their home environments. The topic for each session varied as did the number of participants in the sessions. Table 1 provides an overview of the sessions within the action research cycle, the number and names of participants and the data collected. While the student avatars were the same, they were not necessarily always role played by the same pre-service teacher. The educational developer, who had his own avatar, attended each session to provide support and to record the machinima footage. Each recorded lesson ran for between 20 and 30 minutes and was immediately followed up with a debriefing session, which was also recorded. As Table 1 shows, the first cycle of the action research process involved conducting the reading of Who Sank the Boat? (Allen 1998). Following this session, the researchers reflected on the outcomes and noted any issues that arose, both in terms of behaviour management and operating within the SL environment. Information collected was then used to inform the next phase of the cycle, which involved a number of shorter interactive activities. Similarly, as a result of the first session, it was deemed appropriate to seek more detailed feedback from participants; hence a recorded reflection session occurred as part of the second cycle of the action research process. A similar pattern continued throughout the process. Data collected consisted of machinima recordings of the lessons, which were fully transcribed, along with audio recordings of debriefing sessions, also fully transcribed. In the debriefing sessions, also conducted via SL, the participants were typically asked to reflect upon how they felt about taking on the role of the student avatar and how they decided to behave. Issues associated with operating within the SL platform were also discussed. Additionally, participants were asked to complete two evaluation activities in which they viewed the machinima footage, answered questions about aspects of the lesson and provided feedback on the overall experience of SL. Questions asked in relation to viewing the footage from the third lesson conducted included both a focus on teaching approaches and questions about the usefulness of the experience. For example, questions such as "What did the teacher do when she asked Monty to sit and he didn't?" and "Why do you think she did this?" were used to evaluate the pre-service teachers' ability to reflect upon and analyse behaviour management practices. Other questions, such as "Do you think it is possible to recreate an authentic classroom experience using SL? Why/why not?" and "What do you see as the main limitations or restrictions associated with participating in the virtual classroom?" were used to evaluate the experience itself and to solicit feedback about the usefulness and relevance of the SL platform. The transcripts were all fully transcribed and manually coded with the material being classified into themes, issues and topics (Burns, 2000). For example, instances of participants' role playing according to their students' character descriptions were noted, as were instances of reflection and observations about teaching approaches. Separate themes were identified in relation to the issues associated with operating within SL; these included limitations which impacted upon the choice of teaching approaches, frustration associated with actually operating the avatars and technological difficulties associated with being on-line and accessing the classroom. These themes are described and discussed in the following section. Due to the nature of the action research process, this section contains both details of some of the procedures conducted with the participants, along with the results that were obtained. In the first of the five lessons, many of the participants had difficulty with controlling the movements of their avatars, and this seemed to detract from their ability to take on the behavioural characteristics of their assigned student avatar. In addition, the selection of a picture book as a focus of the lesson proved challenging, in that the participants were required to "visualise" the pictures in the story because it was not possible to replicate the turning of the pages using the SL platform. Miss Carpenter: Right, could you sit down Monty? Are you going to join us? Can you suggest a problem where the answer is 28? [no answer] Matak, can you sit down? Thank you. All right - I want some subtraction problems where the answer is 28. Matak, could you give me a subtraction problem where the answer is 28? Matak: 35 minus 7 equals 28. Miss Carpenter: Thank you. 35 minus 7 is 28; well done. OK, Willow, did you hear what Matak said? Willow [talking with classmate]: Yes. Miss Carpenter: Good, can you give me a subtraction problem where the answer is 28? Willow: Um, 30 take away 2 is 28. Miss Carpenter: OK, so we're going to start today by playing a game called "Count around the circle." Does anybody remember how to play that? Matak: I haven't played this before. Miss Carpenter: OK, so we start with a number and I think we might count by twos. So if we start with you Monty, you'd say 'two', and then Matak, what would you say? Miss Carpenter: Ten? Can anybody help Matak out? Naomi: 14, oh no sorry, 12. Miss Carpenter: 12, so we had 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. What can you do if you don't know what the next number will be? Naomi: Count on your fingers. The conversation continued in a similar vein and, although the transcript showed that the participants were willing to contribute some incorrect answers, they did not portray any real behavioural challenges. Mahon et al. (2010), in a similar study to ours, found that pre-service teachers in the role of student avatars, tended to manifest the behaviours assigned to them, namely to be disruptive and to misbehave. In the study of Mahon et al. (2010), these tendencies might have been attributable to the inclusion of "bots" (an abbreviation of "robot" and refers to pre-programmed computer-simulated character/s) in the simulation and to the provision of specific instructions given regarding, for example, the number of times students were allowed to interrupt. In our pilot study, this was not the case; participants were asked to interpret, and then enact, their roles within the virtual classroom. "I'm not feeling I can do things with my avatar ... I've tried the inventory and it's not responding and I can't stop my avatar from doing this constant stretching backwards so, other than speaking and sitting, I'm not feeling that I can actually control the avatar ... with calling out, if I talked when someone else was I got feedback, so I didn't call out as much as I could, or as it said in the character's description ... I feel that I can't actually do the things that I suppose define my character; I feel that Monty is being defined by the program." Several participants' responses indicated that the environment proved limiting in terms of restricting movement and enacting particular behaviours. Other participants raised similar concerns and, as a result of their feedback, and in keeping with the action research process, the next session included an introduction whereby the participants were able to demonstrate the gestures within their inventory in response to the lecturer's commands (e.g., "Everyone, raise their hand"). It was also decided to limit the gestures available to five or six and to concentrate more on the verbal exchanges that could occur. Confusion with ordering fractions - might think, for example, that 1/9 is larger than ¼ because 9 is bigger than 4; would have difficulty with putting fractions in order on a number line; could probably say that 2/4 is the same as ½ but not consistently; no real understanding of the relative size of a fraction or that a fraction is also a number; if asked to add fractions, would say that ½ and ¾ would be 2/6. Miss Carpenter: Willow, what would you say if I asked you which was bigger - a quarter or a third? Willow: A quarter is bigger. Miss Carpenter: A quarter is bigger? How do you know it's bigger? Willow: Because it's got the number 4 and 4 is bigger than the number 3 because 4 is one more than 3. Miss Carpenter: Do you remember what I was saying before and how we were dividing up that piece of chocolate? So, having a look at our fraction wall, if we were to cut up our piece of chocolate into quarters, how many pieces would there be? Willow: 1, 2, 3, 4. Miss Carpenter: Excellent, and we would divide those pieces among four people. If we divided our piece of chocolate into thirds, how many pieces would we have? Miss Carpenter: OK, and are our purple pieces [representing thirds on the fraction wall] bigger or smaller than our light blue pieces [quarters]? In this context, the teacher was able to demonstrate explicit teaching in relation to explaining the concept of a denominator and the relative size of fractional parts. This could then be used as a basis for future discussion when reflecting upon the machinima footage with the participants after the lesson. This focus was taken by researchers to explore whether or not the SL environment could also be used to investigate other aspects of teaching, besides behaviour management. What did the teacher do when she asked Monty to sit down and he didn't? Identify three things that the teacher did that you thought were effective or examples of good practice. Name one to three aspects of her teaching approach that you would question or change. Responses to these five questions indicated that the pre-service teachers were able to identify that the teacher effectively ignored Monty's behaviour so as not to disrupt the lesson, but then tried to encourage him to participate through asking him a question related to the lesson. One of the pre-service teachers acknowledged that she would have adopted a different approach, suggesting that: "I probably would have lost track of learning and tried to establish why Monty wouldn't sit and address his refusal to cooperate ... it's hard to say..." Some responses also provided insight into what the pre-service teachers valued as good teaching practice. For example, Amy suggested that Miss Carpenter should not have called Willow "a good girl" for correctly answering the question but, rather, for making a contribution to the class. Others noted positive aspects about the teacher's performance, including her questioning technique, her provision of "wait time" and her use of positive reinforcement. The reflection process itself proved powerful, in the view of the participants, in that it enabled them to reflect on their own practices so far in their pre-service program in dealing with a diverse range of student behaviours. Through discussing the actions of the teacher avatar and their own and other student avatar responses, they were able to explore some different behaviour management techniques. Participants also commented on the value of peer engagement and reflection. As partial/fully online and geographically dispersed learners, they were able to interact with others in ways that were not always available to them. If the comments above from Angie were representative of the group, the lack of time spent being the "teacher" may be seen as a limitation of this virtual classroom experience for the pre-service teachers. Notwithstanding, the opportunity to view the classroom experience from the students' perspective may have been beneficial because it is important to appreciate viewpoints from a range of stakeholders to facilitate inclusive education. It has been reported that approaches combining instruction with direct contact with people with disabilities (self-advocates) have been the most effective for changing pre-service teacher attitudes and confidence regarding inclusive education (Forlin, 2006). There are, however, administrative challenges with arranging these experiences, particularly for pre-service teachers who are studying by distance through online delivery modes. Further research may explore the relative benefits for pre-service teachers of role-playing students with specific educational needs, through platforms such as the SL virtual classroom used here, in terms of enriching pre-service teachers' appreciation of student perspectives on learning and teaching experiences. As with other participants, Lisa viewed the SL activities as a useful addition to "real life" practicum experiences. The pilot study reported on in this paper investigated the extent to which one small sample of pre-service teachers found the SL environment valuable in terms of understanding how to manage a diverse range of student behaviours. On the one hand, our findings show that pre-service teachers valued the opportunity to both participate in the SL sessions in the role of student avatars with challenging behaviours and also to reflect on the teaching approaches used. The use of a virtual classroom enabled real time role-play for geographically dispersed pre-service teachers who did not have access to on-campus facilities or the opportunity to engage in collaborative reflection and peer discussion. In addition to providing a relatively authentic classroom experience, the opportunity to view the footage and reflect on the experience was seen by participants as being one of the main benefits of using SL. Although only one participant was recorded in the role of the teacher, all recognised that this would be a potentially valuable means of reflecting upon their teaching practice. The SL environment and allocation of student avatars meant that participants could participate in a "lived experience" that would not be possible in the physical world. They could represent their character, interact with others and immerse themselves in an experience that arguably could not be replicated as fully in another environment. An added advantage was that the free form nature of the SL environment meant that each session and lesson was different, allowing for different situations to be played out depending upon the contributions of the participants. On the other hand, participants found it difficult to fully adopt the role of their student avatars and tended to co-operate with the teacher, rather than exhibit the challenging behaviours expected from their avatars. Participant reflection data suggest that this was due to participants' lack of experience with operating their avatar in the SL environment. Accordingly, it would seem advisable to provide: (a) ample opportunities for practice before expecting participants to undertake the intended role of an assigned avatar, and (b) more explicit instructions about the number of times specific behaviours were expected to be exhibited. Other limitations, as identified by the participants, included the restriction on the use of teaching materials and aids and the inability to use gestures spontaneously. Although used specifically in this context as a teacher educator tool, SL can also be used to expose students to a new technology, and might potentially increase student engagement, particularly in online classes (Baker et al. 2009). As a result of the findings from this study, we will continue to explore ways in which SL and the virtual classroom can be used as a teacher tool in our courses. Providing pre-service teachers with the opportunity to review and discuss the practice of teaching in which they participated not only offers chances for vicarious experiences and social persuasions (Cheong 2010), but also allows for in-depth reflection and preparation for practicum experiences. It is anticipated that, subject to the provision of adequate time and resources, some of the limitations associated with using SL to replicate classroom experiences will be overcome, allowing it to become an efficient and effective tool in teacher education. Acknowledgement: The pilot study reported in this paper was made possible through a $7000 institutional Teaching and Learning Grant, which was used primarily to employ personnel to develop the site. Allen, P., 1988. Who sank the boat? Camberwell, Vic: Puffin. Allen, J. M., 2009. Valuing practice over theory: How beginning teachers re-orient their practice in the transition from the university to the workplace. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25 (5), 647-654. Atkinson, T., 2009. Second life for educators. Teaching and Learning, 53 (3), 30-32. Attorney-General's Department, 2006. Disability Standards for Education Plus Guidance Notes. Barton, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia. Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL], 2011. National Professional Standards for Teachers. Carlton South, VIC: Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs. Baker, S.C., Wentz, R.K., and Woods, M.M., 2009. Using virtual worlds in education: Second life as an educational tool. Teaching of Psychology, 36 (1), 59-64. Burns, R. (2000). Introduction to research methods (3rd ed.). Melbourne: Longman. Campbell, C., 2009. Learning in a different life: Pre-service education teachers using an online world. Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, 2 (1), 3-17. Cheong, D., 2010. The effects of practice teaching sessions in second life on the change in pre-service teachers' efficacy. Computers and Education, 55 (2), 868-880. Christensen, R., Tyler-Wood, T., Knezek, G., and Gibson, D., 2011. SimSchool: An online dynamic simulator for enhancing teacher preparation. International Journal of Learning Technology, 6 (2), 201-220. Darling-Hammond, L., and Bransford, J. D., 2005. Preparing teachers for a changing world. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley. Eschenbrenner, B., Nah, F.F., and Siau, K., 2008. 3-D virtual worlds in education: Applications, benefits, issues and opportunities. Journal of Database Management, 19 (4), 91-110. Forlin, C., 2006. Inclusive education in Australia ten years after Salamanca. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 21 (3), 265-277. Forlin, C, and Chambers, D., 2011. Teacher preparation for inclusive education: Increasing knowledge but raising concerns. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 39 (1), 17-32. Gao, F., Noh, J.J., and Koehler, M. J., 2009. Comparing role-playing activities in Second Life and face-to-face environments. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 20 (4), 423-443. Gregory, S., Campbell, M., Knox, V., Dalgarno, B., Reiners, T., and Masters, Y., 2011. Changing directions through VirtualPREX: engaging pre-service teachers in virtual professional experience. Changing demands, changing directions: Proceedings of the Ascillite 2011 Conference, Hobart, pp. 491-501. Gregory, S., and Masters, Y., 2012. Real thinking with virtual hats: A role-playing activity for pre-service teachers in Second Life. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 28 (3), 420-440. Hemmings, B., and Woodcock, S., 2011., Pre-service teachers' views of inclusive education: A content analysis. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 35 (2), 103-116. Hew, K.F., and Cheung, W. S., 2010. Use of three-dimensional (3D) immersive virtual worlds in K-12 and higher education settings: A review of the research. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41 (1), 33-55. Hyde, M., Carpenter, L., & Conway, R., 2010. Diversity and inclusion in Australian schools. South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford. Kolb, D.A., 1984. Experiential learning - Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Korthagen, F.A., Loughran, J.J., and Russell, T., 2006. Developing fundamental principles for teacher education programs and practices. Teaching and Teacher Education, 22 (8), 1020 -1041. Lenz Taguchi, H., 2007. Deconstructing and transgressing the theory-practice dichotomy in early childhood education. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 39 (3), 276-290. Lin, P.-J., 2005. Using research-based video-cases to help pre-service teachers conceptualize a contemporary view of mathematics teaching. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 3 (3), 351-377. Llinares, S., & Valls, J., 2009. Prospective primary mathematics teachers' learning from on-line discussions in a virtual video-based environment. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. Lortie, D.C., 1975. Schoolteacher: A sociological study. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Mahon, J., Bryant, B., Brown, B., and Kim, M., 2010. Using second life to enhance classroom management practice in teacher education. Educational Media International, 47 (2), 121-134. Meijer, P. C., de Graaf, G., and Meirink, J., 2011. Key experiences in student teachers' development. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 17 (1), 115-129. Muir, T. (2008). Principles of practice and teacher actions: Influences on effective teaching of numeracy. Mathematics Education Research Journal. 20(3), 78-101. Segall, A., 2002. Disturbing practice: Reading teacher education as text. New York: Peter Lang. Sirotnik, K.A., 2001. Renewing schools and teacher education: An odyssey in educational change. Washington, DC: AACTE. Woolfolk, A. and Margetts, K., 2007. Educational Psychology. 10th ed. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson. Wubbels, T., 2011. An international perspective on classroom management: What should prospective teachers learn? Teaching Education, 22 (2), 113-131. Yayli, D., 2008. Theory-practice dichotomy in inquiry: Meanings and preservice teacher-mentor teacher tension in Turkish literacy classrooms. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24 (4), 889-900. Zeichner, K. M., and Gore, J. M., 1990. Teacher socialization. In: Houston, W.R., ed. Handbook of research on teacher education, New York: Macmillan, pp. 329-348. [a] Replicating the dimensions of the physical world in the virtual world can create a confined atmosphere, due to the differences between a screen presentation and the way we perceive our environment in the physical world. To overcome this effect, objects and buildings are required to be scaled up, the spacing in and around virtual buildings needs to be scaled up in a similar manner.

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https://jime.open.ac.uk/articles/10.5334/2013-03/

An update. We arrived in the Jolly Roger RV Resort on the Tuesday, to find that Wednesday and Thursday were Mini Lobster Season. As I said in my previous this amounts to loads of people coming down here with boats and basically a free for all on Florida Spiny lobsters. To quote another site “Every July the coastal areas of Florida are flooded with lobster hunters trying to get their share of this year’s bounty when the offical mini lobster season kicks off. There are two Florida Lobster Seasons, the 2 day mini season and the 8 month regular lobster season. The mini lobster season is always the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July. This year the mini season falls on July 26th and 27th. The regular 8 month lobster season is always August 6 through March 31.”. There is an interesting web site that tells you how to catch them, measure them, quotas etc. here http://floridalobstering.com/ . We decided to keep well away, plus the two gentleman next door to us promised to show us the lobsters and the end bit of the process the lobster tails (they do not seem to eat anything else but the tails). So Wednesday we decided as we both got up late to chill after the journey and just do some local shopping for food etc. as on the Tuesday night we had a nice meal at the http://flkeyssteakandlobster.com/welcome/ Steak and Lobster Grill. So Thursday dawned and we had decided to go to Key West, which is another 60 miles south of Marathon Key. Wow what a journey, Key after Key and bridge after bridge, including one that is 7 miles long. And then we arrived at Key West a key 2 miles wide by 4 miles long, by Keys standard a large key!! Immediate problem was to find the Trolley Bus tour start point and then some parking, which we found about 400 yds away for $20 all day. That 400 yds walk back in the Florida heat felt like 2 miles!! Got our tickets valid for 2 days, which was lucky as we thought we only needed 1 day, how wrong can you be!! Took the tour which took about 90 minutes and quickly realised that 1 day was not enough to see everything!!. So we picked a few things to do and started off. Number 1 was the The Little White House. I will let a photo explain this. It was used mainly by Harry S Trueman between 1946 and 1952 as an official White House when he was on holiday (vacation in the USA). Many influential pieces of legislation were drafted here and our guide told a lot of what went on when he was in residence. Most of it seems to involve entertaining and playing poker as well as working hard. I have attached a few photos of our tour on the trolley bus but there are as you could probably guess hundreds of them. Key Lime Pie shop. Iconic Naval station statue!! Southernmost point. We then left and made our way back to Marathon where we saw a Florida Keys sunset !! Next day we went back to Key West to make use of our two day pass. As luck would have it I decided to try the southern route to the Trolley place and recognised a car park that was on the route and FREE!! It was right next to the West Martello Tower which is run by the Key West Garden Club, http://www.keywestgardenclub.com/ . It is a lovely tranquil garden that includes a butterfly garden. We then hopped on the Trolley and got of at Ernest Hemmingway’s house. We lucked out again and got another really good guide around the house, which took about an hour. Very interesting person, raconteur, drinker, writer, married 4 times!! Lots of cats that are the 6 toed variety, which are fed by the guides. Swimming pool cost $20,000 in 1939. Today (Saturday) we went North, but unfortunately so was everyone else (leaving after mini Lobster Season), so it was extremely slow. We were trying to get to Key Largo but in the end after 2 hours gave up at a place we had seen on the way down with a huge lobster model in the front, and a load of gift shops etc. behind. Bet you can’t eat that lobster tail. We also found that Anne has a beach named after her. As with everywhere here loads of sandy beaches, and miles and miles of clear blue sea. And we also found a place called Duck Key with an internal canal system and lots of nice looking houses that range from $420,000 upwards!! Tomorrow Sunday is a chill day, to get everything set up for leaving Monday (where is the time going!!). But more of that in my next post. A few days to catch up on. It has been a few days since my last post, so here goes. Christopher kept his promise and came and saw us on Saturday after his bike ride. He rode most of it with the sole of his cycling shoe gradually becoming more and more detached. He stayed for an hour or two and then went off to finish his gardening jobs. We then went out to see two local attractions, the Loggerhead sanctuary and the Hobe Sound National Wildlife refuge. The Loggerhead Sanctuary was very interesting with examples of the various turtles found in the Florida region and also some that are not, but it made a very good exhibit, especially the skeleton of an absolutely huge turtle they found which must have been at least 10ft from head to toe (or back end of shell). Outside they had various turtles recovering in tanks, a bit like the Seal Sanctuary at Gweek in Cornwall. Most of them seem to have been found after being hit by boats or ingesting fishing line (not good for turtles as messes up their digestive system). A little one that kept trying to get out!! Another big one with seaweed on his head, like a comb over!! Best photo of medium size one. Unfortunately the main exhibit at the Hobe Sound National Wildlife refuge was closed (seems strange to close at 3pm on a Saturday!!). However, there was this bush that was covered in yellow butterflies, but I am afraid they don’t come out very well on the phones camera. You can just make out some yellow blobs if you look hard. Since it was very hot we decided to give the open air nature trail of two miles a miss and returned back so that I could cook the steak we had bought (steak is so cheap in the US). Next day dawned (Sunday) and it was a bit cooler so put the RV mat out, plus the table and chairs and we sat outside and ate breakfast and relaxed. There was a lovely cool breeze and it great to sit outside. Anne enjoying the cool breeze. Notice the matching the paintwork all weather RV mat!! Also the wheels are covered in the wheel protectors. Later on Christopher brought Scott and Erika, who we first met at Christopher’s and Lilia’s wedding in Mexico, across to see the RV and after a beer we went out to eat at Shrimpers at Hobe Sound. Each boat is worth $.5m apparently!! Monday saw me doing various things to the RV. Fixed the windscreen wipers that were set too low and banging on the bodywork. Bought LED stop/night/indicator lights for the back light clusters so everyone knew what I was doing, so I fitted those. Also had to part empty the grey tank as we had a few showers since we had been here and it was full. And at the end of the day Christopher turned up with the propane hose that allowed me to connect the Weber grill to our propane tank, and we tried it out by grilling steak for dinner. We said goodbye to him later on as this was the last time we would see him before setting off to the Florida Keys (or perhaps that should be Quays!!). Tuesday dawned and for once we got up early as we had a lot of packing up to do before we headed off. All the various things inside the RV had to be stowed so they wouldn’t crash about and break, the black and grey tanks had to be emptied and flushed, and the electricity, water and sewer pipe disconnected. Then slides in, jacks up and roll forward so we could attach the Spark to the towing hitch. and off we went at about 10.30am. First stop was to get some gas (petrol) and much to my surprise as it was reading half full it only took $80 to fill it up. Then off to I95 for the journey south to the Keys. As it was after rush hour we got past Miami fairly easily and joined US 1 to take us to the Keys. One thing we have to figure out, is where do you stop in an 35ft RV with a tow car to have a “rest” break. US highways are sadly lacking in Service Areas no wonder they invented the various “pee in a bottle” solutions. In the end I just pulled it into a chevron area off the main carriageway so we could both go to the loo!! Then the Keys made an appearance. With lack of space US 1 in many places is just a single carriageway road with a concrete divider which had lots of rubber marks on it so obviously people have hit it. Some of the scenery is spectacular with long bridges over stretches of water (True Lies!!) and some larger bridges over deep water channels. Arriving at Jolly Roger 197 miles later. Site is a lot more cramped than JD Park, but then they do not have the space, and there are a lot of people here for the Mini Lobster Season (two days of mayhem apparently when everyone is out in their boats catching lobsters). Just about got the slides out. Tested my reversing skills getting between our camp area (concrete pad with table) and the large truck next door, but my guide helped, waving away in the mirrors!!). So we are here and planning our next 6 days going up and down the Keys as Marathon Key, where we are, is right in the middle. We need a bigger boat!! How about this one!! Woke up on our first morning and we both agreed the Queen bed is b****y hard!! So straight on the shopping list was a mattress topper we had seen but decided to wait until we had tried it out!! Then I tried out the shower, water flow was just about acceptable, but Anne then tried and said that the flow wasn’t enough to wash her hair properly. Well I figured it was the water pump, so I looked at the manual and discovered I had made a mistake. To be honest it was our previous experience of RVing in Canada that caused me to make the mistake. The RV we hired in Canada had a campground water connection, but we weren’t allowed to use it, just the gravity water tank fill and the on-board pump as apparently they had too many hire RVs blowing up water systems with over pressurised mains feeds. Well this “big beast” has a water pressure reducer fitted (keeps it at 40psi max which is what the water system is rated at) and that keeps over pressurised systems in check and allows you to run direct water pressure from the campground with no water pump in use. You only use the water pump when boon docking (camping on the open road or a Walmart car park, yes they allow it!!). So off went the pump and bingo good pressure throughout the coach except (you guessed it) the shower!! So the next culprit was the shower head. Disconnected it and sure enough the water from the hose was flowing nicely, so what is wrong with shower head? Perhaps it was blocked but on taking it apart all was well. And then I happened to look at the bit that screwed into the pipe and what I saw was a plastic insert with 3 minute holes in it. Great thought I a pressure reducer. No chance this was stuck in as permanent fixture and I can only think it is to help the feed when we are running on the pump. So the next item on the shopping list was a proper shower head!! (Update new shower head is a success). Next I went outside to fit the wheel covers. Now some off you at this point will be thinking has he gone nuts putting covers on the tyres and wheels, but there is a reason for this. The Florida sun is quite hot (British understatement) and has a high (actually very high) UV reading, and UV light does nasty things to large RV tyres(truck tyres really), like cracking sidewalls causing blowouts. With two new tyres on the front and 4 fairly new tyres on the back axle I wasn’t taking any chances so on went the covers. Just in time as it happened, as a huge thunderstorm then rolled in and deluged us for an hour. Thunder and lightening in an RV is an experience, as is heavy rain bouncing off the roof, but at least it proved we have no leaks. After this we spent the afternoon in Walmart and Publix getting our food supplies in as the fridge is now down to the correct temperature and the ice maker is making big chunks of ice!! When we got back we cooked our first meal in the RV which was an interesting experience but with the vent fan, the cooker vent fan and the air con running we have no lasting smells and it stayed quite cool. Christopher is arriving early tomorrow as he is mountain biking in the park track for an hour or so. Not too early I hope, as we are retirees after all. So now to test the new mattress topper. Well here we are after all the work buying the RV and tow car, plus contents, parked at our first Campground https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Jonathan-Dickinson . It is about 10miles up the road from Christopher’s and about 20 miles from Palm Beach RV just in case anything is not working correctly. After a very hot morning spent sanitising the drinking water tank outside Christopher’s house we loaded the last bits into the RV and hitched up the Spark. Then we set off to arrive at the park at 3pm which was our “check in” time!! After filling out a few extra details with the rangers we got two vehicle passes, one for us and one for Christopher so he could see an RV in the “wild”. We are on pitch 58 for 5 nights, to do the planned RV “shakedown”, getting used to how everything works, and making sure it all works as it should. While we were at Christopher’s parked up without the jacks out so not level, the fridge decided to throw a wobbly, but it turns out his drive was too steep and the fridge stops working if it is more than 6 degrees out of level. Anne found that out after searching the owners manual, so it was a case of RTFM. We parked up, levelled out on the hydraulic jacks (the RV dances for about 3-4 minutes until it is satisfied the RV is level), slid the two slides out, attached the surge protection system and the 50amp lead to the electricity supply, attached the water hose to the potable (drinking water to you and me) water supply and filled our fresh water tank, and then put the sewer hose together and attached it to the sewer outlet and the black/grey tank dump valves. All done without a hitch!! If you look closely at the photo above the first black lead is the 50amp electricity feed, the just visible blue hose is the fresh water feed and the brown hose on the black caterpillar (contraption to allow a gradual fall on the pipe to the outlet so nothing yucky gets stuck in the pipe) is the sewer connection. We then went to get something to eat and some basic supplies (not to many as the fridge is not at the right temperature for at least 12 hours) and then returned in another thunderstorm. Florida weather is almost as changeable as the weather in the UK!! Christopher then came to see us and to check out the RV life style. First thing he said was it is quiet here and it is until an Air Con unit kicks in!! Sitting a nice balmy 77F (25C) as we have been told not to make it too cool as the hot air hits you as you leave. Leave!! I am staying in here!! I am typing this in the RV using the AT&T phone as hotspot as there is no WiFi in State Parks. Tomorrow we will go and get more groceries and start using all the appliances in the RV. Subscribe to the blog to receive email every time it is updated. Got to the bottom of the subscribe feature. Once you have the blog showing in your browser, scroll down and you will see the area entitled Recent Posts. Click on any one of the recent posts and the post will come up and at the top after the first paragraph you will see the Receive Updates form. Fill out your email address in the box next to Receive Updates and click on Sign Up. The system will send you an activation email with a link in it. Click on that link and as they say in America “you are good to go” and you will receive an email every time I update the blog. We decided as the Spark was going to be our lifeline that we ought to get it serviced, so I phoned up the local Chevy dealer and booked it in for a full service, saying that I would wait while it was done (little did I know!!). The day (Friday) dawned and I turned up at Schumacher’s and was introduced to my “service Consultant”, Tom!! He noted what was required including fitting the “hood” bracket so the hood would stay up (for some reason it was missing) and two extra keys. He then said they would take a look at it and let me know approximate costs!! In the meantime I could sit in the Customer Lounge and enjoy the free coffee and bagels. Had a coffee, gave the bagels a miss, although not everyone did as while I sat there an older lady came in and proceeded to take three complete bagels with cream cheese and wrap them up and put them in her handbag, must have been peckish!! Anyway an hour later Tom turned up. The Spark’s rear drum brake cylinders both had leaking seals, which had ruined the cylinders so both needed replacing including the brake pipes which were frayed, and we needed new front brake pads on the disk brakes. Other than that and the normal filters and oil, and he advised a transmission oil change as it was long overdue, he said the car was in remarkably “good shape” especially as the last time he could see it had been serviced was 25,000 miles (40,000 miles ago!!). All of this meant they had to order parts and it therefore would not be ready until Monday!! They would supply a free loan car. OK said I and we duly filled out the paperwork, and I was taken out to the loan car. Well I had to laugh!! Here was me driving around in England in 14 year old Passat estate with 220,000 miles on the clock and running the UKPassats web site http://www.ukpassats.co.uk/phpbb/index.php and the loan car was a nearly brand new VW Passat sedan (saloon) with 3,000 miles on the clock and all the toys!! And I had it for the weekend!! I had also arranged on Friday for the paint guy at Palm Beach RV to fit the new bumper, so I had to ring him and rearrange it for Monday when the new tyres were due to be fitted to the RV. We had a good weekend shopping for the RV and chilling as well as trying out the Passat (it was a V6 3.2 litre!!). Monday dawned and it was due to be a busy day. Pick up the Spark from having a service at the Chevy dealer (and return the loaner VW Passat sedan sigh!!), back to Christopher’s, hitch up the spark to the RV, drive to Palm Beach RV (slowly with the tyres banging away!!), leave it to get the tyres done, and take the Spark to the paint shop to get the new bumper fitted. What is that saying “the best laid plans of mice and men”!! Waited for the supposedly early call to say the Spark was ready, but by 10 o’clock it hadn’t happened, so I rang the dealer. The Spark wasn’t going to be ready until 11.30am at the earliest as some parts had come in late. So I rang Palm Beach RV to warn them I was going to be late, to be told that the tyre place they used were short of fitters as they had called in sick so could we delay it until Tuesday!! OK that simplified things a bit as now I had to just concentrate on the Spark. Schumacher’s phoned back dead on 11.30am to say the Spark was ready, so I set off. Saw the Spark sat there ready when I pulled in and Tom said could I complete the loaner paperwork and he would get my bill ready. Completed the paperwork, and went to Tom’s booth. Turned out the bill was slightly less than the initial estimate, but it was still a chunk of money!! 2 keys at $128 each didn’t help as well as an hour’s labour to fit the hood strut bracket (think it would have taken me 2 minutes!!). But it is all worth it as the car was now on a “minor” service schedule and wouldn’t need another service for 5,000 miles. So got into the Spark and drove it to the paint shop. At least that part went well, all fitted in about 2 hours (they had to recut the new grill to allow the tow receivers to fit through). I then drove back to Christopher’s in a Florida rain storm (it hissed it down for at least 2 hours, but over here they seem used to it with large drainage ditches and huge runoff drains on the roads). Tuesday dawned and it was time to take the RV back to Palm Beach RV to get the tyres fitted and some paperwork done for the extended Warranty etc. After a slow drive down, so we didn’t break anything in the partially loaded RV with tyres banging away, we arrived at Palm Beach RV. They have a somewhat narrow entrance to the lot so turning in from the middle lane of the main road was an experience as Americans have a habit of undertaking people even when they have the right turn indicator flashing (thank god for the camera in the mirror, so I had at least 3 ways of checking what was happening)!! Made it into the lot and handed the keys over and they took it off to the Tyre supplier. The estimate was 2 hours to change to RV tyres, so we should be out of here by 12.30 (!!). Completed all the paperwork and then sat and waited for the RV. 12.30 passed, still no news, and finally at 1.00pm I went and asked if they had heard anything. That rang the tyre fitter and they said it would be ready in about 30 minutes. Well it was actually an hour, before we were driven up there to collect “big beast”. All done, with the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System installed on the new tyres. “RV is round the back in our lot” says the receptionist as she gave me the keys. Well that tested my manoeuvring skills in a 35ft RV. It was parked front in with cars all around it and not a huge space to turn around!! Finally got out after a 10 point turn, without hitting anything (the rear camera is a godsend!!). We had agreed with Palm Beach RV we would test drive it up I95 to Christopher’s and we would let them know the result. Well all I can say is what a difference two tyres make!! Smooth as silk, no banging and cruised at 55mph no problem, so that sorted that out. Got back to Christopher’s and Anne made the evening meal (sockeye salmon very nice) and the Christopher and I decided to try out towing the Spark. Hooking it up was fairly easy and it was at this point that Christopher insisted Anne drive the Spark while I did the hitch work, so for the first time since we arrived in the US Anne drove a car!! It all went very well and Christopher and I set off on a trial run. The people at Palm Beach RV said we wouldn’t even notice a 2,000lb car being towed by a 22,000lb RV and that turned out to be true, and the only reason we knew it was there is we could see it in the rear view camera. Christopher decided he needed to test my RV driving skills on narrow roads (for America that is, although they are still wider than a lot of our A roads), and roundabouts (there seem to be a lot in Florida compared to other states I have been in). So after about 10-15 miles and about 10 roundabouts all negotiated with the rain tipping it down, Christopher was happy and asked if he could have a drive. He took us back to his house and luckily it had stopped raining (or so we thought) but as we unhitched the Spark the heavens opened again and we got soaked, but at least it was warm!! Sorry this is along post, but there was lot to tell, but mission accomplished all vehicles ready to go and we are now booked into the shakedown campground, Jonathan Dickinson State Park from Thursday night for 5 nights to trial everything on the RV https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Jonathan-Dickinson . Final note, I am trying to add a subscribe widget to the Blog so that you can be informed automatically if there is a new post or comment. Think I have done it but not sure as I only seem to see it at certain times. Let me know by email if you are having problems. Anne in the driving seat. Spark Florida plate turned up. We got our first official number plate today for the Chevy Spark, and I think someone at the vehicle licensing has a sense of humour, can’t believe it is a coincidence!! Well it finally happened we picked up the RV!! Got to Palm Beach RV a little early and we sorted out a couple of payments for some outstanding items, and then we set off on a test drive and lesson on driving. All went well, learnt how to avoid overhanging trees (it is 12ft 6in tall) and that doing a U turn in an RV of this length is not possible (just go around the block!!). Got to remember the rear end swings out as at least 9ft of the coach is beyond the rear wheels!! It was then we noticed a vibration from the front wheel, but more of that later. Got all that sorted out and then returned to Palm Baech Rv to find that they still hadn’t emptied the black/grey tanks, or filled up the LPG and gas tank. So they emptied the tanks, went to AmeriGas to fill up the LPG tank and then to Racetrack garage to fill up the gas(petrol) tank. Filling the gas tank was an experience vying with all the other people to get a 35ft bus alongside a pump, but eventually got there. You also can only go to the larger garages as you have to get a 12ft 6in bus under the canopy!! Then we started to fill and fill and fill the tank. Bear in mind it was just under half full when we started, but about 5 minutes later the pump final slowed and clicked off and we had a full tank and 45 gallons extra (US fuel pumps seem to go extremely slowly but luckily they have this nifty catch that allows the pump to carry on working without you having to hold it). Total bill $99 at $2.09 per gallon, which is 3 .78 litres approximately (that is about 45p per litre!!). I have seen it lower that at $1.99 so thank god for low prices!! All done so we drive back to Christopher’s to drop of the Spark and then he drove us back to Palm Beach RV to finally drive the RV to Christopher’s. We had already mentioned the vibration and they said they would arrange a tech, but I am glad we did as on the drive back up I95 we couldn’t get above 50mph because the vibration got horrendous. Christopher pulled alongside on I95 and he could see the wheel was bouncing, so we backed off to 45mph and drove home. We then looked at the tyres (tires in the US!!) and the nearside had multiple flat spots and the offside had a few less but still had some. So I am back to Palm Beach to tell them we need 2 new front tyres and I am not paying for them ($450 a tyre!!). We got the RV on the drive and with Christopher’s help and a lot of wooden blocks we got “big beast” (as Anne calls it) level on the auto hydraulic levelling system, so we could run the bedroom and living room slides out. We were hoping to use one of the house 30amp sockets to power the static RV but its not that simple in the US as the house sockets seem to have a different configuration to the RV 30 and 50amp sockets, another thing to ask. So day ended with us running the RV on the generator, which since it has only got 94 hours use on it is no big deal. Only a few wooden blocks. On a level site we shouldn’t have to use any. “little beast” and “big beast” !! Today we are starting to put all the “stuff” we have bought into the RV and figure out what we still need and I am back to Palm Beach RV to get the Spark front bumper sorted and tell them about the tyres!! Onwards and upwards!! In spite of all this we are way ahead of where we expected to be, so hopefully we will be going to our first “shake down” RV campground next week. I have forgotten to mention one important part of our journey so far and that has been the transfer of money to our US bank account with Citibank. Some months ago I spotted an article by Martin Lewis of Money Saving Expert about the rip off rates that Banks use to transfer money to foreign banks. Investigated this with our bank and found that on average you lost about 6-7 cents per pound when transferring money to the US. Now this meant we would lose quite a substantial amount when we wanted to move money to buy our RV. Martin in this article http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/foreign-currency-exchange recommended a company called Transferwise. I can but back him up on this as we have used them and to say the least the transactions have been flawless. Because our bank had a daily transfer limit we had to do it over a few days but having two bank accounts with different UK banks sped up the process. The way is works is you transfer money to Transferwise (we did a small transaction of £100 first to check it all worked), and then Transferwise converts the money and sends it to your nominated foreign account. It works for all of the major currencies and they are gradually adding more. We always got the top conversion rate as per the market (we lucked out as over the period we did it £ – $ went up to $1.30!!) and Transferwise make their money by taking a small percentage fee on each transaction. We actually saved thousands of dollars by doing this, so I can heartily recommend Transferwise. Thursday the 6th July dawned and with some trepidation we set of to Palm Beach RV for our training course and to pick up the RV and the Spark with the towing hitch fitted. Got there after picking up a rather large certified cheque from Citibank and the day started with an introduction to their Finance guy to hand over the cheque and sort out our Warranty and Paint cover. All completed we waited for the guy who was going to walk us through the RV and introduce us on how to use everything. He turned up and first showed us the Spark with all the towing brackets etc. sticking through the front grill. At first glance all looked great(more of this later). Then onto the RV. I suppose we should of guessed that we weren’t going to get all we thought we were when he opened up by saying “this is my first time doing this on an RV”. Anne asked if we could video his talk and he said he wasn’t happy with that so Anne got the notebook out and started writing. First came the tour around the outside where we were shown the outdoor entertainment centre, the various storage lockers, the on-board generator and how to start it from the outside, and then the important bits on how to connect to the Black (sewerage), grey(dirty water) and white(drinking water) tanks, and the electrical, TV and cable hook-ups. First thing we found out was something we already knew but our guide didn’t was that there was a separate black tank for the front bathroom which was connected to the back black tank for dump purposes via a macerator pump. Got that sorted out and then moved on to the front of the vehicle, where he didn’t know how to open the hood (bonnet). Luckily I knew how to do this and had already seen all the important bits (oil fill, radiator top up, washer bottle etc.), so we completed the external tour and moved inside. Opened up the door and out popped the steps and he took us through the 4 batteries on board (2 engine start, 2 house batteries for running unconnected to power). Next to them he pointed out the external awning controls, and then then the various fuses and breakers that were in the panel next to the switches. Then we introduced to the screen door and the main door locks etc. and finally got out of the Florida heat into the air conditioned interior!! This is when we discovered that the bits they were supposed to be repairing hadn’t been done! The end of the tow/haul lever was still missing, and the pull that opens the sofa into a bed that was pulled off during our sales tour was still off!! We proceed on round the coach (will not bore you with the multitude of switches, functions etc. we were introduced to), although there was quite a few things that he was unclear about how they functioned. Finally got to the bottom of most things after asking more questions. I then noticed an extra pedal next to the automatic pedals and asked what it was and he said it was the parking brake and proceed to show us how it worked. He released the brake and at this point the levelling jacks all automatically closed, a safety feature he had forgotten all about, since you are not supposed to drive off down the road with jacks down!! After a bit of rocking and rolling as we settled onto the wheels he apologised and tried to explain what had happened!! We then moved onto how the slides worked and said that he would now show us how they retracted. Now I was a bit puzzled by this and said so, since I had read that you should never move the slides unless the vehicle was level on the jacks, which due to his mistake were now closed. Luckily Winnebago had put another safety feature in that stops you operating the slides without being level, so when he pressed the button nothing happened!! So we found out how the levelling system worked!! First you must turn on the engine to provide pressure for the hydraulics and then you hit the Auto Level button. At this point the jacks come down and the RV goes into a sort of dance at it figures out what jack it needs to get the RV level. After about 3 minutes it declared success and sure enough we had one green light in the middle of the levelling system saying it was level. Then we could retract the slides!! Which we did by pressing the appropriate buttons, but noting that you must make sure you switch all the lights etc. off at the back of the RV as once the bedroom slide is in the only way to do it is to climb across the bed. At this point the “instructor” declared it was time for lunch and he would take us through how to attach the Spark to the hitch after lunch. Anne and I looked at each other and said fine we will go and get lunch as well and meet him back there in an hour. In reality we wanted time to write down what we thought was missing so far and what we still needed to know and get fixed. Our list was quite long so we decided after lunch to get our main contact Will and explain to him that we were not that happy with what had happened. To give him credit all sorts of people appeared out of the woodwork and we suddenly had access to more experienced people who explained all the outstanding questions (i.e. how did the left/right turn cameras work, obvious when you shown but it was omitted!). Then we went through the things we thought we had paid for but not been done, black/grey tanks had not been emptied and flushed, LPG was not full, gas tank was half empty and supposed to be full and we weren’t too impressed with external “detailing” (water streaks all over it). So finally it was agreed that we would leave the RV with them until Wednesday 12th July so they had time to fix all of this and also service the vehicle/generator which had not been done. Ho hum. Then I was shown how to hitch the Spark up to the RV (it looks tiny at the back of the RV!!), which to be honest was impressive with so many safety features to stop it flying off into the woods if it became disconnected!! We needed the Spark as the hire car goes back on Sunday 9th and we had promised to take Lilia to Miami airport on Tuesday (going to Mexico) as Christopher starts his training course on Monday and cannot get away. So we parked it in the Customer Parking and drove back to Chris’s to get him so we could pick it up. We then drove back with Chris and it was then that he noticed that they had damaged the Spark front bumper installing the hitch!! The dealership was closed so we drove back got something to eat, and called it a day. Next day we went back again to have this investigated and we are getting a new bumper to fix the problem!! Result!! Other than all above we have been continuing to shop for the RV which if some of you have seen Anne’s Facebook post has not exactly been my favourite bit!! That’s all for now, probably will leave it until Wednesday to post again when we pick up the RV (hopefully) !!

2019-04-19T15:17:12Z

http://dmjsystems.co.uk/rvblog/2017/07/

The 18th of November every year, Oman celebrate the National Day, recalling the anniversary of the Omani Renaissance which kicked off 44 years ago and still presses ahead towards the achievement of further progress and prosperity for the citizens. Oman’s citizens, have been the moving force behind this renaissance, inspired in this approach by the wisdom of HM Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, who commands a clear vision about what he wishes to achieve for the country and its people, the State and society. The Omani foreign policy derives its origins from the rational thinking of Sultan Qaboos who perceives matters with wisdom and objectivity, away from impulsive emotions or rushing when critical political issues emerge or worsen, irrespective whether this occurs in the local front, the Arab region or the international arena. Oman’s efforts have led to success on many occasions, narrowing differences and resolving disputes among sisterly or friendly states within the region and beyond. This has earned Oman more respect at all levels. Oman has been able to establish advanced relations with other countries and nations and has expressed its position with full confidence, while at the same time exerting all possible efforts to support any begin action meant to achieve security and stability, regionally and internationally. Oman also supports the efforts of the United Nations and its affiliate organizations and bodies, including the UNESCO, the International Labour Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the UN Human Rights Council to foster positive dialogue and extend bridges of peace and understanding between nations of the world. Oman has provided citizens with all means of self-advancement and qualified them to be true partners in nation building alongside the government. So that citizens would exercise their full role in this partnership, proper institutions have been set up to achieve this goal. The establishment of the Council of Oman, with its bicameral system of governance (the State Council and Majlis Ash'shura) has been a turning point in the country’s history, an evidence that the ruler who took the helm of leadership has done so for the sake of the country and its citizens and that such a self-denied leader who meets people in their villages would not give up his promise to develop the Omani Shura system of parliamentary consultation. The legislative and regulatory authorities granted to the Majlis Oman (Royal Decree 39/2011) made this council more capable of expressing the aspirations of citizens and granted them further opportunities for participation in the decision-making process. In addition, the experience of Municipal Councils proved to be another formidable development in democratic practice, an opportunity to expand the scope of citizens’ participation in serving their local societies and enhancing the tradition of Omani Shura. These achievements went hand in hand with steps to reinforce the independence of the judiciary and public prosecution. Oman has guaranteed religious and intellectual freedom to citizens and residents alike, acting from the view that these freedoms are human rights that cannot be confiscated by any means. Oman exerts tangible efforts in enhancing the concept of coexistence and tolerance for which our world today is in great need more than any other time before. Hence the Sultanate set out on a mission to reinforce principles of respect for religious freedoms. This approach has been realized through Oman’s keen efforts to communicate with ‘The Other’, partly through the establishment of interfaith dialogue centers and partly through the establishment of academic chairs at renowned world universities to propagate the true tenets of Islam, which is a religion that advocates peace and calls for peaceful coexistence among nations. Oman holds a mobile exhibition which tours countries of the world to convey Oman experience in religious tolerance and co-existence that prevail across the spectrum of the cosmopolitan population. It also organizes symposiums on propagating the principles of tolerance. The US State Department’s annual report on religious freedoms of 2013 hailed the level of religious tolerance in Oman towards other faiths among different communities in the country. The report reaffirmed a fact stated by earlier reports that tolerance is a constant tradition in Oman because it stems from the Omani spirit which rejects religious fanaticism and sectarian extremism. In June 2014, the exhibition unveiled various projects, including a fine art exposition which presented to members of the public a set of spiritual values in a blend of calligraphy, decoration and art. Four fine art tableaux incarnating supplication and peace were on display. Since its launching in 2011 in Germany, the exhibition has toured more than 55 cities around the world. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary between Oman and Korea, Seoul has been selected among many cities around the world to host the exhibition. In November 4, 2014, the exhibition organized by Oman’s Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs, the Oman embassy and Korea foundation host the exhibition for one month from Nov 4-Dec 6 in Korea foundation gallery, Seoul The exhibition presents variety of facets of the modern society in the Sultanate of Oman by offering the visitors with insight into the practice of Islam in daily life, along with an examination of contemporary Omani society and the role of women in its society. The exhibition comprises several corners including manuscripts which dates hundreds of years, tolerance panels, photo exhibition, fine arts-shadow arts, Arabic calligraphy, a documentary film, and modern Oman panels. Also a campaign titled "#ActForTolerance" a hash tag was launched, and this one targets young men and women from all countries of the world. The aim of the exhibition is to highlights various cultural aspect of Oman and spread the correct message of Islam which aims better understanding among our nation which ultimate aim is to enhance our relation and cooperation. Oman history goes back to 5000 years ago. Its strategic location between the east and the west was a major part for being trade route. Therefore, it had connection with various civilizations in the past. Oman is also well known as sea faring and trading nation. Oman enjoys an unspoiled culture and traditional lifestyle in almost every aspect of life which is derived from the Islamic religion. The Oman is a society committed to kindness, friendship, hospitality and the value of the family as the solid foundation of life. Arabic is the official language; English is considered a second language and widely used in the business sector. Oman has rich cultural values, art, handicrafts and folkloric performances. There are a number of UNESCO-classified World Heritage sites in Oman. The Royal Orchestra of Oman is considered one of the best worldwide, and the Royal Opera House recently opened as an example of its appreciation of art. Oman is a beautiful country with many appealing sites and destinations. The popularity of Oman is mainly due to its geological structure, beautiful landscapes, mountains, deserts and Wadis, with green oases of palm trees, heritage, etc. Oman also has some exotic beaches with crystal clear and sparkling water and luxurious resorts and hotels, restaurants, etc. Some of the interesting attractions of Oman include Muscat, Nizwa, Sohar, Salalah and Sur. Oman is rich in nature, culture, heritage as well as interesting activities such as scuba diving, boating, climbing, trekking, camping, golf, shopping and watching whales, dolphins, turtles and birds. In addition, tourists can enjoy camel and horse racing and the souks and villages of Oman, Bedouin tents in the desert and camel riding. Endowed with nature’s bounty and blessed with beautiful beaches, mountains, deserts, wadis (valleys), and islands, Oman is described as a dream destination and gradually being unveiled in all its glory to the outside world now. Muscat is the cultural capital of the Arabian world. Oman is blessed with a rich culture and tradition backed by glorious heritage which is visible in the symbols of the past scattered all over the country such as forts, castles and ancient houses. Nature has also chosen Oman to bless with her munificence. The tourism sector represents one of the mainstays of the national economy. The Sultanate ranks on the 4th place in the International Tourism Market in the GCC Countries, with total of more than 1.9 Million tourists in 2013. The Ministry of Tourism has organized many events and activities that highlight the features of tourism potentials that are abound in the natural Omani environment and cultural heritage such as Muscat Festival and the Salalah Tourist Festival. In order to attract visitors and tourists the Government organizes several Festivals such as Muscat Festival, held in the first quarter of every year, and has been gaining greater popularity among citizens, residents and tourists, particularly from GCC states. The turnout of Muscat Festival 2014, held from January 23 to February 22, was 1.5 million visitors. A major attraction during the summer months in the region is Salalah Tourism Festival, which is highly appreciated by Oman is and other GCC citizens. It is held during the Khareef or monsoon season in the Governorate of Dhofar at a time cloudy skies prevail throughout the season, while temperatures range between 15 and 22 degree Celsius. The Oman are an ancient seafaring people. Stories of their adventures have been distilled into the tales of Sindbad the sailor, and they describe the historical sea routes from Sohar in Oman via Ceylon and Indonesia to Canton. Already in the 18th century long before the first Europeans came along- Omani traders sailed the “Seven Seas” as far as China, where dates were traded for silk and porcelain. Other goods which were traded include gold, ivory, and above all spices. Even in 2000 B.C the civilization of Sumer and the Indus Valley procured copper via sea routes from the dealers of “Magan”, which is now Oman. In the following ages the most important export was frankincense from southern Oman, traded primarily with the Egyptian and Romans. Frankincense was literally worth its weight in gold. By the 19th century, the island of “Zanzibar” had developed into the center of the Omani trade empire. The basis for the economic rise was the trade in ivory and cloves, slaves were sold in great numbers to the Europeans to work on plantations in Madagascar. Today oil and gas are the most important export commodities. The main customers are the Republic of Korea, China, Thailand and Japan. The national economy posted 5% growth in 2013, benefiting from a rise in oil production, the stability of oil prices and the Sultanate’s espousal of an encouraging financial policy that is supportive of the monetary sector, coupled with strong, growing local demand. The Sultanate began 2014 by the announcement of the biggest budget in its history: The volume of spending was set at RO 13.5 billion ($35.06billion),, with emphasis on increasing developmental and investment spending in line with the approved goals of the Five Year Plan (2011-2015). The State Budget 2014 was aimed to realize a set of goals, most notably support for economic growth through government spending, sustained rate of development of public services rendered to citizens, complementation of infrastructure, support for small and medium enterprises, support for the Employment Sector, enhancing the use of local assets, continuous consolidation of financial savings and fiscal reserves and maintaining a safe level of general debt. The new budget also laid emphasis on society’s needs in the fields of education, health, housing, training and other social service areas through the allocation of RO 9.2 billion($23.9 billion), compared to RO 8.7 billion($35.06billion) in the 2013 budget. The volume of general spending in the 2014 budget (RO 13.5 billion) ($35.06billion) increases by 5% over figures earmarked for spending in the 2013 budget. Current expenditure, which stands at RO 8.7 billion, ($22.6 billion) constitutes 65% of the total spending, while investment expenditure stood at RO 3.2 billion. A sum of RO 1.2 billion ($3.1 billion) has been earmarked for subsidizing petroleum products, staple foodstuff, the electricity sector and interests on developmental and housing loans. Oman has been espousing the principle of 5-year development plans since its First Five Year Plan (1976-1980). The aim is to achieve balanced development in all governorates through executable programmes. Financial obligations for the current 8th Five Year Plan (2011-2015) the largest ever since the first plan grew to RO 59 billion ($153.2 billion) ($111.6 billion), compared to original allocations of RO 43 billion ($111.6 billion), an increase of 37%. The increase was due to additions made to spending sectors over the first 3 years of the plan. Most of the projects set for the 8th Five Year Plan are nearing completion, including seaports, airports, highways and expansions of industrial estates and economic zones. The Main Committee for Oman 2040 was formed last year and it was entrusted with drafting a new vision on how to benefit from economic and social developments in the local, regional and international arenas, while at the same time taking into account the ‘Oman 2020’ assessment made by the Secretariat General of the Supreme Council for Planning. The Committee has been formed as early as possible to allow for the accurate drafting of the future vision in accordance with as much community accord as possible, bearing in mind all economic and social realities and serving as a frame of reference for planning tasks over the next two decades. Oman 2040’s main focus will be on identifying and exploiting the country’s available opportunities and resources of each economic sector, including airports, seaports and industrial estates, in addition to available resources, to help realise the diversification of sources of income and the expansion of self-employment projects. A balanced distribution of development in all governorates should also be taken into account. Oman maintained its 40th place in the Global Electronic Preparedness Report 2014. The report measures the extent to which countries are prepared to develop their ICT sector. The report showed that the Sultanate continued to maintain high standards of performance in “efficiency of government procedures, efficiency of the justice system and an increase in number of mobile phone subscriptions and government spending on advanced information technology, among other criteria. The achievement comes at a time ministries and government units have made considerable progress in implementing the National e-Government Strategy, which is designed to be completed by 2015 in time for the Full Transformation Stage, so that government services needed by companies and individuals are made available in one website. The Sultan Qaboos Prize for e-Government Services, launched in 2010, is considered one of the main mechanisms in building knowledge-based information society as part of the Digital Oman Initiative, eOman. The 4th round of this contest was held this year in 12 categories covering 9 government sectors. The agricultural sector is one of the most important renewable economic sectors to support the national economy. The agricultural and livestock production represents an important activity for the most of population. This sector also provides a large scale of food to meet the requirements of food security. The value of GDP for agricultural and fisheries production increased 8, 6% in2013 to OR (388) million from the level in 2012. The industry sector constitutes one of the main components of the national economy’s diversification aimed at reducing dependence on oil. The recent past period witnessed the setting up of many basic industries, notably gas-based industries. Also, The Industrial Innovation Centre, founded in 2010, is considered one of the modern projects being implemented to upgrade the performance of the industrial sector through research in the field of “sustainable industrial growth”. An annual campaign titled “Omani” is being organized to help promote Omani products. The Sultanate strives to make use of its geographical location by setting up economic zones for and free trade zones to help attract local and foreign capital. Specialized economic zones and free zones contribute to the stimulation of economic activity and the opening up of markets before converting industries. These are considered major sources for technology transfer and employment of Omani job seekers. Free zones, regulated under Royal Decree 56/2002 provide a package of investment incentives, tax exemptions and streamlined services linked to licensing and import activities. So far, three main industrial zones have been established, which are Al Mazyouna free zone, Salalah free zone and Sohar free zone. Al Mazyounah Free Zone, which began operations in 1999, lies in the Governorate of Dhofar and it aims to attract enterprises that will promote trade and industrial links between the Sultanate and Yemen. Salalah Free Zone was established in 2006 and it is run by Salalah Free Zone Company. Sohar Free Zone was established under Royal Decree 123/2010, issued on 20 December 2010. It is run by Sohar Free Zone Company. The establishment of the Special Economic Zone in al Duqm (SEZAD) under Royal Decree No. 119/2011, issued on 26th October 2011, was an important new addition to the national economy. Its facilities include Port al Duqm, a ship repair dry dock and several tourist and logistical services. The Sultanate is planning to set up a number of major projects in this area and attract investments totalling some US$ 15 billion over the next ten years. The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates runs 7 industrial estates, which are Rusayl, Sohar, Raysut, Nizwa, Sur, Al Buraimi and Samayil (under foundation), besides KOM, Knowledge Oasis Muscat, which focuses on information technology. Free zones provide a package of investment incentives and privileges like exemptions from taxes, streaming of licensing and clearance procedures, import of all goods permissible in the country, exemption from the “lowest limit of investment” condition, free use of currencies, exemption of profits from income tax and other incentives. The network of main Omani ports includes Port Sultan Qaboos, established in 1974 as an import and export terminal that witnessed continuous development over the years of the country. In July 2011, the government decided to transform Port Sultan Qaboos into a full-fledged tourism port. The decision provides for the transfer of all import and export activities to Sohar Industrial Port. The Port of Salalah is accorded great importance due to its vicinity to international maritime routes. As for Sohar Port, which overlooks the Sea of Oman, its importance is expected to pick up after the start of implementation of the government’s decision to transfer all commercial activities of Port Sultan Qaboos. Sohar Industrial Port will become Oman’s main commercial hub. Al Duqm Port will revolutionize the Sultanate’s maritime experience. Situated in the Governorate of Al Wusta, the Port of Duqm is considered one of the Sultanate’s most modern ports. The first phase of goods-handling operations at the Port of Duqm began in March 2013. The Port of Duqm is also distinguished for its strategic location in the vicinity of international maritime trade routes, which offers great chances for attraction of regional and international business, besides activating transport and tourism activity within other Omani ports because this port is located halfway between Qaboos Port in Muscat and the Port of Salalah in Dhofar. A key facility in Duqm is a project to set up a comprehensive city to serve as a center for attraction of maritime transport activity, besides serving the planned industrial city which will include a refinery, petrochemical industries and workshops for the repair of ships and tug boats. The facilities also include fisheries-based industries, logistic complexes and big stores. The area is expected to be the Sultanate’s main industrial center attracting both domestic and foreign investments, thereby expanding the country’s economic production platform. The volume of investments at the Port of Duqm is expected to touch US$ 15billion in the next decade. The Sultanate’s main ports network also includes the Port of Khasab. Other ports in the Sultanate include Shinas. A network of new ports along the coast in the coming years will increase the importance of the country as a commercial shipping center in the Indian Ocean. The railway project is considered a complementing part of the land transport network in the Sultanate and a new facility which will enhance the national economy and support the sustainable development process. The railway will also reinforce transport networks between the Sultanate and the United Arab Emirates. It will enable the ports of Sohar, Duqm and Salalah to become the main gateways of import and export for GCC states, thereby keeping the Sultanate on the helm of the maritime transport industry. The railway project extends for 1,687 kilometers. The project of detailed designs and construction is expected to be floated for specialized international companies during this year or by the first half of the next year. Since the outset of the modern Omani renaissance, education has been accorded the greatest attention through the Royal speeches of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, who considers that education is the ultimate goal for which all means must be made available. The Sultanate’s quest to improve education has been aimed at building qualified human resources to meet the requirements of development now and in future. The Basic Education plan is focusing more and more on scientific subjects, mathematics and languages. New subjects have also been introduced to help cope with progress in information technology and the needs of the labour market for skill manpower. Higher education is the first criteria by which the progress of nations is measured because of its significant role in drawing out strategies for the development of human resources. It has been one of the basic approaches of the modern Omani renaissance. Therefore, importance has been attached to the setting up of higher education institutions and colleges in different technical, health, banking and religious domains to help meet the needs of all sectors for qualified human resources. The Sultanate has gone a long way in providing health services to citizens at levels as high as international standards. This made Oman occupy first place at world level in the effective use of health resources. This earned the Sultanate the global acclaim among international health service organizations. Health Vision 2050 is a long-term plan forming a transitional stage which will further upgrade the health system to keep pace with medical and technical development in the global arena. The Sultanate, when implementing various plans and projects, works to reinforce concepts of proper handling of environmental resources, since these represent one of the pillars of the country’s renaissance. Oman Environment Day is celebrated on January 8 every year. It was first marked in January 1996 in recognition of the attention accorded to the environment by Sultan Qaboos. The programme known as “Environment Monitoring” is being implemented as a standard procedure to keep pace with the rapid expansion in industrial, developmental and tourism activities which might have negative impacts on the environment. Steps are taken to benefit from the expertise of international organisations in the field. In addition, emphasis has also been laid on ecodiversity. There is ongoing cooperation with the UN Industrial Development Organisation to help conduct studies and projects in the field of ozone layer protection, climate change, applications of renewable energy and ways to diminish the emission of greenhouse gases. In 2013, the prize was shared by the State's National Forests Holding of Poland and South Africa's “Endangered Wildlife Organisation”. Oman-Korea relations date back more than a thousand years, when Omani merchants met their Korean counterparts on their way to China. In modern times, they established diplomatic relations in 1974. Since then, Oman―Korea relations witnessed a remarkable development in various fields. Korea is regarded a major trading partner of Oman, and both countries engage in numerous economical exchanges and cooperation. Oman provides large quantities of oil and LNG to Korea. On the other hand, Korea exports many industrial products, including automobiles, vessels, hi-tech electronics and electric goods to Oman. Moreover, many Korean companies such as LG International, GS, Daewoo, Hyundai, Doosan, Hanjin, Dealim, and others are contributing to the development of Omani infrastructure and other major projects. The volume of trade between the Sultanate of Oman and South Korea reached $5.79 billion in 2013. The Sultanate export to South Korea reached $5.3 billion while import from South Korea reached 0.923 billion. The Oman-Korea Joint Committee is playing a pivotal role in promoting and developing the cooperation between the two countries. During the fourth round of meetings held in Muscat on Aug. 24. During this round they reviewed the results of the committee’s works and the bilateral cooperation in the economic, scientific and cultural fields and means of promoting them, as well as exchanging viewpoints on matters of concern to the two friendly countries. To reflect the strong ties, an exchange visit from both sides has taken place. Lately, Oman’s minister of Information and minister of Transport and Communication visited Korea. Oman has also participated in many international events and conferences which have taken place in Korea such as the UN Public Service Forum, the 12th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP) and High Level Segment, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Nuclear forum, and others. During the ITU conference Oman has participated on the Technology Gender Equality Streaming award and a golden sponsor. Oman has worked to attract investment over the past years by creating a suitable climate to attract foreign investments and stimulate domestic businesses. It improves the economic environment and creates encouraging incentives. Oman enjoys many investment features, which have enabled it to attract domestic and foreign investment, including security, political stability and the application of a free economic system. It allows foreigners to own projects without any restrictions on the transfer of funds to outside the country, and there is no tax on the income of individuals. Also, it gives uniform tax treatment to all companies, both Omani and foreign institutions, at 12 percent annually. There are many investment opportunities and major ongoing projects and many more to come, such as a railroad project, a medical city, an education city, ports, airports, tourism projects, petrochemical projects, and many other construction projects. Oman is looking to attract specialist investment into the Sultanate’s ports and special economic zones. As a major manufacturer of high quality machinery, technology and electronics, our focus is to bring an expertise to assist us with the development of major projects in the logistics, fisheries, petrochemical, tourism and manufacturing sectors across the Sultanate. Oman will see a massive surge of investments with more than $127 billion worth of projects under way. This is in addition to more than $80 billion projects being executed at different stages of completion, while more are scheduled to be launched in the remaining 14 months of this five-year plan. The contract for the Rail Road Network construction of the 207 km Sohar-Buraimi worth of $15bn is anticipated to be awarded by mid-2015. This in addition to a total of 18 consortiums and joint ventures prequalified to participate in the design and build package of the 2,235km-long line. Bids are due in by 21 December, 2014. Also to be constructed along the route are a number of railway facilities, including stations, freight yards, wayside maintenance bases, and maintenance depots. We would like to invite Korean companies to take the opportunity to participate in these projects and investments. The embassy is keen on providing support and cooperation to Korean companies and look forward their participation and presence in Oman. The Open house program “Welcome to Oman”: a monthly program held at the embassy where we open the embassy for invited public people to the embassy as “open house program” where people from Korean society either students or business men or tourist organization or others visit the embassy. The program includes a welcome remark by the ambassador, briefing about Oman in general and culture in particular and the relation between Oman and Korea, view documentary film about Oman, experience the Omani culture and hospitality. In January and February hosted 3 groups each with 35 participants. Other events are holding photo exhibition in various places in Korea throughout the year, arrange student exchange programs and business men/women visits. In March 2014 , we held Omani night in Lotte organized by Oman LNG. The event include varies cultural performances including fashion show, art design, music and Omani traditional food will be served. Also in in March 16-20 H.E Lee MB visited Oman and delivered lecture in Sultan Qaboos University and participated in the economic forum as guest of honor and keynote speaker. In June Oman was the guest of honor in international Seoul book fair where Oman participated in large pavilion which highlights Omani culture and art. The royal orchestra of Oman was present which performed at the Omani pavilion for 3 days. We also participated in the Seoul Tourism fair. In Nov 4 we opened an exhibition titled “Tolerance, understanding and coexistence: a message from Oman”. The exhibition held in Korea foundation which will last for one month. The exhibition comprises several corners which are manuscripts which dates thousands of years, the tolerance panels, campaign #Actfortolerance, photo exhibition, Arabic calligraphy, modern Oman, shadow art. On Nov 9 held Omani fashion show at Kintex in coordination with Korea cultural association. In Nov 14 participated in the embassies cultural day at city hall. In Nov 18 will hold reception and cultural exhibition to celebrate the 40소 anniversary of the cordial relation between Oman and Korea. These cultural events and business forum act as a bridge between our nation to promote understanding which enhances the relation and cooperation in general. In conclusion, I would like to say that during these blessing days of the 44th National day, Oman is proudly witnessing the achievements made by the hands of its people under the wise leadership of H.M Sultan Qaboos. On this occasion and the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the cordial relation between Oman and Korea, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the Korean government and people for the achievements that have been made in various areas, which are being felt everywhere, and the role of Korea in addressing issues of local, regional and international level besides hosting international events and conferences. Also, I would like to express my thanks and appreciation for the Korean people and government for their cooperation, kindness, generosity and hospitality they have extended to us since our arrival in this great and beautiful country. Thanks and appreciation also extended to the sponsor and The Korea Post who have made this supplement possible. Last but not least, I would like to invite the Korean people to visit Oman, explore the culture, tourism land marks, adventure and also invite the Korean companies to participate in the investment opportunities of various projects. I’m confident that our relations and cooperation in the coming days will witness further enhancement and development. Ultimately, my heartfelt wishes to Korea to further success and progress and for the Oman-Korea relation further development and prosperity.

2019-04-22T20:29:49Z

http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=724

The infamous Tom Dooley’s Bar is next door but one, the bars and restaurants of Nasserein are a quick toboggan ride or few hundred yard walk away and the pulsating roar of central St Anton nightlife is a ten minute stroll. Fabulous for families and those who like the click click of bindings a few steps from the front door. These are the ultimate luxury chalets in St Anton, we're sure of that. Had a lovely week, Sue and Alice were the best hosts - the food and the chalet were great, it was my first VIP holiday and will definitely go again! Had such an amazing time staying in Haus Hochkar. The ski out location was fab, the chalet was lovely and, above all, the hosts, Alice and Sue, were awesome! Great food, great chat, great skiing, great people. I'm looking forward to my next VIP holiday already. Thanks! From start to finish the chalet was a total delight. Alice and Sue were a total dream team - nothing was ever too much trouble and their food was delicious. The ski area is fantastic and we loved the convenience at the end of the day. Having been on several VIP holidays I would never book with anyone else. Thank you! Alice & Sue are impeccable chalet hosts. Accommodating for all allergy requests and sensible levels of horseplay. As a group of 5 young men, who normally struggle in social situations, we were instantly made to feel at home over a fantastic game of battleships. The only issue was that trivial pursuit dates back to the 1990s. A moment of doubt was struck when a perculiar Austrian man questioned our decibel levels in the sanctity of our own bootroom(?) We seshed real hard all week, Basecamp was real hot (right now). We can't wait to stay with VIP again, they know how to sort you out and will look after you no end. Enjoy your stays everyone. What a season to be alive. I have done a lot of chalet holidays, many with VIP and I can honestly say I don't think we have been as well looked after as we have this week. The biggest of thank you's to the lovely Alice and Sue, a delightful couple and a superb double act. Nothing was too much trouble, they went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure our stay was as good as possible. Great food, every night was a gastronomic delight! It's a lovely chalet, very comfortable and well laid out. The office staff in the UK were helpful and easy to deal with. We will definately be skiing with VIP in the future. Chalet location good, food good, very good size rooms, chalet clean and tidy, chalet hosts (Alice and Sue) really helpful and great service, weather poor on 4 days out of 6 and ski area very restricted as a result (gampen, galzig and rendl) every day except one - I thought the lift company could have done more to open things up. We have had a fab week despite the weather being hit and miss, we didn't let it spoil our fun. Chalet was really clean and we were looked after well. The chalet and staff were excellent. The only thing we thought was the the food menu was quite basic and the portions were small. The cheese is nice to have after dinner but more appropriate cheese biscuits would be nice. The food was cooked well. Sue and Alice were lovely and really good cooks, the chalet was very good, clean and well serviced. The wifi could be better, that would be my only minor criticism, otherwise an excellent weeks stay. Great chalet - very comfortable and well located with all needed for a fab holiday. Sue and Alice have been masterful in providing us with a lovely food and ambience without over-fussing. Hot chocolate in bed has been a highlight for the kids and wonderful carrot cake made a great birthday tea. Advice every morning helped everyday be different and we also appreciated the support from Jamie after two accidents with lifts to hospital and good support while away from home. I don't often get away, I don't have many friends but boy was i made to feel welcome at House Hochkar. Nothing was too much for Sue and Alice, my new friends. Wow, thanks for a great holiday. Watch out for the special cheese boards, yum, yum. Thanks again, Ollie. Wonderful week in St Anton. Alice and Sue were great hosts; the chalet was lovely; the food was great. Perfect conditions - powder followed by sun. All good. - portions could have been bigger. chalet very tidy and clean. Alice and Sue very friendly and helpful. We have been very lucky with a great sunny week with lots of snow. The chalet has worked well although I wouldn't really call it ski in - ski out! Alice and Sue have looked after us very well and the food has been good overall although the portions of meat / fish have seemed a bit small which might be a reflection of the allocated budget. Compared to other chalets I've stayed in I would say it would say it is a fairly standard offer which is a bit lower than I was expecting for the cost. Chalet very comfortable. Alison and Sue are very accommodating hosts, eager to please and attend to our needs. Only major grip is that the description of the chalet as being ski in - sky out is a bit tenuous; skiing back would only be possible for an experienced skier. Amazing holiday from start to finish! The transfer from Friedrichshafen to St Anton was great and we had a warm welcome from Alice and Sue on arrival at the chalet. Room is excellent, spacious, modern and clean .. The shower is always hot ( very welcome after a long days skiing). The food is absolutely first class , restaurant standard every evening. Will be taking some recipes home for sure. First time skiing with VIP - chalets , certainly will not be the last. Five star service. Thank you for making our trip so fantastic. Seamless flight and transfer, warm welcome from Sue and Alice on arrival. Chalet was great and our room was spacious. Food was wonderful, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal every night. Afternoon cakes were scrummy. We will be taking some of the recipes home with us. We will definitely be using VIP again. The food was lovely, and the chalet girls were really welcoming and lovely. The chalet location is slightly far from the town but besides that it's nice and spacious. Offering wine with dinner as included in the price was lovely. Would have loved a beer or two included too. Our holiday @ st Anton has been amazing. All the booking and additional things we needed were dealt with really well, very professional. The meet at the airport went really well. The Chalet is lovely and the hosts Alice and Sue were exceptional. Nothing was too much trouble. The food was brilliant. I would recommend the chalet. well done VIP and especially well done Alice and Sue. Special thanks to Alice and Sue who were fabulous hosts - professional, organised and sociable. All the meals were delicious and the carrot cake in particular was the best my husband has ever tasted! They were really accommodating for us with non alcoholic options when requested. The chalet was not an easy ski in / out option but overall the conditions and weather were the best I've had in years of skiing. Looking forward to another holiday with VIP in the future! Great Holiday, Chalet and Hosts! Returning to skiing after several years we had a really great holiday courtesy of Alice and Sue at Haus Hochkar. The chalet was very comfortable, spotless and well appointed; a welcoming place to stay after a days skiing. Alice and Sue did an exceptional job hosting and catering for us. The food was great and they were both very well informed about the resort and options. Nothing was too much trouble for them and they were fun and courteous - in essence, faultless hosts! Jamie and the other members of the VIP team were really well organised and enabled seamless flight transfers to and from the chalet - despite the challenging conditions. VIP have clearly thought alot about the detail of what makes a good holiday experience and the team executed this very well. All in all, highly recommended, and especial thanks again to Alice and Sue! Great level of service with excellent staff & breakfast at Haus Hochkar( Alice & Sue). Jamie was a very proactive, approachable and well organised resort manager. The Haus Hochkar is well placed and very close to lift Nasserein & is ski in/out. However the bathrooms do need a heated towel rail to dry some of your ski gear and towels. The chalet is a comfortable environment and the ambience very welcoming. Alice and Sue were fantastic hosts for whom nothing was too much trouble. Definitely considering a return visit. We booked late with VIP and managed to strike lucky with a week of incredible snow in St Anton. The chalet is situated in a great spot... walkable to everything you need and genuinely ski in & ski out. The thing that made our week though was the Alice & Sue factor. Alice & Sue have the whole Alpine welcome, fantastic food, helpful, professional chalet hosting thing absolutely nailed. From delicious cooked breakfasts, epic homecoming cakes & genuinely excellent evening meals we were incredibly well fed. Always friendly, chatty & patient they looked after us so well. The chalet was immaculately looked after, they have a great eye for detail. The best chalet experience we've had in years. Thank you both.... the Pooles & the Bowlings. Chalet staff tried hard and always helped when asked. No info pack and no wow factor to chalet. Disappointed by st Anton piste groomimg - basically couldn't be arsed to groom pistes on xmas evening so very few runs open on xmas day despite great snow conditions. Attentive service and good boot room but frankly not possible to call this a ski in ski out location. 3rd VIP ski holiday and whilst ok easily the worst. Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback. I am sorry to hear that the chalet did not meet your expectations. Our sales team will be happy to steer you towards a more luxurious option if you choose to travel with VIP next season. Just spent an amazing week at Chalet Hochkar with Alice and Sue. They made us feel at home from Day One. Couldn't have asked for better chalet hosts. The chalet itself is immaculate - very comfy and well kept. And the food, it's simply scrumptious. This is a place I will definitely revisit for the next season. Very sad to be going. Phil and Laurence have been excellent chalet hosts. Very relaxed but always attentive and willing to help. We had great meals and have really enjoyed our week at the Haus Hochkar. Thank you. We had an excellent holiday. Laurence and Phil were outstanding hosts. Good chalet, great food, outstanding service. Sparkles and Phil were very good cooks, excellent company and highly efficient. Nothing was too much trouble, they were very patient with our children and looked after us all exceptionally well. Thank you for an outstanding week. Great holiday. Comfortable chalet with good sized rooms and excellent hosts. Laurence and Phil couldn't have done more for us. They were both always cheerful and keen to make our holiday as good as possible. Thank you! We have had an excellent holiday made all the better by Phil and Laurence's hard work. They have been long suffering of lots of horrible children and kept us fed with delicious food throughout. Transfers and admin all worked well and chalet was comfortable well equipped for our needs. The resort is as always friendly and fun although tough skiing for small children. The highlight of he week was Phil and Lawrence. The food was excellent but more importantly it was delivered with great charm and nothing was too much effort. We had six children with us and they were wonderful with them even arranging an Easter egg hunt with clues and maps. They managed to be both very professional and friendly throughout the whole week. They made the difference for us during the week. Thank you. For the last 3 years I have been on Ski holidays that have been in catered accommodation and hosted by a company with chalet staff and rep. This has been by far the best so far. I have been particularly impressed with their honesty and attention to detail the chalet hosts (Phil and Laurance) have been. It's the small things that help make the experience better. From noticing that a member of the party didn't drink and so offering an alternative, remembering our names and always being on hand to organise bookings for transport or restaurants. This was all done with a smile and willingness to help without feeling like it was a burden. They have set the benchmark for all my future ski trips. I wish them all the best. A little mention to Annika and the team for there help in providing clothing and essentials for members of our party that lost their luggage for a couple days. This has all helped sell the VIP ski experience and I will definitely consider the company again for future ski trips. Never stayed at a chalet before and left feeling why I haven't done so before and will look for VIP Ski when I go back to the US. Laurence and Phil were great hosts. Super helpful answering any questions we had and were always accessible by phone whenever we needed them (which sometimes we had to do when we couldn't get in contact with the shuttle). Overall service was great and can't imagine any other pair could have done any better. Truly great experience, thanks guys! Great stay. Haus Hockar is a great place to stay and made even better by Laurence and Phil who made my stay even better. Both are very friendly, pleasant, very informative and helpful. The food made and presented was excellent and the whole experience was very luxurious. Thanks to both! Extremely professional and luxury experience ! Laurence and Phil were fantastic hosts and the whole experience was amazing. The chalet is in a excellent location and the service is incredible. It was really a luxury set up with the hosts bringing coffee to the bedside before breakfast as well as extremely high quality food for breakfast and dinner. Aside from that the hosts manner was very professional and I couldn't fault it. I would recommend this to anyone! Phil and Laurence really made the experience at the chalet first class. We had a great trip last year with ski total, but the level of cooking and overall service was even stronger here. My luggage was lost on the journey by BAE and Annika did a great job of making sure it was returned to us the very next day ensuring this didn't ruin our holiday. Phil and Laurence really added a lot of fun to our dress up evening on the WeDnesday night and were top sports for getting a last minute costume of PJ and Duncan together. Great week. Once again, VIP provided us with an amazing holiday in every respect. Our chalet staff , Laurence and Phil, were fantastic. Gemma, Rafe's nanny, was a delight. A great family holiday; we hope to be back again soon! Thank you all! Wonderful holiday in a modern and clean chalet. Laurence and Phil were the perfect hosts very friendly and professional with a great sense of humour! Food was great and wine selection was nice. Would highly recommend these two as hosts! Great job! Fantastic week with VIP in St Anton. Phil and Laurence were absolutely awesome all week, food was amazing, wines great. Really couldn't recommend them and the wider team highly enough. Very well looked after, lot of fun had! Look forward to coming back! Fantastic holiday, a great chalet in an excellent location. Laurence and Phil were amazing all week, who really looked after us and made us feel at home. Our second trip with VIP this year and will certainly be recommending them. Both Phil and Lawrence were brilliant all week. The two are a great team and got on with our group so well. We had a 9 month with us and they went above and beyond with any meal requests we had. Top marks for both! Superb holiday. Lawrence and Phil have been great hosts, fantastic food and a wonderful atmosphere. Thank you! Can you pick us up from Basecamp please? We have had a wonderful week - the chalet is lovely and spacious and all the bedrooms are a generous size with great bathrooms. Chris cooked for us and his food was another level - vegetarians and meat eaters catered for and everyone's plate was empty for every meal. Our chalet host Phil has been wonderful and has helped to make a good holiday very good. Cannot praise him enough. Altogether an amazing holiday in a great chalet with wonderful staff. By far the nicest chalet I have ever stayed in. The rooms were perfect, the cleanliness was spot on. The food was unbelievably good, Chris is a fantastic chef! But the real thing that made the holiday was our host Phil, he was superb in every single way, could not be more helpful. His cooking was amazing, his attention to detail was brilliant, he made us feel welcome straight away and really made the experience something I will never forget. Phil and Laurance were great hosts. Food excellent and really balanced menu and wine for all of us to enjoy. Challet as described with no disappointments. Lots of hot water and the toiletries provided were appreciated . We had been put off Challett holidays as have had poor experience in past - this was not the case for our fantastic week. Special thanks. Sadly come to an end, but we've had a fab time. Hosts Phil and Lawrence provided excellent food each day and the chalet was very comfortable. Loved the extra touches. Will definitely be back. Our hosts Phil & Lawrence were exceptional. They were perfectionists who made sure we were all looked after and had everything we needed. They had great local knowledge, booked everything from restaurants to massages for us and even helped out with one of our family member’s school project! We would all definitely visit again. Truly fantastic trip, hosts Laurence and Phil went the extra mile to make it what it was! If only we had come for two weeks!!! Laurence and Phil looked after us really well. Food was lovely and they were great with the kids. we were really well looked after by Phil and Laurence. It's been a wonderful week in St Anton only made better by our fantastic hosts Phil and Lawrence (Florence). They really have done a wonderful job in making sure we were so well looked after. Our rooms were taken care of excellently and every meal was an absolute treat! VIP the boys are an asset to you and have made our VIP experience a excellent one. Thanks Florence!! Amazing Hosts & Amazing Food - 5* all round! Wow! What a week we have had here in St Anton. A massive thank you to Lawrence and Phil (Florence!) for making our week one to remember. Their hosting the moment we arrived was second to none- even coming with us to sort our ski hire and carry them back whilst we tested out the Apres ski on our first evening here. The food every night has been exquisite and the flexibility of timings has made our holiday even more enjoyable. These guys know so much about St Anton advising us on the best places... Making it just the best holiday. A special mention must go to the lads for the way they looked after our little Belle and how amazing they were with her- she is only 2 and she had the best time! Thanks boys we will never forget this week!! Laurence and Phil took great care to ensure that we had the best time possible on our ski holiday. The chalet was kept clean, they were very polite and friendly and nothing was too much trouble to sort for us. Laurence is a great cook and made sure all our dietrary requirements were looked after and he produced delicious food for us . Phil bringing hot drinks in the morning was much appreciated. We are repeat guests at VIP and they do the company proud. One thing I would recommend they put in place is a chalet folder with resort information which was lacking. Thank you for another brilliant holiday. Hopefully will be booking with VIP again. First time staying with VIP and I have to say what an amazing experience we have had from the arrival at the airport to the final checkout they have been superb, the chalet is lovely and homely, food of a very good quality and always plenty on offer, as for the hosts they were very professional and no request was too much, alway wiling to tell you about the area/ good runs on certain days, some of the best hosts I've seen for a while !, Apartment was very clean and tidy and bedrooms cleaned every day, the ski pick up service is brilliant when you are tired at the end of the day or have had too many after Apres ski !, Highly recommend Haus Hochkar as a place to stay, would defiantly use VIP in the future.. The chalet was good, comfortable, efficient and food was excellent. Staff were great and could not have been more helpful. The resort was surprisingly busy for the end of January. Long queues built up as everyone in St Anton seemed to want to head to Zurs and Lech and back again. One day we had 4 queues of more than 20 mins. But no-one seemed to go to Warth and Sonnenkopf. Each of these is well worth a day. Deserted pistes and wonderful restaurants in lovely settings. Our chalet formed into an excellent ski group. One suggestion - the chalet should have an information folder with bus times, bus map, train times ( for Sonnenkopf), recommended restaurants, maps for satellite areas etc. We really struggled to find how to get to Sonnenkopf. One criticism - on 2 occasions we needed to use the minibus to get to the lifts and were dropped quite a long way from the lifts with a long walk on a very icy track carrying skis. Probably the most dangerous part of the holiday! Thanks to Lawrence and Phil for a fabulous week in St Anton. Nothing was too much trouble, the food was fantastic, and the chalet was amazing; spotlessly clean and the proximity to the ski lift and runs was brilliant. After 30 years of chalet holidays, across Europe, Canada and USA, this VIP chalet was simply the best. Thanks for a wonderful holiday. Great trip, shame about the avalanche! Out reps at the chalet were fantastic, (Phil & Lawrence) and couldn't have done more - very relaxed and not phased even though we were quite a lively group, we lost the first 2 days due to the road to St. Anton being closed but VIP dealt with it very well. Would definitely use them again! Although our trip was off to a rough start due to act of God aka resort closed due to Avalanche risk worst in 19 years. I have to say the entire VIP team went above and beyon to unsure we had a great trip. When we were stuck outside we found ourselves put up in nice hotels when other providers guest found themselves in military bases and church halls. When we got to chalet when the roads clear we found ourselves met by Phil and Lawernce who just made the entire trip. Their attention to detail was fantastic and a lot of fun. They went above and beyond to make sure we had an exceptional time which I know was challenging as we were a crazy bunch. I never booked with VIP before and after this trip I will be a customer for life. See you next year!! So impressed, with the handling of the delayed entry into the resort as a result of the avalanche risk, super professional! Even more impressed with the guys on hospitality, great guys, great welcome, amazing food and couldn't do enough to for us.. Nothing was too much trouble! Will be booking with VIP again! Great hosts and delicious food! Phil and Laurence were fantastic hosts, the food they produced was delicious and the cup of tea in the morning was a lovely touch. They were great company and made the week thoroughly enjoyable. Enjoy the great snow chaps! What a great way to spend a holiday in St Anton. The chalet was the perfect base. Phil and Laurence were the perfect hosts, tending to our every need. The chalet was always immaculate and all the food was delicious. Our 2 chalet hosts were excellent in every way. Great cooks the chalet was always clean they answered all our questions and found out anything we wanted. It was all we wanted ‘what it said on the packet was in it’. We have just stayed a week in Haus Hockhar where we were excellently looked after by Phil and Lawrence. Everything taken care of for us with effortless ease. Really delicious food cooked by the pair. First time in St Anton and skiing good although a little testing for a nervous skier. The shuttle bus was an invaluable service. A really enjoyable week with excellent skiing due to bountiful fresh snow and well organised resort. Skiing is at least as good as trois vallees and materially cheaper when it comes to apres ski, lunches etc. The stars were Laurence and Phil who looked after our party of 10 superbly - food was excellent - ski chalets and their hosts have come a long way in 30 years!! Fantastic holiday in Haus Hochkar. Phil and Laurence were the perfect hosts. The food was excellent, and they looked after us extremely well, nothing was ever too much trouble for them. Thank you very much. The house was everything it said online. Phil and Laurence were exceptional hosts throughout the week. Amazing hosts Phil & Laurence were the best hosts, they couldn't have been more fab! Great double act from Phil and Laurence, thank you so much both of you!!! The accommodation was first rate. Well built and spacious, comfortable and convenient for the slopes. Our hosts Phil and Lawrence were very friendly, helpful and professional. A delight! I would like to whole-heartedly recommend our hosts Phil and Laurence. What an amazing week! They could not do enough for us. Charming, great cooks! Consummate hosts. I would recommend them to everyone and anyone. Lawrence & Phil our chalet hosts were brilliant, Polite, friendly and made us feel extremely welcome. And they were great at answering all our questions. Thank you Lawrence for carrying our ski equipment from the hire shop. Food was delicious, the lamb, beef and pork were cooked perfectly. The panacotta was a great hit! And we loved the wake up cup of tea each morning. Accommodation was immaculate, modern and comfortable. Bathrooms were spotless and the shower water pressure was perfect to ease your muscles after a day of skiing. Thank you VIP ski. A fantastic week hosted by Phil and Laurence. Nothing was too much trouble for our Chalet Hosts and they really added to and made a real difference to a very enjoyable time in St Anton. Fantastic hosting and cuisine . We couldn't ask for more. Great modern "chalet" in a quiet part of St Anton. Fantastic service from VIP as usual, they really are a cut above the other English ski companies. We'll be back. Steve and Nicky were brilliant looking after us in the chalet - great service and v. fine food! No request was too much trouble. The chalet is very clean and comfortable, albeit more apartment than alpine chalet; great location for Nasserein lift. The check-in at the airport on the way home was problematic, but BA's fault rather than VIP's. I will definitely be back again with VIP! Great family ski holiday- again! This is our second time skiing with VIP and everything has again surpassed all expectations. We have been so well looked after by our hosts, Steve and Nicky, from the famous early morning cuppa to a small guided tour of the village by Steve to show us where to find everything. The food has been AMAZING!! We have eaten fantastic breakfasts, cakes and sublime dinners all served with attention to detail and care. Nothing has been too much trouble. A special thanks must go to our ski guides, Roddy and Harry, thank you for giving David time off from his map reading duties! We had a great 2 days of skiing with you and I will learn how to stop on skis, soon Roddy, I promise!! We both thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in Haus Hochkar. It is modern, spacious and clean and the whole VIP set-up in St. Anton is excellent. The chalet host, Steve, was wonderful and everything just worked - lovely food, plentiful wine and every need taken care of. Somehow, VIP had managed to fill up the chalet with some great company, and that all helped to make it a memorable week. We cannot fault anything about our chalet experience this week. VIP goes just that little bit further than other companies we have used before. Our host Steve could not have done more for us. Food was excellent and whole chalet beautifully presented and works really well. The duty driver service is excellent and helped our group enjoy the Apres ski in the bars around town and dropping us back at the chalet door. We will definately be looking to book with VIP ski again next year. Good. Steve the host is a professional who clearly injoys his cooking as well as keeping everybody happy. All staff work hard to please. VIP is all round more polished than budget chalet company's. Ketchup with fish pie - phenomenal! Yet again, excellent preemptive pistachio strike. From the booking staff to airport check in, arrivals and further to the resort, the process was stress free and seamless. Thoroughly enjoyable menus. Steve's attention to detail was as notable as he was unflappable - despite assorted challenges from the guests! Smooth organisation of logistics, including restaurant recommendations. A pleasure to holiday with VIP and would have no hesitation recommending it. Haus Hochkar is great, plenty of space. Fantastic help from chalet host and resort manager. Our chalet host was wonderfully kind and helpful. He made great meals for us and even allowed us to copy one of his fantastic cake recipes to try at home! Thank you. VIP-ski came up trumps yet again. Superb chalet service made our holiday the perfect individualised package, from excellent food to perfectly arranged travel from start to finish. We will be back! Service / Food / Comfort / Atmosphere and Convenience. All of the above 5 are key to a great skiing holiday. You could add snow I guess but with 14 chaps together it comes a poor 6th. Steve, Cath and Richard the Haus Hochkar team are exceptional. No issues, no problems and nothing but great food, great service and great fun with a smile and a total "can do" attitude. You won't find a better, kinder and more expert team. Steve is a chef of top restaurant quality. Breakfast and dinner all to order and great quality and volume. Chalet is modern and clean. 5 minute walk from the main town but 3 mins from main gondola lifts. Being a bit,out of the town means you avoid the noise at 4am in the morning when the bars empty out. Seriously, for a great holiday with a brilliant team. Come here. There was even some snow. Thx Steve Cath and Rich. 10/10. What a cracking resort!! Lovely accommodation 5 minuets from the slopes. VIP staff were brilliant, serving up delicious food and providing excellent customer service. Would recommend to anyone and will be using them again in the future. Accommodation was good. Could have done with some Christmas decor. Chalet staff were excellent. Their cooking skills were immaculate and they were extremely friendly and helpful. Top class accommodation a little out of town. Food excellent as are the lovely people who have made our stay a pleasure-nothing has been to much. Really enjoyed my holiday. Thanks to Rich, Kath, and Steve for cooking such great food. Their attention to detail was quite superb. 12 of us had a fantastic memorable trip. Food was excellent. All plates emptied at every meal. No thoughts of even going out for dinner on any evening. Why bother when the best is available from the most conscientious VIP team possible. 10/10. Keep it up! Chalet hosts were first class - great atmosphere, food and service Our child was unwell at start of our trip and needed to stay in hospital 30km away - the VIP team couldn't have been more helpful. Delighted to report all ended well in the end on the medical front! We had a fantastic week in Haus Hochkar. Cath and James, our chalet hosts, were absolutely lovely and nothing was too much trouble for them. Delicious food and excellent service. All of the staff from our nanny Emily to the 'shuttle' guys were very friendly, flexible, and helpful. Good accommodation in good location with short walk to ski lift. Can't wait for next year... Many thanks. Another fantastic holiday with VIP. Nothing was too much trouble for Cath and James in making our time in Haus Hochkar a relaxing and enjoyable one. The food was excellent and the menu flexible, considering the children's preferences, and giving them healthy and well thought out options. The chalet was walking distance to the slopes, and the car service was always available if we finished the day at the other end of town. The property is modern, clean and comfortable with a good view of the mountain. Thank you for a great holiday, we will be back. We couldn't have wished for a better week: Fantastic chalet - all good sized, even sized rooms with excellent facilities and perfectly located for the Nasserein lift. Spotless clean all week long. Cath and James are absolutely outstanding hosts - nothing was too much trouble and the cooking was sublime. Really, really good and excellent presentation - definitely restaurant quality. The wine was delicious too and we made the most of it. Which leads me to say that Cath and James are unshockable. We had a wonderful day guiding with Chris in Lech, Warth and Zurs - so nice not to have to think about routes and lifts. We also lucked out with the weather and snow - both phenomenal. Our only regret is that we didn't ever clear our dinner plates as we had hefty lunches too and feel bad leaving excellent food on plates given all the effort that Cath and James went to for us. Thank you Cath and James for a brilliant week, and thank you Chris for a fun day, & VIP Ski for smooth organisation and for your help with our injured friend. We arrived at the airport to be greeted by our VIP hosts who were helpful and informative. The coach took us to a taxi rank where we transferred to a minibus to the chalet. Our luggage was dealt with by VIP and made its way safely to our rooms. We were greeted by James and Catherine who were our hosts for the week. The chalet was nicely decorated, very clean and each of the rooms modern and well appointed. James and Catherine made us very welcome and instantly at home. They continued this high level of service throughout the week. St Anton had benefitted from fresh snow and the sun shone brightly. The runs were busy but there was ample off-piste to keep us happy. The skiing area is extensive and it's possible to ski in a different place each day. A big attraction of St Anton is the Apres ski. It is vibrant and addictive with the Moose Weit a favourite on the run home. A big part of our holiday was the excellent food and fine wines supplied by James and Catherine. It was like eating in a top restaurant every night and every member of our group was full to bursting at each sitting. A great resort. Excellent hosting. Superb food. Well done VIP .... Thanks again James and Catherine and all the best for the future. Practically perfect in every way. The chalet hosts were exceptional. Ski out was very easy. The ski area is huge, with connections to neighbouring resorts by short bus ride. We had a local guide for a day's off piste which I would definitely recommend. Many thanks to all the staff in resort for making it happen. James and Catherine were excepional hosts and very polite. They offered assistance and guidance on places to go. The food was amazing with a wide variety throughout the week. Each morning nothing was too much trouble to prepare. It was pleasing to have hosts that engaged in conversation and made us feel very welcome. We had a wonderful holiday despite the changeable weather and one of us managing to have their head scanned after a Big Bang! We enjoyed the lessons but be aware these extend into the mid afternoon. A great week in St Anton being looked after by the super attentive James & Catherine in Haus Hochkar. A particular mention for an excellent days hosting in Zurs by Mark. Loved it! Thanks to Will (val d'isere manager)) for excellent customer service-ensuring the sunglasses left in val were retrieved in time for the week in St Anton. We're just at the end of another excellent holiday with VIP. James and Cathrin in House Hochkar have been wonderful - really attentive and kind - and have provided us with top quality food. All round the resort team have worked hard to make our stay as perfect as is possible whilst retaining an easy nature that made our demands appear to be no effort at all. We look forward to our next VIP trip! VIP ski really lived up to their name, friendly and efficient transfer. Exceptionally warm welcome in the chalet, followed by 6 nights of amazing and varied food. However, we heartily recommend you skimp on the lunches, so that you can make the most of the wonderful dinners, but also the home cooked cakes in the afternoons. We would definately recommend James and Catherine, as they were fun, friendly and fabulous hosts. Another great skiing holiday. This was our 4th chalet holiday with VIP in as many years and true to form the hosts, James and Catherine, were really friendly and helpful. We were surprised that St Anton and area did not provide a more frequent bus service and free within the area of the lift pass coverage. We thought that the Germania flights were poorer than in previous years. Our strong preference would be to allow the 20kg luggage allowance to be spread across 2 bags with one as a boot/ski bag. Regarding a previous comment about an unsociable corporate group being segregated into a chalet. Not one we are staying in please! We had a great week in St Anton hosted by James & Catherine who looked after us superbly. The chalet was very comfortable with good sized bedrooms. Highly recommended. We had absolutely amazing time in St Anton and Cathrin and James were the best hosts ever! They were so nice, friendly and attentive...and we were not the easiest group to look after with 8 adults and 5 kids under 4 years old. The food was amazing! The chalet had a great set up for the kids with a large living room / play room and no stairs and a long corridor for running around. The chalet is about 15 minutes walk into town. Ski out was great, but ski in was a bit more challenging as it is quite flat on the way back. Another great week staying in a VIP chalet, Catherine and James looked after us very well. Perfect holiday expierence ! The chalet couple( James and Katherine ) were the perfect hosts catering to our every need and joining in with card games an laughs in the evening after there shift had finished. It all made for a lovely holiday! Thank you guys! I have used VIP Ski on several occasions now. The personal attention and quality of service is second to none. Our hosts James and Catherine were efficient and charming, they looked after us as if we were good friends. Matt and Chris our ski guides ensured the safety of all skiers giving us two wonderful days. They literally dug me out of a hole when I took a fall off the edge of the piste into deep powderl. Thanks to a wonderful group of special people - VIP selection process is spot on. We had a brilliant time at Haus Hochkar and were made to feel at home by our wonderful hosts, James and Catherine. The food was great throughout the week and the standard of the chalet and facilitates are high. James and Catherine were always on hand to help us with anything we needed assistance with or to offer advice. We would definitely stay with VIP in St Anton again. Catherine and James have been exceptional! The chalet is run with care, efficiency and professionalism. They are friendly, helpful and the level of service throughout our stay has been really great. They really 'made' our stay. Thank you both so much. Resort manager, Wil, always available and on hand with great resort advice. Fabulous week....looking forward to next holiday with VIP already! Just had a perfect week through the New Year in St.Anton. Our first family ski holiday for a few years we have had a great time it's been a fabulous week. James and Catherine have been fantastic hosts and looked after us extremely well. The food has been absolutely amazing and the afternoon tea very welcome after a long day. The guided tours were excellent and a great way to explore the other resorts. Will and the team for VIP have been great at looking after us, recommending bars and activities and providing much needed lifts after a long day skiing. We are sad to leave as we have had such great time and we hope to be back soon. A fantastic holiday. Wonderful Chalet, very comfortable and modern with fantastic views. Ideally located next to slope and just a short walk to the town. Lovely hosts, James and Katherine, very friendly, welcoming and attentive. Throughly enjoyable holiday. Booked last minute for family with three young children when we saw it was dumping with snow and could not be happier to have had some exceptional spring skiing, made all the better for the VIP service. Extremely smooth logistics, lift passes arranged on the spacious coach transfer with resort manager Will, who also came to the chalet to sort ski school for the kids starting the next day. Joe and Neil were looking after us in the chalet, who were very friendly and provided great food and service whilst striking a careful balance of being on hand but not intrusive so you could just relax and enjoy. More cakes baked than we could eat, separate menus for us and the kids (with good-humoured flexibility to change items last minute for particular fussiness), and good solid cooked breakfasts. The chalet is about 200m walk to the bubble car and the ski school meeting point, so very well located in that sense - says a lot that we didn't have to use the free VIP car service once... In all an excellent chalet run by a top team. Joe& Neil and VIP Team were superb. Chalet ideal for 3 families. Weather spoiled the available ski area but we still had an absolute blast! I really enjoyed the Chalet as the staff were great and the food was fabulous. Neil is very friendly and hospitable (especially because he had only come into the chalet a few weeks before our arrival due to the incident involving Joe's girlfriend). Joe is also very friendly and I really enjoyed his cooking. The chalet itself is very homely and in a great location (not too far from the stores or the slopes). I also want to say thank you to Will, the Manager, for making the holiday as easy as possible. Great week in St Anton despite not such good weather or snow. All the VIP staff were terrific. Caring,helpful and courteous at all times and the food was delicious - well done boys! Great modern open plan chalet, well laid out. Joe, Heather and Neil all very helpful and friendly and professional. Thought Joe did a great job especially given his chalet partner had to leave early due to injury. Felt very well looked after and food was excellent. really thankful for the spare buggy that we had use of. Had a great stay in Haus Hochkar. Very well looked after by Joe and Neil. Our family had an absolutely fantastic holiday in St Anton at Haus Hochkar. The chalet was exceptional, but what really made the holiday was the great staff, Joe, Neil and Heather. Every meal was delicious and all three were great with our kids who also had a really fun time. A fantastic week in St Anton. Lynn and Joe were excellent hosts and cooks - the food was delicious and we are sad to be leaving. They were also amazing with all the children who had a ball staying here. We would definately recommend to friends and are looking forward to our next holiday with VIP. Very enjoyable stay at Chalet HochKar (Nasserin). Lynn and Joe created an excellent atmosphere for us to enjoy with the other guests. Wonderful varied food. Loved the cup of coffee/tea brought to our room to wake up to. Only negatives were it wasn't really Ski-out as with so much snow it was a bit of pole to get to to the slopes. Some confusion in that we were allowed to take one suitcase and two boot bags between the two of us without paying any extra (as usual) as we were within our 40Kg allowance. This was not what the information pack says and when I checked with the office I was told I would have to pay £20 per boot bag. Not true. Great hospitality and well taken care off by both Lynn and Joseph! Every aspect of the hols from transfers to day-to-day comfort was seamless. Not knowing but I guess it is possible that Haus Hochkar is named after the highest peak in the Göstlinger Alsps near Vienna. If it is, it is well named. The seamless service, advice and food supplied by Lynn and Joe was top-notch. The chalet's amenities and facilities were of a high standard. High class all round. As silvered haired non-skiers in a party of winter sports enthusiasts we did not feel left out at all. Cable cars with grand views and mountain top restaurants to view the peaks, and the skiers and snowboarders in the party! Invigorating walking trails and the opportunity to visit the spa gave the excuse to experience the apres-ski available. What fun! As previously, VIP were excellent from the moment of booking, to the phone call the day before departure, the seamless transfers and the quality of the accommodation. Lynn and Joe were excellent hosts, nothing was too much trouble and they were helpful and cheerful all week. The food was generally excellent, the highlights being the beef teriyaki, the parsnip soup and the apple crumble. (The poached pears could probably have been cooked for longer). St Anton was a super resort. Masses of choice and well cured pistes despite fairly poor weather. The chalet is a ten minute walk from the nearest lift. Would love to return. We were extremely well looked after by Joe & Lynn in our chalet.VIP staff very helpful in assisting with arranging things and providing transport around the resort. Great staff. Lynn and Joe have done a great job. We enjoyed the food and the after ski pastries. Many thanks. Even though I am non-skier I spent a lovely Xmas here with my family. Chalet Hosts Lynn and Joe were amazing. Nothing was too much trouble for them and the food was great. Chalet was warm and comfortable. Many thanks to all the VIP Ski staff who were very helpful and always on hand if you needed anything. Only drawback was the fact that the TV in the lounge area was not working. I have just returned from St.Anton. Slow start to the snow but there was still plenty high up in the mountain. Our Challet hosts Lynn & Joe were amazing. They couldn't do enough and the food was excellent. Hugh thank you to all the VIP staff, from Head office, who made a last minute relocation for us due to lack of snow in France, to Will the resort manager who popped in on Christmas day to help peal the potatoes? I will be recommending VIP to friends. Our week at Haus Hochkar was a fantastic time!! Our chalet hosts Joe and Lynn couldn't do more for us, very friendly and easy to get on with. The food they prepared was lovely and children menus were available when asked. We booked a guide for a day as the snow wasn't great, Cosmo was great and took us on runs appropriate for our skiing abilities. The night we went out for dinner, Will was on hand to give recommendations and booked us a couple of restaurants for us to chose. Overall this has been a fantastic week and a very relaxing Christmas, would defiantly do it again. Very helpful and friendly staff. Comfortable chalet and very welcoming chalet staff. Particularly good resort team who organised skiing lessons, nannies, hosting, restaurant booking, taxis etc very quickly and efficiently. We have had a great week in St Anton with VIP. First class service and, as usual, excellent resort staff. Nothing was too much trouble. Many Thanks, especially to our chalet hosts, Ali and Kirsty. loved it! our hosts were great and the snow fell! All in all a great experience - thanks so much! A great experience, skiing amazing but accommodation could be better. The guys felt the portion sizes were too small. Was fine for the girls. Afternoon cakes and cookies were disappointing. Our food at val d saire resort was much better. Our hosts were accommodating and very nice. Great quality accommodation and hosting. Enjoyed the high quality food, friendly hosting and shuttle services. We had a memorable holiday, thank you! Couldn't have had a better week-great chalet,wonderful hosts,and amazing skiing.its great having ensuites in every room,and you can ski virtually from the back door. The attention to detail was very impressive. the food prepared by our hosts Kirsty and Alasdair was absolutely first class and they were extremely accommodating with some pretty specific dietary requirements. The free shuttle service made it so easy to get around with three children under four and the supply of cots/baby monitors/toys/booster seats was a godsend. the only small negative was not having access to basic kitchen facilities,which is a bit inconvenient on the hosts' day off.otherwise,really couldn't have had a better week! This is our 15th year with VIP. We have always been pleased with the high quality of service provided by VIP. The resort lived up to expectations in terms of the variety and challenge of skiing. We found the chalet spacious, comfortable and conveniently located. The chalet hosts, Kirsty and Alasdair looked after us well. The food was of a very high standard and the house wines were very good. We appreciated provision of an iPad rather than papers. Overall an excellent experience. We have all been made to feel so welcome and looked after by Kirsty and Alisdair in the Hochlar chalet. The 7.30am cup of tea was a particular highlight, as well as the high standard of gourmet food that we all enjoyed throughout the week. Tim kept a careful eye on us and nothing was ever too much trouble. The accommodation was perfect. Our only compliant was that the towels were on the small side. Such a welcoming and enjoyable week for our holiday-we hope it was the same for our chalet hosts too! Excellent food followed by excellent hospitality, Kirsty and Ali will be at the top of their game by mid season, let alone their first week! Comfy warm chalet however as the chalet is newly built you would expect minor details such as multiple towel rails in shower rooms and surround sound speakers in the living area. All in all a brilliant holiday the week before Christmas! As Haus Hochkar is brand new for us this winter we have no previous guest comments to share at the moment. Of course, we give the chalet 5 stars, but come back later in the year to see what our guests thought of the chalet and their VIP SKI holiday.

2019-04-19T14:42:33Z

https://www.vip-chalets.com/chalets/haus-hochkar

The Portuguese transfer pricing rules have been in force since 2002, through the publication of Decree 1446-C/2001 (Portaria). This decree, combined with Article 63 of the Corporate Income Tax Code, establishes the transfer pricing principles and rules for Portugal. Complementarily, Article 138 of the Corporate Income Tax Code, as well as Decree 620-A/2008 of 16 July 2008, determine the framework of application of advanced pricing agreements (APAs). These rules are based on the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines, and Portaria states that 'for its application, in cases of greater technical complexity, it is advisable to consult the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines'. Portaria also states that these rules apply to all operations conducted between a corporate or individual taxpayer and any other entity with which the taxpayer has a special relationship, which seems to indicate that the rules apply to individuals, corporations and any other types of entities with whom the taxpayer has a special relationship. However, although those rules have specific corresponding provisions in the Corporate Income Tax Code, there is no reference at all to transfer pricing in the laws that govern taxation of individuals. This situation has triggered some as yet unresolved litigation between the Portuguese tax authorities and certain individuals regarding the use of transfer pricing rules to adjust individuals' taxable income. Although we should wait for final judicial decisions regarding this issue, it is more likely than not that the Portuguese transfer pricing rules do cover transactions that involve individuals, but do not allow any adjustment on the taxable income of individuals, but only in the taxable income of corporations and other entities subject to corporate income tax. Portuguese transfer pricing rules do not apply to equity operations, namely dividends, equity increases and decreases, etc. a resident entity – or a foreign company's permanent establishment (PE) – and entities resident in jurisdictions listed as tax havens. In addition, foreign entities and Portuguese PEs; Portuguese entities and correspondent foreign PEs; and Portuguese PEs and foreign PEs are also deemed to be related parties. Portaria clarifies that the scope of 'operations' subject to the transfer pricing rules includes financial operations and any commercial transaction, including those involving fixed or intangible assets, or goods, rights or services, even if those were conducted within cost sharing or contribution agreements, service agreements or other types of agreements, or if those result from any alteration of business structures, especially whenever that alteration involves the transfer of intangible elements or a compensation for losses or for lost profits. The Portuguese transfer pricing rules cover both domestic transactions as well as cross-border transactions, including those between a branch or a PE and its mother entity. whenever the conditions of a transaction, conducted between a Portuguese taxpayer and a resident related party, differ from those that would have been agreed, contracted or performed between independent enterprises, then the Portuguese tax authorities might carry out the adjustments required for the taxable income of that Portuguese taxpayer to be no different than what it should have been in the absence of the special relationship. The wording of Article 3 of Portaria has two relevant specificities: that taxpayers can only perform self-initiated transfer pricing adjustments on their tax return in case of cross-border transactions and when those adjustments are positive; and that all other transfer pricing adjustments are the exclusive competence of the tax authorities and, as such, are dependent on the tax authorities' assessment and decision. Although the Portuguese transfer pricing rules are closely based on the OECD standards, in 2014 the Portuguese tax authorities launched some new rules regarding the tax deductibility of some types of costs, namely financial, that do define a threshold above which those costs will not be tax-deductible, even when they comply with the transfer pricing rules, which is a first deviation from the strict application of the arm's-length principle in some specific fields in which the tax authorities have faced, through consistent litigation, difficulties in effectively applying the arm's-length approach. Accounting rules and treatment are generally the basis for the computation of the taxable income, although the Corporate Income Tax Code has several specific identification, recognition and deductibility rules that do differ from the accounting rules and require a specific reclassification or computation within the taxable income assessment. Article 13 of Portaria sets documentation requirements, namely a yearly preparation of a transfer pricing file for any taxpayer that has recorded, in the previous tax exercise, a total revenue of at least €3 million. Although that transfer pricing file must be prepared each year (for those taxpayers that have reached the above-mentioned threshold), it is not required to be automatically delivered to the tax authorities. It would only need to be provided to the tax authorities upon specific request, usually within a 10-calendar-day delivery deadline. Article 63 of the Corporate Income Tax Code also provides that taxpayers need to maintain proper transfer pricing support documentation. the transfer pricing economic analysis conducted to assess the compliance with the transfer pricing rules of each group of controlled transactions. No specific provisions are expressed in the legislation regarding a documentation structure of a master file and a local file. Nevertheless, the Portuguese transfer pricing documentation requirements already address the contents and information that the OECD recommends to include in the master file and the local file, and, in practice, the Portuguese tax authorities have been accepting documents with a master file or local file structure, if those do comply with the Portuguese documentation requirements (those do require some additional information compared to the OECD master file or local file approach). the transfer pricing methodologies used to assess compliance with the transfer pricing rules. Following BEPS Action 13, the Portuguese Budget Law for 2016 introduced a new additional documentation requirement through Article 121-A of the Corporate Income Tax Code. This new provision implements the country-by-country (CbC) reporting obligation for fiscal years starting on or after 1 January 2016. This new rule follows OECD recommendations regarding the CbC reporting requirements. The Portuguese legislation allows a surrogate entity to be designated by the group, in the event a parent entity is not obliged to file a CbC report (CbCR), or where an automatic exchange of information process by the tax authorities of that jurisdiction with the Portuguese tax authorities is not in place. Nevertheless, such a reporting entity should be identified and communicated to the Portuguese tax authorities by the end of the relevant tax period. another motive (which needs to be disclosed on the 'other information' field of the CbCR. The CbC rules also imply the submission of additional information, also based on the OECD CbC guidelines, namely a communication of who will be the CbC reporting entity and in which jurisdiction that entity is located. The corresponding form also requires some information regarding that entity, namely its tax number and address, as well as the confirmation if that entity is a final ultimate owner or if it is submitting the CbCR as a surrogate entity. The deadline for that communication submission is the end of the fifth month after the closing of the accounts. the profit split method (PSM), the transactional net margin method (TNMM) and any other method deemed as the most appropriate taking into consideration the facts and circumstances and the arm's-length principle, whenever the methods foreseen in (a) are deemed non-applicable. As a result of the wording of Article 4 of Portaria, transaction-based methods such as CUPM, CPM and RMM are deemed as being the common usual methods, while the remaining profit-based methods can only be applied whenever the taxpayer can demonstrate that the transaction-based methods were not applicable. As a result, the method selection process described in the transfer pricing file of the taxpayer needs to address that inherent method hierarchy and, apart from explaining and supporting why the applied methods were deemed as being the most appropriate ones to test the controlled transactions under analysis, in the event profit-based methods were applied, it also needs to explain why transaction-based methods could not be applied or were not deemed as being the most appropriate testing method. Portaria contains quite detailed considerations about comparability, whether in Paragraph 3 of Article 4 or in Article 5 (the title of this article is 'Factors of comparability'), and those considerations follow closely the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines. Usually, whenever the taxpayer (or its related-party counterparty) conducts similar transactions with independent parties, then the internal CUPM, through the use of internal comparable data, will be deemed the most appropriate method to test compliance with the transfer pricing rules. The tax authorities do consider that internal comparable data may provide more reliable data to analyse the transaction or company under analysis than external comparable data. Taking this into consideration, internal comparable data are usually preferred over external data. If no internal comparable data (or no good internal comparable data) is available, but that external comparable price data can be identified, and whenever those external comparable data can be deemed as sufficiently comparable, then this is usually considered as the second-best testing method. issued or loaned to an entity located in the same region. There have already been some court cases that have confirmed the importance of comparability within the application of the CUPM. When the CUPM cannot be applied, one of the remaining indirect methods will be used, which will require the search of potentially comparable companies developing potentially comparable activities to the one being tested, within publicly available databases. Those methods are usually less demanding in terms of comparability, but those searches will nonetheless seek to obtain the most comparable data possible, namely through detailed industry and activity description searches, complemented with internet searches for more information about the potentially comparable companies. Apart from the comparability factors, those searches will seek to confirm whether those potentially comparable entities comply with the Portuguese independence rules (meaning that none of those entities can be directly or indirectly owned by a corporation by 20 per cent or more, and cannot own directly or indirectly any subsidiary by 20 per cent or more). The PSM is a method rarely used to date, because taxpayers are usually reluctant to proactively share information about the profits earned by their non-resident related entities, although tax authorities have tried to enforce the use of this method in some cases, with limited success. A possible outcome of BEPS may be an increased use of PSM, although this is yet to be seen in practice. The audit procedure usually begins with a notification sent by the tax authorities to the selected taxpayer, which sets out the nature and scope of the audit, as well as the rights and obligations of the taxpayer during the audit process. Nevertheless, we have observed an increasing tendency of the tax authorities to send initial informal requests for information prior to the sending of the notification and of the official audit procedure. In most cases, tax audits will be conducted through a series of requests for information or documents and access to accounting systems and books, and through several meetings and queries conducted with the accounting and financial interlocutors of the taxpayer. We have also observed an increasing tendency of the tax auditors to contact third parties (e.g., clients or providers) to gather evidence or to confirm statements made by the taxpayer. When the tax authorities identify potential transfer pricing issues within transactions conducted with non-resident entities they seek to gather information about the global tax position in order to assess the profit share by jurisdiction. For that purpose, they usually send requests of cooperation to other tax jurisdictions for them to issue requests of information to the counterparties of the transaction located in those jurisdictions. The implementation of CbC reporting (see Section II) will provide more information to the tax auditors to identify potential non-compliance of certain group transfer pricing policies. The Portuguese transfer pricing rules do not include any specific consideration on intangibles, but, as mentioned earlier, they contain an explicit referral rule directly to the OECD Guidelines. As such, the guidance for how to identify and recognise transactions with intangibles for transfer pricing purposes are the OECD Guidelines. As a result, the changes originated through BEPS Actions 8–10 were assimilated by the Portuguese market players as a more recent and updated definition of the guidance on how to deal with intangibles for transfer pricing purposes, not requiring a specific legislative change (and no such legal change is foreseen or expected regarding intangible definitions). Consequently, the recognition process has to be based on a detailed functional and risk analysis, which will identify the intangibles in the transactions under review, how they contribute to the creation of value and how they interact with other intangibles, with tangible assets and with business activities. The new OECD guidance clarifies that this functional analysis step will have to focus on DEMPE (development, enhancement, maintenance, protection, exploitation) functions and risks, seeking to identify which entity develops those functions, which entities assume the subsequent risks, which have control over risk (requiring ability and resources to perform that control) and which are funding the DEMPE functions or risks. It also highlights some specific functions deemed as particularly relevant for intangibles, namely design and control of research and marketing programmes, direction of and establishing priorities for creative undertakings, control over strategic decisions regarding intangible development programmes, management and control of budgets, important decisions regarding defence and protection of intangibles, and ongoing quality control over functions performed by independent or associated enterprises. Similarly, it also highlights some specific risks deemed as particularly relevant for intangibles, namely risk related to the development, obsolescence risk, infringement risk, product liability risk and exploitation risk. Taking into consideration that tax treatment is a critical factor in any investment decisions, in 2014 the Portuguese government launched a tax reform aiming to achieve a more competitive tax framework to attract investment, and promote economic growth and employment. Intangibles was one of the areas in which tax treatment was significantly changed. More specifically, the 2014 tax reform launched a new regime for intangibles through Articles 45-A and 50-A of the Corporate Income Tax Code. Article 45 aimed at recognising tax effects for intangibles with an indefinite life, and as such, it introduced the recognition, as a tax-deductible expense, of a constant depreciation, within the 20 tax exercises following the recognition, of the acquisition cost of some specific intangible assets that have no limited lifetime, namely patents, brands, licences and permits, production processes, models or other assimilated rights. The same applies to goodwill generated by acquisitions of the shares of other entities or of other entities' assets and liabilities. Similarly, at the same time (2014), a patent box regime was also introduced which enabled that income deriving from the sale or the temporary licensing of the use of industrial property rights (i.e., patents and industrial drawings and models) was 50 per cent exempt from corporate tax taxation. In 2016, that regime was amended, following the BEPS Action 5 guidance, also introducing a limit on the tax deduction, as well as a 30 per cent uplift on the tax deduction of some eligible R&D expenses. Tax authorities always fear that intangibles' intra-group transactions might lack effective substance and that they might have been artificially structured only to benefit from tax incentives or to shift profits abroad. These concerns regarding substance were particularly addressed by BEPS Actions 8–10. Despite the 'substance over form' concept being generally foreseen in the Portuguese rules, as stipulated in the General Taxation Law, the issues addressed under these BEPS Actions are not specifically embedded in the Portuguese transfer pricing rules. However, we do not anticipate that the Portuguese tax authorities will formally propose changes to the domestic transfer pricing framework. Hence, the OECD Guidelines are followed because Portugal is a Member State of the OECD and because the Portuguese transfer pricing rules include a specific referral to the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines. Nevertheless, it is important to note that the Portuguese transfer pricing rules are not embedded within the anti-abuse rules in place within the Portuguese legal and tax framework. As the application of the substance over form concept often implies more than just a pricing adjustment, we have observed several court decisions that have ruled against the tax authorities' attempt to recharacterise some transactions (due to the lack of substance) based on the transfer pricing rules, as the court considers that those attempts lack the substantiation and support required by the Portuguese anti-abuse rules, which are quite complex. As a result of that complexity, the Portuguese anti-abuse rules are not a path that is often followed by the Portuguese tax authorities, which, together with the fact the Portuguese transfer pricing rules are not embedded within that anti-abuse regime, limits the effectiveness of the substance over form concept in Portugal. It is still too early to conclude whether the new BEPS guidance can improve this paradigm. Under this new guidance, a contractual arrangement and the subsequent expected return will only be accepted if each party that is supposed to bear a risk is deemed to be effectively controlling that risk, taking the decisions to take on, lay off or mitigate that risk, and to have the financial capacity to bear that risk. As a result, even more than before, the functional and risk analysis is a critical part of the transfer pricing analysis. The new guidance calls that analysis the 'accurate delineation of a transaction', meaning comparing what derives from a written contract with the actual behaviour of the parties. The new guidance also states that the mere fact that a party is funding an activity or controlling the funding risks does not entitle that entity to the returns associated with the operational risks of that activity, unless it does exercise control over those risks as well. Control of funding risk is deemed to be about being able to evaluate an investment opportunity as an investor, meaning as a provider of funds, to take investment decisions and to set up mitigation procedures for funding risks. As a result, these functions and risks are deemed to be entitled to a remuneration aligned with what the market usually pays for similar financial functions, which is no more than a risk-adjusted financial return, and not the residual income deriving from operational risks or activities. The new guidance goes even further when stating that if the legal funding entity is not even managing and controlling the funding risks, namely due to lack of resources, but only providing the funds (meaning that some other entity is effectively managing and controlling that funding activity), then it will only be entitled to receive a risk-free rate of return. Comparatively, control of operational risks implies being able to analyse the consequences of potential alternative operational decisions on the business being developed and on its subsequent returns, having the authority to take those operational decisions and to assess, decide and implement mitigation procedures for those operational risks. Operational risks are entitled to receive residual returns. All of these characteristics imply specific resources and specific operational know-how, which cannot be found in pure funding structures. As such, decision-makers must be competent in the area of risk for which the decision is required, and they must be performing the decision-making function in the location of the entity claiming to be controlling the risk and the associated return. As a result, mere minutes of board meetings performed outside of that location, or signature of documents executing the decisions are deemed to be insufficient to demonstrate decision-making (this has already been enforced by an existing rule in place in Portugal, namely through the concept of 'effective management'). Traditional 'principal versus operational structures', in which the operational structures were traditionally awarded a return based on a transactional net margin method or a comparable profit method and the funding principal would get the residual income, might be non-compliant with the new guidance whenever the principal is merely funding the activity and not managing and controlling the operational risks. Whenever more than one entity controls the risks that drive the return, they will have to share the income based on their real contributions to the value creation. The new guidance recognises that payment for use of an intangible should be made to the party having the legal rights to such intangible, which, at a first glance, could be seen as a step back in the substance over form paradigm. However, the new guidance also stipulates that, when another entity has developed or participated in the development of the DEMPE functions, provides funding or assumes risks, a separate transaction dealing with that contribution must be considered. That assertion implies that the income flow deriving from the use of an intangible will not be diverted from the legal owner, but that entity has a transfer pricing obligation to remunerate the other entities that are developing activities that the legal owner is not performing, which can mean that the legal owner may end up not registering any profit at all after appropriately compensating the other group members for their contributions. The new guidelines also recognise that the legal owner does not need to perform all the DEMPE functions, as independent parties do sometimes subcontract others to develop parts of those functions, but, in that case it requires control to be effectively applied over those subcontracted activities and their performance, which requires determining the objectives of the outsourced activities, as well as capability to understand and assess the performance of the activity, to take decisions regarding selection, hiring, change and cancellation, as well as to effectively exercise those functions. ongoing quality control over functions performed by other parties that may have a material impact on the value of the intangible. viability and profitability risks associated with the returns to be generated by the future exploitation of the intangible being able to generate appropriate returns compared to the research and development costs. The party actually controlling, managing and assuming the risks will be entitled, through a secondary transaction, to the potential gains and losses deriving from those risks. In contrast, a party that is not controlling, managing and assuming those relevant risks, nor developing the relevant functions listed above, will not be entitled to the gains or responsible for the losses. There were no formal settlement or negotiation procedures with the Portuguese tax authorities foreseen in the Portuguese General Tax Law before the introduction of APA procedures. Until then, the interaction between taxpayers and tax authorities consisted mostly of audits, investigations and litigation. The only procedure that could be deemed as closer to a negotiation or settlement procedure is the taxable income revision procedure foreseen in Article 91 of the General Tax Law, which can only be initiated in the event the tax authorities do apply indirect methods to determine the taxable income of the taxpayer. In that procedure, both parties (taxpayer and tax authorities) will nominate experts who will analyse the case, and conduct working sessions and contradictory debates (which end up involving some kind of negotiation) in order to achieve a common technical understanding, which will be binding for the tax authorities (except in cases of tax crimes). Although the law did not specifically entail a negotiation alternative (apart from APAs, which will be addressed below), there have been cases where, in view of the proposed adjustments, informal discussions with the tax authorities (at an administrative stage of the process or during the audits) were conducted, in order to assess the arm's-length pricing of the controlled transaction under controversy. In this regard, it should be noted that following this solution is dependent on a variety of issues, ranging from the specialisation of the tax authorities' audit team involved in the process, and the availability of the latter for initiating such a negotiation, to the complexity of the analysis. In situations where the tax authorities' transfer pricing team is not involved or the taxpayer pursues a resolution of the controversy aimed at a full annulment of the proposed adjustment, this alternative is usually not successful. The possibility to conclude unilateral and multilateral APAs was introduced in 2008 and the inherent legal dispositions were subsequently amended in 2014, essentially with the aim of promoting and facilitating unilateral agreements. As such, the APA alternative is the unique course of action in situations in which a taxpayer wishes to proactively seek a negotiated understanding for a complex transfer pricing issue. However, note that a rollback of the terms and conditions negotiated under the APA is not formally possible, according to Portuguese law, although the tax authorities have informally agreed in the retroactive application of some signed APAs. Therefore, any retroactive application of the APA is subject to acceptance by the tax authorities responsible for the negotiation. Portuguese tax laws do not include any specific process for handling formal inquiries into transfer pricing issues. Therefore Portuguese tax authorities should follow the general tax inspection procedures stated in the Portuguese Tax Procedure Code (CPPT), as well as apply the timelines and detailed requirements given by the Complementary Requirements Code for Tax Inspection Procedures (RCPIT). Regarding the tax inspection procedure, Portuguese tax authorities may start this procedure for a four-year period after the end of the accounting period to which the tax assessment relates. However there are special rules applied if the tax return presents tax losses; in such cases, the forfeiture period shall be the same as the exercise of such right. The tax inspection procedure follows strict formal requirements, is continual and must be concluded within six months (Paragraph 1 of Article 57 of the General Tax Law). However, under certain circumstances, this period may be extended twice for three months each. The audit procedure is completed when the tax auditor considers that all the necessary information has been obtained to draw up a proposed tax audit report. This proposal is sent to the taxpayer, who has 10 days in which to dispute the preliminary conclusions of the proposal. After the 10-day period has elapsed, the tax auditor will issue a final audit report, which may give rise to an additional tax assessment. an administrative appeal, 30 days after the notification of the act to be appealed. Finally, resolution of tax disputes is regulated by a complex set of legal rules that determine different types of actions and deadlines, among other things, depending on the type of dispute in question. for the arbitration court (Article 10 of the Legal Regime of Tax Arbitration), within 90 days after any of the facts foreseen for the judicial courts mentioned above, or from the notice of the decision – as long as such acts can be subject to a separate claim – or from the end of the term for the decision of the administrative appeal; or within 30 days from the declaration of the illegality of acts determining the tax base when it does not give rise to the assessment of any tax. preparation of the allegations in written form (typically, in an articulate form), indicating and providing all means of evidence needed. As for the timelines, once again it depends on which litigation forum was used by the taxpayer: if the taxpayer has appealed to the judicial courts, a first instance decision is usually reached within three to five years after the submission of the process to the competent court. In situations where the taxpayer initiates the process in the arbitration court, a decision is usually reached within four to six months. In Portugal, the initial courts are the only fact-finding forums. As such, all evidence needs to be produced in the court of first instance. For this purpose, all means of evidence are admissible (documents, witnesses, specialist technical reports, etc.), albeit the judge has some discretionary power to decide which means of evidence are useful for deciding the case. As such, any further appeals cannot be based on the existence of additional evidence, or aimed at producing evidence on the case under analysis. Nonetheless, the applicant can appeal based on the fact that the first instance decision did not allow a certain mean of evidence necessary for the decision of the cause, or such decision did not consider certain statements, documents or other means of evidence that should have been considered in the decision. an appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court within 10 days after the final decision from the initial court, if the reasons for appealing include only legal grounds. In any case, if the value of the case is lower than €5,000, no appeal can be brought. As a rule, the process includes a notification of the intention to appeal (within the aforementioned 10 days), a notification by the court accepting the appeal, and the presentation of the grounds for appealing and conclusions, within 15 days after the notification by the court (for the applicant), and 15 days after the end of the deadline for the applicant to present the allegations, with respect to the defendant. With respect to the likely timing for reaching a decision, it is somewhat difficult to estimate such deadline – in fact, it greatly depends on the complexity of the issue, as well as the court that is going to decide the appeal. Nonetheless, this tends to be a rather lengthy process, with decisions from the superior courts being reached 10 or even 15 years after the appeal. breach of the audi alteram partem and 'equality of arms' principles. In practice, most arbitration decisions are final. Portuguese transfer pricing rules do not include any specific provisions for secondary adjustments and, in practice, we have not observed any attempt by the tax authorities to apply such adjustments. Nevertheless, a case could be made that such adjustments could occur regarding customs, VAT or even stamp tax. Regarding customs, for example, in the case of a transfer pricing post-year-end adjustment to the price paid for imported goods, the Portuguese customs rules establish that a post-importation change in the reported customs value due to such an adjustment always needs to be reported (even in situations where the duty rate is zero). the post-closing adjustment decreases the price paid by the importer of the goods: should the transfer pricing adjustment decrease the price paid by the importer, a duty refund may be requested, within three years from the date of the taxable event, provided that the importer can provide proof to support the claim. The administrative procedure for claiming a refund is the same as the one prescribed for other value-related corrections; however, the taxpayer should contact the customs authorities to seek guidance on how to proceed. It should be noted that, although in theory an aggregate transfer pricing adjustment (i.e., an adjustment to the importer's profitability under a profit-based pricing method) may be relevant for adjusting the value of imported goods, the fact is that those types of adjustments rarely allow for a correction to the value of the goods for customs purposes. As such, it is recommended that, should customs be a concern for the taxpayer, a transaction-by-transaction transfer pricing adjustment be made, in order to be relevant for revising the customs duties already paid. There is also a relevant interaction between the customs authorities and the VAT tax authorities whenever a customs value increase or decrease is reported. In fact, in situations where a customs value increase is reported to the customs authorities, such an adjustment will automatically result in the assessment of additional VAT, if applicable; and where a customs value decrease is reported, the taxpayer needs to file a request in order to obtain a refund of overpaid VAT. penalties ranging from 30 per cent up to 100 per cent of the VAT or customs duties owed, with a maximum of €45,000 per transaction, plus 4 per cent interest per annum. These penalties may be reduced when a voluntary disclosure is made. Regarding VAT, in situations where a post-year-end adjustment occurs, and the taxpayer wishes to adjust the value of the goods or services considered for VAT purposes correspondingly, the corrective invoice that performs the adjustment needs to meet all the requirements of an original invoice, plus a reference to the original invoices to which the adjustment refers, and a reference to the elements of the original invoices that are subject to modification. Only corrective invoices that comply with these requirements may be considered in adjusting any original invoices that have already been submitted in the periodic VAT return. On the other hand, if the corrective invoice reduces the taxable value of the transaction, also causing a reduction in the VAT initially paid, the taxpayer may correct the initial VAT amount, up to the end of the period subsequent to the one in which the circumstances giving rise to the correction occurred. Note, however, that this is not a mandatory regularisation. If the corrective invoice results in more taxable value for the transaction, thus more VAT than the amount initially deducted, such regularisation is mandatory and can be done, without incurring penalties, until the end of the period subsequent to the one to which the original invoice refers. If this correction is not made by the prescribed deadline, the correction is still mandatory but then should take place in a replacement of the periodic VAT return for the period when the correct transaction should have occurred. Regarding penalties, specific transfer pricing penalties (from €500 to €10,000) apply for failure to present transfer pricing documentation within the time frame determined by the tax authorities. Should the taxpayer be subject to a transfer pricing adjustment, no specific transfer pricing penalties apply. In addition, depending on the circumstances, general tax penalties of up to €150,000 apply for refusal to provide information, or for providing incorrect or incomplete information. Double taxation treaties signed by Portugal do include the possibility for taxpayers to invoke a mutual agreement procedure (MAP). Also, as Portugal is a member of the European Union, the taxpayer may, whenever there is a tax dispute involving another member of the EU, invoke the EU Arbitration Convention (EUAC). As a practical disadvantage, the MAP is a long process and, ultimately, the tax authorities are not obliged to reach a decision on eliminating double taxation. Therefore, whenever possible (i.e., when the dispute involves another member of the EU), it is highly recommended that the taxpayer invokes the EUAC, as there is an obligation to reach a decision within two years after all relevant documentation is filed (in practice, we have had some cases where an agreement has been reached within three to five years). There are also some cases where the Portuguese tax authorities have even reached a decision to eliminate double taxation with respect to years already closed for inspection, under the good-faith and collaboration principle. Portugal adopted several of the OECD recommended BEPS initiatives prior to the publication of the BEPS reports, and is following through with the implementation, when required, of the remaining ones. The Portuguese tax authorities have become increasingly active in transfer pricing issues, developing more audits and focusing more on complex issues, namely intangibles, financial operations, systematic loss makers, branches and equity allocation. We have also observed an increase in the number of APAs under negotiation. It is still too early to judge the impact of the adoption of the BEPS initiatives. Surely, the tax authorities have expectations that these new rules will effectively tackle several of the usual tax-optimisation structures that were set up by multinational enterprises to achieve greater tax efficiency. The complexity and subjectivity of some of the recommended measures could make achievement of that objective difficult. It is likely that significant changes in the way multinational enterprises operate will occur and empty structures with no substance will probably disappear, but they will probably be replaced by other structures in which part of the relevant functions focused on by BEPS will be developed, as well as the relevant risks assumed. Those structures will still seek to take advantage of taxation differentials between jurisdictions, which are not expected to disappear, as tax authorities and governments will still compete to attract investment and employment, and, as a consequence, tax revenues, through differential and attractive tax measure packages. BEPS measures, namely the greater consistency deriving from the new documentation requirements and the new guidance, will probably increase and accelerate the already current trend of greater centralisation and greater automatisation and IT integration regarding transfer pricing policies and documentation, as opposed to the multiplicity of local policies aimed at adapting global policies to address local specificities of local transfer pricing rules. The digital economy is expected to be particularly affected by BEPS, although the divergences between the United States, European Union and OECD regarding this issue may imply lengthy negotiations and require adaptations to the current proposed measures. 1 Patrícia Matos is a partner and chartered accountant and Filipe de Moura is an associate partner at Deloitte & Associados, SROC, SA.

2019-04-19T11:23:00Z

https://thelawreviews.co.uk/edition/the-transfer-pricing-law-review-edition-2/1171449/portugal

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Allergy season is officially here. The warmer weather does not only bring with it the outdoor adventures but also the flea burden, risk of mites and/or tick infestation, and the unavoidable exposure to a multitude of pollen and grass. It can be quite stressful watching your dog obsessively chewing his/her feet or scratching his/her flank. 1. What do you feed your dog? Have you recently changed his/her diet? 2. Is your pet up to date with flea control? Yes, which one? 3. Do you live on a property? Any possible access to foxes or a range of plants/bushes? 4. Has your dog ever had any skin issues before? 5. Do you bathe your dog? How often? When did you do it last? What product did you use? I always take a deep breath before embarking on a skin consult. My primary concern is overwhelming my clients with all my questioning. I do my best to explain why each and every question is relevant. It always seems easier handling a client with a dog that has had its first skin flareup. However, for those clients who are frequent flyers, some can be quite understandably fed up with the whole interrogation process. I would really like to start by saying that a really good veterinarian will not offer you the quick fix solution. That’s easy, they can give your dog or cat a cortisone injection and send you on your merry way with a 1-2 week oral course of cortisone. The itching will stop and you will feel instant relief. However, the underlying problem would not have been addressed. After the cessation of the cortisone, your pet will more often than not have a relapse and you are back to square one. You have to fork up money for another vet visit. I often wonder if owners are pre-warned about the significant side effects that cortisone can cause their much loved pets. Just like in people, cortisone leads to increased eating, drinking and retention of water. In dogs, it can also unleash aggression. The risk with cortisone is increased with prolonged and repeated dosing and can even cause iatrogenic cushings or diabetes which are serious medical conditions. I don’t want to get on my soap box about cortisone being the enemy in treating skin issues. In reality, short term use of corticosteroids is definitely warranted in the early management of many skin cases like flea allergy dermatitis. Dogs that come in with self inflicted hair loss and thickening around the base of their tail combined with a flea burden will always need cortisone to dampen the overstimulated immune response. I often examine those flea allergy dermatitis cases after they have already been treated with appropriate flea control like Frontline, Revolution, Advantage or Advocate and they are still very itchy. These dogs are free of fleas but their body is still in a state of war against the previous exposure to a flea. Hence, the only solution is to cool off their immune system with some cortisone. During these in-depth skin consultations, I often get unstuck when I get clients misunderstanding my intentions. They think I just want to sell them flea control products or a new diet to make an extra buck. I am secretly gratified when some of these clients are adamant their dogs don’t have fleas and I reveal to them a hidden stash of them on their pets. I often wonder if they actually think I planted these live fleas on their pets just to prove a point, hehehe. I personally have had to prescribe cortisone in many cases, some of which I wasn’t particularly happy about. The animal was clearly suffering from a severe itch and his/her owners could only afford the dirt cheap cortisone tablets. If your dog stops itching when you have asked him/her to, then maybe he is just doing it out of habit. Yes some pets can become obsessive compulsive about chewing themselves purely from a medical behavioural point of view but those cases are not as common as you may think! Before you can assume it is a compulsive disorder, a full skin workup must be done to rule out any underlying skin condition. Food allergy isn’t always due to a sudden change in food. Your pet’s body may have been exposed to that particular allergen for some time and has suddenly developed a reaction to it. The most common age for dogs to develop food allergies is between 5 and 8 years of age. Veterinary dermatologists will ALWAYS ensure your pet has been on an appropriate food elimination diet (4-6 week duration) before they rule out food allergy as a possible cause forpet’s skin issues. We can’t always diagnose your pet’s skin condition in a single consultation especially if it has been long standing. Some cases can be quickly diagnosed in the consultation via a skin examination or skin scraping like flea or mite infestation. Others are often much more complicated and can be multifactorial and can take several weeks to months to definitively diagnose. Chaos below had a classical distribution of skin lesions indicating he was suffering from mange. We did some skin scrapings and were instantly able to diagnose him and start appropriate treatment. Flea collars and supermarket flea products don’t work effectively. Flea collars definitely stop fleas from jumping onto your pet’s head and neck. However, these cheeky fleas have learnt they can escape the collar’s potency if they chill out around your pet’s bottom end. Supermarket flea products are cheaper for a reason; the quality of the product pays the price. Please be careful not to use a supermarket dog applicant on your cat as it can kill your cat > read Poison is Poison about this issue. The cheapest and best option for your pet’s skin allergy is not getting him/her onto cortisone as soon as the skin flares up. The only means to truly nipping it in the bud is trying to get to the crust of the problem! Yes this may cost more upfront with the workup: skin scrapings or even biopsies, culture of specific lesions, food elimination trial, introduction of a healthier diet that better supports your pet’s skin & so forth. However, if you tally up the all up costs of cortisone and frequency of visits to the vets with the full skin workup & in most cases the diagnosis and appropriate management of your pet’s specific condition, you will realise it would have always been cheaper to properly workup your pet. If you bathe your dog enough, you can definitely rid him of that awful dog smell. That is so far from the truth! If anything, the more you bathe your dog, the more you rid him of his essential skin oils that support his skin barrier; this can make him/her prone to major skin flareups. You must always make sure to use a pet registered shampoo and keep in mind that your pet may potentially react to a specific shampoo. You shouldn’t bathe your dog more than once a fortnight or a month. I have only touched on a fraction of the information I would like to share with you about skin issues in your pet. Stay tuned for more in depth discussions about the intricacies of managing some skin disorders in pets. Next time, I will be talking all about gorgeous Lucy (pictured above), a 5 year old female de-sexed golden retriever, with some nasty dermatological issues . I am currently fostering and managing Lucy’s skin issues and will be giving you insight from both a veterinary and client perspective! ← I’m a vet and I love it.. So glad to see that you’re back. Yes, I remember the incident where you did your best and posted the story (with the family’s permission), only to be shot down in flames. Don’t worry. We all know you were doing your best. Don’t let it bring you down. I look forward to your posts and have missed them while you were gone. There’s always good information for pet owners. I look forward to more postings. Is it possible for a dog to be an allergies sufferer WITHOUT the scratching bit? That is my big question. Jasmine gets episodes of panting/pacing/distress which so far we were unable to find an answer for. Eventually, if the episode lasts long enough, she will lick and chew at her front feet. But the episode has to last 5 hours minimum. (duration random between 30 minutes to 36 hours). Her vet is quite convinced that this comes from allergies (histamine release leading to panting and increase in temperature, itching causing the pacing) but it does not match what we are seeing and how we understand allergies. Jasmine is not an itchy dog! She is the least itchy member of the household! So this has been a major dilemma for us. Hey Jana. I apologize about the late reply but I found your message in my spam. Firstly,I am so sorry to hear about Jasmine’s panting episodes.In all honesty, I think allergy sufferers usually display obvious scratching or chewing episodes. They mostly develop skin lesions. I have a few questions: how old is Jasmine, is she desexed, how long has she developed these episodes, is there a pattern to them, is there a trigger, are they seasonal? She seems either painful or distressed in the video. Has you veterinarian done full bloods, chest and abdominal xrays? I would be fully working her up. She sounds like a very complex case but the answer is there somewhere. I hope this information is helpful. I’m so glad you are back. Sorry we had to miss out on two of your posts – I really find them extremely helpful and useful. You are doing such fantastic work and I truly appreciate the effort you put into each post. Looking forward to hearing all the updates on Lucy and hope she is getting better fast. I am very touched with your lovely comment. Thank you for appreciating my work. Wonderful shot of Lucy – wet doggies do not always make good photo subjects, but Lucy’s portrait is a good one. Two posts in one day! It’s the best day ever! Owners these days may not know how lucky they are. There are so many great products for treating and preventing fleas, there are hypo-allergenic diets, there are effective medications. Skin issues make such a difference in the quality of life! I can’t imagine spending every single day itching like mad. I agree that the quick approach isn’t necessarily the best one. Heather you make a great point. There are a range of products now available that weren’t a few years back to help support you pet’s skin. Scratching non-stop is a form of suffering for your pet and must be addressed. We lost a much loved dog to skin issues many years ago. She was badly allergic to fleas, and we tried everything available at the time, including dusting the yard with pesticides. She was allergy tested at the university and had specially formulated allergy shots, but one flea bite was all it took. A few years after her death, truly effective flea control came on the market. Had it come out earlier, it could have saved her life. We are so lucky now! Hey Heather. It is very sad that you had to lose your dog. It is just unbearable to watch them struggling with a severe itch. Wonderful to have you back to blogging. Great post… We had a lab he is long gone now but he suffered from horrific allergies I cooked rice and hamburger, carrots, vacummed packed last 2 years of his life. Took a long time to find out what he was allergic to corn, wheat, lamb and chicken were huge triggers. Thanks for sharing you personal experience with your labrador. It is definitely not easy to determine the food triggers and can be quite a long process. Some dogs’ skin issues can be very challenging to workup especially if they have not been addressed in the early stages or are food related. My Lhasa Apso suffered terribly from a skin condition and it took us a long time to find a vet to actually diagnose her. By that time she had hardly any fur left and had weeping lesions all over her body (secondary infections). Apparently she had demodex mites and her immune system was not working properly to cope with them. My vet treated her with Ivomec over a period of a few months, going back for skin scrapings, etc., but it did the trick. She made a full recovery. I will be very interested to read your further posts on skin problems Rayya – the information will be helpful to so many pet owners dealing with this. Thanks for talking about your dog’s condition and highlighting the challenges you faced in her diagnosis. I wonder why the first vet didn’t do a skin scraping. Did she have sarcoptic or demodectic mange? With sarcoptes, if you don’t find a mite on the skin scraping, it doesn’t mean you have ruled it out as opposed to demodectic mange. We often get skin consults referred to our clinic. We definitely make sure to address all the issues and often book a minimum of half an hour consult period. This allows us sufficient time to appropriately workup any challenging skin cases. We often require regular revisits in the initial period to ensure our patient is responding to our treatment. I will definitely endeavor to tackle the skin discussion pretty well. Penny had demodectic mange, Rayya and none of the vets we took her to did a skin scraping until we found a vet called Willeke who was as caring and thorough as you are (she reminds me of you). She treated Penny for months until she got on top of the problem, doing regular skin scrapings, etc., so we became quite close and will be forever grateful to her; sadly for us, she is no longer a vet – she went on to become a human doctor. Is the reason for asking about Foxes because of Mange? When Midnight my Pit mix first came to live with me in a rural area where there are many Foxes she was diagnosed with Sarcoptic Mange. ( Midnight is from Manhattan , NY) BabyGirl did not show signs of the Mange but we treated both dogs with Revolution as Vet said BabyGirl could be a carrier. Midnight also has allergies and I bath her 1 a week with Medicated shampoo, Recently I was told to start bathing her 2 x a week. I have kept both girls on Revolution because of all the protections it provides and because of where I live . BabyGirl has allergies also and I was looking at some pictures of her when she was younger and she looked then as Midnight does now. BabyGirl doesn’t get all the hair loss like she use to. She doesn’t itch all the time but her paws get red and sore looking. This to has gotten quite better than it use to be. Allergies are so confusing when it comes to our pets. You are right. We ask about foxes because dogs mostly contract it from direct contact with a live/dead fox or even fox urine or stools. It is usually highly contagious to other dogs and can even be transmitted to humans. Sorry to hear about Midnight’s experience with Mange and hope you are managing her current skin issues well with the regular bathing. Is there a specific reason she is regularly bathed with the medicate shampoo? Is it pyohex for a dermatitis? Glad to hear Baby girl’s skin seems to be going okay. Yes allergies can be quite frustrating especially if your pet is highly sensitive. Keep up the great work with managing your babies’s skin issues. Midnight gets the baths because of the Dermatitis. It is just a medicated shampoo from the Pet supply store. The vet said it was working well and to keep it up. Midnight gets the Blisters and the hair loss. The scratching has gotten a lot better as long as I give her regular baths. She has been on prednisolone a couple of times and I have a supply for treatment on hand if she needs it. I try to limit how often I give it to her. She used to scratch so much she was getting open sores ad now she doesn’t scratch so intensely now and no open sores.She also likes Baths so that helps a lot. At one time I worked for an older vet who gave allergy injections as often as every 3 – 4 weeks. One day we had a substitute vet who was much younger, and she refused to give a steroid injection to a dog that had received one 3 weeks prior. She used a different medical protocol which, over time, was safer for the dog. The owner wasn’t very happy that her dog couldn’t receive the injection, and it was hard to make her understand why. Interestingly enough, the owner said at the beginning of the consultation that she wanted her dog to have an allergy injection even though “the last one didn’t work”. The dog had received so many injections that they were becoming ineffective. There’s no quick fix for allergies, is there? Back in the day, veterinarians only had access to very few products and so cortisone was one of the only things available to help relieve pets with allergies. We have come a long way from there and we can definitely help support the skin better. If your pet is appropriately worked up, sometimes you can have great results. However, other times it is an ongoing battle but you have manage your pet quite well. Cortisone is definitely not the long term solution. It is only a quick fix for a very short period. Hey Sherri. Yes it is great to be back. Thanks for caring enough and noticing my absence :-). With regards to Joy, fleas can live in the dirt and their eggs can also live in the carpet and with enough stirring, they hatch and the vicious cycle begins. The best thing to do is to use revolution spot on to protect Joy from any flea or mite infestation. With regards to her recurrent itching, it can be a lengthy process and you have already excluded a few potential causes with her corn/wheat/soy exclusion diet. The distribution of her skin lesions may be relevant. If you want to rule out her itching as being due to a compulsive behaviour, then you should trial her on cortavance spray. It is pretty straight forward, if she stops itching when you use the product then you know she is itching because she is in fact itchy. Hope this information helps. Goodluck! Thanks for sharing your own experience with skin issues. I mean you had it even tougher since Saffy developed her allergies quite early and was only a puppy. So I’ve always had my dog get itchy after kennel stays about 4 times a year. This time is super bad and so she got a cortisone shot one week. She is always on advantage monthly. She obviously is getting flea bites there and reacting but this time the cortisone did absolutely nothing. She kept itching. A week later another shot and an antibiotic. Vet suggests changing to revolution but I just gave a second dose of advantage so can’t give revolution until next month according to the vet so basically she will keep getting flea bites and responding with the shots giving no relief and we will start this over with her next kennel stay in two weeks:(. Sorry to hear about your pooch’s recurrent skin flare ups. Firstly, I think it is important that the kennel your dog stays at only accepts dogs that are flea treated as they obviously have a flea burden on the premises. Have you discussed your dog’s recurrent flare ups post kenneling with them? Secondly if spot ons like advantage or revolution aren’t doing the trick then maybe you should consider an oral form of flea control like Sentinel. Does your dog have seasonal itch or allergies, does it lick specific areas like its paws or scratch its ears regularly? It is important to support your dog’s skin with supplements like flax seed oil/omega oil or change her diet (consider vets all natural allergy food). Cortisone has lots of side effects and it doesn’t make sense to keep using it as a first line. It has its place and definitely is indicated when the skin is out of control. However, it doesn’t seem like the underlying issues are being totally addressed. Best of luck. Sadly I got upset and even brought it up to the kennel and the girl at the front desk seemed completely unconcerned with the fact that she got fleas originally there and now has bites every visit. Back easy our standard was to inspect boarders and treat if necessary. I was tempted to take her out recently and try a new place but she is such a high stress, anxious chichiahaha that putting her in a new place before I leave her for two and half weeks seemed a poor choice. I guess the results though aren’t worth it either so after this trip I won’t keep her there. Yes West Highland Terriers are super prone to skin issues. Glad to hear you have found a combination that helps manage her flareups. So I’m from California and my senior dog Herbie has been scratching himself intensively that he now has multiple scars on the back oh his front legs and his whole face is losing hair. His left ear is full of crust and it is passing in to his right ear. The part just on top of his nose is completely bare aswell. Recently I have noticed the hair above his eyes to be reducing. He would not stop trying to scratch his face so I bought him a head cone to prevent himself from harming himself more than was already done. I am afraid that whatever he has might be passing on to my two other dogs which have also been scratching and have several sacra on their bodies and one of them has two scars on her face one on each side. The one with the serious issue is Herbie but it doesn’t really seem to bother him as much as it seems it would but the smell is horrible and no matter what I do i can’t seem to make it go away. I have tried everything to stop him from scratching but it is just beyond my power. I would really appreciate your help to try to figure out any possibilities of what this might be. Thank you! Sorry to hear about Herbie’s escalating skin condition. Given the history that your other dogs have also become symptomatic, it is concerning that a contagious disease is occurring. Have you taken your dogs to the vets to get them thoroughly examined. As you would have appreciated in my post about itching dogs, you must go through a huge process of determine the possible causes and trying to eliminate each cause one at a time! I took Herbie to the vet today to get a skin scrape and we found out that he has sarcoptic mange. We began a treatment with ivermectin vaccinations every two weeks. Now we can finally focus on the real issue that was going on all along. It’s too bad I’m not allowed to really pet any of my dogs for now since it is contagious to humans aswell but if all goes well they should be clear in about 2 months. Thank you very much for your help and information! Glad to hear your puppy has started treatment as sarcoptic mange can be very irritating. I am not surprised he is still very itchy as he has still not been cured from his mange infestation. The mites must be moving around. Best to keep in touch with the vet treating your puppy to ensure treatment is effective. Goodluck. I have a Maltese x shi tzu male dog aged 8 years old and he has a horrible chewing habit which I assume is caused by some type of nervousness, which I have heard happens quite a lot in small dogs. He chews his paws constantly and his lower back until they are red raw and bleeding. I bathe him in hypo allergenic shampoos and conditioners and have tried oat meal type shampoos and various other treatments. I have taken him to get cortisone treatments before but they only last a few weeks and I cannot keep on affording it. I have even tried frontline and advocate and tablets for fleas which works, but he rarely ever has fleas. I try and distract him from scratching which only works for a period of time. I am know trying to get opinions and suggestions to help my dogs condition. Does anyone know any ways to help my dogs nervousness and anxiousness and relief for his skin? I hate seeing him suffering and I want him to be at ease now. Sorry to hear about your dog’s constant itching. Based on the history you mentioned, it doesn’t sound like your dog has anxiety. I don’t recommend you assume he does without effectively ruling out underlying allergies. Given he has responded to flea control, he may be suffering from flea allergy dermatitis which means he doesn’t have to be riddled with fleas, just one flea can cause him to have a massive reaction. He should be maintained on regular flea control. Did the cortisone injections help stop him itching completely? If the answer is yes, then that again indicates he suffers from a true itch and isn’t just chewing because of stress. Sometimes dogs that itch constantly due to unresolved skin issues can develop a psychological obsession with itching. my dog is itching so hard..that he cried while scratching…we visited the vet and injected ivermectin…my other dog has recovered bt EVO hasn’t.. wen i got him1st he has fowl smell…we go to the vet and put revolution…the smell goes away..now he is 4 yrs old..stil have the same issue…he always scratch..his hair are falling…his skin s very very dry..h has a lot of flakes.. im so worried about him..because he is such a sweet dog. thanks for your reply. Dear Leslie. Sorry about the late reply but I’m currently overseas. With regards to your dog, if has recurrent issues with his skin, you need to go through am am intensive elimination process with your vet. He will need to be regularly maintained on revolution including all other pets. Based on the brief history, you haven’t ruled out food allergy, contact allergy, atopy and so much more. I highly recommend you follow up with your regular vet and hopefully you get to the bottom of it or at least find out the best way to manage the skin flare ups. Good luck and please let me know how you go. what do you mean by contact allergy and atopy? anyway, so far we have 4 dogs in the cage..bt they are n very good condition..they doesn’t itch like him…they also dont have foul smell..we have 4 months intensive medication with the vet..still the same…his falling hair wil heal,den later it wil recur agin. just ds week..some spot of his skin is wet nd slimy…wen it dries up it becomes very big flakes…im so worried.. we don’t want to go the vet anymore bcoz we almost run out of money..and still his condition doesn’t improve..we try eliminating food that would possibly cause of his allergy…but still the same…we tried all home remedy..still it my improved then later comes back agin… bt now we will try revoultion agin.. by the way.. how many months will we give him revolution? thank you soo much for your reply. Hello Leslie. Contact allergy is when your dog is getting into direct contact with the allergen causing him to itch. Common contact allergy is to grass. Atopy on the other hand is allergy to both inhaled allergens and ones directly contacted and is much more difficult to manage. It can be quite costly managing a pet with skin allergies but unfortunately there is not always a single cure and generally complicated skin cases require ongoing veterinary care. In theory, he should be on revolution on going unless he reacts to the product. I highly recommend you read all the related skin articles I have written about Lucy. Hello Dr. Raya – I am generally someone who looks at health holistically and am not a fan of broad spectrum products especially when dealing with skin issues. Over the many years of rescuing and fostering street dogs in India I have seen a lot of skin issues in dogs and really appreciate it when vets take the time to run through the list of questions to make a diagnosis. Even with strays where accurate medical and lifestyle histories are hard to obtain. However, it has been my experience, here in India, that many vets are very reluctant to do skin scrapping and cultures, even with pet dogs, and I simply cannot understand why they sometimes categorically refuse to do such a basic diagnostic test that is easy and painless. Especially when it can help rule out things and provide targeted treatment. Am I missing something here? I was hoping you could shed some light on this. Dear Aditi. Good on you for all the work you do with rescuing and rehabilitating strays. You are not missing anything at all. You are absolutely right, your vets should be offering a range of tests when working up any skin case. If they aren’t, it goes to show they aren’t experienced enough and are too old school in their treatment methods. Hope you can find a vet that’s graduated more recently and has the new skills needed for diagnosing, treating and managing a skin case. Dear Rose. Sorry to hear about Lucky boy’s recent skin issues. Unfortunately based on the information you have provided, I really can’t give you much advise. I’m not clear on what your vet has diagnosed him with. There is no skin condition that requires daily antibiotics for life. Sometime they require repeat courses when the skin flares-up… I honestly doubt an 8 year old dog suddenly develps major skin issues. They would usually start much earlier. So definitely worth ruling out parasites like fleas or mites using a proper product like revolution spot on used fortnightly for 3 consecutive treatments (that is off label use). It’s important for you to discuss all your concerns directly with your vet. You need to be confident in what he/she is saying and understand the diagnosis. Otherwise, find a new vet that you can trust and feel comfortable with. Hope this information helps. Please let me know how Lucky Boy gets on. Sorry to hear about Jasper’s skin issues. I can’t give you a solution based on the information you have given me. Skin issues are very complex. You are best to communicate directly with your vet. Goodluck. Dear Dr Rayya, We have a two year old staffy who has skin allergies. She has seen several vets as out of shear frustration we have been trying to find one who will reccomend something other than steroids. We have tried the food elimination and natural remedies but are unable to control it. The seroids are now causing vomitting and tummy upsets so we are trying not to use them. The latest vet who treats the staffy breeders dogs has told us that her allergies are environmental and so it is near impossible for us to control. We love our girl and hate seeing her uncomfortable. What can you suggest please? My Great Dane is suffering from skin issues and I was told it was Demodex mites. I was given Noromectin and it seems to be helping her during the day shortly after I give it to her, but at night she keeps me up scratching and chewing. My question is can I give her Melatonin at night to help her sleep and it not have a reaction to the Noromectin? I don’t recommend you give your dog anything that hasn’t been prescribed by your vet. It’s important to ask your vet directly about the melatonin. My lab has been on allergy shots for over 4mos. She is still itching and licking like crazy. She has recently developed a hematoma on her ear. I am doing steroids in conjunction with the shots. Nothing is helping. I feel horrible for her. What should I do? We have been contemplating putting her down. I know she is in pain, and nothing is helping her. Hi, we have a Staffy who is allergic to “well everything really”! We have it under control by administering 1/2 a 20mg Prednisolone tablet every second day. Pyohex cream on her paws and tail base. Which is a new found use for the medicated conditioner initially used after bathing. Definitely NO dog treats as they contain either sulphites or grains. NO human food. We feed her Purina Supercoat Sensitive Gentle Formula biscuits and Natures Goodness grainfree tin dog food. Both can be purchased from a supermarket. Her vet has commented how well she looks and her coat is so shiny. She is 95% under control. No scratching at all, just licks her paws occasionally after walking on the lawn. Yes she is allergic to grass too! On the rare occasionI that she does have a relapse we use Neocort cream if she gets sores and Cutaneous Spray solution for places where she may lick the cream off. Please post this as it has worked for our dog and I am sure it will work for many. We too suffered frustration for our baby in so much discomfort. She is now a healthy happy 2 year old puppy. My dog is insanely itchy. Has been for six months. Scraping negative. Responded well to course of oral steroid with antihistamine but itching resumed following course. Could it be mites anyway.? Im just searching in google and i drop by in your column about this horrible scratching of my fur baby husky… she is 6yrs old now and she had suffering epilepsy 3months ago and she is taking medicine for her epilepsy to…my far concern is she had scratching all over her body and i found out she had some hot spot wich i treat it early using vergin coconut oil and it comes out good but on her stomach,elbow and paws she still biting and licking furiously until sometimes bloods comes out iam so worried, i try to bring her in vet but they only do is soaking her in a bath and still not relieve her itchiness and it cost expensive….please give me some of your advises. My German Shepherd, Sasha, has responded with a hot spot and maddening scratching ever since I put Revolution on her just a few days ago. It has just finally clicked that this happened last year too. She is such a porch puppy as I call her, she only goes outside to do her business on a run. She is like a chow in that she doesn’t like to be out when it is wet and she is a Big Mama to my 10 cats, in fact, the real Mama cat and her are extremely jealous of each other, she prefers to be inside. I feel so bad for her!!! I have 21pills of 5mg Prednisone and 25mg Benedryl, she weighs 65Ibs. Can I administer these to her rather than taking her to the vet. She only trusts me and Gary. She is not socialized due to we live on the Toccoa river in the mountains of Georgia, it would cost me $187 just to get her seen with sedation, she is very protective of me and my husband and our kitty family. I love your blog. Im watching a friend’s roommate’s dog suffer on a minutely basis (every 15 seconds I would say). He’s scratching and biting himself. I can see his stomach move the way mine does when I have an eczema outburst. The itching is insanely painful at times until a topical solution is applied. The vet has given him meds but it’s been 2 weeks and it’s not working. I read online to put coconut oil on him so I did but it’s not working. Please help with advise!

2019-04-19T14:28:36Z

https://rayyathevet.com/2012/11/11/is-your-dogs-scratching-driving-you-mad/

Maybe you have a sustainability strategy. You may even have strong leadership buy-in. Yet, you’re struggling to get your colleagues to change the way they approach their jobs so you can actually get stuff done and reach your goals. If you work in corporate social responsibility, this problem might sound familiar. It’s certainly the case for many of the companies I work with. One way to turn this situation around is to understand the behavioral dynamics at play. I recently wrote a Medium article (loosely based off our CSR/behavior change playbook) that explains why the concept of “social norms” might be just the unlock you’re looking for. If this is a challenge you’re facing, give it a read and let me know what you think. MOST CLICKED FROM LAST ISSUE // 2019 Future of Sustainability Report — The Futures Centre. Access more sustainability and social impact resources in our archive. Our jobs board is curated by Danielle L. Vermeer. Do you have an opening at your organization? Click here to submit a listing for consideration. how much do we love these posters celebrating women in STEM? Our social impact jobs board — “the exact types of jobs I'm looking for" To address that last one, I’m excited to share a refreshed design for our bi-weekly newsletter. Same simplicity you told us you love, but spruced up a bit for navigation and style points. What do you think about our new look? Hit reply, I’d love to hear from you. Another thing we learned from the survey? A whopping 63% of you heard about us from a friend or colleague. If you get value out of this newsletter, please consider forwarding it or giving us some LinkedIn love. 👉 For your next wedding — or just because — why not try renting an outfit instead of buying new clothes? This referral link will get you $30 off your first RTR order. MOST CLICKED FROM LAST ISSUE // How Fancy Water Bottles Became a 21st Century Status Symbol — The Atlantic. Read up on more trends in our archive. recent obsession: drone pics. reminds me what we're fighting for. I’ve spent the past few weeks hopscotching across California, meeting and exchanging ideas with many of you. What a journey! I’m feeling inspired, somewhat over-caffeinated and overall very, very grateful for the community we’re building through Reconsidered. 👉 Lizzie Russler is a student at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill studying Contemporary European Studies and Sustainability. Her first foray into CSR came as a Sustainability, Social Impact and Diversity & Inclusion Intern at Sephora. 👉 Mélina Labrosse is a French Canadian living in Berlin. She is passionate about design and committed to incorporating sustainability and positive social change within her work. With the help of Lizzie, Mélina and jobs board curator Danielle, we’ll be rolling out some newsletter improvements in the coming weeks. Stay tuned — good things are coming. TRANSFORM: Climate, Communities & Capital is a new conference from the team behind SOCAP, SEED, Neighborhood Economics, TriplePundit and other networks that have come to define the way money and meaning can work together for good. It all happens May 22-24 in San Francisco. Reconsidered readers can register with this link to get 10% off the registration fee. Looking to promote a product, event or milestone? Send us a note to learn more about sponsorship opportunities. Our newsfeeds blew up on March 8th with all sorts of women’s empowerment messaging. All well and good, right? Why NOT celebrate women? The problem, as Fast Company points out, is that “brands tend to treat International Women’s Day as a festival for pandering with cheap Girl Power-isms. It’s as though Ivanka Trump’s books got their very own day.” I’m hopeful that these more critical views will push companies to make next year’s IWD an opportunity to make meaningful commitments that actually push women forward — like equal pay, access to leadership opportunities and more family-friendly benefits. 👉TAKE ACTION: What do you think about companies using IWD as a marketing moment? Great that businesses are engaging in the conversation — or shameful that companies are co-opting the movement without making substantive changes? Join the conversation on LinkedIn. Speaking of, more and more women are getting their businesses officially certified as “women-owned” — and it seems to be making a difference. Launched in 2014, the certification now covers ~15,000 companies and is facilitated by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. Though research is limited, some brands with the certification have reported increased customer loyalty. However barriers remain in other areas, like getting investment. On Monday, a new study was published demonstrating that air pollution is disproportionately caused by white Americans' consumption of goods and services, but disproportionately inhaled by black and Hispanic Americans. These results inevitably raise the question, “Are those who produce pollution, through their consumption of goods and services, fairly sharing in the costs?” It also creates the opportunity to more meaningfully address consumption-related pollution drivers like urban development and automobile transport. “If you can understand why so many people would spend 50 bucks on a water bottle, you can understand a lot about America in 2019,” posits this Atlantic article on the rise of S’well, Yeti, Sigg, Hydro Flask and their pricy reusable hydration vessel competitors. Their success points to sustainability as a status symbol — to sometimes complicated effect. A fascinating read. Now here’s an example of a company using its platform to start a substantive conversation around women’s equality. In this eight-minute short, Pixar tackles toxic work cultures with humor and empathy. When Purl, a feminine ball of bright pink yarn, starts a new job at the investment firm B.R.O. (😉😉) she is ridiculed and excluded for her differences. She responds in a way that will feel familiar to many women — but then comes a plot twist that will make you feel as warm and fuzzy as the protagonist. MOST CLICKED FROM LAST ISSUE // 2069 — Medium. Check out our archive for more tips and tools. First, a huge thank you to everyone who’s been along for the ride. I know your inbox is sacred space, and I am grateful that you have allowed us in. I also wanted to take this occasion to get your thoughts. What are you digging? What do you want to see more of? Your honest feedback will help us make the newsletter more valuable for you. Again, thank you for being part of the Reconsidered community. We wouldn’t be entering our terrible twos without you. On March 8, New York University’s Law, Policy and Business Schools are hosting their annual Social Innovation Symposium in New York City. This year's theme, Striving for the Circular Economy, explores an alternative way of looking at relationships between markets, consumers, and natural resources. Experts from an array of backgrounds will come together to inspire a new generation of change-makers, including Keynote Speaker Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle, as well as panelists from Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Cisco, Eileen Fisher, Morgan Stanley, Bloomberg, Toast Ale and more. In the new Netflix show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, the Japanese cleaning guru helps people find joy through her trademark KonMari method. During the few episodes I watched, I couldn’t help but consider the sustainability implications of the stuff, the disposal and the journey to a more edited lifestyle. I wasn’t alone. This exchange between Grist staffers Eve Andrews and Annelise McGough addresses some of the social and environmental themes of the show, like why people own so much in the first place and the privilege inherent in the KonMari movement. 👉 TAKE ACTION: Ready to KonMari your way to a more minimal and sustainable lifestyle? Get started with Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (bonus points if you borrow from the library instead of purchasing your own version). Just before Davos, Bill Gates tweeted an infographic claiming that poverty has gone down dramatically over the past 200 years. Though compelling, the University of London’s Jason Hickel calls “wishful thinking”. Not only does Hickel call out the ambiguity of pre-1980s data, the debate over the $1.90 poverty line and the outsized role of China, but he also questions whether the shift from a subsistence to a capitalist society is necessarily better for the global population. His Guardian op-ed sparked a fascinating back-and-forth between author Steven Pinker (whose data was called out) and Hickel about the role of neoliberal capitalism in reducing (or exacerbating) global poverty. It highlights the evolving conversation around capitalism as a driver of progress — and underscores the danger of convenient statistics. Despite Amazon’s staggering growth, the company did not pay federal taxes for 2018 — and yes, that was completely legal. How is it possible that a company valued at roughly $800 billion with $11.2 billion in 2018 profits does not have to pay taxes? This Vox piece points to the Trump administration’s corporate tax cuts paired with several tax loopholes. But that hasn’t stopped news outlets from publishing searing headlines and the public from protesting. The outcry points to a bigger theme — that corporate taxation is increasingly becoming a hot public interest area for both companies and governments. Watch this space. Last summer, the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu banned single-use plastic bags, plastic straws and styrofoam food containers in an effort to preserve their local environment and combat ocean plastic. Now, lawmakers are considering expanding the ban to include disposables like diapers, plastic cutlery and grocery packaging. Though Pacific island nations contribute less than 1% to global ocean plastic volume, Vanuatu hopes to set an example for other countries by proving that bold solutions like single-use plastic bans can work. In doing so, they are proving the power of islands as living laboratories for sustainability policy and innovation. What will the world look like in 2069? The latest issue of Medium’s online magazine attempts to predict how the world will change by my 83rd birthday. Several pieces touch on social and environmental topics, from e-waste to the future of wine to why Los Angeles is ground zero for climate change 😬. In my work to communicate the necessity of social responsibility to companies, I’m constantly trying to paint a picture of what will happen in the future if we don’t take action now. This is a powerful resource for developing that kind of futurist mindset. MOST CLICKED FROM LAST ISSUE // No online shopping company can figure out how to quit this one plastic bag — Vox. More fascinating content in our archives. California, I’m coming for you! For most of March, I will be up and down the coast leading workshops and meeting with organizations that are committed to social and environmental change. If you’re interested in having me lead one of RC’s CSR strategy and behavior change workshops for your organization — or if you’d just like say hi — give me a shout! I have a few chunks of time open in San Francisco and Los Angeles. RECONSIDERED ON MEDIUM // Heyo, we're on Medium now! 🤗 Follow the Reconsidered Medium publication for long-form articles like How Behavioral Science Can Supercharge Your Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts and 3 Life Hacks That Improve My Life, Save Me Money & Are Way Better For The Environment. And if you're on Medium and writing about corporate social responsibility, sustainability and social impact, send us a link to your stuff. We're eager to use our platform to share bold ideas, new insights and thought-provoking perspectives with the world. Yesterday, U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey released an outline of the “Green New Deal”, a progressive set of policy proposals that would take urgent action to eliminate U.S. carbon emissions, bolster the middle class and reorient the American economy. The framework is admittedly ambitious. But then, “Even the solutions that we have considered big and bold are nowhere near the scale of the actual problem that climate change presents to us,” says AOC. The proposal, which includes clean energy investments, agricultural reform and universal healthcare, has generated a lot of buzz in Washington —and nearly ensures that environmental issues will (finally) be a major talking point in the 2020 elections. Watch this space. Sometimes, you have to take a step back in order to take a step forward. That’s the idea behind Loop — a new zero-waste packaging initiative launched by Terracycle and a coalition of consumer goods companies including Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Danone. Loop essentially brings back the “milkman model” of reusable packaging, which faded after single-use plastics were introduced to consumers in the 1960s. If successful, it will offer about 300 iconic products — think Tide detergent and Häagen-Dazs ice cream — in reusable packaging that can be picked up by a delivery service, cleaned, refilled and shipped out again. This article dives into how this unlikely partnership came about and what obstacles need to be tackled in order for it to become a reality. Speaking of packaging, what the heck is up with those flimsy plastic bags that come with pretty much everything you order online? Alden Wicker explores why e-commerce companies and retailers are so reliant on “polybags” — low-density, polyethylene, #4 virgin plastic film bags that accompany everything from clothing to meal kit ingredients to little electronic components. She also shares how companies like Patagonia, Mara Hoffman, Seed and For Days are exploring alternative materials and business models to design this wastefulness out of existence. MOST CLICKED FROM LAST ISSUE // World’s Biggest Investor Tells C.E.O.s Purpose Is the ‘Animating Force’ for Profits — The New York Times. More goodness in our archives. This week, all eyes are on Davos — the picturesque Swiss ski town that hosts the biggest names in government, business and society each January for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting. Davos is not uncomplicated. On the one hand, it provides a forum for world leaders to come together and explore big ideas. It’s a platform for launching bold sustainable business initiatives like The B Team and Y Analytics (Bono’s new impact investing measurement project announced this year). Just 10 years ago, an integrated CSR program was seen as a “nice-to-have” by companies. Now, it’s table stakes for the Fortune 500. I don’t think that would have happened if not for the way Davos and gatherings like it have elevated and pushed forward the conversation on business’s role in society. At the same time, those leading the purpose backlash have likened it to “a family reunion… for the people who broke the modern world”. The Guardian chalked it up to a bunch of “elites without action”. Several outlets called out the hypocrisy of world leaders flying in on private jets to discuss solutions to climate change (while WEF rushed to assure us that private jet use is actually down 14% from 2018 🤦‍♀️). So yes, Davos is complicated. What do you make of it all — is it a useful platform for change or does it hurt more than it helps? I’d love to hear what you think. P.S. HOT JOB ALERT! 🔥Reconsidered is seeking a paid intern to join our remote team. The ideal candidate is a strong English language communicator, has experience with email and social media marketing and is endlessly curious about the changing role of business in society. Know someone who fits the bill? Here’s the link to learn more and apply. Just in time for Davos, BlackRock’s Larry Fink is back with his annual message for CEOs. In short: the world needs your leadership, and getting clear on your company’s purpose is a good first step to get there. His 2019 letter echoes the sentiments in his pivotal 2018 letter, which introduced his views on purpose and is widely seen as a turning point for the way mainstream business views corporate social responsibility. In what’s being called the world’s first climate change bankruptcy, PG&E, California’s largest electric utility, recently filed for bankruptcy citing damage from the wildfires that have ravaged the state in recent years. This article breaks down why this development will change the way companies assess climate risk. Many still treat climate change as a difficult-to-pinpoint long-term risk, while the reality is that companies are feeling real business impacts NOW. Not gonna lie, that Gillette “The Best Men Can Be” spot got me a little teary at the end. But before we all go celebrating the Procter & Gamble razor brand for bravely tackling toxic masculinity — or alternately, get so offended you try to flush your Gillette down the toilet — Public’s Phillip Haid suggests taking a beat and asking, okay, so what are they doing about it? How is Gillette going to not just raise awareness of the issue, but also make substantive progress? Without a clear plan of action beyond philanthropic donations, Gillette is just latching on to what Haid calls a “worrying trend of brands appropriating social purpose for compelling advertising creative”. Organizations are quickly realizing the power of behavioral insights to drive more impactful social change. Over the past year, several UN agencies have embraced the science of behavior change to make progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. This “year in review” highlights a few of the applications, from a simple exercise that helps motivate rural Kenyans to save money for emergencies to a nudging program to increase immunizations in the Middle East. 👉 If you’re new to the world of behavior change, we recently published a playbook with relevant insights for people working in corporate social responsibility. Download it here. I’ve been on a lot of long-haul flights lately, which has given me the chance to catch up on A LOT of downloadable Netflix movies. One of the better ones is Okja, directed by Korean visionary Joon-Ho Bong and starring Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal. The fantastical film centers around a (“Green! All-natural! Eco-friendly!”) scheme to breed genetically modified pigs using “sustainable” animal raising techniques from countries like South Korea, where most of the film is set. Only, it’s all a grotesque form of spin. A satirical commentary on corporate responsibility, greed and consumerism that has stuck with me for weeks. MOST CLICKED FROM LAST ISSUE // Beyond The Bottom Line: Should Business Put Purpose Before Profit? — Financial Times. Explore how the conversation on business and purpose has evolved in our archives. The case for sustainable business is strong in a place like Guam, a U.S. territory with a centuries-old colonial legacy located smack in the middle of the Pacific. It means nurturing the island’s ability to truly sustain itself — independently, without relying on foreign imports, tourism (the #1 industry) or the U.S. military (the #2 industry). On an island just 32 miles long and between 4 and 9 miles wide, it’s impossible to ignore nature’s constraints. During the workshop, which was hosted by the University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and School of Business and Public Administration, we walked through the steps of creating a sustainability strategy and designed a series of pilot projects. Packaging for a line of natural beauty products? Bring together a coalition to co-invest in manufacturing equipment that can transform the bamboo clogging up our waterways. Equipping people to turn waste into want? How about a training program with the local girls empowerment organization, funded by private companies? I left Guam feeling inspired and energized — and reminded of how many ideas can spark when you build bridges between work and home. How did 2019 start off for you? P.S. One of my new year’s resolutions is changing my relationship with technology. Just in time, my friend Barbara and “crowdacting” platform CollAction are launching a campaign called Screen Free Sundays. The premise is simple: Every last Sunday of the month, opt to go screen-free, put down your phones and reconnect with the world around you. I’ve just signed onto the campaign, maybe you want to join? MOST CLICKED FROM LAST ISSUE // The Science of What Makes People Care — Stanford Social Innovation Review. ICYMI, our last issue featured our picks for the top 10 articles of 2018. THE HIGH NOTE // 50% — the percentage of women that will be part of actress and director Regina King’s future production projects, per her 💪💪💪 acceptance speech at the 2019 Golden Globes. What a year for socially responsible business. ✊Brands embraced their power as activists. 📈Investors confirmed the business case for sustainability. ️☀️A particularly hot summer made climate change impossible to dismiss. 🥤The plastics crisis hit the mainstream. 📵Silicon Valley came under increased scrutiny post-Cambridge Analytica (yes, that was this year). 👩 The #MeToo movement reverberated across the business world. 🎬“Inclusion riders” became a thing. 👚So did clothing rental. And the list goes on. To cap off 2018, we’ve pulled together 10 of our favorite reads from the past year — the articles that made us think, made us fear, made us laugh, made us hope and made us reconsider the role of business in this rapidly changing world of ours. What news item most sparked your interest this year? Hit reply to let us know. Wishing you an energizing start to 2019! P.S. Have you downloaded our ( 💯free!) playbook on how behavior change insights can supercharge your CSR efforts? Have a look here. In what’s being called a watershed moment for corporate social responsibility, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink stressed in his annual letter that a company must "not only deliver financial performance, but also show how it makes a positive contribution to society". The letter marks the first time that a major institutional investment firm has made such a strong statement in support of CSR. Not only that, but Fink intends to hold companies accountable by adding staff to monitor businesses' response. Read Fink's full letter here. In this sweeping argument for busting up big tech, thought-provoking questions (“If ice cream were making teens more prone to suicide, would we shrug and seat the CEO of Dreyer’s next to the president?”) combine with hard numbers (Google commands a 92% share of Search, a market worth $92.4 billion) to paint a disturbing picture of unchecked power and wealth concentration. This is a must-read for anyone wondering how we got here, and what we can still do about it. The article is a historical account of the critical decade between 1979 and 1989 when — per author Nathaniel Rich — we could have acted on climate change, but didn’t. In both print and digital, this account is juxtaposed with powerful imagery of climate change’s modern day impacts. Heavy… but important (though not without its critics). When you’re done reading, don’t despair — do something. Plastics are everywhere — in the soil, in the water, even in our 💩 (yes, it’s true and it’s very disturbing). But change is coming. In this op-ed, Dame Ellen MacArthur introduces a new collaborative initiative to address plastic waste and pollution at its source. To date it has over 250 global signatories, including brands, retailers, NGOs and governments. The initiative comes on the heels of a recent EU ban on single-use plastics like plastic straws, disposable plates and cutlery. It’s pretty awesome to see meaningful action on this complex problem — let’s just hope the implementation is swift. Clothing rental is seen as one of the best circular economy ways to keep clothes in use for as long as possible. But will it become mainstream? It’s easy to see how the concept appeals to fashionistas who want to stay ahead of the latest trends, but early adopters also include people who hate to shop and just want one less thing to worry about (um, hi). As climate change causes storms to increase in intensity, coastal cities are being forced to protect their shores. New York City is pioneering a brilliant solution: living breakwaters made from leftover oyster shells, which protect harbors while also filtering water and contributing to a healthier ecosystem. The shells are sourced from local restaurants, then populated with new oysters hatched by students in a public high school’s aquaculture program — a unique model that brings together non-profits, businesses, schools and local government. MOST CLICKED FROM LAST ISSUE // The Strange Phenomenon of L.O.L. Surprise Dolls — The Atlantic. Find more surprising content in our archives. An abbreviated list of 10 great opportunities to match our 10 top links of 2018. The full curation will return next issue. THE HIGH NOTE // 7 — The number of scientists joining the next U.S. Congress, which convenes at the start of 2019. This was a big week for us! After months of research and writing, we published Making Change Sustainable — a new playbook exploring how insights from the world of behavioral science can supercharge the way companies embed social responsibility into their business. You can download the free resource here. We celebrated the launch with an interactive “workshop-meets-cocktail party” held at the Fashion for Good Experience in Amsterdam. I was blown away by the warmth, intelligence and creativity of the group that came together. Pics below. If you’ve downloaded the playbook, I’m eager to hear your thoughts. Did any chapters feel particularly relevant? Are there other change insights you would add? Hit reply and let me know what you think. Speaking of holiday gift-giving, this Atlantic piece dives into one of the biggest children’s toys trends of 2018. L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls were created specifically for a YouTube generation raised on “unboxing videos”. Basically, after tearing away seven layers of packaging, you wind up with a cheap toy that’s bound to be in landfill by New Year’s. Ridiculous? Yes. Wasteful? You betcha. This article explores the sociological and psychological reason kids are losing their s*** over them. This past week was COP24, the annual UN climate conference hosted in Katowice, Poland. Though government action has been shameful (ahem, U.S. and Australia) business stepped up in a big way, with a major investor statement and fashion industry pledge among the notable commitments. Hidden among the press releases was this gem on an interactive role-playing game showcased at COP24 that simulates how current climate action will impact the world in the future. "The whole point is to use narrative storytelling and imagination to make the human and economic cost of these events more concrete,” said the creators, which include researchers from Glasgow Caledonian University, Utrecht University and Purdue University. “People have emotional reactions to what is apparently real – not to what actually is real. Games give us a platform to create just such an apparent reality." The “femtech” market is estimated to be worth $50 billion by 2025, and fertility and period-tracking apps are among the fastest-growing segments. This article argues that most apps on the market aren’t actually built for women, but rather for the men, marketers and medical companies that see a business opportunity in women's health. From inaccurate algorithms to stereotypically gendered design (SO MUCH PINK) to a deep insensitivity to real challenges like miscarriage and abortion, this fascinating piece goes deep. Daniel Kahneman is a Nobel Prize-winning psychologist and behavioral economist whose research on judgement and decision-making forms the bedrock of modern behavioral science. This conversation with Hidden Brain’s Shankar Vedantam is wide-ranging, but the part I found most fascinating comes around minute 23:50, when the two start to discuss the behavioral response to climate change. “If you were to design a problem that the mind is not equipped to deal with, climate change would fit the bill,” Kahneman said. The two discuss this phenomenon — as well as some possible solutions, which we quoted in our new playbook. MOST CLICKED FROM LAST ISSUE // The State of the Sustainability Profession 2018 — GreenBiz. Our archive is the best place on the Internet to get lost this holiday season. The role of the sustainable business professional is changing, according to the latest GreenBiz State of the Sustainability Profession Report (see 5 Links below). Sure, the core skills of data analysis, impact measurement, project management and deep subject matter expertise are still needed. But now, teams are also being called on to educate, empower and equip people across the business to own the sustainability agenda. They need to spark culture change, create internal movements and build consensus among people who don’t usually agree with each other. They need to persuade, nudge and influence people to change the very way they approach their jobs. This shift requires a whole new toolkit of skills. We still need to make a rational business case for social responsibility — but we also need to layer on a clear understanding of what drives people and organizations to change. Over the past several months, I’ve dug deep into the literature of behavior change science and spoken with leading behavioral researchers and social responsibility practitioners. The result is a new playbook that shares a few of the insights I think are most fascinating and relevant to people working in social responsibility. It’s called “Making Change Sustainable: Using Behavior Science to Embed Social Responsibility Into Your Business” and I’m excited to share it with you in the coming weeks. If the topic sparks your interest, enter your information here and I’ll send you the playbook right when it comes out. I’m also hosting a small in-person meet-up next week in Amsterdam to celebrate the launch. You can learn more and register here — and if you know anyone who’d be interested, feel free to share! 👉🏽 UPDATE: We have sold out of meet-up seats, but if you're interested in attending please join the waitlist. We hope to be opening up some spots early next week. P.S. I’m still taking part in Grist’s 21-Day Apathy Detox — now on Day 9! It’s been educational and eye-opening to explore different ways of engaging with social and environmental issues. Check RC’s Facebook page for some of my recent dispatches. P.P.S. My friend Kestrel Jenkins hosts the Conscious Chatter podcast (see RC’s episode here) and is one of the most consciously stylish people I know. She just launched LEFT EDIT, a new line of sustainable, made-in-USA essentials that are just so lovely and feminine (especially that Eve dress 😍). Check out the collection on Kickstarter. ‘Tis the season for #BlackFriday, #CyberMonday and TONS of online shopping. But before you default to that next-day or same-day delivery option, have a listen to this podcast from The Daily. It takes a look into a rapid fulfillment warehouse in Memphis, Tennessee, that is filled with the types of horrific human rights abuses you’re used to hearing about in developing countries. It is one of the most tragic, frustrating and powerful stories I’ve heard all year. Speaking of Black Friday, the U.S. federal government chose that day (🙄) to release a massive climate report compiled by 13 federal agencies. It warned that if we don’t take drastic action on climate change, the U.S. economy could lose hundreds of billions of dollars — up to 10% of its total GDP. This handy round-up outlines 15 of the biggest takeaways, including business impacts like declining crop production, loss of seafood stocks and lost working hours due to extreme temperatures. 👉 TAKE ACTION: We need to engage with our elected representatives, but also with our business leaders. Climate Nexus's Jeff Nesbit offers three ways businesses can tackle climate change — if you work in a company, ask leadership how they’re moving forward on these issues. Oh, Victoria’s Secret. This month, its annual fashion show riled up spectators for being… exactly the way it’s been since 1995. Meaning, instead of adapting to an evolving culture that values diversity, inclusion and feminism, it continues to perpetuate outdated gender stereotypes and beauty norms. It doesn’t help that when questioned, the CMO for L Brands (which owns Victoria’s Secret) said the company would never include trans and plus-sized models in the show because it “is a fantasy.” 🤮 The backlash was swift and fierce, including an open letter and full-page ad in The New York Times penned by the female CEO of ThirdLove, a new direct-to-consumer lingerie brand, that was as progressive and empowering as L Brands’ comments were archaic and insulting. To me, this situation illustrates the danger of standing still when it comes to social issues — and shows that when older brands stumble there are plenty of smaller, more purposeful companies ready to take their place. When you think of the gig economy worker, you don’t typically think of the “influencer” — that person on your Instagram feed whose perfectly curated life of avocado toast and fancy hotel rooms never fails to inspire envy and FOMO. But many influencers face the same challenges, like financial instability, lack of healthcare and heavy upfront costs. This piece is a fascinating perspective on the changing face of organized labor, which increasingly includes contractors, freelancers and white collar workers. MOST CLICKED FROM LAST ISSUE // Ask Umbra’s 21-Day Apathy Detox — Grist. Follow us on Facebook where I’m posting regular updates from my own detox. THE HIGH NOTE // 02:03:49 — the half-marathon time of Justin Gallegos, a college runner who was recently chosen to be Nike’s first pro athlete with cerebral palsy. The video where Justin learns he’s made the cut will make you 😭😭😭 .

2019-04-25T06:36:38Z

https://www.reconsidered.co/archive

Dams play a significant role in altering the spatial pattern of temperature in rivers and contribute to thermal pollution, which greatly affects the river aquatic ecosystems. Understanding the temporal and spatial variation of thermal pollution caused by dams is important to prevent or mitigate its harmful effect. Assessments based on in-situ measurements are often limited in practice because of the inaccessibility of water temperature records and the scarcity of gauges along rivers. By contrast, thermal infrared remote sensing provides an alternative approach to monitor thermal pollution downstream of dams in large rivers, because it can cover a large area and observe the same zone repeatedly. In this study, Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) thermal infrared imagery were applied to assess the thermal pollution caused by two dams, the Geheyan Dam and the Gaobazhou Dam, located on the Qingjiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River downstream of the Three Gorges Reservoir in Central China. The spatial and temporal characteristics of thermal pollution were analyzed with water temperatures estimated from 54 cloud-free Landsat ETM+ scenes acquired in the period from 2000 to 2014. The results show that water temperatures downstream of both dams are much cooler than those upstream of both dams in summer, and the water temperature remains stable along the river in winter, showing evident characteristic of the thermal pollution caused by dams. The area affected by the Geheyan Dam reaches beyond 20 km along the downstream river, and that affected by the Gaobazhou Dam extends beyond the point where the Qingjiang River enters the Yangtze River. Considering the long time series and global coverage of Landsat ETM+ imagery, the proposed technique in the current study provides a promising method for globally monitoring the thermal pollution caused by dams in large rivers. Water temperature is an important physical property of rivers because it has significant effects on many economic and ecological aspects [1,2,3,4]. Water temperature affects water quality, such as dissolved oxygen and suspended sediment concentration. It is one of the most critical parameters that controls the overall health of aquatic ecosystems in rivers, and also has considerable influence on the growth rate and spatial distribution of aquatic organisms. Moreover, water temperature is economically important because of its influence on water requirements for industry and aquaculture. Water temperature variation in rivers is hard to quantify in practice, because it is typically spatially and temporally heterogeneous . Generally, river water temperature is affected by many factors, such as atmospheric conditions, topography and stream discharge . The change of natural conditions, such as global climate change, affects the pattern of river water temperature . Besides, river water temperature is also greatly affected by human activities, such as riparian land cover change and effluent point discharges from power stations . Building dams along rivers is one of the most important human activities that change the hydrological processes in rivers [7,8,9]. Specifically, river water temperature is often altered by dams. The impact of an upstream reservoir on downstream river water temperature primarily depends on its thermal stratification characteristics, and design and operation mode [10,11]. In a reservoir, thermal stratification is common in summer, because the upper layers of water are warmed by solar radiation and cooler waters remain underneath in the hypolimnion. In the winter, however, the upper layer temperatures often are cooled and the thermal stratification reduces and may disappear because of full vertical mixing. Therefore, water temperatures downstream dams may be substantially changed by the reservoir released water at different temperatures. Dam-induced modifications to a river’s thermal regime can lead to unprecedented ecological and environmental results for the river downstream. This abrupt thermal shift phenomenon is then often referred as “thermal pollution”, because it tends to bring harmful consequences to freshwater ecosystems [10,12,13,14]. Analyzing the spatial and temporal variation pattern of water temperature downstream of dams caused by thermal pollution is therefore important for reservoir management to prevent or mitigate thermal pollution using optimized operations. Thermal pollution attributed to dams is typically analyzed with in-situ measured water temperature records . By measuring water temperatures using a network of in-stream gauges, the magnitude, and the spatial and temporal patterns of thermal pollution caused by a dam can be studied. This technique can provide favorable results if long-term downstream temperature records measured by a dense observation network are available. In practice, however, long time temperature records are not always existent or available to the public in many areas. Moreover, in-situ gauges are often sparsely distributed in rivers, and using data measured in only one or several gauges cannot provide adequate information on the spatial distribution of water temperature. Compared with in-situ measurements, thermal infrared remote sensing technique provides an attractive alternative for measuring water temperatures and quantifying spatial patterns of water temperature at multiple spatial scales . For example, coarse spatial resolution imagery, such as Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), have been widely used to map the spatial and temporal patterns of temperature in large lakes and reservoirs [16,17]. Medium spatial resolution satellite imagery, such as Landsat thermal infrared imagery, have been used to quantify the longitudinal and temporal thermal patterns along rivers , and to identify the groundwater contribution . Fine spatial resolution airborne thermal infrared imagery is becoming popular for the accurate measurement of water temperatures for small water bodies [5,20,21,22,23,24,25]. The Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor, which has a thermal infrared band with a 60 m spatial resolution and has a large amount of data archived from 1999 available free to public, provides a promising means to quantify water thermal variability [15,26,27,28,29,30]. Compared with coarse spatial resolution remote sensing imagery, such as MODIS, which is unsuitable for river applications due to its coarse spatial resolution, Landsat ETM+ satellite thermal infrared imagery have a finer spatial resolution and can be used to accurately estimate water temperatures in rivers. Compared with airborne thermal infrared remote sensing imagery, using Landsat ETM+ satellite thermal infrared imagery also has its potential advantages. Both the spatial and temporal coverage achievable with airborne remote sensing are always limited, and only a few thermal infrared images within small areas can be used in most cases, while Landsat ETM+ satellite imagery has a long period global coverage. The primary objective of the current research is to investigate the capability of a long series of Landsat ETM+ satellite thermal infrared images to assess the thermal pollution caused by dams. We investigate the temperature estimation method for Landsat ETM+ imagery and analyze the uncertainty of result caused by imperfect atmospheric correction. The spatio-temporal pattern of thermal pollution caused by two dams in the study area is then analyzed with estimated river water temperatures. The potential applications and limitations of the proposed approach are also discussed. The contributions of this research are twofold. First, to our knowledge, it is the first time that the thermal pollution caused by dams is assessed by using satellite remote sensing technology. Second, a spatio-temporal analysis method is proposed in order to decrease the uncertainty of data provided by satellite images. The study focused on the Qingjiang River, a first-order tributary of the Yangtze River downstream of the Three Gorges Reservoir in Hubei Province, Central China. The Qingjiang River has a watershed area of approximately 17,000 km2, with the mainstream having a total length of 423 km. A cascade of reservoirs can be found along the Qingjiang River. The study area ranges from the upstream Geheyan reservoir to the river mouth, including the Geheyan and Gaobazhou Dams that were constructed in 1994 and 2000, respectively (Figure 1). The monthly mean air and water temperatures measured in the Yichang hydrology station (Figure 1) in the period 2000–2004 are shown in Figure 2. The mean monthly air temperature is higher than the mean monthly water temperature in summer, while, in winter, the mean monthly water temperature is higher than the mean monthly air temperature. The distance between the Geheyan and Gaobazhou Dams is approximately 50 km, and the distance between the Gaobazhou Dam and the river mouth into the Yangtze River is approximately 12 km. The river width in the study area is typically between 200 and 500 m. The normal water level of the Geheyan reservoir is about 200 m, while the normal water level of the Gaobazhou reservoir is about 80 m. The monthly mean discharges of both reservoirs in the period 2000 to 2004 are shown in Figure 3, and the annual flow discharges in this period are 400 m3/s and 436 m3/s, respectively. Figure 4 shows the change of water temperature with the water depth in various seasons for the Geheyan reservoir . It is shown that the water temperature distribution is stratified in the vertical domain and the pattern varies in time. In summer, for example, on 28 July 1995, the surface water temperature was higher than 30 °C. With the increase of water depth, the water temperature decreased rapidly at first. From the depths 10 to 40 m, the water temperature began to decrease slowly. However, from 40 to 50 m, the water temperature had a rapid decrease. Below the depth of 50 m, water temperature decreased slowly again. On days in other seasons, such as on 26 October 1995 and 24 April 1996, the water surface temperatures were still higher than those in the depths of 80 m. However, the water difference was only about 5–10 °C, and was much less than that in the summer, which reached 20 °C. The primary data source was a series of Landsat-7 ETM+ satellite images. The spatial resolution of the thermal infrared band (10.45 to 12.5 μm) for the ETM+ is 60 m × 60 m; other bands (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7) for ETM+ have a spatial resolution of 30 m. The selected Landsat scene was path 125/row 39, which covers the extent of the area of interest. Scenes that were mostly cloud-free from 2000 to 2014 were ordered and downloaded for free from the United States Geological Survey Earth Explorer website . All images were Level 1T products, which have been precision and terrain corrected in the GeoTIFF format and are in the UTM Zone 49N projection and WGS datum. The resulting dataset comprised 54 full scenes, including 39 scan-line corrector off (SLC-off) images. In the analysis, the SLC-off data would lower the data quality and affect the result. Although the gaps caused by SLC-off appeared in different locations along the Qingjiang River, no gap filling method was used in this study to avoid the uncertainty brought by gap filling methods. In this study, the spatio-temporal pattern of thermal pollution caused by dams was analyzed using the time series Landsat ETM+ images through the steps, as shown in Figure 5, which are introduced in detail in the following sections. First, to determine the water temperature along the river, a water mask was generated. The unsupervised Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis Technique (ISODATA) was applied on all six 30 m spatial resolution bands for each Landsat scene . The resulting clusters were then aggregated into a land/water classification map, which was used to create a binary water mask. Considering that the water mask has a finer spatial resolution (30 m) than the thermal band, only the coarse resolution pixels in the thermal infrared band that are fully integrated into the water mask were considered as water and were applied to determine water temperature. L λ = g a i n × D N + b i a s . where L λ is the TOA spectral radiance at λ wavelength in W ⋅ m 2 ⋅ s r ⋅ m m , DN is the digital number in the scene, and gain and bias are calibration parameters, and are set to be 0.067087 and −0.07 for the band 6 (low gain) of Landsat 7 ETM+ images. L λ ( T s ) = L λ − L λ u p t × ε λ − 1 − ε λ ε λ × L λ d o w n . where L λ ( T s ) is the corrected surface radiance, L λ is the uncorrected spectral radiance calculated in Equation (1), L λ u p is the upwelling radiance, L λ d o w n is the downwelling radiance, t is the atmospheric transmissivity, and ε λ is the water emissivity. In this study, the emissivity of water was set as 0.9885 according to Simon et al. . The other three parameters used in Equation (2) were obtained with the atmospheric correction tool developed by Barsi et al. for the TM and ETM+ thermal bands. According to the date, time, and location of the Landsat scene, the atmospheric correction parameter calculator uses the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-modeled global atmospheric profiles as input data, along with MODTRAN and other integration algorithms, to derive site-specific atmospheric transmission, upwelling atmospheric radiance and down-welling atmospheric for each given Landsat scene. T s = K 2 l n ( K 1 L λ ( T s ) + 1 ) . where T s is the water temperature (K). K 1 and K 2 are thermal constants, where K 1 = 1282.71 K and K 2 = 666.09 W ⋅ m 2 ⋅ sr ⋅ mm for the Landsat ETM+ sensor. With all estimated water temperature values, the spatio-temporal pattern of thermal pollution caused by both dams could be analyzed. It needs to be emphasized that no in-situ observation water temperature data are available along the Qingjiang River at present. Therefore, in this study, the thermal pollution caused by both dams is assessed using only the Landsat ETM+ images. To validate the estimated water temperatures, the results were compared with in-situ observed water temperatures. At present, there are no water temperature observation data available in the Qingjiang River. Therefore, the water temperature monitoring point (30°43′15″N, 111°15′47″E) located in the Yichang hydrology station in the Yangtze River within the same Landsat scene, as shown in Figure 1, were used for validation in this study. Five-year daily water temperature measured at 8:00 a.m. local time during 2000–2002 and 2007–2008 were collected. During the period, there are 24 Landsat scenes available and all measured water temperature values were then compared with corresponding estimated water temperatures, to assess the accuracy of results. Table 1 shows the measured water temperatures (Tm), estimated water temperatures (Te), along with all used atmosphere parameters of all validation dates. In general, the accuracy of the water temperature estimated the radiative transfer equation algorithm is high. Most estimated water temperature values are similar with measured water temperature values. However, it is also noticed that there are several larger errors in resulting water temperatures estimated from Landsat images, especially when the water temperature is high. The main reason is that the in-situ temperatures were observed at 8:00 a.m. local time, while the satellite passed the area at about 10:00 a.m. local time. In general, when the water temperature is low, for example in the winter, the difference of water temperatures between the in-situ observation time and satellite pass time is small. By contrast, when the water temperature is high, for example in the summer, such as 20 July and 5 August 2001, the difference of water temperatures between the in-situ observation time and satellite pass time is large and may be a few degrees. Figure 6 shows the plot of estimated water surface temperature and measured water surface temperature. Most scatter points are located near the 1:1 line. The correlation coefficient is 0.9268, and the root mean squared error (RMSE) is 1.07 °C, showing the effectiveness of the method used to estimate water temperature from the Landsat ETM+ thermal band. The objective of the study is to analyze the dam-caused thermal pollution, which is mainly represented by the water temperature variation downstream of the dam. The temperature difference (or relative temperature) between water bodies below the dam and in the reservoir upstream may be more informative than absolute water temperatures. Therefore, besides direct temperature comparison, an uncertainty analysis was further performed. The uncertainty analysis pays no attention to absolute water temperatures themselves, but the water temperature difference between two sites in the same Landsat scene. In the analysis of the uncertainty of temperature differences, two water points in the Landsat scene were first selected. The water temperatures of both points were estimated using the original downloaded atmosphere parameters, and their water temperature difference was also calculated. Then, random errors were added to original downloaded atmosphere parameters ( L λ u p , L λ d o w n , and t ) in Equation (2) to obtain simulated atmosphere parameters. Water temperatures of both points were again estimated with simulated atmosphere parameters and their water temperature difference was calculated. Finally, error between water temperatures of one point estimated with original atmosphere parameters and simulated atmosphere parameters, and error between water temperature differences of two points estimated with original atmosphere parameters and simulated atmosphere parameters, are compared, in order to assess the uncertainty of the water temperature difference caused by the uncertainty of used atmosphere parameters. Table 2 shows the results of uncertainty analysis. Here, the difference of DN values between two selected water points is 10, which is larger than most DN difference values between two water points in all Landsat scenes in the study area. The error of atmosphere parameters is set to be in the range of −50% to 50%. With these simulated atmosphere parameters, the absolute error of estimated water surface temperatures can reach to 50 °C, which is not practical. Therefore, only absolute errors of estimated water surface temperatures based on simulated atmosphere parameters within the range between [−9 °C, 9 °C] are considered. It is noticed that, in most cases, the RMSE value of estimated temperature difference between two sites is only about 1 °C, even the error of estimated absolute temperature of each site is larger than 7 °C. Given water temperatures estimated from the Landsat ETM+ images already have a high accuracy as the validation result shows, the water temperature difference, which is more important for thermal pollution assessment, can also been estimated with a high accuracy for each Landsat ETM+ scene in the study area. Figure 7 shows the resulting relative water temperature variations over four different dates. The thermal pollution is clearly shown in Figure 7. In summer scenes of both years, generally, river temperatures were warmer upstream and cooler downstream for both dams. For example, in the scene of 17 July 2000, water temperature is warm in the reservoir upstream of the Geheyan Dam. Downstream of the dam, water temperature cools along the river. From 30 km away from the dam to the reservoir upstream of the Gaobazhou Dam, the water temperature warms again. Downstream of the Gaobazhou Dam, however, water temperature becomes cooler until the water flows into the Yangtze River. Moreover, it is also noticed that the spatial pattern of relative water temperature variations is different in the two summer days in the years 2000 and 2001. In winter, by contrast, there are only slightly water temperature variations along the river, and the abrupt thermal shift is unnoticeable for both dams. Figure 8 shows longitudinal profiles of relative water temperatures from the reservoir upstream of the Geheyan Dam to the river mouth in four different dates. Discontinuities of relative water temperatures are clearly visible at the reservoir locations, in July 2000 and 2001. The longitudinal relative water temperature profile shows a general pattern of “warm, cool, warm, and cool”. Taking the result on 20 July 2001 as an example, relative water temperatures in the reservoir upstream of the Geheyan Dam are approximately 0 °C, meaning that open water bodies in the reservoir almost have the same water temperatures. A rapid temperature decrease is noticeable below the Geheyan Dam, where the relative water temperature reaches approximately −5 °C. In the range of 0 km to 25 km downstream the dam, the relative water temperature remains stable. Beyond this area, the relative water temperature increases rapidly until 35 km downstream of the dam, again reaching approximately 0 °C and remains stable until the Gaobazhou Dam is reached. The relative water temperature again decreases to about −5 °C downstream of the Gaobazhou Dam, remaining stable until the river enters the Yangtze River. In 17 July 2000, a general trend exists, although the profile also shows changes in the longitudinal heating rate along the river gradient. In the winter, such as that on 27 March 2000 and 10 February 2001, the relative water temperature profiles are much different with those in summer. The relative water temperatures generally keep near zero, meaning that water temperatures up and downstream both dams are similar. Water temperature values in four different sites, including the Geheyan reservoir, the site located 1 km away from the Geheyan Dam, the Gabazhou reservoir, and the site located 1 km away from the Gabazhou Dam, are plotted in Figure 9. It is noted that the intra-annual change of water temperatures in the four sites are mainly affected by the meteorological conditions, and the trends of the water temperature measured by Landsat ETM+ images are similar with that of the in-situ measurements, as shown in Figure 2. However, for both dams, water temperatures upstream of the dams vary within a larger range than downstream of the dams. A paired sample t-test showed that, at the 5% level, there are significant differences between water temperature of the Geheyan reservoir and water temperatures of the sites located 1 km downstream of the Geheyan Dam. The water temperature of the Gaobazhou reservoir was also found to have a significant difference with water temperatures of the site located 1 km downstream of the Gaobazhou Dam, at the 5% level. However, no significant differences were found between water temperature of the Geheyan reservoir and those of the Gaobazhou reservoir. Figure 10 shows the differences between water temperatures upstream the dams and water temperatures downstream the dams in different sites along the river. Figure 10a–e shows the results of the sites located 1, 10, 20, 30, and 50 km away from the Geheyan Dam, respectively. Similarly, Figure 10f–h shows water temperature differences of the different sites located 1, 5, and 10 km downstream of the Gabazhou Dam, respectively, by comparing the reference water and those of the study locations. In Figure 10a–f, both Geheyan and Gaobazhou Dams have noticeable effects on water temperature below the dams. The trends of water temperature difference are similar for both dams, although the difference in the Geheyan Dam seems slightly larger. Generally, water temperatures below the dams are lower than that of the reservoir in the summer. The highest difference exceeds 5 °C for both dams. By contrast, the water temperature difference is small in winter. Meanwhile, the effect of the dam on downstream water temperatures is observed to decrease with increasing distance to the Geheyan Dam. Comparing the sites 20, 10, and 1 km downstream of the Geheyan Dam, the effect trend is similar, whereas the amplitude is decreasing. In the sites 30 and 50 km downstream of the Geheyan Dam, as shown in Figure 10d,e, noticeable trends of water temperature differences are essentially nonexistent, and the deviation indeed results from other factors, such as the uncertainty of water temperature extracted by Landsat images. The trend for the Gaobazhou Dam is similar, that is, the amplitude decreases with increasing distance. Considering that the Qingjiang River flows into the Yangtze River in the site 12 km downstream of the Gaobazhou Dam, the Gaobazhou Dam also has important effect on the thermal pattern in the main channel of the Yangtze River. Thermal pollution caused by dams has an important impact on the downstream river environment and ecology. The popular method of using long term in-situ water temperature records to evaluate this influence is limited because in-situ records are not available for many areas. More importantly, in-situ records are always measured only at sparse certain locations, and cannot provide detailed spatial information for thermal pollution assessment. By contrast, Landsat ETM+ thermal infrared imagery can provide long term spatially continuous water temperatures, and then could be used as an alternative dataset to assess the thermal pollution for large rivers. By analyzing the spatial and temporal pattern of water temperatures estimated by Landsat ETM+ thermal infrared images, it is shown that both Geheyan and Gaobazhou Dams have a significant effect on river temperature. Both Geheyan and Gaobazhou Dams are used for hydropower generation, then the water is then taken from deep in the reservoir and after use is discharged downstream of the dam. In Figure 4, it is shown that the water temperature distribution in the Geheyan reservoir is stratified in the vertical dimension. In summer, the deep water is much cooler than the surface water. Then, the released water from the reservoir to the downstream river is much cooler than the water in the river, making the water temperature downstream of Geheyan Dam much lower than the surface water temperature in the Geheyan reservoir. In spring and autumn, although the deep water in the reservoir is still cooler than the surface water, the water temperature difference is much less than that in the summer. Moreover, as shown in Figure 3, the monthly mean discharges in spring and autumn are also much less than those in summer. Then, the temperature different between surface water in the reservoir and that in the river downstream the dam is less then that in summer. The phenomenon is in accordance with a typical thermal pollution caused by dams, due to the thermal stratification characteristics of the reservoir formed by dams. In this study, the inter-annual variation of water temperatures caused by meteorological and hydrological conditions are not considered. The main reason is that, although the satellite can revisit the same area every 16 days, only several Landsat ETM+ images can be applied to estimated water temperatures each year because of the problem of cloud coverage. Then, all available Landsat ETM+ imagery is combined to analyze the intra-annual water temperature variations. In Figure 9 and Figure 10, it is noticed that both absolute and relative water temperatures are dissimilar for different dates and locations. In general, the magnitude of thermal alterations caused by dams in summer is larger than that in winter. However, the magnitude of thermal alterations might be different in the same season. For example, in Figure 10b, near the 240th day, one relative water temperature value is about −5 °C and another value is about 0 °C. This is mainly caused by different meteorological and hydrological conditions in these two days. In general, with all available datasets, the general trend of thermal pollution caused by both dams can be acquired, but detailed information of the daily thermal pollution pattern cannot be assessed if using only Landsat ETM+ images. The effectiveness of the proposed method is mainly affected by the accuracy of water temperatures estimated from Landsat ETM+ thermal infrared images. In practice, there are many different sources of uncertainty in river water temperature estimation . The two most important influence factors, the spatial resolution of image and the water temperature estimation algorithm used, should, therefore, be carefully considered in future studies. The spatial resolution of thermal imagery is a crucial factor that affects the accuracy of the estimated water temperature from thermal imagery. In general, in order to estimate river water temperature accurately, the rivers should be as large as three pixels in the thermal infrared imagery . However, if image sharpening methods are applied, water temperatures in the rivers narrower than the pixel size may also be estimated, and used to identify the along-stream temperature pattern . In our experiments, the river is mostly wider than 200 m. Then, Landsat ETM+ thermal images, which have a spatial resolution of 60 m, are suitable to be applied to estimate the water temperature. In other cases, if Landsat 5 TM thermal imagery with a spatial resolution of 120 m or the Landsat 8 thermal imagery with a spatial resolution of 100 m, are used, or the river width is not large enough, these advanced water temperature algorithms should be used to improve the accuracy of results . Another important issue is the temperature estimation algorithm. For Landsat ETM+ imagery, only the mono-window algorithm can be applied to estimate temperature because only one thermal infrared band exists. The results in this study show that the radiative transfer equation method obtained water temperatures with a high accuracy, satisfying the need for thermal pollution analysis. Moreover, the uncertainty analysis results show that the radiative transfer equation method can obtain temperature differences with a high accuracy even the estimated absolute water temperatures have large errors, showing the reliability of water temperature estimation with Landsat ETM+ thermal images. In practice, however, the uncertainty of estimated water surface temperature is unavoidable, because of the imperfect atmospheric correction. One possible method to reduce the impact caused by the uncertainty is using Landsat time series. For example, in this study, 54 Landsat ETM+ scenes were used. A large number of observations can help make the results robust. In this study, Landsat ETM+ imagery are used as the only datasets to analyze the spatial temporal pattern of thermal pollution below dams. In practice, if other additional data are available, they can be incorporated into the analysis to further improve the results. For example, if in-situ water temperature records can be collected, they should be used to improve the water temperature estimation accuracy and provide more information about the thermal pollution pattern . Other datasets, such as high spatial resolution airborne thermal infrared dataset, can also be fused with long term Landsat ETM+ imagery to improve the accuracy of results. Results produced by water temperature simulation models and results obtained by the current study are obviously mutually benefit, and the integration between them needs further investigation . Generally, the technique presented in this study offers a useful tool to fill in the sparse in-situ observational record of water temperature in rivers. This technique can be applied in the global scale because of the long time series and global coverage of Landsat ETM+ imagery. Based on the current study, analyzing the spatial patterns of thermal pollution caused by different dams is now possible. Such an analysis is important in reservoir management. Moreover, this technique can be used to compare the effects of the various larger dams with freely available data. The approach of the current study can be easily applied in other dams located in large rivers, and the results can provide useful information for further understanding the extent and magnitude of thermal pollution associated with dams. In this paper, we proposed a method to monitor thermal pollution below dams using long time series Landsat ETM+ thermal infrared imagery. Taking Geheyan and Gaobazhou Dams located in the Qingjiang River as a case study, water surface temperatures were estimated from 54 Landsat ETM+ thermal images. Validation and uncertainty analysis results show that the estimated water surface temperatures have a high accuracy and can be applied to analyze the spatial and temporal pattern of thermal variations resulting from the dams. The results show that, on Qingjiang River, the Geheyan and Gaobazhou Dams greatly alter the downstream water temperatures. According to the operating mode, the discharges of both dams are taken from deep in the reservoir. Due to the thermal stratification characteristics of reservoirs, the temperature difference between the released water and the surface water is then large in summer and small in winter. Moreover, the flow discharges in summer are larger than those in winter. Therefore, both dams result in a typical thermal pollution phenomenon. In summer, water temperatures downstream of both dams are cooler than those upstream of both dams, and the water temperature difference exceeds 5 °C. In winter, the water temperature remains stable along the river. The area affected by the Geheyan Dam reaches beyond 20 km along the downstream river, and that affected by the Gaobazhou Dam extends beyond the point where the Qingjiang River enters the Yangtze River. The results show that long term Landsat ETM+ thermal infrared imagery is a useful dataset to study the river thermal behavior and to assess the thermal pollution caused by dams in large rivers. However, other possibilities for improvement should still be considered. For example, given that Landsat ETM+ images have a global coverage, the proposed method should be applied in other dams globally to assess its ability. The water temperatures estimated from Landsat ETM+ images should be compared with more in-situ observed data in different areas to assess the uncertainty of results. Moreover, the results should be further explored with methods in other research fields, such as aquatic ecology. This research was supported in part by the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS (Grant No. 2017384), and in part by the Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51479186 and No. 31772854). Feng Ling, Giles M. Foody and Yun Du conceived of the main idea and designed the experiments. Hao Du, Xuan Ban performed the experiments. Xiaodong Li and Yihang Zhang analyzed the data. The manuscript was written by Feng Ling and was improved by the contributions of all of the co-authors. Sullivan, A.B.; Rounds, S. Modeling Streamflow and Water Temperature in the North Santiam and Santiam Rivers, Oregon, 2001-02; US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey: Portland, OR, USA, 2004. The United States Geological Survey Earth Explorer Website. Available online: http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov (accessed on 12 August 2017). Atmospheric Correction Parameter Calculator. Available online: http://atmcorr.gsfc.nasa.gov (accessed on 20 November 2016). Figure 1. Study area (Qingjiang River watershed in central China) and locations of dams analyzed in this study. Figure 2. Mean monthly air and water temperatures of the Yichang hydrology station in the period 2000–2004. Figure 3. Mean monthly flows in the Geheyan and Gaobazhou Dams in the period 2000–2004. Figure 4. Vertical water temperature distribution in the Geheyan reservoir on three dates (spring, summer and autumn). The water temperature distribution is stratified in vertical dimension and the pattern is different at different time. Figure 5. Flowchart for monitoring thermal pollution downstream of dams with Landsat ETM+ thermal infrared images. Figure 6. Plot of estimated water surface temperature versus measured water surface temperature. Figure 7. Relative water temperature variations derived using Landsat ETM+ imagery over four different dates. Figure 8. Longitudinal profiles of relative water temperatures from the reservoir upstream of the Geheyan Dam to the river mouth over different times. Figure 9. (a) Water temperatures in the Geheyan reservoir and 1 km downstream of the Geheyan Dam; (b) Water temperatures in the Gaobazhou reservoir and 1 km downstream of the Gaobazhou Dam. Note that the number of water temperature values in each case is different because of the SLC-off problem of Landsat ETM+ images. Figure 10. Relative water temperatures in different sites: (a–e) relative water temperatures of downstream sites with different distances to the Geheyan Dam; and (f–h) relative water temperatures of downstream sites with different distances to the Gaobazhou Dam. Table 1. Comparison between measured water surface temperatures (Tm) and estimated water surface temperatures (Te). dT is the temperature difference between the measured and estimated water surface temperatures. Table 2. Uncertainty analysis for the relative temperature difference. E1 is the error between absolute water temperatures of one point estimated with original atmosphere parameters and simulated atmosphere parameters. E2 is the error between water temperature differences of two points estimated with original atmosphere parameters and simulated atmosphere parameters.

2019-04-25T23:59:02Z

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/9/11/1175/htm

Area: 7.7 million sq. km. (3 million sq. mi.); about the size of the 48 contiguous United States. Cities (2010): Capital: Canberra (pop. 358,000). Other cities — Sydney (4.6 million), Melbourne (4.1 million), Brisbane (2 million), Perth (1.7 million), Adelaide (1.2 million), Darwin (125,000), Hobart (215,000). Climate: Relatively dry and subject to drought, ranging from temperate in the south to tropical in the far north. Nationality: Noun and adjective — Australian(s). Population (January 2012 est.): 22.8 million. Annual population growth rate: 1.8%. Religions (2006 census): Catholic 26%, Anglican 19%, other Christian 19%, other non-Christian 1%, Buddhist 2.1%, Islam 1.7%, no religion 19%, and not stated 12%. Education: Years compulsory: to age 16 in all states and territories except New South Wales and the Northern Territory where it is 15, and Western Australia where it is 17. Literacy — over 99%. Health: Infant mortality rate: 4.7/1,000. Life expectancy — males 79.3 years, females 83.9 years. Work force (11.4 million): Agriculture, fishing and forestry — 3%; mining — 1.8%; manufacturing — 8.75%; retail trade — 10.9%; public administration, defense, and safety — 6.2%; construction — 9%. Type: Constitutional monarchy: democratic, federal-state system. Constitution: Passed by the British Parliament on July 9, 1900. Independence (federation): January 1, 1901. Branches: Executive: Queen Elizabeth II (head of state, represented by a governor general); the monarch appoints the governor general on the advice of the prime minister. Legislative — bicameral Parliament (76-member Senate, 150-member House of Representatives). The governor general appoints the prime minister (generally the leader of the party which holds the majority in the House of Representatives) and appoints ministers on the advice of the prime minister. Judicial — independent judiciary. Administrative subdivisions: Six states and two territories. Political parties (as of July 1, 2011): Labor, Liberal, Greens, the Nationals, and Democratic Labor Party. Suffrage: Universal and compulsory 18 and over. Central government budget (revenue): A$321.4 billion, or U.S. $331 billion (FY 2010-2011); A$336.4 billion, or U.S. $346.5 billion (FY 2011-2012 est.). Defense (FY 2011-2012 est.): A$29.1 billion, or U.S. $30 billion (approx. 2.2% of GDP). GDP (2011 estimate): A$1.3 trillion (U.S. $1.3 trillion). Inflation rate forecast for 2011-2012 (from November 2011 budget update): 2.25%. Reserve Bank official interest rate (January 2012): 4.25%. Trade: Exports ($297.5 billion, 2010-2011) — coal, iron ore, education services, gold, travel services, oil and gas, wheat. Major markets — China (A$70.5 billion, or U.S. $73 billion), Japan (A$48.9 billion, or U.S. $51 billion), Korea (A$24.3 billion, or U.S. $25 billion), India (A$18.43 billion, or U.S. $19 billion), U.S. ($14.3 billion), and U.K. (A$10.6 billion, or U.S. $11 billion). Imports ($276.6 billion, 2010-2011 estimate) — travel services, petroleum, passenger motor vehicles, refined petroleum, freight transport services, medicaments ($8.2 billion), telecom equipment ($8.9 billion). Major suppliers — China (A$42.7 billion, or U.S. $44 billion), U.S. ($36.3 billion), Japan ($18.8 billion), Thailand ($11.1 billion), and Singapore ($15.1 billion). Exchange rate (January 2012): U.S. $1.037 = A$1. Australia's indigenous inhabitants, a hunting-gathering people collectively referred to today as Aboriginals and Torres Straits Islanders, arrived more than 40,000 years ago. Although their technical culture remained static — depending on wood, bone, and stone tools and weapons — their spiritual and social life was highly complex. Most spoke several languages, and confederacies sometimes linked widely scattered tribal groups. Indigenous population density ranged from one person per square mile along the coasts to one person per 35 square miles in the arid interior. When Captain James Cook claimed Australia for Great Britain in 1770, the native population may have numbered 300,000 in as many as 500 tribes speaking many different languages. In 2006 the indigenous population was approximately 517,200, representing about 2.5% of the population. Since the end of World War II, the government and the public have made efforts to be more responsive to aboriginal rights and needs, such as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's February 2008 apology to the indigenous people that included a pledge "to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity." Immigration has been vital to Australia's development since the beginning of European settlement in 1788. For generations, most settlers came from the British Isles, and the people of Australia are still predominantly of British or Irish origin. Non-British/Irish immigration has increased significantly since World War II through an extensive, planned immigration program. Since 1945, over 7 million migrants have settled in Australia, including 700,000 refugee and humanitarian entrants. About 80% have remained; 24% — almost one in four — of Australians are foreign-born. Britain, Ireland, Italy, Greece, New Zealand, and the former Yugoslavia were the largest sources of post-war immigration. In 2010-2011, China was the largest source country for permanent migrants to Australia, with New Zealand, India, Britain, and the Philippines making up the rest of the top five. Australia's humanitarian and refugee program of about 13,000 per year is in addition to other immigration programs. In recent years, refugees from Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia have comprised the largest element in Australia's refugee program. Although Australia has fewer than three people per square kilometer, it is one of the world's most urbanized countries. Less than 2.5% of the population lives in remote or very remote areas. Much of Australia's culture is derived from European roots, but distinctive Australian features have evolved from the environment, aboriginal culture, and the influence of Australia's neighbors. The vigor and originality of the arts in Australia — film, opera, music, painting, theater, dance, and crafts — have achieved international recognition. Australian actors and comedians including Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Russell Crowe, Geoffrey Rush, Hugh Jackman, Sam Worthington, Chris Hemsworth, the late Heath Ledger, and Dame Edna Everage (Barry Humphries) have achieved great popularity in the United States. Directors including Baz Luhrmann, Peter Weir, Philip Noyes, and Russell Mulcahy; the conductor Sir Charles Mackerras; and singers and musicians including Olivia Newton-John, The Wiggles, AC/DC, Dame Joan Sutherland, Dame Nellie Melba, and Kylie Minogue are well known. Australian artists with international reputations include Sidney Nolan, Russell Drysdale, Pro Hart, and Arthur Boyd. Writers who have achieved world recognition include Thomas Keneally, Colleen McCullough, Nevil Shute, Morris West, Jill Ker Conway, Peter Carey, Robert Hughes, Germaine Greer, and Nobel Prize winner Patrick White. In sports, Australian athletes are internationally renowned, particularly in swimming, diving, cricket, netball, tennis, rugby, rugby league, and golf. Australia's share of Olympic medals and world titles is larger than its share of the world's population. In 2005 Andrew Bogut began playing for the Milwaukee Bucks after becoming the first Australian to be drafted number one overall in the U.S. National Basketball Association draft. Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the Tour de France cycling race in July 2011. Australian football, or "footy," is a very popular contact sport for players and spectators. On January 26, 1788 (now celebrated as Australia Day), the First Fleet under Captain Arthur Phillip landed at Sydney, and formal proclamation of the establishment of the Colony of New South Wales followed on February 7. Many of the first settlers were convicts, some condemned for offenses that today would often be thought trivial. From the mid-19th century convict transportation to Australia significantly declined; the last ship to arrive was in 1868. The discovery of gold in 1851 led to increased population, wealth, and trade. The six colonies that now constitute the states of the Australian Commonwealth were established in the following order: New South Wales, 1788; Tasmania, 1825; Western Australia, 1829; South Australia, 1836; Victoria, 1851; and Queensland, 1859. Settlement preceded these dates in most cases. Discussions between Australian and British representatives led to adoption by the British Government of an act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia in 1900, effective January 1, 1901. In 1911, control of the Northern Territory was transferred from South Australia to the Commonwealth. Also that year, the Australian Capital Territory (where the national capital, Canberra, is located), was established. The Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory were granted self-government in 1978 and 1988, respectively. The first federal Parliament was opened at Melbourne in May 1901 by the Duke of York (later King George V). In May 1927, the seat of government was transferred to Canberra, a city designed by American Walter Burley Griffin. The first session of Parliament in Canberra was opened by another Duke of York (later King George VI). Australia passed the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act on October 9, 1942 (with effect as of September 3, 1939), which officially established Australia's complete autonomy in both internal and external affairs and formalized a situation that had existed for years. The Australia Act (effective March 3, 1986) eliminated almost all remaining vestiges of British legal authority, including the ability to appeal to the British Privy Council. "Advance Australia Fair" was adopted as the national anthem in 1984. The Commonwealth government is a constitutional monarchy with a Constitution patterned partly on the U.S. Constitution, although it does not include a "bill of rights." Powers of the Commonwealth are specifically defined in the Constitution, and the residual powers remain with the states. Proposed changes to the Constitution must be approved by the Parliament and the people, via referendum. Australia is an independent nation within the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state and since 1973 has been officially styled "Queen of Australia." The Queen is represented federally by a governor general and in each state by a governor. By convention, the governor general generally acts on the advice of the prime minister and other ministers. However the governor general has "reserve powers," including the power to dismiss ministers, last exercised in 1975. The federal Parliament is bicameral, consisting of a 76-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. Twelve senators from each state are elected for 6-year terms, with half elected every 3 years. Each territory has two senators who are elected for 3-year terms, concurrent with that of the House. Seats in the House of Representatives are allocated among the states and territories roughly in proportion to population. The two chambers have equal powers, except all proposals for appropriating revenue or imposing taxes must be introduced in the House of Representatives. Under the prevailing Westminster parliamentary system, the leader of the political party or coalition of parties that wins a majority of the seats in the House of Representatives becomes prime minister. The prime minister and the cabinet wield actual power and are responsible to the Parliament, of which they must be elected members. General elections are held at least once every 3 years. Each state is headed by a premier, who is the leader of the party with a majority or a working minority in the lower house of the state legislature. (Queensland is an exception, with a unicameral parliament.) Australia's two self-governing territories have political systems similar to those of the states, but with unicameral assemblies. Each territory is headed by a chief minister who is the leader of the party with a majority or a working minority in the territory's legislature. More than 670 local councils assist in the delivery of services such as road maintenance, sewage treatment, and the provision of recreational facilities. At the apex of the court system is the High Court of Australia. It has general appellate jurisdiction over all other federal and state courts and possesses the power of constitutional review. Australia maintains an embassy (http://www.usa.embassy.gov.au/) in the United States at 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 (tel. 202-797-3000), and consulates general in New York (212-351-6500), San Francisco (415-536-1970), Honolulu (808-524-5050), Los Angeles (310-229-4800), Chicago (312-419-1480), and Atlanta (404-760-3400). Three political parties dominate the center of the Australian political spectrum. The Liberal Party (LP), nominally representing urban business interests, and its smaller coalition partner, the Nationals, nominally representing rural interests, are the center-right parties. The center-left Australian Labor Party, founded by labor unions, nominally represents workers and left-of-center groups. While traditionally moderately socialist in its policies, today it is best described as a social democratic party. There is strong bipartisan sentiment on many international issues, including Australia's commitment to its alliance with the United States. Julia Gillard assumed the office of Prime Minister in June 2010, succeeding Kevin Rudd following her unopposed election as Labor leader in a caucus ballot. The August 21, 2010, federal election produced a hung parliament, with neither the Labor Party, under the leadership of Gillard, nor the Liberal/National Coalition, led by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, holding a majority of seats. Subsequently, the Labor Party secured the support of the Greens Party Member of Parliament (MP) and three independent MPs to gain a majority of 76 seats. The government was sworn in September 14, 2010. Peter Slipper became Speaker of the House in November 2011, subsequently resigning as an Opposition MP to sit as an independent. In January 2012 independent MP Andrew Wilkie withdrew support for the Labor Party. With these changes, the Gillard-led government can typically rely on the support of 75 voting lawmakers and the Opposition 73. The composition of the Senate, effective July 2011, is 34 seats for the Liberal/National Coalition, 31 for the Labor Party, nine for the Greens, one for the Democratic Labor Party, and one independent. Gillard delivered on her campaign promise and passed landmark carbon price legislation in October 2011, and continued to work toward building a national broadband network. The Australian Government's foreign policy shows strong continuity with that of its predecessors, including support for the U.S. alliance, engagement in the Asia-Pacific, and commitment to the mission in Afghanistan where it has deployed about 1,550 troops. Australia's economy is dominated by its services sector, yet it is the agricultural and mining sectors that account for the bulk of Australia's exports. Australia's comparative advantage in the export of primary products is a reflection of the natural wealth of the Australian continent and its small domestic market; 23 million people occupy a continent the size of the contiguous United States. The relative size of the manufacturing sector has been declining for several decades, but has now steadied at around 8.5% of GDP. The global recovery is putting upward pressure on prices for Australia's commodity exports, which caused a substantial rise in the terms of trade in 2011. Since the 1980s, Australia has undertaken significant structural reform of its economy and has transformed itself from an inward-looking, highly protected, and regulated marketplace to an open, internationally competitive, export-oriented economy. Key economic reforms included unilaterally reducing high tariffs and other protective barriers to free trade, floating the Australian dollar, deregulating the financial services sector, including liberalizing access for foreign banks, increasing flexibility in the labor market, reducing duplication and increasing efficiency between the federal and state branches of government, privatizing many government-owned monopolies, and reforming the taxation system, including introducing a broad-based Goods and Services Tax (GST) and large reductions in income tax rates. Australia enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the G7. Australia's economic standing in the world is a result of a commitment to best-practice macroeconomic policy settings, including the delegation of the conduct of monetary policy to the independent Reserve Bank of Australia, and a broad acceptance of prudent fiscal policy where the government aims for fiscal balance over the economic cycle. Economic recovery is strengthening, with GDP forecast to grow by 3.25% in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. The success of monetary and fiscal stimulus is projected to return the budget to surplus in 2012. Net debt is forecast to peak at 8.9% of GDP in 2011-2012. The unemployment rate was 5.3% in November 2011. Labor market participation has remained at around 65%. Both the federal and state governments have recognized the need to invest heavily in water, transport, ports, telecommunications, and education infrastructure to expand Australia's supply capacity. The largest river system in Australia, the Murray-Darling, and related coastal lakes and wetlands in South Australia are threatened, although the long drought has broken, and the government has developed a plan to improve irrigation infrastructure and efficiency and buy back unused water allocations along the river. A second significant issue is climate change. A report commissioned by Prime Minister John Howard recommended a domestic carbon emissions trading scheme and that Australia take an active role in developing a future global carbon emissions trading system. The Gillard government has passed legislation to price carbon at a rate of A$23 (about U.S. $24) per ton from July 2012, with free carbon credits provided to many companies. The Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) entered into force on January 1, 2005. The AUSFTA was the second free trade agreement (FTA) the United States concluded with a developed economy, following the U.S.-Canada FTA in 1988. Australia also has FTAs with New Zealand, ASEAN, Singapore, Thailand, and Chile, and is pursuing other FTAs, including with China, Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea. Australia is also involved in ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations. Australia has been an active participant in international affairs since federation in 1901, and Australian forces have fought beside the United States and other Allies in every significant conflict since World War I. On January 8, 1940, the governments of the United States and Australia announced the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations. In 1944, Australia concluded an agreement with New Zealand dealing with the security, welfare, and advancement of the people of the independent territories of the Pacific (the ANZAC pact). After World War II, Australia played a role in the Far Eastern Commission in Japan and supported Indonesian independence during that country's revolt against the Dutch. Australia was one of the founding members of the United Nations, the South Pacific Commission, and the Colombo Plan. In addition to contributing to UN forces in Korea — it was the first country to announce it would do so after the United States — Australia sent troops to fight the 1948-1960 communist revolt in Malaya and later to combat the 1963-1965 Indonesian-supported invasion of Sarawak. The United States, Australia, and New Zealand signed the ANZUS Treaty in 1951, which remains Australia's pre-eminent formal security treaty alliance. Australia sent troops to assist South Vietnamese and U.S. forces in Vietnam, and joined coalition forces in the Persian Gulf conflict in 1991, in Afghanistan in 2001, and in Iraq in 2003. Australia has been active in the Australia-New Zealand-U.K. Agreement and the Five-Power Defence Arrangements — successive arrangements with Britain and New Zealand to ensure the security of Singapore and Malaysia. Australia participates in a Trilateral Security Dialogue with the United States and Japan. One of the drafters of the UN Charter, Australia has given firm support to the United Nations and its specialized agencies. It was a member of the UN Economic and Social Council 1986-1989, and a member of the UN Human Rights Commission 1994-1996 and 2003-2005. Australia is seeking a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2013-2014; it was last a member 1985-1986. Australia takes a prominent part in many other UN activities, including peacekeeping, nonproliferation and disarmament negotiations, and narcotics control. Australia also is active in the G20, the Commonwealth Heads of Government, the Pacific Islands Forum, the Cairns Group — countries pressing for agricultural trade reform in World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations — and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, of which it is a founding member. In 2002, Australia joined the International Criminal Court. Australia has devoted particular attention to relations between developed and developing nations, with emphasis on the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the island states of the South Pacific. Australia is an active participant in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which promotes regional cooperation on security issues, and has been a member of the East Asia Summit (EAS) since its inauguration in 2005. Prime Minister Rudd's government argued that the Asia-Pacific area needs a regional body that addresses both security and economic issues; as Foreign Minister, Rudd has said this concept was reflected in the expanded East Asian Summit. Australia was active in urging the United States and Russia to participate in the EAS, which both countries officially joined in 2011. In September 1999, acting under a UN Security Council mandate, Australia led an international coalition to restore order in East Timor upon Indonesia's withdrawal from that territory. In 2006, Australia participated in an international peacekeeping operation in Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor). Australia led a regional mission to restore law and order in Solomon Islands in 2003 and again in 2006. Australia is part of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, which also includes the United States. The government is committed to increasing official development assistance to 0.5% of gross national income by 2015-2016 (est. A$8 billion, about U.S. $8 billion). Australia budgeted $A4.8 billion (U.S. $5.1 billion) for FY 2011-2012 and A$4.35 billion (U.S. $4.7 billion) in FY 2010-2011. The Australian aid program provides development assistance to 75 countries and is concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region (Papua New Guinea and Indonesia are the largest recipients). Selected aid flows are allocated to Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Australia also delivers aid through several multilateral organizations, including the United Nations, the World Bank, and UNICEF. Contributions to global programs and other expenses account for 38% of the foreign assistance budget. The Australia, New Zealand, United States (ANZUS) security treaty was concluded in San Francisco on September 1, 1951, and entered into force on April 29, 1952. The treaty bound the signatories to recognize that an armed attack in the Pacific area on any of them would endanger the peace and safety of the others. It committed them to consult in the event of a threat and, in the event of attack, to meet the common danger in accordance with their respective constitutional processes. The three nations also pledged to maintain and develop individual and collective capabilities to resist attack. In 1984, the nature of the ANZUS alliance changed after the Government of New Zealand refused access to its ports by nuclear-weapons-capable and nuclear-powered ships of the U.S. Navy. The United States suspended defense obligations to New Zealand. Ministerial consultations (AUSMIN) involving the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense and Australian Foreign and Defense Ministers now alternate between Australia and the United States. The U.S.-Australia alliance under the ANZUS Treaty remains in full force and was enlarged to include cyber security at the 2011 AUSMIN meeting in San Francisco. AUSMIN meetings are supplemented by consultations between the U.S. Combatant Commander, Pacific and the Australian Chief of Defence Force. There also are regular civilian and military consultations between the two governments at lower levels. ANZUS has no integrated defense structure or dedicated forces. However, in fulfillment of ANZUS obligations, Australia and the United States conduct a variety of joint activities. These include military exercises ranging from naval and landing exercises at the task-group level, to battalion-level special forces training, to numerous smaller-scale exercises. There are numerous liaison and exchange officers assigned to each other's armed services. These officers work to standardize, where possible, equipment and operational doctrine. The biennial "Talisman Saber" exercise, conducted with Australia, is the United States' largest military training exercise. In 2011, it featured 14,000 U.S. and 8,500 Australian personnel. The two countries operate joint defense facilities in Australia. As a result of terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, Prime Minister Howard and U.S. President George W. Bush jointly invoked the ANZUS Treaty for the first time on September 14, 2001. Australia was one of the earliest participants in Operation Enduring Freedom and remains an unwavering member of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Australia has an active deployment of approximately 1,550 troops in Afghanistan and also provides significant development and capacity building assistance to the country. The Australian Defence Force participated in coalition military action against Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Australian combat forces began their withdrawal from Iraq in mid-2008 and forces were fully removed by July 2009. The Australian Army is projected to grow from 30,617 in FY 2011-2012 to 31,076 in FY 2014-2015. This will enable the establishment of two Army battalions. The U.S. and Australia signed a Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty in Sydney in September 2007. This treaty, when approved by Australia and implemented, will facilitate the trade of defense equipment and technology between the countries. In May 2009, the Australian Government released its Defence White Paper, outlining Australia's long-term strategic outlook. In addition to buying Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, the White Paper proposed doubling Australia's submarine fleet via development and deployment of a new class of submarine, and replacing the ANZAC-class frigates and the Army's armored personnel carriers. The next Defence White Paper is scheduled to be released in 2014. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Gillard announced in November 2011 that from mid-2012, the U.S. will deploy a company-sized rotation of 250 Marines to the Northern Territory, Australia. This number is expected to increase to 2,500 over the next 6 years for 6-month rotations. They also announced plans for greater U.S. air and naval access to Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) facilities. The Australian Government has stated its intention to maintain its investment in future capability of the Australian Defence Force. To do so, the government has committed to a 3% annual growth in real defense funding through 2018 — and 2.2% annual real growth from 2018 to 2030 — to ensure the Australian Defence Force can continue to meet capability and interoperability goals. Australia is a significant purchaser of U.S. military equipment, consistently ranked in the top 10 globally based on sales in dollar value. In August 2004, Australia selected the U.S. Navy Aegis Combat System for three new air warfare destroyers, which will start coming into service in 2014. In a joint venture with the U.S. Navy, Australia is upgrading its Submarine Combat System, and its associated support infrastructure, for its six Collins-class submarines. The F/A-18 fighter is the principal combat aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force. In October 2002, Australia became a Level III partner in the U.S.-led Joint Strike Fighter program. Additionally, the Australian Government signed the Joint Strike Fighter Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development memorandum of understanding in 2006. Australia is projected to buy 72, and possibly up to 100, Joint Strike Fighter aircraft with deliveries starting in 2014. Australia's first operational squadron is planned to be ready for operations in 2018. Australia is also a developmental partner for the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. In 2011, the Royal Australian Air Force completed acquisition of 24 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters as an interim strike capability to bridge the capability gap to Joint Strike Fighter delivery. The Royal Australian Air Force took delivery of its fifth Boeing C-17 strategic airlift aircraft in 2011, with delivery of its sixth scheduled in 2012. In addition, Boeing has provided the RAAF with an Airborne Early Warning and Control system based on the Next-Generation 737-700 aircraft as the airborne platform. Recent major U.S. sales to Australia include MH-60 "Romeo" helicopters, CH-47F Chinook helicopters, the M1A1 Abrams tank, M-777 howitzers (artillery), tactical unmanned aerial systems, and numerous types of missiles and other munitions. Future opportunities include light cargo aircraft replacement, submarine technologies, and unmanned surveillance capabilities. The World War II experience, similarities in culture and historical background, and shared democratic values have made U.S. relations with Australia exceptionally strong and close. Ties linking the two nations cover the entire spectrum of international relations — from commercial, cultural, and environmental contacts to political and defense cooperation. Two-way trade was A$50.6 billion (U.S. $50.6 billion) in 2010-2011. Around 473,000 Americans visited Australia in the 12 months to April 2011. Traditional friendship is reinforced by the wide range of common interests and similar views on most major international questions. For example, both attach high priority to controlling and eventually eliminating chemical weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, and anti-personnel landmines; and both work closely on global environmental issues such as slowing climate change and preserving coral reefs. The Australian Government and the Opposition share the view that Australia's security depends on firm ties with the United States, and the ANZUS Treaty enjoys broad bipartisan support. Presidential visits to Australia (in 1991, 1996, 2003, 2007, and 2011), a Vice Presidential visit in February 2007, and Australian Prime Ministerial visits to the United States (in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2011) have underscored the strength and closeness of the alliance. The bilateral Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) entered into force on January 1, 2005. This comprehensive agreement substantially liberalized an already vibrant trade and investment relationship and was only the second FTA between the U.S. and a developed nation. The AUSFTA created a range of ongoing working groups and committees to explore further trade reform in the bilateral context. Both countries share a commitment to liberalizing global trade. They work together very closely in the World Trade Organization (WTO), and both are active members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. A number of U.S. institutions conduct scientific activities in Australia because of its geographical position, large land mass, advanced technology, and, above all, the ready cooperation of its government and scientists. In 2005, a bilateral science and technology agreement was renewed. Under another agreement dating back to 1960 and since renewed, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) maintains in Australia one of its largest and most important programs outside the United States, including a number of tracking facilities vital to the U.S. space program. Indicative of the broad-ranging U.S.-Australian cooperation on other global issues, a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) was concluded in 1997, enhancing already close bilateral cooperation on legal and counter-narcotics issues. In 2001, the U.S. and Australia signed a new tax treaty and a bilateral social security agreement. The U.S. Studies Center was launched in 2006 at the University of Sydney with Commonwealth funding of A$25 million (U.S. $25 million). In April 2010, Australia and the U.S. signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen emergency management cooperation including during bushfires, major storms, and other severe natural disasters. The U.S. Embassy Sydney (http://canberra.usembassy.gov/) in Australia is located at Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 (tel. 61-2-6214-5600; fax 61-2-6214-5970). Consulates General are in Perth (http://sydney.usconsulate.gov/), (address: MLC Center, Level 59, 19-29 Martin Place, Sydney, NSW 2000; tel. 61-2-9373-9200; fax 61-2-9373-9125); Melbourne (http://melbourne.usconsulate.gov/) address: 553 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004; tel. 61-3-9526-5900; fax 61-3-9510-4646); and Perth (http://perth.usconsulate.gov/) address: 13th Floor, 16 St. George's Terrace, Perth, WA 6000; tel. 61-8-9202-1224; fax. 61-8-9231-9444.

2019-04-21T22:08:25Z

http://fact.geoba.se/background-page.php?bc=AU

At the meeting there were also present: From our side, comrade Mihal Prifti, from the Chinese side the comrades Deng Xiaoping, Luo Ruiqing, Vice Premier of the State Council and Chief of Staff, and Wu Xiuquan, Deputy Director of the CCP CC International Department. In the lunch that was given after the talks there was also comrade Tan Zhenlin, member of the Political Bureau of the CCP CC and dealing with agriculture issues, as well as Comrade Li Xiannian. Comrade Zhou Enlai: We took a look at the minutes of the meeting between [Chairman of the Ministerial Council and Member of the Political Bureau of the ALP CC] Comrade Mehmet Shehu and comrade Luo Shigao that they had after the meeting of the Political Consultative Committee of the Warsaw Pact that was held in Moscow. In addition, we have also seen the minutes of your meeting with comrade Li Xiannian. Comrade Mao Zedong and comrade Liu Shaoqi are not here and we still do not know when they will be back, and that is why we requested this meeting. Today we have a party meeting to attend, too. Comrade Zhou Enlai: There is no reason to thank us. In brief, I can tell you that since the Moscow Conference (He was referring to the conference of 1960) the relations between our two parties and our two countries have been strengthened even further, because we have often exchanged thoughts and because, as you also mentioned, what we have to say we say it to each other. These past few days we also received the report by comrade Liu Xiao on the meeting of the Political Consultative Committee of the Warsaw Pact and are of the opinion that the positions, letters and the discussions of the CPSU and of the Soviet government, and especially of Khrushchev, are incorrect. They are in contradiction to the principles of last year's Moscow Meeting, accepted by all the parties. It was especially incorrect the decision over the naval base which was accepted by a forced majority. They, as comrade Abdyl Kellezi mentioned, entered into the inter-governmental jurisdiction. It is a well known fact that all this is in contradiction to the Marxist – Leninist principles. As far as your side is concerned, in our opinion the behavior of comrade [First Vice-Chairman of the Ministerial Council, Minister of People's Defense and Member of the Political Bureau of the ALP CC] Beqir Balluku was correct. As to the relations between Albania and the Soviet Union since the Moscow Conference and until the Warsaw Pact meeting, whenever we have had the chance, we have suggested to the Soviet comrades that these relations should be improved. We think that the larger responsibility falls to the CPSU because it is a big country and these relations have deteriorated because of them. During the days that the Moscow meeting was being held, comrades Deng Xiaoping and Peng Zhen have spoken to many Soviet comrades about this. This was reiterated once more by comrade Li Xiannian when he passed through Moscow on his way to your Congress. And lately, during the latest meeting in Moscow, comrade Liu Xiao (ambassador of the PRC to Moscow), whenever he has had the chance, has again spoken to the comrades of the CPSU CC. During the proceedings of this latest meeting, since we are only observers, we did not read any speeches. We took the position of not reading any speeches. This was as a silent protest against the blackmail and the unreasonable attacks that Khrushchev waged against Albania. In fact there were also some other observers, such as that of Korea and that of Vietnam, who took the same position of silence, approving the Albanian position. We did not applaud Khrushchev. If we are given the chance again, we would continue to keep this attitude toward them. We are convinced that the leadership of the ALP CC and the government of the PRA have taken the correct position and the CCP and the government of PRC stand on your side. As you also say, we support and stand on the side of those that follow the principles of Marxism-Leninism. Since the CPSU CC proceeded incorrectly and unfairly toward you, we are against them. I believe you know well the situation of our relations with them. Starting from the year 1958, in fact since 1957, we have entered into polemics with them. And especially during the period of 1959 – 1960 we have exchanged very bitter polemics. The polemics reached its climax at the beginning of last year's second half. If we should speak of thanks, it should be us thanking you, because you took a brave stance at the Bucharest meeting and it was you defending us, a task that was not easy. We have a greater capacity of helping you, than you do us because we are a larger party and you are a smaller one, are situated in Europe, and are a member of the Warsaw Pact. From today onwards we will continue to exchange our points of view because we are Marxists. It should be noted that our opinions are sometimes incorrect, and that is why we need to exchange opinions. As comrade Mao Zedong says, we must stay with the truth and correct our mistakes. This would be the most correct position to take, to look at our mistakes and to correct them. Not only are some of the leaders of the CPSU not on the side of truth and do not correct their mistakes, but they do not even accept them. This is not according to the Marxist – Leninist principles. This must be dealt with seriously. [Zhou Enlai:] We are of the opinion that the Moscow Conference of the 81 Parties was a great success and it has developed even further the spirit of the 1957 Conference. Of course, this has happened as a result of our work of keeping with the principles of Marxism – Leninism, as a result of the efforts of the CCP and the ALP and of many other parties. But we cannot say this without including [sic] the CPSU and some other parties because they have revisionist points of view, but when faced with the truth they cannot accept this reality. During these past four years we have been able to finish two very important documents: The Declaration of 1957 and that of 1960. These are a common program for the international communist and workers' movement; they are our banner and weapon in our war; these weapons help us in the war against imperialism and against the modern revisionism in the defense of Marxism – Leninism and in the construction of socialism, and that is why we need to value deeply, and carry and raise high this banner. Whenever someone drops this banner and distances himself from the Moscow Declaration, he allows us to criticize him. When this weapon is held by our hand, then the errors will not be able to raise their heads, because we will raise this weapon high and they will lower their heads. It is precisely because we have this weapon that we are strong and on the side of rightness. The events taking place attest to this. The development of the events in our times proves our thoughts on the Declaration and not that of Khrushchev, who claims that we live in a time where we do not need weapons, wars and militaries. And this time, at the Moscow meeting, Khrushchev did not mention this anymore. On the contrary, he pointed out that importance must be placed on the navy, aviation, nuclear submarines. He spoke about the strengthening of the defensive force of the Warsaw Pact, etc. Comrade Abdyl Kellezi: But he also wants to close the naval base in our country. Comrade Zhou Enlai: Everyone is laughing about it and is saying that they think he will not close it. And what do the new events in Cuba tell us? They show that there is no difference between Kennedy and Eisenhower. If there can be any discussion about any differences between the two, then the difference is this: When Eisenhower came to power, he ended the war in Korea; but when Kennedy came to power, he started the war in Cuba. The war in Korea was started by Kennedy's party and was ended by that of Eisenhower. Kennedy is developing military preparedness even further. And if there is another difference, it is this: Eisenhower and Dulles openly followed the policy of “open war,” while Kennedy on the surface appears as a person of peace but in reality has increased armaments. Not three months had passed before he showed his true face. Comrade Mao Zedong has said, “sometimes the criticism of the comrades and even of the masses do not have an effect in a comrade, but the acts of the enemy will have an effect if the comrade is still a revolutionary and a Marxist.” According to our opinion, the leadership of the CPSU and Khrushchev may not have any differences in their ideology and their working style, but we cannot say that they will not be influenced by all of this movement of the masses and the people if they are Marxists. And that is why in this case he could not pass on sending a letter to Kennedy and making the declaration (on the events in Cuba). On this he did a good job and we support him. I believe that you also agree. Comrade Abdyl Kellezi: We do. Kennedy's circles have understood this and say that they are willing to cooperate in Laos for the reestablishment of peace and that they are willing to carry out the UN resolutions in Congo for the normalization of the situation. I had a meeting on this issue with the Soviet embassy's chargé d'affaires, because the ambassador is not here. I told him that we must look at the possibility of starting up another situation in another country as well. They are making the situation difficult in Cuba, so we go ahead and start another in a place more suitable for us. We speak up and condemn them in the UN. This should also be happening elsewhere, outside the UN. He told me that the Cuban government has told the Soviet ambassador that the landing was done with American ships and planes. They must have been using an aircraft carrier, because the planes went and returned within 20 minutes. We can document this because we know how far Cuban land is from the territory of other countries, like Guatemala, etc. But the war might continue for a long time, and that is why we need to be prepared. Of course, both you and we are far away from Cuba and cannot help her, but we could help her through the Soviet Union, because the Soviet Union has ships and other equipment. It is our opinion that at the last meeting in Moscow the issue of the Soviet Union not helping the other socialist countries so that they may also develop militarily was also left unresolved. The Americans have helped the others, to not mention here France and England. They are also helping Japan, have helped Canada, and Canada is helping India to develop atomic and nuclear weapons. We think that the Soviet Union should help the other countries so that they may also have atomic weapons, nuclear submarines, etc. When comrade Deng Xiaoping was in Moscow, he said that if all the socialist countries had nuclear weapons, peace would be even more guaranteed. And this is a very simple thing. Why does Khrushchev not accept this? He wants the monopoly of nuclear weapons. Well, it does not matter; we will work on our own. He noted that he had had a meeting with the Mongolian ambassador who had just come to Beijing and he had said that the situation in Congo has now been stabilized, despite the fact that the country is isolated. Nonetheless, the situation there looks good. [Translator's note: The notes switch back to first person.] About the situation, I think that in diplomacy we can use [our] strategic words but we must also prepare for war in practice. We are Marxist–Leninists and we see that the course of events confirms our forecasts. This will also convince the others and that is why we must keep high the Moscow Declaration. 1) In the struggle against the enemy we do not speak first but second. We do not raise the issues but allow the adversary to do so, because through this he uncovers himself. After this we answer our adversary. This tool is more powerful. We defend the right and by defending it the masses and the others that do not see clearly, little by little are enlightened and come to our side. 2) We keep high the banner of unity. Often the opposite side does not keep this banner high, such as in Bucharest against us and now in Moscow against you. They do not keep the banner of unity high and through their stance wanted to expel us from the camp and make us kneel. But we understand their intentions and in Bucharest we fought our own war and presented our own points of view. For example, we signed the Bucharest Declaration, but we also distributed our own declaration. At the Moscow meeting of November 1960, they conceded and we did the same and, finally, the Declaration was signed. Comrade Mao Zedong tells us to keep high the banner of unity. The intention is to bring the masses of the party and the people to our side, because when we have them on our side, it is more difficult for the enemy. 3) Confronted with the issues we must keep a correct stance. We say that we must speak openly and carefully. Sometimes we take this course: You speak and yell loudly, and I say nothing. This is a silent protest. For example, comrade Beqir Balluku, when he spoke, said to Khrushchev, “Will you let me continue, or not?” This was a good protest. 4) We must deal with restraint both in the war against the enemy and in the internal struggle between the parties. We do not say our entire piece to the end, because the situation cannot develop in only one manner. There can be two, three, or four ways it can develop. For example, Khrushchev says his final word first, but the situation does not develop as he thinks, and so he has to pull back and change course. Comrade Deng Xiaoping: Such is his position when dealing with the naval base. He deals without restraint. He said that he would liquidate the base, but this must not be done. Under these conditions the decision that was taken has no value. We must deal with restraint. As far as the base goes, we must require that the existing agreement is honored. This base lies in Albania, and that is why Albania should have command of it. For example, Albania says that we must improve relations and the base must be strengthened. This is fair. Comrade Abdyl Kellezi: He says that he will remove the base, but we say no. Both of them: They are saying that they think it will not be removed, because it should be kept. Comrade Zhou Enlai: Of course, the enemies realize that there are differences between China and the Soviet Union and between Albania and the Soviet Union, but they do not know what these differences actually are. That is why we need to analyze these issues step by step and with restraint. For example, Khrushchev always goes into battle personally, but we do not follow this course. In Bucharest we sent comrade Peng Zhen and in Moscow we sent comrade Deng Xiaoping. We hold back the other comrades. We keep comrade Mao Zedong and Comrade Deng Xiaoping in reserve for later. Comrade Liu Shaoqi, when he went to Moscow, told Khrushchev, “Why do you continually go personally to other countries? Let the other comrades go and prepare the situation and then you can go.” We saw then that many Soviet comrades liked this idea of ours, but in Moscow it was Khrushchev again who came out. That is why we say that Khrushchev's method of thinking and his style of work are difficult to change. Nonetheless, we do not say that his politics will not change, because the development of the situation and the pressure from the people and the party will have an influence on him. 1) You should continue your struggle with determination. We will help you in this struggle and you, through your struggle, will influence the other parties. But, nonetheless, a bad outcome may not be avoided. Comrade Deng Xiaoping: This would not be a very big or a difficult outcome. Should it happen, we will help you with all our strength. His words were approved by comrade Zhou Enlai, who then continued: We will show the enemy, his party and the other sister parties his mistakes and weaknesses and force him to answer for those mistakes. We will attempt and change him and will not make concessions on these points of view. We think that whenever we have the chance, we will speak again with the Soviet comrades to see if the relations with you can be improved. As far as the military assistance, we think that we should wait a little longer until he [Khrushchev] answers you with a letter. After this, we will say that we will temporarily help Albania. You will also talk about this with comrade Mao Zedong. If the other socialist countries really do not help you, we think that we should make some adjustments to the proportion of assistance you receive. We think that the field of agriculture should be the primary concern of these adjustments. And when we do this (meaning the socialist reconstruction of the country), we should take into account all the variables, such as the work force, the raw materials, etc., etc. Comrade Deng Xiaoping: Comrade Zhou Enlai mentioned all the issues and these are the opinions of every one of us. They are the opinions of the CC of our party. I would only like to mention two issues. 1) One is the problem of the internal relations within the socialist camp. As you well know, Bucharest was a struggle against us. You found yourselves in the flames of the fire, drew the fire of the battle upon yourselves, and that was a good move. You showed bravery. Marx was also the brave type. All of the Marxists are the same. They are not afraid of prison, or of internment, and not even afraid of death. They follow this road out their own free will. Then, at the Moscow Conference, both our parties were in the line of fire. After the Moscow Conference, their fire was directed back against you. It seems like the fire against us is a little bit softer, maybe because we are a larger party. But in fact, they direct their fire not only against you and not only against us both. It seems like this issue is here to stay for a long time. As I speak, I may also repeat things a few times. During the Moscow Conference I did not have the chance to meet comrade [First Secretary of the Albanian Party of Labour (ALP)] Enver Hoxha and had a lot of meetings and talks with comrade [Member of the Political Bureau of the ALP CC and Secretary of the CC] Hysni Kapo. The same with comrade Liu Shaoqi, most of whose meeting were also with comrade Hysni Kapo. The opinion that this is an issue that will take a long time is a common opinion of both our parties. But we are on the side of justice. Justice is with us and this is essential. But even formally we should always be just. We should owe nothing. In fact, they owe us, but this struggle will be long, and that is why we should operate in such a way that both formally and in actuality justice should be on our side and they should owe us. Let us look at the naval base, for example. You are on the side of justice. You should request that the relevant agreement be respected. You should keep repeating this and say nothing else, until you find out what he has to say. We think that the method that comrade Beqir Balluku used was very correct. If you get mad, then why shouldn't I? If you curse, then why shouldn't I? This makes them think. We are convinced that your opinions are correct and we cannot fathom how small Albania could be the perpetrator against the big Soviet Union. We recognize the truth at first sight. The issue is how to organize our work. We used to have a good coordination with Moscow. Of course, they have attacked you unfairly during the last meeting and the way you retorted was good. We did not speak. We will look to find out the right time to speak. We have mentioned this issue many times in the coordination commission and comrade Liu Shaoqi has spoken officially to Gomulka. We told them that they should not act in such a way toward Albania and that Albania is right in this case. In his greetings, comrade Liu Shaoqi spoke about twelve socialist countries. He said that from Albania to Vietnam and from Germany to Korea there should be complete unity and whoever destroys this unity shall be committing a historic crime. We will always repeat this position. This time we only sent our ambassador to the meeting of the Political Consultative Committee of the Warsaw Pact, while in other meetings we have sent a delegation. They understand our position. We had instructed our ambassador that if the meeting's proceedings were in order, he could read a greeting, but if there would be anything spoken against Albania, he should be silent. Sometimes, when you do not hold a speech, it weighs more than if you say something. This does not mean that we did not take a position in Moscow. They owe you and the entire communist movement. We will be speaking out, but when or how we are going to do this, is an issue that we must look over carefully. For example, he [Khrushchev] has not decided to remove the base, and even if he does so, to prevent him from doing so. But we will try so that he does not. This is in your favor and that of the entire socialist camp. That is why we will carefully study the issue of when we will speak out about this. We will also weigh its effect. It may be that the events in Cuba have some sort of benefit for you. Of course, should they not back down, there should be a retreat position. This is our opinion for the moment. Of course, when we speak out and what we will say will be discussed with you first. For the moment, we are being silent. But, of course, on such an issue, one cannot stay silent forever. 2) The second issue has to do with the matter of economic assistance. Should they decide to not help you, it will be our duty to do so, because you have given a great assistance to the world communist movement. This is what we say: We will help you with all the capacity we have. If there are some things which, right now or in the near future, we cannot help you with, we will tell you so. These are issues which have to do with the development and technological stage where we find ourselves. These are issues which we should solve in stages. There are some objects which we are not able to build right away. We think that in the field of economic cooperation you should operate in such away that for the next 100 years the responsibility falls on them. Whatever you can solve, solve it with them, keeping justice always on your side. The rest we can look at together. But in your conditions, the way to solve these issues (the construction of socialism) is a big deal. We also raised these issues with the Cuban comrades when the general secretary of the party was here and we exchanged opinions with them. Comrade Mao Zedong said, “first of all, you should keep and strengthen the people's police force. Second, you should change their one-sided economy and develop the agriculture.” Now in the development of their economy they are keeping this in mind. Instead of planting only sugar cane, they will also develop the production of rice and other cultures. Now they have a 300,000 strong people's police force, which serves as a guarantee for them. Can the [Soviet] missiles [stationed in Cuba] really be used? This is not an easy thing, because a world war could be ignited, while local wars have always existed and will continue to exist. Today, a people's police force is more important than a regular military. It is possible that the enemy can occupy all the main cities, but the war will be continued in the rear by the people's police force. Of course, such advice is not for Albania's conditions, because all the people are behind you. For you important is the issue of reconstruction and this should be at the basis of your work. Your agriculture has a relatively high potential and this is an important issue. The development of industry should have at its base the development of agriculture. First we should fill our bellies and then comes the rest. As for the other issues, you can see to them yourselves, because you have enough experience. In general though, developed industry with underdeveloped agriculture becomes a hindrance. For example, every year we supply the province of [Manchuria] with 1.6 billion tons of grains. There are also examples of other provinces where work in various industrial projects has been suspended. We now have to slow down the building of industry to develop our agriculture. In the next three years we will not see a visible development of our industry. We will mainly place the most importance on the development of agriculture. When you go back to Albania, please tell comrade Enver Hoxha that we will help you with all our strength, with all we have, but we will not be able to fulfill all of your needs. Comrade Abdyl Kellezi: Comrade Zhou Enlai and comrade Deng Xiaoping presented their opinion that we have common points of view and have no disagreements. We are convinced of this because we found each other on the same page in Bucharest without any previous planning. We found ourselves holding the same positions in defense of Marxism – Leninism. The Central Committee of our party is completely convinced that we have common points of view when it comes to the defense of Marxism – Leninism, because both you and we are on a just course, because between us there have not been and there are no disagreements. We were not caught unprepared in the meeting of the Consultative Committee because our leadership had foreseen that there might be some kind of attack against us there, which it actually happened. You had also foreseen that there might be an attack against Albania. Nikita Khrushchev, backed by the rest of them, elevated the issue of ideological disagreements to the level of inter-state relations. We did not start the fight at the meeting of the Consultative Commission. The speech by comrade Beqir Balluku was correct and principled; it had been approved by the leadership of our party. Our speech relied on the Moscow Declaration after the Conference of the 81 Communist and Workers' Parties of 1960, in which, the need for the strengthening of the militaries of the countries of the Warsaw Pact and the dangers that American imperialism presented were mentioned; the activities of the imperialists, Kennedy, and of the Belgrade revisionists were unmasked publicly; the need for the strengthening of our military was stressed, etc. In other words, that speech was correct and principled. Nikita Khrushchev, on the other hand, and the rest of them attacked Albania and, as you well know, presented shameful declarations and arguments against our country and our party. The fabrications and the slander on the issue of the naval base are ignoble. Nothing has happened at the base which has been done purposefully by us. (Comrade Deng Xiaoping interrupted here and said that they had heard about the case of the five Soviet women that had been stopped by the police and that the Soviets had used such methods against them too.) The reason for their attack is not this event, but what happened in Bucharest and we said this openly in the meeting. It is a fact that since Bucharest they have started to sabotage the readiness of the base and of the military; they have not completed supply deliveries of any goods and we have raised this issue with them time after time. They requested that either only Soviet personnel be stationed at the base,or else it be removed. We explained that the base was constructed at the initiative of the ALP CC and in agreement with the CPSU CC and that there is a signed agreement on this between us and the Soviet government. We told them that we would never agree to remove the Albanian personnel from the base, and that if they wanted, they could remove the base, but I also said that it would be a violation of the signed agreements and that they would be held responsible by their [own] people, by the world communist movement, and by history. The removal of the base damages Albania, the Soviet Union and our entire socialist camp, but we defend and will continue to defend our country in every situation. We told them that if they would remove the base, we would help them and would not hinder their work, but that we think that the base should be strengthened instead. They also delivered a letter to us, but our delegation did not answer them on the spot. It was a letter by [Warsaw Pact Supreme Commander Andrei A.] Grechko and we only answered it after they asked us for an answer. In other words, it was not us who started the fight. It was they who started it, and we answered as we should have. It was they who trampled on the Moscow Declaration of the 81 Parties. Khrushchev said that the Albanians are trying to overthrow him and other things. This is absurd and anti Marxist, but he thinks of himself as someone who has taken under his wing and defends the enemies of the ALP. How is it possible that the ALP could seek to overthrow the secretary of another party? It is not our business. Who is and who remains the secretary of a party or another is only the business of the communists who are members of that party. But we do say openly to Khrushchev that he should have nothing to do with the traitors of our own party. He should not interfere with the internal business of our party, because we do not allow anyone to do this. So, we did not initiate an attack. Khrushchev did and we gave him the counterpunch. In this situation it is Khrushchev the one who is trampling on the Moscow Declaration. Our party has fought and will continue to fight for the execution of the Moscow Declaration and we are convinced that both our parties will always be the ones to consistently hold high that banner, and they will be left to hold the other banner, the banner of opportunism and revisionism. The comrades here said that you did not speak at the meeting in Moscow, just like the others that were there as observers did not speak either. But you are on our side and you support our stance. We know that your ambassador had instructions to not speak and that he spoke outside the meeting. We know that you will speak up when you think it necessary and will not stay silent forever. We believe what you say. You know it better when, what and at what level you will speak up. We are confident that when you deem it necessary, you will speak up and this you know better. We are confident that we have common points of view in our just and principled struggle. [Abdyl Kellezi]… but they will fail in this and in it the great assistance that you gave us played a very important role. There are also nuances, for example, the Hungarians did not make it difficult for us. The Czechs, merchants that they are, might not break the agreements with us, because they would rather trade the goods, especially the iron and the copper they get from us. We agree to trade with them. But there is one thing that is clear; they are trying to sabotage our five-year plan. As to the matter of military assistance, I have also told comrade Li Xiannian that since the Bucharest events they have not sent any more supplies and are not even thinking of sending them. They also want to destroy the base. Once again, on this issue, they showed themselves to be in opposition to the Moscow Declaration and with the signed agreements. After the Moscow meeting (of the Warsaw Pact), our representative requested from the Soviet side that they decide on the materials and equipments that should be sent to Albania for the military. The Soviet representative asked him whether the answer that Khrushchev and Grechko gave us was not enough for us. In other words, they are not going to send any supplies for the military. This was also indicated by the work of the commission that made the decision of how the munitions would be produced and the difference between its decision and the list of the equipment that we asked to receive from the Soviet Union. They asked that the supplies be bought 50% through clearing and 50% through a loan plus annual interest. We opposed this and it was removed from the protocol. Chinese comrades, we do not ask for the fulfillment of the list. We only ask for the munitions from it. (Then it was agreed that the competent comrades set off for Albania to deal with this issue, because the Chinese comrades are willing to help us and the defense minister will be the point person on their side. Comrade Abdyl Kellezi thanked them once more for their readiness to assist us and emphasized once again that what we were asking for are needed to create what comrade Zhou Enlai advised about, the creation of necessary reserves for bad days. Comrade Abdyl Kellezi told them that our entire party and our entire people would fight for the defense of our fatherland, for the defense of their revolutionary victories, for the defense of Marxism – Leninism. He assured them once more that all what was said he will faithfully transmit to comrade Enver Hoxha. Comrade Abdyl Kellezi: Comrades, you said that there is no reason for us to thank you. You have to forgive me but we thanked you because we, first of all, have to fulfill the instructions that Comrade Enver Hoxha gave us. Furthermore, this is something that we deeply feel it in our hearts and we cannot keep it inside. You are helping us in an unprecedented manner, as true brothers. We come here to you and we ask that you forgive us for continually bothering you and making so many requests. We are saying this like communist friends and brothers and you should do the same and tell us openly what your capabilities are and where you can help us. We will never forget this internationalist assistance. Just like you understand us when we come and openly seek your assistance, we also understand you we you say to us that this is something you have, or something you do not have, but which you will try to maybe give it to us a bit later. We understand that sometimes it is difficult for you to say no to us, but we also understand that you are doing what you can and more, because you are taking from your own table to give to us. This is an internationalist behavior. We are also very confident that when you tell us that a certain factory, for example, shall be delivered to us on that date, which may not be very suitable for us, your apparatus, following your orders, will work hard to deliver it before the deadline. (Comrade Zhou Enlai intervenes here and said that there may also be technical difficulties or some materials, like steel for example, due to shipping problems may be delivered after the deadline. Comrade Abdyl Kellezi added that such things may happen in life, but that we understand each other and that what is important is that our unified forces will be put to use to execute the tasks that await us. He also added that we have no doubt about this. Comrade Zhou Enlai said that it may happen that they could give us something which may not be completely perfect and may have some problems. He said that if that happens they would plead with us to send it back. Comrade Abdyl Kellezi added that we will solve everything like communists and that… [illegible]. Conceived by A. K. and M. P. Three copies were produced, two of which were handed to comrade A. K. and the other to M. P. Central State Archive, Tirana, AQPPSH-MPKK-V. 1961, L. 13, D. 6. Obtained by Ana Lalaj and translated by Enkel Daljani.

2019-04-26T10:02:52Z

https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/111817

Might have, I say, because I still don’t know for sure. What I do know is that nine days later it’s still hurting when I walk. It happened mid Fashion Week at a callback casting, last Saturday at Marc's offices in Soho. Katie Grand, the riotous and revered stylist of the collection, and Marc Jacobs, it’s designer, were reviewing the final cut, so to speak, of potential models for their Spring-Summer show a few days later, but Marc was't there when I went in. The casting director wasn't either, but her smokey-eyed assistant was, and asked the models to put on slip dresses and large (7 inches high I heard?) platform heels, and to get in line to walk for Katie. The only pair of boots available when it came my turn was two sizes too big, not a good way to start. I went into the viewing room anyway when my name was called and crossed to the wall where they take a polaroid. I carefully stepped in my big high heavy boots onto the paper that they use as a backdrop, and my step was too wide a step and my left foot wobbled when I transferred my weight onto it and I was on the floor next minute in an awkward crouch and a loud thundering of the paper backdrop that I tried to lean on. The long and narrow platform had rolled sideways just the slightest and that was that for my chances at Marc Jacobs. I didn’t mind my humiliation at the moment so much as I worried about how the innards of my left foot were aching and how maybe that was the end of my New York Fashion Week before it had even begun. No such luck, though, for when I regained my feet I found I could indeed still walk, though it hurt to, and Katie Grand grinningly asked me now to walk my runway walk for her, which I did without mishap although I might have looked like the tin man cause I was stepping extra careful. Two hours later my agent called to tell me that Marc had put me on first option, meaning they wanted me still to potentially do the show, and I did not understand it and was not surprised when in the end they never called for a fitting. Who would book a girl who had faceplanted in the very shoes she’d have to wear out on the catwalk? Someone fond of excitement, perhaps, someone I’m sure but not me. I have a doctor appointment on Thursday to find out how my foot is, and until then it's a Might-be-fracture, and it's by Marc Jacobs so I'll wear it with éclat. If my foot is not whole, at least my sense of humor is, and the peculiar insanity of my modeling job proceeds. I’m walking through woods carrying a large bowl of fake blood. We made it after lunch with some red food coloring and powdered sugar we found in the kitchen of the cabin we’re renting on the north-eastern shore of Lake Doolittle, the shore that sees the sunset. We’re staying here for a week, my family and our friend Sophia’s family, seven of us total, and all week we swim in the lake and boat on the lake and hike around the lake and photoshoot in and on and around it. Today we’re shooting at it’s far western tip, where the water grows murky and shallow and peters into mud flats that smell like ancient fishy farts but look beautiful with their rushes and moss humps like islands. Nicolai has chosen the fishy inlet as the location for what we’re about to shoot, the second segment of his newest “editorial,” a collection of photos with a constant theme. Reclaimed by the wild is the theme this week. Dressed in a khaki green polyurethane parka, black bikini bottoms, and inscribed on every inch of my skin with fake scratches and scrapes sketched with lip-liner that was once my mother's, I carry the bowl of blood ceremoniously along the path by the lake shore that takes us to the marsh. It’s hot and humid here and when we arrive Nicolai begins to sprinkle me with fake blood like holy water, and it’s sticky and smells sweet and I hope it doesn't attract more mosquitos. When we were shooting yesterday he was smearing me with mud he scooped from the bottom of the lake using a kayak paddle, and today like yesterday I complain a lot of the discomfort. That’s the thing about shooting with your brother: you can object to the annoying things he makes you do. You can’t do that with other photographers, the serious and professional ones you work with in the city, so I always make a fuss when I pose for Nicolai, partly because he makes me do more outrageous things than anyone else and partly because, well, I can. Of course I end up doing whatever irksome task he asks, though, because ultimately I trust his vision and know that the image he’s chasing will be worth the anguish of wading barefoot in a black and squelchy bog, as I did yesterday, or climbing into the upturned root bulb of a dead and centipede-infested poplar tree, as I’m doing today. Luckily, on shoots like these that we do at Lake Doolittle, I have our friend Sophia always nearby holding the LED light-wand aloft, and she came knee deep in the swamp mud with me and I thought to myself whatever found me would find her too and maybe four foreign feet would be more intimidating to bog creatures than two. I knew the fish and frogs would stay away, but I wasn't sure about the muskrats, I’ve been bitten by one here before, and what I felt most afraid of was the leeches I’ve spotted like small ribbon clippings flowing under the water’s surface with their soft black backs and flat, white undersides. No leeches appeared though, and today we are shooting on dry land, maybe too dry and about to disintegrate as I stand on it. I’ve climbed about halfway up the overturned root bulb and Sophia climbed up beside me with the light wand and we blow at the insects that move onto our arms and legs with terrible speed. My limbs are getting a good workout clinging to the wood and we shoot for almost an hour with the tree and other logs around it and then we use up the remaining blood in our bowl and shoot me standing gory on a bridge. Now we’ve lost the light and we’re all hot and hungry. It’s near dinnertime and our parents will be waiting at the cabin and I think tonight we’re having spaghetti. We trundle the quarter mile back along the shoreside trail to home, and Nicolai’s already enumerating his ideas for the next shoot and I’m already insisting I won’t do it, I have real blood on my hands from holding on and unless you’re more considerate dammit I won’t shoot for you anymore Nicolai and this time I mean it. Why would anyone voluntarily place themselves under their brother’s jurisdiction? I wonder this every time and yet I invariably find myself sooner or later knee deep in another swamp for him, or another blood bath. Someone mentioned recently that a simple way to be happier each day is to lower your expectation of that day. At first to me this smacked of giving up— “I can’t make things good so I’m not even gonna try” kind of thing. But I realized this theory pertains less to what we do ourselves to further our well-being and more to the parts of our days that we cannot influence, like the punctuality of our bus to work, or whether we’ll be successful in overcoming writer’s block when we sit down to write a new blog post. These are circumstances outside our control: why do we categorically expect their best case scenario? Having understood this, I’ve started to practice it, and the lowering of my various expectations has indeed brought me increased satisfaction in a week when on some days I’m going to castings for New York Fashion Week even though I’m not sure how much of fashion week I’ll be able to do now that I’ve just started two honors courses at my local community college. On the days I don’t have class I run around the city visiting offices of influential fashion people so at least I maintain some involvement in the fashion season, and on these days it is extremely helpful to lower my expectations of the castings I attend so that I won’t be disappointed when shows start and I’m not walking them or when the week ends and I’ve actually lost money rather than made it because of my multitudinous bus and subway fares. Likewise on my class days I try to lower my expectations of academia. If I expect that my teacher won’t greatly like the essay I wrote or that I’ll have accidentally read the wrong pamphlet for homework, then I’m not as frustrated when it turns out I have indeed read the wrong pamphlet or whatnot (actually, I feel sort of satisfied at knowing my shortcomings so well…but that might just be me). This takes some of the unknown out of the labors of a day, and I fret less over the unacknowledged possibilities for failures that might otherwise weigh on my subconscious, ignored. I become less stressed. Does this not constitute an improvement on my quality of life? So in review: to have a better day it is mainly important that you don’t lie to yourself about the prospects of that day, that you think realistically about the rather large potential things have to not go the way you want them to. Just don’t expect what isn’t possible— seems simple, right? But actually it isn’t: I think these little glossy lies (or maybe not lies exactly, but refusals to recognize risks; denials) are simply our way of convincing ourselves it’s worth getting up every morning in the first place. What we have to realize is that ignoring uncomfortable possibilities and lying to ourselves that the day will all come off successfully will only wind up making us less satisfied with the outcome of our strivings, as well as distancing us from authentic human interaction and genuine emotion. As the formidable Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote in the novel I’m currently reading: “Above all, do not lie to yourself. A man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point where he does not discern any truth either in himself or anywhere around him, and thus falls into disrespect towards himself and others. Not respecting anyone, he ceases to love…”* and thus, I believe, ceases to be happy. So let’s all be honest with ourselves, and expect less than we might desire, for expectations exceeded will bring not disappointment, but pleasure. With that, I must go catch a bus to New York. Have a good Monday everyone! Or, you know, just a mediocre Monday— Monday’s aren’t realistically all that amazing, right? But we all make the best of them-- of them and every other day, too. *The Brothers Karamazov, Book II, ch. 4, Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The first few points are fairly simple. They are tenets of any healthy lifestyle: mindful eating (quality over quantity; full sensory engagement in each bite; gratitude for each bite) and physical exercise (no explanation required, right)? But I’m still working on the last points. It’s surprisingly hard to get in enough laughs in a day! Either I don’t spend time with enough humorous people or I’ve an unusually stern and indifferent disposition. ….which both sound about right. But what about infinite love? Yes, I love my family “without measure,” and my friends “without measure.” But could I love more? I love trees, I suppose. I love them almost obsessively (yes it sounds really weird but my dad has this too so maybe I’m hereditarily really weird). Should I love the sky as well? The sky is without measure. Should I love the rain as well? The rain is nearly without measure, or at least a measure of 1050 millimeters per year. The rain sustains our life, and though life itself is not without measure, the effects of a life are. I'm starting to realize more and more that it's truly this last point, the love point, that makes all the difference in a life. Its been proven time and again that we become happier individuals when we are attentive of those around us, and act ethically. Ethical practice, as explained by none other than the Dalai Lama, means acting out of concern for the well-being of others, while unethical action is any deed that compromises the happiness or expectation of happiness of another. If acting ethically means not harming others, it requires that we be constantly aware of the feelings of others. This idea lies at the heart of many religious and philosophical doctrines-- but more importantly is something we all know already by instinct. We just don't always make the effort to implement it. So I for one will keep working on myself. I'll try to love more. I'll try to laugh more, hang with more funny people, maybe lose the resting b*tch face… Cause the things in life that matter are usually the shockingly simple ones, like chewing your food slowly or giving way to your adoration of trees. I know that that specifically may not be for everyone (though honestly look at trees more closely, I’m telling you), but there must be some things you can each find to revel in. Seeking them out and enjoying them— it’s a small price to pay for happier selves. But it wasn’t all tea and cake, so to speak (surprise!). In fact it turned out to be another day in my model life that I could file under my running “strange things I do for my job” tab, as the rest of the shoot involved standing barefoot in a puddle on drizzly Canal street (ankle deep in warm gutter water afloat with cigarette butts and trash that left my feet brownish colored) and climbing/being pushed from beneath by two men up a wall to get at an inaccessible rooftop for a pic with some illegally-purchased fireworks (the little backyard fountainy kind). And so that is how an initially lazy afternoon became a puddle-sloshing, building-scaling, firework-lighting, and finally crime-witnessing adventure. All while wearing wool dresses and trying not to look like a hot sweating farm animal. We don’t know if that last endeavor succeeded or not— the spread was entirely shot on film. So we’ll have to wait till September when it’s published to find out just what a ninety-degree day in raining Chinatown looks like, I suppose. At least I can’t say work’s boring! There was much to do in chile, and still more to talk about. First we covered New York (there was far less news of home than there was of my brother’s exchange), and then we talked of Chile. Chile, Chile, Chile… The place was hazy (rampant smog), mountainous (those Andes! enchanting…), and cold, much colder than I or my brother anticipated. Though the afternoons reached nearly seventy, the mornings and evenings plunged into the mid thirties. It’s currently winter in Santiago, and my brother arrived there three months ago. He only brought a pair of denim jackets. I arrived last Sunday, and I only brought a pair of wool sweaters. (Yes, our apparel tastes are reflected quite aptly there if you were wondering). I was to spend the week with Nicolai and his intercambio Fran (a twelfth grader in the Santiago Waldorf school) at Fran’s house in the semi suburban neighborhood of La Reina. La Reina— “the queen.” What queen, I wondered? Did it refer to the Spanish monarchs who presided over Chile during its colonial years, via a system of viceroys? Did it refer to an Inca queen who (more justly) held power in the region before that? Modern Chile has had no monarchy, but it did have a dictatorship— I visited the museum devoted to it in Santiago: “Museo de la Memoria,” where we saw black and white video clips of tanks projecting spumes of gas into multitudes of protesting citizens. It was a rather gruesome morning as holiday sightseeing goes (28,000 Chileans tortured, 2,279 executed, and 1,248 missing between 1972 and 1990), but in my inquisitiveness about the identity and mentality of this cryptic country I was ready to devour any information or imagery that might help me understand it. Chile, though, proved a rather finicky thing to study. Something about it felt to me sort of primal and primitive; sequestered. The Chile I saw was devoid of the recreational trappings and luxuries of my suburban upbringing, and free of the societal stresses— the stigmas and the standards— imposed on individuals in a refined business arena such as New York. People here weren’t as concerned with (or defined by) prestigious advancements in some abstract career track. Nor were they concerned, in their daily lives, with the minutiae of lawfulness (as evidencedby the way my brother and his Chilean friends simply don’t pay bus fare when they ride the city buses) or cleanliness (demonstrated by the bemusing habit Fran’s dog had of pooping in the corner of the dining room every morning, unprevented and unpunished). But what rather took me by surprise was the unmistakeable air of struggle in the country; of seeking, of irresolution. Perhaps it was leftover from the dictatorship, which still figures strongly in the national consciousness (grandparents and parents of current Chilean men and women are still missing, unaccounted for even 26 years after the fall of the regime.) Perhaps it’s just the way things have always been. I’m not one to say— given my short time here and my minimal exposure to the local reality, I can’t really draw conclusions. But I can share impressions, and I say that my impression last week was of a country still very much developing— still determining its stance on democracy and globalization; as we speak constructing (or reconstructing?) its identity. Chile is steeped in passion, and achingly stolid. It is going somewhere— it’s just not there yet. I witnessed this passion firsthand when Nicolai, Fran, and I happened upon an illegal demonstration in the city center on Tuesday. We were searching for lunch when we found ourselves confronting a plaza packed with the student movement for education reform in Chile. Eager to explore (and understand, fill in some blanks), we skirted amazed around large armored tanks and groups of visored police guards, pausing as we did to take surreptitious photos of them until they started nudging each other and gesturing towards us and we would scamper on down the sidewalk. A group of kids behind us started dislodging cobblestones from the street and heaving them at guards. Retaliation was not long in coming— the foremost of the tanks lurched into motion, and with surprising speed drove up onto the sidewalk and aimed a powerful stream of water—laced with some chemical variant of tear gas— into the crowd. The exact image I had just seen that morning in the Memoria museum. With the tear gas came (duh) tearing eyes, running noses, burning throats, itching skin, and, an instant later, salesmen with wagons of lemons, which apparently counteract the chemical. We didn’t go for the lemons but we did nab a fistful of napkins from a street cart selling toasted peanuts (…now toasted peanuts a la gas lacrimpógeno)! I saw their passion resurface two nights later. It was eight pm and I was at a bar with an old friend in the popular Plaza Nuñoa, seated at a sidewalk table. A modest group of high schoolers marched by with a sign I couldn’t quite make out but which had something to do with reinstating free tuition for Chilean colleges, a practice that had existed pre-dictatorship but was abolished with the rise of the military junta. On the heels of the marchers trundled the tanks, methodically spewing tear gas— onto all the customers at all the bars who were all just trying to enjoy a margarita. The whole scenario had the feel of a performance— a rehearsed dance between pedestrian and patrolman, something timeworn and even ritual. Generations have endured this, and continued striving. Chile, steeped in passion; Chile, achingly stolid. My week with my brother in Santiago, however, wasn’t entirely spent clashing with police and inhaling mildly lethal chemical compounds. We filled our other days with strolls through the shopping district, a trip south to the artistic seaside village of Valparaíso, Pablo Neruda’s house, empanadas sold hot from a neighbor’s kitchen window, poetry writing sessions in Starbucks. A few divine alfajores (traditional South American chocolate/dulce de leche cookies), many mediocre coffees. A photoshoot on a bus at night and a faux birthday party (at a bar one evening Nicolai’s friend secretly alerted a waiter that it was my brother’s birthday, though of course it wasn't, and to our great bewilderment and delight the restaurant staff soon waltzed out of the kitchen with a flaming confection and a loud, unanimous singing of Feliz Cumpleaños). Getting to know my brother again. Something I needed to do not just because of these past three months he’s spent abroad: it’s been longer, maybe even a year or two, since my and his daily realities diverged, and I feel I scarcely know him outside the familial setting. This was our reintroduction, our reacquaintance, and, it happily transpired, our reconnection. All this against the backdrop of the city of Santiago, with its underpinnings of social and political tension. All this in barrio La Reina. The queen. What was her name, and what would she think of this era, this world? As I rode a taxi to the airport on my final day in South America, I realized that, more than all our fun shoulder-rubbling with police, the cheese empanadas and even the quality sibling time, the most valuable thing this week had offered me was a little sip (not too hot, not too cold) of the ongoing saga of a developing country finding it’s place in what’s becoming an increasingly arbitrary, uncivilized world. I realized that I, too, am a developing entity trying to find my place in this world. But learning a country and learning a brother are light tasks compared with learning oneself. What is my daily reality outside the family setting? Who is La Reina? I, too, am going somewhere—like Chile, I’m just not there yet. The question I get asked most about being a model is this: "Do you get to keep the clothes?" No. I don't-- with all the models that pass through a designer's atelier this would hardly be a sustainable practice. However, if you're fortunate enough to work with such kind and caring people as happen to comprise the team of Ace & Jig, you might just wake up one morning and find a gift bag of clothes in the mail for you (and, if you're me, be eyebrow-raisingly gleeful for the next few days). I love clothes, as some of you might know. I especially love summer clothes (I mean, warm weather allows for all the creativity of expression that winter’s tedious coats suppress)! So I was remarkably lucky through this modeling job of mine to be introduced last fall to the brooklyn-based brand Ace & Jig— whose clothes (pure cotton textiles hand woven by a holistic manufacturer in India that even supplies its employees with organic food!) prove that fashion can be at once magically, obsessively beautiful AND practical, ethical, natural. Plus, Ace & Jig creations comprise the ultimate vacation wear, which you can imagine has me drooling. Have you seen anything that hollers “holiday” louder than this red ‘Frances’ tank top of theirs? Like many Ace & Jig pieces, it is reversible, oh-so-satisfyingly layerable, and suits a myriad of occasions. Pair it with a choker and slinky high-waisted pants for a night on the town, or over a wide flouncy skirt for a windswept stroll along the beach. Or imagine this shirt against a South American street colorful enough to match it’s own vibrancy— oh wait, you don’t have to. Because last week in Chile, I spent a day exploring the muraled alleys of Valparaíso, a saturated, art-filled village perched precariously on a hill above the Pacific— and I wore, of course, the most festive summer shirt I could conceive of (and one that doesn’t wrinkle in a suitcase, too)! My brother, camera in hand as usual, took some pictures for me, which turned out, in my mind, to be a photographic homage to the love I bear warm-weather clothes. Here were all my favorite things gathered into one tableau: sun and summer, paint and cotton, art and fashion (and a really tasty ice cream shop just out of the frame! Yes, we got some). This was Chile, this was summer, this was— and will, I hope, always be— my dearest, loveliest Ace & Jig. Photos by Nicolai Tadeushuk, unedited. London has uncommon good weather during the week of June 20-25. I am here with a high school friend of mine for a hybrid pleasure/business trip. Our plan is to bundle a staggering amount of tourist sites into the two days that we spend in a centrally-situated Air BnB before parting ways for the next three days while I attend castings and stay with, appropriately enough, a high school friend of my mom’s! I’m marveling at this legacy but thinking; really, for all Westminster’s greatness, I like myself more than it, and I wouldn't trade places with the Abbey for all the world. Is any human existence equal in value to a landmark such as this? I mean, would they destroy Westminster if such was the price of saving a single somebody trapped inside? Or would they prioritize this bastion of national identity over an ordinary person’s life? Public scandal! it would be a public scandal to do so. A thing the British, as a rule, avoid. We get up, blink, stretch. Down “Broad Sanctuary” street and round the bend into “Little Sanctuary” street, I leave behind my bulging brainiac bliss, spangled above the green. My brain— exhaustive, convoluted thing— moves on with me (what ho! does it really belong to this head?) and it thinks now on other things. I am thinking of Brexit. It is Friday, one of my allotted business days, and also the morning after the Referendum to leave the European Union. It’s 5:45 am. I have woken so early because my kind hosts are relocating to Seattle today, and within an hour the couch I’ve usurped as bed will be boxed up and brought to the quay. But before deserting said couch (and the lifeline of wifi that appends it), I linger, knotted in my blankets, to scroll through my phone— and I can hardly believe what I find there. Throughout the past four days in London I have seen only support to “REMAIN” in the bloc: picketers on train platforms, social media propaganda (#bremain?), raucous coffee counter rants about xenophobes. Where then did the “LEAVE” support come from? Through what cobblestoned cracks of rural Britannia scuttled this ra-ra egoism and brazen prejudice? Public scandal, public scandal: it’s a debacle that now can’t be avoided. And shaken up it does appear to be. And I am a little bit, too, as I board a train at King’s Cross and rumble off towards the northeastern suburb of Waltham Abbey, where I will rejoin my friend for our last day together before she returns to her career in Israel and I to mine in New York. (My full-time coffee-drinking career, that is). I muse on what has struck me most today: the way strangers search each other’s faces in passing. The way no one directly mentions Brexit, but rather looks it, shoves their keen awareness of it into one another’s eyes on the street, in an elevator, on line at Marks and Spencer. Is it just me who gets a sort of ice cube thrill from knowing that all these significant looks, grim nods and cocked eyebrows reference one and the same subject? That we’re all in something together? Whether our opinions concur or not is inconsequential; what I relish is the strange unity of our brains as we each absorb separately some common information. Shared experience. Society is knit of shared experience. And so is history, really. What classifies something as a historical event if not the fact that it effects many individuals at once? So, then. This must be what witnessing history feels like. I'm no Westminster Abbey but at least now I've seen something mildly momentous... I step off my train in the beige township of Loughton. Trees once more surround me; wriggling, vibrant trees drying after a brief rain. I stand on the station steps, shade my eyes as I scan the parking lot. Who of us knows really what will come next? An ebbing of a vast European tide? A lawn sprawled bliss? I spot my friend, we move, brain follows. The Strange Things I Do For my Job, Part IV. These strange things are mounting in imaginativeness, as last week I was asked to take a video of myself “jumping on rocks.” It was to be casting material for a French perfume advertisement; the client wanted to see how I moved on camera— specifically, how I sprung amid imaginary stepping stones in an imaginary lake trailing imaginary silks and streamers. At home in the suburbs between a doctor’s appointment and trip to the supermarket, I got my mom to film me bounding about our garden; a slightly shaky, substantially overexposed, thirty second iPhone clip complete with our neighbor’s lawnmower hum in the background. Jump, hop, squint, skip. Send off to Paris with a signature iPhone whoosh. Maybe they’ll ask for cartwheels next? At this mild time of year, in the pleasant, pastoral month of May, my ex-classmates (still the strongest peer family I have) are all returning from far-flung dorms and libraries and reconvening here, in the glorious county of Rockland, NY. In the twelve months since we all, in our staggering sum of 23 individuals, graduated from high school last June, they've been through the thrills & throes of the American college freshman experience. And I? How have I sprinkled away these months? As what in September I called my "limbo hinterland" hurtles round its final bend (and perhaps into another incarnation?), I look back on just what exactly it is that has filled, and fueled, my Gap Year. Chocolate. And Chocolate. And Chocolate. You may be familiar with the above apparatus. Or, like myself a year ago, you may have never seen it before, as it is a tool I— with my geek-meets-granddad personal style— have little use for. But this, my friends, is an eyelash curler, and I can now vouchsafe I know most everything there is to know about it, for a few months ago I had the opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with a pink Japanese eyelash curler on the set of my last French Vogue shoot. It was a windy night and, in a studio in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, a small team of artists from all continents and climes was working to create what an internal memo dictated should be “an atypical beauty shot.” The antics involved in realizing such a vision included me getting black acrylic paint dabbed into my eye rims so I could cry black tears (which I did no problem!); biting limes while still attempting to look composed and edgy; and trying to balance thin rounds of an orange over my eyes as the fruit inevitably inched down my cheeks in a sweet and juicy exodus towards the floor. Enter eyelash curler. Enter confusing pink contraption and the dictum from somewhere off set: Play with your eyelid. Play with my eyelid? A thing I’d never before contemplated. But it did the trick— it achieved atypicality for a thing by nature fairly typical. I left the studio that night wearing an unusually slack upper lid on my right eye— and a grin. Cause after all, one can never expect beauty to come without pain, right? Not to mention French beauty— VOGUE beauty! Neither, it seems, can one ever expect to do the expected when it comes to fast-paced—and sometimes fruity— fashion. Photograph by Ben Hassett, Makeup by Georgina Graham. Vogue Paris April 2016. I’ve been a Vegetarian all my life. Which means that I depend on dairy (cheese, mostly) as one of my primary sources of protein— and for a little indulgent, high-caloric yumminess every once in a while. Well, more than once in a while: cheese goes with everything, what can I say… Well, imagine my dismay— nay, horror— when my doctor told me that in hopes of remedying the recurring stomach bugs I’ve been having recently I should…quit dairy. Me, quit dairy? I can live without meat (duh); I can live without gluten (there are so many worthy alternatives); but please doctor, not the cheese! Did she know what she was asking? Just for three months, she assured me— just to test it. So I resignedly abandoned dairy, one and a half months ago. Alas not longer yet… but it does get easier as I go. The hell becomes a bit less hellish, you could say— in all respects but one. Though the nostalgia for milk in my coffee may wane daily, what does NOT lessen is the utter grossness of VEGAN CHEESE. Hush, hush! don’t even invoke its name! It is a living (literally: fermented) force of evil, the eleventh of Moses’ Ten Plagues— arrived a few millennia late, perhaps, but for all it’s tardiness no worse equipped to rival the frog deluge or boil epidemic of Ancient Egyptian days. Ok.. never get near this stuff please. First, the texture is like that of melted plastic (as is the flavor, it just so happens) but worse by far is the filmy aftertaste it leaves in your mouth: bubblegum. This, however, is bubblegum that you stuck behind your ear for a few days (during which interim you neglected to shower) and then decided to eat again. Yes, folks, this deserves to be the dictionary definition of “Blech” (although I don’t think “blech” is actually in the dictionary yet? Soon it will be, though— and with a picture of “Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella” beside it)! This cheese comes in a beautifullll, fancy package— but don’t let that fool you. It tastes more like wallpaper paste than any aged, artisanal food product I know. I tried a recipe I found online, and was sorely disappointed. After diligently boiling and pulverizing carrots, potatoes, and cashews with garlic, I found myself in possession of a sort of pungent cement that was posturing, it seemed, as fondue. Even down to it’s lumpy orange color. Meh. #2. Treeline: "Soft French-Style Nut Cheese in Garlic Herb Flavor:" Basically, “Garlic Herb flavor” says it all. When it comes to this spread, the only thing I really have to say about it (aside from the fact that it was criminally overpriced at $8.29 for a tiny jar!!!) is that it is very, very garlicky. It is palatable, yes, but just as another dubious-looking, breath-befouling hors d’oeuvre you find at a family party. Not quite as cheese. This is the most cheese-like non-cheese I’ve tasted to date. I actually found myself eating it straight by the slice, without having to mask it’s taste with crackers as I did the others. Right color, right texture…quite a happy discovery. I get up at 6:45 every morning but Sundays, eat breakfast alongside my family all piled in my parents’ bed, then go for a long walk through the woods and fields nearby. This done, I usually sit down to write— at the nearest coffee shop. Writing at home is a snag-prone business (such an abundance of distractions! That chocolate bar you stowed under the egg carton in the fridge. Mom accidentally putting tinfoil in the microwave. The Romance novel you’re two chapters from finishing. Mad Men Season 7. The list goes on). At Bulldog, though, (the coffeeshop) I can enjoy a more focused, disciplined environment— and a strong cappuccino, too! The bench in the corner by the window becomes my very own office for two hours each morning, and has seen many a post hammered out that you’ve hopefully read here. At the start of this blog I claimed to be no Liz Gilbert (author of Eat Pray Love. If you’re not familiar, she took a sort of gap year from life to do some soul-searching, and got a book deal out of it to boot! The lady certainly knows a good thing when she sees it.) But now I begin to question my assertion of dissimilarity more and more. Of course certain things haven't changed— I’m still not a middle-aged divorcee like she, not to mention renowned writer published in 30 different languages!— but something in my between-jobs lifestyle has certainly come to resemble the routine of someone far older than myself. And I’m talking FAR older…Grandparent older. In fact, I’ve dubbed this routine I step in and out of Intermittent Retirement, for the only things distinguishing me from the frosty-haired, golden-aged members of our populace are 1) I don’t yet have frosty hair and 2) I live with my parents— a luxury not many other retirees have access to. That, and the little matter of walking runways, another thing I haven't seen many seniors up to. Maybe there’s a new business there? Step aside, girls: Maggie Smith's in the house! Anyway, this retired lifestyle is peaceful and, on most days, productive. Whether it’s affordable— or desirable— outside my current circumstances is another question entirely (and spoiler: the answer is probably no, even for such a homebody as myself). But at this moment in time, it constitutes an ideal counterpart to the job I pursue, balancing the tumult of travel with the tranquility of routine; the pressure of publicity with the security of seclusion; the breathless tempo of fashion (many brands churn out between 4 and 8 collections a year!) with the plodding pace of my writing (it takes me between 4 and 8 days just to finish one piece to satisfaction)…in short, it balances in considerable harmony the outward and inward forces of my gap year. What better arrangement could I ask for? None that I’m aware of. Which is why I’m considering taking another year off before starting college: a Gap Year 2.0. I’ve been pondering this now for a few months— decisions always put me through the wringer, and this one was no exception— and I have concluded (at least, I think, maybe?) to defer school again this fall in favor of my job, my blog, and, yes, my honorary grandmahood. It is in some ways a leap of faith (what if I don’t continue to get work? What if I lose all my hair? Lose my teeth? Lose my curiosity?) but I feel that I’ve had the great fortune of hitting on something good here— a rare synthesis of freedom and responsibility, a precious interlude between one of my lives, which has already ended, and the next, which has yet to begin— and it just so happens that sometimes I, too, know a good thing when I see it. At least, I think, maybe. Ironically, just as I wrapped up this very post, I got a call from my agent: Could I perchance fly to Dallas tonight? Apparently sometimes we can't even plan as far ahead as dinner! Water is something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently. We depend on it for almost everything we do, and we also waste it in almost everything we do. Today in America, we have become accustomed to the idea that the planet is running out of fresh water. But only the idea of it. When instances of water shortage actually present themselves to our population in temporary, circumstantial forms (2011-17 drought in Cali, 2016 contamination in Flint, etc), the nation is thrown into a royal uproar over the inconvenience. But these immediate issues are only the fleeting shadows (or foreshadows, I should say) of the greater global water crisis that is now our planet’s slow and stealthy death knell. What I want to make clear, though, is that it’s not actually all that slow, or stealthy. The demise of our life-source, lifestyle, and planet, of our civilization, not to mention our own charming species, is advancing fast, advancing now: and right in front of our own charmed eyes. Scientists predict that by the year 2030 more than half of the world’s population will live under chronic water shortage, a condition defined by the Water Stress Index as having less than 1,000 cubic meters of water available per head per year. That's only fourteen years from now: MOST OF US WILL STILL BE AROUND to experience this chronic shortage. Talk about California droughts and Flint contaminations— these sorts of irksome scarcities are going to become a year-round reality for 50% of humanity. The sooner we address the water crisis, then, the better, for each year that passes sees roughly 3,750 billion cubic meters of fresh water consumed worldwide— a figure that shows no sign of diminishing, as the global rate of water consumption, driven by growing population, increases by no less than 64 billion cubic meters per year. To the best of my minimal mathematical ability, I tried to put this in perspective, and calculated that the world consumes 4.3 million Olympic swimming pools worth of water every day. That is enough Olympic pools to cover the five boroughs of New York City SEVEN TIMES OVER, EACH DAY. In other terms, all of New York could be submerged daily under 46 feet of water, enough to reach the fifth floor of the Empire State Building. farmers can implement more efficient methods of watering crops, such as drip-irrigation. Politicians might impose higher tariffs on water purchase and fines for pollution. Nations might privatize the management and distribution of water: if companies handle our resources rather than governments, water would be better shielded from political corruption and partisan power struggles. But these aren’t really things you and I can jump up and do right this minute (Unless, of course, you happen to be a state governor, in which case I doubt you are reading my blog). Anyhow, for those plebeian, non-state-governerning members of our society, I propose a list of day-to-day measures that will allow us each, in our own orbit, to impact this wretched state of worldly water affairs. 1. You may look at me funny when I tell you that one of the most effective ways you can limit water consumption is by eating vegetarian. But let me explain. The majority of water consumption is concealed in something known as "virtual water”— all the water that goes into the creation of a product but cannot be seen in its outcome. Beef is the most water-intensive product that we make, as beef cattle have an average lifespan of three years in a holding tank before their slaughter: the virtual water in a single kilo of beef accounts for the water that the cow drank for three years (24,000 liters), the water used to grow the grain he ate for three years (3,060,000 liters), and the water used to service the farmhouse and the butchering procedure (7,000 liters). The total? A staggering 15,400 liters of water to create A SINGLE KILO OF BEEF! Other meats (especially goat and poultry) are less water-intensive than this, not to mention vegetables and fruits, which are exceedingly more efficient to produce. Moral of the story? Maybe allot a few days each week to eat vegetarian. Opt for a turkey burger instead of a beef one next time. Or dare I suggest…a veggie burger? 2. Stop wasting food! Agriculture is by far the largest consumer of clean water, accounting for more than 70% of global water usage. But the average household in an advanced economy like that of the US throws out 30% of the food it buys. That means that of all that water we dumped into agriculture (and that inefficient kilo of steak!) an entire THIRD of it goes down the drain when it reaches our tables. So please, buy only as much food as you’ll eat; cook only as much food as you’ll eat; serve yourself ONLY as much food as you’ll eat! Store the leftovers— and don’t forget them at the back of the fridge for months!! 3. Be frugal with household water. The largest consumer of household water is the flushing of toilets. A thing quite necessary, to be sure. But perhaps over-used. I know I’m volunteering myself for all sorts of ridicule here when I remind you of this nursery saying, but… “If it’s yellow, let it mellow— if it’s brown, flush it down.” Sorry. Turning off the shower faucet while you shampoo or shave. Turning off the sink faucet while you soap your hands before dinner, or scrub your dishes after. Rinsing requires water to be running: sudsing does not. Just shut it off for a minute. Don’t shower every day. It has been proven unnecessary, and even unhealthy, to strip the skin of its natural oils so persistently, so do yourself (and the planet) a favor and decrease your shower and bath time. No one will smell the difference: our bodies adjust their oil/odor production to our washing schedule, not vice versa. 4. Stop using lawn products. Fertilizers and insecticides get washed away with rain and run into ground water supply, polluting otherwise clean reservoirs. 5. Any other ideas you have— I’ve done a bunch of research but am definitely no expert. What else can you come up with? Because the issue of water shortage is one that people of all ages, races, and religions can and must take an interest in— it’s not yet too late to shift our fate. Though we can’t keep water on this planet forever, we may at least extend its presence here by a few centuries if we pull ourselves together and make some amendments to our lifestyles. Starting now! Use less, pollute less, and spread the awareness— three…two…one…GO. The New Holy Trinity? Words, Weather, and Wee Little Wonders. It is still dark this morning when we leave the house for Hook Mountain. I am only half awake, feeling drowsy and a bit like a wilted tea leaf in last night's drained mug that's still on my dresser. Today is Sunday- Easter Sunday no less- but this morning there's no limitless lounging twixt the sheets, no slow, easy emulsion of coffee and undisrupted reading. This morning I am climbing the “Hook” to watch the sun rise over the Hudson River— with my family, close friends, and a backpack full of breakfast. Is writing as she walks. Is she then a writing walker? Stomping a search for synonyms. Not cinnamon. That’s already in the cupboard. Did you know “rust” is a synonym for cinnamon? We reach the peak of the Hook, a tall, bald lookout on the west bank of the Hudson. The river is wide and a dull, wrinkled grey; reflective of the overcast sky that is shrouding our treasured sunrise. Oh well: a narrow strip of pink is all we’re graced with, just a glimpse of dawn “spread out against the sky / like a patient etherized upon a table,” as T.S. Eliot would elegantly put it— or, as I might paint the image, like the slimy orange slabs of smoked salmon whose unique odor drove me from the kitchen as a child vegetarian, holding my nose. Breakfast is eaten alfresco and the hike is reversed. Back home by ten, we rally to prepare an extravagant lunch (soups and grilled veggies and quiches, oh my!), host a humbly extravagant (if such a paradox can be tolerated) lunch party, and decorate eggs in the ancient Ukrainian Easter tradition (which is to say playing with fire, melted wax, raw eggs and lots of pretty plant dyes)! So you see, on this lovely day of March 27, 2016, this mild Easter Sunday, I was robbed both of sunrise and sunset: one obscured by stratocumulus fog, the other by my leaden lids. What I did see of this day, though, far made up for the solar splendors I missed, and was peaceful, luxuriant, and- in our own haphazard, familial way- gleefully, wistfully sacred. My Fantastic early Morning Face, Photobombed by The Fantastic View. Cappuccino and Champaign Back at Home-- Because Who Said Good Things Can't Come In Pairs? My First Egg of this Year: Frida Kahlo (who else)! The Fam, Home Peacefully in the Afternoon. At the outset of this year— in the inaugural post of this blog— I hoped my months would be strung together by the two themes of satisfaction and delight. And so they have been-- with the additions of many other wonderful things (French hot chocolate rich as Trump), and unwonderful things (Trump), and of course many unexpected things, the most prominent and constant of which has been MOTION. To my surprise (and delight and satisfaction, if we're true to form!), I have travelled oftener and covered vaster distances in these past six months than I had in all my combined years hitherto. And nearly all of that motion has been through public transportation. Wherever I am in the world, and in whatever vehicle, I rub shoulders with the quirky and the elegant, the militant and the musical, the sleepy and the scornful alike— and catch a glimpse of the lives of each. 1. On the metro between castings last week in Paris, my train car was serenaded by two different street performers in quick succession: the first, an elderly gentleman with a trumpet and a mustache, played very well, and I gave him a euro for his skill and for reminding me how romantic Paris can be. To the second performer, an old lady who had only her voice as instrument and howled rather tunelessly, I also gave a euro— for her grievous lack of skill and the bad luck of having such formidable trumpeters to compete with. Moral of the story? If you should ever wish to take your musical talents (or non-talents!) to the subways of Paris, choose wisely the acts you follow. That, and… it seems my wallet is rather easy prey regardless, so scratch that about skill and wise choosing! 2. There is a dead man outside Port Authority. It’s a February morning on the steps leading to the terminal. Two EMS personnel are propping him up on a chair draped in a white sheet, darting forward repeatedly to uphold a tumbling limb like two children vainly persuading a heap of stones to stand upright. His bare feet lie splayed on the concrete, grimy and relaxed. I want to get far away from him, fast, but some perverse curiosity detains me on the steps to watch and wonder at his fate. I’m expected at a shoot, though, so I pass through the doors and to the subway. What would my agents say if I told them t'was a dead man made me late? 3. On a puddle jumper headed from New York to Dallas the other evening, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation of two men in the seats behind me (the rows were so tight, it was impossible not to!). One was old, the other young; one was Texan, the other a New Yorker; and both were strangers to each other. The older man, wearing a pink polo shirt, slacks, and loafers, was reminiscing to his seat-mate, unbidden, about his youthful dalliance with the army. “When I finished school,” he claimed, “I joined the US army, for two reasons mainly: shooting a gun is fun, and I wanted to also see the world.” Korea was the US enterprise of the time, but our pink polo fellow didn’t get very far because, it seems, when he went to basic training he fell “madly in love with a flight attendant, and… that was it.” He decided not to go to war. “Well at least, you know, you, um, had a happy ending,” the New York man timidly supplied. His son gazed silently ahead. What hope rests on new generations! When you’re in Paris for work it’s often easy to disregard your setting and overlook all that the city offers— especially when your work happens to be fashion week. For fashion week, like a parrot, is a glittering, captivating creature of ever-shifting humors who demands all of your attention and most of your time. Fashion week keeps you up late with midnight fittings and wakes you up early with 6 am call times. Fashion week blisters your feet with extraordinary shoes and fries your hair with flatirons. Fashion week worries you and thrills you and disciplines you, swoops you up to giddy heights and drops you down at the end of a month feeling at once drained and exhilarated. But mostly drained. So why all the bother for a month of shows that leaves you wondering what hit you? Because not only are there practical rewards to be gained from a show season (like exposure and client relationships that may pay off in jobs down the road), but also a huge amount of insight and worldly experience to be gleaned from this month of madness. Fashion week, and modeling in general, is a window into this most complex of world-wide industries, and provides a view not only of some of the most renowned artists of our modern era, but also of the culture we live in. It is for this view—the privilege of seeing these artists work and this culture evolve, of witnessing the most enchanting and absurd of characters, of experiencing society and experiencing the individual—for this I immerse myself in the frenzy of this month and pursue the unpredictable runway circuit. How’s that for living on the edge of your seat? This job, however, isn’t entirely about change, and there are in fact some aspects of show season that for a model are quite predictable. 1. Castings— Sometimes a blast with a bunch of your best friends and other times long and uneventful, castings are the standard way to meet the high and mighty of the fashion industry and (hopefully) book jobs! 2. Fittings— Fittings and sleep deprivation go hand in hand, as fittings usually occur the night before a show and are no instantaneous process— no effort is spared nor detail neglected when the realization of a designer’s vision is at hand. Seams must be altered, shoes insoled, jewelry paired, bags stuffed and belts hole-punched. At the end of the night—sometimes with the first light of dawn— an abstract concept or sketch on paper has been given life. Quirky hours and sleep loss notwithstanding, I find fittings to be consistently wondrous things. 3. Meeting Interesting People: As a model my itinerant job exposes me to quite a parade of characters, like the dresser at Isabel Marant a few days ago who assured me that dog walking was more lucrative than baby-sitting (not to mention dogs more managable than children); hadn’t I ever tried it? 4. Blistered Feet— Pediatric woe is an inevitable byproduct of show season. You may not imagine that shoes could actually create blisters in such short periods of contact (let alone blisters of such considerable size!), but once you try wearing a few new, cutting-edge (literally) pairs of shoes every day sans socks, you’ll quickly come to understand! 5. Wearing Interesting Clothes— As someone who reveres craftsmanship and beauty, it’s a thrill for me to be able to represent the brands I find myself regularly ogling through store windows. This black chiffon shirt belonged to my retro/punk outfit at Isabel Marant, and take my word for it: it looked much better in real life. But amidst all this hubbub of work, it is important to occasionally pause and remind yourself that you are in fact standing a few hundred feet from the Eiffel Tower over there, or perhaps around the corner from the granite wonder that is Notre Dame. Because, though shows may change, and trends and tastes fluctuate from season to season, the one circumstance in all of Paris Fashion Week that never, ever alters, is Paris. 1. Food: Start your day off like the Parisians— that is, with a delicious, not-exactly-nutritious breakfast. A fresh croissant, crispy on the outside, stretchy on the inside, is the holy marriage of butter and dough…and pairs lamentably well with a hot café creme. 2. Music: Get serenaded by a street musician— it’s not hard to arrange. On nearly every subway at nearly every hour throughout the day and city you can find singers, saxophonists, trumpeters…I even saw one guy playing a harp! When you hear La Vie en Rose warbled by solo trumpet in a near-empty metro car late at night, you can’t help but feel drawn into that magical, heart-warming romance Paris is so famous for. 3. Sweet Meetings: Grabbing hot chocolate with a friend is the best way to break up the stream of castings and remind yourself that in addition to a lot of other things, Paris happens to be capital of sugary treats! Especially when the hot chocolate you're grabbing is no less than “the best hot chocolate in Paris” (according to Coco Chanel), and as far as I can judge rich chocolaty things—which is pretty well— the best hot chocolate ever, at cafe Angelina. Thick as gravy and rich as Trump (but a good deal more palatable), it is just extravagant enough to make a rainy hour in a hectic day feel like a special occasion. 4. Wander the streets: My favorite part of Paris (besides the pastries, of course) is the architecture. If you have time enough to walk somewhere rather than take the metro, go for it— every alley is a feast for the eyes. 5. Get Inspired: Write a poem in a spare moment— it helps evoke the city's abounding literary past. Because it’s sometimes refreshing to shoo that fashion parrot from off your shoulder, and listen a little, taste a little, contribute a little to the indomitable essence of Paris. You see? Life on the edge need not always feel hectic— sometimes it can simply feel French. Sorry I'm posting this quite late, but I've been in the thick of fashion week and what with travel and work haven't had a minute. But I'm done now, and here you go-- one from two weeks ago! I spent the last two days in Dallas shooting for Neiman Marcus (yes, not just a 24 hour sleepover,— two days this time! I’m moving up in the world…I hope), and for some reason they put me up not only in the king of all kingly hotels, the Four Seasons, but in the king of kingly rooms, a suite. And this wasn’t just any suite. This was a stand-alone suite the size of an Adirondacks cabin, detached from the main hotel building and located down a path that wound by the bubbling (and odorous) hot tub and over a bridge straddling the shimmering outdoor swimming pool (there’s a tongue twister for you)… Anyway when I finally reached my room (or shall I say, apartment!) I was amazed to find what all I had to myself: two bathrooms, a huge bedroom with a desk, sofa, and master bed; a living space complete with dining table, fireplace, and another sofa; and a patio with wooden chairs overlooking the resort’s golf course. All these luxuries, and only me to enjoy them! These two days in Texas were very busy— and not all with work! 2. Try both the shower AND the bath… leaving some time between, of course, to let your skin un-wrinkle… as much as I appreciate (and exemplify!) the granny look, it isn't always optimal-- especially when you have a shoot the next morning! 3. Turn on the tv in two different rooms and on two different channels while you wander around packing and getting ready for bed. I don’t have a tv at home, so this was an unusual treat, and a great way to see a bit of everything— wander through the living room to glimpse the news stories (politics politics politics, peppered with a few fresh atrocities from the innumerable pockets of unrest in the world); then through the bedroom to catch up on the contrasting first world unrests of the Kardashians and co. 4. Do some yoga on the terrace at midnight: after a long day in a studio bouncing between makeup chair and set, it is wonderful to stretch your body and breathe some fresh air at last, even if a bit chilly! 5. Once you’ve worked out enough (like after three minutes) make a cup of tea in the little water boiler and throw on a coat. Sit out there in the deepest of the deck chairs, sip your tea, listen to the quiet buzzing of the pool filter nearby and survey the large, flat, dark Dallas sky and the occasional golf cart that goes silently by. When newer models ask me for advice about modeling (not that I’m an expert by any means, but occasionally it happens), I always tell them it’s imperative to learn not to take personally the losses and gains of jobs, especially in runway. The competition for work is great (there are so many stunning girls out there), the frustrations frequent, and the only way to avoid chronic devastation is to detach yourself emotionally from the “confirmations” and “releases” of bookings: in reality neither have anything to do with you, but rather with your height, your hair color, the relationship (or shall I say rivalry) between two casting directors who won't both hire the same girl, or even the shape of your earlobes (as in the case of a Vogue jewelry shoot I was considered for a few months ago)! To be disappointed over these arbitrary circumstances would be foolish— and useless. Then this week my doctrine was put to the test. This week was New York Fashion Week, and my ruminations— maybe premonitions?—of the previous journal entry proved eerily close to the reality that has come to pass. Somehow— from a combination of scheduling conflicts that tied my hands, a trending hunger for catwalk populations of edgy, unexpected faces that I can’t satisfy, and an industry-wide disinterest in models who aren't seasoned enough to be someone yet no longer new enough to be no one,— from such an agglomeration of circumstances, and probably others I’m not aware of, I struggled to book shows this season. Walking for only three brands (three wonderful brands, to be sure, but three nonetheless), I received an unprecedented opportunity to try my detachment theory. And I found it tricky— like many things, easier said than done. It’s hard to dismiss something as being “not about you” when getting booked for or dropped from a runway show seems so directly about… you. The earlobes, though; the rivalries and heights and hair colors, must all be remembered at these moments. You’ve really worked yourself up over nothing: this modeling job, you remind yourself, is just that: a job, holding no more significance than any other service we perform to pay the bills. Stripped of the thrilling idea of glamor and prestige, it no longer warrants any special emotional attachment. After all, it’s not glamor and prestige that matter— those come arbitrarily to those of good earlobes and certain hair colors. At the end of the day only diligence and perseverance are meaningful. After thus praising perseverance, I will now seem riotously hypocritical when I tell you that in light of my meager New York fashion week I have decided not to continue on to Milan. Phony two-faced shrew, am I right? But let me explain. I believe there’s a certain time and place for perseverance, and a certain time and place for prudence, too. Spending my money and energy abroad in the pursuit of a show season that has given generous indication of not wanting me to pursue it would be sheer foolhardiness, and so I have strategically resolved to stay home. (Well, not exactly home… I have a job scheduled next week on the other side of country, but any place in this hemisphere is close enough to home for me)! In doing some "fact-checking" for this piece I discovered that most of Europe is actually in the Eastern Hemisphere, which was a convenient but unexpected fact.

2019-04-25T08:54:51Z

http://www.zuzutadeushuk.com/home/?offset=1475064247723&category=Journal

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We have numerous locksmiths ready to bring top notch services for the people of United States. In order to help you in selecting the proper products for your safety, our company has adept professionals. They will arrive in your place equipped with the best cutting tools. We make sure our customer service agents are on phone all the time to respond to your concerns. Our company has a lot of services for residential, commercial, and automobile owners. No need to worry about the payment because we make sure that you can afford it. We also provide free of charge guidance and help on the safety measures you can get. We have round the clock, weeklong services for our customers, so we can help them out in crucial times. If you need a professional locksmith services and other security issues, just call us immediately. We are more than willing to help you. It is extremely crucial to prep yourself in any type of robbery or burglary. 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With support staff on hand, you can rely on their assistance and recommendations on various security issues. Our service team is available round the clock, 7 days a week, even holidays. Call us immediately when troubles occur. We promise to respond to you shortly. Get ready to experience the best services.

2019-04-19T10:31:44Z

https://www.key-making.com/category/in/

2001-06-11 Application filed by Morrison Douglas C. filed Critical Morrison Douglas C. A computer method and system for electronic shopping that, without load or reload of browser pages, allows immediate add or change of item quantity and display of transaction amounts. A vendor can choose to include any number of item order pages, category order pages, or order summary pages that show the associated current item selection upon page load. An optional running subtotal enhances performance while using recorded data ensures reliability. Optional components accelerate and aid in the order process. Detailed and pictorial item information, if included, can be displayed throughout. Advertisement can be presented in intermediate referring pages used for updates, and in a mouse-over preview window when it is not being used for selection and verification. Web site vendors can obtain an accurate picture of user behavior and interests. The system can be implemented on a network, off-line using a portable medium, or obtaining partial information from a network. FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate the list and picture format category order pages with the associated repeated HTML code used to dynamically generate the item displays. FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate an item description page displayed in a pop-up window and in the lower frame. FIGS. 4A - 4C illustrate example order summary pages: an invoice page; the repeated HTML code used to dynamically generate item listing; and an order picture summary. FIGS. 5A-5F illustrate some of the possible variations for the category order pages and the repeated HTML code used for item display. FIGS. 6A-6B illustrate a simple keyword search engine. FIGS. 8A-8C illustrate input data structures, a conceptual diagram and a schematic block of diagram of a representative system. FIGS. 9A-9F illustrate: the quantity adjustment component; a simplified block flow diagram of the running subtotal procedure for order pages; a simplified block flow diagram of the order subtotal procedure for order summary pages; a simplified block flow diagram of the order subtotal procedure for order pages and deferred calculation procedures. FIGS. 10A-10D are simplified block flow diagrams of the routines that generate category order pages, recall selected items, save selected items and calculate the order subtotal from recorded data. FIGS. 11A-11C are simplified block flow diagrams of the routines that generate an item description page, recall a selected item, and save a selected item. FIGS. 12A-12C are simplified block flow diagrams of the routines that generate order summary pages, recall selected items, and save selected items. One preferred embodiment, used for illustration of the best mode of the invention, has list format and picture format category order pages and is presented in FIGS. 1-4C. The corresponding page generation, recall of selected items, and save of selected items are presented in FIGS. 10A-12C. Some of the possible variations for category order pages are illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5F. Remaining drawings and description further explain the present invention and illustrate some of the other embodiments. A small Glossary is included at the end of this section to define selected terms. FIG. 1 illustrates an opening frame set of a preferred embodiment with an upper 101 and lower 102 frame. The upper frame presents a single common reference area to recognize and access the entire system. The upper frame is comprised of: a drop down navigational box 103, transaction amounts 104, a mouse-over preview window 105, various user instructions 106, navigational links 107 and various hidden values required for system operation. The lower frame is an example of a site navigation page containing links to various item categories and major components of the system. As this site navigation page is in the opening frame set, it also contains a check and a redirect to an alternate page for non-compliant browser versions. FIGS. 2A illustrates a list format category order page in the lower frame. It is comprised of: category title 201; descriptive item name hyperlinks 202; text boxes for quantity specification 203; quantity adjustment buttons 204; text boxes 205 for item amounts; a hyperlink 206 for an optional updated display of selected items in a modified picture format; a hyperlinked image 207 for display of the item description page; selected item preview picture(s)208; an informational pop-up tag 209 showing the descriptive item name, quantity, and price; a text box 210 displaying the page total for the selected items; a button 211 to clear all selected entries and reload the page; a repeated hyperlink 212 to display the same category items in picture format and a browser status bar 213 for user instructions. The mouse pointer 214 is over Item 1-2 descriptive hyperlink and the corresponding small item preview image is displayed in the mouse-over preview window 105 in the upper frame. Simultaneously, the status bar message 213 indicates “Click for item description”. The preview images can be pre-loaded into the browser picture cache so that the mouse-over preview window changes almost instantly when the mouse pointer moves over the description hyperlinks. This enables the user to rapidly locate items of interest. If the descriptive hyperlink is clicked, the corresponding item description page will be displayed. Similarly, clicking the hyperlinked image 207 presents the same item description page. Thus, textual, pictorial, and detailed information for an item are all readily available to the user. Five items were chosen for illustration. However, the actual number of items that can be displayed is dependent on vendor's needs and may be constrained by the client browser type and computer processing power. To select or adjust item quantities, adjustment buttons 204 corresponding to listed item can be clicked. On click, the item quantity 203 is adjusted, then the item amount 205, the page total 211, and transaction amounts in the upper frame are recalculated and displayed. The option to enter any item quantity using the keyboard and then left click the frame or tab to update the calculations is always available. Consequently, the user can order-in-place, make multiple selections and immediate changes, without having to wait for the load or reload of any pages or frames. For user convenience, previously selected items of the category are displayed in a modified picture format upon page load. This category picture summary remains unchanged with additional item selection or changes. The category picture summary is updated by clicking on the update hyperlink 206 or any previously displayed preview picture 208. An intermediate referring page, which in turn loads the list format category order page, is used to accomplish the update. As the browser displays the intermediate page during the update, it can be blank, present additional information, or be used for advertising. The browser's refresh or reload button also will update the category picture summary. #1!1!1 0.00!info001.html!Item 1-1 Descriptive Name!prevs001.jpg!details.gif! #2!2!10.00!info002.html!Item 1-2 Descriptive Name !prevs002.ip!10offgif! FIG. 2C illustrates a picture format category order page in the lower frame. It is comprised of: category title 221; a repeated hyperlink to display the same category in list format 222, hyperlinked rollover images to the item description page 223, informational rollover images 224; item preview pictures 225; text entry boxes for quantity selection 226; quantity adjustment buttons 227; an informational pop-up tag instructing the user 228; an informational pop-up tag showing the descriptive item name, and price 229; a text box displaying the selected items page total 230; the mouse pointer 231 over the lower frame; and a browser status bar user instruction 232. Previously selected item quantities are displayed when the page is loaded. Clicking on the item preview pictures 225 adds selected items to the order. If the mouse pointer pauses over a preview picture, an informational pop-up tag 229 is displayed showing the descriptive item name, and price. As the preview pictures are large compared to the mouse pointer, the rate of addition to the order depends mainly on the browser type and computer processing power. Refer to FIG. 7 for performance data. If an item is inadvertently selected, the quantity can easily be adjusted or the item deleted by clicking on the decrement indicator of the adjustment buttons 227. On click, the item quantity 226 is adjusted and displayed. The item amount is calculated and stored in a hidden text box in the page. The page total 230, and transaction amounts 105 are then recalculated and displayed immediately informing the user of the results for each purchasing decision. Additionally, quantity may be directly entered via text boxes 226 and the calculations updated by left clicking the lower frame or tabbing. As illustrated in the drawing, the mouse pointer 231 causes the browser status bar 232 to display “Left click on frame to update $ Amount”. One skilled in the art would realize that some vendors may prefer to use small pre formatted text instead of an image to increment the quantity. Detailed information is readily available via the hyperlinked description image 223 that, if clicked, displays the item detail description. It is possible to present special item information such as discount, availability, and so on, by employing rollover images 224 in conjunction with the description images. When the mouse pointer moves over the rollover image, the description image 223 becomes visible. For Item 1 and Item 3 the description image 223 has been used for the roll over image. If the mouse pointer pauses over a description image, an informational pop-up tag 228 instructs the user to click for the item description page. Either image Alt tags or Tool Tips can be used to display the informational pop-up tags. FIG. 2D illustrates the repeated HTML code used to dynamically generate the displayed item group for a picture format category order page. Designed to display properly on both Netscape® and Microsoft® version 4+ browsers, code segments are numbered to correspond to the displayed elements on FIG. 2C. The “@j” in FIG. 2D denotes the item numeric position 1,2,3, . . . in a non-visible table with five items per row. In code segment 225 the item preview picture has been hyperlinked to “Add(1,@j)” function and the item amount is specified as a hidden text box value immediately after the quantity text box 226. Each change in item selection is recorded. Since the selected items for the picture format are the same as the list format, the recorded data is identical with that presented above. FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate an item description page displayed in a pop-up window and in the lower frame. Both the category order pages and the order summary pages have ready access to the item description page. Thus, detailed item description is always available. FIG. 3A illustrates an item description page in a pop-up window as the result of clicking an item description hyperlink at the mouse pointer 301. The resultant pop-up window 302 can be re-sized to full screen and presents detailed item information. The pop-up window allows a distributor to link to the manufacturer's description page thus eliminating page setup cost and download charges. The pop-up window is a separate browser window and it has a history allowing the user to easily compare detailed item descriptions using the navigation buttons 303. The order page remains available for resultant item selection during review of the detailed item descriptions. One skilled in the art, will recognize that the item description hyperlinks also could refer to a number of other file types, such as video, sound, or any format type supported by the browser, and not necessarily display a pop-up window. FIG. 3B illustrates an item description page in the lower frame reached by clicking the description tag 224 in FIG. 2C. This is the same item description page shown in the pop up window of FIG. 3A but includes the quantity adjustment component and, therefore, it is also an order page. It is comprised of: item description text with price 311; a large item picture 312 that is hyperlinked to add to the order; a text box for item quantity 313; quantity adjustment buttons 314; a text box for item amount 315; navigation buttons 316; and the remaining area 317 for detailed item information. Situated in the lower frame, only the back indicator of the navigation buttons 316 is functional. The mouse pointer 318 is over the picture and the browser status bar 319 instructs the user to “Click to Add to Order”. Clicking on the item picture 312, using the quantity adjustment buttons 314, or entering the quantity directly into the text box 313 with clicking on the frame will add to the order. The item amount 315 and the transaction amounts are recalculated and displayed. One skilled in the art would realize that facility to add to order also could be included in the pop-up window. #1!1!10.00!info001.html!Item 1-1 Descriptive Name!prevs001. jpg!details.gif! One skilled in the art will realize that a vendor may not have the descriptions or images for all order pages presented, or may not require the use of all order pages presented. Furthermore, the list and picture formats may not suit the vendor's needs. See FIGS. 5A-5E. Accordingly, a vendor may choose to include any number of order pages customized to the vendor's needs. FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate example order summary pages: an invoice page; the repeated HTML code used to dynamically generate item listing; and an order picture summary. FIG. 4A illustrates an order summary page used to complete a transaction and is displayed as an invoice. It is similar to the list format. It is comprised of: Titles and company information 401; date and time 402; quantity text boxes 403 and adjustment buttons; item description hyperlinks 404; item or unit prices 405: item amounts 406; order subtotal 407; shipping 408; tax 409; order total 410; a hyperlink to reload the page to remove zeroed entries 411; a hyperlink to view the order picture summary page 412; text boxes for customer information 413; text boxes for shipping Information 414; buttons to save, recall and delete customer and shipping information 415; payment information 416; and a button for secure checkout 417. Any previously selected quantities can be adjusted in place by using the adjustment buttons or by entering the quantity directly into the quantity text boxes. Item preview pictures appear in the mouse-over preview window in the top frame when the item description hyperlinks 404 are moused-over. This allows the user to quickly confirm selected items. If there is still user uncertainty, then clicking the item description hyperlinks displays the item description pages with detailed information. If any item is zeroed, its listing can be removed by a clicking hyperlink 411, which directs the browser to an intermediate page, which in turn loads the updated invoice page with the zeroed entry removed. The intermediate page can display additional information including advertisements. When the quantity adjustment buttons are clicked, the lower frame is clicked, or the tab key is pressed the following are updated. First, the item quantity 403 is multiplied by the unit price 405 and the item amount 406 is displayed. Next the subtotal 407 is calculated and displayed. Shipping 408 and tax 409, are then calculated and displayed. For illustration, it was arbitrarily assumed shipping was 10% of the subtotal and taxes were an additional 10% of the subtotal and shipping for the calculating of order total 410. In practical application, the calculations would be tailored to the vendor requirements using modules for shipping tax and so on. Finally, any transaction amounts 104 a vendor chooses to display are updated and displayed in the top frame. The next section 416 specifies payment information. As displayed, it is set up for non secure server. After a payment method is selected, the completed order can be printed and mailed, or printed and faxed to the vendor for order completion. To order securely on-line, a secure checkout button 417 is provided to transfer the order to a secure server. This has the advantage of only utilizing the secure server with associated encryption overhead for finalized orders and gives smaller vendors the facility to use third party secure hosts. FIG. 4B is the repeated HTML code to dynamically generate the items rows in the invoice format. Code segments are numbered to correspond to the displayed elements on FIG. 4A. The form also contains a hidden variable 418 used to store the item descriptions so that they can be submitted on-line. The “@P” is used to denote the item numeric position on the summary page table that is distinct from item category position “@j”. FIG. 4C illustrates an order picture summary. It is similar to the picture format category order page FIG. 2C but displays all items selected from different categories. The order picture summary includes the same items as the invoice page and allows the entire order to be worked with in pictorial fashion. The informational pop-up tag 421 for the selected item preview image also contains the category title for each item. Since the page displays all selected items, the page total 422 corresponds to the order subtotal and is labeled as such. Any selected item quantity can be easily changed in place without having to wait for page reload. There is a repeated hyperlink 423 to the invoice page. The date and time 424 are also displayed. The repeated HTML code dynamically generating the displayed item group is similar to FIG. 2D except the code line at 229 includes item category. Also “@P” replaces the “@j” throughout for item position, as it is an order summary page. FIGS. 5A-5E illustrate some of the possible variations for category order pages and their associated repeated HTML code for the item display. Three variations presented are: combination, selection drop down boxes, and the starter list format. FIG. 5A is a combination page blending characteristics of the picture format category order page and the item description page. It is similar to the picture format category order page shown in FIG. 2C except that provision 505 is made for a brief textual description of each item. This format may be appropriate for some vendors; however, considerable scrolling is required to view more than a few items. Input data needed is the same as the list and picture formats, but also includes a brief textual description for each item. FIG. 5B is the repeated HTML code to dynamically generate the item display and the numbering corresponds to the displayed elements in FIG. 5A. One skilled in the art will realize that a variety of combinations and presentations of the list format, picture format, and item description pages are possible. FIG. 5E illustrates a starter list format page. It can be used to bring a vendor on-line with minimal data requirements such as: item number, description, and price that are readily available from most accounting databases. It is comprised of: category title 521; the item descriptions 522; the increment adjustment buttons 523, quantity input text boxes 524; the decrement adjustment button 525; the item amounts 526; page total 527 and a page clear button 528. The quantity adjustment buttons have been increased in size to account for the absence of the picture format. It does not include the mouse-over preview images and item hyperlinks. Using multiple starter list format pages and a browser frameset, several hundred items could be placed on-line with a simplified invoice page similar to FIG. 4A. Later the site could be upgraded to include picture format pages and the item description pages if required. FIG. 5F is the repeated HTML code to dynamically generate the item rows and the numbering corresponds to the displayed elements in FIG. 5D. The @j” in FIG. 5F is used to denote the item numeric position 1,2,3 and so on. FIGS. 6A-6B illustrate a simple keyword search engine implemented to demonstrate the utility of the invention for displaying database search results. An array with comma separated item data, including a keyword, was used as the database. FIG. 6A illustrates a search form for search engine to initiate a query 600 and display the resultant search results as either a list format category order page 601 or a picture format category order page 602. FIG. 6B illustrates the results of a keyword search on “key3” in picture format. The advantage of the invention is that items can be immediately ordered-in-place, with multiple selections of varying quantities from the displayed search results. FIG. 8A shows input data used to generate the category order pages and item description order pages. Data is included as script during the page load. Data for category items can be: individual arrays 801; a single array with comma separated values 802; or as a combination of both. Arrays contain values for item price, item descriptive name, hyperlinked rollover images, preview images, and item description page. Additionally, the zero elements in the arrays are used for category data. The advantage of individual arrays is that they can be divided, while the comma separated values can be imported from a spreadsheet allowing several hundred items to be easily administered without a database for some vendors. The combination page, FIG. 5A requires an additional brief product description 803 while the starter list format, FIG. 5E, requires data as previously indicated. Each item description page requires category and item data as well as the item's category position. The data string 804 was used for the item description page in FIGS. 3A-3B. If required, the routine to pre-load the preview pictures into the browser cache can be included in the script with the input data. FIG. 8B is a conceptual diagram of the preferred embodiment using the list and picture format category order pages previously illustrated in the drawings. It illustrates the relationships between various components of the system. The dotted lines with the line arrowheads 805 show the user page changes possible. Arrows from the invoice and order picture summary to item description pages and the list format category order pages were omitted for figure clarity. Thus, access is provided to any page at any time. The solid lines with triangular arrowheads 806 represent information transfer between the client and server side. The dashed lines with beveled arrowheads 807 shows the recorded data 808 transfers. In the preferred embodiment for illustration of the best mode, current selected item data is maintained solely on the client side using cookies. FIG. 8C is a schematic block diagram of a representative system, operating in a Web client-server network environment, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. A network 825 interconnects a server computer 810 and a client computer 830. The server 810 is coupled to the network 825 via a network interface 813. Similarly the client 830 is coupled to the network 825 via a network interface 831. The network 825 may be the Internet, which is a vast global Web of interconnecting networks that includes WebTV. It may be smaller Wide Area Network (WAN). It may also be an Intranet, which is operating in a domain of one or more interconnected Local Area Networks (LAN). In general, other servers and clients may also be connected to the network 825. The server 810 is a computer that includes a microprocessor 811, a Random-Access Memory (RAM) 812, and storage 814. The Storage 814 is typically a nonvolatile mass storage such as magnetic disk drives. The storage 814 stores, among others, a number of Web-specific programs, such as a Web Server 815 a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) 816, Secure Server 817, a data file and page generator 819 and time logs. When the server is operating as a Web server, the programs are transferred to RAM 812 and are executed from there by the microprocessor 811. The Common Gateway Interface programs 816 handle HTML forms and cookies transmitted using the browser's location bar. The Secure Server program 817 is used for financial transaction data in conjunction with a transaction data base 818. The page generator 819 and data file generator 820 work in conjunction with an item database(s) 818 for handling search queries. If the scripting files have not been previously downloaded and there are less than 10 items to be displayed, it is more efficient to generate the formatted page on the server for download to the client 830. The page generator 819 is the implementation of the invention on the server 810 using search results with transmission of the display code to the client 830. The data file generator 820 is a routine that formats query results for input data as previously discussed in FIG. 8A. The data file generator is also used for the embodiment with minimal data in the cookie. Database table(s) for queries, based on item code, would contain an input data string similar to that used for item description page 804 for each item. A query of an item database(s) using the item code would return complete item data for generation of the order summary pages to the client. One skilled the art would realize that database queries and their use are well known and the database(s) 818 can be implemented with any number of database programs. The exact code structure of the data file generator depends on the internet server, database type, database structure and vendor data requirements. The time logs 821 are server programs that record page access times amongst other server events. The storage 814 also stores a collection of Web pages, script files, data files, and images, as well as any file type supported by the browser 822. Each is addressable by its unique Universal Resource Locator (URL). The Web pages are: order pages, order summary pages, site navigation pages, and other informational pages. An opening frameset is typically included. The client 830 is another computer on the network that includes a microprocessor 832, Random-Access Memory (RAM) 833, a network interface 831 and storage 839. The network interface 831 is typically a fax modem or cable modem. A pointing device 836, such as a mouse or its equivalent, a keyboard 837 and a printer 838 are coupled to the client 330 via an I/O interface 835. The client 830 also has speakers 846 connected via sound interface 845 and a drive for accessing high capacity portable storage media 834. The client storage 839 is typically a non-volatile mass storage such as a magnetic disk drive. The storage 839 stores among others a Web browser program 840 that is compliant with HTML version 4+ and has the cache 841 and the cookies 842 enabled. A Web page is displayed by client 830 on a display 844 via a display interface 843. A hyperlink is actuated opening the initial frame set using the pointing device 836. Web pages, script files, data files and other file types downloaded from the server 810 are transferred to the client's RAM 833 and are executed from there by the microprocessor 832. The browser saves Web pages and images to the cache 840 while the “<script src=”scripts.js“></script>” only reside in RAM 833 during operation. Item selections are saved in cookies 842 in the preferred embodiment. Since browsers support audio format files, speakers 845 are present. FIGS. 9A-9F illustrate: the quantity adjustment component; a simplified block flow diagram of the running subtotal procedure for order pages; a simplified block flow diagram of the order subtotal procedure for order summary pages; a simplified block flow diagram of the order subtotal procedure for order pages and deferred calculation procedures for order pages. The quantity text box 901 has the “onchange” event handler that updates the order calculations when an item quantity is changed. The “update_function” refers lower loops of the procedures in FIG. 9B, FIG. 9C, and FIG. 9D. Thus, transaction amounts are continually updated upon selection or change in item quantity. The increment indicator image 902 of the adjustment buttons has been hyperlinked to an Add function that reads the quantity in the quantity text box 901 and increments the read quantity by one. The decrement indicator 903 has been hyperlinked to the Add function that reads the quantity in the quantity text box and changes the read quantity by minus one. Both indicator hyperlinks have “onMouseOver” event handlers that display flattened images to inform the user which indicator the mouse pointer is referencing. The mouse pointer 904 caused the flattened image to be displayed for the decrement indicator. In block 910, all previously selected item(s) are recalled for the page. The page total is calculated and recorded in block 911 using the recalled item quantities multiplied by price. In block 912, the running subtotal is recalled. If there are no previous item selections from any category, then the subtotal is zero, otherwise it is the running subtotal for all selected items from every category. In block 913, the specified transaction amounts are updated and displayed in the top frame based on the recalled subtotal. At block 914 the routine pauses waiting for an item selection or change in item quantity initiated by the user in block 915. Upon item selection or change in item quantity, the item amount 916 is calculated. The item selection is recorded in block 917. Blocks 1041-1052 in FIG. 10C save the item selection for a category order page, while blocks 1141-1158 in FIG. 11C save the item selection for item description order page. These routines are discussed in depth with their respective figures. Once either routine completes, the procedure returns to FIG. 9B and a new page total is calculated in block 918. For the first change of item selection after page load, the change in page total is calculated in block 919 using the page total that was initially stored in block 911. The new page total calculated in block 918 is stored in memory 920 for the next change in page total calculation. The current change in page total, either positive or negative, is added to the subtotal in block 921 for a running subtotal. Optional alerts in block 922 instruct the user to go to an order summary page, if the subtotal is negative or non-numeric. This will be discussed in detail subsequently. The running subtotal is recorded in block 923. If the running subtotal is recorded to the client's storage, it also maintains the subtotal between browser sessions. In block 924, the specified transaction amounts are updated and displayed in the top frame. The routine returns to the pause in block 914 waiting for the next item selection or change in item quantity initiated by the user. The procedure exits once the user is satisfied with their item selections and navigates to another page. “OOPS, there has been a processing error! FIG. 9C is a simplified block flow diagram of order subtotal procedure that is used for order summary pages. All previously selected items are recalled in block 930. This is implemented during page generation using blocks 1201-1215 in FIG. 12A and blocks 1220-1236 in FIG. 12B. Refer to the drawings for the detailed discussion. The procedure returns to FIG. 9C and the order subtotal is computed in block 931 using the recalled values. If the order pages are using a running subtotal, then the order subtotal is recorded in block 932. This resets any discrepancies between the running subtotal and what is actually recorded to the order in the selected item data. In block 933 the required total invoice amounts are updated and displayed. At block 934 the routine pauses waiting for an item selection or change in item quantity initiated by the user in block 935. Upon item selection or change in item quantity, the item amount is calculated in block 936. The item selection is recorded in block 937 using the subroutine routine in blocks 1240-1252 of FIG. 12C. Block 938 calculates the order subtotal using the displayed values on the summary page. If a running subtotal is used, the order subtotal is then recorded in block 939. The required invoice amounts are updated in block 940. The routine then returns to the pause in block 934 waiting for the next item selection or change in item quantity initiated by the user. The routine exits once the user is satisfied with their item selections and navigates to another page. All selected items for the order page are recalled in block 950. This is done during page generation. For a category order page, blocks 1001-1018 in FIG. 10A and blocks 1021-1032 in FIG. 10B are used. For an item description order page, blocks 1101-1115 in FIG. 11A and blocks 1121-1133 in FIG. 11B are used. Next, the page total is optionally calculated in block 951 for display. As all items selected for the order may be not displayed on one of several order pages, they must be recalled in block 952 using the recorded data. The order subtotal is calculated in block 953. For computational efficiency, blocks 952 and 953 are implemented in a loop that repeatedly recalls each selected item and incrementally computes the subtotal as shown in blocks 1060-1073 of FIG. 10D. Included in the loop are error detection blocks 1064-1065 that optionally inform the user of any errors made by the browser recording the selected item data. In the last step to complete the document load, order transaction amounts are updated and any specified transaction amounts are displayed in block 954. The procedure then pauses 955 waiting for a user item selection or a change in item quantity 956. Upon selection or change, the item amount is optionally calculated and displayed in block 957. The page total is optionally calculated in block 958 for display. The revised item selection is next recorded in block 959. Blocks 1041-1051 in FIG. 10C are used for a category order page and blocks 1141-1158 in FIG. 11C are used for an item description order page. Next, all items in the order are recalled in block 960. The order subtotal is calculated in block 961. Blocks 1060-1073 in FIG. 10D, which include the optional error detection blocks 1064-1065, are used again to inform the user of any errors recording the item data. Next, the order transaction amounts are updated and any specified transaction amounts are displayed in block 962. The routine returns to pause 955 waiting for the next item selection or a change in item quantity. The routine exits once the user is satisfied with their item selections and navigates to another page. “OOPS your Browserjust lost one of its Cookies! FIG. 9E and FIG. 9F illustrate the delay procedures discussed above for the running subtotal and order total respectively. Block 970 refers to “onUnload, “onBeforeUnload” and “onMouseOver” event handlers while remaining blocks in the diagrams are rearrangements of the loops in FIG. 9B and FIG. 9D. Other re-arrangements are possible. FIGS. 10A-10D are simplified block flow diagrams of the routines that generate category order pages, recall selected items, save selected items, and calculate the order subtotal from recorded data. FIG. 10A is a simplified block flow diagram of the routine that generates a category order page. The script files and category data file are loaded in block 1001 into computer memory. Category name and the lower frame Universal Resource Locator (URL) in block 1002 are stored in hidden text box fields in the upper frame for future reference. If the page is list format, the item preview pictures are pre-loaded in block 1003 into the browser's picture cache. The page category title and the table headers are displayed in block 1004. In block 1005 a counter is set with “j=1” and the character string is initialized to a null value. Using the input data @j and HTML format @j, the category item is added to the character string in block 1006. The “+=” assignment operator is used to build the display string. Recall that FIG. 8A presented the input data structures while FIGS. 2B, 2D, 5B, 5D, and 5F presented repeated HTML code segments for category order pages. A check is made in block 1007 to determine if all items are completed. If not, the counter “j” is incremented and the loop continues until all items are completed. As the string is in script, all quotation marks are preceded by a “\” backslash so that they are displayed as characters when the string is written to the document in block 1008. It also would be possible to do this statically, that is, to create and edit a template but the procedure would be time consuming and prone to mistakes. The table footer that includes the page total text box is displayed in block 1009. The quantity text boxes on the page are cleared in block 1010 to prevent outdated entries from being displayed on a cached page when the browser's back button is pressed. The current item selection for the category page is recalled and displayed from the recorded selected item data in module 1011 using blocks 1020-1032 of FIG 10B. If the running subtotal procedure of FIG. 9B is used, block 1012 calculates and stores the page total into a hidden variable for the first calculation of change in the page total. The recorded running subtotal is recalled in block 1013. If the order subtotal procedure of FIG. 9D is used, the page total is optionally calculated and displayed in block 1014. All items are recalled from the recorded data and the subtotal is recalculated in block 1015 using the computationally efficient routine in blocks 1060-1073 of FIG. 10D. Next, transaction amounts are updated in the top frame in block 1016. If the category order page is list format, a clear button is displayed in block 1017 and a picture summary of the previously selected items for the category is generated in block 1018. Modified picture format code (FIG. 2D) is used to generate the string for selected items in an analogous fashion to blocks 1005 through 1008 for the display of the selected item pictures. FIG. 10B is a simplified block flow diagram of the module 1011 in FIG. 10A that recalls previously selected items for a category order page. The document.cookie is split with a semicolon in block 1020 into Array1 whose elements contain data character strings recorded from active category pages. An array element counter is initialized in block 1021 and a loop begins. A check 1022 is made to ascertain if all Array1 elements are completed. If true, the routine exits. Otherwise the loop continues and Array1 elements are sequentially split into Array2 elements in the loop using an equal sign “=” in block 1023. The loop also exits if the first element of Array2 is equal to the category identifier in block 1024. Upon this exit, the previous category character recorded data string is equal to the second element of Array2. The recorded data string is split with the primary separator “#” in block 1025 into Array3. An element counter for Array 3 is set in block 1026. Next, each element of Array3 is split in block 1027 with the secondary separator “!” into Array4. Array4 elements contain item data. The first element Array4 is item position while the second element Array4 is item quantity 1028. The recalled item position is used to calculate the corresponding form element index for displaying the quantity in block 1029. Next, the recalled item position is used to get item price from the input data and the item amount is calculated in block 1030. The recalled item position is used to calculate the corresponding form element index for displaying the item amount in block 1031. Finally, a check is made in block 1032 to determine if all Array3 elements or selected items have been completed. If not, the routine continues at block 1027 with the next Array3 element, until all selected items are displayed. FIG. 10C is a simplified block flow diagram for blocks 917 and 959 in FIGS. 9B and 9D respectively that save item selections for category order pages. First, a character string in block 1041 is initialized to a null value. The category data in block 1042 delimited with secondary separator “!” is added to the data string. A loop index is initialized in block 1043 to read all selected quantities from the category document. A check in block 1044 is made to determine if the item quantity on the document is positive. If it is not positive, the loop counter is incremented and the next item quantity on the document is checked. If the item quantity is positive, then a primary separator “#” is added in block 1045 to the data string that demarcates the data for the individual selected items. The loop index plus the secondary separator “!” are added to the data string in block 1046 recording the item position on the page. In block 1047, the item quantity from the document plus the secondary separator “!” are added to the data string. Input item data, referenced by the loop index and required for the order summary pages, is added to the data string delimited by the secondary separator “!” in block 1048. A check is made to determine if the all items in the category have been completed in block 1049. If not, the loop indicator is incremented and the routine starting at block 1044 is repeated for the next item position. Once all category items have been completed, an alert in block 1050 is used to inform the user if the data string is greater than 3000 characters and approaching the browser's cookie size limit. Next, in block 1051 an expiry date based on the current time, plus a predetermined number of weeks is calculated in milliseconds since Jan. 1, 1970. The expiry time can be chosen to facilitate recurrent orders to suit the vendor's and user's requirements. The final block 1052 saves the data string with the “document. cookie” function. The cookie syntax is: the category identifier, an equal sign, the escaped data character string, “; expires=”, and the expiry date converted to Greenwich Mean Time. FIG. 10D is a simplified block flow diagram of the computationally efficient routine that recalls all selected items from recorded data and calculates the order subtotal incrementally. The routine handles blocks 952-953 and blocks 960-961 for order subtotal procedure for order pages outlined in FIG. 9D. The routine is implemented in block 1015 of FIG. 10A for category order page, and in block 1113 of FIG. 11A for item description order page. “OOPS your Browser just lost one of its Cookies! In block 1065, if Array2 is greater than 8 characters, a predetermined category identifier limit, the same confirm above is displayed. Recorded selected item data is by categories, and this limits the loss of item selection to a category that can be immediately re-entered. Confirms are used so the message can be turned off once the user is aware of the error. Next, in block 1066, Array2 is checked is made to determine if the element is the running subtotal data or the customer information. If any previous checks are true, then the loop counter is incremented and the next element of Array1 is considered. If all checks are false, a counter is set in block 1067 to count the number of selected items (k=0) in the category The second element of Array2 is split in block 1068 with the pound sign “#” into Array3. The item counter is incremented (ii=ii+1) in block 1069. Element[k] of Array 3 is split in block 1070 with the secondary separator “!” into Array4. Array4 elements contain the selected item data. At block 1071, the subtotal, initialized at block 1060, is summed using the quantity multiplied by the price for each item obtained from Array4 elements. Block 1072 ensures all category items (Array3 elements) are completed, and block 1073 ensures all categories (Array1 elements) are completed. FIGS. 11A-11C are simplified block flow diagrams of the routines that generate an item description page, recall a selected item, and save a selected item. If displayed in the lower frame, then the quantity adjustment component is included and the page becomes an order page. FIG. 11A is a simplified flow diagram to generate an item description page. The scripts and item data are loaded into computer memory in block 1101. The descriptive item name and price in block 1102 are displayed on the document. A conditional in block 1103 determines if the page is the lower frame or a pop-up window. If the page is displayed in the lower frame, the navigation buttons in block 1104 are displayed with the back button (316 FIG. 3B) navigating to the opening page. If the page is displayed as a pop up window, the back button (303 FIG. 3A) in block 1105 refers to the previous document in the browser window. The item's large image is displayed in block 1106. Another conditional in block 1107 again determines if document is in the lower frame. If the page is not in the lower frame, the detailed item information is displayed in block 1115 and the page is completed. If the page is in the lower frame, then the quantity adjustment component is displayed in block 1108. The item quantity is recalled by a module in block 1109 that performs blocks 1121-1133 in FIG. 11B. The item amount is calculated in block 1110. If the running subtotal procedure in FIG. 9B is used, the item amount is stored in block 1111 into a hidden variable to facilitate the first calculation of change in the page total. The running subtotal is recalled in block 1112. If the order subtotal of FIG. 9D is used, all items are recalled from the recorded data and the subtotal is recalculated in block 1113 using the computationally efficient routine in blocks 1060-1073 of FIG. 10D. Next, the transaction amounts are updated in the top frame in block 1114. Finally, the detailed item information is displayed in block 1115 and the page is completed. FIG. 11B is a simplified block flow diagram of the recall module routine 1109 in FIG. 11A that recalls the item quantity for an item description order page. A variable “rindex” set to minus one in block 1121 is subsequently used to record the item category position in the data string. The loop counter “m” set in block 1122 subsequently counts category cookies contained in Array1 elements. The document.cookie is split in block 1123 with a “;” into Array1. A loop in blocks 1124-1126 is used to recover the category data if the category is active. A check is made in block 1124 to determine if all Array1 elements are completed. If true, the routine exits. Otherwise, the loop continues and each Array1 element is split in block 1125 with an “=” into Array2. Array2, the first element, is compared to the category identifier in the input data in block 1126. If the check in block 1126 is true, the category is active. The loop exits and another loop counter “n” is set equal to zero in block 1127. Array2, the second element, is split in block 1128 with the “#” the primary separator into Array 3 whose elements contain the selected item strings for the active category. A loop 1129-1131 determines if the item was previously selected. A loop check is made in block 1129 to determine if all Array3 elements are completed. If true, the routine exits. Otherwise, the loop continues and each Array3 element is split in block 1130 with an “!” into Array4. A check is made in block 1131 to determine if Array4 is equal to the item position in the input data. If the check is true, the item has been found and the loop exits. The variable “rindex” is set to “n” in block 1132 and this value is used for saving item selection in FIG. 11C. Finally in block 1133, the item quantity is set to Array4, the second element, and displayed on the document and the routine exits. FIG. 11C is a simplified block flow diagram of the routine to save item selections for an item description order page used in block 917 in FIG. 9B and block 959 in FIG. 9D. The routine handles three cases: no previous category item selections; previous category selections but the item not previously selected; and the item previously selected. It works in conjunction with the “rindex” variable and Array3 elements that were created during page load by the recall module of FIG. 11B. A null character string is initialized in block 1141. The category data plus a “#” in block 1142 is added to the string. A counter “n′=0” is initialized in block 1143 for a loop to consider all Array3 elements. The loop 1144-1150 adds all previously selected category items to the string and a change of quantity for the displayed item from the document if previously selected. A check in block 1144 is made to determine if all Array3 elements are completed. If true, the routine proceeds to block 1151. Otherwise, the loop continues and “n′” is compared to “rindex” in block 1145. If “n′” equals “rindex” and the document item quantity is greater than zero from the check in block 1146 then: the item position in block 1147 is added to the string; the item quantity from the document in block 1148 is added to the string; and the remaining item input data delimited by the secondary separator followed by a “#” is added to the string in block 1149. If “n′” does not equal “rindex”, then element Array3 [n′] is added to the string in block 1150. This block simply adds other category item selections to the string. Once all Array3 elements have been completed, a check is made in block 1151 to determine if “rindex=−1”. If it does, then the item was not previously selected and check is made in block 1152 to determine if the document quantity is greater than zero. If there is no item selected, then the routine simply exits with no change to saved data. If “rindex=−1” and the document quantity is greater than zero then: the item position from the input data in block 1153 is added to the string; the item quantity from the document in block 1154 is added to the string; and the remaining item input data followed by a “#” is added to the string in block 1155. Next, in block 1156, the final “#” is removed from the string. An expiry date in weeks is calculated in block 1157 and the final string is saved to storage in block 1158 with the document.cookie function. At block 1151, if “rindex” was not equal to minus one, then the routine continues at block 1156 saving the string data accumulated in the loop 1144-1150 with the document.cookie function. FIG. 12A is a simplified block flow diagram of the routines that generate an order summary page. The scripting files are loaded in block 1201 into computer memory. A check is made in block 1202 to determine if there are any selected items to be recalled. If not, the following alert in block 1203 is issued. The page location is stored in top frame in block 1204 for future reference. The page and table headers are displayed in block 1205. The invoice format has company information and data required for a printed invoice, while the order picture summary page headers are similar to picture format category order page. Arrays, one for each item data field, are created in block 1206 to store the selected item data temporally. This saves loading data for each category and retains the category position index for each item. Consequently, the vendor can include an unlimited number of categories. The temporary array indices are used to correspond to the item positions on the order summary page. The page format, either invoice or order picture summary, is dynamically generated in block 1207 using blocks 1220-1236 in FIG. 12B to inform the user of any recording errors and concurrently to store item information into the temporary arrays. Next, the table footer with the page total text box corresponding to order subtotal is displayed in block 1208. The page total corresponding to the order subtotal is calculated in block 1209 from the page entries. If the running subtotal procedure of FIG. 9B is being used, then the subtotal is recorded in block 1210 resetting the running subtotal for the category and item description order pages. Next, block 1211 updates the specified transaction amounts in the top frame. If the summary page is invoice format: all transaction amounts such as the shipping, tax, order total and so on are displayed in block 1212; customer and shipping information section with the save component are displayed in block 1213; and the Print & Fax instructions and Secure on-line order section are displayed in block 1214. Finally, the page is reloaded using a redirection page in block 1215. The reload is necessary since pressing the browser's back button might cause the browser to load a previously cached page with outdated item selections. As the order summary pages use an intermediate page to ensure current selection, the intermediate page can display additional data or present an advertisement to the user. FIG. 12B is a simplified block flow diagram for block 1207 in FIG. 12A, which recalls all selected items and issues confirm dialogues informing the user if there are errors while dynamically generating the order summary page. Block 1220 initializes two counters. One that counts the total number of items (ii=0) selected from all categories and one that counts the cookies (j=0) for each active category. The document.cookie is split in block 1221 with a semi colon “;” in to Array1. Next, each element of Array1 is split in block 1222 with an equal sign into Array2. The first element Array2 runs through a series of checks. “The corresponding items to above may have been dropped from your order! “OOPS your Browser just had a Cookie problem! Next, Array2 is checked in block 1225 to determine if the element contains the running subtotal data or the customer information. If any previous checks are true, then the loop counter is incremented and the next element of Array1 is considered. If all checks are false, a counter is set in block 1226 to count the number of selected items (k=0) in the category. The second element of Array2 is split in block 1227 with the pound sign “#” into Array3. The item counter is incremented (ii=ii+1) in block 1228. Element[k] of Array 3 is split in block 1229 with the secondary separator “!” into Array4. Array4 elements contain the selected item data. The item counter “ii” is used to store item data in block 1230 into the temporary arrays. A check is made in block 1231 to determine if all the category item data has been stored and if not, the selected item counter for the category is incremented (k=k+1). Once all selected item data for the category has been stored, a check is made in block 1232 to determine if all the cookie data has been completed. If not, the cookie counter is incremented (j=j+1) and the next element of Array1 is processed starting at block 1222. One skilled in the art would realize that if the selection is from more than 28 categories, an additional alert will be required to inform the user of the impending category limit and to submit current selection and start a new session. Once all item data for the remaining cookies has been stored into the temporary arrays, a counter is set (P=1) in block 1233 to display all selected items. This counter is used to get the selected item data from the temporary arrays and dynamically generate the item display format as a string in block 1234. The format of the invoice page uses the code in FIG. 4B and the format of the order picture summary uses the modified code in FIG. 2D. It should be noted that selection drop down box choices (FIG. 5C) can be integrated into the order summary pages by displaying the choices with the item description and in the pop-up tags. The display string is continually generated until the display counter “P” is equal to the item counter “ii” 1235. The document is then opened and the string is written in block 1236 thus displaying all selected items of the order. FIG. 12C is a simplified block flow diagram for block 937 in FIG. 9C that saves item selection for an order summary page. Since selection data is saved by category, any change in item quantity requires updating the category cookie. This requires recall of category item position and remaining item data from the temporary arrays created during page generation. First, a character data string is initialized to null in block 1240. The item position in the document is used to recall the category identifier from the temporary arrays and add it to the character string with the secondary separator “!” in block 1241. The category title is added in block 1242 to the character string plus the primary separator “#”. A loop counter is initialized p=0 in block 1243. The temporary array category identifier element[p] is compared to the category identifier of the changed item in block 1244. If it is different, the next item is considered. If the category identifiers are the same, the item position from the temporary arrays[p] and the secondary separator are added to the data string in block 1245. The item quantity from the document at position “p” and the secondary separator are added to the character string in block 1246. Next, the remaining item data from the temporary arrays[p] is added to the character string in block 1247. Item data elements are separated by the secondary separator with the last element followed by the primary separator. A check is made in block 1248 and the routine is repeated from block 1244 until all temporary array elements are considered. Next the resultant data string length is checked and an alert is issued, if the length is greater than 3000 characters in block 1249. An expiry date in block 1250 based on the current time, plus a predetermined number of weeks is calculated in milliseconds since Jan. 1, 1970. The final primary separator is removed from the data string in block 1251. The final block 1252 saves the updated category data with the document.cookie function. The cookie syntax is: the category identifier, an equal sign, the escaped data character string, “; expires=”, and the expiry date converted to Greenwich Mean Time. In block 1301, a null character “string” is initialized. Block 1302 adds “category identifier category identifier” to the string. This defines the structure to allow the use of existing recall routines. However, recall routines must use the hidden variable in the top frame for this embodiment. The category title in block 1303 is added to the string. A loop index “j=1” in block 1304 is initialized. A loop in blocks 1305-1310 builds the selected item data string for the category. The document quantity is checked in block 1305. If the quantity is greater than zero: a primary separator “#” is added to the string in block 1306; the loop index “j” denoting item position in block 1307 is added to the string; the item quantity from the document is added to the string in block 1308; and finally the item data is added to the data string delimited by the secondary separator in block 1309. If the document quantity at block 1305 not positive, then the next element is examined. The loop continues until all category items are completed in block 1310. A semicolon “;” in block 1311 is added to the string to maintain compatibility with existing recall routines. The previous string is recalled from the top frame in block 1312. It may be a null string initialized during frameset load if no items are selected. The previous string in block 1313 is split with a “;” into Array1 elements containing saved category item data. A loop index is set equal to zero in block 1314. A loop in blocks 1315-1317 places the category selections from the document into the corresponding Array1 element if it exists. First, a check is made in block 1315 to determine if all Array1 elements have been completed. If all Array1 elements have not been completed, the routine continues by splitting Array1 element[k] with an equal sign “=” into Array2 in block 1316. A check is made in block 1317 to determine if the first element of Array2 equals the category identifier. If false, the next Array1 element is considered at block 1315. If the check is true, items from the category have been previously selected and element Array1 [k] is replaced in block 1318 with the string generated in blocks 1301-1311. In block 1319, the top string is made equal to all the elements of Array1 and the routine exits. This handles the case where items of the category have been previously selected. If all elements are completed in block 1315, then block 1320 sets the top string equal to string generated in blocks 1301-1311, plus the previous top string recalled from memory and the routine exits. This handles the case where no items of the category were previously selected. Similar character string manipulation routines using memory for the item description pages and order summary pages would allow the invention to function without cookies. As further extension, a one-pixel and border-less third frame can be included into the frameset to save the data string to maintain item selections between browser sessions. The third frame document would be dynamically rewritten with the selection data string and saved as a hidden text box element initial value. Thus, the browser's page cache 841 would be used to maintain the item selections between sessions. The procedure would be to start the browser in the off-line mode loading the third frame page from the browser cache rather than initializing the page from the server. Thus, transmitting the item selection data to the vendor's server for retrieval later is more practical. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said item refers to any product or any service, described or displayed by text, graphics, images, sound, and video, or any combination thereof. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein recorded item data is adapted a vendor's particular needs. 5. The method of claim 3, optionally comprising a method of recording with said recorded item data, the time of making said selection or change. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said order page displays of at least one item for said selection or change of item quantity. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said order summary page, displays all selected item(s). 12. Further to method of claim 1, an optional method of providing item descriptive name, item price, and item preview image with immediate access to item detailed information. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising a method of providing elements to access any said order page and any said order summary page. 14. Further to method of claim 1, an optional method of assigning zero price to all items, thereby effectively recording item quantity selections for subsequent completion of a transaction. d) displaying resultant item quantity in said input element: the steps being performed without browser load or reload. 17. Further to claim 16, wherein said single user action is a mouse click or any pointing device equivalent. 18. Further to claim 16, wherein said quantity may refer to a currency unit. 19. Further to claim 16, an optional method comprising coupling of transaction calculations to said quantity adjustment component. n) repeating steps e) through m) for each subsequent selection or change in item quantity: the latter steps being performed without browser load or reload. 22. The claim of 21, further comprising an optional access to each item's detailed description page. 23. The claim of 21, further comprising an optional method for finding and selecting items, that displays an item preview image in a preview window (105) when the mouse pointer moves over an item description name. 24. The claim of 23, optionally comprising a method of advertising by displaying additional images in said preview window while it is not being used to display said item preview image(s). 27. The claim of 26, optionally comprising a method of advertising displaying information on said intermediate referring page. 28. The claim of 27, wherein said information is presented utilizing any web page element. 32. The claim of 31, wherein said optional display is a mouse-over rollover image. 34. Further to the method of claim 20, wherein a vendor can choose to include any number of said optional order pages of claim 21, 29 and 33 adapted to vendors needs. l) repeating steps g) through k) for each subsequent selection or change in item quantity: the latter steps being performed without browser load or reload. 37. Further to claim 36, an optional element to access each item's detailed description page. 38. Further to claim 36, an optional method for confirming items, that displays an item preview image in a preview window (105) when the mouse pointer moves over an item description name. 39. Further to claim 38, optionally comprising a method of advertising by displaying additional images in said preview window while it is not being used to display said item preview image(s). 40. Further to claim 36, an optional method of removing zero quantity entries by using an intermediate referring page to reload said order summary page. 41. The claim of 40, optionally comprising a method of advertising displaying information on said intermediate referring page. 42. Further to claim 36, wherein a vendor may use said order summary page as an Invoice. C. non displayed element for each item amount. 44. The claim of 43, further comprising an optional access element to each item's detailed description page. 45. The claim of 43, further comprising an optional display of item status information on said access element. 46. The claim of 35, optionally comprising a method of advertising displaying information on said intermediate referring page during order summary page load. the latter steps being performed without browser load or reload. 49. The claim of 48, further comprising an optional element to access each item's detailed description page. 50. The claim of 48, further comprising an optional method for finding and selecting items, that displays an item preview image in a preview window (105) when the mouse pointer moves over an item description name. 51. The claim of 50, optionally comprising a method of advertising by displaying additional images in said preview window while it is not being used to display said item preview image(s). 54. The claim of 53, optionally comprising a method of advertising displaying information on said intermediate referring page. 55. The claim of 54, wherein said information is presented utilizing any web page element. 60. Further to the method of claim 47, wherein a vendor can choose to include of any number of said optional order pages of claim 48, 56, and 59 adapted to vendors needs. 61. A system for electronic shopping on-line with a web browser comprising: a network (825); at least one vendor computer (810), associated with at least one vendor and comprising at least processor (811), memory (812) and web server software (815) configured to host web pages and execute transactions (817), that is connected (813) to said network; at least one client computer (830), associated with at least one user and comprising at least a processor (832), memory (833) and a web browser (840) configured to access and communicate over said network, that is connected (831) to said network; and further comprising at least one order page and at least one order summary page, in at least one browser window with or without frames, and elements configured to provide access to any page. 62. The system of claim 61, wherein said network is selected from a group consisting of, intranet, local area networks, wide area networks, and the Internet. 63. The system of claim 61, wherein a selection or change of item(s) quantity is recorded and specified transaction amounts are calculated without browser load or reload. 64. The system of claim 61, wherein said order page(s) or said order summary page(s) upon load, recall previously selected item quantities from recorded item data and display specified transaction amounts. 65. The system of claim 61, wherein said order summary page comprises: instructions and information needed to complete a transaction; and elements for transmission to said vendor. 66. The system of claim 61, wherein said vendor computer(s) optionally comprises: at least one item database (818), for at least one vendor, and a search engine for query (600-602) of said item database(s). 67. The claim of 66, wherein said query displays item(s) on order page for immediate selection of any quantity. 68. The system of claim 61, wherein said vendor computer(s) optionally comprises a customized component (820), for orders in excess of browser capability, using minimal recorded data received from said client to generate full item specification for at least one order summary page. 69. The system of claim 61, wherein said vendor computer(s) optionally comprises, for statistical marketing analysis, time logs (821) of user page downloads to be used with recorded time of making selection or change of an item. optionally, code segments for a customized component, for orders in excess of browser capability, using minimal recorded data received from said client to generate full item specification for at least one order summary page. 71. Further to article of manufacture of claim 70, wherein a client computer on-line obtains partial item information (834) from said portable computer medium and the remainder from a vendor server on a network. 72. Further to article of manufacture of claim 70, wherein said client computer off-line derives all item information from said portable computer medium and said transaction is completed by faxing or by printing and mailing said order summary page.

2019-04-22T08:22:21Z

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20020042750A1/en

§ Order read, for resuming Adjourned Debate on Question [21st March], "That the Bill be now read a second time." The President of the Board of Agriculture and Her Majesty's Ministers may congratulate themselves that we have not fallen into the natural temptation of raking up old scores and winning an easy rhetorical victory over the inconsistency of right hon. Gentlemen opposite. I am strengthened in that wish by the fact that the speech of the right hon. Gentleman in introducing the Bill showed an almost entire conversion to the views held on this side, and contained a note of sympathy, almost of enthusiasm, for the policy of re-creating the life of rural England. I wish to confine myself strictly and severely to practical suggestions on this one of the most important proposals that have come 1699 before the House. We complain that the Bill is not up to sample; it is not so good as the admirable and sympathetic speech of the right hon. Gentleman. It appears to have some of the features we have recognised in other measures of late years, and seems, on the very face of it, the offspring of that unholy union between the renegade Radicalism of Birmingham and the New Toryism which looks to the votes of the agriculturists in the country districts much more than to the principles and precepts of the Old Toryism of the past. Like other offspring of this unblessed union, this proposal is stamped with sterility. I recently moved for a Return of the proceedings under the Allotments Act, and the amount of land acquired under it, and hon. Members on both sides know that that Return will show incontestibly its absolute failure as a piece of machinery for bringing land within the reach of the agricultural labourer. The two main reasons of that failure are that though compulsion was in the Bill it was so fettered and kept in the background that it had no useful and practical effect. In the passing of the Act the Radicalism of Birmingham stultified some of its early principles by not giving us effective support in carrying the principle of compulsion. As there is no compulsion at all in the present Bill, there is great danger of its being more ineffective and useless than the Allotments Act. If compulsion was necessary in dealing with small plots of land it is ten times more necessary where you are dealing with larger areas. The right hon. Gentleman said he would not introduce compulsion into the Bill because it might frighten the landlords, but in the Allotments Act the justification urged for compulsion was that it would be, as it were, a rod, rarely used, but kept in the background, to compel the landlords to re-consider their position with regard to allotments, and to do justice to the people. My view is that land has been brought within reach of the people in allotments mainly because they have votes, and also because landlords have land on their hands which they desire to put to practical use. This Bill professes to 1700 be a great experiment—and as an experiment, within certain limits, I heartily welcome it—and upon it I wish to make useful suggestions, and not merely destructive criticisms. In such an experiment as this it is the first duty of a practical Minister to provide the raw material on which the experiment is to be tried. I have no desire to start revolutionary theories with respect to land, but the Act which dealt with the enclosure of commons in 1876 gave a precedent by providing that a certain proportion should be retained for allotments and recreation grounds. Why has not the Government introduced some such provision in this Bill for dealing with the Crown lands, the lands of the Duchy of Lancaster, and glebe lands? There we have great national resources, and it is the duty of the Minister, in such an experiment as this, to create channels through which the land can be brought within reach of the people. I do not see why the Bill should not ear-mark these lands for the purpose of small holdings, with, of course, equitable consideration for the rights of the existing tenants, and of the interests of the nation and the Crown in the lands. I do not see why such a plan should not be adopted in some modified or more limited form. Take the facts in the recent Glebe Lands Return, which are of a most startling nature. Mr. Arthur Arnold, in his evidence before the Small Holdings Committee, drew attention to the position of these lands near to the villages and their consequent usefulness and suitability for the purpose of small holdings. The Return shows that out of 206 cases glebes, which are practically national land—for if it is a National Church the land is national land—have been diverted from the uses to which they ought to be devoted, and in 95 cases out of the 206 the purchasers were the owners of land immediately adjoining the glebe, and the powerful man, who had been adding field to field and house to house, was enabled to swallow up these glebe lands, which might have been given to the labourer and small holder. Of the whole number of purchasers registered only two—a cottager and a waggoner—appear to belong to the artizan or 1701 labouring classes. There were sold 1,587 acres for over £90,000, and in five cases out of six the glebes were bought by a single purchaser. That shows that this national store of land is being handed over in the interest of the Church and the landowning classes owing to the imperfect machinery of the Act, and is not used as it might have been for carrying out a great experiment like this. I have had some experience of the administration of the Duchy lands, and the spirit in which they are administered is simply deplorable. The Duchy practically refuses to consider the question of allotments unless the proposed tenants are already living on part of the Duchy land, although they might be living in the adjoining town. That shows how far we are from a just administration of these great national resources from the view of a supply of land for the use of the people. The hon. Member for Stamford (Mr. Cust) repeated a suggestion, made recently by Lord Thring, that in the case of the Succession Duty and the redemption of the Land Tax, payment should be taken in kind, and that the Government should encourage the handing over of land to the Local Authorities in order to carry out the policy of small holdings. But there is another point to which I must refer. I would recall the attention of the right hon. Member for West Birmingham (Mr. J. Chamberlain), who was Chairman of the Small Holdings Committee, to the deplorable, and almost sinister, action of that Committee in regard to the question of settlement. Everybody knows that the best land will not be available for small holdings until the system of settlement is broken up, and you enable the life owner to deal with the land. It was proposed in that Committee by my hon. Friend the Member for Ilkeston that the Committee should make a statement to the effect that the abolition of the Law of Settlement was the very corner-stone of the question of bringing land within the reach of the people, and recommend the abolition of that law as the first essential to carrying out this policy. What was the result? The two Members for Birmingham by their own efforts defeated the proposal that the Law of Settlement should be amended 1702 in the manner suggested by my hon. Friend. Now I contend that, as no steps have been taken to make available these great resources, or to open channels to bring land more freely into the market, it is for that very reason the duty of Her Majesty's Ministers to introduce the principle of compulsion. How is land to be got? There are, of course, landlords who have provided small holdings, but we also know that has been where large farms held by farmers who have become bankrupt have come into the landlord's hands. I know of one generous and wise landlord who has found himself with 1,000 acres on his hands, and has promoted small holdings from philanthropy as well as self-interest. But the landlords are not willing to sell the land for the purpose for which we require it. The position we are in is that under this Bill there is no absolute power to obtain land, and the only land in the market would be little fagged-out estates, neglected and mismanaged, fragments of land sold off bigger estates, the owners of which are practically bankrupt, inaccessible farms out of the way of the markets, or heavy clay land. In some cases this land, as the right hon. Gentleman said, may be obtained at comparatively low prices, but what would be the position of a County Council which attempted to buy under these terms? The result of this Bill is to create an artificial market for land otherwise unsaleable, and at the value placed upon it by the owners. You will find that the County Councils will buy the land at considerably over its agricultural value, and those who take the land will have to pay a price which has been estimated in one quarter at no less than 50 or 60 per cent. above the rent which a man would pay for similar land as a hiring tenant. That is not a sensible and practical proposal, and we shall not get at the land unless in this Bill we have the principle of compulsion, and have it applied so that we can get land at its fair price. Now with respect to the local administrative machinery. I have pointed out that the land which the County Councils would acquire would be small farms or small estates of, say, 300 acres at the outside. This 1703 land would be situated in one part of the county, and the whole of the experiment would be carried on for the exclusive benefit of the inhabitants of that particular parish or group of parishes. But the county rate runs over the whole county, and the result would be discontent and friction in those parts of the county which were not benefited by the experiment. In this respect the Bill requires to be remodelled with a view of rendering it more equitable to the ratepayers, and more workable in itself. I think the Allotments Act has much better machinery in this respect, and it would be well if the principle of the 9th clause, which delegates power from the County Council to local managers in the case of land let in small amounts of one to ten acres, were extended. There should be some local machinery to see that the right land is acquired and that the right men get it, and until you get something in the form of Parish Councils—which we on this side of the House have found are very popular in the country—you will get no nearer a solution of the question. The hon. Member for Stamford (Mr. Cust) referred the other day to the question of registration of title, and I think it is essential that there should be introduced into this Bill something of the same kind of principle that we found in the Irish Land Purchase Act for the registry of title. I would also call attention to a valuable suggestion made by Lord Thring that the rural post offices should be used to develop this policy of small holdings. I think it would be most useful for maps and all information to be kept at all the rural post offices, and printed forms for inquiry on application, so that the agricultural labourer without trouble may have all the facts he requires placed at his disposal. I think this Bill, though it is in a very imperfect form, may be made useful to the country. If you will adopt local machinery of the kind I have suggested, put in the corner stone of compulsion, and also of fair prices, if you have Local Bodies who can initiate schemes for the County Councils to consider, and if you introduce the principle of compulsory leasing and re-letting of land, I venture 1704 to think that the Bill will be of immense benefit. I have made a rough calculation of what may be done under the provisions of this Bill. If the County Councils are empowered to spend £10,000,000 as a maximum sum, and they acquire land at the rate of £50 an acre—a very high price, but I mean that to include every expense—it will provide something like 200,000 acres of land. That would provide about 20 or 30 acres for every rural parish in England, and if we introduced the principle of the compulsory hiring of land you would find that the sum available would provide a much larger area. The small holders would be much more ready to rent than they will now be to buy, and the plots of land would be scattered instead of being gathered in one large and inconvenient plot. As a director of the Small Farms and Labourers Land Company presided over by Lord Wantage, I have paid close attention to this matter, and the experiments which we have made may not be uninteresting to the House. We have acquired about 750 acres of land, and the population working on that land and drawing its livelihood from the land has multiplied four times. The holders have been able to provide their own buildings, and to provide them in a very satisfactory way. One tenant bought 17 acres of arable land and two acres of pasture land at comparatively low price. This man has built a house with two bed rooms, two sitting rooms a kitchen and an outside dairy for £85; he built a cowshed, a barn and other appurtenances for £22, and fenced his land for £5. This shows what it is possible for people to do when they are in a position to do the work for themselves. When he bought the plot he paid £73 down and is now paying instalments of £17 10s. a year, and he and others on the estates have been very successful. There have been few or no evictions, and few tenants have left. We find that there has been a very large demand for plots of this land, as tenancies, and few of the tenants were willing to buy in spite of the fact that they could get the land at comparatively low prices. In this way the land is naturally distributing itself into 1705 plots of two, three and four acres, and at the top of the list you find small farms of 19, 25, and 30 acres. In this view I may say that I look upon the 2nd sub-section of the 9th clause which enables the County Council when the tenants are not in a position to buy the land to let the land in lots of from one to ten acres as a practical proposal, and whatever happens to the Bill I hope the Government will stick to that proposal and make it work. If the right hon. Gentleman is willing to reconstruct this Bill so as to have something like Parish Councils, if the principle of compulsion is introduced even in some qualified form to enable County Councils to buy desirable plots in desirable places rather than the larger estates which are now in the market, and if compulsory leasing is introduced, it seems to me that by this Bill you will achieve a practical result. But there is one clause of this Bill which is as unwise as, I think, the section to which I previously referred is wise. Section 10 has the very ambitious intention of introducing the Ashbourne Act into England, and I do not think any clause proposing such an enormous change, but without the slightest machinery for carrying it out, has ever been proposed in this House. This Bill may be worked into shape on the lines that I have suggested. What we really want is a big Allotments Bill to enable agricultural labourers to get possession of a plot of land, and go on from acre to acre until they have got 15 or 20 acres. We wish to give the small tenants an opportunity of rising higher and higher, and we rejoice over the conversion of the Government to the principle of giving facilities for access to the land. But while I am disposed to give every credit to the Government I must say that the political aspect of this Bill is a little too transparent. In its present form it will do nothing but advance the prices of very nearly worthless estates, and it is obviously intended to obtain the votes of the agricultural labourers of this country. But I believe the labourers will not give their adherence to the Conservative Party in consequence of this bribe any more than they did in consequence of previous bribes. They 1706 know perfectly well that the Liberal Party is pledged not to do these things with one hand tied behind our backs, but to take our coats off and produce a measure which will give the people an opportunity of acquiring the land, and also give them a proper local authority to deal with it. The electorate of this country is prepared to return a Liberal majority, because they know that the Party will be pledged to deal with this question quite as much as with Home Rule. But Home Rule or no Home Rule, the men who send us to the House of Commons intend to see that the next Parliament shall not be dissolved until this question is dealt with. We shall not consent to any curtailing of the life of a new Parliament until this great question has been carried through. But while I have somewhat sharply criticised this Bill, I recognise it as an effort, within very narrow limits, to recognise a principle to which I give my heartiest support, a principle which will work for the benefit of the agricultural community. I rise with great diffidence to address the House on a subject of such great importance as that we are now discussing, and I trust I may be allowed to ask the House to extend to me that indulgence which is always given to those in my position. I can quite understand that the evil with which this Bill is intended to deal is felt more keenly in the agricultural districts than in the towns. But my excuse for rising is that I consider this Bill to be of very great importance also to the interests of the great towns of this country. I cannot profess that the constituency which I represent is to any great degree concerned in this Bill, but if the progress of the evil which this Bill seeks to correct still goes on, I think we shall find that the congestion of the labour market will year by year press inward from the outskirts of our great towns. This Bill endeavours to provide a remedy for that, but we were told during the progress of this Debate that this was not the right time for such a Bill to be introduced, as Parliament is moribund. We heard that objection not very long ago, but I 1707 contend, Mr. Speaker, that it is the duty of every Legislative Assembly to initiate new legislative proposals up to the hour of its death. I can understand that there is a certain amount of disappointment on the other side of the House—and this was clearly evinced in the speech of the hon. Member who has just sat down (Mr. Channing)—that this Bill was introduced not by a Radical but by a Unionist Government. But I ask what would hon. Members on that side of the House have said if the Government had passed over the promises they had made? I think we should have heard something about broken promises and unredeemed pledges. Although there have been and may be differences of opinion as to this Bill, I think it will be admitted that it is one which generally deals with the difficulties at which it is aimed. What are the causes of the success of small holdings in France? No doubt it is partly due to the influences of climate and the description of the soil, or the lie of the land. The soil in France is in many places suited for the cultivation of grapes, fruit, and vegetables, which pay well for the labour bestowed upon them. Why should the result of small holdings in England not follow to some extent the experience of those in France? One of the great causes of the division of the land amongst the people in France is that the transfer and registration of land is easy. In England land has become concentrated, and in this I agree with the remarks of the hon. Gentleman who has just sat down. Many capitalists have bought up small holdings, not only because times have been bad, but because capitalists can afford to pay for the investigation of titles. They can also afford to spend more on the soil, and they can wait longer for a return. I should like to see the system of voluntary registration extended so that the investigation of titles would not press too heavily upon small holders. I would not make it compulsory, but I believe the system would tend towards the success of the measure. We have heard a good deal about the sacred word "compulsion." I think nearly every Member who got up on the other 1708 side of the House was in favour of compulsion. But I have only heard one Member mention a case where he thought such compulsion would be absolutely needed. It has been said landlords will not sell, and that if they do sell, the prices they ask will be prohibitory without compulsion. I have not heard any arguments which lead me to that conclusion. I believe it would be most dangerous to introduce the system of compulsion. It would breed ill-feeling between County Councils and landlords. It might, in some cases, undoubtedly depreciate the value of land if County Councils could insist upon taking the best field out of an estate. Above all, I believe it would breed a feeling of insecurity which could not be good for any property or for any interest. Without compulsion I am sure we shall find plenty of land in the market, and that landlords will negotiate fairly. They would see that they could only get a fair price, as the County Councils would be condemned by the ratepayers if they gave a landlord more than a fair price. I believe landlords would rejoice at the creation of small holdings, as by such a system agriculture would be greatly improved and the position of the landlord would become much more favourable. It has been said the County Council is not the proper authority to put the Act in motion. There is no other authority except the Sanitary Authorities, and I suppose hon. Gentlemen opposite would not be anxious to see the Act carried out by them. I do not think the County Council area is too large a one, as the necessities of the case are met by the character of the Committee proposed to be created, on which both the locality and the county would be fully represented. Suppose there were Parish Councils and the power was given to them, in many cases the parish would be too small an area for raising sufficient rating. In that case the parish would have to get money out of the county rate, and some one would have to be appointed from the County Council or the Parish Council to see that the rate was properly expended, so that you would really arrive at the same result. The hon. Member for the Bordesley Division was anxious that the Government should be persuaded to 1709 put into their measure a clause which would enable County Councils to lease land, especially outside big towns. That might be a most successful proposal. Land outside big towns is very often specially valuable for the production of vegetables, flowers and other commodities used in almost every house in big towns. No doubt this might entail a little more risk, but as the County Councils have such large powers they may be entrusted to carry this out. I wish to thank the House for the patient way they have listened to what I had to say. I have ventured to put some observations before them, but I cannot hope for the immediate creation of small holdings. They will come very likely in the next generation. Want of capital will be a great difficulty in the way. Poor men cannot expect to do much good unless they can expend £8 an acre. I hope these small holdings may be a stepping-stone to a larger-class of holdings. I hope this measure will encourage and bring out the thrift which I am afraid, as a nation, we are rather wanting in, and I trust that it will re-create that class of yeomen who in years gone by have been the backbone and strength of the country. The right hon. Gentleman the Member for Midlothian has told us that small holdings would be a powerful instrument in the re-generation of the country districts. I believe it will preserve and increase the greatness of this country, and I feel sure that in years to come, when hon. Members will have had an opportunity of seeing the successful working of this Bill, they will look back with thankfulness and pride to the day when they assisted in passing it into law. No one could be more certain than the hon. Gentleman who has just sat down of a favourable reception, because he is the bearer of a name which at once commends him to universal respect and sympathy. I am very glad that being the bearer of that name he has now given us reason to suppose by his own qualities also he will merit the confidence and approval of the House. For my own part, I do not intend to enter at large into the arguments upon those portions of the 1710 present Bill which form the subject-matter of the principal part of the speeches delivered on this side of the House. What I do wish in the first place to impress upon the House is that we have before us a very great work, and, at the same time, a work in which we cannot expect to make very rapid progress. I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman who has just sat down in that part of his speech wherein he signified that in his opinion a long time would elapse before we could reach such a point as to be able to consider the condition of the country upon the whole, in regard to this matter, as thoroughly satisfactory. If that be so, if the work is great and the progress likely to be slow, undoubtedly, in my view, it is most desirable that we should not allow the opportunity now before us to pass without giving every extension in our power to the plan which has come under the consideration of the House. I am far from objecting to the conduct of Her Majesty's Government in the introduction of this Bill. I do not think that there is anything in the position of this Parliament short of its being its remaining term, which ought to have prevented them submitting their views to the House. I greatly rejoice to think that this Bill is an honest effort in the right direction. Having said that, I am bound to say that I think it is far within, far short of, that which the necessity of the case demands. No one, I think, can contemplate the position of this country with regard to the relations between the cultivators of the soil and the soil itself without considerable pain. And when it is said that compulsion cannot be necessary to introduce into a Bill of this kind, I am sorry to say that the slowness of the progress we have thus far made, when there has been nothing to prevent the full operation of voluntary contract in regard to small holdings, impresses me with a different feeling and with the sense of a strong necessity. The contrast between the face of this country and the face of other countries is painful in this respect. We have a popular Government; we have enfranchised the rural labourers; the rural labourer is attached to the soil; but, Sir, he ought to be much more at- 1711 tached to the soil than he is, and he would be much more attached to the soil were it not that his relation to it is in so vast a majority of instances only that which is constituted by hired labour on that soil. We ought to make great efforts, Sir, in this direction. We have come generally, or very generally, to the conclusion that there is something painful in the condition of the rural labourer in this great respect, that it is hard even for the industrious and sober man, under ordinary conditions, to secure a provision for his own old age. Very large propositions, involving, some of them, very novel and very wide principles, have been submitted to the public, for the purpose of securing such a provision by means independent of the labourer himself. Sir, I am not going to criticise these proposals, and I am only referring to them as signs that there is much to be done—that their condition is far from satisfactory; and it is eminently, as I think, our duty to develop in the first instance, every means that we may possibly devise whereby, if possible, the labourer may be able to make this provision for himself, or to approximate towards making such provision far more efficaciously and much more closely than he can now do. Well Sir, we ought, I think, to enlarge this plan as far as possible; I do not mean by excessive demands upon the time of the House, or the patience of the Government. I do not wish to interpose any obstacle in the way of passing this Bill, even if we should fail to introduce the Amendments which we desire; but I think it is our duty to state these Amendments clearly and plainly, because I think it is the fixed belief of those who sit on this side of the House that without such Amendments, the plan, however well intended, must fall very far short of giving effect to the benevolent intentions of its authors. I agree then with my hon. Friends who have spoken in this Debate, that it is necessary to introduce the principle of compulsion into this Bill. I think that, without the principle of compulsion, we are in a considerable danger as to the standard of fair price; while it is plain on the other hand, that compulsion will expose the landlord to no danger of having to receive a price unfairly low, 1712 inasmuch as the settlement of that price must be referred to an independent tribunal, where compulsion is brought into action, and the disposition of such a tribunal will always be, where there is a doubt, to give that doubt rather in favour of the person whose land is to be taken. Sir, there is another consideration of great importance which appears to me to show the necessity of compulsion—and that is, the situation of the land. It is of vital consequence when the holdings are small; it is of vital consequence to those who are to possess them, or to work them, that they should be in immediate contiguity to their own residences. I say where the holdings are small, and I mean by those words, where the holdings are very small; and I do not indeed, know why it is required in the Bill that the transactions of the County Councils must exceed one acre of land. That is a detail; but I doubt very much whether that provision, as it stands, is altogether a wise one, for it is my belief that the great majority of your transactions under this Bill will be transactions in very small holdings, and with regard to these very small holdings you deprive them of half their value if you do not place them in immediate contiguity to the dwellings. And there it is, Sir, that I confess I think it may be and must be requisite to introduce into the case, after all we have seen, the action of positive and coercive authority in order to secure this great advantage for those who are to be holders or owners of the land under a Bill like this. Well, then, I cannot doubt that we must have a smaller area of action. Take a county like Yorkshire: the County Council has to ascertain that there is a sufficient demand for small holdings to justify their putting the Act into operation. But, Sir, in a county like Yorkshire, and not only in a county like Yorkshire, but in a multitude of counties, and probably in almost every county, this demand will be at first but partial. It will be limited to certain districts of the county. How is the County Council to judge whether it is required, whether there is a demand of this kind over the whole of the county? Nay, I 1713 do not believe in every case that the County Council will be the best judge of the question whether in a particular small district such a demand exists or not. In a small district it may escape the notice of the County Council that such a demand exists. Small areas, therefore, I am persuaded, will be necessary. And then I am met with the objection that some parishes would be too small. I admit that you must constitute a unit of a reasonable amount, but there is ample room between the scope of a county and the limited area of some of the small parishes of this country to find ground for a reasonable conclusion. But there is also, Sir, this consideration which leads me to believe that we must have a smaller area. Supposing we take the case of an ordinary county with a partial and local demand, a demand which we hope will spread afterwards and become universal, but with respect to which we can have no means of realising anything like universality at present—supposing it should happen that the County Council find in a limited portion of a county that there is a real and active demand, while the rest of the county is not yet awakened to the necessity of arrangements such as these—if that is the case, and if the county rate is to be made liable for purchases made in a particular and limited portion of the county, a very great jealousy will exist in the remote parts of the county at the burdening of the entire rate on behalf of persons and on behalf of districts with which they have no sense of real neighbourhood. That jealousy, acting on the County Council, may prove to be a most formidable obstacle in the way of the operation of this Bill. Sir, it is so much an article of faith, it is so established a conviction on this side of the House, that we must not only have small areas, but smaller administrative bodies, that I need not dwell on that subject. It has been, I think, fully explained, and I am persuaded that smaller areas must be established—aye, very small bodies—bodies which I would describe as Parochial Councils, subject only to the admission I have made that a minimum area of a reasonable extent must be established, although that area may include several parishes. 1714 I believe that, subject to that limitation only, the establishment of Parochial Councils, thoroughly and exclusively acquainted with the needs of the neighbourhood, and the condition of the people, is essential to a good plan of small holdings such as this Bill contemplates. Then, Sir, it is said, and I think there is great force in the remark, that such bodies would not be competent to deal with the finance of the measure. I agree with that proposition. It is rather for the transaction of the material business in the limited district that I think they are well adapted. With respect to finance then, while a plan of this kind would have the advantage of laying the responsibility upon the rates only in those neighbourhoods where the people could appreciate the necessity for the transaction; on the other hand I quite agree that they would not be, except under the control of the County Council, they could hardly be bodies capable of dealing conclusively with those important financial questions. Well, Sir, I have mentioned those three points, of compulsion, of reduced areas, and of subordinate councils or parish councils, subject only to the consideration as I have said, of an area not unreasonably small. But that which weighs most upon my mind is a matter that has not been noticed uniformly by speakers even on this side of the House, but I was very glad to observe that it did find a place in the intelligent consideration that has been given to the subject by the hon. Member who has just sat down (Mr. Smith). I mean the question of leasing—the question of tenancy taken in the large sense, as contrasted with the question of purchase. The right hon. Gentleman the Minister for Agriculture, will, I am sure, forgive me, if I say that I attach but very small weight to the provision which he introduces upon this subject, not because it is limited to the extent of ten acres or to the value of £10, but because it is evident from the terms in which that provision is couched that it is only a subsidiary and temporary plan. It is only to provide for what I think will be the rare case where a County Council is convinced upon a consideration, not of the circumstances of the country, but of the particular and individual case, that a man is not yet 1715 in a condition to buy, but shortly will be: there and there only will he be at liberty to lease. Now, Sir, against that merely intermediate form of the use of the power of letting, I wish to set up a very much larger proposal and larger view of the enormous advantages which I think attach to that method of procedure. I want to know why the County Council should not be able to hold land upon feu from the landowner? It appears that there is considerable danger and difficulty in requiring the County Council to purchase, and then empowering them to let, because, if that is the case, the county rate will be obliged to become the purchaser of the fee-simple of the land. I am not aware of any reason why you should not authorise the County Council, whether you introduce compulsion or not, to take land upon feu, of course upon fair terms, from the owner who holds it. It would be no injustice to him, because he would receive full consideration in the form of an annual payment. It is no diminution of his security. His security would still be upon the rates. I cannot conceive that from either of these points of view the plan could be open to objection. I do not mean to say it would be an exclusive plan, but I wish to put it broadly in that way. I look not merely to the transaction between the County Council and the cultivator who is to obtain land under it, but I look to the position of the County Council itself, and then I observe that you have very great and, indeed, vast advantages, because you avoid altogether burdening the rates with the capital value of the land. I see a very limited application of this principle in a later clause of the Bill. I can conceive that it might be right to guard against possible deterioration in the value of the land at a future period by reserving some margin which should be made the subject of payment in full; but I give no opinion upon that subject, well convinced as I am that the operation of this Bill in 99 cases out of 100 and the operation of any good plan framed on this basis must be not to diminish, but to enormously increase the value of the land, which will be subjected to more thorough cultivation, 1716 and have more capital laid out upon it. Then, when the County Council has feued the land, I should leave to it a very large discretion in this matter. Let them proceed, aided by the Parish Council—let them exercise, to a great extent, their own judgment as to the kind of tenure under which the land is to be held. If there is an abundant supply of purchasers, by all means let them purchase. I think there can be no objection to these purchases. The financial part of the scheme, strictly so-called, as the right hon. Gentleman has framed it, seems to me to be soundly and considerately framed. I look upon it as by no means an impossible result that, from the want of purchasers, you will have the good intentions and the useful provisions of this Bill reduced to sterility. Be that as it may—and that may be too dark a view—I do not want to press it; besides those who are capable of purchase, there will be a great number of persons who may be not capable of purchasing, and yet competent to manage, and this will be a much larger class. Why would it be a larger class? Because, in proportion as the quantity of capital required is smaller, the class able to produce it is larger. It must never be forgotten that in this country, with the high value of land, if the small cultivator has saved a few pounds or a few score of pounds, and we ask him to invest that money in land by the mode of absolute purchase, we are asking him to invest four-fifths of his capital at 3 per cent. and only one-fifth of it would be left for the purpose of securing a trading profit. That is an immense difficulty in the way of purchase. I agree with the right hon. Gentleman in regretting the gradual disappearance of yeomen from this country; but when you consider those rigid, silent, but, in the long run, unerring laws of political economy which operate upon the minds and govern the conduct of men, what is the case of the yeoman whose land and farm stock together are worth £5,000? It is this: his land is giving him 3 per cent. on £4,000, and only £1,000 is giving him a trade profit. Is it unnatural that that yeoman should compare his own position with that of a man who applies for a farm carrying 1717 £5,000 in his hand, and putting into it the whole of that amount to stock it, the landlord supplying the other four-fifths at 3 per cent., with perfect content to himself. That is a consideration which I believe cannot be disputed, and constitutes a motive of enormous force. I am not arguing against purchase. Avail yourselves of purchase to the fullest degree that you can bring it into action. I quite admit that the property of the soil may, so far as social and moral purposes are concerned, attain more fully than any other means the moral and social ends that we have in view. But I do not wish to limit the benefit to be conferred within the narrow bounds which I believe purchase will offer. I believe it is in our power to go greatly beyond them, and it is for that purpose the hon. Member who has just sat down and the hon. Member for Bordesley expressed a desire that the Government may be disposed—and I am persuaded they will find very little difficulty in so doing—to extend the provisions and the basis of this Bill for the purpose of letting in a principle of tenure other than that of purchase. It is an advantage, if we can, to avoid invoking the aid of the State. I do not think that the State is in any danger, and I do not think there is any great objection to it; but, at the same time, it is well to avoid it where we can. I think, too, as regards the rates, it would be an immense advantage to avoid burdening the rates with the large amount of the capital sum. It would simplify the whole of the transactions, although the County Council would, in the last resort, be the financial authority. They would have little to deal with in the main, except annual receipts and annual outgoings. I have in vain laboured to discover any point on which this process would be disadvantageous to the landlord. The main point is that the question of tenure must not be limited to transactions between the County Council, the Local Authority, and the cultivator. The cultivator derives the greatest advantage of all, for he becomes a trader, and a trader only, in that sense in which agriculture, and even small agriculture, is a trade; and I cannot help expressing the immense satisfac- 1718 tion with which I see signs in every portion of the country that the public mind is continually opening more and more to the great advantages that may be gained by small agriculture. It is in regard to the small agriculture of France, and not in regard to its large agriculture, that this country can so ill bear comparison; and I believe I state a truth, on the best and highest authorities, when I say that the growth of agricultural values in France, between the period immediately following the great war and the present time, has been far more rapid than during the same period in England. Now, if that is so, it is not owing to the great farms. The large farms in Normandy and other parts of France are very like those in this country. I have no reason to suppose that they are superior to the large farms in England, and, indeed, some considerations may lead one to believe that they may be inferior. It is the small holdings in France that have brought the agricultural wealth of that country to a point so marvellously and almost incredibly large. I have not made these remarks in a hostile spirit. I fully believe that we have a common object in view. I want, as far as possible, to get upon a common ground, and if we do so I am convinced we may do enormous good; but if it be premature to expect that we are all prepared to assume one and the same position, I am sure you will admit, as candid and impartial men, that it is our duty to state fairly, freely, and strongly, those points by which we think the largest and safest extension may be given to a plan of this kind, with a view to the removal of what is at present something like a national discredit, and to a very large increase in the prosperity of the country and the stability of British trade. § (5.44.) THE FIEST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E. I am quite sure that those who have listened to the speech of the right hon. Gentleman will feel that he has not appealed to them in vain to recognise that he has not approached this question in any hostile spirit, and that he has no desire to raise unnecessary controversy upon the Second Reading of this 1719 Bill. It will be my business to traverse some of the contentions he has put before the House; but, before doing so, let me express my hearty agreement with the proposition with which he began—that we have listened with the greatest pleasure and satisfaction to the speech which was delivered by my hon. Friend the Member for the Strand Division (Mr. W. F. D. Smith). I think this is the first time the hon. Member has taken part in our Debates, and I hope it will not be the last by very many. The right hon. Gentleman who has just sat down based his desire for some great alteration in our present system of land tenure, not merely upon the ground that the condition of the agricultural labourer leaves much to be desired, but upon the ground that his condition and the condition of agriculture in England are so far behind that which prevails on the Continent that it ought to be a matter of shame to us. No, no! I alluded to small agriculture. I understood the right hon. Gentleman to refer to agriculture at large. Small agriculture hardly gives us the basis for comparison. I understood the right hon. Gentleman to complain of the fact, not merely that the agricultural labourers condition was one which might be improved, but that it compared most unfavourably with the condition of the small holder and agricultural labourer abroad. This is a subject to which at one time I gave a considerable amount of study, and I must express my total dissent from the conclusion at which the right hon. Gentleman has arrived. I agree with him that the condition of the agricultural labourer requires much attention, but I do not agree with him that the system which prevails abroad has produced a condition of things, with regard to those engaged in the cultivation of the soil, which is superior in any great degree to that which prevails in England. I exclude, of course, the vine-growing districts in France, as the conditions are very different. But if we deal with agriculture proper it will be found that in Belgium and France the 1720 system of small holdings exist by the side of large holdings, and the small holder is not better but is often much worse off than the holder of the large farm. The interests of the agricultural population in Belgium and in France, and, I may add, all over the Continent, are preserved by protective laws, based and maintained for the sole purpose of improving their condition. No such protective laws exist in this country, and I do not suppose it is contemplated by any hon. Member that they should be passed, though I must say that if a very large number of holders are created by this or any other measure you will have protection. Even in Belgium and France, where this system has been applied to the greatest extent, I do not believe, broadly speaking, that the agricultural population is better off than our agricultural population. If you go to Germany, Roumania, or Russia, I believe there is no comparison whatever between the conditions of small holders and that of our agricultural labourers. Therefore, do not let us go into this Bill with any false idea that by the mere substitution of small holdings for big holdings you are going to substitute an agricultural paradise for the opposite of an agricultural paradise. What I believe you will do will be to greatly raise the tone of rural life in England, to give an opportunity to those who have some money to raise themselves in the social scale, and give an opportunity, which unfortunately does not now exist, for men to become small holders to the enormous social, political, and economic advantage of the country at large. The right hon. Gentleman seems to think that the condition of the labourer—because he is a hired labourer—is one of great hardship, and he appears to assume that the great number of holdings created under this Bill would be an acre, over an acre, and he desires to see them a little under an acre; but the man who has now an acre, five acres, or ten acres must supplement his agricultural work by hired labour of some kind. He must be dependent in some way on the employment given him by others; and if that is an objection, and I do not think it is, it is not an objection which you will get 1721 over. Now, the question has been asked, "Why did you fix the limit of an acre?" We fix it because under the acre it is dealt with in the existing Allotment Acts, and we take up the limit where those Acts leave it, and deal with holdings between an acre and 50 acres. The next point I would deal with is that with reference to compulsion. The right hon. Gentleman has stated perfectly truly that if there were a fair system of compulsion adopted the landlord would not suffer pecuniarily because by hypothesis he would obtain a fair price for the land he would sell. I think that in this debate there has been too great a disposition to consider that the only question is that between the owner of the land and the small holder we all desire to create. We must not forget the position of the farmer. It is the farmer who will suffer more than anybody else if compulsion is ill-applied, or recklessly applied. I think that in the interest not only of the landlord, but of the tenant farmer, it is only fair to make a full trial of the provisions of this Bill, and see if we cannot acquire, as I believe we can, all the land we require without exercising compulsory powers at all. Then the right hon. Gentleman expressed, and not for the first time, his own preference for a system of Parish Councils in regard to the administrative area. He desires that the area of administration should be something like that of a parish. I presume, therefore, that the rate which is to be proposed is the parochial rate. I understand that the right hon. Gentleman has not made up his mind on the subject. I did not say the parish was to decide as to the allotments. I stated that all the financial arrangements must be under the control, in my opinion, of the County Council. As to the rate, whether it should or should not be parochial, I gave no distinct opinion, because there are such things as intermediate arrangements already in operation in this country—which are neither parochial rates on the one side, nor county rates on the other. There are 1722 cases of grants in aid, which can be much better dealt with by local discretion. I feel some difficulty in arguing with the right hon. Gentleman against the scheme whose outline is of so shadowy a description. I do not, of course, in the least wish to press the right hon. Gentleman unduly on the point. But when his scheme comes to be embodied, as I suppose it will be in an Amendment to the Bill, he will find considerable difficulty in regard to the rating area or the administrative area. If the rating area is small, his scheme will not work. If the rating area is large, he can hardly leave the administration to an area smaller than that which has to bear the cost of working. Now, I pass to the next and last point raised by the right hon. Gentleman, and that is as to the kind of tenure he desires to see established under the Act. Now, Sir, the right hon. Gentleman, as those who heard his speech are aware, though he would prefer to see freehold established, nevertheless contemplates that the Act, if it is to be operative at all, must include in its scope very full provisions for leaseholders. The right hon. Gentleman seems to think that that part of the Act is likely to be far more beneficial than the freehold portions. I confess I see very great difficulty in the view the right hon. Gentleman has put before us. In the first place, it is our desire and our ambition to do something by this Bill towards re-creating that system of small yeoman owners that once flourished, and that, we hope, will again flourish in this country. That is our main object; and if we allow our funds to be diverted to another object—namely, to the creating of a large number of small tenants—we evidently waste our forces upon that which we do not think is of the highest value. That is my first objection. Now, Sir, what is the particular form of tenancy that the right hon. Gentleman proposes? So far as I understand, he wishes to establish what in Scotland are called feus. Feus, I may tell the English Members of the House, are fixed rents which run for ever. I do not exactly call them head-rents, because these necessarily 1723 bear a very small relation to the value of the improved land on which head-rents are paid. The feu is a rent that runs for ever, and the recipient of which has no power to resume possession of the land. Now, Sir, the right hon. Gentleman contemplates that by a system of compulsion the landowners of this country shall be obliged to let their land on feu to the County Council. That would be a very great hardship. Compulsion, I understand, to compel a man to part with his property at a fair price is a proceeding with which we are all familiar, and which is undoubtedly justifiable if a great public necessity can be demonstrated. None of us have a word to say against that form of compulsion. But to compel a man to let his land seems to me an entirely new operation, never sanctioned, so far as I know, by this House, and in itself obviously unjust. At the present time, if an owner desires to sell he can obtain a fair price for his land in the open market. He has the power of obtaining a capital sum. That power you deprive him of if you compel him to let the land. He becomes possessed of a sort of head-rent for ever, probably adequately secured by the rates of the county, but you prevent him for all time from selling the plot of land which you feu, and you deprive him of the power of selling his land for a capital sum equivalent to the value. May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether feus are not sold in Scotland now? It may be possible for the landlords under certain circumstances to sell; but I think to compel a landlord to accept that kind of security, which may or may not be saleable at some future time in exchange for land which is always saleable for a capital sum, would be a great hardship. However, I pass from the effect on the landlord of this proposition to its effect on the County Council. Here, again, I must traverse the contention of the right hon. Gentleman. The right hon. Gentleman seems to think the finances of the County Council would be greatly relieved if, instead of paying down a capital sum, you enabled them to pay a feu rent for ever. I think that operation would be 1724 more burdensome and more expensive. The County Council would borrow the money from the Public Works Loan Commissioners at 3⅛ per cent., which would be a charge upon their funds for ever. If you compel them to feu they would probably require to pay more than that sum. They would be compelled to borrow in a dear, as against a cheap, market, and they would be compelled to pay to the landlord 3⅓ per cent. for ever instead of 3⅛ to the Public Works Loan Commissioners. I cannot conceive that any County Council could think that was a good financial arrangement. It is not so good as that which we propose in this Bill. So far, therefore, as the landlords are concerned, and so far as the County Councils are concerned, the suggestion of the right hon. Gentleman is not one that we can accept. Now, Sir, I turn from the landlords and the County Council to the tenants to be created under and to the general objects of the Bill. The right hon. Gentleman desires to see not an increase of freeholders so much as an increase of small tenants. There is nothing that I know of in the existing land system of England which makes it difficult to create small tenants, and you gain nothing that I can see by substituting the County Council for the ordinary landlord. On the contrary; it appears to me that if you are to have small tenants as against small freeholders, you had much better leave them to the landlords they would have by the natural operation of economic laws than make them subject to representative bodies which must act by hard and fast rules. Representative bodies are trustees for the ratepayers, and they cannot make those elastic arrangements with their tenants that every landlord in England, so far as I know, is ready to make with his tenants. They cannot make allowances for bad times, nor give these small concessions which do so much to ease the difficulties which the tenant may have from time to time to encounter. Therefore, these tenants of the County Council will hold their land under much less convenient terms than if they were tenants under an ordinary landlord. The proposition of the right hon. Gentleman is neither the proposition of the hon. Member for the Strand 1725 nor that of the hon. Member for Bordesley. My hon. Friend behind me suggested that in the neighbourhood of large towns where lands might increase in value you might substitute temporary tenancy for freehold, so that the community should obtain the benefit of any increase. I do not say whether that is a good or a bad suggestion, though I admit much may be said in its favour. The hon. Member for Bordesley suggests that the community should have a perpetual interest in each holding, though small in comparison with the value of the holding. That also is a proposition for which much may be said. But the proposition of the right hon. Gentleman opposite differs from both. His proposal is not confined to cases in the neighbourhood of large towns, or to instances in which quit-rents bear a small proportion to the value of the land. The right hon. Gentleman desires that the County Council should let the land at a rack rent to these small holders. That is a proposal which I hope the House will never entertain. It would throw a burden on the County Councils—a burden which they are incapable of bearing—and would subject the small holders to difficulties under which they could not possibly pursue their industry. Now, Sir, I think I have noticed the main points of the speech of the right hon. Gentleman, and I will leave my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, when he comes to survey at a later period the whole course of a very interesting discussion, to deal with any other points that may arise. I will only say, in conclusion, that while I entertain the liveliest hope and expectation that this Bill will do much to raise the condition of the agricultural population of this island. I do not rest my hopes upon the grounds stated in a part of his speech by the right hon. Gentleman opposite. Nor can I bring myself to believe that whatever good effects it will have it will have the effect of raising the standard of agriculture in this country. Agriculture in this country has not been raised by the small owners, and it is still from the large owners that the future development of agriculture must be expected. But there is no conceivable reason drawn 1726 from the nature of things, or from experience of what is going on in foreign countries, why there should not be a mixed system of small and large owners—a system which, I believe, would be by far the best for the country, by far the best for the agricultural population, and best of all for the large owners themselves. I should wish, Sir, to say one word by way of personal explanation on a particular point. My statement was this: that I would give to the local financial authorities power of taking land upon tenures inferior to the fee as well as upon the fee. I would carry that even to the extent of enabling them to take land on feu. I did not intend to exclude them from taking it upon lease. This Bill has for its avowed object, by providing small holdings for the labouring population, the prevention of the depopulation of our villages; therefore, I cordially welcome it with all its faults and shortcomings. I welcome it, coming from such a quarter, as an evidence that the Party so ably represented in this House by the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Agriculture are coming to realise the fact that it would be unwise to longer maintain their monopoly of the soil of Great Britain, or to ignore the principle that the first charge upon any land must be the maintenance of the human beings reared and cradled upon its bosom. Some hon. Members on this side of the House who represent agricultural constituencies may be pardoned any distrust they may have of the object of the Bill when they remember the utterance of the noble Lord at the head of the Government, on small holdings, at Exeter. Some of us have there an excuse for fearing that the aim of the Government is not so much to assist the agricultural labourer as to strengthen one political Party. But if I thought the measure was calculated to improve the condition of the agricultural labourer I would not stop to consider motives. The agricultural labourer is to be congratulated, however, on the recognition now accorded to his deplorable condition by the public generally, but more especially 1727 by those who a few years ago thought him unfit to exercise the franchise. In considering the principle of a Bill of this character it is desirable we should take into account the ills from which the agricultural labourer is suffering, the cause of those ills, and the probability of the Bill effecting a cure, or, at least, affording some relief. The agricultural labourer is suffering from want of occupation at a remunerative wage, and the immediate cause of that is the inability of the farmer to pay a fair wage under present rents of agricultural land. I think hon. Members on the other side of this House will scarcely dispute the first of those two propositions after the speech made by the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Agriculture on introducing the Bill, and I feel morally certain that the right hon. Gentleman will sooner or later tell us that he is convinced of the truth of the second proposition. I shall be told in this House, as I am often told out of doors, that the wages of agricultural labourers are higher than they were a few years ago. That is true; and it is equally true that rents are somewhat lower, and there, I think, we have cause and effect illustrated. But the question that we have to consider, in viewing the condition of the agricultural labourer, is not whether his wage is higher now than at some former period, but whether it is now high enough to enable an intelligent, steady, and industrious able-bodied man to maintain himself and family in decency and comfort, and to make some little provision for old age. That such is not the case at present must be known by everyone acquainted with rural life. In our villages we find men who, after working honestly and well for 50 or 60 years, and who during that time have done their utmost to save, are compelled to husband out life's tape by a pauper's pittance. In the Division I have the honour to represent the number of such cases is very great. If the House will bear with me I should like to mention one by way of illustration. Samuel Atkins, of Great Easton, was 75 last November. This man began work at the age of 7 and ceased at 72, having been in the employ of one farmer for 30 years. 1728 When he attained to man's estate he earned 7s. per week, then 10s., next 11s., and at last 12s., but never got higher than that. He is described to me as having always been a steady, industrious, careful man, who worked honestly and well for 65 years without a chance to save a penny; now he is rewarded by the parish with 2s. 6d. per week and a loaf, is called a pauper, and is, in consequence, deprived of some of the rights of citizenship. Out of his 2s. 6d. per week he pays 1s. for rent and 9d. for coal, leaving him 9d. and a loaf for a week's subsistence. Hon. Members may wonder how the old man manages to exist, and I will, Sir, with your permission, use his own words— When I get the loaf home I cut it into seven pieces, so that I may not eat too much on any one day. That is the reward of 65 years of incessant toil. Can the House be surprised that with such an object-lesson before them every young man of that countryside with a spark of manhood in him decides to try his fortune elsewhere? Hence the exodus from our villages, and the necessity of considering how to prevent it. That is the problem we have to face, and however unpalatable the process may be, the reality will have to be laid bare. It is no use to blink the fact that the man who puts his strength into the cultivation of the soil is justly entitled to a fairer share of the produce of his labour, and will have it or go elsewhere. I am afraid that the heart of the right hon. Gentleman who introduced this Bill will not warm towards me when I say that a reduction of 5s. per acre on the 32 million cultivated acres of the United Kingdom would enable farmers to give 4s. per week additional wage to every agricultural labourer in the country. This Bill is ostensibly introduced for the purpose of obviating the depopulation of our rural villages, consequent upon the state of things to which I have referred. But is there the remotest probability of its having that effect? I think not, True, the Bill may set up a few men in business as small holders, but they will not be agricultural labourers, nor will it touch the great mass of the labourers. They cannot 1729 save a quarter of the purchase-money of a small holding—men whose only outlook is "a blessed prospect to slave while there is strength, in age the workhouse, a parish shell at last, and the little bell tolled hastily for a pauper funeral." But without compulsory power of purchase the Bill will be a dead letter. We are told that there is plenty of land for sale in the country. That may be; but it is in estates or whole farms, and no Local Authority will have the means of purchasing an estate or even a single farm for the benefit of one village without crippling its resources as to the remainder of the county. The Local Authority will have to deal with small quantities of land in many localities, and landowners will not sell such parcels of land except at exorbitant prices. Indeed, some of them seem to regard Public Bodies as fair game. We have recently had some experience in Leicestershire. The Corporation of Leicester needed some land belonging to an owner who has a seat in another place. He demanded £250 per acre for agricultural land and £5,000 for personal inconvenience. Fortunately, the Corporation had compulsory powers, and the noble Lord got a little less than half what he asked. But under the Bill the Local Authority must have paid him £250 per acre, which would have entailed a rent of £8 per acre, without allowing anything for law and official expenses or for "personal inconvenience." But even with compulsory powers, the impoverished agricultural labourer is not to be converted straight away into a thrifty small holder. Ownership of a small holding is the top rung of the labourer's ladder, and to keep his head when he gets to the top he must have ascended step by step. An allotment close to his cottage at a fair rent, with fixity of tenure, compensation for improvements, and a greater latitude as to extent, under the control of a popularly elected Parish Council, constitutes the first round of the labourer's social ladder. As he ascends, he will be learning the art of small culture. But more than that; when he finds himself provided with wheat and potatoes, ranged in sacks around his dwelling, enough to make it certain that, come what may, his 1730 family will not starve in the winter—when he realizes that, he will become less and less the miserable dependent and more and more a man prepared to give a fair day's toil for a fair day's pay. With fairer wage will come the ability to save. Then those having an aptitude for farming will most probably invest their savings in small holdings, and so establish upon safe economic lines a race of small holders, who may or may not realise the anticipations of the noble Lord at the head of the Government. I do not care what effect small holdings will have upon the political opinions of the people so long as they are prosperous. In conclusion, I would say that landowners need not fear the making of this measure too liberal or wide in its scope. They had better do with a good grace what will be demanded later, and delay will only increase the amount of what the right Hon. Gentleman the Member for West Birmingham used to call "ransom." I heartily thank the House for having listened to me. If I have spoken warmly it is because I feel deeply the sufferings of those amongst whom I live and who sent me here, and because I think that the country has not yet realised how necessary to its welfare is the preservation and contentment of our peasantry. When it does that, I venture to say the measure now before the House will be swept away as obsolete, and the regard for landowners' privileges will have become less tender. I feel that this Bill will not give the agricultural labourer much benefit; but I also recognise that it will not do him any harm, and I shall, therefore, vote for the Second Reading. I think the discussion of this Bill has chiefly turned upon three points; and, although those points have been touched upon by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Midlothian and others, I will venture to put before the House a few more considerations which I think bear upon them. The first thing that was said in objection to this Bill was that the administrative authority was too large—that instead of being the County Council it ought to be the Parish Council. I by no means object to the 1731 formation of Parish Councils in certain places where sufficient work can be found for them, and where there is sufficient administrative power in the parish. But I would ask the House to consider a practical objection to this proposal in the case of an ordinary-sized parish. If the Parish Authority were made the authority to deal with this Bill, the outcome would be inoperative, and very much for the reasons spoken of by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Midlothian and the Leader of the House. The area would be too small for the purpose of raising sufficient money to guarantee the payment of the interest. That would of itself be a reason why the authority in London, the Public Works Loan Commissioners, would hesitate to advance any considerable sum of money upon such security. Another reason is this. In a great number of parishes you would have such petty jealousies and such differences amongst the inhabitants, that the work would not be seriously taken in hand at all. To purchase 50 acres of land at £50 an acre would alone require a sum of £2,500, and that would be a very large sum for a small parish to engage in raising. Then you would have the Parish Authority, probably comprising most of the leading small tradesmen in the parish, probably the butcher, the baker, the tailor, and the bootmaker, and, in sea-coast places, some of the fishermen. And the person who would apply to the Local Authority for a small holding might be the village publican. Now, that Parish Council would meet, and they would have to decide whether they should borrow this money or not, and, one by one, they would come to the conclusion that it would be an exceptionally nice thing for the publican if they did what he wanted, but that they could not quite see why they should be charged in order to give the publican this great advantage, when they themselves would also like to be set up in business. And I believe for that reason they would, almost unanimously, postpone it to such a day that probably the application would not come to life again, and possibly years would pass by, and the probability of giving a holding to the man would cease. Another thing touched upon by the right hon. Gen- 1732 tleman the Member for Midlothian was, how you can, with any reason at all, go to the landlord and ask him to remove a tenant from his tenancy of, perhaps, the best piece of ground on the estate, to make place for another? You would be asking the landlord to turn out A to benefit B, and at the same time charging B for the advantage to be conferred on A. A great deal has been said by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Bradford about the iniquity of a landlord owning a whole parish, because, probably, if he was appealed to, he might not willingly give up his best field. I see no great crime in a man holding land if he has come by it honestly, either by purchase or succession. I, for my own part, see no difference between the man who owns property in the shape of a small parish and the man who owns a street in London or half-a-dozen shops. The cases are precisely the same. What would be the probable reply of this man to an application to turn out, say, his best tenant for the benefit of someone else who wanted the shop to set himself up in business? If you wish, therefore, to make this Bill practically inoperative you will hand it over to Parish Councils. The right hon. Gentleman the Member for Midlothian spoke of an intermediate authority. I know of no intermediate authority unless it is the Sanitary Authority. One word on the subject of compulsory purchase. We have had some slight experience in some parts of the country of the difficulties of carrying out compulsory purchase under the Allotments Act. And I myself have had experience of it too, and know the force of those difficulties. I do not hesitate to say if you adopt that course you will at once have greater difficulties to face than you have now. Compulsion means delay, delay means expense, and expense means additional rent. In this Bill the whole cost of delay, of valuation, and so forth must ultimately fall upon the man who rents this land, or who becomes the possessor of it in some other way. Those who have gone through an experience such as I and others have in reference to compulsory purchase will remember what these expenses are likely to be 1733 and what the procedure is. In the first place, there are notices to be served by the Clerk of the Council, who will charge extra fees, as that may not be part of his statutory work. Those notices will be served upon another authority, who have also a clerk and who may engage a solicitor. Then there are advertisements, the fees of clerks, the payment of solicitors, valuers, and arbitrators, the cost of conveyance, and possibly the cost of opinions of counsel upon various legal points. All these things will add considerably to the cost of the transaction, and they will add in a way that would not occur if the purchase were made by friendly agreement. A great deal of land could be bought by friendly agreement between the landlord and the Local Authority that will, if you put compulsory powers into this machinery, become doubly costly, and the public will have to bear the cost. Every tenant going into a small holding has to pay certain expenses to the outgoing tenant, such as for ploughing, seeds in the ground, manures, and so forth. It is not quite clear to me whether this will be a charge which the tenant or the County Council will have to pay. At any rate it ought not to be overlooked. You may have to deal with trustees or with a rich landlord, who can and will afford to fight you to the last, and your expenses will be astonishing. Then may come a time when the parish will find itself in great difficulty, because it will have great expenses to pay. In the case of the County Council being the Local Authority the expense will be spread over the county, and they will be able to bear that expense better; but in the case of the parish it will be an overwhelming expense for ever. I would point out one alternative to the House. The County Council will have to rely upon local information with regard to the suitability and value of ground. My idea is that these proposed purchases might be inquired into by Inspectors under the Local Government Board in much the same way as when money is applied for by a Local Authority for sanitary and other improvement works. I am of the same opinion as has already been expressed—that is, that these expenses and the risk of losing 1734 this money ought not to come out of any local taxation. This is money which is advanced for the benefit of the community at large, and ought to come directly from the Imperial Exchequer, and local taxation should not be made answerable for any risk. There is one more point, whether it is advisable to allow small holders to become actual possessors of the land on the payment of some small nominal rent. There is a great deal to be said on both sides of that question. I am inclined to think it would be well if we can manage that the holding shall be transferred to the proposed tenant at a very small nominal rent. There is plenty of land in the open market for the man with money in his pocket to purchase. Why should the Local Authority go to the risk of purchasing for these men, who a short time afterwards would have the power of paying off the money, and so becoming possessors? The right hon. Gentleman the Member for Midlothian condemns what I consider one of the most valuable clauses of the Act, and that is the power given to a man who is a tenant at present to become an owner. It enables the Local Authority to advance the money which the tenant himself does not possess, in order that he may become the actual owner. That is a case, I think, in which this Act will do an immense amount of good, and I say it is desirable we should encourage this class of tenants beyond everything. I would ask the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Agriculture, on whom do the expenses fall under this Section—Section 10? I should like to be assured that the expenses would not fall upon the country, but that the tenant would be called upon to pay them himself. Another point is with regard to valuation from time to time. We know that as a rule these men farm well, and to the best advantage, and amongst them will be found some of the best of farmers. But, at the same time, we may have cases in which a man has made a mistake, or has had bad luck. In that case the Local Authority ought to be made aware of it, and I would suggest that a periodical valuation should be made of these farms by the County Council in order that they may get rid of the 1735 tenant if necessary, or before absolute damage is done to the holding. In addition to that, there should be some provision whereby the Local Authority would have power to enter upon land in case harm is being done to the neighbours by bad or dirty farming. In conclusion, I would simply say one word from the point of view of the public who are not directly benefited by this Act. We must be just before we are generous, particularly when we are dealing with other people's property. Many of those who are called upon to pay the possible expenses under this Bill are men not in the same position as the small holder himself. Those men, perhaps less well off, have to pay poor rates, and it is out of the poor rates that this money will have to come. Those cottagers do not receive the full benefit of the poor rate in the same way as their richer neighbours do. They do not use the roads, and in a variety of other ways, whilst they are called upon to pay the same poor rates, do not derive the same benefit from those rates as their richer neighbours, Therefore, on behalf of those men who will have to find the money, I hope that no unnecessary risk will accrue to the ratepayers if this Bill passes. We must remember that we are passing this measure not only for our own satisfaction; not simply for the good of those who are to enjoy the benefit of it, but that there are those who will look to us to put in their hands a practical working machine. I hope nothing will be left undone to make this Bill in every respect a satisfactory and practical measure; and, if that is done, it will confer on those for whom it is intended immense advantage. It is not going suddenly to make men rich; it is not going to make agriculturists of men who know nothing of agriculture, or to make two blades of grass grow where but one grew before; it is not going to bring back men who have gone into our towns; but my idea of the Bill is that it will prevent boys going away from our villages; they will be employed in the village when youngsters, they will be learning their trade, and will be less likely to leave their parishes for the towns. It is not difficult to 1736 imagine a case for the creation of a small holding in which the expenses will be so large as to make the purchase a very unprofitable operation. But, I do not think it is in the least necessary to suppose that the field next to the farm will be taken, or that the best field will be taken. And I think the operation may be carried out to a very considerable extent, as the hon. Gentleman opposite has pointed out. The question of compulsion on the landlord has been adequately dealt with. But there is another side of the question—that is, bringing compulsion to bear upon the tenant. In Scotland tenants under a 19 years' lease very often have a greater advantage than the landlord. It must be supposed that where there are long leases the Act cannot be put in force till their termination; the proprietor might be perfectly willing to sell the land, but the tenant on lease would not let him do so. Therefore, I think compulsion on the leasehold tenant is as important as compulsion on the landlord. In England, under Lord Cairns' Act, the owners of limited estates can sell for the purposes of the Bill; but that cannot be done in Scotland, and must be provided for. I have heard of the Lincolnshire custom; if that means that the tenant has an interest in his holding he will require compensation, and provision must be made for that also. The necessity of the holding being of £25 value before a house can be erected is a blot on the Bill; we ought to encourage the erection of houses, and the limitation should be one of area rather than value. This Bill will supersede a great part of the Crofters' Act in the Highlands of Scotland, and, if it be made sufficiently comprehensive, it will enable the same agrarian law to be in force in the Highlands as in the rest of Scotland. The creation of small holdings in the Highlands, however, will not be undertaken so long as this limit of £25 remains in the Bill, and I shall in the Committee move that the limit be one acre instead of £25. The limit of an acre would secure that each house should have a fair amount of garden round it, and prevent the crowding together which is the great disadvantage in many villages. As to 1737 the question of quit-rent I think where the County Council buys the land instead of selling the freehold to the tenant they should give something in the nature of the Scotch feu. The discussion before the Town Holdings Committtee showed how complete is the right the feuer enjoys notwithstanding the restrictions imposed upon him. The superior can enter under a town and extract the minerals, and allow the town to tumble to pieces without the inhabitants being entitled to any compensation; there are also restrictions as to the character of the buildings and so forth. I think the County Council should be entitled, in making a feu, to retain the minerals, and the right to re-enter on the land if it were required for building or other purposes. A peasant proprietary anywhere is none the worse for having certain restrictions imposed upon it, and being subjected to a certain amount of regulation. An hon. Member, speaking of the valuable land round towns, suggested that the principle of compulsory leases should be there applied. This would be specially desirable for promoting the establishment of small dairy farms in the vicinity of towns, by keeping out a small holder who might become a speculator in building land. The Scotch County Councils ought to have the title of land and sub-feu it with the power of re-purchase for Certain purposes. This system of compulsory leasing is the only method by which, in the Highlands of Scotland, you can give an extension of common outlands, which is very desirable. Compulsory leasing might be very desirable on the smaller sized holdings; the larger sized holdings might be created more upon the system of purchase. I think there is a provision in the Bill enabling the County Council to make improvements on the farm. The less the Councils have to do with buildings on holdings the better for them and for the ratepayers. The only way to carry this out is to give the tenant, under loan, sufficient assistance to enable him to do it himself. One cannot support too strongly the proposition of Lord Thring that payment of succession duty should be made in land; that would be a step in the direction of simplification of title. 1738 This House does not object to make the transfer of land easy, though the House of Lords takes rather a different view, but I hope it may yet be possible the House of Lords will accept the Prime Minister's invitation to adopt some better system of transfer. I am glad the Government have recognised the depopulation of the country, and I hope that with the experience gained under this Bill we shall be able to take further steps in the direction of attracting population back to the country. One or two Gentlemen on the opposite side of the House, in their anxiety to criticise this Bill, have suggested that the Government are not honest in their desire to benefit the agricultural population. That was the distinct suggestion of the Member for East Northampton; but I think we may at once dismiss any ideas of that kind, and look at the provisions of the measure. The discussion has been mainly on these subjects: the absence of the compulsory clauses the question of tenure, and also the further extension of leases. First, with respect to the objections which have been taken to the restriction which is placed upon £25 holdings, various suggestions have been made; and I have no doubt the right hon. Gentleman, when he comes to weigh the criticisms which have been passed on this matter, may not be indisposed to consider favourably the possibility of removing the disability that he has imposed. Some Gentlemen have taken exception to Clause 10, which enables the authority to advance money to a tenant in present occupation, with a view to enable him to become a purchaser. I think that is a most valuable provision. It has been said that this is the Ashbourne Act extended to England, and an exaggerated view of the case may, perhaps, present it in that way; but I think the principle is a good one, and that in practice it would be found to be very useful. Whether it would have any considerable effect is another matter. Undoubtedly, in my part of the world the farming classes would very much prefer to be yearly tenants instead of purchasers, but I can offer no opinion with respect 1739 to other parts of the country. The reason of that is perfectly familiar. The farmer, if he became a purchaser, would have to spend money which he might employ in other ways, and for which he might get a larger rate of interest. Coming to another point, I am disposed to think that the County Council, which has been placed in this Bill as the body to carry it out, is for some purposes the best authority that could have been found, but I think the useful purposes are of a more limited character than is suggested by this Bill. For the purpose of the purchase of land and for the sale, the County Council is nominally adapted. Their credit is higher, and they can make better terms than any other Local Body; but when we come to the purchase of land for the purpose of letting it, that is another matter. I regret that my right hon. Friend has hardly gone far enough in this matter, and I think a scheme should be formulated by which the parishes should become possessed of a certain quantity of land for the sole purpose of letting it again; and if that principle can be carried out, we shall gain a very great advantage. After a lapse of time the parishes would be deriving an income which might be devoted to the relief of the poor, or to any other object which local necessities required. This would have another advantage, for it would be found that the rents charged by the parishes would become a valuable standard of the rents which private owners may get in times to come, and the parishes would invariably exact good rents. Another argument in favour of this idea is that the County Council is too large and too distant a body. I see that later there is to be an Instruction moved to carry out this idea, but I think the mistake the hon. Member who moves it will make is to endeavour to reform the system of Local Government by alterations in a Bill which is devoted entirely to the purchase and sale of land. I have considerable sympathy with the proposal to give such power as I have indicated to the parishes; but I have no sympathy with a proposal, which I think would be unfair to the Government, in a Bill of this nature to try to 1740 introduce reforms in Local Government. I thought it might be very simple in Committee on this Bill to make some Amendment by which the idea I have mentioned could be carried out, by constituting the parish as the authority; but, I am bound to say that, on looking into the matter more closely, I found that it would require four or five clauses—at any rate, a considerable number of clauses—even for the simple operation of giving to existing vestries the power I have spoken of; and, with my knowledge of the House, and my knowledge of the feeling of my right hon. Friend (Mr. Chaplin), gathered from his public speeches, I have come to the conclusion that it would be scarcely worth while to trouble the Committee with clauses designed to carry out that object. Nevertheless, I do not hesitate to press an my right hon. Friend that if he, during his period of power, can establish a system which ultimately will have the effect of giving parishes power to obtain land, and again will place revenue ultimately in their hands which may be devoted to parish purposes, for the good of the parish, I think he would undoubtedly mark his tenure of office by an act which would be of the greatest use, and would never be forgotten throughout the entire country. Since I have been sitting in the House this evening, I have seen another reason for not proceeding with the clauses I thought of attempting to draw to carry out the scheme I have suggested to the House. I marked that an hon. Member opposite, and also the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Midlothian (Mr. Gladstone), who both favoured Parish Councils, also favoured the idea that all the financial part of the work must be undertaken by a more powerful authority than such councils. If you do that you abandon the revenue that ought to go to the parish ultimately. It is quite clear that if the county rates are to be appropriated for the purpose of purchasing land for a parish, that ultimately the money must go back to the County Authority. Perhaps the most interesting part of the discussion upon this Bill has been that part which has been specially pertinent to the tenure of land. My right hon. Friend 1741 to some extent only has adopted the plan of the hon. Gentleman the Member for Bordesley (Mr. Jesse Collings) with reference to keeping part of the purchase money as a first charge on the land. My hon. Friend the Member for Stamford (Mr. Cust), who spoke early in this Debate, seemed, I think, to have missed the point of the advantage of keeping a certain amount of the purchase money as a charge upon the land. I take it that everybody in the House, no matter who he is, thinks that land purchased in this manner should be kept for the purposes for which it was specially designed for all time, that is to say for agricultural purposes, and I do not imagine that my right hon. Friend (Mr. Chaplin) at all wishes that at the expiration of the 50 years it should be within the power of some holder who has been created by the Bill to sub-divide or to sell. Nobody has suggested that they wish to see that, but my hon. Friend who has just spoken on the question said that power might be reserved without keeping a certain portion of the purchase money as a charge upon the holding. I think that is a mistake altogether. If a man has a fee simple of his land—and I think the hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Dumfries (Mr. R. T. Reid) answered that point very well—you cannot, except by Statute, interfere with his possession to prevent him from sub-dividing or re-selling for any other purpose. But if we are to have a condition of any sort attached to these small holdings, surely the simplest and the best way, as suggested by the hon. Member for Bordesley (Mr. J. Collings), is to keep a portion of the money as a first charge on the land. I am inclined to think that my right hon. Friend (Mr. Chaplin), when he gives more consideration to the matter after the discussion on the Second Reading of the Bill, will be almost disposed to admit that his own object will be best carried out by in some form or another adopting the suggestion of the hon. Member for Bordesley, and keeping some of the money as a perpetual charge on the holding. Does my right hon. Friend notice this also, which is an additional argument? The hon. Member for Bordesley himself pointed out that 1742 since the county must hypothecate its revenue to some extent for the good of individuals it is only fair that after a lapse of time when the greater portion of the purchase money is to be paid off, that the interest on the balance of the money left should go to the county to a certain extent, as a consideration for the hypothecation. But it goes even further than that surely. In the Bill, as my hon. Friend has got it, I am afraid it is almost a deadlock under these circumstances. The County Council buys a fee-simple. It is going to sell a limited ownership. There is a clause in the Bill which insists that the County Council shall only sell land for the amount of money which will cover the amount expended by it in purchasing the land, but surely you cannot expect to get as much for a limited ownership as you get for a fee simple. If you buy a fee-simple and sell a limited ownership you cannot expect to get as much as you paid, so that unless that restriction is to some extent modified I do not see how the Bill is likely to act, because, of course, these transactions in the County Council will be public, and be known to everybody, and I apprehend the intending purchaser will think twice before he gives as much money for his limited ownership as he knows the County Council gave for the fee-simple. Therefore, is not that argument in favour of the suggestion of the hon. Member for Bordesley to keep a portion of the purchase money perpetually on the holding, because then the interest of that purchase money for all time would flow to the county, and would be a make-up for the difference between the amount given for a certain quantity of land, and the amount for which it sold the land on a limited ownership. I undoubtedly think that the interest upon the deferred payment is a very just compensation to the County Council, not only for its hypothecation of a part of its revenue, but also for the actual loss which I can see it will have to submit to for a certain term of years. I will not enter on the question of compulsory purchase. It has been argued at considerable length by Gentlemen on both sides of the House, and I shall content myself with saying that, personally, I am opposed to compulsory 1743 purchase on principle. I think it is a bad principle to introduce. I think it will create friction in the country, although I do not think that it would have much practical effect. I do not think it would matter two-pence whether compulsory clauses were in the Bill or not. Still, I am opposed to it on principle. I think it is an unsound principle, and certainly it shall not have my support. On the contrary, I shall give it all the opposition I can. There is one other subject I have to mention to my right hon. Friend, and that is the question of leases. I cannot for the life of me see why my right hon. Friend has an objection to the County Council taking land on lease. It is a very different thing taking land under a voluntary agreement on lease to taking land under a lease compulsorily. My right hon. Friend the Leader of the House I think was quite correct in his reply to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Midlothian upon the question of leases, subject always to the condition that the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Midlothian was speaking of compulsory leases. Of course my right hon. Friend was quite correct when he said it was much more unfair to take from a landlord on a compulsory lease some portion of his land, seeing that you would prevent him from capitalising that portion of his possession for a definite time or perpetually. But a voluntary lease is a different matter altogether. I do not see what objection there is to the County Council agreeing with a landlord to take some portion of his land for 20; 30, or 40 years, and using it for their own purposes, and I hope my right hon. Friend will try to see his way to introduce a clause to prevent compulsory leases, agreeing as I do with the Leader of the House and my right hon. Friend (Mr. Chaplin) that they would work very great injustice to people who own land. There are many points we shall have to discuss later on in Committee. On some of them I trust we shall persuade my right hon. Friend to go further than he has gone, and on the others I shall be a great supporter of his in resisting encroachments of hon. Gentlemen from the other side. To use the expression employed by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Midlothian (Mr. W. E. Gladstone) in regard to this Bill, I look upon it as an honest attempt to solve a difficult question and improve the condition of the agriculturists, and to use the phrase used by the right hon. Gentleman who introduced the Bill (Mr. Chaplin), I regard it as an experiment which ought to be tried, and for which I venture to predict a certain amount of qualified success. It is a contribution to the solution of one of the great problems of the present day, how to keep our country friends and neighbours more attached to the soil. Although it has been doubted from the other side of the House in a speech by an hon. and gallant Gentleman, the flow of people from the country to the towns has been going on. We want to bring the people back to the soil and to fix them there under reasonable conditions. I have spoken to a great many friends and tenants in the country, and they all tell me the same story—that they cannot get their boys and their girls to remain there. They know the discomforts of country life, and they have vague yearnings for the ulterior advantages which they think can be derived from flowing into the towns and congesting the towns. We want to very much increase the comfort and happiness of the agricultural labourer's life. We want to see him better housed, better fed, and have more opportunities for amusement and improvement. Above all we want to give him an inducement to make agriculture the career of his life. I am very much in favour of smaller farms in the country. It is a great pity it is not compulsory that landlords should break up big farms into small farms so as to give opportunities to the agricultural labourer. This Bill is a step in the right direction, though it is not a complete step. I look at it from the point of view of those people with whom I am more immediately concerned—the agricultural labourers and the farmers of Scotland. Amongst many of them I find there is no desire at all to purchase land. The idea of becoming a proprietor is not popular amongst them. With better 1745 conditions of tenure and better compensations for improvements, in my part of the country at least, the small farmers and the agricultural labourers who are looking forward to small farms are very much more content to remain as they are now. They say they have to sink their capital, and to pay a very much larger rent than if they were leasing the land. There are family difficulties, and the farm has to be broken up at death. Improvements have to be made, and then in bad times the holder has no one to help him. I should like to see the County Councils enabled to help the small leaseholders of the agricultural labourers' stamp by means of loans to stock and perhaps to build. The landlord nowadays rather dreads the small farm system. They dread it on account of the expense of building. Under modern conditions they must build very much larger buildings than formerly. Some provision of the kind I have referred to would induce proprietors to break up their large farms into small, and would give the agricultural labourer a better opportunity of gaining that home and that career and position he wants. As to the present Bill, I think the principle of compulsion must be applied if we desire to make the Bill a practical one. All the indications from my part of the country are very strongly indeed in favour of compulsion. If the landlord is willing to sell, compulsion will do him no harm. If he is not willing to sell, then it is in the interest of the small class of people whom the Bill was to encourage. We have been told that a great deal of unsaleable and uncultivable land could be palmed off by proprietors and others under this Bill. But I think we might very well trust the County Councils not to abuse their privileges in this matter. As to the position of the farmers, it is their interest to keep beside them steady workmen who are attached to the soil, and who are always available for agriculture. The great blot on the Bill is the limitation as to building on 25 acres. This provision makes the Bill entirely useless to the North of Scotland. Many people who are likely to become small holders are doing work in various ways. A man may wish to have ten or 20 acres. He cannot ab- 1746 solutely live upon the ground, though, under present conditions of market gardening in Scotland, many people have been able to make an extremely good living. But small tradesmen, shoemakers, and blacksmiths ought to be encouraged to settle down on the land and to build, if they can, themselves or with some help. I am not inclined to view with the same dissatisfaction as some others the machinery. I do not quite know what other machinery can be employed at present than the County Council. The formation of a committee which would include practical men is a fairly good working arrangement, by which local knowledge will be brought to the aid of the central body that commanded the funds. I look with a certain amount of suspicion on the municipalisation or resumption idea which we have heard something about recently. I think it would be a very deterrent influence on anyone who wished to buy land if, at any future period, when the land became more valuable, he should be liable to be summarily evicted and thrown absolutely out of the land. I do not quite see why this proposal is necessary in the interests of the general community, because the County Councils will probably work the Bill not at a loss. If the scheme is to be successfully applied, we ought to remove as many restrictions on ownership as we can. If a man wants to invest his money on land to a small as well as a large amount, he wishes to do as he likes. There are several drawbacks and restrictions which I think, at all events, would deter a cautious people like the Scots from investing their money on land under the conditions in this Bill. The Bill is not a perfect one, but it is an honest attempt to solve a difficulty. No doubt when it goes info Committee such a Bill will be produced as will do something to rectify the condition of things, which we know require a remedy, and which, I think, might fairly be remedied under the Bill. I have observed that a number of hon. Gentlemen are trying to persuade the country that this Bill will have no effect without compulsory power. I think those hon. Gentlemen 1747 will find when the Bill is passed there will be an ample and sufficient supply of land in the market for all wants. It has been found so under the allotments scheme. There is no want of land now. I wish to say that if you have this compulsory power you will be doing a great injustice to the farmers and the small owners. It has been truly said that land suitable for small holdings would be in the neighbourhood of villages, and it must be remembered that such land at the present time is always quickly let. Therefore, if you take land from one of these farms you will do a great injustice to the struggling farmer and the small holders of land near the villages. Suppose a man has land near a village, are you, on that account, on a petition from a few people in the village, to carve these small holdings out of it? It would do a great injustice to the one man, and confer, perhaps, illusory advantages on the others. I do not wish it to be understood that I am against small holdings; but I should be sorry if this Bill, instead of creating small holdings, gave rise to a number of land speculators. I am sure no one would like to see that, and I believe this is one of the great arguments against the exercise of compulsory powers. My experience has been that small holders are constantly desiring to get rid of their land. In my own part of the country a man who was earning a livelihood was left 20 acres of land with a small house upon it. He went to the holding, and without any knowledge of farming, and without much money, he tried to make a living upon it; he is now in a state of starvation. There are many such instances in which small holdings attract men to the land and they fail. Some people say that the reason why they cannot make a living upon such holdings is that the holdings are too highly rented. I can only say that in my part of the country the rents are very low indeed. I am afraid that small holders will not be able to make a living out of the land, because it takes so much money to stock it. Labourers are so badly off that I am afraid they will not be able to take advantage of this Bill. Therefore, I think that one of the most important provisions in it is that which 1748 gives to County Councils the power to take land and erect buildings upon it, and then let it to labourers. If this clause was put into force—although it might be too much to throw upon the County Council—I believe it would be of the greatest benefit to labouring men, and enable them by hard work and industry to get a livelihood out of the land without travelling into the great towns to the detriment of those who are there already, and to the injury of themselves and families. This Bill is professedly a measure to bring about a wider distribution of land in this country, and check the depopulation of the rural districts. Such objects should have the cordial support of all Members of this House, whatever their political opinions. I hope, however, that that portion of the Bill which restricts the erection of houses on smaller plots of land will be altered so that the restrictions which I think the right hon. Gentleman has unwisely introduced may no longer exist. In the County of Hampshire, in the New Forest Division, there are striking examples of the fact that where there are a number of small holdings, there the population increases and pauperism diminishes. The evidence before the Select Committee strongly supports this experience, and therefore any measure which would be likely to bring the people back to the land deserves support. I was very much surprised to hear the comparison which was made by the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the House between the condition of the French peasant and the English agricultural labourer. If the condition of the French peasant had not been better than that of the English labourer, France would have been still under the heel of the German Emperor instead of being able to pay off the vast indemnity exacted by Germany. It was from the French peasantry that the money came in the hour of distress. We have no similar class of population in England; I should be glad if we had—that it might be able to do for this country, if required in the time of need, that which the French peasantry did for France. The power of producing food both in France and Belgium is considerably greater than it is in this 1749 country, when the respective populations are considered; and, that being so, everybody must be anxious to improve the food-producing power of this country. Now I find that the people to be benefited by this Bill are divided into three classes. First of all, there are the persons who buy the land; then there are the existing tenants, who are to be enabled to become owners of their farms; and, lastly, the labourers, who will be enabled to obtain larger allotments. Now, I think that that section which will have the effect of enabling labourers to obtain allotments is the best part of the Bill. I should be glad to see the limit of £10 rental extended, so that these people might become in time tenants on larger plots of land, even up to 20 or more acres. Then I think that the advantages offered to tenants in Ireland under the Ashbourne Act might well have been extended to enable the existing tenants in England to become the owners of their land, without exacting any lump sum at the time of purchase. I would also say that I am not satisfied with the authority which is to be appointed under the Bill—namely, the County Council. There is a desire in various parts of the country to give the powers to the Urban Sanitary Authority; but I am sorry that some scheme has not been devised by means of which authorities over smaller areas could be called in, so as to secure a more intimate knowledge of the wants of the people than can possibly be possessed by County Councils. In the matter of the Allotments Act, some County Councils do not act sympathetically. Some labourers in Kent the other day appealed that the Act might be put in force. A Commissioner was sent down to make an inquiry. He held the inquiry in a public-house, with no reporters present, at twelve o'clock in the day, when the labourers could not attend. Now, that is not the way that County Councils should carry out the Act. I hope the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Local Government Board will insist upon the inquiries being for the future held openly, and at an hour suitable to the agricultural labourers. Now, Sir, as regards the question of 1750 compulsion, I may say at once that compulsory powers are not wanted for the purpose of harassing the landowners. We want them for the purpose of preventing land being unnecessarily forced up in price when owners refuse to sell land for the purposes of public benefit. If land is forced up in price there will necessarily be a failure of this scheme. That is shown by the experience of the operation of the Allotments Act. Some time ago I obtained from the Secretary of the Local Government Board a statement which showed that in a number of cases where land had been bought by voluntary agreement under the Allotments Act, an average price of £90 per acre had been paid. That would be a prohibitive price to pay for land to be let out to agricultural labourers, if they are to make a profit out of their holdings. It is clear to me that if voluntary sale alone is to be available, the price will be too high for the agricultural labourer to pay. Then, Sir, if we have not these compulsory powers we shall likewise have this difficulty, that land will be sold in too big parcels. It will be a question of buying a whole estate if the landowner wishes to sell, and not merely the portion required for the purpose of making the experiment. In these big parcels of land there would be many lots unsuitable for small holdings. The Bill apparently anticipates some such result, for in one of its clauses—I think in Clause 8—it says that if the land is unsuitable or superfluous for the purpose for which it was acquired, it may be sold. I cannot understand why the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Agriculture should be unwilling to give us these compulsory powers, because in 1886, in introducing his Allotments Bill, he avowed himself a convert to compulsory powers. If, Sir, in a Bill of that kind, to let out land in half-acres, the right hon. Gentleman proposed compulsion, surely in this larger Bill it is much more necessary that we should have compulsion. Now, Sir, there are only one or two other points. The Government call this Bill an experiment. It is, to a certain degree, an experiment, and I hope it will be a successful experiment. 1751 I have very little sympathy with the movement for the creation of small freeholders, and I think it will be most difficult to re-create the yeomen—a class that was exterminated by the operation of natural forces. They existed mainly because the common lands of the country were unenclosed, and, to enable them to exist again, you would require a recurrence of the economical conditions under which they flourished. I would rather see this class replaced by tenants under a Local Authority with a fair rent and secure tenure, or as tenants quasi-owners, if you like, with a perpetual quit rent. There is no guarantee that the small free owners will not be swallowed up again by the larger owners, and large estates again created. I hope the Government will seriously consider the question of allowing the land to be let by the Local Authority on a quit-rent, never to be redeemed, in order that the unearned increment may go to the community, and that the County Councils may keep a grip on the land, and, if necessary, resume possession of it. We want this Bill to be effective in its operation, in order that the agricultural labourers may be able to live on the land under conditions of independence and comfort such as their forefathers have never known. I quite agree that it is most desirable that the labourers should be made better off and their lives made happier; but I am afraid it will be many a long year to come before there can be any considerable increase of happiness from any attempt of this sort to place the labourer in the position of an owner as well as in the position of a farmer. For many reasons, I fail entirely to see where the labourer is to get money to buy the stock necessary to the working of his holding. One hon. Member said the Bill was not up to sample, meaning that it was not so good as he expected after the speech of the Minister of Agriculture, but the Minister of Agriculture said the Bill would only be an experiment, and we should be very unwise to weight it with compulsion. It will be time to adopt compulsion when it is proved that a measure of this sort will make that happy change in the condition 1752 of the agricultural labourer that is predicted. But I think what has to some extent been lost sight of during this Debate is this: I think it is of the first importance that if we are to get these labourers or rural people to take land as owners, that we should do our best to cheapen those legal costs that always occur when land changes hands. One of the principal reasons why we have not so many small holders in various parts of the country as we ought to have is when a man has tried to get land these legal expenses have run the price up to such a point that there was no prospect of his getting a profit out of his investment for many years. It is a disgrace to this Assembly, containing so many lawyers as it does, that at the present day the legal expenses attaching to the transfer of land in small pieces are practically prohibitory. I hope that before long we shall do something to cheapen the purchase of land. I want a promise that this matter will be dealt with. We have heard a good deal about the happy position of the French peasantry from the other side of the House. I think that was answered most fully by the right hon. Gentleman the First Lord of the Treasury. I was very pleased indeed to hear him say that many of these French peasants are not in such a happy position that we could take our English people over there and say that is the position we should like to see you in. I should be very sorry to take the villagers in my own neighbourhood over to some parts of France, and say, "We want you in that position." Who is there in this House who has been to France, and has seen ploughing for example carried on in the fields there, who would venture to compare it with our system of ploughing? I have often seen a half-starved donkey and a poor overworked woman side by side drawing a plough or harrow. Am I to go down to my constituency, and tell my people that I should like to see our labourers' wives and daughters working side by side with a half-starved donkey? I am fully aware that there are many Members of the House who know as much about agriculture as I do. But, speaking of France, I may mention that I have re- 1753 sided in that country four years at a spell. During the Franco-Prussian war I had the privilege of being sent over to the very peasants whom we have been told are so well off. My colleagues and myself were sent to distribute relief to these very peasants. The society which I had the honour to represent distributed about £80,000, and that was only one of many societies in England that did similar work. From what we have heard to-night one would be led to think that the money was not wanted—that the peasants were humbugs. I do not believe they were humbugs, but that they were really poor, as they represented themselves to be. We are generally agreed as to the Second Reading of this Bill, and the details can be adequately discussed when we get into Committee. But I would like to ask the Minister of Agriculture a question in reference to a provision in Clause 1, Sub-section 1, which says that the persons for whom small holdings are to be selected must be residents of the county. I would ask the Minister of Agriculture if that is really vital to the Bill? If the persons from whom small holders are to be selected are to be limited to residents of the county, cases of very great hardship might arise. There might be the case of a man who had got plenty of money, and who was in every way suitable for a small holding, but who would be deprived of the advantages of this Bill just because he happens to live over the road, and so was not in the county in which the piece of land he wanted to have was situated. But that is a point also more suitable for discussion in Committee than it is now. The only other point that I will touch upon now is whether we should allow the small holder under any circumstances to free himself of all monetary responsibility in the holding, whether we should allow him to be in the position simply of being a small freeholder who could do what he liked with his holding. I am afraid if we allow the small holder to pay off the balance of his purchase money, all the trouble of the County Council and the sacrifices of the farmers, landlords, and ratepayers will in too many cases be useless. In respect to the population of our villages, we are just as 1754 anxious to keep our villages filled with a respectable, happy, and industrious population as you gentlemen in towns are anxious to have the towns in the same flourishing condition. We want industrious, healthy, strong labourers, and these small holders will be just the families from whom we shall get the best class of labour for our farms. I hope no one will think there is any wish to put any obstruction in the way of a fair trial for a measure of this sort. But I do think if we allow these small holders, after having made a bargain with the County Council, to become absolute freeholders, then we shall find that all the trouble which has been taken, and the sacrifices which have been made, will be in vain, because the small holder will have the power of selling his holding when he is in difficulties or wishes to raise money, and in the long run we would be no nearer the goal we have in view than we were when we started. There is one point with regard to compulsion which has not been sufficiently brought before the House, i.e., in the case of settled estates. It might be competent for any gentleman holding a settled estate, if the County Council came to him and said, "We want your land," to say "I will be very happy to give you my land, only the conditions of my estate prevent me from doing what you want." I should like to see these settled estates put in the same relation to the County Council as Railway Companies. A Railway Company passing through an estate takes the land by compulsion, and I should like to see the County Council put in the same position. It is said that would be hard upon the tenant. But that also occurs in the case of a Railway Company. I do not think this Bill will have much effect in its main object of creating small holders to any great extent unless something of that kind is done. In the first place, you have to compensate the tenant, then you will have to buy the land from the landlord, and then the County Council will have to erect buildings. After that will it be possible to let the land to advantage? In my part of the country, if a landlord wants to resume 1755 possession of his land, he generally has a clause in the lease by which the tenant is compensated. I do not think there is any fear under the Compulsory Clause of the tenant being unfairly dealt with. I have often known cases in Scotland where a landlord was not allowed to let his land for building purposes. There has been a good deal said about the legal expenses of getting land in England, but they are much greater in Scotland than they are here. I remember some 30 years ago, when I succeeded to my property, I had to spend a very considerable sum before I could get the land to let for building purposes. But if compulsory powers were put into this Bill, you would get over this difficulty. If the buildings to be put up are suitable buildings, and if they are erected under conditions approved of by the County Council, I cannot see why you should not put up buildings even on an acre of ground. If that is within the scope of the Bill it would meet one of the greatest evils we have to contend with, overcrowding of labourers dwellings, and in that way it might be possible to do Something to relieve the overcrowding which exists. The hon. Member for Bordesley said the object was to encourage a man to purchase a piece of land for a house in which he and his family could reside, and I agree with him. I do not think this Bill will be taken advantage of by the purely agricultural labourers. The people who will take advantage of this Bill will be men who have come from the towns—retired tradesmen and others—who have come from the towns and desire to take two or three acres of land to build a house upon. Much more will be done in that way than by the purely agricultural labourer. I do not believe the land hunger of this country is confined entirely to a desire to cultivate the land. There are many people living in towns who desire to get land to live upon; and if this Bill can do anything to promote this object, it will be very beneficial to the community. I should be very glad to see this Bill take the place of the Allotments Act in Scotland, where no Bill of the kind is in force. It is constantly said that a great deal of land is in the market. 1756 That is perfectly true, but it does not come to the market in quantities which poor people can buy, and even the legal expenses are quite disproportionate to the value of the land acquired. The more numerous the people are who reside in the country the more will that benefit the agricultural labourer, because you find, other conditions being similar, that wherever holdings are small the agricultural labourers' wages are proportionately high. Therefore, the more people you get on the land the better will it be for the agricultural labourer. I have no doubt hon. Members are well aware of what is going on in their own counties, but, in reference to London, I may say there is a great desire of people in the East End to get to the country. Let any hon. Member take a railway journey from Fenchurch Street to Southend, and, before he has gone 25 miles from London, he will see land which has gone out of cultivation on both sides of the line. I went down on Saturday to the county of Essex to see an experiment being tried there by Mr. Varty, which has some bearing on this question. He bought this estate of 250 acres last September, and cut it up into very small lots of 1–14th of an acre, and a man might buy one or half-a-dozen lots. He has now sold nearly a quarter of the land. The great inducement held out to purchasers is that they get a title to the land for one shilling, and there are no other legal expenses. They pay ten per cent. of the purchase money down, and the whole is paid off in 16 years. I was told that, after making roads and paying legal expenses, Mr. Varty had a very remunerative return for his money. The land was apparently good land, such as would be sold at £15 or £20 an acre. This could not be done in all parts of the country, but the scheme is worthy of the attention of the House and of imitation in many parts of this Bill. The last speaker said that if you could get over the difficulty of a cheap title the scheme of small holdings would be facilitated. If individuals can carry out this experiment with perfect safety, surely it can be done by any County Council which will exer- 1757 cise ordinary caution. I have no doubt that in the neighbourhood of large towns you will get plenty of men to take these small holdings and build their own houses, thus relieving the towns and improving the condition of the people in rural districts. It is in the direction of assisting those who have acquired a certain amount of capital, whether farm labourers or anybody else, that there is the greatest possibility of doing good by the Bill. I do not believe that the Bill, if applied only to the rural districts, with the object of putting labourers on small holdings, can be worked profitably. In the neighbourhood of towns I think it it may be beneficial in doing a great deal in the direction of securing a wider distribution of land and the erection of an improved class of labourers' dwellings, and, on that ground, I have great pleasure in supporting the Second Reading of the Bill. It is evident from the remarks of the hon. Member for the Maldon Division of Essex (Mr. Gray) that he does not much believe in the success of the experiment made in the Bill. I agree with him. I wondered why the Government brought in this Bill, but the speech of the First Lord of the Treasury has shown us the reason. The right hon. Gentleman who introduced the Bill has always held that in agriculture large production, large farms, and large estates were the most productive form of cultivation, as you got more return at the minimum of cost. I see the First Lord of the Treasury still believes that. I still believe that in agriculture, as in other things, the expenditure of large capital on labour is the best means of getting large returns. I believe you get a better return by spending more on labour: and in small holdings you can put in proportionately more labour and capital. We do not believe that the creation of small holdings will sink the agricultural labourer in penury and poverty. We might distrust the Greeks when they bring us gifts of this kind, and distrust the Tories when they attempt land reform. We 1758 now know that the object of the Bill is not to place labourers and small peasants on the soil as cultivators, but to create an outpost, a Mameluke Guard, to protect the big landlords against the attack which some of us are making on them. I admire the frankness with which the right hon. Gentleman told us that one result of the Bill would probably be protection. If you want to give the small agriculturists a chance, and so give them a tenure which would be good for them, the suggestion of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Midlothian (Mr. W. E. Gladstone) is the best and easiest way to do it. The Scotch feu may be described as the oldest form of tenure in the world, where you have a superior and inferior. It is desired that the increased value of the holding should go to those who earn it. If you take the land on a perpetual lease at a fixed rent, any increase in value will go to the County Council, because their tenure is not to be perpetual at a fixed rate, but with a varying rate according to values. They will get these values and so will be able to lessen taxation. You cannot try the experiment with a penny rate: that is absurd. The cost of making roads and boundaries, and building outhouses will require more than a penny rate to meet it, and if you add to that the cost of purchase you will require a great deal of money indeed. The best way would be for the County Councils to spend the money on the improvements, thus increasing the value of the land and of their security. I shall fight against the creation of a new set of landlords. We desire to see perpetuity of tenure in order to induce men to put more capital and labour into the land, and get the most out of it which it can produce. The Scotch system is a good one, and we get better returns than is the case in England, because we have 19 years' leases. While the school to which I belong is willing to give perpetuity of tenure to the cultivator of the soil we are not prepared to create new privileges and monopolies for another class. There is a legal fiction that there is no private property in England; but, as a matter of fact, the landlords in 1759 England have as much control over the land as those in any other country. The rents represent the value of superior soil and of desirable sites, buildings, and other improvements on the land. The value of the soil and the desirability of the site are not created by any man, and if you make a change in the system of land-tenure, a man should be called upon to pay to the community the difference between the economic value of the soil and of the desirability of the site. That might be done by the means suggested by the hon. Member for Bordesley (Mr. J. Collings) which would enable future changes to be made more easily. If the Government desire to create a new class of landlords we will do our level best to prevent them doing so; but if they desire to create a new system of land-tenure and so get rid of some of the difficulties of the old system we are ready to give them our support. If it be true that the hon. Member for Caithness has failed to gather anything as to the reasons for the introduction of this Bill from the observations which I made in introducing it, I am afraid that nothing I could say to-night would add to his enlightenment, and therefore, with the permission of the House, I will pass from the hon. Member to make some general observations on the Debate which has taken place on the Bill. I am not aware that, with the exception of the speech of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Midlothian, which has already been dealt with by my right hon. Friend, anything which has occurred or has been said in this Debate requires any lengthened intervention on my part at this stage of our proceedings. On the contrary, I venture to think I shall express the general sense of the House when I say that with one or possibly two exceptions this Debate has been conducted throughout with a general absence of Party spirit which has been as welcome as it is, most unhappily, unusual, and with an evident desire on the part of speakers on both sides of the House to promote the improvement of the Bill, and the object which we 1760 all have at heart. It is true that the hon. Member for Saffron Walden (Mr. H. Gardner) and the hon. Member who resumed the Debate to-night were unable, in spite of all their efforts, to conceal what I should describe as an under-current of snarling hostility towards the Party responsible for the Bill; but, with these exceptions, I am bound to say the Government have no reason whatever to be dissatisfied in any way with the general conduct of the Debate. It is in the same spirit that, while reserving to myself the full right to form my own independent judgment, I shall be ready to consider and deal with the various suggestions that have been made in the course of the Debate. In the first place, may I turn to some observations made by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Midlothian, as to which I wish to add a few words to those which have fallen from my right hon. Friend? The right hon. Gentleman was good enough to state that, in his opinion, this was an honest effort in the right direction, but far short of the necessities of the case. He considers it defective as regards the area of the Local Authority; he is of opinion that there should be subordinate Councils to deal with the question of the provision of land, though I did not gather quite clearly from the right hon. Gentleman what the constitution of these Councils should be. The rest of the speakers on the side of the right hon. Gentleman were strongly in favour of compulsion. With regard to the acquisition of land, he laid down the proposal that the tenure of land by the County Council without owning the fee-simple is not to be excluded. I do not find it quite easy to follow the right hon. Gentleman in that part of his subject, but my view is this: If the acquisition of land by lease is also to be by compulsion, then I think the right hon. Gentleman is confronted at once by a most formidable objection, an objection which ought to have been formidable in his own eyes from the statements which he made and the course he adopted in this House not a week ago, although I cannot help thinking that that objection escaped him this afternoon. You cannot have 1761 compulsory leases without adopting, at the same time, a system of valuation of rents. A lease cannot be compulsory so long as you allow the landlord to impose a rent which may be altogether prohibitory. ("Hear, hear.") Hon. Members below the Gangway say "Hear, hear," but they must remember that I am criticising the proposal of the right hon. Gentleman. You must remember that the system of valuation of rents is a cardinal and essential principle of the Irish Land Bill, and it was against that principle that the right hon. Gentleman voted not a week ago; and it was against that principle, as I reminded the House the other night, he specifically declared, some years ago, that, so far as he was concerned, he would never be a party to consent to it. If, on the other hand, the land is to be acquired by lease by voluntary means, I admit the case stands, as far as the owner of the land is concerned, from whom the land is to be acquired, on a totally different footing, and my objection, so far as the owner is concerned, would disappear altogether. But that system is open to all the objections which I took the opportunity of pointing out on the introduction of the Bill, and not one of which has been answered in the course of the Debate. I pointed out, in the first place, that you would make the Local Authority into a middleman at once, and would subject them to all the vicissitudes and chances of a landlord's position, and that pressure would be put upon the Local Authority precisely as it is on the landlords to-day. Further, the present object of the Government—namely, the adding to the number of the owners of the land, would be defeated altogether. And then there is a difficulty as regards buildings, to which I will draw attention for a few moments. If the land is to be let by the Local Authority to tenants, it must be let obviously either upon yearly tenancy or else it must be let on lease. If by yearly tenure the tenant could not be expected to erect the buildings, and you will throw upon the Local Authority all the onus and all the necessity of that very important and difficult work, for it would be in the hands of the Local Authority a 1762 matter of much greater difficulty than in the hands of a landlord. If, on the other hand, the small holding was let on lease, then it is perfectly true that if the lease was of sufficient duration the tenant could make the buildings himself. But surely, under these circumstances, would it not be far better and more preferable in the interest of the tenant that he should acquire his holding by purchase from the Local Authority? for every year he would be approaching nearer the time when, if he had originally purchased, both the land and the buildings which he had erected would become his own instead of reverting to the Local Authority. Hon. Members will, I think, be disposed to admit that some reasons have been advanced by the Government against this system, to which the right hon. Gentleman attaches so much importance, of leasing land instead of acquiring it by purchase, and it must be fully considered before the Government can be expected to adopt this view of the case. Turning now to observations made by various speakers in the course of the Debate, the Member for West Sussex pointed out that under the 1st clause of the Bill the provision of these small holdings was to be limited to the labouring population. But it is not a true interpretation of the clause to think that all people would be prevented from having the enjoyment of these holdings except the agricultural labourers themselves. I do not quite know why you are to draw the line at the blacksmith or the small trader, as at various periods of the year all these labour in agriculture, and must be classed as part of the agricultural population. For instance, during harvest time, how many people are there in a village who are not actually engaged in agricultural labour? I do not think the hon. and gallant Member has any cause to be alarmed with regard to that provision of the Bill, especially when I remind him that it was taken verbatim from the language and phraseology of the Allotments Act in force at the present time. The suggestion was made to me that, instead of the money being lent upon the security of the rates, it should be entirely provided from the Imperial Fund. I quite understand 1763 the motives and object of that proposal, and I am ready to admit that, logically, the demand is perfectly, right, because this Bill is introduced in support of what is held to be a national object, and on that ground the hon. Member has maintained that it should be supported by national funds. But there are two considerations which the hon. Gentleman will find to be of great importance. It would clearly be impossible to provide funds for this purpose from Imperial sources alone, and yet to leave the administration of that to the Local Authorities. Whoever bears the cost must also have the responsibility of the administration of the measure; and if I adopted the suggestion which has been supported by several speakers, it is quite clear that this Bill which I am now asking the House to read a second time must be administered by some central Government Department. Not only would that involve an entire re-construction of the Bill, but I should have to ask myself this question, whether a central Government Department will be suited in any degree for carrying out a measure of this kind? I doubt very much whether it would be possible to adopt such a suggestion, and I am sure it would not be desirable. On the other hand, if the imposition of 1d. on the rate is viewed with alarm, I venture to think, for reasons which I will submit, that the alarm is not well founded. In the first place, Clause 11 of the Bill provides that the Local Authority shall not acquire land save at such a price as they can fairly expect will enable them to recoup themselves. In the second place, no difficulty whatever can arise except in the case of the failure of the holder of the land, and in that case the Local Authority would have not only the security of the holding itself, but the additional security provided by the sum which is required to be paid down in the first instance, amounting to one-fourth of the whole. Thirdly, there is nothing whatever in the Bill to prevent the Local Authority from charging the small holder interest in reasonable excess of the terms under which they have borrowed the money themselves. Therefore, there is no substantial ground for alarm lest there 1764 should be a permanent charge of 1d. on the rate. The Member for Stamford, whose able speech was listened to with pleasure on both sides of the House, suggested that Succession Duty in future might be paid in kind; that is to say, that a person succeeding to an estate might discharge his Succession Duty by offering so much land in lieu of cash. The suggestion is not new to me, and I frankly own that there is something attractive, and even fascinating, about the proposal. It could be carried out in one of two ways. The land could either be handed over directly to the Exchequer, or it could be handed over to the County Council. With regard to handing it over to the Exchequer, we are confronted with the difficulty that what the Exchequer requires is cash and not land, and if the Succession Duty is paid in land who is to take charge of that land and manage it until it has been converted into cash? It would mean the creation of a Government Department whose business would be to hold and manage this land till the time arrived when it could be sold. The State probably, under these circumstances, would become the owner of a great number of small holdings in all parts of the country differing in size and character and entailing a great difficulty in properly dealing with them. It would have to manage and cultivate these lands until they were disposed of. I do not say that it would be impossible even to do this; but, at all events, it would be an undertaking of enormous magnitude and importance—one which certainly could not be entered lightly upon, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer would have a good deal to say before he gave his assent to it. The second alternative is that the land should be handed over to the County Council, and I ask this question, is the acceptance by the County Council to be optional or compulsory? If it is to be optional, then I do not see how or in what respect the position of the owner of the land is improved, because he can go to the County Council under existing circumstances and offer the land; they can take it if they please and the owner can take the money and hand it over to the Exchequer. But if, 1765 on the other hand, it is to be obligatory, what is the position of the County Council? They may have already satisfied all demands for small holdings in the district over which it holds jurisdiction; but a landowner dies, and his successor, who has a large duty to discharge, comes to the County Council and insists on their taking over 500 acres. What is to be done by the Local Authority? I think the House will see that, attractive as it may be, the suggestion is full of difficulties, and it certainly is not one that I should like to endeavour to incorporate in this Bill. The Member for Stamford also made a suggestion that some means of registration should be established by the Bill. That is a point which I own I should be glad to see in the Bill if it were possible to incorporate it; but I have approached it with caution, because I thought it might lead to serious opposition, and perhaps be the means of defeating a measure which I am sincerely anxious to pass. But if I find that in the course of the Debate in Committee there is anything like a general desire that this proposal shall be included in the Bill, I shall be very glad to entertain and consider seriously any proposal that is made. I was asked whether in the case of life owners and settled estates the land could be disposed of for small holdings. That is the case. They can be sold under the Lands Clauses Act and the Settlement Act of Lord Cairns, and I do not think any amendment is required in that matter. I am also asked whether the amount the Bill insists upon being paid down in the first instance could not be reduced. That is a matter upon which I would rather reserve my opinion at present; but I should be ready to consider any reasonable suggestion, always having due regard to the security of the Local Authority. Another point which has been criticised is the limit which is imposed by the Bill on the erection of a dwelling house on a plot of land of less value than £25 a year. Especially from Scotland great objections have been raised to that provision; and, in my second speech on the First Reading of the Bill, I stated that that was a point upon which I was not 1766 specifically pledged, and I should be ready to consider any suggestion that was made. To that declaration I adhere now. I now come to the only point which has been treated in this Bill as of a Party character, or rather the one point in the discussion in which the opinions of hon. Members have been divided on strict Party lines. The Member for Ilkeston reminded me that some years ago I introduced a Bill dealing with the question of allotments which embodied the principle of compulsion. He said, that being so, why do you object to compulsion in this case. The reason and the answer are quite clear. There is a complete distinction between the two questions which I have never attempted to conceal. Allotments are a proved and ascertained benefit, but nobody in this House, unless it be the hon. Member for Bordesley, has ventured to go further in regard to the question of small holdings than this—that it is an experiment which we think it right and desirable to try. I cannot conceive why, with regard to an object which we treat solely as an experiment, we should adopt, in this Bill, a principle which certainly would give rise to ill-feeling, would create much friction, and would be calculated far rather to raise difficulties than to smooth the path and the future working of this measure. Moreover, I believe it to be wholly unnecessary. There are ample means of making an experiment without insisting upon the principle of compulsion. As, however, we are to have a future discussion upon this subject I take it as a matter of course that an Amendment will be moved in this direction. I think it will be for general convenience if I reserve until that occasion whatever more I may have to say on the subject. Objections were raised by a great number of speakers, and by also the right hon. Member for Midlothian, to the County Council as the authority. I do not propose to say anything further on that point because I think it was quite sufficiently dealt with by my right hon. Friend the First Lord of the Treasury. A good deal has been said as to the desirability of maintaining for all time to come a quit-rent, whereas in the Bill 1767 it is provided the quit-rent shall be redeemable; but I see no reason at present to change my opinion on that point. A question has been raised as to the power to repurchase a small holding at any time by the County Council. That is a proposal to which personally I take the strongest objection. I think, in the first place, it would tend to defeat the main object of the Bill. I cannot conceive anything more likely to deter intending purchasers from the purchase of small holdings than the knowledge of the fact that at any time in the future, especially when the holding became more valuable, it might be resumed by the Local Authority. Then the power to re-purchase carries with it the power to raise the rent. I should rather say to raise the interest, because it might well be in the power of the Local Authority, by this proposal, to say that the land had increased in value and they intended to repurchase it, and having re-bought the land they might sell it a second time, and at an increased price. Only for the public good. What is the public good? The Local Authority might take one view of the matter and the unfortunate small holder another. I cannot help thinking that too much importance throughout the whole of these Debates has been attached to the advantages to be derived from these proceedings by the Local Authority. I honestly confess the main object I have had in view has been the advantage of the class who we hope and believe will become the owners of the small holdings in the future. I am a little surprised as to the cry for restrictions. I recollect the time, not so very long ago, when free land used to be one of the most popular and, perhaps, one of the most powerful cries amongst hon. Gentlemen opposite. But now, when I propose to create a number of freeholders, these gentlemen come forward and try to shackle me with every kind of restriction. The hon. Member for Ilkeston contrasted the amount of produce grown in France and Belgium as compared with this country, and drew dis- 1768 paraging comparisons between large farms on the one hand and the small farms on the other, very much to the disadvantage of the large one. All I know is, that the evidence of a gentleman exceedingly well versed in this matter—Major Craigie—differs entirely from the statements of the hon. Member. It is quite true that in Belgium the number of cows which are kept per square mile are in the proportion of 70 to 36 in England. On the other hand, cattle other than cows are in England 58 per square mile against 51 in Belgium. As to sheep, there are 322 maintained per square mile in England against 32 in Belgium. England returns an average of from 28 to 29 bushels of wheat against an average by Belgium of 24 to 27. As to potatoes, we grow in England 252 bushels to the acre; Belgium only grows 164 bushels. As to potatoes in France, the amount grown in four or five farms in France compared with a similar number in England was about three tons to the acre as against 6⅓ tons in England. I do not point out this evidence in any spirit of hostility whatever to the class of holdings which I am seeking to create, but I think it only right to say a word of warning to the House, and through the House to the country, that they should not be deceived by statements of the character to which I have referred, and which, I think, are misleading in the extreme. There have been many points raised in the course of the discussion, some of which I hope to be able to meet in Committee, although there are others which it will be my duty to resist. We have had a full discussion on the merits of the Bill, and I think the time is come when it might be read a second time, and I hope the day is not far distant when, with the general assent of the House, we may be able to pass into law a Measure which will receive general approval, and if it does not do all that is expected of it, will do something for that class in whose interest it has been introduced. I would point out to my right hon. Friend the Lord Advocate that we are placed in an exceptional position in Scotland. We have had an 1769 Allotments Bill and an Amendment on the Allotments Bill for England, and the other day we passed an Allotments Bill for Ireland; bringing Ireland into the same position as England. Some years ago we dealt with the crofter counties; but, in regard to allotments nothing has been done in the Lowlands and the chief counties in Scotland. I think we ought to bring Scotland into unison with the privileges given to England and Ireland in this respect. I am quite satisfied the Scotch constituencies will not be content unless they are placed in the same position as the counties in England and Ireland. I am aware that allotments in Scotland are not of so great importance as in England. Still they are important in certain districts, and in those districts, at least, we might have an opportunity of giving allotments to the same class and under similar conditions to those which will prevail in England and Ireland. I may be allowed to acknowledge, which I do with great thankfulness, that the right hon. Gentleman has in various ways said he will approach the Committee stage with an open mind. In regard to Scotland he has given us reason to believe that he will yield certain points which we think important. The whole discussion on this Bill is one which lends itself to Committee in a very special way, and in the hope held out that we shall have a very full discussion, I think it unnecessary to detain the House beyond stating the single point in regard to Scotland. Does this Bill cover pasture holdings? With regard to the question of the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire, it seems to me it is perfectly clear that the right course to adopt is to extend the Allotments Act to Scotland instead of making this Bill applicable to allotments as well as small holdings. In regard to the question of the hon. Member for Peebles as to pasture lands, it is quite clear that the Bill, as drawn, applies to pasture as well as well as arable holdings, and will fully meet the object which I understood the hon. Member has in view.

2019-04-25T15:45:21Z

https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1892/mar/24/small-agricultural-holdings-bill-no-183

With the recent APA decision to prohibit their members from participating in enhanced interrogation, and the demise of the human terrain program earlier this year, the optimistic amongst us might be tempted to believe that the academy is once again purified of its collusions with torture and occupation. The work to be done going forward, however, is not just one of holding individuals to account or raising the bar of individual ethical standards. We also need to find ways of holding academic sciences to account: of treating them not as dispassionate and apolitical ventures, sadly misused, but rather as formed within martial and racist cultures that shape their content and applications. This is as true for disciplines like Physics and Neuroscience as it is for social sciences like Anthropology, or, for that matter, IR. I have to confess, I was late to watch “Zero Dark Thirty” (ODT). I read a handful of reviews and blogs about the movie, had arguments with friends about its message, and even wrote it off completely–all weeks before I bothered to watch it. I wasn’t interested in watching another American war movie, nor was I keen to see the lengthy torture scenes I had read about in the reviews. I figured I already knew exactly what the content was (are there every any real surprises in American war movies? and, didn’t we all know how this story ended anyway?) and that there was really nothing left to say. BUT, I think there is something left to say about the film. First, let’s all be honest: most of us walked away from this movie saying to ourselves “did I miss something?” What about the film deserved all the Oscar hype, debate, and acclaim? By most standards, this was a classic, boring American war movie. In this case, the lack of plot and acting skills are made up with using violent torture scenes rather than expensive battle scenes. There is no emotional journey, no big moral dilemma that the characters are going through (I’ll get to torture soon), little plot twist (again, we all know how it ends after all), and no unique or interesting characters (don’t get me started on Jessica Chastain–what exactly about her stone-faced performance warrants an Oscar? perhaps she deserves an award for for ‘most consistent blank expression’). So what gives? Is this just another “King’s Speech”? Meaning, is this just another big movie that people talk about and get behind, but no one actually can put their finger on what was remotely interesting about it (never mind what was destructive about it)? The film “Zero Dark Thirty” has touched quite a cord in this country, such as with Peter Henne’s post below that responds to my own post further below. To his credit, he opens up another strand of the wider debate this film has touched off. My own reflection delves into the torture controversy writ large, as well as the the purpose and role of art in film making form. Peter uses the latter to widen our view into what this film has to say about civil-military relations in American society. Peter, I wonder if I could draw you out further on several facets of your observation. First it would be useful if you could go into more detail about specifically how Karthryn Bigelow and Mark Boal could have depicted the military personnel in their film more accurately. I take your point that “The Hurt Locker” was riddled with problems in this regard, and not surprisingly complained about widely by military observers. But while the film spends much more time focused on CIA operatives and analysts, it appears that Zero Dark does a much better job of depicting military personnel and how they do what they do. After all, the journalist Boal spent legions of hours with Seal Team 6 and military commanders from CENTCOM. This is a guest post by Peter S. Henne. Peter is a doctoral candidate at Georgetown University. He formerly worked as a national security consultant. His research focuses on terrorism and religious conflict; he has also written on the role of faith in US foreign policy. During 2012-2013 he is a fellow at the Miller Center at the University of Virginia. I appreciated Jeffrey Stacey’s recent post on the debate over “Zero Dark Thirty.” It’s useful to point out what is being obscured by the criticism of the movie’s depiction of torture. But I think his piece missed a broader aspect of the movie, as well as director Katherine Bigelow’s other war, “The Hurt Locker” (which focuses on an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team in Iraq): what it reveals about the civilian-military divide in the United States. Now, I realize the obvious response is: “it’s a movie.” That’s correct, but if the biggest selling point of a movie—or two—is their faithfulness to reality, and they get that wrong, then we’re all missing something, right? No one worries about inaccuracies in “Apocalypse Now” because of, well, Marlon Brando. But we should worry about inaccuracies in Bigelow’s war movies. Anyone who did not see “Zero Dark Thirty” on its opening night was smart, as it was mayhem in theaters everywhere. The film shot to #1 at the box office overnight and is there still, for the plain and simple reason that it’s a must see (no spoiler alert here because we all know at least a little about eliminating Osama bin Laden). Zero Dark features a razor sharp screenplay by Mark Boal, top form directing by Kathryn Bigelow, and higher than high stakes drama from start to finish. This film, however, is sufficiently controversial that there may soon be Congressional hearings about it–Sen. John McCain and Sen. Diane Feinstein had it in their sites by day one. The charge is that Bigelow and Boal depict torture in a manner that glorifies it, by way of a plot that allegedly portrays the U.S. government/military eliminating OBL only via intelligence gleaned from full on, no holds barred torture. In my view they are innocent of this charge. The raging debate over the film is misdirected and could do better to be debating this country’s torture legacy rather than a film that deserves serious consideration for a best picture Oscar. One draft of a piece that will not be appearing anytime soon. I will post the other version, a strategic-studies analysis of the outcome of the Deathly Hallows, later on. The sixth Harry Potter film, the Half-Blood Prince (2009), opens with Harry standing side-by-side with his mentor, recently reinstated Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Blinding flashbulbs illuminate Harry’s vacant stare, rendering the scene a literal, as well as figurative, flashback to the immediate aftermath of the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, in which three clandestine forces clashed within the Ministry of Magic itself: Voldemort’s Death Eaters, Dumbledore’s Order of the Phoenix, and Dumbledore’s Army (the “DA”)—students trained in secret by Harry in “defense against the dark arts.” Harry’s indifference stems from shock: his godfather, Sirius Black, died in the battle, and in the background we hear the voices of Voldemort and Black’s killer, the insane Bellatrix Lestrange. Flash forward to a modern glass-and-metal office building in London. Disbelieving office workers leave a conference table and walk to its picture window as storm clouds appear from nowhere. Darkness rapidly engulfs the sky. The camera tacks into the thunderous clouds themselves as they form into the image of a skull: the Death Eater’s Dark Mark. Three inky-black vaporous streams emerge from it. They look and move like the trails of impossibly agile sidewinder missiles. The three, which fans of the films recognize as flying Death Eaters, zoom down over the Thames as the camera moves into position behind them. They streak on through Trafalgar square and the streets of London. They’re no longer sidewinders, but rather supersonic air-launched cruise missiles. They pass into the heart of the wizarding world in London, Diagon Alley, and slam into Olivander’s Wands. The camera pulls back to give a birds-eye view of the shop exploding—sending glass flying and knocking bystanders to the ground. The camera cuts to street level to show Fenrir Grayback, a werewolf and ally of Voldemort, roughly dragging Olivander—head obscured under a blindfolding black hood—away from his shop. In the company of two Death Eaters, Grayback launches into the air with Olivander. But before they leave London, the three fly along the Millennium Bridge. The force of their passage rips the bridge from its supports. It collapses, along with terrified pedestrians, into the Thames. The opening of the Half-Blood Prince continues a trend begun in the Order of the Phoenix, in which danger bleeds seamlessly from the wizarding world into our own, and back again. None of this sequence, I should add, is a faithful translation of the book onto the screen. In the novels, Voldemort is the only Death Eater capable of unassisted flight. Readers learn of Olivander’s abduction via exposition. In the opening chapter of the Half-Blood Prince, recently sacked Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge informs the Prime Minister of Britain that Voldemort is behind the destruction of a (fictional) bridge: “The Brockdale Bridge – he did it… he threatened a mass Muggle killing unless I stood aside for him and….” David Yates’ direction takes a basic fact about the Death Eaters—they are, by organization and tactics, terrorists—and renders it visceral. Its imagery blurs the distinction between magic and modern weaponry. Terrorism and warfare, it suggests, aren’t so different in Diagon Alley from the streets of Baghdad. Indeed, later on in the Half-Blood Prince, Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger take a trip to Diagon Alley to, as they have every year since being accepted into Hogwarts, purchase school supplies. On their way to Fred and George’s joke shop, they pass the abandoned and burnt-out wreck of Olivander’s Wands. As in the books, Hogwarts, already scarred by the brief, but ruthless, tenure of Ministry of Magic hack Dolores Umbridge, has been transformed. The school is under lockdown, protected by magical defenses and the special agents of the Wizard world, the Aurors. We also see it, for the first time, through the eyes of adolescents firmly on their way to adulthood. Harry and Ron tower above first-year students. Yates makes sure we notice snogging teenagers as his camera pans the halls. In some scenes, students lounge around drinking unidentified substances in the hours between classes and curfew. By the film’s end, these twin transitions are complete. Hogwart’s defenses have been compromised through the actions of Draco Malfoy, a student and uneasy Death Eater; Dumbledore lies dead at the hands of Severus Snape—a double-agent for the Order who, at least for the moment, appears to have actually been working as a triple-agent; and Harry, along with Hermione and Ron, has vowed to leave behind Hogwarts to find Voldemort’s remaining horcruxes: hidden containers for parts of his soul that, as long as they persist, protect him from death. In many ways, the Harry Potter series interfaces uncomfortably with most understandings of international relations. Foreign policy is often about balancing unpalatable alternatives, as has been the story of US engagement with the so-called “Arab Spring,” its efforts to ensure the delivery of vital supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan, and its dealings with North Korea. Rowling’s novels—and their film versions—are too sophisticated not to allow even good characters to make bad, and even cruel, decisions. For example, a significant thematic of The Deathly Hallows is that Dumbledore, who we know as a paragon of moral rectitude and self-sacrifice, has lived a far from untarnished life. The wizarding world that Harry and his friends fight to defend is itself deeply flawed. Its enslavement of House-Elves is so complete that all but Dobby recoil at the thought of freedom. It denies full political and civil rights to other sentient magical creatures, including Centaurs and Goblins. Many of its members look upon non-magical humans (Muggles) with a sense of smug superiority; more than a few refer to witches and wizards born of Muggles as “mudbloods.” The Ministry of Magic proves willing to propagandize against those it considers threats via British wizardry’s leading newspaper, The Daily Prophet. As the series unfolds, we also see it conduct star-chamber trials, condemn people to torture at the hands of the soul-sucking Dementors, and frequently bend to the desires of the rich and powerful. Through all of this, however, Rowling never gives us any reason to doubt that Voldemort and his Death Eaters are evil embodied. They stand for racial subordination, tyranny, and the sacrifice of others to their own ambitions. Voldemort himself is the series’ “Big Bad”; his every action, as well as his very appearance confirms his demonic nature. Voldemort’s eyes are and nostrils are slits, his skin serpentine. He commits numerous atrocities, such as suspending a tortured Hogwarts teacher (of “Muggle studies”) above the table on which he and his followers eat dinner or feeding an innocent old man to his snake familiar. Indeed, while many of Rowling’s “good” characters are flawed, and her “bad” characters—other than Voldemort—capable of redemption, there is little moral ambiguity in Harry Potter. If there exists an explicit foreign-policy message in Harry Potter, it is that we should not sacrifice liberty for security. The books are resolutely anti-torture. Hogwarts games keeper Hagrid is briefly sent to Azkaban—the wizarding world’s Guantanamo Bay—without anything approximating due process. Sirius Black spends years there for crimes he didn’t commit, during which he is driven (temporarily) insane. Rowling strongly suggests that even the guilty do not deserve punishment at the hands of Azkaban’s Dementors. In fact, the Ministry’s practices prove steps along the slippery slope to fascism and tyranny. Once the Death Eater’s subvert it from within, they easily harness its institutional apparatus for the persecution of mudbloods and other “undesirables.” They deploy its propaganda to further their ideological of racial purity and magical superiority, as well as to brand Harry the most dangerous enemy of the wizarding community. Although they control some recalcitrant officials with the Imperious Curse, others, including Umbridge, eagerly embrace the Ministry’s new policies. As long as Voldemort stays in the shadows, many wizards and witches don’t even recognize that his forces have seized control. Once the Ministry falls, the dominant tropes of the two Deathly Hallows films increasingly center around those of a resistance movement fighting against a tyrannical regime. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione pursue Voldemort’s horcruxes they mount what are, in effect, guerilla raids against the Ministry and the Death Eaters. Disguised as employees, they sneak into the Ministry to retrieve a horcrux, find themselves freeing a group of “mudbloods,” and barely escape capture. They spend a good deal of the rest of the film running and hiding. Eventually, their attempts to gather intelligence lead to their apprehension by a group of Death Eaters. With the assistance—and self-sacrifice—of Dobby the House-Elf, they escape from the clutches of Bellatrix Lestrange only moments before Voldemort arrives to kill Harry. Most of Part II concerns the final showdown with Voldemort and the Death Eaters. The pre-title sequence of Part II begins with Voldemort acquiring the most powerful wand ever created—the so-called “Elder Wand”—which he believes will make him invincible. The Battle of Hogwarts provides the major set piece of Part II, but beforehand some unfinished business remains. Harry, Ron, and Hermione steal one of the final horcruxes from Gringott’s Bank—the HSBC of the wizarding world… if HSBC were run by goblins and stored its patrons’ treasure in vault-lined caves and tunnels. Once again they narrowly evade capture, only this time they do so on the back of an abused dragon who guards the most important vaults. Their ride over London provides our last glimpse of the Muggle world until the film’s epilogue, which is fitting, because from hereafter we are firmly in the realm of fantasy. The Battle of Hogwarts features a titanic clash between good and evil; moments of redemption , self-sacrifice, and rebirth; the triumph of the few over the many; and a final duel between Voldemort and Harry. The “Elder Wand” betrays Voldemort; it recognizes, for reasons too convoluted to explain here, that Harry as its true master. In the end, Harry breaks it into pieces and, in doing so, renounces the will-to-power that so twisted Voldemort. In this respect, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II, is something like comfort food for unsettled times. Many people whom fans have grown to care about lose their lives, but never in vain. Voldemort’s defeat marks the end of the Death Eaters: absent his vision and the fear he inspires, they cannot recover. No wonder long-circulating comparisons between Voldemort and Osama Bin Laden gained a new lease on life in the lead up to the film’s release: for a generation reared on Harry Potter and marked by 9/11, it seems fitting that US forces killed Bin Laden not long before opening day. And it is nice, just for a moment, to imagine that Al-Qaeda, like the Death Eaters, will simply melt away. But I think it is too easy to dismiss Harry Potter as fantastic escapism. Popular culture seldom has a direct effect on international politics. Instead, it supplies common referents that shape our understandings of events; its images, narratives, and ideas intrude into the “common sense” of its consumers. How it represents, for example, ethnic groups, ideologies, and threats matters. Thus, the very idea of an analogy between Voldemort and Bin Laden, and the ease with which it comes to mind for students of a certain age, takes on some significance. To the extent that popular culture influences our understandings of right and wrong, then the content of Potter’s moral compass matters even more. Rowling’s sophisticated treatment of torture, justice, propaganda, political inequality, and the dangers of state excess are likely to be among the enduring legacy of the novels and films. Alyssa Rosenberg has a good discussion of the anti-torture themes in the Harry Potter series. But she neglects two other ways in which J.K. Rowling critiques the US conduct of the war on terror: Azkaban and arbitrary detention. Harry’s disdain for the ministry in The Half-Blood Prince focuses on their detention of Stan Shunpike in Azkaban — Stan’s obvious innocence doesn’t deter Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour from scapegoating the young man as part of his effort to create the illusion of security in the Wizarding world. Indeed, Azkaban itself could be any number of soul-devouring prisons in the Muggle world, but in the the last few books it sometimes seems a stand in for Guantanamo Bay. Given the obvious connections between the Death Eaters and terrorist organizations — from their methods to their cell-structure organization — it doesn’t take much to read the later novels as, in part, a claim that state terror, whatever its purpose, inevitably corrupts democratic governance and renders it vulnerable to fascism and totalitarianism. UK Torture Inquiry: Our BFD? The coalition government here in the UK has announced that there will be an inquiry into torture and rendition alleged to have been carried out since 9/11. This was a major item platform for the LibDems and some Tories, the latter group while conservative, committed to a deep sense of eroding “British values”. The judicial inquiry announced by the foreign secretary into Britain’s role in torture and rendition since September 2001 is poised to shed extraordinary light on one of the darkest episodes in the country’s recent history. It is expected to expose not only details of the activities of the security and intelligence officials alleged to have colluded in torture since 9/11, but also the identities of the senior figures in government who authorised those activities. This is – to put it in Biden terms – a BFD. First, there is no doubt some of the motivation here is for the other two parties to really stick it to Labour. But to be honest, it’s nothing that they haven’t brought onto themselves if the Inquiry does find that then-senior Labour MPs/Cabinet ministers knew they were acting illegally. So, provided the allegations can be substantiated (I’m guessing at least some will), the bigger question will be if these individuals justified, in any way, of making the decisions they did, under the circumstances. (The Michael Walzer/Dirty Hands approach). Human Rights lobby groups are probably going to give a definite “no” to this but it will be interesting to see what an inquiry will say. Any individual named by a commission would have a very difficult time traveling around the rest of the Western world, particularly Europe, for a very long time. While the commission would not in and of itself be a trial (it seems to be framed as an accountability mechanism more or less) it could lead to formal charges elsewhere. The UK is, after all, party to the ICC. Finally, for relatively obvious reasons, I can’t see this happening in the US. Yet it seems clear that the decisions of US decision makers, and their impact on UK decision makers, is going to come to light. Like the Iraq Inquiry, a UK commission will effectively be putting US policy on trial. However, I can’t see something like this happening in other countries like Canada either – where there is a good chance that senior government ministers in both political parties made decisions that contravened the CAT or their own domestic laws. Although, to be fair, the Canadian government at least held a commission as to why a citizen was permitted to be rendered to Egypt for torture and the Canadian government officially apologized. No official was ever held accountable. I finally took the time (and found the courage) to watch Steve McQueen’s “Hunger” (2008). It is the story of the events that led to the 1981 Irish hunger strike at Maze Prison in which Bobby Sands and nine other men died. The film is hauntingly beautiful from an aesthetic standpoint and horrifying intellectually. There are very few films which actually merit the adjective “powerful,” this is one of them. Critics will undoubtedly take issue with the film for its failure to contextualize the crimes (and therefore the punishment) of the IRA “terrorists,” but the film is not a history of the “Troubles” per se. Even if one absolutely condemns the violence of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the film forces the viewer to confront the relationship between the state and the body. The aim is obviously preemptive propaganda, but Thatcher’s rhetoric is fascinating. Hunger, the weapon of the weakest of the weak, is described as a continuation of terrorist violence. The slow, silent, lonely, and intensely painful drama of suicide through starvation is characterized as a mere sleight of hand, a cheap trick designed to stoke hatred by eliciting pity. While Sands and his colleagues did undoubtedly seek to elicit pity and revive the republican cause, their protest was more than a mere final trick. From the vantage point of the film, the disembodied voice of Thatcher sounds un-human, desperate, and powerless to all but the most gullible and close-minded. It is clear that the hunger strike returns the state to a Foucauldian situation in which it must risk a trial of strength in public with the body of the condemned. “We were not given toilet paper or water to clean ourselves after using the toilet; only our hands could be used, but could not be washed afterwards. This is how those who claim to defend human rights made us live,” (Zaeef 2010, 196). From what I understand the UK abandoned the practice of force feeding in 1917 after it led to the death of an Irish prisoner, Tom Ashe. The US government, however, still seeks to deny prisoners that it labels as terrorists the right to play even this “last card.” Some of the hunger strikers in American facilities like Guantanamo were reportedly force fed and prevented from vomiting nutrients. Mullah Zaeef’s recounts that eventually the doctor-in-charge at Guantanamo refused to continue force feeding the prisoners during the 2005-06 hunger strike. One has to wonder what the practice of force feeding says about the US and its understanding of the body of the suspected terrorist. One could argue that the act of force feeding a mentally sound, political prisoner foreshadows a totalitarian impulse which we as Americans would prefer to associate with other regime types. Even the publicly released images of those prisoners in orange jumpsuits, kneeling in stress positions with heads covered and ears muffled, conjures a body completely turned over to the power of the state. The prisoner is in a limbo where they cannot be human and have absolutely no rights. That we as Americans tolerated such tyrannical behavior from our own government perhaps speaks to the autistic hysteria under which we have lived for nearly a decade. Either that or it speaks to the utter indifference we hold for those who are merely accused of being enemies of the state. In the docu-drama “The Road to Guantanamo” (2006), there is an odd scene where an American prison guard (in real life his name is Brandon Neeley) asks one of the Tipton Three to rap for him. The guard becomes uncomfortable when he realizes that these kids being held in Guantanamo not only speak English but are products of an Americanized global culture. It is as if the body of the prisoner comes to have a soul, at least in the eyes of one guard for one brief moment. (Although it is not depicted in the film, the guard resigned from the US military in 2005. He has contributed to the Guantanamo Testimonial Project and has apologized to Shafiq Rasul for the treatment that was inflicted on him. The apology has been accepted). If a common language can create a minimal sense of shared humanity even amongst sworn enemies, then it is stunning to realize what the Britons did to the Irish in Maze prison. In “Hunger,” the prisoners use Gaelic to organize their resistance, although not all of the prisoners speak the “national” language. And while all of the prisoners understand and speak English, there is almost no dialog between the prisoners and their keepers. Perhaps the point of the film is that language itself dies as the body is subject to increasing pain. And it is the death of language that permits such depravity. Charli linked to a great round-up of theories circulating that propose to answer the rather interesting question of why countries that sign the Convention Against Torture seem to have a greater likelihood of committing torture. One working paper in particular , by James Hollyer and Peter Rosendorff of NYU, has caused quite a stir. They propose that dictators use the signing of such a treaty as a costly signal to domestic opposition groups that they fully intend to continue torturing those that oppose their regime. How does this work? We argue that authoritarian states ratify human rights treaties explicitly because they do not intend to comply. And it is important to those signatories that all observers understand that they have no intention of complying at the time of accession. The logic, while counterintuitive, is straightforward: an elite facing threats from a domestic opposition can mitigate these threats by engaging in torture. If there is any additional cost to the elite of signing and then being found to torture, the act of signing the agreement signals to the opposition the strength of the elite’s commitment to remaining in power. Accession is a signal to the opposition of the very high value the elite places on holding onto power and its willingness to use torture if necessary. On observing the government’s accession, the opposition – now better informed about the value the elite places on holding power – will rationally reduce its anti-regime activities. The government continues to torture, but will torture less. On the other hand a regime that doesn’t sign shows itself to be vulnerable to the added costs associated with the use of torture. Thus, the opposition will increase e orts to remove the regime on seeing that the government does not sign. 1) If it is well known that the conversion rate, if you will, for bringing accused torturers to justice in connection with the CAT is quite low, then why would a domestic audience see this as a credible signal? Any dictator could sign the treaty regardless of whether their type was of a moderate or an extreme–if the signal could easily be sent by either type it can’t differentiate. Additionally, the more credible signal is one that actually demonstrates the will and, more importantly, the capability of the sender. In this case, if a dictator’s real aim and desire is to signal that they will do whatever it takes to stay in power why not just make an example of revolutionaries, rebels, etc? Show that you have the will and capability to do whatever it takes to stay in power (thinking here of Barbara Walter’s work on why some states negotiate with separatist groups and others choose violent repression). 2) Given that, I am more inclined to see it as a low-cost, public relations move to placate domestic and international critics. By signing the CAT a dictator can point to his/her efforts to play by the same rules as other governments and to treat their citizens humanly. The next time they are getting reamed out at some summit or UN meeting they can say “yes, but, we did sign the CAT”. They don’t really need to send a credible signal with the move, just create a useful tool in their public relations arsenal. 3) Additionally, violent, repressive dictators are less likely to fall from power. Therefore, they are less likely to be placed in a position where they could be prosecuted for their actions under the CAT. Combine this fact with the potential usefulness of signing the CAT from a public relations standpoint and you have another potential explanation aside from signaling. Moreover, it would also explain why ‘moderate’ or ‘competitive’ dictatorships are less likely to sign the CAT–precisely because their are more vulnerable to losing power and could therefore be brought to justice under the CAT. Given that the public relations gains are modest compared to the potential costs of actually being prosecuted, moderate dictators would be less likely to sign. Just my initial thoughts. In general, the data is quite intriguing as is Hollyer and Rosendorff’s theory–certainly a puzzle well worth exploring. The two different countries I call home (Canada and the UK) have recently had to deal with universal jurisdiction in relation to war crimes. First, as I’ve written about here, it has come to light that Canadian officials likely knew that Afghans captured by Canadian forces and subsequently transferred to Afghan prisons were being tortured. Failure to react to such allegations and relevations is a crime under the Third Geneva Convention Relative to Prisoners of War. Yet, what is interesting about this particular issue is that the Geneva Convention is quite clear that it is the government (as opposed to the military) is responsible for the violation of the law. Yet the Canadian government has so-far refused to open up an investigation into the allegations (made by a Canadian diplomat, Mr. Colvin who served in Kabul and now does so in Washington). Instead, the issue is being handled by the Military Police Complaints Commission. The question is whether or not this is sufficient for the International Criminal Court – of which Canada is a party – who could potentially begin an investigation if they felt that the actions of Canada were insufficient. That the ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo has previously indicated this year that he willing to open up investigations into Western governments, does seem to leave the Canadian government in a potentially vulnerable position. Second, a judge in the UK recently issued an arrest warrant for the former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni for war crimes at the request of Palestinian plaintiffs. The allegations made against Livni were that she was responsible for war crimes committed during the Israeli offensive in Gaza last year. The warrant was revoked when it was announced by a very angry Israeli government that Livni would no longer be visiting the UK for her scheduled meeting with UK government officials. Additionally, the warrant was the cause of significant embarrassment for the UK government whose role in the Middle East peace process is now in some doubt (particularly as Israeli officials will now not be particularly likely to visit the UK). But the Court which issued the warrant has the right to do so at its own discretion. As war crimes have universal jurisdiction, the court felt that it was free to act. For advocates, of universal justice, the implications of both of these cases are clear: it is about promoting the rule of law and addressing grievances so that real peace can be built. More simply, it’s the idea that justice should not stop at a national border. Officials, whether they are the Canadian Minister of Defence, the President of Sudan or the former Israeli Foreign Minister should all be susceptible to indictment. And clearly, for the governments of these countries, it is about pragmatism. International legal arrangements which effectively damage diplomacy, or the ability of officials to do their job, is of benefit to no one. But in reality, such concerns may also extend to the international legal institutions themselves. Although Ocampo may be a fan of universal jurisdiction, this may be tempered by a degree of realism. As the ICC and the US government under the Obama Administration are slowly working towards a new understanding (if not an entirely improved relationship), any attempt to prosecute Canadian officials may actually scare away the American government even further from the ICC – particularly given its skittishness about “activist” lawyers, politicized cases under the banner of universal jurisdiction. To some extent it comes down to the old (clichéd?) question of “Order vs Justice” in International Relations – whether we should let justice be done though the heavens fall, or whether order without justice can really be considered any order at all. Perhaps more simply, it is at what cost international institutions (or even domestic ones) are willing to demonstrate their power – even perhaps at the risk of losing it. If they do act, they may be limited by politics; but if they don’t, they already have been. *See what I did there? That’s the kind of skill you learn in a quality grad school. A few months ago fellow NYU inhabitant Joshua Tucker of The Monkey Cage asked what, if any, social science research had been done on the effectiveness of torture in obtaining valuable intelligence? Josh’s primary question was an ethical one, that being if a researcher had a personal objection to the use of torture, but through an empirical analysis of data found that it in fact did extract valuable data, should the researcher attempt to get it published despite his or her personal objection? This touched off a very interesting discussion among Monkey readers, and I recommend it to all. Today, Josh revisits the topic, but this time with a bit of relevant research in hand. In “Interrogational Torture: Or How Good Guys Get Bad Information with Ugly Methods,” John Schiemann presents a theoretical model of an interrogation. Briefly, the model has two players, the detainee and the state, where the state is uncertain about the value of the detainee’s knowledge and the detainee is uncertain as to the state’s willingness to use torture. The state moves first, by either asking leading questions (uninformative signal) or objective questioning. The detainee must then decide to send a valuable message, or not. Finally, the state evaluates this message to ascertain the detainees type, and from this decides whether to use torture to extract additional information (for a full description of the game see the paper). …even in a worst case scenario in which torture is shown to be effective under some limited circumstances, we would want to know that. What is the alternative? The alternative is to do nothing and help preserve a status quo in which torture is unrestrained. As difficult as it would be to swallow a result showing some limited effectiveness of torture, I’d rather live with that than what the U.S. has been doing – and perhaps is continuing to do. There are two interesting points of discussion that fall from this discussion. First, do we believe the model presented above is an accurate or useful interpretation of the decision process of a state to use torture? One weakness to note is the presumed equality of uncertainty between the players. The state is rarely completely uncertain as to the value of a detainee’s knowledge. Presumably some amount of intelligence collection went into the decision to capture and interrogate a detainee, therefore, the state can (and does) have the ability to rank the value of detainees. Likewise, unless a detainee is the first of a given conflict, the game is clearly repeated; consequently, all subsequent detainees will be able to update their beliefs about a state’s type. It may be more valuable, and easier to model, to make this a repeated game of one-way uncertainty, where a state is known to use torture, but the type of detainee is unknown by adding noise to the intelligence collected on a detainee prior to capture. The second point of interest are Schiemann’s thoughts on how social scientists should approach researching ethically sensitive topics (for his full remarks see the Monkey post). My opinion is that all finding should be disclosed; first because it is a fundamental principle of scientific endeavor, but more to the point, it can expose false assumptions and promote more accurate models to be built and explored. For example, the model above is an excellent first step toward building a theory of how a state decides to use torture. As we can clearly see, however, it is in no way the definitive model on the topic. If the results from this model show that torture is effective that does not mean it should be used. On the contrary, it means that under the assumptions of this particular model, in some cases, it is shown to be effective. Improving the model, and generating new results, may alter the conclusion completely (or not). This iterative process is the only way to contribute valuable knowledge to a discipline. I am interested in other’s thoughts, both in terms of the model, but also how to approach research on these kinds of topics. Particularly from practitioners (not necessarily of torture) within the defense community. How is this model getting at the dynamics of interrogation, and where does it fail? How might it be improved? Also, as consumers of social science research, how do you think the community should handle these ethical concerns? It’s not pictures that inflame anti-American opinion. Brutality has done that already. And trying to cover up that bad behavior only makes it look as if the new Administration is complicit. In short, this is the worst tactical decision I’ve seen Obama make so far, and I fear the grave consequences of associating his administration with the worst excesses of the past eight years. Stated in this particular way, an indisputible statement of principle is conflated with and therefore masquerades as an empirical “fact,” one which is blatantly untrue. This trope was one of the Bush Administration’s many brilliant inventions, and was designed as a public relations counter-response to growing acknowledgement that US military and intelligence personnel not only had tortured detainees, but had in fact been ordered to do so. In the context of some other disturbing continuities between Bush Administration policies and Obama’s policy so far, this worries me. It should also worry Obama’s advisors: these kinds of rhetorical not to mention policy non-changes are precisely the type of behavior that will undermine Obama’s effort to reengage the international community in the wake of Bush-era unilateralism. Why? Because these particular issues are so closely emotionally associated with Bush-era unilateralism. If there is any sense in Obama’s decision to retain a policy of extraordinary rendition (and I can’t see any), there is certainly no sense in the decision to draw attention and umbrage to it by failing to at least change the rhetoric. One of the most interesting conversations I had at ISA was about the Geneva Conventions. I had suggested in The National Interest last year that the Bush Administration and the human rights community work together toward an Additional Protocol to clarify the law, and my colleague asked whether I thought this advice still applied after the transition. I would say it is even more relevant now. The Bush White House flaunted multilateral institutions like the torture regime because Bush’s policy was to flout multilateralism. Obama can’t continue that course – simply reinterpreting and then violating the law – while claiming to embrace multilateralism. But what he could do is lead a multilateral effort to clarify the law. An effort framed in good faith by a skillful and (as yet) largely untarnished leader like Obama could unite both the human rights community and those concerned about how to apply the laws in an era of asymmetric warfare. It could resolve some of the interpretive problems as a community. Obama should shift course and lead this movement before the opportunity is squandered as the US once again instead becomes its target. *I mean, how it within his perogative or power to “not allow people to plot against America”? What does that mean as a basis for one’s foreign policy? Bush Confesses (Without Being Tortured). Now What? One of these low-salience issues in particular stayed in my mind this week as I kept an eye on the news: “Impunity for world leaders who committed war crimes or crimes against humanity while in office.” It didn’t make the NYTimes headline this morning, but if I heard Bush correctly yesterday, he basically admitted to having signed off on torturing detainees during his administration. Let’s leave aside the fact that “sure, I tortured” ranks pretty high among those things you’re not supposed to say as a sitting head of state, even if you’ve been there done that. Really, the important question is what the Obama administration should do about this legacy once taking office. Not about reversing Bush’s torture policy, which is largely a given. About holding the previous head of state accountable for that torture policy. And yes, it’s quite interesting to see so little attention to this building a norm to do precisely that. Sure there’s the international criminal court, but that’s an institution with a limited mandate and short reach. What about the responsibility of new governments to hold their predecessors accountable for crimes committed while in office? What about an international movement to create such a standard for democratic regimes? At Harper’s, Scott Horton argues that there is a strong historical precedent for future leaders punishing a previous leader who willfully violates the laws of nations. Torture is a crime of universal jurisdiction, ranking right up there with genocide. The emphasis of activists so far have been simply to roll back Bush’s torture policy, but there are real questions to be asked about whether the international criminal regime has got to a point where it can reach and punish harms inflicted by the President of the most powerful country in the world. As long as Bush stays in the US, the answer is probably no. But that doesn’t mean that the incoming administration couldn’t take steps, or that the human security community could not work harder to generate a sense of obligation for all governments to do the same. Sixty years ago yesterday, in response to the atrocities committed in World War II, the U.S. joined world leaders in supporting the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Click here to sign. Complete text of the petition is below the fold. Though we come from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life, we agree that the use of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment against prisoners is immoral, unwise, and un-American. In our effort to secure ourselves, we have resorted to tactics which do not work, which endanger US personnel abroad, which discourage political, military, and intelligence cooperation from our allies, and which ultimately do not enhance our security. Our President must lead us by our core principles. We must be better than our enemies, and our treatment of prisoners captured in the battle against terrorism must reflect our character and values as Americans. The “Golden Rule.” We will not authorize or use any methods of interrogation that we would not find acceptable if used against Americans, be they civilians or soldiers. One national standard. We will have one national standard for all US personnel and agencies for the interrogation and treatment of prisoners. Currently, the best expression of that standard is the US Army Field Manual, which will be used until any other interrogation technique has been approved based on the Golden Rule principle. The rule of law. We will acknowledge all prisoners to our courts or the International Red Cross. We will in no circumstance hold persons in secret prisons or engage in disappearances. In all cases, prisoners will have the opportunity to prove their innocence in ways that fully conform to American principles of fairness. Duty to protect. We acknowledge our historical commitment to end the use of torture and cruelty in the world. The US will not transfer any person to countries that use torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Checks and balances. Congress and the courts play an invaluable role in protecting the values and institutions of our nation and must have and will have access to the information they need to be fully informed about our detention and interrogation policies. Clarity and accountability. All US personnel – whether soldiers or intelligence staff – deserve the certainty that they are implementing policy that complies fully with the law. Henceforth all US officials who authorize, implement, or fail in their duty to prevent the use of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners will be held accountable, regardless of rank or position. Hat tip to Hank at Eclectic Meanderings.

2019-04-26T10:07:56Z

http://duckofminerva.com/tag/torture

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The recipient must have a minimum of five (5) years experience as a High School Equipment Manager. The recipient must be a person who places his or her family commitments before other responsibilities or goals. The recipient must be a person who is known and respected in his/her community. One candidate from each district is submitted to the Executive Director prior to May 15th each year. The award will be ordered by Randy Fogle. AEMA member with 15 or more years of membership, or Deceased/Retired AEMA members who didn’t make the 15-year membership limit. Employees of AEMA who have served 15 or more years and have shown exceptional dedication to our organization. Charter members (1975-1978) of the AEMA who served this organization in the early years. These members may not have been members 15 years; they need to demonstrate the integral part they served to get the AEMA off the ground. Associates of the AEMA who have distinguished them selves in the promotion of our organization. Award is to be determined by the Committee Nominations are accepted by the National Office until May 1. The committee must submit all nominees to the Board of Directors for final Approval. Award will be presented at the General Meeting at convention. All district awards are governed by the District and paid for by the district. The executive director shall enforce all policies on behalf of the Association. Commit the Association to no financial obligations in excess of available financial resources. Maintain continual communications with the Associate Executive Director, President, and Office Manager. Submit a report on the progress of the Association at each Board meeting and general meeting. Possess full power and complete responsibility to transact all business for and on behalf of the Association with the approval of the Board. Together with the Office Manager, and the treasurer provide the Board the projected budget for each fiscal year. Sign all Convention contracts unless other arrangements are made. The Associate Executive Director will assist the Executive Director in functions and responsibilities as necessary. Serve as chair person of the Ethics committee. Should a vacancy occur in the Executive Director’s capacity, said term will be completed by the Associate Executive Director. The President shall preside at all meetings of the board and National meetings. Call all meetings of the Executive Board as deemed necessary and advisable. Serve as the official spokesman for the Executive Board. Appoint all committee chairpersons with the approval of the Executive Board. Be in direct communication with the District Directors, Executive Director, and Office Manager. Serve as ex-official member to all committees. The Vice-president shall act in the place of the President in the events of the President’s absence or refusal to act. Serve as Parliamentarian at all meetings. Should assist the Convention Program Chair person. Should a vacancy occur in the President’s capacity, said term will be completed by the Vice President until the next presidential election. Serve on the Board of Directors and attend both the opening and closing board meeting and any other meeting called by the President. Should a District Director be unable to attend the National meeting, he/she shall appoint a person from his/her district to sit in on the meetings to represent that district. Serve as the legislative body of the Association as the voice of your district members. Approve all appointments made by the Executive Director and/or President. Supply a district activity report by May 1st to the President so the information can be made available for discussion at the Annual Board meeting. This report will also serve as a basic for CEU distribution for district officers. It is the District Directors responsibility to see that other district officers such as (Vice President, Secretary, Newsletter editor, treasurer, Membership chairperson or other district officers not mentioned. Not to include CEU Representative CEU representative are governed by CSC) Perform his/her duties as assigned. If an Officer does not perform duties it is the responsibility of the Director to do so, or appoint another person until the next election is held. It is recommended that each district produce a newsletter. This newsletter can be hard copy, email, or submitted to the National office for post on the web site. Promote the AEMA whenever possible. Supply board meeting agenda topics to the President prior to May 1 for discussion at convention. All district officer (except CEC) are governed by the district. Receive and Process all membership dues. Enter in database, laminate and mail card and confirmation of any other payment to individual member. Enter information on website. Process all membership cards and convention information for retired non paying members. Organize and design convention information. Mass email membership with information and post on website. Receive and Process and Convention registrations Enter data in database, make badge. Receive and Process Certification Exam applications, determine eligibility, copy and send cover letter explaining study material and eligibility. Send manual priority mail if ordered with test. Process new members. Make card, send convention information, and cover letter. Make membership certificate and mail with welcome letter to the new member. Contact the district director, membership chairperson, and President with any new member added to district. Maintain dues paid by District and send periodic report to Treasurer. Send periodic Membership report to Membership chairperson. Maintain an Alumni File, for verification of new member status. Answer all correspondence- phone, email, and mail questions or requests. Keep a tabulation of all CEU’s both in the data base and on the website. Post reminders 30 days before end of window informing members to check for needed CEU’s. Maintain Bar code system and attach bar code to certified members badges. Work with President to set up all Convention agendas for meetings. Take and record all minutes for Board and General Meetings. Email a late notice to members delinquent in dues. Post Convention Schedule to website, send to printers, ship and distribute at convention. Keep a data base on Exhibitors Make all badges. Maintain all daily operations and answer questions, or direct members to the correct source for answers for the National Office. Maintain and operate all office equipment. Assist Web Master to Design and Maintain all AEMA forms. Assist the Board of Directors in clerical type duties as needed. Produce and mail Certificates for newly certified members. Keep a running tally of Members years as paid members and process 5,10,15,20,25 and 30 year stickers. Enter membership data sent from office manager into ‘Quickbooks’ and break into categories for accounting procedures. Provide checks and balances for all AEMA accounts. Receive, enter and deposit all checks. Over see checking, savings, credit card and CD accounts. Send monthly statements to all 10 districts. Write split checks and make deposits to each district as owed by the national office. Monitor district accounts and checks written. Keep payroll taxes current and keep IRS up to date (941 quarterly tax reporting). Work closely with accountant for all tax solutions, problems, etc. Track and log all receipts, pay out as needed. Plan upcoming conventions with Executive Director. Invoice companies that make annual donations to our Journal, convention receptions and office. Work with hotel/convention site contact(s) to insure all paperwork is finalized, menus are correct, workshop rooms are assigned, proper insurance coverage provided, audio-visual needs of speakers, workshops, banquets and receptions arranged and set properly, security issues addressed, donation letters and monies collected—these are just some examples of what I do with the convention prior and on site. At the time of convention make sure that the services we need are flowing accordingly. At convention I work the registration desk, run credit cards, daily tally and make sure vendors understand AEMA is responsive to their needs while they are setting up exhibits or have questions or concerns during the course of the convention. Compile and bank district monies for golf outing and help district with needs when the convention is in their district. Review master bill immediately at the end of the convention with executive director. Answer and respond to general membership requests. Work with the accountants with IRS wage and reporting and have found better interest rates for AEMA CDs. No committee or committee member Shall commit any financial obligations of the association unless approved by the Executive Director. Maintenance of the AEMA Certification Manual. Coordination of National Convention workshops and seminars. Development and administration of Certification examination. Ultimately responsible for all actions to the Board of Directors. Organize and Conduct CSC meeting at Convention each year. Organize and attend Test Development Sessions in Raleigh. Maintain CEU Requirements and appeals process. Attend CEC Meeting at Convention. Work with the CSC Chairperson to make certain that all educational areas of the AEMA are done in accordance to the Role Delineation. Work with CAS to keep AEMA Certification Exam current and in accordance with the role delineation. Select and contact manufactures to exhibit at our National meeting, with the help of the Treasurer. Work with the Decorator and obtain floor plan of the booth space. Be at Convention at least one (1) day prior to the National meeting, to assist with the set-up of exhibits and stay until exhibits are down. Secure Security Guard for the exhibit area. Remain in communication with the executive director, President and National office. Assign booth spaces to the exhibitors. Certification Exam including but not limited the development and proctoring of the exam. The Chair shall liaise with Scantron Corporation in the production, evaluation and the use of all testing materials and provide to the AEMA all pertinent information with respect to scoring. The Exam Chair is also responsible for the striking of a committee to produce and evaluate questions for the certification exam. Ordering of all materials and returning same to Scantron Corporation after each exam session. The Head Proctor is also required to communicate all information with respect to the exam to the National Office in a timely fashion and receive in kind all candidate requests in addition to verifying the identity of all candidates. The Chair shall submit to the Chair of the CSC an annual report detailing the activities of the committee and him or herself. Promote and receive 5 articles per year for the AEMA Journal. Oversee all articles and keep with compliance with the role delineation. Work closely with Momentum Media to assure that the Journal is published and mailed by September 1. Investigate and implement plans for soliciting new members. Investigate ways for AEMA to further serve the membership. Other duties as assigned by the Executive Board. Secure and maintain the Convention Program for the annual convention. Making sure that all workshops are educational and follow the role delineation. Turn Finalized Schedule into the National office prior to February 1 each year. Maintain Current Resource material and make available to membership on request. Prospective hotels contact go to the Executive Director. Executive Director decides which contracts are suitable for the AEMA needs. When needed Site inspector is sent to suitable sites. Up to, but no more than five finalists are invited to National Convention to present sites at their own expense. Hotel presenter is responsible for their own travel, lodging, and expenses. Hotel presenter is responsible for any costs incurred relating to their presentation. (ie. Power Point, computer hook ups etc.) Site Inspector can give presentation if hotel does not wish to come to convention. District Directors are encouraged to identify convention sites in their districts. The sites are required to meet established AEMA criteria. In addition, they must submit their proposals to Executive Director on or before April 1st of the selection year. Vote goes to the National Membership immediately following the presentations. Winner will get the next open year. It will be the board decision to give runner up an option of the following year. To be determined at the closing board meeting. The Committee consists of five members of the AEMA. A Chairperson, The Associate Executive Director, one other board member And 2 other members selected by the chairperson. The Chairperson shall also select the random board member. Each year this committee is to recommend up to (4) four candidates to the Board of Directors for their consideration. No more than (2) two selections per year are to be inducted. Committee is to promote the award. Receive and Grade all applications for annual Scholarship Awards deadline is April 1. Present winners and their addresses to the Treasurer On May 1 so checks can be written to winners. No member will be compensated at any time without prior consent from the Executive Director or the Board of Directors. With exception of the Office Managers and Treasurers salary. Below is a checklist for the needs of the AEMA for a convention. We need approximately 100 meeting rooms at the same time for our district meetings. Our workshops room need to remain the same throughout the convention. Presently we use three at the same time. We digitally record each workshop, all rooms need to have a podium and microphone. We like to have meeting and workshop rooms in the same are so members can move from one workshop to another easily. We have a golf outing where the members need to have a designated site for a bus pickup. We currently use mainly Double Doubles for our guest rooms. The following are generally comped by the hotel for our convention. Exhibit space usually is charged by the booth through hotels and by the space through convention centers. We attempt to stay around $3.000 for both days. Registration Desk with nearby Room to lock up computer and office supplies. The renting of Audio-Visual equipment needed for meetings and workshops. 1,800 Hours Student Athletic Equipment Management experienced and a 4 year college degree. (college students in the last year of their degree program may take Exam and will become certified when they provide a copy of their diploma). You must fill out a test application form and pay the applicable fee. You must Pass the Certification Exam. You must submit all required Documentation with your application. A letter verifying employment, for each school/organization worked for, must accompany application. This letter must be from either the Personnel office or the Athletic Director. Each letter should clearly state the type of employment and the beginning/ending dates of employment. Each letter should be on letterhead from the school/organization. Student Managers experience must be submitted on AEMA Student Manager Time Logs that are completely filled out and signed by the supervisor. A check made payable to the AEMA, or credit card payments in the amount of the applicable fee. Due postmarked on April 1. A late fee will be levied on all application received from April 2 through May 1. After May 1. all applications will be returned. Photo Copy of GED, High School Degree, or College Degree. Canada: Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia. Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Canada: British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Alaska and All International Countries except Canada. All memberships are per person and are good for one full year. May 31-June 1. We do not prorate fees. If you are attending convention. Do not mail fees after May 15th as the office is packed and mailed to convention. Bring fees to Convention with you. We accept, cash (convention only do not mail cash) check, Visa and MasterCard. No applications accepted after May 1. Applications will be returned to member. One outstanding characteristic of a profession is that its members are dedicated to rendering services to humanity. Also, they are committed to the improvement of standards in equipment. Financial gain or personal reward must be secondary. In becoming a member of the athletic equipment managing profession, the individual assumes obligations and responsibilities to conduct him self in accordance with its ideals and standards. These are set forth in the Constitution and By-Laws and are emphasized in the CODE OF ETHICS. Any athletic equipment manager who does not feel that he can or does not deem it necessary to comply with the principles set forth in the CODE should have no place in this profession. Athletics have gained a prominent place in our educational institutions and our communities at local, national, and international levels and are an important reflection of the way of life. The members of the athletic equipment managers profession must adhere to the highest standards of conduct in carrying out their significant role in athletic programs at all levels. It is for this reason that we have the CODE OF ETHICS. In approving this CODE, the Board of Directors recognize and believe that unless the standards and principles that are set forth in this document are accepted in good faith and followed sincerely, it will not be effective in continuing to improve the contributions of the profession and its members to athletics. Ethics are generally defined as a science of moral duty, or making the right actions relative to ideal principles. Let it be understood that all members of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association will understand and apply the principles set forth in this CODE, and make every effort to do the right thing at the right time to the best of their ability and judgment. The primary purpose of this CODE is to clarify the ethical and approved professional practices as distinguished from those that might prove harmful or detrimental. Its secondary purpose is to instill into its members the value and importance of the athletic equipment managers role in the field of athletics and recreational equipment. It is suggested that the Committee on Ethics be empowered to investigate reported violations of this CODE. It is the duty of this committee to collect all data pertaining to any reported violation, consider all sides of any controversial issue, then forward a report of its findings and recommendations to the Board of Directors for final action. It is further suggested that any member of the Association on becoming aware of a violation of the CODE, send a written report to both the President of the Association, and the chairman of the Committee on Ethics. The advancement, encouragement and improvement of the athletic equipment management profession in all its phases, and to promote a better working relationship among those persons interested in the problems of management. To develop further the professional ability of each of its members. To better serve the common interest of its members by providing a means for free exchange of ideas within the profession. To enable members to become better acquainted personally through casual good fellowship. To work as a group to bring about equipment improvements for greater safety of participants in all sports. The essential basic principles in this CODE OF ETHICS of the A.E.M.A. are HONESTY, INTEGRITY, and LOYALTY. Athletic equipment managers who reflect these characteristics will be a credit to the Association, the institution they represent, and to themselves. An athletic equipment manager should do all in his power and ability to further develop and improve all branches of athletics and show no discrimination in his interests or efforts. Each and every member of an athletic squad should be treated conscientiously with out discrimination or partiality. An athletic equipment manager can wield a great amount of influence on members of athletic squads by proper conduct and the use of good judgment in dealing with various personalities and temperaments. In the care of equipment, the athletic equipment manager must be thorough in carrying out the accepted procedures and instructions. Any carelessness or laxity on the part of the athletic equipment manager in following through his responsibilities to players in a breach of ethical conduct. It is the athletic equipment manager’s responsibility to create and maintain a harmonious relationship between himself and all administrative officials. Suggestions and ideas should be freely exchanged and discussed, but any controversial matters should be taken care of confidentially on a friendly basis. Decisions, business procedures and established standards and policies should be given complete support by the athletic equipment manager. There should be a close harmonious relationship between athletic equipment managers and allied personnel based on mutual respect. Cooperation must be the primary feature of interaction between allied personnel and athletic equipment managers for the maintenance of espirit-de-corps, proper handling of equipment, methods of repair, and decisions relative to the welfare of the players and for conduct that is conducive for achieving the best results for all concerned. The relationship between athletic equipment managers is partially set forth in the objectives. However, it should be stated further that in the process of extending courtesies to fellow associates one should abstain from so-called “second guessing” them in the care of equipment. Any suggestions should be given, and taken, in the spirit of constructive cooperation. Any athletic equipment manager who by his conduct or comments publicly discredits or lowers the dignity of members of his profession is guilty of a breach of ethics. Any report of unethical conduct of this nature should go through proper channels, be considered objectively and without comment outside the Association. The subject matter and implications of the following sections are of an abstract nature, but are definitely to be considered in the realm of the athletic equipment manager’s responsibility and obligations. A fundamental responsibility of an athletic equipment manager in an educational institution is to promote and inspire scholastic achievement by the athletes enrolled in the school. This may be accomplished by suggestions, examples and the promotion of study. When an athletic equipment manager accepts an offer and agrees to endorse a commercial product - material, equipment, instrument, facility, book - he must realize that the offer is made primarily because he is a successful representative of the athletic equipment manager’s profession. In any endorsement in which the athletic equipment manager’s name and/or reference to the athletic equipment managing profession is included, the wording and illustration, including any implications of the endorsement as a whole shall be such that no discredit to athletics in general nor to the athletic equipment managing profession may be construed. Any endorsement that is not in keeping with the highest principles and standards of the athletic equipment managing profession shall be considered unethical. The A.E.M.A. name, logo, trademark and/or insignia may not be used in any testimonials or endorsements by individual members or groups of members of the Association. The ideal arrangement is for the institution’s or organization’s public relations director to handle news releases. However, if the athletic equipment manager is authorized to answer questions from representatives of the press, radio, and television, he should use extremely good judgment in regard to the information given and the way in which it is given, direct questions should be answered honestly or not at all. If there is a possibility that an honest answer might be misleading or involve a detrimental interpretation, good judgment may demand a “no comment” answer. All representatives of news media should be treated with courtesy, honesty and respect. Written material for publication and any information for the press, radio or television given by a member of the athletic equipment managing profession are strictly that individual’s responsibility. Good judgment should indicate that no oral or written statement be made that reflect discredit to athletics in general or the athletic equipment managing profession. Any professional problems that arise should be settled within the Association. If possible, inform the visiting team athletic equipment manager by mail of the facilities and services that will be available to the visiting team. Meet the visiting team manager when he arrives and offer any available services that he may desire. Make arrangements for any equipment assistance that is needed by the visiting team during the time they are guests. Meet and exchange greeting with the Coach and manager. During the times that a visiting team is preparing for practice or game and during practice, do not be constantly observing or overly inquisitive. After the game, offer any emergency service that the visiting team needs and give assistance in any way possible. Always be courteous to officials and visiting team players and other members of the visiting team party. The athletic equipment manager is in a position to aid coaches and allied personnel in installing fair play and good sportsmanship in the players and fans. The harassment of the game officials is not considered good sportsmanship. Any athletic equipment manager who condones or defends unsportsman like practices shall be considered to have violated the CODE. Any member of the Association who becomes aware of conduct that he considers unethical and that he believes warrants investigation should report incident(s) in writing to the President and to the Executive Director of the Association. He should include in his communication all pertinent data. In accordance with the By-Laws of the Association, the Ethics Committee investigates reported incidents of unethical conduct and if in the judgment of a majority of the council members it finds that the accused person has violated the Athletic Equipment Managers Association CODE OF ETHICS, it communicates its decision to the accused and to the Board of Directors in writing and recommends to the Board one of the following disciplinary actions: Letter or censorship, letter of censorship with a period of probation, or cancellation of membership. The decision of the Board of Directors in CODE OF ETHICS matters is final, except that if the decision is to initiate cancellation of membership such cancellation shall be done as prescribed in the Constitution. Whenever the words “they”, “he”, “their”, “his”, “himself” or themselves” appear in this CODE OF ETHICS, they are intended to include both men and women. The name of this association shall be Athletic Equipment Managers Association (hereinafter referred to as AEMA). Section 1: The governing body of this organization shall be the Executive Board. Section 3: For the purpose of facilitating the work of this association the District AEMA shall be divided into ten (10) geographic districts. A desired alteration by the affected local districts must be approved by the Executive Board of the National organization. Section 4: Each District elects a Director to serve on the Executive Board of the National association. This Director acts in authority for the district at the Executive Board meetings. The advancement, encouragement and improvement of the Athletic Equipment Management profession in all its phases, and to promote a better working relationship among those persons interested in the problems of this management. To develop further the education and professional ability of each of its members. To better serve the common interest of its members by providing a means for a free exchange of ideas within the profession. To work as a group to bring about equipment improvements for greater safety of participants in all sports, recreation activities, and physical education. Associate - Any person who is actively engaged in a non paid Athletic Equipment Management job. Or a person who is between Athletic Equipment Management jobs for the purpose of maintaining certification. Fee $100.00 Must be a non vendor or Solicitor of Athletic Equipment. Section 2. Election of Members. Each applicant for any class of membership shall sign application stating their desire and intention to become a member of the association, to advance its best interest in every reasonable manner and to accept as binding upon themselves its By Laws and Policies and Procedures. Section 3. Membership Procedures. The application used to become a member of AEMA may be obtained by writing the National office or the District Director of your District. If the application is sent to the National office by the District Director, this should be done within fifteen (15) days after receipt of the application. Original copies of application must always be sent to the National office. When filling out the application make sure it is dated, and college/school/club is written out in full, not abbreviated. Section 4. Annual Meetings. Regular annual meetings of the members shall be held in June of each year, on a date established, from time to time, by the Executive Board. A mid-year meeting or conference call may also be set up at the discretion of the President or Executive Director. Section 5. Special Meetings. Special meeting of the voting membership may be called by the Executive Board, President, or in case of the President’s absence, death or disability, the Vice President is authorized to exercise the authority of the President. Section 6. Notice of Meetings. Written notice of each meeting of members shall be sent from the National office at least thirty (30) days before such meeting. Section 7. Quorum. The quorum shall consist of one-fifth of the association’s voting membership. Section 8. Voting Power. Active, and Retired members are entitled to one (1) vote involving all National and District business. Section 8. 1. In matters of committing the Association to monies greater than $20,000.00 (other than the Office Manager’s compensation) there must be a vote of the entire Active membership. Section 8. 1. a. For passage of the vote, there must be seventy-five (75%) percent of the affirmative vote of the returned ballots. Section 9. Suspension of Membership. Membership suspension may be recommended by any member challenging another member. this challenge must be done with a written statement presented to the Chairman of the Ethics Committee. Upon a two-thirds majority vote by the Ethics Committee that the challenge is valid, it then shall be forwarded to the Executive Director who, in turn, will present it to the Executive Board for action. Suspension of the challenged individual’s membership must be by a two-thirds vote by the Executive Board. Section 9. a. Defense of Membership. Any member whose membership has been challenged shall be allowed, either in person or through some member of the association, to appeal to the Ethics Committee their defense. This information shall be presented to and acted upon by the Ethics committee. Section 1. The Executive Board will consist of the President, Vice President, Executive Director, associate Executive Director, CSC Chairperson such other officers as the Board may from time to time determine, and ten (10) districts to be represented. Section 2. Removal. Any Board member may be removed from the Board with or without cause, by a majority vote of the members. In the event of the death, resignation, or removal of a Board member, that Board member’s successor shall be selected by the remaining members of the Board and shall serve for the balance of the term not yet expired by the deceased, resigned or removed member. Section 3. Election. Each District representative will be either elected by the respective Districts or appointed by the President and Executive Director. District 1,3,5,7, and 9 shall hold election of District Directors in 1976 and every even year thereafter. Districts 2,4,6,8, and 10 shall hold elections of District Directors in 1977 and every odd year thereafter. Each District Director will serve a term of two (2) years, and may serve consecutive terms. Section 4. Compensation. In the event a special meeting is called and noticed for such purpose the Executive Board will be reimbursed for one (1) night’s lodging and four (4) meals at the discrepancy of the Board. Section 5. The Executive Board. The Executive Board shall meet at every National meeting one (1) day in advance (minimum) of that meeting, and at any other meeting called by the President. Section 6. Quorum. A quorum for an Executive Board meeting shall be two-thirds of the Executive Board members. Section 7. Voting Power. All members of the Executive Board shall have a vote on all Board matters, except for the President. The President will only vote in the case of an impasse board. take all actions deemed necessary or desirable to comply with all requirements of law, and the needs of the Association. Section 1. Enumeration of Officers. The officers of this Association shall be President, Vise President, Executive Director and Associate Executive Director, and such other officers as the Board may from time to time determine. Each shall be an active certified member of the Association in good standing. Section 2. Selection and Term. The officers of this Association shall be selected by the Board, except for the President and Vice President, to serve until the Board selects their successors. President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the board and National meetings. Call all meetings of the Executive Board as deemed necessary and advisable. Serve as the official spokesman for the Executive Board. Appoint all committee chair persons with the approval of the Executive Board. All of which must be certified member in good standing. The President, must also be a 10 year member who has served at least one (2 year) term on the board of Directors. Vice President. The Vice-president shall act in the place of the President in the events of the President’s absence or refusal to act. Serve as Parliamentarian at all meetings. Should assist the Convention Program Chair person. Should be on the NCAA Rules Committee for the AEMA Should a vacancy occur in the President’s capacity, said term will be completed by the Vice President until the next presidential election. Executive Director. The executive director shall enforce all policies on behalf of the Association. Commit the Association to no financial obligations in excess of available financial resources. Maintain continual communications with the Associate Executive Director, President, and Office Manager. Submit a report on the progress of the Association at each Board meeting, Possess full power and complete responsibility to transact all business for and on behalf of the Association with the approval of the Board. Together with the Office Manager, provide the Board the projected budget for each fiscal year. Sign all Convention contracts unless other arrangements are made. Chair Convention Site selection. The Executive Director is appointed by the Board after a open verbal board review each year. The Requirements for Executive Director position in addition to being an active certified member of the Association in good standing. Must also be at least a 10 year active member and must have served on the board of Directors for a least one two year term. Associate Executive Director. The Associate Executive Director will assist the Executive Director in functions and responsibilities as necessary. Serve as chair person of the Ethics committee. Should a vacancy occur in the Executive Director’s capacity, said term will be completed by the Associate Executive Director. the Associate Executive Director is appointed by the Executive Director with the approval of the Board and reviewed each year. The Requirements for Associate Executive Director position in addition to being an active certified member of the Association in good standing. Must also be at least a 10 year active member and must have served on the board of Directors for a least one two year term. CEU/CSC Chair person. Must be a certified member in good standing. Coordinate, Organize and hold meeting at convention prior to the opening board meeting, and take all action to the board of directors. Section 1. Election. Each district director is elected by his/her district at a district meeting. Each shall be an active certified member of the Association in good standing. Meet at every National meeting one (1) day in advance (minimum) of that meeting and at any other meeting called by the President. Serve as the legislative body of the Association, along with the officers. Approve all appointments made by the Executive Director and President. Establish the roles and functions of all standing committees and other committees established by the board. Continually re-evaluate the goals and objectives of the Association. Serve as the nominating committee, with the Executive Director as chairman. Should a District Director not be able to fulfill his/her obligation as Director, the Vice President of that district will then fill the position, for the remainder of the existing term. If there is no Vice President of the district, or the Vice President declines the position, the Executive Director and President may appoint someone from that district to fill that position, during the existing term. Should a District Director be unable to attend the National meeting, he shall appoint a person from his/her district to sit in on the meetings to represent that district. Supply an annual District financial report by May 1st to the National office so the information may be turned over to the accountants for the annual review. Supply a district activity report by May 1st to the President so the information can be made available for discussion at the Annual Board meeting. Accept and investigate reports of violations of the Code of Ethics of the Association. This committee shall meet according to the demand when called by the Chairman. The President shall appoint an Exhibits chairperson and may appoint such other committees as it deems appropriate in carrying out its purposes. Each shall be an active Certified member of the Association in good standing. The books, records, and financial statements of the Association, including annual minimum review financial statements, shall be available during normal business hours or under reasonable circumstances, upon request to the Association, for inspection by members. A minimum review financial statement is provided to the Executive Board every June from the Association’s CPA’s office. Unless otherwise changed by the Board, the fiscal year of the Association shall begin on the first day of February and end on the 31st day of January of every year. The rules contained in the Current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these By-laws and any special rules of order the Association may adopt. The AEMA’s By laws shall not be amended, repealed, or added to, or new By laws adopted, unless two-thirds of the Executive Board are present at the meeting. The Association may be dissolved at any time by the majority vote of the Executive Board. In the event of such dissolution, all funds contained in the Association’s assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to the state and local government, for a public purpose. Such dissolution and distribution shall also comport with the General Not For Profit Act of the State of Michigan and any future amendment thereto. Any such assets not disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the County in which the Principle office of the organization has been located, exclusively for such purposed or to such organization of organizations as said court shall determine which are organized and operated exclusively for the above purpose.

2019-04-25T20:34:20Z

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This article is about the Mars probe from India. For other Mars orbiters, see List of Mars orbiters and List of missions to Mars. The Mars Orbiter Mission probe lifted-off from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (Sriharikota Range SHAR), Andhra Pradesh, using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket C25 at 09:08 UTC on 5 November 2013. The launch window was approximately 20 days long and started on 28 October 2013. The MOM probe spent about a month in Earth orbit, where it made a series of seven apogee-raising orbital manoeuvres before trans-Mars injection on 30 November 2013 (UTC). After a 298-day transit to Mars, it was inserted into Mars orbit on 24 September 2014. The mission is a "technology demonstrator" project to develop the technologies for designing, planning, management, and operations of an interplanetary mission. It carries five instruments that will help advance knowledge about Mars to achieve its secondary, scientific objective. The spacecraft is currently being monitored from the Spacecraft Control Centre at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru with support from the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennae at Byalalu, Karnataka. On 23 November 2008, the first public acknowledgement of an unmanned mission to Mars was announced by then-ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair. The MOM mission concept began with a feasibility study in 2010 by the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology after the launch of lunar satellite Chandrayaan-1 in 2008. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved the project on 3 August 2012, after the Indian Space Research Organisation completed ₹125 crore (US$17 million) of required studies for the orbiter. The total project cost may be up to ₹454 crore (US$63 million). The satellite costs ₹153 crore (US$21 million) and the rest of the budget has been attributed to ground stations and relay upgrades that will be used for other ISRO projects. The space agency had planned the launch on 28 October 2013 but was postponed to 5 November following the delay in ISRO's spacecraft tracking ships to take up pre-determined positions due to poor weather in the Pacific Ocean. Launch opportunities for a fuel-saving Hohmann transfer orbit occur every 26 months, in this case the next two would be in 2016 and 2018. Assembly of the PSLV-XL launch vehicle, designated C25, started on 5 August 2013. The mounting of the five scientific instruments was completed at Indian Space Research Organisation Satellite Centre, Bengaluru, and the finished spacecraft was shipped to Sriharikota on 2 October 2013 for integration to the PSLV-XL launch vehicle. The satellite's development was fast-tracked and completed in a record 15 months. Despite the US federal government shutdown, NASA reaffirmed on 5 October 2013 it would provide communications and navigation support to the mission. During a meeting on 30 September 2014, NASA and ISRO officials signed an agreement to establish a pathway for future joint missions to explore Mars. One of the working group's objectives will be to explore potential coordinated observations and science analysis between the MAVEN orbiter and MOM, as well as other current and future Mars missions. The total cost of the mission was approximately ₹450 Crore (US$73 million), making it the least-expensive Mars mission to date. The low cost of the mission was ascribed by K. Radhakrishnan, the chairman of ISRO, to various factors, including a "modular approach", few ground tests and long (18–20 hour) working days for scientists. BBC's Jonathan Amos mentioned lower worker costs, home-grown technologies, simpler design, and a significantly less complicated payload than NASA's MAVEN. Artist's rendering of the Mars Orbiter Mission spacecraft, with Mars in the background. The primary objective of the mission is to develop the technologies required for designing, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission. The secondary objective is to explore Mars' surface features, morphology, mineralogy and Martian atmosphere using indigenous scientific instruments. Mass: The lift-off mass was 1,337.2 kg (2,948 lb), including 852 kg (1,878 lb) of propellant. Bus: The spacecraft's bus is a modified I-1 K structure and propulsion hardware configuration, similar to Chandrayaan-1, India's lunar orbiter that operated from 2008 to 2009, with specific improvements and upgrades needed for a Mars mission. The satellite structure is constructed of an aluminium and composite fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) sandwich construction. Power: Electric power is generated by three solar array panels of 1.8 m × 1.4 m (5 ft 11 in × 4 ft 7 in) each (7.56 m2 (81.4 sq ft) total), for a maximum of 840 watts of power generation in Mars orbit. Electricity is stored in a 36 Ah Lithium-ion battery. Propulsion: A liquid fuel engine with a thrust of 440 newtons (99 lbf) is used for orbit raising and insertion into Mars orbit. The orbiter also has eight 22-newton (4.9 lbf) thrusters for attitude control. Its propellant mass at launch was 852 kg (1,878 lb). Attitude and Orbit Control System: Maneuvering system that includes electronics with a MAR31750 processor, two star sensors, a solar panel Sun sensor, a coarse analog Sun sensor, four reaction wheels, and the primary propulsion system. Generation of hydrogen and deuterium coronal profiles. Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM) – was meant to measure methane in the atmosphere of Mars, if any, and map its sources with an accuracy of parts-per-billion (ppb). After entering Mars orbit it was determined that the instrument, although in good working condition, had a design flaw and it was not capable of detecting methane.:57 The instrument was repurposed as an albedo mapper. The ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network performed navigation and tracking operations for the launch with ground stations at Sriharikota, Port Blair, Brunei and Biak in Indonesia, and after the spacecraft's apogee became more than 100,000 km, an 18 m (59 ft) and a 32 m (105 ft) diameter antenna of the Indian Deep Space Network were utilised. The 18 m (59 ft) dish antenna was used for communication with the craft until April 2014, after which the larger 32 m (105 ft) antenna was used. NASA's Deep Space Network is providing position data through its three stations located in Canberra, Madrid and Goldstone on the US West Coast during the non-visible period of ISRO's network. The South African National Space Agency's (SANSA) Hartebeesthoek (HBK) ground station is also providing satellite tracking, telemetry and command services. Communications are handled by two 230-watt TWTAs and two coherent transponders. The antenna array consists of a low-gain antenna, a medium-gain antenna and a high-gain antenna. The high-gain antenna system is based on a single 2.2-metre (7 ft 3 in) reflector illuminated by a feed at S-band. It is used to transmit and receive the telemetry, tracking, commanding and data to and from the Indian Deep Space Network. As originally conceived, ISRO was to launch MOM on its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), but as the GSLV failed twice in 2010 and ISRO was continuing to sort out issues with its cryogenic engine, it was not advisable to wait for the new batch of rockets as that would have delayed the MOM project for at least three years. ISRO opted to switch to the less-powerful Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Since the PSLV was not powerful enough to place MOM on a direct-to-Mars trajectory, the spacecraft was launched into a highly elliptical Earth orbit and used its own thrusters over multiple perigee burns (to take advantage of the Oberth effect) to place itself on a trans-Mars trajectory. On 19 October 2013, ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan announced that the launch had to be postponed by a week as a result of a delay of a crucial telemetry ship reaching Fiji. The launch was rescheduled for 5 November 2013. ISRO's PSLV-XL placed the satellite into Earth orbit at 09:50 UTC on 5 November 2013, with a perigee of 264.1 km (164.1 mi), an apogee of 23,903.6 km (14,853.0 mi), and inclination of 19.20 degrees, with both the antenna and all three sections of the solar panel arrays deployed. During the first three orbit raising operations, ISRO progressively tested the spacecraft systems. The orbiter's dry mass is 500 kg (1,100 lb), and it carried 852 kg (1,878 lb) of fuel and oxidiser at launch. Its main engine, which is a derivative of the system used on India's communications satellites, uses the bipropellant combination monomethylhydrazine and dinitrogen tetroxide to achieve the thrust necessary for escape velocity from Earth. It was also used to slow down the probe for Mars orbit insertion and, subsequently, for orbit corrections. Several orbit raising operations were conducted from the Spacecraft Control Centre (SCC) at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Peenya, Bengaluru on 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 and 16 November by using the spacecraft's on-board propulsion system and a series of perigee burns. The first three of the five planned orbit raising manoeuvres were completed with nominal results, while the fourth was only partially successful. However, a subsequent supplementary manoeuvre raised the orbit to the intended altitude aimed for in the original fourth manoeuvre. A total of six burns were completed while the spacecraft remained in Earth orbit, with a seventh burn conducted on 30 November to insert MOM into a heliocentric orbit for its transit to Mars. The first orbit-raising manoeuvre was performed on 6 November 2013 at 19:47 UTC when the spacecraft's 440-newton (99 lbf) liquid engine was fired for 416 seconds. With this engine firing, the spacecraft's apogee was raised to 28,825 km (17,911 mi), with a perigee of 252 km (157 mi). The second orbit raising manoeuvre was performed on 7 November 2013 at 20:48 UTC, with a burn time of 570.6 seconds resulting in an apogee of 40,186 km (24,970 mi). The third orbit raising manoeuvre was performed on 8 November 2013 at 20:40 UTC, with a burn time of 707 seconds, resulting in an apogee of 71,636 km (44,513 mi). The fourth orbit raising manoeuvre, starting at 20:36 UTC on 10 November 2013, imparted an incremental velocity of 35 m/s (110 ft/s) to the spacecraft instead of the planned 135 m/s (440 ft/s) as a result of underburn by the motor. Because of this, the apogee was boosted to 78,276 km (48,638 mi) instead of the planned 100,000 km (62,000 mi). When testing the redundancies built-in for the propulsion system, the flow to the liquid engine stopped, with consequent reduction in incremental velocity. During the fourth orbit burn, the primary and redundant coils of the solenoid flow control valve of 440 newton liquid engine and logic for thrust augmentation by the attitude control thrusters were being tested. When both primary and redundant coils were energised together during the planned modes, the flow to the liquid engine stopped. Operating both the coils simultaneously is not possible for future operations, however they could be operated independently of each other, in sequence. As a result of the fourth planned burn coming up short, an additional unscheduled burn was performed on 12 November 2013 that increased the apogee to 118,642 km (73,721 mi), a slightly higher altitude than originally intended in the fourth manoeuvre. The apogee was raised to 192,874 km (119,846 mi) on 15 November 2013, 19:57 UTC in the final orbit raising manoeuvre. On 30 November 2013 at 19:19 UTC, a 23-minute engine firing initiated the transfer of MOM away from Earth orbit and on heliocentric trajectory toward Mars. The probe travelled a distance of 780,000,000 kilometres (480,000,000 mi) to reach Mars. Four trajectory corrections were originally planned, but only three were carried out. The first trajectory correction manoeuvre (TCM) was carried out on 11 December 2013 at 01:00 UTC by firing the 22-newton (4.9 lbf) thrusters for a duration of 40.5 seconds. After this event, MOM was following the designed trajectory so closely that the trajectory correction manoeuvre planned in April 2014 was not required. The second trajectory correction manoeuvre was performed on 11 June 2014 at 11:00 UTC by firing the spacecraft's 22 newton thrusters for a duration of 16 seconds. The third planned trajectory correction manoeuvre was postponed, due to the orbiter's trajectory closely matching the planned trajectory. The third trajectory correction was also a deceleration test 3.9 seconds long on 22 September 2014. The plan was for an insertion into Mars orbit on 24 September 2014, approximately 2 days after the arrival of NASA's MAVEN orbiter. The 440-newton liquid apogee motor was test fired on 22 September at 09:00 UTC for 3.968 seconds, about 41 hours before actual orbit insertion. After these events, the spacecraft performed a reverse manoeuvre to reorient from its deceleration burn and entered Martian orbit. Three frame Mars Orbiter Mission Mars Color Camera mosaic of the Syrtis Major region on September 24, 2015. The orbit insertion put MOM in a highly elliptical orbit around Mars, as planned, with a period of 72 hours 51 minutes 51 seconds, a periapsis of 421.7 km (262.0 mi) and apoapsis of 76,993.6 km (47,841.6 mi). At the end of the orbit insertion, MOM was left with 40 kg (88 lb) of fuel on board, more than the 20 kg (44 lb) necessary for a six-month mission. On 28 September 2014, MOM controllers published the spacecraft's first global view of Mars. The image was captured by the Mars Colour Camera (MCC). On 7 October 2014, the ISRO altered MOM's orbit so as to move it behind Mars for Comet Siding Spring's flyby of the planet on 19 October 2014. The spacecraft consumed 1.9 kg (4 lb) of fuel for the manoeuvre. As a result, MOM's apoapsis was reduced to 72,000 km (45,000 mi). After the comet passed by Mars, ISRO reported that MOM remained healthy. On 4 March 2015, the ISRO reported that the MSM instrument was functioning normally and are studying Mars' albedo, the reflectivity of the planet's surface. The Mars Colour Camera was also returning new images of the Martian surface. On 24 March 2015, MOM completed its initial six-month mission in orbit around Mars. ISRO extended the mission by an additional six months; the spacecraft has 37 kg (82 lb) of propellant remaining and all five of its scientific instruments are working properly. The orbiter can reportedly continue orbiting Mars for several years with its remaining propellant. On 24 September 2015, ISRO released its "Mars Atlas", a 120-page scientific atlas containing images and data from the Mars Orbiter Mission's first year in orbit. In March 2016, the first science results of the mission were published in Geophysical Research Letters, presenting measurements obtained by the spacecraft's MENCA instrument of the Martian exosphere. On 17 January 2017, MOM's orbit was altered to avoid the impending eclipse season. With a burn of eight 22 N thrusters for 431 seconds, resulting in a velocity difference of 97.5 metres per second (351 km/h) using 20 kilograms (44 lb) of propellant (leaving 13 kg remaining), eclipses were avoided until September 2017. The battery is able to handle eclipses of up to 100 minutes. On 19 May 2017, MOM reached 1,000 days (973 sols) in orbit around Mars. In that time, the spacecraft completed 388 orbits of the planet and relayed more than 715 images back to Earth. ISRO officials stated that it remains in good health. On 24 September 2018, MOM completed 4 years in its orbit around Mars, although the designed mission life was only six months. Over these years, MOM's Mars Colour Camera has captured over 980 images that were released to the public. The probe is still in good health and continues to work nominally. 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Cospar2018.org. 21 July 2018. ^ Singh, Kanishk (28 January 2016). "India's French Connection: CNES and ISRO jointly will develop Mangalyaan 2". The TeCake. Retrieved 29 March 2016. ^ Gupta, Prakhar (4 December 2016). "Everything You Need To Know About Mangalyaan 2, India's Second Mars Mission". Swarajya. ^ Laxman, Srinivas (29 October 2016). "With 82 launches in a go, Isro to rocket into record books". The Times of India. Times News Network. Retrieved 3 October 2018. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mars Orbiter Mission. This page was last edited on 24 March 2019, at 22:19 (UTC).

2019-04-26T00:06:02Z

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

Most source code plagiarism detection tools only rely on source code similarity to indicate plagiarism. This can be an issue since not all source code pairs with high similarity are plagiarism. Moreover, the culprits (i.e., the ones who plagiarise) cannot be differentiated from the victims even though they need to be educated further on different ways. This paper proposes a mechanism to generate hints for investigating source code plagiarism and identifying the culprits on in-class individual programming assessment. The hints are collected from the culprits’ copying behaviour during the assessment. According to our evaluation, the hints from source code creation process and seating position are 76.88% and at least 80.87% accurate for indicating plagiarism. Further, the hints from source code creation process can be helpful for indicating the culprits as the culprits’ codes have at least one of our predefined conditions for the copying behaviour. Plagiarism occurs when a piece of work is reused with an inadequate acknowledgement toward the original author(s) . It is an emerging issue in academia. To illustrate this, according to an article from The Guardian , the number of UK students who cheat in academia is increased by 40% in three year span; where more than half of them are related to plagiarism. The issue becomes more complex in computing education as the assessments cover source code (i.e., electronic text created for programming) in addition to human-language text . Source code plagiarism is similar to the human-language text plagiarism—which is commonly covered by Turnitin —except that its domain is focused on the source code . Several automated tools have been developed to detect source code plagiarism . However, most of them only enlist plagiarism-suspected cases based on the similarity degree without providing any hints about which cases should be investigated further and who is the real culprit for each plagiarism case. It may consume a lot of examiner’s time and effort since high similarity does not always entail plagiarism . Moreover, the culprits should be differentiated from the victims since they need to be educated in a different way. The former should be taught about academic integrity while the latter should be taught to prevent their work being plagiarised. In this paper, a mechanism for generating those hints on in-class individual programming assessment is proposed. It relies on the culprits’ copying behaviour; where the copied source codes can have some modifications if the culprits plan to obfuscate their illegal act. Cases which should be investigated further can be filtered with the help of source code creation process and seating position. Further, the culprits can be differentiated from the victims based on their unique code creation process (such as waiting their victim to write several source code fragments first). Source code plagiarism is an act of reusing a particular code without acknowledging the original author(s) properly . In computing education, this issue becomes more prevalent as the number of weekly-submitted source codes is considerably high and these codes should be compared to each other per assessment. Several detection techniques have been developed to face the issue. Based on how they detect similarity (i.e., a proof for plagiarism), these techniques can be classified into threefold: attribute-based, structure-based, and hybrid technique . Attribute-based technique determines similarity based on source code attributes. The attributes can be either source code characteristics or token fragments. Source code characteristics (such as the number of operands) can be compared based on their occurrence frequencies. Works in [9,10] consider two source codes as similar to each other when these codes’ characteristics share the same occurrence frequencies. Source code token fragments can be compared by adopting techniques from other domains. Works in [11,12,13], for instances, rely on Information Retrieval techniques such as Latent Semantic Indexing . Other examples are works in [15,16] that rely on a clustering technique (where the fragments act as vectors) and a work in that relies on a technique from Information Theory. Structure-based technique determines similarity based on source code structures. It commonly takes more processing time than the attribute-based technique . However, its result is more aligned to human perspective . Four structures can be used in this technique: source code token sequence, abstract syntax tree, program dependency graph, and low-level token sequence. Source code token sequence [19,20,21] is a sequence of meaningful “words” from source code; it is usually extracted with the help of a programming language parser. Abstract syntax tree is a tree where the nodes are formed from tokens and the edges are formed from programming language grammar. Program dependency graph is a graph connecting several instructions based on their execution dependencies. Low-level token sequence [8,24,25] is similar to source code token sequence except that it is extracted from executable files resulted from compiling the source codes; these files are typically more concise than the source codes. The similarity of source code or low-level token sequences can be compared using string matching algorithms—such as Running-Karp-Rabin Greedy-String-Tiling or Local Alignment —that have been tuned to deal with token sequences. The similarity of other structures can be compared using domain-specific algorithms (e.g., tree kernel algorithm or graph isomorphism algorithm ). Hybrid technique determines similarity based on both source code characteristics and structures. In other words, it combines attribute-based with structure-based technique. This technique can be classified further to two sub-techniques. Efficiency-oriented hybrid technique assumes that attribute-based technique is more time efficient than the structure-based one even though its result is less effective . It is implemented as a two-layer detection technique where attribute-based technique acts as the initial filter for the input of structure-based technique [6,30]. Efficiency-oriented hybrid technique assumes that both techniques have their own benefits in terms of effectiveness. A work in , for instance, shows the results of both techniques at once. Works in [32,33] use the output of structure-based technique as an input (or attribute) for attribute-based technique. Some of the aforementioned techniques have been applied as automated tools [20,34]. Four examples of them are JPlag, MOSS, Sherlock in , and Sherlock in . JPlag is an online tool which focuses on five programming languages (Java, C#, C, C++, and Scheme). It relies on structure-based technique with Greedy-String-Tiling as its baseline similarity algorithm. MOSS (Measure of Software Similarity) is, at some extent, similar to JPlag except that it covers more programming languages and utilises Winnowing algorithm as its similarity measurement. Sherlock in determines the similarity based on source code fingerprints, which are resulted from a hash function. It is different with Sherlock in that compares the codes in threefold, starting from comparing their original forms, original forms without comments and whitespaces, and token sequences. Most existing detection techniques suspect plagiarism only based on source code similarity. It may leave a lot of works for examiners; they should investigate many code pairs and determine which pairs are considered as plagiarism. As a result, a work in considers saving timestamps and authentication ID for reducing the number of investigated code pairs. Only code pairs which share a high similarity degree and contain suspicious timestamp & ID pattern are investigated. This paper proposes a mechanism to generate hints for investigating source code plagiarism and the culprits from the copying behaviour on in-class individual programming assessment. Copying behaviour refers to an act of replicating other students’ work with or without modification (or plagiarism in short). Programming assessment refers to an assessment which solution should be written in the form of source code. In-class individual assessment refers to an assessment given in a physical class room, that should be completed at that time individually. Commonly, the students are seated adjacent to each other due to the room’s space limitation. Further, to mitigate the chance for cheating, at least one examiner is allocated in the room to watch over the students’ behaviour. On in-class individual programming assessment, a plagiarist (or culprit) can only copy the works of adjacently-seated students. The works of non-adjacently-seated students are out of consideration since they are not easily accessible to the plagiarist and, when the plagiarist insists to do that, the examiner may notice their copying behaviour. Given this condition, the number of source code pairs that should be investigated further can be reduced; only code pairs which authors are adjacently-seated are suggested. In addition, by utilising source code creation process, more code pairs can be excluded from investigation; only code pairs which creation processes contain a copying behaviour are suggested. The source code creation process can also be used to determine who is the plagiarist for each plagiarism-suspected code pair; the plagiarists commonly have several unique code creation patterns. Source code creation process is recorded by capturing source code contents periodically while the solution is being written. These contents will be submitted at the end of the assessment, along with the solution, and observed by the examiner. It is important to note that this recording mechanism may lead to ethical concern on some regions. In that case, the examiner is advised to collect students’ consent at the beginning of the course. When compared with , our proposed mechanism is specifically tailored for in-class individual programming assessment. With more specific context in mind, our mechanism can generate more hints for investigating source code plagiarism and the plagiarists. Another difference is that our mechanism focuses on source code contents instead of saving timestamps and authentication ID. We believe these contents can provide more hints. Our proposed mechanism works under two modules: student and examiner module. Student module is a plug-in pre-installed on the student’s programming workspace. It captures source code contents periodically during creation process (for convenient referencing, these contents are referred as source code snapshots in the rest of this paper), and embeds them on the assessment solution’s project along with a seating position ID. Examiner module suggest source code pairs that should be investigated further, including the potential plagiarists, based on hints obtained from the copying behaviour on in-class programming assessment. Figure 1 shows an example of how both modules interact. An examiner module takes source code projects collected from several student modules as its primary inputs. Student module works as depicted on Figure 2. Two inputs are required in this module: a capturing period (a duration in seconds indicating how frequent the module will capture source code snapshots) and a seating position ID. Both of them are set on the student module before installed on the programming workspace. This module (as a background process) starts capturing source code snapshots periodically once the programming workspace is opened. For memory space efficiency, each of the snapshots will be compressed using Huffman coding algorithm and therefore stored as a file under the project along with its respective timestamp. Upon closing the workspace, the module will merge all snapshots to a single archive for portability purpose; a large number of snapshots will slow down the transfer process between the student and examiner module. It is important to note that the source code snapshots are not compressed at once upon closing the workspace to avoid submission delay. The number of snapshots may be high for some assessments (especially those with a long completion time), resulting a considerable amount of time when compressed at once. Figure 3 shows that examiner module works in fourfold with source code projects, a task name, and a seating map as its inputs. At first, the projects’ source codes which correspond to a particular task are selected, with an assumption that these codes share the same file name as the task name. It is true that the assumption is susceptible to incorrectly written file name. However, the occurrence of such misnaming issue can be mitigated by applying a strict penalty (e.g., failing to write the correct file name leads to no grading). Secondly, for each assessment task, source codes which authors are adjacently seated (either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) are compared to each other. The adjacency is defined based on a seating map containing all seating position IDs. With adjacency-based comparison in mind, the number of investigated code pairs can be reduced. To illustrate this, if a map with twenty-five seating positions arranged as a 5 × 5 matrix is used, the adjacency-based comparison will only consider 72 code pairs while the naive one (which compares all codes with each other) considers 300 code pairs. The similarity degree for each code pair is calculated in two phases. It begins by converting the codes to token sequences (where comment and whitespace tokens are removed) with the help of ANTLR . Those sequences are therefore compared using Running-Karp-Rabin Greedy-String-Tiling algorithm (RKRGST) (with 2 as its minimum matching length), and normalised using either average or maximum normalisation [6,19]. Average normalisation is calculated based on (1) where A & B are the token sequences and match(A,B) is the number of matched tokens. Maximum normalisation is calculated based on (2) with similar terminologies as the average one. When compared to each other, average normalisation is sensitive to any changes while maximum normalisation is only sensitive to the shorter sequence. RKRGST is selected as our similarity algorithm since it has been frequently used in source code plagiarism detection . In fact, it can be replaced with any algorithms that measure the similarity degree between two source code token sequences. Thirdly, source code pairs which creation processes contain a copying behaviour are indicated and suggested. A copying behaviour occurs when a pair’s codes share many similar snapshots at some periods of time; where the snapshots only differ in terms of capturing timestamp. The confidence degree for the occurrence of copying behaviour is measured in twofold. At first, for each source code, its snapshots are converted to a snapshot sequence. Snapshot sequence refers to an integer sequence which length is the number of the source code snapshots and each element is assigned with a snapshot’s token size that has been divided by 10. Afterwards, the confidence degree between those two snapshot sequences are compared using RKRGST with 2 as its minimum matching length and maximum normalisation as its normalisation technique. All code pairs which confidence degree is higher than 50% are suggested for further investigation. Figure 4 depicts an example of how the confidence degree is measured. It is worth to note that the division of token size with 10 and the use of maximum normalisation (instead of average normalisation) are implemented to loosen up the matching condition; some differences should be spared as some plagiarists are not able to copy the whole original code at once during in-class individual programming assessment. Fourthly, the plagiarist of each code pair is then indicated and suggested based on their copying behaviour. The plagiarist’ source code snapshots are assumed to meet at least one of three conditions toward the victim’ snapshots. These conditions are: sharing many snapshots, deleting before sharing similar snapshots, and waiting before sharing similar snapshots. Sharing many snapshots occurs when the plagiarist continuously replicates their victim’s work. When represented as a line chart, an example of this case can be seen on Figure 5. The orange line can be used as a hint claiming that the line’s owner is the plagiarist. Most of the timestamps occur later than the red line’s even though both lines share similar pattern. It is important to note that time difference between those lines may vary. Deleting before sharing similar snapshots occurs when the plagiarist has failed to solve the task by themselves and then replaces their code with the victim’s. Figure 6 shows an example of it, represented as a line chart. The plagiarist can be indicated as the orange line’s owner; the line’s pattern is similar to the red line’s while having several steep reductions (see circled areas) as a result of deleting their code and replace it with their victim’s. Waiting before sharing similar snapshots occurs under the same condition as sharing many snapshots except that, in this case, the plagiarist intentionally waits till the victim’s code has been updated a lot prior plagiarising. As seen in Figure 7, orange line’s owner is suspected as the plagiarist since the line has several stagnant patterns (see circled areas) as a result of waiting while sharing similar pattern with the red line. The mechanism for providing hints to investigate source code plagiarism and the plagiarists is implemented on a source code plagiarism detection tool called IC-Plag (In-Class source code Plagiarism detection) This tool’s name can be pronounced similar to “I See Plag”, which corresponds to its aim to see any plagiarism cases. IC-Plag is designed for Java programming assessments and Eclipse programming workspace (https://www.eclipse.org/). The student module acts as an Eclipse plugin while the examiner module acts as a standalone desktop application. Both modules are connected through NetSupport class room management tool (https://www.netsupportsoftware.com/complete-classroom-management/). With NetSupport, each collected source code project will be automatically labeled with a seating position ID, stored as the NetSupport-generated directory’s name. Considering seating position ID is handled by NetSupport, capturing period is the only thing that need to be set on the student module. It is set statically on the module’s development codes. Each source code snapshot is stored as a text file with “.dat” as its file extension; default source code file extension is avoided to make the file inaccessible from many applications. The file is then named based on its capturing time (DD-MM-YYYY HH:MM:SS) and stored under a directory named “data”. Upon closing the workspace, all snapshot files will be archived as a Java archive (JAR) file. Figure 8 shows IC-Plag’s examiner module. The inputs can be given on the left panel while the outputs are shown on the right panel. Four inputs are required in this module: a project root directory path, a task (file) name, a seating position map, and a normalisation technique. The project root directory is a directory containing all source code projects collected through NetSupport. Each project is located under a NetSupport-generated directory, named with a seating position ID. Figure 9 shows a sample of the structure. As seen on Figure 10, seating position map is represented as a Comma Separated Value (CSV) where each working space is labeled with a NetSupport-defined ID, and each empty space is labeled with “PC-00”. Since some assessments are usually given on the same class room for the whole semester, IC-Plag stores all previously-inputted maps, which can be reused directly through a combobox provided on the input panel (see Figure 8). If the examiner wants to manage these maps, they can access “manage seating maps” button located at the bottom of the input panel. It will show a panel displaying all previously-inputted maps where the examiner can manage them (as seen in Figure 11). Two options are available for normalisation technique: maximum and average normalisation. Maximum normalisation can be used when most plagiarised codes are the subset of their original (or vice versa). Average normalisation can be used when each modification should affect the resulted similarity degree. As seen on Figure 8, the output is displayed in a layout similar to the selected seating position map. Comparison buttons are placed between adjacent positions; these buttons will be bordered with a red line if their involved codes are indicated to have a copying behaviour. For each adjacent code pair, a suggestion about the plagiarist can be accessed by clicking the comparison button. It will display a line graph (see Figure 12) where the lines refer to the codes’ snapshot sequences. If two snapshots are required to be investigated further, their points on the graph can be selected and “compare selected snapshots” button can be pressed. It will display those snapshots with TortoiseSVN (https://tortoisesvn.net/), a tool for comparing two versions of a text file. In our context, those two versions correspond to two snapshots. At the bottom of IC-Plag’s layout (see Figure 8), a textarea is provided to display any information related to IC-Plag’s current process. For example, it can enlist several error messages when the inputs are not properly given. For examiners who are new to IC-Plag, they can learn how the tool works with a tutorial. The tutorial can be accessed by clicking “Tutorial” button at the top-right of IC-Plag (see Figure 8). It is represented as a pop-up panel explaining each process in a more elaborate way. Two important remarks about IC-Plag should be considered. First, since students’ source code projects are mapped to a seating position map, observing the hints may become more demanding as more students’ projects and seating positions are involved. Hence, IC-Plag is recommended to be used when the number of students’ projects and seating positions are limited. From our experience, up to 40 projects or seating positions are acceptable. Second, suggesting the plagiarists may take a considerable amount of time when the number of snapshots is considerably high. Therefore, the duration for capturing the snapshots should not be set too low. From our experience, three or five seconds is acceptable. Our proposed mechanism was primarily evaluated toward two aspects: the accuracy of source code creation process & seating position to indicate plagiarism-suspected source code pairs, and the accuracy of source code creation process to indicate the potential plagiarists. In addition to those, four supplementary aspects were also considered: the reduced number of code pairs for adjacency-based comparison, the effectiveness of Huffman coding algorithm to compress source code snapshots, the applicability of IC-Plag, and the performance comparison between the plagiarists & the victims. Evaluating the accuracy of seating position to indicate plagiarism-suspected source code pairs requires some findings from evaluating the reduced number of code pairs for adjacency-based comparison. Consequently, the latter evaluation will be discussed first. In order to evaluate the aforementioned aspects, two scenarios were performed. The first scenario collected seating position maps from real class rooms. These maps were then used to evaluate the accuracy of seating position for indicating plagiarism-suspected source code pairs and the reduced number of code pairs for adjacency-based comparison. The scenario was conducted by mapping all class rooms (i.e., computer laboratories) in our faculty. In total, there were twelve class rooms with 28 to 41 seating positions each. The second scenario involved sixteen participants: eight examiners (i.e., teaching assistants), four fast-paced students, and four slow-paced students. It collected source code projects (with their snapshots) and questionnaire survey results for evaluating remaining aspects. Despite their small number, the participants can generate 64 source codes, 480 code pairs (with naive comparison) and about 57,600 source code snapshots per hour (if the capturing period is one second). We would argue those numbers are sufficient for evaluation. It is important to note that both fast- and slow-paced students are involved so that our results may depict the real condition of in-class individual programming assessment. The second scenario was conducted by following a diagram displayed on Figure 13. At first, two programming assessments were made by the first author of this paper. These assessments are related to Introductory Programming materials where each of them contains one easy task and one challenging task. Secondly, each examiner was paired with one student (either fast- or slow-paced one). The examiners would act as the victims while the students would act as the plagiarists. These participants were then instructed to sit under a predefined seating position map (see Figure 14). Thirdly, the participants were asked to complete the 1st assessment in 30 min. On completing that assessment, they should use Eclipse (where our student module—with one second as its capturing period—has been installed). Further, they were instructed to act like they are completing a real in-class individual programming assessment to get realistic source code snapshots; the plagiarists should plagiarise secretly while the victims should try to protect their codes from plagiarism if the plagiarists act suspiciously. To assure the plagiarists would plagiarise, they were not given any information related to the assessment’s tasks; they could only complete their assessment by plagiarising their victim’ work. Fourthly, these participants were then asked to complete the 2nd programming assessment. It works in similar manner as the 1st assessment except that their roles are swapped. The examiners would act as the plagiarists while the students would act as the victims. This phase assures that each participant (either an examiner or a student) experiences two different roles in our evaluation. Fifthly, the participants were instructed to complete a questionnaire containing twelve questions. The questionnaire collected the participants’ perspectives toward IC-Plag. In addition, it also collected their perspectives about what kinds of attempts they know for either plagiarising their friend’s code or protecting their code from plagiarism on an in-class individual programming assessment. Adjacency-based comparison aims to reduce the number of code pairs. This subsection evaluates such impact using twelve seating position maps from our evaluation data. The reduction is resulted from 1 − A C N C ; where AC is the number of code pairs for adjacency-based comparison and NC is the number of code pairs for naive comparison (that compares all codes with each other). As seen on Table 1 (where N refers to the number of seating positions), three findings can be deducted. First, adjacency-based comparison considers fewer code pairs than naive comparison. In average, it eliminates about 80.87% code pairs. Second, the number of code pairs for adjacency-based comparison varies based on given seating position map; C10 and C12, for example, yield different numbers of code pairs since several positions on C12 have fewer neighbours. Third, the number of code pairs for naive comparison can be calculated as N ( N − 1 ) 2 since it is defined from 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 … + (N − 1). The accuracy of source code creation process (which captures the plagiarist’ copying behaviour from source code snapshot sequences) is defined as the proportion between the number of correctly-indicated code pairs and total code pairs when adjacency-based comparison is used. According to the seating position map given in Figure 14, there are 160 code pairs in total since there are four tasks taken from two assessments and each task results in 40 code pairs. Figure 15 depicts that the source code creation process is 70% to 80% accurate for indicating plagiarism-suspected source code pairs. In average, it leads to 76.88% accuracy, which is a considerably high accuracy. Since the plagiarists and the victims are assumed to be adjacently seated on in-class assessment, the minimum accuracy of seating position can be defined as the reduced proportion of code pairs for adjacency-based comparison; all code pairs which authors are not adjacently-seated are considered as false results. The proportion is calculated as 1 − A C N C where AC and NC are the number of code pairs for adjacency-based and naive comparison respectively. For our evaluation data, the maps from real class rooms are considered. As seen in Figure 16, the minimum accuracy varies among class rooms. Further observation shows that such accuracy is affected by how the students are seated. In average, seating position can be used to indicate suspected code pairs with at least 80.87% accuracy. From our evaluation data, for each plagiarist-victim pair per assessment task, the plagiarist’ snapshot sequence (which was recorded from the source code creation process) was observed by the second author of this paper. He checked whether at least one of the three copying behaviour’ conditions (sharing many snapshots, deleting before sharing similar snapshots, and waiting before sharing similar snapshots) occurs. In total, there are thirty-two observed source code pairs since each task contributes eight pairs. As seen in Figure 17, sharing many snapshots (condition-1) occurs more frequently than other conditions. This finding is natural since some plagiarists want to get the highest possible score by keeping their code updated with the latest version of their victim’s. Deleting and waiting before sharing similar snapshots (condition-2 and condition-3) occur in a less frequent way. All code pairs have at least one of the conditions. Eighteen of them have two conditions and eight of them have all conditions. Hence, it can be stated that the source code creation process is considerably accurate for indicating the potential plagiarists; our predefined copying conditions do occur on the plagiarists’ snapshot sequences. Seven capturing periods are defined for this evaluation: 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 15, and 30. For each period, only snapshots which fits the period are taken from our evaluation data. When the capturing period is 5, for example, only the snapshots which timestamp difference with the first snapshot is the multiples of 5 are considered. Table 2 shows that Huffman coding algorithm reduces about 25% total file size regardless of the capturing period; where the reduction is calculated as 1 − R C (R refers to the file size before compression and C refers to that size after compression). Further, higher capturing period leads to smaller total file size. We would argue that setting the capturing period with 10 or 15 is acceptable since the total compressed file size is still under 3 MB (which is feasible to be collected through NetSupport for 16 participants). This subsection evaluated the applicability of IC-Plag with a blackbox testing and questionnaire survey. The blackbox testing was performed by the first author of this paper. Three functionalities from IC-Plag’s student module and nine functionalities from IC-Plag’s examiner modules were checked. The testing showed that all functionalities work as expected. A questionnaire survey was conducted at the end of data collection scenario. Twelve questions were proposed; ten of them (Q01–Q10) asked the participants’ agreement while the others (Q11 and Q12) asked about what attempts they know for either plagiarising their friend’s code or protecting their code from plagiarism on in-class individual programming assessment. Prior answering the questions, IC-Plag’s functionalities would be demonstrated first to mitigate biased perspectives. Q01: Programming workspace is convenient to use even though the student module is installed. Q02: Source code snapshots are collected without letting the student aware about it. Q03: The existence of the student module is unseen by the student. Q04: Compressing source code snapshots and merging them as a JAR file enables the snapshots to be transferred faster through NetSupport. Q05: The examiner module is easy to use. Q06: Adjacency-based comparison fastens the investigation of source code plagiarism. Q07: Adjacency-based comparison mitigates the number of false results. Q08: The examiner module’s output panel is illustrative as it displays the source codes based on their authors’ seating positions. Q09: Considering source code creation process mitigates the number of false results. Q10: Snapshot sequence line chart display helps examiner to collect hints indicating the plagiarist. As seen on Figure 18, all statements are responded positively by the participants. The minimum average score for these statements (which is 3.5625 on Q01) is still higher than the threshold for neutrality (which is 3). Q01 yields the lowest average score (3.5625 of 5) with the highest standard deviation (0.963). Further observation shows that several participants are not used with Eclipse (our programming workspace for evaluation). They prefer NetBeans as their programming workspace. Q06 and Q08, on the contrary, yield the highest average score (which is 4.5 of 5). Both of them are related to the use of seating position for investigating source code plagiarism. Hence, it can be stated that the impact of such position is the most salient for the participants. Q10 leads the lowest standard deviation (0.447) with 4.25 average score. It can be therefore stated that the participants consistently agree toward the impact of snapshot sequence line chart display. According to the participants, three ways for plagiarising are commonly used: seeing other students’ laptop/PC screens that are faced to them, taking a photo of another student’ laptop/PC screen, and collusion (two or more students agree to complete their individual work as a group). Since all of them can only be done when the plagiarist is located nearby with their victim, we would argue that seating position can be beneficial to provide hints about source code plagiarism. To prevent their codes plagiarised, the participants enlisted three techniques: minimizing source code editor’s font, closing the source code editor once the assessment has been completed, and assuring that their laptop/PC screen cannot be seen by others. Even though these techniques may be considerably effective, it may put some inconvenience to the students as they cannot complete their work freely. This section aims to check whether the plagiarists can get similar score as their victims as a result of plagiarising. To do so, for each plagiarist-victim pair, their source codes were assessed by the first author of this paper and the resulted scores are compared to each other. As seen on Figure 19, the plagiarists achieved lower average score than the victims on most tasks; in average, it is 20.34 points lower. Hence, it can be stated that it may be rare for the plagiarists to have similar performance as the victims. However, the score gap can become smaller when the original code is either simple or has a high proportion of alphanumeric tokens. Task 2-E is an example case of it; there is no score differences since all plagiarists have successfully copied their victim’s work. This paper proposes a mechanism to generate hints for investigating source code plagiarism and identifying the plagiarists on in-class individual programming assessment; the hints are collected from the copying behaviour. That mechanism is applied on a plagiarism detection tool called IC-Plag. According to our evaluation, six findings are concluded. Firstly, adjacency-based comparison can reduce the number of investigated code pairs by 80.87%. Secondly, source code creation process and seating position can be used to suggest plagiarism-suspected code pairs; they lead to 76.88% and at least 80.87% accuracy respectively. Thirdly, copying behaviour’ conditions taken from source code creation process can be helpful in terms of determining the plagiarists; all plagiarists’ codes on our evaluation have at least one of the conditions. Fourthly, Huffman coding algorithm can reduce about 25% total file size of the source code snapshots. Fifthly, IC-Plag may be applicable based on blackbox testing and user perspective. Lastly, in most occasions, the plagiarist always performs worse than the victim; their performance is only comparable when the victim’s code is either simple or has a high proportion of alphanumerics. For future work, four directions are planned. Firstly, a web service can be introduced as a replacement of NetSupport for collecting the snapshots. In such manner, the snapshots can be sent periodically while the student is completing their programming assessment. Secondly, more-advanced similarity algorithms—such as the one which considers term importance or excludes boilerplate (or template) codes—can be implemented on IC-Plag for higher detection accuracy. Thirdly, for re-usability purpose, IC-Plag can be designed as a framework where some of its modules (e.g., similarity algorithm module) can be updated based on the examiner’s need. Fourthly, source code snapshots can be recorded with an existing versioning system—such as the one provided by GitHub (https://github.com/)—to enable more effective and efficient storage system. Conceptualization, A.E.B. and O.K.; Methodology, A.E.B. and O.K.; Software, A.E.B.; Writing—original draft, O.K.; Writing—review & editing, O.K. The APC was funded by Maranatha Christian University, Indonesia. Marsh, S. Cheating at UK’s Top Universities Soars by 40%. Available online: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/apr/29/cheating-at-top-uk-universities-soars-by-30-per-cent (accessed on 27 January 2019). Sedgewick, R.; Wayne, K. Algorithms, 4th ed.; 2011; p. 955. Available online: https://algs4.cs.princeton.edu/home/ (accessed on 27 January 2019). Figure 1. The interaction between three student modules and an examiner module. The student modules are installed on the students’ programming workspaces (PC-01 to PC-03) while the examiner module collects all source code projects (with their respective source code snapshots and seating position ID) from them. Figure 2. How student module works as a background process on the programming workspace. Source code snapshots are periodically captured while the workspace is opened. Once the workspace is closed, these snapshots will be merged as an archive. Figure 3. How examiner module works. Four phases are required, starting from filtering the projects’ source codes which correspond to a particular assessment task to suggesting the plagiarists. Figure 4. An example of measuring the confidence degree for the copying behaviour’s occurrence; red size numbers on snapshot sequences refer to matched snapshots (selected with the help of RKRGST). In this case, the confidence degree for those snapshot sequences is 75%. Figure 5. A line chart representing an example of sharing many snapshots; the lines refer to snapshot sequences for both source codes, horizontal axis refers to the timestamps, and vertical axis refers to the token size. The orange one can be suspected as the plagiarist’ since most of the snapshots occur later than the first one’s while both lines share a similar pattern. Figure 6. A line chart representing an example of deleting before sharing snapshots; the lines refer to snapshot sequences for both source codes, horizontal axis refers to the timestamps, and vertical axis refers to the token size. Orange line’s owner is suspected as the plagiarist since the line has several steep reductions (see circled areas) while sharing a similar pattern with the red one. Figure 7. A line chart representing an example of waiting before sharing snapshots; the lines refer to snapshot sequences for both source codes, horizontal axis refers to the timestamps, and vertical axis refers to the token size. Each circled area depicts a condition where the suspected plagiarist (whose line is orange-colored) waits till their victim (whose line is red-colored) has significantly updated their code. Figure 8. The layout of IC-Plag’s examiner module. All inputs are given on the left panel while the outputs can be seen on the right one. Figure 9. An example of the directory structure generated by NetSupport. Each project is located under a directory named with a seating position ID. Figure 10. How seating position map is stored as a CSV file. Each empty space is labeled with “PC-00”. Figure 11. The layout for managing previously-inputted seating maps. The right panel will display selected map’s content in CSV format. Figure 12. The layout for displaying a line graph comparing two source code snapshot sequences. The graph is displayed in a similar manner as proposed in methodology. Two highlighted red points refer to selected snapshots for further investigation. Figure 13. Collecting evaluation data involving examiners and students. It has five phases, starting from creating two programming assessments to instructing the examiners and students to complete a questionnaire. Figure 14. Participants’ seating position map. Each examiner (either T1–T8) sits right beside one student (either S1–S8). Figure 15. The accuracy of source code creation process to indicate plagiarism-suspected code pairs. Vertical axis refers to the accuracy while horizontal axis refers to the assessment tasks. Each task is labeled as “Task X-Y” where X refers to an assessment ID and Y refers to a task type (E for easy and C for challenging). Figure 16. The minimum accuracy of seating position to indicate plagiarism-suspected code pairs per class room. Vertical axis refers to the accuracy while horizontal axis refers to the class rooms. Figure 17. The occurrence frequencies of copying conditions. Vertical axis refers to the normalised frequency (in percentage) while horizontal axis refers to the copying conditions per task. Condition-1 is sharing many snapshots; condition-2 is deleting before sharing similar snapshots; and condition-3 is waiting before sharing similar snapshots. Each task is labeled as “Task X-Y” where X refers to an assessment ID and Y refers to a task type (E for easy and C for challenging). Figure 18. Q01 to Q10 survey results. In general, all statements are responded positively; their average score is higher than 3 (neutral threshold). Figure 19. The performance comparison between the plagiarists and the victims per assessment task. Vertical axis refers to the scores while horizontal axis refers to the assessment tasks. Each task is labeled as “Task X-Y” where X refers to an assessment ID and Y refers to a task type (E for easy and C for challenging). Table 1. The number of code pairs per class room. Table 2. The total file size per capturing period.

2019-04-18T11:09:13Z

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-431X/8/1/11/htm

Quantum information science addresses how the processing and transmission of information are affected by uniquely quantum mechanical phenomena. Combination of two-qubit gates has been used to realize quantum circuits, however, scalability is becoming a critical problem. The use of three-qubit gates may simplify the structure of quantum circuits dramatically. Among them, the controlled-SWAP (Fredkin) gates are essential since they can be directly applied to important protocols, e.g., error correction, fingerprinting, and optimal cloning. Here we report a realization of the Fredkin gate for photonic qubits. We achieve a fidelity of 0.85 in the computational basis and an output state fidelity of 0.81 for a 3-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state. The estimated process fidelity of 0.77 indicates that our Fredkin gate can be applied to various quantum tasks. Quantum information science addresses how the storage, processing, and transmission of information are affected by uniquely quantum mechanical phenomena, such as superposition and entanglement1. New technologies that harness these quantum effects are beginning to be realized in the areas of communication2,3, information processing4,5 and precision measurement6,7,8. For the realization of a universal gate set, by which, in principle, any quantum information task can be realized, two-qubit gates have been demonstrated9,10,11,12,13 and have been used to realize small-scale quantum circuits14,15. However, scalability is becoming a critical problem. It may therefore be helpful to consider the use of three-qubit gates16, which can simplify the structure of quantum circuits dramatically17,18. Although both the controlled-SWAP (CSWAP) gate (also called Fredkin gate)16 and the controlled-controlled-NOT gate (also called Toffoli gate)16 are representative three-qubit gates, a crucial difference is that the Toffoli gate has two control bits and only one target bit, so that the eigenstates of the operation are local states, whereas the Fredkin gate has only one control qubit that acts on the symmetry of the two target bits, so that the eigenstates of the operation are entangled symmetric/antisymmetric states of the target qubits. For this reason, the Fredkin gates can be directly applied to many important quantum information protocols, e.g., error correction19, fingerprinting20, optimal cloning21, and controlled entanglement filtering. Here we report a realization of the Fredkin gate using a photonic quantum circuit, following the theoretical proposal by Fiurášek22. We achieve a fidelity of 0.85 ± 0.03 for the classical truth table of CSWAP operation and an output state fidelity of 0.81 ± 0.13 for a generated 3-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state. We also confirmed that the gate is capable of genuine tripartite entanglement with a quantum coherence corresponding to a visibility of 0.69 ± 0.18 for three-photon interferences. From these results, we estimate a process fidelity of 0.77 ± 0.09, which indicates that our Fredkin gate can be applied to various quantum tasks. Since the implementation of a Fredkin gate with only single- and two-qubit gates requires five two-qubit gates and many single-qubit operations, it has not been realized yet in any qubit system23. For photonic qubits, the limited efficiency of the photonic quantum gates24 restricts the success rate of the Fredkin gate to 10−5. As has been proposed for the Toffoli gate17, the use of excess degrees of freedom may ease this difficulty, but this would require the precise control of a larger Hilbert space. As an alternative approach, Fiurášek proposed an implementation based on multi-photon control of an interferometer22. Fiurášek’s proposal is based on single-photon interference in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (Fig. 1A). It is well known that a single photon incident from mode A(B) is output from mode C(D) with 100% probability when the lengths of the two optical paths are the same, i.e., when the phase is ϕ = 0. On the other hand, when the pathlengths are different by λ/2(ϕ = π), a photon incident from mode A(B) will be output from the opposite mode, D(C). Figure 1B shows an optical partial SWAP gate based on this principle25, where the qubits are encoded into the polarization of photons. The target photonic qubits are input from T1in and T2in, and the gate operation is successful when the photons are output from T1out and T2out, respectively. By changing the phase ϕ, the different gate operations, including the identity gate (ϕ = 0), the SWAP gate (ϕ = π) and the gate (ϕ = π/2), can be obtained25. (A) Mach-Zehnder interferometer. (B) Partial SWAP gate. (C) Proposal for a controlled SWAP gate by Fiurášek22. (D) Simplified circuit for a controlled SWAP gate, where the parity check gate in panel (C) is removed, and a controlled qubit is directly encoded onto an entangled photon pair by corresponding unitary operation U. The setup inside the squared dotted red line corresponds to that in panel (C). The state in mode C2out was projected onto plus diagonal polarization instead of the controlled phase shifter in panel (C). PPBS: Partially polarizing beam splitter. BS: Beam splitter. PBS: Polarizing beam splitter. A quantum CSWAP can be realized by replacing the classical phase shifter with a photonic quantum phase gate (QPG). The phase of the QPG is changed by a control qubit: ϕ = 0(π) when the control qubit is |0〉(|1〉). Figure 1C shows the quantum CSWAP gate proposed by Fiurášek22. The QPG is realized by combining two optical controlled-NOT (CNOT) gates, which are based on the two-photon interferences at the partially polarizing beam splitters. The state of the control qubit is encoded into the state of the two photons incident to the CNOT gates by using an Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) source and a quantum parity check: the encoder transforms the input state of the control photon into a state with a probability of 1/2. In this proof-of-principle demonstration, we adopted a simplified scheme (Fig. 1D), where the control qubit is directly encoded into the entangled photon pair generated via spontaneous parametric down-conversion and local polarization operations. The CSWAP operation is successful when the photons are simultaneously detected at the output ports (T1out, T2out, C1out, C2out). To the best of our knowledge, the success probability of this operation (1/162) is the highest among the various proposals for photonic CSWAP gates. Note that for this simplified scheme, an unknown qubit cannot be used for the control qubit. However, the simplified scheme can still handle any (entangled) unknown target qubits together with a known control qubit in an arbitrary superposition state, and thus useful for many tasks, e.g. quantum finger printing and optimal cloning. In order to demonstrate the proposed simplified CSWAP gate, the interferometer that is integrated with multiple optical quantum gates must be perfectly stabilized. As shown in Fig. 2A, we realized a highly stable photonic quantum circuit for the simplified CSWAP gate by using two key technologies: displaced-Sagnac architecture and hybrid partially polarizing beam splitters (PPBSs), which contain multiple PPBSs in one optical component. In this optical circuit, the two main optical paths of the interferometers in Fig. 1D are folded, and the two beam splitters (BSs) in Fig. 1D correspond to the blue beam splitter in Fig. 2A. In order to implement the different gate operations for each of the folded paths in the displaced-Sagnac interferometer, we used two types of hybrid PPBSs (specially ordered, OPTOQUEST Co., LTD.), each of which combines a PPBS and a mirror or BS. Since both of the folded optical paths experience the same optical components, the displaced-Sagnac architecture is intrinsically robust against disturbance. Figure 2B shows the interference fringe that occurs when a laser light is incident to T1in and detected at T2out. The fringe maintained a very high visibility V = 99.5% over a full week without any active stabilization. (A) Experimental setup for controlled swap gate. H-PPBS: Hybrid partially polarizing beam splitter. The PBS reflects the vertical polarization component and transmits horizontal polarization. PPBS-As reflects vertically polarized light perfectly and reflects 1/3 of horizontally polarized light. H-PPBS1 is composed of a mirror and PPBS-A. H-PPBS2 is composed of a beam splitter and PPBS-A. (B) Classical interference fringe of a Sagnac interferometer. While varying the phase by rotating the phase plate (PP), we measured the output power at T2out. (C) Optical source. A lens (focus length = 600 mm) was placed in front of the BBO crystals to focus the beam. (D) Absolute value of the reconstructed density matrix of the generated state measured after the circuit (after the output couplers in mode C1out and C2out) using quantum state tomography. (E,F) Experimental results of CNOT gate operation in the computational basis using (E) PPBS-A1 and (F) PPBS-A2, where the computational basis of the gate is defined as for the control qubit and , for the target qubit. (G,H) Experimental results of CNOT gate operation in the complementary basis using (G) PPBS-A1 and (H) PPBS-A2, where the computational basis of the gate is defined as , for the control qubit and for the target qubit. For the CNOT operation at PPBS-A1, input photons from T1in and C1in are used for the target bit and control bit, respectively. For the CNOT operation at PPBS-A2, input photons from T1in and C2in are used for the target bit and control bit, respectively. For the entangled photon pairs26 and the two single photons27 required for the CSWAP gate operation, we constructed the photon source shown in Fig. 2C. Ultraviolet laser pulses with a center wavelength of 390 nm from a frequency-doubled mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser (wave length: 780 nm; pulse width: 100 fs; repetition rate: 82 MHz) pumped a pair of 1.5 mm-thick Type-I β-barium borate (BBO) crystals. The pump laser light was diagonally polarized to generate the entangled photon pair . The pump laser was then reflected, and its polarization was changed to vertical by using a quarter-wave plate (QWP) for the generation of pairs of two single photons 26. The spatial decoherence, which is dependent on the emission angle, and the spectral-temporal decoherence, which is dependent on the group delay, are compensated by using an additional four BBO crystals (I–IV in Fig. 2)28,29. The relative phase between the H and V polarizations is adjusted by a wave plate. From the result of quantum state tomography (Fig. 2D), the fidelity of the entangled state is 0.962 ± 0.002, and the entanglement concurrence is 0.941 ± 0.001, indicating that this state is almost maximally entangled. After removing the scattered pump light by using an interference filter (center wavelength 780 nm; full width at half maximum 2 nm), the entangled photons are delivered to the circuit via single-mode fibers so that horizontally and vertically polarized photons propagate at the same speed inside the fibers, whereas single photons are delivered to the circuit via polarization maintaining fibers. Note that the polarizing beam splitters (PBSs) that are set just after the input couplers for T1in and T2in in Fig. 2A are used to increase the purity of the two target input photons. The QWPs and half-wave plates (HWPs) that are set after the input couplers for C1in and C2in are used to compensate the changes in polarization inside the single-mode fibers. The timing of the input photons injected to the photonic circuit is controlled by moving the positions of the fiber couplers. The output photons in modes T1out, T2out, and C1out are filtered by polarization analyzers consisting of QWPs, HWPs, and PBSs, and the photons from each of seven possible output modes are detected by single-photon counting modules (SPCM-AQ-FC, Perkin Elmer). Using a multichannel photon correlator (DPC-230, Becker & Hickl GmbH), all the fourfold coincidence events were analyzed. Note that the events where more than three photon-pairs are simultaneously generated from the BBO crystal cause errors. The contribution of such events can be reduced by decreasing the pump power, which results in lower coincidence rate. We optimized the pump power considering both the uncertainty due to the limited number of detection events and the errors caused by the excess multi-pair emission events. Since quantum control is realized by a sequence of two CNOT operations implemented by PPBS-A1 and PPBS-A2, we first evaluated these operations separately using two sets of complementary inputs13. Note that for this evaluation, the effect of the events with more than three photon-pairs were compensated using a separate measurement. Figure 2E and F show the results of using a CNOT operation for a computational basis for PPBS-A1 and PPBS-A2, respectively. The fidelity of the truth table of CNOT operation is 0.895 and 0.893 for PPBS-A1 and PPBS-A2, respectively. Figure 2G and H show the results of using a CNOT operation for a complementary basis for PPBS-A1 and PPBS-A2, respectively. The fidelity of the truth table for the complementary basis is 0.889 and 0.890 for PPBS-A1 and PPBS-A2, respectively. These results proved the high performance of the CNOT gates with two heralded single photon sources. Figure 3 shows the measurement result of our controlled swap gate in the computational basis. In order to convert the coincidence rates to probabilities, we normalize them with the sum of the coincidence counts obtained for each of the respective input states. In the ideal case of our implementation, the target states are swapped if and only if the controlled qubit is in the logical |1〉 state. In Fig. 3, the diagonal components (0.28 for |101〉〈101| and 0.35 for |110〉〈110|) corresponding to the erroneous operations (non-swap for control qubit is 1) exist even though they are smaller than the correct operations (0.61 for |110〉〈101| and 0.56 for |101〉〈110|), where |110〉〈101| denotes the component of 101 input and 110 output. These diagonal components increased significantly for a higher pump power, indicating that these errors are in part caused by the events where more than three photon-pairs are generated simultaneously. The classical fidelity Fzzz of the controlled swap operation in the computational basis, defined as the probability of obtaining the correct output averaged over all eight possible inputs, was 0.85 ± 0.03. Figure 3: Measurement result of our controlled swap gate in the computational basis. The input basis of the gate is defined as , for the control qubit, , for the target 1 qubit, and , for the target 2 qubit. The output computational basis of the gate is defined as , for the control qubit, , for the target 1 qubit, and , for the target 2 qubit. Measurement was implemented during 130,000 sec for each input. The events where two pairs are generated and coupled to either (T1in, T2in) or (C1in, C2in) are compensated using separate measurements (see Methods). The maximal value of C is 1/4 for separable states, 1/2 for biseparable states, and 1 for an ideal GHZ state. From the experimental data shown in Fig. 4, the estimated quantum coherence of 0.69 ± 0.18 indicates the fact that under the assumption of Gaussian statistics, we have more than 85% probability for C > 0.5 which can be achieved only by genuine three partite entanglement. See Methods for details. Figure 4: Evaluation of the quantum coherent CSWAP operation. The top of each panel (A–D) shows the fourfold coincidence probabilities for different measurement settings (M0, M1, M2, M3). The bottom of each panel shows, on a Bloch sphere, the corresponding measurement axis with its polar angle θ and azimuthal angle ϕ, which are shown in (E). For example, in panel A, the top of each panel shows all outcomes of the measurement in the HV basis for control, target 1, and target 2. The measurements were implemented during 320,000 sec for each measurement basis. The erroneous events where two photon-pairs are generated and coupled to either (T1in, T2in) or (C1in, C2in) are compensated using separate measurements (see Methods). As mentioned above, it is reasonable to assume that the entanglement capability of the quantum gate originates from the coherence between the identity operation |0〉〈0| ⊗ I and the swap operation |1〉〈1| ⊗ Uswap. Based on this assumption, it is possible to estimate the process fidelity by taking the average of the classical fidelity Fzzz and the coherence C (see Methods). The estimated process fidelity, which is defined by the normalized product trace of the process matrix and the matrix describing the ideal process, obtained from these two sets of experimental data is . We are thus able to get a fairly good idea of how well the quantum process works by identifying the essential elements of process coherence directly with the non-classical coherence observed in a specific output state. where M0 is the fidelity of the diagonal elements of the terms |010〉〈010| and |101〉〈101|. From the result of the HV basis measurement shown in Fig. 4A, M0 = 0.927 ± 0.183. Thus, the estimated fidelity for the output GHZ state is FGHZ = 0.81 ± 0.13. To conclude, we have successfully demonstrated a CSWAP operation with a fidelity of 0.85 ± 0.03 for the classical truth table and an output state fidelity of 0.81 ± 0.13 for a generated 3-photon GHZ state. The quantum coherence of C = 0.69 ± 0.18 indicates the fact that under the assumption of Gaussian statistics, we have more than 85% probability for C > 0.5 which can be achieved only by genuine three partite entanglement. The estimated process fidelity of 0.77 ± 0.09 also indicates that our CSWAP gate is suitable for integration into larger quantum circuits. For the erroneous operation of the gate (23%), our rough estimation suggests that eighty percent of such errors are due to the imperfection of the current photon source which sometimes emits more than three photon-pairs (up to about 10%) simultaneously and has non-zero timing jitter due to group velocity mismatch (See Methods for details). One of the current challenges in the community is to improve the single photon sources with smaller excess photon components in the output. Examples are heralded single photon sources using multiple SPDC sources in parallel31,32, and single photon sources using quantum dots33,34. The current experimental demonstration also highlights the strong demand for such sources. Although a measurement based approach is promising for future linear optics quantum computation in terms of efficiency35, photonic quantum circuits combining quantum gates are also useful for various applications or tasks for quantum information processing and quantum communication. The eigenstates of a multi-photon gate determine which states can be measured and distinguished by observing local changes in one of the photons. Since the eigenstates of the CSWAP gate are entangled symmetric/antisymmetric states of the target qubits, the CSWAP is especially useful for all implementations that require a QND measurement of entanglement. Next challenge would be the realization of the non-simplified scheme (Fig. 1C) for an unknown control qubit embedded in a polarization of a single photon. Although the probability of the success of the gate is the same with the simplified scheme (1/162), one needs to precisely control 5 photons (3 single photon inputs plus one ancillary entangled photon pair.) The demonstrated controlled-SWAP gate is successful only when the resultant single photons are output from each of the output modes one by one, which may limit its potential uses within larger quantum circuits without technically demanding non-demolition photon number measurements. A fully heralded controlled-SWAP gate using linear optics is also possible but would require a total of nine single photons22. For such experiments, efficient single photon sources will be important33. Note also that, different from an alternative realization of an optical quantum controlled SWAP operation recently reported by Patel et al.36, unknown photonic qubits encoded in polarization can be used as two target bits and the resultant state is output as three single-photon qubits. Thus our scheme is directly applicable for interesting tasks including quantum fingerprinting20, optimal cloning21, and can be used as a built-in component in photonic quantum circuits for other protocols. For separable states, the three-photon coherence C is limited by the maximal local coherence of . For completely separable states, the maximal value of C is therefore . For biseparable states, the limit is given by the product of the maximal local coherence and the maximal two-photon coherence, . Therefore, three-photon coherences C larger than 0.5 indicate genuine tripartite entanglement. Experimentally, the three photon coherence of the state results in strong correlations between the Bloch vector components in the equatorial plane. These correlations are easily observed as correlations between different polarization directions. Importantly, maximal correlations can be obtained whenever the directions of the Bloch vector components satisfy a specific relation between their angles in the XY-plane of the Bloch sphere. If we define , we find that is exactly equal to one whenever ϕ1 − ϕ2 + ϕ3 is an even multiple of π, or minus one if it is an odd multiple. This provides us with a particularly strong experimental criterion for three partite entanglement, since a rotation of each polarization by an angle of π/3 results in a sign flip for the correlation that is only obtained for local polarizations along ϕ = 0 if the angle of rotation exceeds π/2. Thus, genuine three partite entanglement can be demonstrated if the average value of for the three polarization directions separated by angles of π/3 on the Bloch sphere is greater than 1/2. In order to derive eq. (8) from eq. (6), one may use the relations and . In and , the coefficients for are 1/2 and the coefficients for are , and for even numbers of the sign is opposite. As a result, we have . Note also that . From the experimental results shown in Fig. 4, we obtained values of , , and . From these values C = 0.69 ± 0.18. The average value of each operator was calculated in such a way that, for example, , where P(ijk) is the probability that the logical value of ijk is detected in the measurement basis shown in Fig. 4C. It may be worth noting that the high result for originates mostly from an unexpected dominance of 111 outcomes, indicating a contribution from local polarizations. However, the correlations and still exceed 1/2, which is a significant indication of the special correlation only observable for genuine three-partite entanglement. For example, for a separable state with , the values of and would be −1/8 each. In order to derive this relation, note that the process is a superposition of and as shown in eq. (4) and the coherence C is a direct measure of the coherence between these two operations. In the process matrix, these can be represented by two diagonal elements and two off-diagonal elements, where Fzzz is the product trace of the real process and the diagonal elements, and C is the product trace of the real process and the off-diagonal elements. Based on these assumptions, our experimental results correspond to an estimated process fidelity of 0.77 ± 0.09. In order to evaluate the performance of the gate, we need to know the four-fold coincidence counts caused by the case where a pair of photon is generated from each of the two parametric down converters (PDCs). However, there are cases where two pairs are generated from only one of the PDCs. We estimated the coincidence events caused by the latter events by performing separate measurements where the output of one of the PDCs was closed and subtracted the events observed in these measurements from the total four-fold detection. The process fidelity is degraded to 0.54 ± 0.03 if we do not perform this subtraction. The measured reflectance for H and V polarization of the components of the hybrid optics are as follows. For H-PPBS1, PPBS-A1 RH = 34%, RV = 98%, Mirror RH = 99%, RV = 100%. For H-PPBS2, PPBS-A2 RH = 36%, RV = 98%, BS RH = 34%, RV = 38%. Here we roughly estimate the effect of error sources on the non-unity quantum process fidelity of 77 ± 9%. The average of the observed visibilities of the two photon interference between the photons from different sources at PPBSs are 86.2%, where the pump laser power was enough attenuated to suppress the multi-pair emission events and the actual polarization-dependent reflectivity of the PPBSs (shown above) are taken into account. This degradation in the visibility is due to the spatio-temporal mode mismatch of the photons27. Based on the analysis similar to a ref. 37, we have found that the quantum process fidelity degrades about 7%. The same analysis also suggests that the difference of the measured transmittances and reflectances of the PPBSs (shown above) from the ideal ones may have caused degradation in the process fidelity by 0.2%. The imperfection of the entangled photons with the state fidelity of 0.962 may have caused about 2% degradation in the process fidelity. The sum of the estimated errors due to the above mentioned causes are about 9.2%. We strongly conjecture that the rest of the errors (~14%) in the total error (~23%) is mainly due to the events where three pairs of photons are emitted simultaneously from the source. By decreasing the pump power, the probability of having three-pair-emission can be suppressed but the data accumulation time has to be increased. As a compromise between these factors, we used a pump power with which the amount of four-fold coincidence events due to the three-pair-emission is about 10%, which was estimated by a separate experiment. 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How Weak Values Emerge in Joint Measurements on Cloned Quantum Systems . Physical Review Letters 109, 020408 (2012). Fiurášek, J. Linear optical Fredkin gate based on partial-SWAP gate . Physical Review A 78, 032317 (2008). Smolin, J. & DiVincenzo, D. Five two-bit quantum gates are sufficient to implement the quantum Fredkin gate . Physical Review A 53, 2855–2856 (1996). Hofmann, H. & Takeuchi, S. Quantum phase gate for photonic qubits using only beam splitters and postselection . Physical Review A 66, 024308 (2002). Černoch, A., Soubusta, J., Bartušková, L., Dušek, M. & Fiurášek, J. Experimental Realization of Linear-Optical Partial swap Gates . Physical Review Letters 100, 180501 (2008). Kwiat, P., Waks, E. & White, A. Ultrabright source of polarization-entangled photons . Physical Review A 60, 773–776 (1999). Tanida, M., Okamoto, R. & Takeuchi, S. Highly indistinguishable heralded single-photon sources using parametric down conversion . Optics express 20, 15275–85 (2012). Rangarajan, R., Goggin, M. & Kwiat, P. Optimizing type-I polarization-entangled photons . Optics express 17, 18920–18933 (2009). Tokunaga, Y., Kuwashiro, S., Yamamoto, T., Koashi, M. & Imoto, N. Generation of high-fidelity four-photon cluster state and quantum-domain demonstration of one-way quantum computing . Physical Review Letters 100 (2008). Gühne, O., Lu, C. Y., Gao, W. B. & Pan, J. W. Toolbox for entanglement detection and fidelity estimation . Physical Review A 76, 1–4 (2007). Ma, X., Zotter, S., Kofler, J., Jennewein, T. & Zeilinger, A. Experimental generation of single photons via active multiplexing . Physical Review A 83, 1 (2011). Mendoza, G. J. et al. Active temporal and spatial multiplexing of photons . Optica 3, 127 (2016). Ding, X. et al. On-Demand Single Photons with High Extraction Efficiency and Near-Unity Indistinguishability from a Resonantly Driven Quantum Dot in a Micropillar . Physical Review Letters 116, 020401 (2016). Somaschi, N. et al. Near-optimal single-photon sources in the solid state . Nature Photonics 10, 340–345 (2016). Gimeno-Segovia, M., Shadbolt, P., Browne, D. E. & Rudolph, T. From Three-Photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger States to Ballistic Universal Quantum Computation . Physical Review Letters 115, 020502 (2015). Patel, R. B., Ho, J., Ferreyrol, F., Ralph, T. C. & Pryde, G. J. A quantum Fredkin gate . Science Advances 2, e1501531 (2016). Nagata, T., Okamoto, R., Hofmann, H. F. & Takeuchi, S. Analysis of experimental error sources in a linear-optics quantum gate . New J. Phys. 12, 043053 (2010). Tichy, M. C. Sampling of partially distinguishable bosons and the relation to the multidimensional permanent . Physical Review A 91, 022316 (2015). This work was supported in part by Quantum Cybernetics of JSPS, FIRST of JSPS, Grant-in-Aids from JSPS, JST-CREST, Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology, Research Foundation for Opto-Science and Technology, and the GCOE program. Experiments, measurements and initial data analysis were performed by M.T. and T.O. with the assistance of R.O. and S.T. The project was initially planned by M.T. and S.T. and supervised by R.O. and S.T. The theory for the evaluation of the data was developed by H.F.H. All of the authors contributed to the analysis of the data and to the writing of the manuscript.

2019-04-23T20:08:21Z

https://www.nature.com/articles/srep45353?error=cookies_not_supported&code=3c9224a4-154b-4616-81f3-78afe09226cb

Placenta-mediated pregnancy complications include pre-eclampsia, late pregnancy loss, placental abruption, and the small-for-gestational age newborn. They are leading causes of maternal, fetal, and neonatal morbidity and mortality in developed nations. Women who have experienced these complications are at an elevated risk of recurrence in subsequent pregnancies. However, despite decades of research no effective strategies to prevent recurrence have been identified, until recently. We completed a pooled summary-based meta-analysis that strongly suggests that low-molecular-weight heparin reduces the risk of recurrent placenta-mediated complications. The proposed individual patient data meta-analysis builds on this successful collaboration. The project is called AFFIRM, A n individual patient data meta-analysis oF low-molecular-weight heparin F or prevention of placenta-medI ated pR egnancy coMplications. We conducted a systematic review to identify randomized controlled trials with a low-molecular-weight heparin intervention for the prevention of recurrent placenta-mediated pregnancy complications. Investigators and statisticians representing eight trials met to discuss the outcomes and analysis plan for an individual patient data meta-analysis. An additional trial has since been added for a total of nine eligible trials. The primary analyses from the original trials will be replicated for quality assurance prior to recoding the data from each trial and combining it into a common dataset for analysis. Using the anonymized combined data we will conduct logistic regression and subgroup analyses aimed at identifying which women with previous pregnancy complications benefit most from treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin during pregnancy. The goal of the proposed individual patient data meta-analysis is a thorough estimation of treatment effects in patients with prior individual placenta-mediated pregnancy complications and exploration of which complications are specifically prevented by low-molecular-weight heparin. Placenta-mediated pregnancy complications include pre-eclampsia (PE), late pregnancy loss, placental abruption and the small-for-gestational age (SGA) newborn. We completed a pooled summary-based meta-analysis that strongly suggests that low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) reduces the risk of placenta-mediated complications in subsequent pregnancies . A successful pregnancy requires the development of adequate placental circulation. It has been hypothesized that thrombosis in the placental bed is at least partially responsible for placenta-mediated pregnancy complications [2–4]. It has also been suggested that these complications are the result of abnormal placental development with underdeveloped placental vasculature or placental inflammation [5, 6]. These complications represent an important health problem because they are common, affecting more than one in six pregnancies , and often have a devastating outcome for the affected women, their unborn children, their families, and society. Specifically, PE (characterized by a new onset of elevated blood pressure and proteinuria during pregnancy) is one of the most common causes of maternal mortality in the developed world [8–11]. SGA newborns often suffer longterm effects including developmental delay, poor school performance, and a significantly lower likelihood of academic and professional success [12–14]. Fetal loss is a devastating event for pregnant women and their families. Placental abruption (separation of the placenta from the uterus before birth) can, in the most severe cases, lead to maternal hemorrhage with the risk of transfusion and both maternal and fetal death. The risk of recurrent placenta-mediated pregnancy complications in subsequent pregnancies is substantial. For example, women with prior severe PE will have a 25 to 65% risk of recurrent PE, a 3% risk of placental abruption, and a 10% risk of SGA (<10th percentile) [15, 16]. These complications may be multiple (for example both PE and SGA) and not isolated to the placenta-mediated complication experienced in a prior pregnancy [15, 17]. There are no highly effective preventative strategies that can be used in subsequent pregnancies. Aspirin offers small relative risk reductions in patients with prior PE and SGA, however, it may be more effective at reducing risk (approximately a 40% reduction) if started early in the pregnancy (before 16 weeks) [18, 19]. There are no proven preventative strategies for the other complications. It has been postulated that anticoagulants might prevent placenta-mediated pregnancy complications by reducing placental thrombosis and/or affecting maternal coagulation activation or inflammation. Recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted to determine if LMWH can prevent recurrent placenta-mediated pregnancy complications suggest an important treatment effect [20–24], but this finding has not been universal . Although it appears that LMWH is a promising therapy in the prevention of placenta-mediated pregnancy complications, there are disadvantages to the premature adoption of this intervention without sufficient evidence of benefit. If LMWH is used universally for all women with prior placenta-mediated pregnancy complications, we may be intervening unnecessarily and exposing women to a risk of undesirable and potentially fatal, albeit rare, side effects (major bleeding, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, osteoporotic fractures, withholding of epidural analgesia due to fear of causing epidural hematoma, and paralysis) [26, 27]. Less serious side effects including skin reactions, minor bleeding, and transient elevations in liver enzymes are more commonly experienced [28, 29]. Therapy is also associated with cost and inconvenience since the drug is expensive and is administered by injection either once or twice a day. Therefore, it is necessary to answer the question as to who benefits from LMWH prophylaxis during pregnancy and to determine the nature and magnitude of these benefits more precisely. The individual patient data meta-analysis (IPDMA) has the potential to answer these important questions and determine the risk/benefit ratio of therapy for various subgroups of women. The composite outcome, including all placenta-mediated pregnancy complications, that is used in many RCTs is heterogeneous and not all individual outcomes can be considered equally serious in terms of potential consequences for the mother and newborn. For example, late term pre-eclampsia is clinically less worrisome since the symptoms tend to be less severe and generally resolve with delivery. Conversely, women who develop pre-eclampsia earlier in the pregnancy have more serious clinical consequences including a greater risk of maternal and neonatal death. Our pooled summary meta-analysis suggests that LMWH may prevent severe pre-eclampsia and early pre-eclampsia with less of an effect on late onset pre-eclampsia . Confirmation of these findings is extremely important for clinicians treating these women and has direct relevance for clinical practice worldwide. There are many challenges associated with recruiting pregnant women to RCTs with a drug intervention including: the biases of clinicians either for or against the therapy (based on insufficient evidence of benefit and lack of knowledge about potential risk); the concerns of the pregnant woman and her family about the health and safety of the mother and baby; and the demands during pregnancy of attending additional appointments and investigations associated solely with study participation . Furthermore, the pharmaceutical industry often excludes pregnant women from trials due to liability concerns. As a result, there is a dearth of RCTs evaluating LMWH in this population compared to other patient groups (such as oncology or orthopedic surgery). Those RCTs that do exist are all academically driven and may not have the same financial and human resources that are available to trials that are sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, meta-analysis is an essential tool that allows for greater statistical power by pooling the existing small RCTs evaluating LMWH for the prevention of placenta-mediated pregnancy complications. Our recent pooled summary-based meta-analysis of six RCTs (Table 1) included 848 pregnant women with a history of pre-eclampsia, a SGA neonate (<10th percentile), placental abruption, or late pregnancy loss (more than 12 weeks gestation) in a previous pregnancy . The primary finding was that 67 out of 358 (18.7%) women taking LMWH during pregnancy had recurrent severe placenta-mediated pregnancy complications, as compared with 127 out of 296 (42.9%) women with no LMWH (relative risk reduction 48% (95% CI 14 to 68%; (I2 69%). However, since the meta-analysis results apply to a heterogeneous group of women with a mixture of placenta-mediated pregnancy complications of varying prior severity and the primary outcome for the meta-analysis was a composite of all placenta-mediated complications (also of varying severity), it is not clear which subgroups of women derive the most benefit from LMWH (which outcomes are reduced and which severity of outcomes are impacted). Before recommendations for clinical practice can be advocated, it is necessary to conduct more detailed analyses of the existing data to determine potential benefits for subgroups of women, to adjust for important baseline characteristics of participants, and to explore other treatment-related reasons for the reported heterogeneity (for example specific LMWH drug (dalteparin, nadroparin or enoxaparin), LMWH dose, gestational age when drug was initiated, and co-interventions such as concomitant ASA use). ASA = aspirin; GA = gestational age; IPDMA = individual patient data meta-analysis; IPDMA = individual patient data meta-analysis; PE = pre-eclampsia; RCT = randomized controlled trial; SB = stillbirth; SGA = small-for-gestational age. TIPPS = Thrombophilia In Pregnancy Prophylaxis Study *accepted for publication in the Lancet. FRUIT = FRactionated heparin in pregnant women with a history of Utero-placental Insufficiency and Thrombophilia. NOH-AP = Nîmes Obstetricians and HAematologist – abruptio placentae. NOH-PE = Nîmes Obstetricians and HAematologist - pre-eclampsia. HAPPY = Heparin in pregnant women with Adverse Pregnancy outcome to improve the rate of successful PregnancY. IPDMA has been proposed as an advantageous methodological approach when subgroup analyses are hypothesized to be clinically relevant. Analyzing original data from individual patients makes use of a much richer dataset and has greater statistical power than conventional meta-analysis [31, 32]. Furthermore, for this project, IPDMA will allow for adjustment for covariates that are known to be important in the recurrence of placenta-mediated pregnancy complications. Such an analysis will also enable us to explore clinical, methodological, and statistical heterogeneity more robustly. IPDMA is an attractive method to answer our study questions since it ‘dramatically and consistently’ has more power to detect interactions between risk groups . The primary research question is: Which women with previous placenta-mediated pregnancy complications have a reduction in the risk of future complications when treated with LMWH during pregnancy? Secondary research questions are: Which of the placenta-mediated pregnancy complications are avoided? Are severe and/or early onset or non-severe and/or late onset complications avoided? Does LMWH cause major bleeding in women with prior placenta-mediated pregnancy complications? And, are any other side effects increased by LMWH use in women with prior placenta-mediated pregnancy complications (thrombocytopenia, osteoporotic fractures or allergic reactions)? The proposed project is called AFFIRM (A n individual patient data meta-analysis oF low-molecular-weight heparin F or prevention of placenta-medI ated pR egnancy complications), PROSPERO registration number: CRD42013006249. We will synthesize individual patient data from RCTs of LMWH for the prevention of recurrent placenta-mediated pregnancy complications. The overall objective of the meta-analysis is to directly inform clinical practice and the development of clinical practice guidelines. The study is coordinated by the Clinical Epidemiology Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Conceptually, the research approach involves four sequential phases: a systematic review, knowledge synthesis planning, data extraction and analysis, and interpretation of results and knowledge translation. The first two phases have been completed and are therefore described below in the past tense. No data have been extracted or recoded for the common dataset and no statistical analyses have been performed; these steps are outlined in the future tense. Electronic search strategies were developed and tested through an iterative process by an experienced medical information specialist in consultation with the review team. The strategy was peer-reviewed prior to execution by an experienced information specialist using the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS) checklist . The following search was conducted in May 2013: using the OVID platform, we searched Ovid MEDLINE™, Ovid MEDLINE™ In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, and EmbaseClassic + Embase (strategy included as Additional file 1). We also searched the Cochrane Library on Wiley (including CENTRAL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, DARE, and HTA). ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry were searched to identify relevant in-process and completed trials. Strategies utilized a combination of controlled vocabulary (such as ‘hypertension, pregnancy-induced’, ‘placental insufficiency’, ‘heparin, low-molecular-weight’) and keywords (pre-eclampsia, abruption, and LMWH). Vocabulary and syntax were adjusted across databases. Animal studies were excluded but there were no language or date restrictions on any of the searches. We sought additional references through hand-searching the bibliographies of relevant items. Search results are summarized in a preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) diagram (Figure 1) and details of potentially eligible trials are provided in Tables 2 and 3. PRISMA flow diagram of AFFIRM’s systematic review. IPD = individual patient data; IPDMA = individual patient data meta-analysis; PRISMA = preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. ASA = aspirin; GA = gestational age; HELLP = HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count); IPDMA = individual patient data meta-analysis; IUGR = intrauterine growth restriction; PE = pre-eclampsia; SB = stillbirth; SGA = small-for-gestational age. SPIN = Scottish Pregnancy Intervention Study; HepASA = Low Molecular Weight Heparin and Aspirin in the Treatment of Recurrent Pregnancy Loss. ALIFE = Anticoagulants for Living Fetuses. HABENOX = Low Molecular Weight Heparin and/or Aspirin in Prevention of Habitual Abortion. ETHIG II = Effectiveness of Dalteparin Therapy as Intervention in Recurrent Pregnancy Loss *final results in preparation for publication. ASA = aspirin; IPDMA = individual patient data meta-analysis; IUGR = intrauterine growth restriction; PE = pre-eclampsia; SGA = small-for-gestational age. EPPI = Enoxaparin for the Prevention of Preeclampsia and Intrauterine growth restriction. HEPEPE = Prevention of Maternal and Perinatal Complications by Enoxaparin in Women With Previous Severe Preeclampsia (original title is French). HOPPE = Low Weight Heparin prOphylaxis for Placental Mediated Complications of PrEgnancy. RCTs with an LMWH intervention for the prevention of recurrent placenta-mediated pregnancy complications were eligible. The study population of interest included currently pregnant women with prior pregnancies complicated by one or more of the following: PE, placental abruption, SGA newborn (<10th percentile), pregnancy loss after 16 weeks gestation or two losses after 12 weeks gestation. The principal investigators of potentially eligible trials identified by the systematic review (see Tables 1, 2 and 3) were contacted via email to request additional information about the study population. Once eligibility was confirmed, investigators were invited to participate in the IPDMA and attend the AFFIRM project planning meeting. The lead investigators of the largest and most recently completed trials agreed to contribute individual patient data to this collaboration. Data from two small trials [22, 41] were not included because the investigators did not respond; in one of these trials only a small proportion of the total study population would have been eligible to contribute data to AFFIRM . Some of the women in the Scottish Pregnancy Intervention Study (SPIN) trial would have been eligible for inclusion in AFFIRM, however, the trial database does not include sufficient detail about the timing of previous pregnancy losses to determine the eligibility of individual participants . A crucial step in the success of the project was the development of the knowledge synthesis and knowledge translation plans. A full-day review team meeting was held in Amsterdam on 4 July 2013. The purpose was to allow for extensive discussion and consensus-reaching on important study variables and outcomes and to consider strategies for merging the existing datasets in a centralized database. Participants included the principal investigators of the included RCTs and statisticians with in-depth knowledge of the trial data. The principal investigators are all practising clinicians (obstetricians and hematologists) who are also knowledge users in this clinical area. The detailed definitions for the IPDMA outcomes were agreed upon by investigator consensus at the face-to-face meeting. The definitions and diagnostic criteria for each outcome variable are documented in a data dictionary and the research protocol. These definitions, which have been reviewed by all investigators, allow standardization across studies and decrease the potential for bias. AFFIRM’s primary outcome is a composite outcome including four pregnancy complications: early-onset or severe pre-eclampsia, birth of a small-for-gestational age newborn with a birth weight <5th percentile, placental abruption, and late pregnancy loss. To qualify as a primary outcome event, the pregnancy complication must satisfy one or more predefined criteria. Early onset pre-eclampsia is diagnosed at less than 34 weeks’ gestation. Severe pre-eclampsia is characterized by at least one criterion indicative of severe disease; these are, a systolic blood pressure ≥ 160 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥110 mm Hg, proteinuria > 0.5 g/24 hours, elevated liver enzymes (more than two times the local upper range of normal), platelets < 100 × 109/L, pulmonary edema, seizures (eclampsia), headache or other neurological manifestations (stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, cerebral edema, hyperreflexia, and visual impairment), coagulopathy, oliguria (<30 ml/hr) or HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count). Birth of a small-for-gestational age newborn with a birth weight <5th percentile is determined using local gender and gestational age specific birth weight charts. The placental abruption outcome requires a clinical diagnosis of placental abruption leading to delivery. A late pregnancy loss occurs at or after 20 weeks of gestation and cannot be explained by other factors, including fetal chromosomal abnormalities, maternal infection, cervical insufficiency or incompetence, or an intentional termination of the pregnancy. Nineteen secondary outcomes have been defined for AFFIRM, including the four individual components of the primary outcome: severe or early-onset pre-eclampsia, birth of a small-for-gestational age newborn <5th percentile, placental abruption and late pregnancy loss, all as outlined above. Pre-eclampsia (non-severe) is characterized by a systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg and proteinuria >0.3 g/24 hours. A diagnosis of HELLP syndrome required 3 criteria, hemolysis [lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) > 600 IU/L or serum bilirubin >1.2 mg/dl] an abnormal elevation of liver enzymes (more than two times the local upper range of normal), and platelets <100 × 109/L. Preterm delivery <34 weeks and < 37 weeks are pre-specified outcomes. A perinatal loss is any fetal or neonatal death at over 20 weeks gestational age and less than or equal to 28 days post-partum and neonatal mortality is considered any neonatal death after birth and less than or equal to 28 days post-partum. Birth of a small-for-gestational age newborn <10th percentile is determined based on local gender and gestational age specific birth weight charts. Adverse maternal outcomes include thrombocytopenia, defined as a platelet count <75,000 × 109/L, and bleeding outcomes at various time points. Antepartum major bleeding is defined using the criteria proposed by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) . That is, clinical or radiological evidence of bleeding with at least one of the following criteria: associated with a fall in hemoglobin of 2 g/dL (1.24 mmol/L) or more; or a requirement for transfusion of two or more units of red blood cells or whole blood; or symptomatic bleeding occurring in a critical site: intracranial, intraspinal, intraocular, pericardial, intra-articular, intramuscular with compartment syndrome, or retroperitoneal, or was considered to have contributed to maternal death. Peripartum major bleeding is hemorrhage occurring after the onset of labour or start of surgical delivery and within 24 hours postpartum that meets at least one of the following: necessitating a surgical procedure, or associated with a fall in hemoglobin of 4 g/dL (2.48 mmol/L) or more, or a requirement for transfusion of two or more units of red blood cells or whole blood, or estimated peripartum blood loss >1000 ml, or considered to have contributed to maternal death. Peripartum minor bleeding is hemorrhage occurring after the onset of labour or start of surgical delivery and within 24 hours postpartum that does not meet any criterion above and with estimated peripartum blood loss between 500 and 1000 ml. Postpartum major bleeding is clinical or radiological evidence of bleeding occurring between 24 hours and 6 weeks postpartum and meeting at least one of the following ISTH criteria: associated with a fall in hemoglobin of 2 g/dL (1.24 mmol/L) or more, or a requirement for transfusion of two or more units of red blood cells or whole blood, or symptomatic bleeding occurring in a critical site: intracranial, intraspinal, intraocular, pericardial, intra-articular, intramuscular with compartment syndrome, or retroperitoneal, or considered to have contributed to maternal death. An allergic reaction to LMWH is a reaction following the administration of LMWH that results in anaphylaxis or a rash requiring discontinuation of the allocated LMWH. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is defined as a clinical diagnosis of HIT and a minimum of a positive PF4 HIT ELISA assay. The venous thromboembolism outcome includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or pulmonary embolism. The criteria for diagnosis of DVT are venography demonstrating a constant intraluminal filling defect in the deep veins above the trifurcation of the popliteal vein or compression ultrasound revealing a non-compressibility of a venous segment above the trifurcation of the popliteal vein. Diagnosis of distal, below the knee DVT, is by either venography or compression ultrasound. Diagnostic criteria for pulmonary embolism are pulmonary angiography demonstrating a constant intraluminal filling defect or a cutoff of a vessel more than 2.5 mm in diameter, or ventilation/perfusion (V/Q scan) indicating high-probability, or pulmonary embolism found at autopsy. The definitions for each variable to be included in AFFIRM’s common dataset are documented in a data dictionary to allow standardization across studies and decrease the potential for misclassification and bias. A template for the common dataset has been developed in Microsoft Excel and will be provided to the principal investigator of each included trial. Recoded anonymized individual patient data from each of the trials will populate the Excel template. The recoded datasets for each of the individual trials will be saved on an IronKey™ USB flash drive and sent by courier to the coordinating center in Ottawa. The AFFIRM common dataset will include individual patient data in 10 pre-defined categories: administrative and demographic data, thrombophilia, maternal medical history, pregnancy history, current pregnancy and delivery, infant data, pre-eclampsia outcome, other outcome events, intervention and treatment during pregnancy, and adverse events. Once the individual participant data from the primary studies have been merged in the common dataset, descriptive analyses will be conducted to identify data outliers, missing data, and unexpected inconsistencies. The project coordinator will prepare data clarification reports and will communicate with the principal investigators or their delegates to resolve these queries. Next, we plan to conduct preliminary analyses aimed at replicating the findings of the individual published studies, to validate the centralized database and data importation. Once the IPDMA team is satisfied with the merged dataset, the database will be locked and the planned analyses for the IPDMA synthesis will be conducted. The individual patient data will be analyzed in a similar manner to an RCT, however, the analysis will account for clustering at the study level. The primary analysis will include all women who are eligible for AFFIRM and will examine the risk of the primary composite outcome in the treatment (LMWH) and control arms based on intention-to-treat. Secondary univariate analyses will be done for each of the pregnancy complications included in the composite outcome. On-treatment sensitivity analyses will be conducted for the primary and secondary outcomes. We have planned several subgroup analyses; these were selected because they are clinically plausible and there is evidence that they may be relevant. If certain subgroups are found to be small (≤5 subjects) we will merge subgroups as appropriate. Women will be analyzed in subgroups according to the previous pregnancy complications that were experienced. Prior pre-eclampsia subgroups are any pre-eclampsia, severe pre-eclampsia, early-onset pre-eclampsia, and severe or early onset pre-eclampsia. Subgroups according to prior SGA are SGA <10th percentile, SGA <5th percentile, SGA <3rd percentile, prior pre-eclampsia and SGA <10th percentile, prior pre-eclampsia and SGA <5th percentile, prior pre-eclampsia and SGA <3rd percentile. Subgroups of women with prior placental abruption are any placental abruption, placental abruption leading to delivery <37 weeks’ gestation, placental abruption leading to delivery < 34 weeks’ gestation, and placental abruption with pre-eclampsia. Participants will be grouped for analysis according to the gestational age of prior pregnancy loss: >12 weeks’ gestation, >16 weeks’ gestation, and >20 weeks’ gestation. Demographic subgroups are according to maternal age (<35 years or ≥35 years) and ethnic group (Caucasian, Black, Asian or other). Quality assessment will be conducted for all eligible studies using the tool for assessing risk of bias from the Cochrane Handbook for reviews of interventions and reported on a study level. These assessments will also be used to inform subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses to explore whether these biases may have affected the IPDMA analysis. We plan to examine the randomization integrity once the data from the original trials have been combined. We will endeavour to compare the original randomization lists with actual randomization to test the integrity of the allocation concealment. We will also compare the baseline characteristics of participants who have been randomized to the LMWH and no LMWH groups at the study level and aggregate level to see if there are imbalances between the groups that may suggest a lack of integrity in randomization processes. Once the results of the analyses are available, they will be circulated to all investigators and collaborators and a teleconference will be scheduled to discuss the findings and their interpretation. Regardless of the IPDMA results, they will be disseminated. Dr Shannon Bates is the principal knowledge user for this project. She will provide input throughout the project and will be a leader for the knowledge translation phase of the study. The principal investigators of the identified eligible RCTs (Drs Rey, Martinelli, de Vries, Gris, Rodger, Middeldorp, Schleussner, and Kaaja) are all experienced researchers and also practicing physicians who are knowledge users. Furthermore, these team members are all involved in leadership roles in their institutions and countries, including practice guideline development, and have the potential to considerably influence the international community of healthcare providers in a variety of settings. The strategies for knowledge translation will rely heavily on the input from all involved knowledge users and will take into consideration the suitability of proposed media and/or approach for different practice settings and international contexts. Traditional methods, such as publication in a peer-reviewed journal, geared towards either a generalist or specialist audience, will be employed. Results will also be presented at international meetings; it is anticipated that knowledge users (clinicians) in hematology, obstetrics, and family medicine will be targeted. In addition, patient advocacy and education groups (such as the Pre-eclampsia Foundation, the North American Thrombosis Forum, and Thrombosis Canada) will be provided with the results in a language and format suitable to a non-medical audience. This IPDMA will permit the investigators to explore which women within the heterogeneous group of patients with placenta-mediated complications benefit and which women do not benefit from low-molecular-weight heparin injections throughout pregnancy. The subjects in each of the RCTs all provided informed consent to participate in the original trial. We will not be seeking individual consent for the secondary use of the data for the following reasons: the objectives of the IPDMA are consistent with the original trials, there are no risks or benefits associated with this analysis, no identifying information will be transferred, and it would be logistically time consuming and, in some cases, impossible to contact the women who participated. In order to ensure patient confidentiality any identifying information will be removed from the original dataset before it is transferred. The IronKey™ flash drive includes numerous security features including hardware-based encryption, a random password generator, two-factor authentication, and a self-destruct mechanism which make it extremely unlikely that the dataset can be accessed by anyone other than the intended recipient. Once the data are merged in Ottawa in the common database, they will be stored on the research institute’s network which has multiple security features and regular backup procedures in place. One relevant potential drawback of IPDMA is biased pooling of data. Bias can be introduced when eligible studies are missed, when authors do not provide their data for the analysis, when the outcomes are different across studies, and when outcome and covariate data are missing from included studies . Our recently completed pooled summary meta-analysis was a successful collaboration of five principal investigators . In addition to the team members from these five trials, the principal investigators of four additional trials have committed to provide data for the AFFIRM meta-analysis. These are the largest and most robust trials completed in this area. The multinational research team has representation from Canada, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, and Finland. Almost all review team members attended the face-to-face IPDMA planning meeting. To protect against the misclassification of outcomes, the AFFIRM review team discussed each outcome at this meeting until consensus on detailed definitions and diagnostic criteria was reached. Definitions for all variables to be included in the IPDMA common dataset are documented in a data dictionary that was reviewed, revised according to team feedback, and finalized. Despite this, we recognize that challenges will be encountered due to variability in how the variables were originally defined and collected in each of the nine trials. In some cases it will be necessary to consult the original clinical records to obtain complete information for the IPDMA which will be a labor-intensive process. Another challenge is the diversity in language of the original datasets (English, French, Dutch, Italian, and German) that will necessitate translation when the data are recoded. Attention to detail, careful documentation, and excellent communication will be instrumental to the successful completion of this IPDMA. This collaborative meta-analysis based on individual patient data is funded by a Knowledge Synthesis Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), reference number KRS 126593. The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of David Moher who provided methodological advice during the conception and design of the project. The Knowledge Synthesis Group at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute also played an important role during the systematic review: Raymond Daniel downloaded the records from the searches, removed duplicates, and obtained the full-text articles and Kavita Singh screened the titles and abstracts of citations to assess potential eligibility. Dr Marc Rodger received grant funding of more than $10,000 from Pfizer and Leo Pharma and has served on advisory boards for Sanofi Aventis but not been paid. Dr Johanna de Vries received grant funding for a two-year investigator period between 2000 and 2001 on behalf of the FRUIT-RCT by Pfizer, formerly Pharmacia. Sponsorship was obtained from Pfizer for the AFFIRM investigators’ meeting in 2013. Grant funding was obtained from Pfizer in December 2013 for a single year, to be used from January 2014 to January 2015. Dr Évelyne Rey received travel grants from Leo Pharma for the 4th International Symposium on Women’s Health Issues in Thrombosis and Hemostasis, February 4-6 2011, Berlin, Germany. She also received consultant honorariums from Leo Pharma for the information booklet ‘Anticoagulation pendant la grossesse’, 2010 to 2011, and for CME presentations, 2009 to 2010. Dr Jean-Christophe Gris holds board membership for Sanofi, LFB, and Stago. He is also a consultant for Sanofi, Stago, Leo Pharma, and LFB. He has received grants from Sanofi, Stago, Leo Pharma, LFB, and Baxter Healthcare Corporation. He has received payment for lectures including service on speakers bureaus forSanofi, Stago, Leo Pharma, LFB, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pfizer, Bayer, and Boehringer Ingelheim. Dr. Shannon Bates received an honoraria from Leo Pharma and Pfizer, Canada for various presentations. Dr Saskia Middeldorp: GSK supported the ALIFE trial with a grant (until 2010). GSK currently supports the Highlow trial (has been taken over by Aspen in 2014). She has also received consulting fees and lecture honoraria from Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Daiichi-Sankyo and research support from GSK, Bristol-Meyers Squibb/Pfizer and Sanquin. Dr Ekkehard Schleussner: Pfizer, Germany and Merck, Germany supported the ETHIG II trial (until 2013). He also received an honoraria from Pfizer, Ferring, Bayer-Jenapharm for various presentations. MR, lead IPDMA investigator; conceived of the study concept; wrote the first draft of the protocol and first draft of the manuscript; developed the IPDMA variable definitions. RM, contributed to study design, particularly data analysis (coordinating statistician); reviewed and approved of the final manuscript. TR, contributed to study design, particularly data analysis (lead statistician); critical revision of the manuscript and approval of the final manuscript. ER, JDV, MVH, ES and DP, contributed to study design; developing detailed definitions for study outcomes and eligibility; provided input on IPDMA variable definitions; critical revision of the manuscript and approval of the final manuscript. JCG, DB, AP and PDJ, contributed to study design; developing detailed definitions for study outcomes and eligibility; reviewed and approved of the final manuscript. CA, IM and SM, contributed to study design; developing detailed definitions for study outcomes and eligibility; critical revision of the manuscript and approval of the final manuscript. NL, project coordinator: AFFIRM; assisted in writing the first draft of the protocol and first draft of the manuscript; developed first draft of the data dictionary and template for the IPDMA common dataset. SB, contributed to study design, particularly knowledge translation planning; critical revision of the manuscript and approval of the final manuscript. RK, approved the methodology for the study; reviewed and approved of the final manuscript. BS, designed and conducted the electronic search strategy for the systematic review; reviewed and approved of the final manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

2019-04-24T02:00:47Z

https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2046-4053-3-69