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The dataset generation failed
Error code: DatasetGenerationError
Exception: ArrowInvalid
Message: JSON parse error: Missing a closing quotation mark in string. in row 141
Traceback: Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py", line 153, in _generate_tables
df = pd.read_json(f, dtype_backend="pyarrow")
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 815, in read_json
return json_reader.read()
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1025, in read
obj = self._get_object_parser(self.data)
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1051, in _get_object_parser
obj = FrameParser(json, **kwargs).parse()
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1187, in parse
self._parse()
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pandas/io/json/_json.py", line 1403, in _parse
ujson_loads(json, precise_float=self.precise_float), dtype=None
ValueError: Trailing data
During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1997, in _prepare_split_single
for _, table in generator:
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py", line 156, in _generate_tables
raise e
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/packaged_modules/json/json.py", line 130, in _generate_tables
pa_table = paj.read_json(
File "pyarrow/_json.pyx", line 308, in pyarrow._json.read_json
File "pyarrow/error.pxi", line 154, in pyarrow.lib.pyarrow_internal_check_status
File "pyarrow/error.pxi", line 91, in pyarrow.lib.check_status
pyarrow.lib.ArrowInvalid: JSON parse error: Missing a closing quotation mark in string. in row 141
The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/src/services/worker/src/worker/job_runners/config/parquet_and_info.py", line 1529, in compute_config_parquet_and_info_response
parquet_operations = convert_to_parquet(builder)
File "/src/services/worker/src/worker/job_runners/config/parquet_and_info.py", line 1154, in convert_to_parquet
builder.download_and_prepare(
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1029, in download_and_prepare
self._download_and_prepare(
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1124, in _download_and_prepare
self._prepare_split(split_generator, **prepare_split_kwargs)
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 1884, in _prepare_split
for job_id, done, content in self._prepare_split_single(
File "/src/services/worker/.venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/datasets/builder.py", line 2040, in _prepare_split_single
raise DatasetGenerationError("An error occurred while generating the dataset") from e
datasets.exceptions.DatasetGenerationError: An error occurred while generating the datasetNeed help to make the dataset viewer work? Make sure to review how to configure the dataset viewer, and open a discussion for direct support.
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CHRISTY MOORE: JOURNEY
2 x 52 minutes
(2 x 52 minutes)
For 50 years, Irish singer, songwriter and national bard, Christy Moore has sung about issues in society that have deeply affected him. In this very personal film we brought the songs to the locations and the people that inspired them, revealing Christy’s often controversial actions and opinions.
Christy Moore: Journey, is all about the songs. These songs and lyrics give voice to those who need a voice and give a real perspective of life as it is in all its guises. The songs give shape to who and what Ireland is. They also reveal the man who has dedicated his life to the craft of song and who has stood up to be counted. The songs guide us through the journey from the Irish in London in the 60s and on through the issues and events that shocked and shaped Ireland to the present day. At the age of 70, Christy Moore finally agreed to make a film – the only film that will ever be made on his eventful life.
A DVD featuring the film and over 80 minutes of performances and behind the scenes footage will be released in September 2016.
Christy Moore: Journey, was screened on RTE1 as two one hour prime time programmes.
© bang bang teo. 2021.
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info@duabijbc.com
Under the Patronage of H.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi
Minister of State for Tolerance previously Minister of State for International Cooperation and
Minister of Economic and Planning of the United Arab Emirates
The Jordan business Council in Dubai and Northern Emirates
has the pleasure to invite you to
The Future of Building Successful Business in the light of Tolerance, Social Marketing and Technology
November 23rd, 2016 Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights Dubai,UAE
The Jordan Business Council in Dubai and Northern Emirates mission is to foster the business development through the collaboration between its members and partners. It is a platform for business community to network, learn, share and exchange information, establish business relationships, leading to local and international business growth and expansion that would lead to building strong economics, businesses, and cultural relations.
The Annual Conference this year focuses on Tolerance, Technology and Social Media.
The event is organized in collaboration with MENA Speakers; a leading company in selecting best speakers around the world and promotes the knowledge sharing and learning from experts in the region.
9:00 am- 9:15 am Mr. Ihsan Qatawna Inauguration Welcome Speech by Mr. Ihsan Qatawna, President of the Jordan Business Council
9:15 am-9:45 am HE Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi Tolerance Minister of State for Tolerance previously Minister of State for International Cooperation and Minister of Economic and Planning of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
9:45 am- 10:15 am Mark Laudi Media Mr. Mark Laudi Chief Executive Officer of Hong Bao Media (Holdings) Pte., Ltd.
10:15 am-11:00 am Nicolai Tillisch Leadership Nicolai Tillisch is an author of the regional bestseller Effective Business in the Gulf and founder of Dual Impact, a Dubai-based firm focusing on executive coaching and facilitation.
11:00 am-11:30 am Open Forum Moderator: Saana Azzam
11:30 am-12:00 pm Coffee Break
12:00 pm-12:30 Tariq Qureishy New technology and future business model He is also the CEO & Founder of 100% MAD, a “not for profit” Social Enterprise, a youth movement & a new philanthropic model which combines innovative/disruptive business concepts & technology
12:30 pm-1:00 pm Saba Al Busaidy From Oman. Digital marketing Awarded the Omani Women’s Excellence award in the field of technology in 2014. One of the first in the region to be certified as a Social Media Strategist
1:00 pm -01:30 pm Open Discussion Moderator: Saana Azzam
HE Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi
HE Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi is the Minister of State for Tolerance and was previously Minister of State for International Cooperation and Minister of Economic and Planning of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Sheikha Lubna holds the distinction of being the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the United Arab Emirates. She has graduated from the California State University, Chico with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, and has an Executive MBA from the American University of Sharjah. H.E. Shiekha Lubna received an honorary doctorate of science from California State University, Chico. In March 2014, she was appointed President of Zayed University. As of 2016, she is listed as the 43rd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.
Mark Laudi
Mr. Laudi is the Chief Executive Officer of Hong Bao Media (Holdings) Pte., Ltd. established Investor Central in 2006. Previously, Mr. Laudi was a Presenter and Sydney Bureau Chief at CNBC. During his seven years with the channel, he anchored and produced many primetime programs, and covered Southeast Asian and Australian stocks on the stocks desk of Squawk Box. Mr. Laudi joined CNBC after seven years as a Radio Presenter, first at Australian Broadcasting
Nicolai Tillisch
Nicolai Tillisch is an author of the regional bestseller Effective Business in the Gulf: Mastering Leadership Skills for Greater Success and a founder of Dual Impact, a Dubai-based firm focusing on executive coaching and facilitation. Nicolai has worked in the Middle East for the last decade and was previously a management consultant with McKinsey & Company.
Tariq Qureishy
Tariq Qureishy is charismatic, determined and a true visionary. He is a CEO and top media professional. He has provided break-through results and done disruptive things to achieve exceptional goals. He was the Regional Media Representative and Consultant for Bloomberg Media (2010-2014). Prior to that he was CEO and Publisher of the Times & Sunday Times newspaper responsible for the launch in the Middle East (2007-2009) and for twelve years (1987-1999), he was with Dow Jones Markets and finally as Regional Director EMEA. He is also the CEO & Founder of 100% MAD, a “not for profit” Social Enterprise, a youth movement & a new philanthropic model which combines innovative/disruptive business concepts & technology giving 100% of all funds raised to selected causes globally. This movement is democratising philanthropy. He has a degree in Economics & studied at Harvard Business School. 100% MAD (Make A Difference) is a UK registered, “not for profit’ social enterprise and brand aiming at bridging philanthropy and entrepreneurship to become one of the pioneers of philanthropreneurship – the new generation of philanthropy. The digital revolution is helping to democratise philanthropy. 100% MAD is not just a campaign or a global donation drive – it is an innovative, breakthrough youth movement that’s scalable, sustainable, measurable, positively disruptive and fully transparent.
Saba Al Busaidi
Saba Al Busaidi started her career as a civil engineer working with internationally renowned entities such as Atkins and Faithful & Gould. She then followed her passion in the field of social media and was voted the youngest entrepreneur in the Sultanate of Oman. Awarded the Omani Women’s Excellence award in the field of technology in 2014. One of the first in the region to be certified as a Social Media Strategist. Also plays a big role in supporting local talent and small-to-medium enterprises. Her local market knowledge is complimented by a dynamic understanding of Omani government rules, regulations, and practices. Recently graduated from an executive Education program in “Leadership” from Harvard University.
The JBC is a platform to promote understanding ,learning , sharing business know-how and best practices among members and friends through discussion and networking.JBC Promotes Jordanian Business in UAE market and supports interests in Jordanian companies and entrepreneurs.To achieve its goals ,it organizes activities ,seminars ,roundtables discussions ,business forums ,meetings,and delegations visits to promote the collaboration of UAE and Jordanian companies...
View more about
United Arab Emirates || Duabi
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Why don't you include great children's literature?
Because the list is for adults.
Usually people ask this question if they are plumping for a Doctor Seuss story or some other remembered favourite from their own or from their kids' childhoods.
Some stories written to entertain the young do end up becoming classics for all ages. The Alice in Wonderland books, for example, or Grimm's Fairy Tales. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Anne of Green Gables are twentieth-century examples, though we'll see how long into the twenty-first century they last. Tolkien's fanciful epics, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, may be considered works for adolescent and adult readers alike.
Sometimes adults enjoy reading certain kids' books, like Seuss's Cat in the Hat, to their children and feel the books should therefore be considered as important literature as weightier adult fiction. But my criterion for the Greatest Literature list has been the work being read by adults as adults for their own enjoyment and edification. Reading to entertain children is not enough.
Right away some reader is going to protest, "But I like to read Green Eggs and Ham for myself!" Yes, and I get a kick out of going back and looking through the Hardy Boys and the Enid Blyton adventure stories I devoured as a youth. But that's nostalgia—a delightful wallowing in a since-discarded naïve worldview. It may be fun and it may even be healthy to regress in this fashion now and then. But it's not reading as an adult. It's pretending to be a child.
The children's books that do eventually make it onto the mature list, like Lewis Carroll's works, usually offer a level that goes over the head of kids.
Another factor to consider is the ongoing impact the work has. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass are embedded in our culture, almost as much as adult standards like Hamlet and the Bible. They are continually referenced by serious writers and artists in other media. The situations and expressions are part of our everyday conversation. An adult has to have some familiarity with Alice to understand much of what's being said and written around him or her. When Green Eggs and Ham reaches that status, I'll add it to the list.
As always, there are some tough judgment calls. I've included Winnie-the-Pooh as approaching this status, but I have to admit I wonder about that decision.
Same with the Anne of Green Gables books by Lucy Maude Montgomery: they've been adored by several generations of young girls and are still revered by at least the Canadian public at large. Enough to keep at least the first book of the series on the list.
On the other hand, I've kept out The Secret Garden—another one I've agonized over, consulting countless other sources as I have with all works. In the end, I've determined to my own satisfaction this story has faded. It's got a fussy, old quality that isn't wearing well—at least not with new readers—laying its chin-up sentimentality too bare, with little of enduring interest. You can argue this, but my judgment of the general consensus now is that it's not one for the ages.
But stick around. It may be rediscovered by a future generation and its charms come back into fashion, proving it has enduring qualities that I and others don't see now.
Return to FAQs | Next FAQ answer
Selected Authors: Commentaries
Selected Works: Commentaries
How the Greatest Literature was selected
Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales
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World Ballet Series Presents: Cinderella
Majestic Theatre
2023-03-19 18:00:00 2023-03-19 21:00:00 America/Chicago World Ballet Series Presents: Cinderella //artandseek.org/calendar/event/115984/world-ballet-series-presents-cinderella Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm Street, Dallas, TX, 75201
The Majestic welcomes World Ballet Series performance of Cinderella on Sunday, March 19, 2023
An enchanting story for all ages with a wonderful dose of humor, the majesty of classical ballet, and the promise of “happily ever after”.
Door: 5PM
Show: 6PM
Sunday, March 19, 2023 @ 6:00 pm 2023-03-19 18:00:00 2023-03-19 21:00:00 America/Chicago World Ballet Series Presents: Cinderella //artandseek.org/calendar/event/115984/world-ballet-series-presents-cinderella Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm Street, Dallas, TX, 75201
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The Worldly “Ship of Tolerance” Docks in DUMBO
by Alana Chloe Esposito on October 2, 2013 Newswire
The Ship of Tolerance in Sharja, UAE, during the 2010 Sharja Biennale. (Image courtesy of hamptonsarthub.com)
Framed by the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges and set against the backdrop of lower Manhattan, Emilia and Ilya Kabakov’s Ship of Tolerance will grace the DUMBO waterfront until October 8th.
The pre-eminent feature of this 66-foot wooden vessel is its colorful sail, stitched together from paintings on 30” x 30” silk squares by New York City public elementary school students. The paintings express notions of peace and tolerance and hope for a brighter future.
There could not be a more apropos time to unveil the ship, noted NYC Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, Kate Levin in her welcome address at today’s unveiling, than during the General Assembly, “the most important week for peace and tolerance.”
More than 700 local school children participated in the project, which was carried out in collaboration with Studio in a School, an organization that brings art programs to children in underserved communities. Prior to picking up paint brushes, the students engaged in discussions and other activities focused on tolerance.
For instance, one Studio in a School instructor, Robin Holder, worked with students on a collaborative mural depicting a multicultural community.
“Everyone is different,” says her student, seven-year old Kaylee Gil, who was delighted to discover at today’s opening ceremony that her painting made the cut to be incorporated into the Ship of Tolerance’s sail (other children’s paintings are displayed throughout the city). “We speak different languages, we have different color skin and hair, we come from different places,” she continues, “and we should accept one another.” Asked what she will take away from this project, Kaylee says she will remember the lesson on tolerance “every time I see someone who is different from me.”
That is exactly what world renowned artists Emilia and Ilya Kabovok were hoping for when they conceived the Ship of Tolerance.
“Children understand tolerance amazingly well. They are mostly unspoiled by the prejudice often carried by the adults. If we listen to them, perhaps, we can alleviate some of the oppression we witness everyday,” commented Emilia and Ilya Kabakov.
The idea to build a ship came about in 2005 while the Kabakovs were traveling through the Siwa Oasis in a desert region of Egypt. The presence of a saltwater lake prompted them to reflect on the historical significance of bodies of water. They embarked on a project with local educators to teach children about the instrumental role ships played in Egyptian history by facilitating communication, trade, and cultural exchange. It resulted in the first iteration of the Ship of Tolerance, inspired by the UN’s annual “International Day for Tolerance”.
The Kabakovs had no intention of expanding the project beyond Egypt, “But there is so much violence around the world,” explains Emilia, “working with the next generation to overcome intolerance is our only hope for a better future.”
The Ship of Tolerance at the 2009 Venice Biennale (Image courtesy of the artists)
Since then, they have built versions of the ship in Venice, Sharjah, San Moritz, Miami, and Havana and plan to do it as least thrice more in Detroit, Singapore and in their native Russia.
Each time, they involve local carpenters, educators, and most importantly children.
While there is little fault to be found find in the idea of a community-based project with a positive message, some have criticized this particular project as shallow.
It is hard not to wonder, for instance, how engaging only around 5,000 children across seven cities (to date), can make meaningful strides against intolerance.
Eleanor Whitney, a casual observer who works in an arts organization in the DUMBO neighborhood, imagines the project was meaningful for the artists, children, and educators who participated, but admits that she didn’t quite know what to make of the seeing kids’ art on a ship as she rode by on her bicycle Monday morning. However, after learning more about the project’s mission and genesis through our conversation, she commented, “as a piece of social practice art, I think it is an effective vehicle for starting a conversation on tolerance.”
Taking a more critical perspective, Marc Boucai, a PhD Candidate in Performance Studies at UC Berkeley and an expert on questions of diversity, inclusion in art and popular culture, was struck by the choice of tolerance, rather than a more progressive notion such as social justice or human rights, as the underlying theme. “Tolerance is not necessarily acceptance,” he notes, “it is simply the regulation of hatred.”
Moreover, while he supports the recent trend of blurring the line between fine art and community performance and he applauds the idea of The Ship of Tolerance, he feels its execution did not live up to its potential. “The utopian vision [depicted in the children’s] brown and yellow stick figures holding hands in the sunshine is beautiful, but simplistic,” he says.
Still, the mood at the unveiling was joyous as orange-clad cartoonish performers hopped as students from participating schools were treated to carousel rides, and dancing and music in the Brooklyn Bridge Park. It reinforced Emilia’s assertion that “this work is about dreams.”
The ship will remain stationed along the shores of the Brooklyn Bridge Park for the duration of the DUMBO Arts Festival, of which it is apart. From there, it will return (on a barge) to Staten Island, where it was assembled over the past few weeks, and will be on view at the Salt Atlantic Yard October 11th-13th.
Corresponding events included a free Ship of Tolerance concert at the New York Historical Society on Friday, featuring children performers from La Guardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York, the Berkeley Carroll School in Brooklyn, the Spivakov Foundation in Moscow and Havana.
Tagged as: Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Ship of Tolerance, Studio in a School
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Neil deGrasse Tyson is a philistine
Damon Linker writes:
Why Neil deGrasse Tyson is a philistine
The popular television host says he has no time for deep, philosophical questions. That's a horrible message to send to young scientists.
Neil deGrasse Tyson may be a gifted popularizer of science, but when it comes to humanistic learning more generally, he is a philistine. Some of us suspected this on the basis of the historically and theologically inept portrayal of Giordano Bruno in the opening episode of Tyson's reboot of Carl Sagan's Cosmos.
But now it's been definitively demonstrated by a recent interview in which Tyson sweepingly dismisses the entire history of philosophy. Actually, he doesn't just dismiss it. He goes much further — to argue that undergraduates should actively avoid studying philosophy at all. Because, apparently, asking too many questions "can really mess you up."
Yes, he really did say that. Go ahead, listen for yourself, beginning at 20:19 — and behold the spectacle of an otherwise intelligent man and gifted teacher sounding every bit as anti-intellectual as a corporate middle manager or used-car salesman. He proudly proclaims his irritation with "asking deep questions" that lead to a "pointless delay in your progress" in tackling "this whole big world of unknowns out there." When a scientist encounters someone inclined to think philosophically, his response should be to say, "I'm moving on, I'm leaving you behind, and you can't even cross the street because you're distracted by deep questions you've asked of yourself. I don't have time for that."
"I don't have time for that."
The article goes on to say how some philosophers had some good ideas 2500 years ago.
I am inclined to agree with Tyson. If a student wants to be a scientist, he is better off not studying philosophy. The philosophy of today is taught by professors who seems to misunderstand 20th century physics. Much of it is wrong and confusing.
CFT May 9, 2014 at 11:46 PM
Considering the irrational 'goo' and poorly worded concepts that often passes for contemporary thought within the physics community, they really do need to start asking themselves some deep questions, but first, they need to learn about the history of QUESTIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ASKED.
"Not to know what happened before you were born is to remain forever a child." (Cicero, 46 B.C.)
Bogus quantum teleportation claims
Andromeda to collide with us
The Myth of Einstein’s Brain
Lawrence Krauss book disputed
Failing to defend philosophy for science students
Quantum computers may never materialize
Controversy about Relativity in the 1920s
Einstein's view of phenomenological and dynamical ...
Doubts about BICEP2 conclusions
Philosopher searches for Poincare's mistake
My FQXi essay is posted
Theorists don't need to be consistent
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ALM, ALW set to launch maiden pride round
Home / World News / Should You Get a 4th Covid Shot?
Should You Get a 4th Covid Shot?
brandsauthority March 19, 2022 World News Leave a comment 49 Views
As coronavirus case counts continue to plummet across the United States, people’s immunity may be declining, too. Several studies have found that while mRNA booster shots have been successful at preventing hospitalization and death, their effectiveness against infections is waning.
It’s no wonder, then, that late Thursday, Moderna sought emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for a second booster shot for all adults. The company’s request came just days after Pfizer and BioNTech filed for emergency authorization for a second booster of its coronavirus vaccine for people 65 and older.
Moderna said that its much broader request would give the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as health care providers, more flexibility in determining who would benefit most from getting an additional booster shot and when.
Scientists and physicians are sharply divided over this. “I don’t think everybody should get another booster right now,” said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a pediatric infectious diseases physician at Stanford University. “But I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t start to review the data that is available.”
Who is currently eligible for a fourth vaccine dose?
As of now, the only people authorized for a fourth dose are those with weakened immune systems. This includes teenagers and adults who have had organ or stem cell transplants, are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, have advanced or untreated H.I.V. or are on immune-suppressing drugs.
It’s hard to predict how soon — or if — the F.D.A. might authorize a second booster (or fourth dose) for all adults. The agency is expected to convene an advisory committee next month to discuss the issue. And while experts say it’s reasonable that the committee might move swiftly on Pfizer’s application for older adults, it is unclear if Moderna’s more sweeping request will get the green light.
“We know that people over the age of 65, even when vaccinated, have a higher risk of dying than people under the age of 65,” said Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease specialist at Emory University. “That gets lowered significantly if people get boosted.”
One reason older adults may benefit from an additional booster shot is because as the immune system ages, it tends to weaken and does not produce the same quantity or quality of antibodies as it did when it was younger. On top of that, older adults often have other medical conditions that take up the body’s attention, putting them at higher risk of severe disease, said Dr. Christian Gaebler, an immunology researcher at Rockefeller University in New York City. “Diabetes, hypertension, obesity and chronic kidney disease are all risk factors for severe Covid,” he said. “And we know that these usually manifest in older age.”
In their justification for seeking second boosters for people 65 and up, Pfizer and BioNTech relied heavily on evidence from two studies conducted in Israel that suggested that people who had received fourth shots were less likely to become infected with the virus compared with those who had received three doses.
In one study, published on a preprint server in February, scientists reviewed the health records of about 1.1 million people over 60 who had received a fourth dose and compared them with those who had received just three doses. They found that the rate of confirmed infections, as well as that of severe illness, was lower in people who had gotten their fourth shot.
March 18, 2022, 7:05 p.m. ET
The second study, published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, looked at Israeli health care workers of all ages and found that both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s fourth shots bolstered antibody levels, though they were not very good at preventing infection.
Experts, however, cautioned that the available data is still preliminary and has not yet shown how long the benefits of a fourth dose will last.
If the shots are authorized for seniors, how should they think about timing them?
Experts tracking Covid-19 are careful not to give specific advice on when to get a fourth dose when the safety and efficacy data are still limited.
If another surge is just around the corner, for instance, seniors may benefit from getting an extra shot as soon as it’s authorized. But if the next wave doesn’t occur until the summer or even the fall, getting a booster now could backfire because the recipients’ immunity might start to wane by the time they need protection the most. Current vaccines are based on the original strain of the coronavirus, so getting a booster now may also do little to protect against future variants.
“It would be great if we knew exactly when the next wave was going to be so we could vaccinate people beforehand,” said Dr. Amy Sherman, an infectious disease physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “But I think we’re not quite at the point where we know a clear seasonality, and we know the exact tempo and dynamics of Covid and newer variants.”
That being said, if a fourth shot is authorized for adults over 65, and it has already been several months since they got their first booster, “I would start thinking about whether I need a booster now,” Dr. del Rio said.
What does this mean for everyone else?
For people younger than 65, who are otherwise healthy, most experts agree that three doses are most likely enough for now. Those in their 20s and 30s who have already received three shots of the vaccine, for instance, will only see marginal benefits in protection from an additional shot, Dr. Gaebler said.
“Fourth doses might turn out to be advisable,” he said, “but at this point I think the focus should be on administering third doses.”
Dr. del Rio agreed. “I’m more concerned about the millions of Americans who are not vaccinated or are only partially vaccinated,” he said. “That, to me, is where we need to put our major focus.” Getting more people vaccinated, nationally and globally, could potentially have a bigger effect on reducing virus transmission and curtailing new variants so that everyone can return to normal life, Dr. del Rio said.
And there is hope that better vaccines and treatments are on the way. Pfizer and Moderna are testing new Omicron-specific versions of the Covid booster. And other researchers are investigating vaccines that boost mucosal immunity in the nose, as well as protein-based shots that may be better at protecting against the coronavirus in the future.
“We have to really think carefully about our vaccine strategies,” Dr. Sherman said. “We have to think as a society about what our goal is with repeated boosters and vaccines because none of our existing vaccines completely prevent transmission or prevent all disease. And so at what point are we comfortable with asymptomatic or mild infection in the population while still being able to protect those who are vulnerable?”
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The A-League intends to launch its first pride round across both the men’s and women’s …
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Fear of eminent domain grips PG hamlet
Residents of a working-class neighborhood near the New Carrollton Metro station say Prince George’s County is trying to bring the area into a sweeping redevelopment project that could replace their homes with high-end condos, shopping and restaurants.http://washingtontimes.com/article/20071118/METRO/111180046/1004/Metro
Activist group mourns a mentor
“Miss Ann,” as she was known to the young people who live in the Marine Terrace, Ocean Terrace and Seaview Avenue area where residents are fighting the city’s attempts to take their homes by eminent domain, was a role model and mentor for many.
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/NEWS1004-01-711160407
St. Louis Attacking Free Speech, Property Rights
In a double blow to free speech and property rights, the city of St. Louis is not only threatening to take an entire neighborhood for private development—it wants to censor a powerful and highly visible mural protesting the city’s eminent domain abuse and building support for reform.
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/news/2007/11/16/st_louis_rights/
Redevelopment plan draws debate
What was meant to be an educational presentation to the County Commission for the Clarksville Center Redevelopment Plan turned into a debate about nearly the entire downtown area being deemed as “blighted.”http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071116/NEWS01/711160336
City, biz owners lawyer up over Willets
A group of Willets Point business owners and the city have been locked in a legal arms race over the last two months, anticipating a potential fight as the city moves toward the start of the approval process for a multibillion-dollar redevelopment of the area known as the Iron Triangle.http://www.timesledger.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19027330&BRD=2676&PAG=461&dept_id=551069&rfi=6
NATIONAL CITY: EMINENT DOMAIN GONE WILD
Reason.tv host Drew Carey visits National City, California, where the local government is taking eminent domain abuse to new lows. http://reason.tv/video/show/56.html
Lawsuit calls urban renewal plan a sham
The city government allowed itself to be used as a “Trojan Horse” for a nonprofit group’s effort to acquire valuable properties on the Christina Riverfront at discount prices, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Chancery Court.
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071114/NEWS/711140348
Linden signatures sought to save 1882 Linwood Inn
If the dollars don’t make sense for the city, a South Wood Avenue business that has transformed itself from a “shot and beer place” into a family restaurant could be allowed to remain in a neighborhood slated for redevelopment.http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071113/NEWS1001-010302-711130413
Rowan Blvd. worries some
As the borough forges ahead with plans for Rowan Boulevard, some residents have raised concerns over how properties are being acquired to make way for redevelopment and are left wondering just how safe their homes are.
http://www.nj.com/news/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-2/119477040442310.xml&coll=8
Rosemount divided over new project with old look
A group called “Save Rosemount” sees it as an abomination. Among their reasons: The need to exercise the city’s power of eminent domain to acquire one parcel, and the substitution of rentals for condos once the condo market went sour.http://www.startribune.com/332/story/1542792.html
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Tag: Bruce Dern
September 1st, 2019 — 6:32pm
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood-rm
We think it is fair to say that Quentin Tarantino, the writer and director of this film, likes to do things his way and that he certainly does that in this film.
We meet the main characters, Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), a fading TV and movie star, and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), who is Dalton’s stunt double, long-time friend and employee. Early in the story, Dalton’s agent (Al Pacino) suggests that his career is going downhill and he may have to resort in playing Italian movies. It happens that Rick has a lovely place in Hollywood Hills next door to movie star, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), and her husband Roman Polansky. Do those names sound familiar?
The setting, in addition to being in Hollywood, is taking place in1969. If you are an auto enthusiast, you will recognize many of the cars of that era. You will also get an inside glimpse of the movie sets of that time and how actors would rehearse their lines.
Tarantino, in addition through telling us a story his way, is showing us behind-the-scenes movie world where we can watch a classic Western movie being prepared. We even have a chance to meet Bruce Lee (Michael Moh) who has an interesting battle with the Brad Pitt character. There are other familiar supporting actors throughout the films such as Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern, Luke Perry, Lena Dunham, and Damian Lewis). In fact, the acting, writing and directing, as expected, is very imaginative. The main problem with the film is that it took three hours for Tarantino to show us his fantasy of the movie world nearly 50 years ago. (2019)
The Peanut Butter Falcon
July 31st, 2019 — 5:41am
The Peanut Butter Falcon – sp
Just as interesting as this film, is the story how it came to be made. Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz are two young filmmakers who have previously only made short films and certainly had never made a full-length feature. They met and befriended Zack Gottsagen, a young man with Down Syndrome who had a burning ambition to someday become an actor. The filmmakers decided to write a full-length movie script which would feature such a person and recruited Mr. Gottsagen to be the star. The script was intriguing enough to entice a team of producers who had the connections to bring in Dakota Johnson, Shia LaBeouf, Bruce Dern, Jon Bernthal, and some other very fine actors. The setting was the banks of North Carolina but it was filmed in the marshlands of Georgia.
Zack and Tyler connect after Zack escapes from a nursing home where he was being cared for since he did not have a family. He meets Tyler who has his own back story, Eleanor who was sent by the nursing home to find Zack connects with the two of them and there is certain chemistry between her and Tyler. Circumstances lead the three of them to go on what is usually called a road trip except that this adventure occurs on some makeshift boats. The three of them make quite an interesting trio and the story allows the viewer to have empathy for these unlikely characters. The people they meet along the way are quite unique and will capture your attention. The result is a very enjoyable, interesting, and touching movie that is well worth seeing. (2019)
The Mustang
The Mustang-rm
There is a program in a western U.S. maximum-security prison where inmates can learn how to train a wild mustang horse. If they succeed the horse can be sold at auction. Horses that can’t be tamed are often euthanized.
We meet Roman Coleman (Matthias Schoenaerts) a somewhat taciturn violent prisoner who becomes involved in this program. There are interesting well-photographed scenes where we see the trials and tribulations of men working with their horses. There are short but well-done supporting roles by Connie Britton a prison psychologist and Bruce Dern who plays the old guy who tells the prisoners how to train their horses.
Unfortunately, we learn very little about the previous background of the main protagonist as we are just given fleeting glimpses of what happened to him and his relationship with his adult daughter (Gideon Adlon) who visits him periodically in the prison. We learn essentially nothing about the other prisoners who are participating in the program and must have stories to tell.
Seeing a wild horse show some recognition to the human trying to train him is a touching emotional experience but is not enough to carry this film and make it worthwhile. We feel that the storyline failed and therefore the movie failed, however, well directed by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre. Even though there were some great scenes of horses running wild or even cozying up to their trainer, we just cannot recommend this movie. (2019)
Any comments are welcome in the section belowÂ
2 comments » | 2 Stars, Drama
Chappaquiddick
April 4th, 2018 — 12:28am
If you were around in July 1969 when Neil Armstrong took his first step on the moon, you may or may not remember another big news story that took place at the same time. Senator Edward Kennedy, youngest brother of John and Robert Kennedy accidentally drove his car off a small bridge in Chappaquiddick, which resulted in the death of a young woman by the name of Mary Jo Kopechne. Up until that moment, many people felt that the younger Kennedy was destined to become President of the United States. The actions of Edward Kennedy on that evening and in the subsequent week are a fascinating study of a man at the crossroads of his life where his honesty and integrity were truly tested and his human frailties were exposed.
This was a very well done script, which was written by Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan who were too young to have remembered or experienced this event as it unfolded in this country. They apparently reconstructed the story mainly from the voluminous record of the inquest of the death of Mary Jo Kopechne.
Jason Clarke was outstanding as Edward Kennedy and the supporting cast was excellent including Kate Mara as Mary Jo Kopechne and a superb performance by Ed Helms who played Kennedy’s cousin who was a key player in the aftermath of this tragedy. Credit must also go to director Joe Curran for recreating a very realistic depiction of the events of this tragedy as well as an in depth character study. The story also shows an insight into the dominant role that the patriarch Joe Kennedy (Bruce Dern) had on his family even in the later years ,of his life.
We had the pleasure of meeting two of the producers of this film, Mark Ciardi and Campbell McInnes who tried very hard to bring to the screen this even-handed view of the events of this major news story and historic event. It appears that they may have gotten very close to the truth, but we probably will never know for sure.
Comment » | 5 Stars, Drama, History, Politics
December 7th, 2013 — 8:38am
 **** Nebraska-rm You might say that this is a “road movie.†However, the guys who go traveling on an adventure here are father and son. The Dad is Woody Grant (Bruce Dern), a not quite with it, aging alcoholic Korean War Veteran, probably in his 80s who his family thinks is ready for a nursing home. His traveling companion is his younger son David (Will Forte) a not very successful television and audio component salesman who has just separated from his long-term girl friend. The purpose of their trip is to go from Montana to Nebraska to claim the million dollars mentioned in the letter that Woody has received which makes him thinks he has won the money  but is clearly just another worthless magazine sweepstakes advertisement. Prior to their departure we meet his older son Ross (Bob Odenkirk), a local “wannabe†TV anchor and Kate (June Squibb) Woody’s feisty, outspoken wife. On the way, they stop in Woody’s old hometown where there is a family reunion of sorts. While we could understand Woody as a taciturn man who has lost some of his mental prowess with age and drinking, we were not sure of what to think of all his relatives and old friends most of whom didn’t seem very bright, barely said a word to a close relative or friend they haven’t seen in years and could have dinner and watch a football game on TV without talking and one who was content to sit in front of his house just to watch the occasional car go by. We would hope there might be some blow back of these depictions from the folks in Nebraska and Montana or maybe we just aren’t familiar with the lifestyle out there. The real essence of this movie is the father son relationship as we appreciate David’s tender caring for his Dad. The subtle connection between these two is conveyed by the sensitive acting of both Forte and Dern, who say a great deal with non-verbal communications. Whereas June Squibb, as the wife, delivers her dialogue in clear and times a humorous manner but the content also helps us understand the underlying character of old Woody. The reaction of old friends and family to Woody when they believe he may have won a million dollars is another sad commentary on human nature, which this screenplay by Bob Nelson effectively delivers. Director Alexander Payne (Sideways) was born in Nebraska so we will assume that he is bringing a certain authenticity to the setting and the people. He also chose to shoot the film in black and white, which set the tone and nudged us to appreciate the starkness of the setting and the characters. (2013)
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Heroes Community > Other Side of the Monitor > Thread: Please Vote For Me
Thread: Please Vote For Me This thread is 2 pages long: 1 2 · NEXT»
Vlaad
ghost of the past
Poll Question:
Please Vote For Me
Please Vote for Me is a 2007 documentary film about elections for class monitor in a Chinese elementary school. It deals with democratic principles, interpersonal relationships and human nature.
Here's the official site, which includes more info and a trailer. The entire film is available on YouTube as well (about an hour divided into 5 parts).
The documentary deals with very serious and deep topics, but in a charming and funny way. I'd like to know what you thought but please don't comment before you've seen it, OK?
Finally, I'd like to ask you to vote for one of the three candidates:
Responses:
Cheng Cheng
Xu Xaiofei
Luo Lei
friendofgunnar
able to speed up time
Edited by friendofgunnar at 00:38, 21 Apr 2010.
Cheng Cheng is obviously a natural politician, so there's no way I'd vote for him. LuoLei's future is that of an evil corporate overlord and the last thing I want to do is help him along that path, so he's out too. I guess that leaves Xu Xiaufei.
I've always thought that China was evolving towards democracy, it's interesting to see something that confirms it. I wonder though how much school elections really contribute to a knowledge about how democracy really functions. I went through that process in grade school and looking back it was more play pretend than anything else. I lost btw. :sob:
Nebdar
Generation N
i have watched that documentary... it shows the same mechanism that in adults world are happenning... I remember that the fat kid has won....
bixie
my common sense is tingling!
I think this is a great little documentary...
although I would, as I am overtly biased towards documentaries.
Love, Laugh, Learn, Live.
del_diablo
Well, democracy? I think this is a good example of why democracy can fail, and why it is a part of the "it seemed like a better idea at the time".
You got a bunch of bickering people with little real power attempting to tear each other apart with words, the end result may or may not be bad.
I guess that leaves Xu Xiaufei.
Sorry if I miss something (didn't click the link), but that I'd say is the exact wrong reason to vote for anyone!
In my opinion, if no one satisfies the values you want through, either you don't vote, or you create your own party so people can vote for the values you stand for.
Somehow, it reminds me awful lot of the simpsons episode where they're left with voting for two aliens who each represented both parties and would enslave human kind.
Okay Class, lets vote!
Candidate A : Rich support group. Bribery.
Candidate B : Manipulation, Gossip.
Candidate C : Fair Play.
... Candidate C is out of the game pretty soon after Candidate B:s Attack Machine starts rolling. Not even really possible to bring forth your ideas. If only Candidate B were supported by some wealthy enterprises or something of that type, he could win (and become the puppet for those who bought him to the job)
Politics can't be got into without money and powerful support groups. Good news for the companies/lobbyists. Hurray! :/
In this case I voted for Luo Lei nevertheless. I was impressed by the thing he said early that he doesn't want to campaign because people should vote for whoever they want and think for themselves. Very smart for a boy of that age.
"These friends probably started using condoms after having produced the most optimum amount of offsprings. Kudos to them for showing at least some restraint" - Tsar-ivor
Free Thinker
Mudslinging, false promises, bribery, and intimidation. That's politics.
Deomocracy is a terrible political systme but it is better than all the others.
Edited by Vlaad at 23:01, 10 Apr 2010.
I've always thought that China was evolving towards democracy, it's interesting to see something that confirms it.
I grew up in a communist country and sometimes I have a feeling people in the West think all communist nations are the same, similar to North Korea or something. I had a wonderful childhood and my parents have fond memories of the period too. Needless to say, freedom was limited but other things were granted: peace, gender and national equality, free health care and education. Money wise it was bad but not worse than nowadays when the country is a pro-Western democracy. Oh, and there were elections (as early as elementary school), it's just that you voted for people, not parties. I understand it's similar in China, but I didn't want to include disclaimer in the opening post lest the topic slip into bashing China. So I'd like to ask anyone interested in that topic to start a new thread. I think the film deals with issues that are not China-specific and the comments so far have confirmed it.
I went through that process in grade school and looking back it was more play pretend than anything else. I lost btw :sob:
LOL I won once and lost the reelection. Actually it was quite a relief because it sucked.
Anyway...
Xu is in the lead here on HC.
I've got two questions:
If you voted for her, did you do it only because you disliked the other two candidates? Do you think she would do a good job?
Suppose you were not aware of the smear campaign: who would you vote for and why?
I'm just interested, but what would the perfect political system be than?
Over himself, over his own
body and
mind, the individual is
sovereign.
- John Stuart Mill
In my opinion. One that gives freedom to the limit of not limiting the freedom of others, where this limit is decided through the amount of ressources and technology available. So basicly maximize freedom in those two aspects (possible and in regard to life). I'll call it the purpose later.
If I should suggest anything different of the current way, I'd suggest people would be voting for the changes and not the people behind the changes and these were made from the basis of the purpose (my opinion) to avoid abuse (like what happened in switzerland with those muslim towers).
Then let the people who makes the ideas come true get paid for their effectivity in doing so.
So ideas in stead of representants/people, I suppose.
Gauldoth_IV
Adventuring Hero
That's the China, everything came to there will be changed so much, the company culture(even a foreign company),the policy, the institution etc. So the democracy as well.
The video really make me think about my primary school time, but at that time, the "monitor" who was set in a class by only the Chinese teachers was already decided by the teachers themselves. The vote was just from recently, but at that time, I was in uni, meanwhile, that time I don't care who is the monitor and how different this "monitor" with the monitor in MGS 2 which I shoot at.
By the way, I don't like all three of them, the girl was easy to cry, a standard good student, maybe always tell teacher something about your little mistake; Cheng Cheng who is the fatest boy is a typical student with a powerful/rich family in that city/province that make me suck; And another little boy, he just has not a "monitor" face, looks may be smart, but just a guy who seeking for the power. Anyway, I don't like the monitor itself.
Where is my signature?
The best form of government is a benevolent dictator who supports individual freedoms and rights, and does not let anyone get in power who would interfere with those rights (although he lets people express their opposition freely). Unfortunately, such a dictator will never exist.
You boys have been watching too much Star Trek. Go see the film, then let's discuss the real world. Mvass, I want to know who you've voted for.
Gauldoth_IV raised an interesting point:
I don't like the monitor itself.
What if everybody else voted but you?
It's an hour-long movie. I haven't actually watched it yet.
I know, that's why I said go see it. C'mon, this is mandatory homework. You also might be interested in other related documentaries. The series is called "Why Democracy?".
Mvass wrote:
The best form of government is a benevolent dictator
Under the impression of that dictator means single leader and person with unquestionable power. I wonder about the following:
What makes you support the idea of a leader/why is a leader required?
I'd think it would be better to have a system which has an unquestionable purpose, where the purpose is exactly what you write:
supports individual freedoms and rights
in stead of a person who's unquestionable in decisions (sorry if I misunderstood the term dictator).
I think, the most optimal change in a system in regards to said purpose, can be mathmatically derived, which gives an objective measure that doesn't depend on the subjective decision of a leader who might mean the best, when several options are then equally good, one can let the people decide as which idea to go for, as long as there's no such thing as an idea that limits freedom (which should not be possible, due ot the purpose in the first place).
OhforfSake: The problem with that system is that it requires the people to be able to see sacrifices as beneficial. And that the lawmakers could attempt to get in unserious laws that would have been passed regardless.
I think it got a good chance of working out, compared to the current system.
mvassilev: The beneficiary dictator is that the system would got a high chance of collapsing when the leader changes, but besides that it is one of the better systems. The chance would be a lot less in a society where where the people understood the idea, ands support it... But the chance is collapse is always there.
Who i voted for: None, all the choices was bad the the difference would not be too much. We basically had the preelected candidate there, a political, and a normal citizen. The difference would not have been big enough regardless of the choice.
Edited by ohforfsake at 13:40, 11 Apr 2010.
I have tried to colour code my text, because I find it long and clumsy. Green is me being on topic, bolded text is me trying to be fun and blue is me trying to include stuff from other topics to make sense in what I say in the green text.
I have now watched the film. The purpose is to elect a class monitor, a problem of this is that they never define the duties of a class monitor.
Another problem is, I am now eternally tormented by pictures of little chinese boys in their underpants.
I am not familiar with the concept of a class monitor as I've never experienced it.
If there are people of chinese schools and under the assumptions that there are a general commoness about this subject in different schools, could you please tell if this a correct description of the duties (function) of a class monitor?:
1. If you are a class monitor, your duties are to help keep your fellow students in line during the school day, help your teacher maintain a neat and organized classroom and assist the teacher with special projects. Class monitors may volunteer for the position or may be elected. The term "class monitor" is used primarily in Asia and Europe. Schools in the United States may prefer the term "hall monitor" and primarily use monitors to ensure that students get to class safely.
2. You may be asked to help set up the classroom just as the teacher wants it, moving any chairs or tables as needed. Occasionally, you may need to sweep the classroom and wipe the desks and chairs down with a rag or dust cloth.
Help New Students
3. You may serve as the liaison for new students, helping to acclimate them to the layout of the school and the school's social climate. You may also take work to sick or injured students who have missed class.
4. You may help create a class telephone and email list and may use an attendance list to take daily attendance. You may also help recruit people into elective classes if there are empty spaces.
5. As class monitor, you may also help the teacher promote discipline and peace in the classroom. You may be given the power to send students to the principal, to detention or to another authority within the school when students misbehave. You will also be given a school policy book so that you can help enforce the school rules.
From - http://www.ehow.com/list_5949788_duties-class-monitor.html
The rest of my text is under the assumptions the above link fully describes the function of a class monitor.
As I see it, class monitor is a job were you want the most efficient person in doing the above, not a job where you get power to change something for the other kids. Therefore, using democracy here seems misunderstood, in my opinion.
I'll try to compare:
Democracy on a job like this:
Result: You get a limited amount of persons (less than if it was a job interview, I believe) and the people who vote for it, does not have to be qualified for hiring (i.e. might be easy to manipulate).
An example of this manipulation, I think, is quickly seen in the last part where they each give a speech. First Cheng, then Xu, and finally Lou, and as they try to get their voters feelings for them (as they don't really argument in a rational way of why exactly they'd be a good candidate, i.e. showing examples directly connected to the duties of a class monitor as defined above) it ends up with the last one who gets a shot at them is also the one who wins and the second get the second most votes, etc.
Likewise, the problem of less people to choose between, means you got a problem if no one is useable for the job. The boy who hits the kids (if it is true) seems like a bad choice, unless it's the school policy to hit kids (which I disagree with as a good policy), the kid who wants to control people would probably be a better choice, but he wants the job for the wrong reasons, in my opinion and finally there's the girl who might, might not, be able to live up to the functions of her job, depending if the classmates will do as she tells. It is a big problem that's all the information one gets and not how they'll perform their duties as class monitor, they speak to general, and when it's about a job with a clear function, I want specific details of why they should get the job.
In a job interview:
Result: You've probably many more candidates, so you won't end up with having to choose a bad one no matter what, and you get to choose them for how well they perform their duties and not for how goot they're at persuading people who aren't qualified for choosing said person.
On the other hand, had these kid had the opportunity to change the rules around the school, democracy would be the right way, in my opinion, simply because, in a job interview, no one can be qualified, as everyone have their own idea of how things should be, and in principle, it'd just be that person who'd get to decide (i.e. pointless and oppressive).
Now with all that said [Comparision of where democracy fits in and where it doesn't, done], that's why I think a democratic process is not suited for this type of thing.
I'd like to note that if I were a kid on that school, I'd disagree with the system of having a class monitor in the first place, i.e. someone who have the ability to tell me what to do.
It makes little sense to vote for people, if you don't have any other rights in the first place, and that's a problem, in my opinion, that goes through the entire world, where in past history, black people were the slaves, today kids are. We claim we do it through love, and I'm certain the slave dealers did something likewise (a slave will have a better life as a slave than as a free man, I believe I've heard), the problem is, it's not okay to remove the choice.
I, though I'm not a parent, have an idea of that we somewhat deliberately keep our kids in an immature state of mind for much longer than what is needed, because we like it that way, and honestly, I don't think it's right.
So all in all, the conclusion is, for me, it'd not matter if they'd hire a good or a bad class monitor and how they'd do it, I disagree with the concept of a class monitor in the first place and therefore would not take part of a vote, which in my opinion is a waste of everyone times, as they should just have some qualified people to find the one who lives best up to the function (duties) of a class monitor.
And that the lawmakers could attempt to get in unserious laws that would have been passed regardless.
[Note: My assumption of the possibility of a mathematical system that can derive how to maximize freedom may be naive, but under the assumption of there's such a system, my reply follows:]
In a system where you only make change to maximize freedom, unserious (I understand unserious as unnecessary) laws would impossible to get up for a vote in the first place.
About that people would have to sacrifice for what's better, yes I agree, but I think that forming the wording of the ideas as general as possible (so no single group, except the group of everyone, is targeted) would probably maybe some problems in that regard.
Edit: I think I coloured it wrong, now I think it's better.
Ohforf:
Because in a democratic system, there is bound to be a lot of argument and even occasional deadlock, and certainly politicians have to compromise to come to power. A supreme dictator wouldn't have to do any of that. (Obviously, these things are all great when the minority is right, but on the rare occasions that the majority is right, then it's annoying.)
as long as there's no such thing as an idea that limits freedom
The problem is, in a democracy, you have tyranny of the majority, and people vote for things that make them less free.
del_diablo:
I should have said, "immortal benevolent dictator".
Jump To: « Prev Thread . . . Next Thread » This thread is 2 pages long: 1 2 · NEXT»
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JSE: 38m shares for IPO
The Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) is to issue 28 million shares to the public during this quarter and have the total share capital listed in the exchange thus confirming what IC Insider reported last week.
In a release to the public, the JSE stated that the Shareholders of the Jamaica Stock Exchange have given their approval to list the ordinary shares of the Company on the local equity market via an Initial Public Offer (IPO). The Company will offer, by way of Subscription, 28,050,000 new ordinary shares equal to 20% of its ordinary shares to the public. Upon completion of the sale, the Company will apply for its shares to be listed on the JSE. The Company expects to make the Offer to the Public in the 2nd Quarter of 2013.
An additional 10,200,000 existing ordinary shares will also be available for sale to investors, bringing the total ordinary shares available to 38,250,000 units. This means that the JSE has split the existing 28 million ordinary shares into 140 million units. It appears that existing shareholders will be selling off some of their holdings to the public at the same time. The JSE did not indicate the likely price the issue will be coming to market at.
According to the Chairman of the JSE, Donovan H. Perkins, “The Board of the Exchange has approved the listing of its shares to allow the public to participate in the success of the JSE. We think it appropriate that the very entity that is supporting and seeking to expand the capital markets, should also participate in these markets.”
Marlene Street Forrest, General Manager of the JSE also added that, “with the green light given by the shareholders, this is a natural and positive progression of the organization as it is another step in the direction towards maximizing shareholders’.
The issue could come to the market at a time when trading interest would have reached new heights than a few months ago.
Filed Under: Initial Public Offers, JSE Main Market, Stock Market Tagged With: JSE Company
JSE to redeem preference shares
Friday, 17th May UPDATE | The Jamaica Stock Exchange Limited has advised of its intention to redeem its preference shares which mature on May 31, 2013. Principal and interest payments will be made on May 31, 2013 to shareholders on record as at May 24, 2013. The shares will be suspended on May 24 to facilitate the process of redemption. The total amount of shares involved is 33 million units.
Thursday, 16th May | The Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) which is now listed in the preference shares segment of the market, will be offering ordinary shares to the public before the end of May, a reliable source tells IC Insider, subject to an early sign-off of the prospectus by the FSC.
The Stock Exchange has already announced the redemption of the preference shares which under the terms of the shares are redeemable at the end of May and the Board has signed off on the decision to take the ordinary shares to the public. IC Insider gathers that the issue will most likely be in the region of the redemption which will amount to around $66 million. With issue costs of the ordinary shares to be factored in, it could come to market at around $100 million. The prospectus is at an advanced stage and could be signed off by the stock exchange early next week for approval by the FSC. If all goes well, the prospectus could be in the public hands by late next week or the first week in June and the issue should be closed before the end of June. The lead brokers are Stocks & Securities who recently launched the IPO of Caribbean Cream issue.
How does the JSE stack up?
Revenues | For the quarter ended March, the JSE’s income rose 8% to reach $69.5m compared to $64.4m in 2012. Other Operating Income increased by $5.5m or 32% over the same period, primarily due to an increase of $5.3 million in revenue from the JSE regional conference. Investment income of $22 million jumped $14 million over 2012 due largely to the gains on US dollar investments as a result of devaluation of the Jamaican dollar.
Profit after tax amounted to $5.8 million compared to a loss of $6.1 million in 2012. For the twelve months to December last year profit of $93 million was reported but that figure included the revenue from the sale of a board seat to Proven Wealth Management as well large fee income that flowed form the purchase of Lascelles’ shares that were acquired by Campari last year.
Total assets at March this year is $720 million and equity capital of $505 million. There are currently, 28 million ordinary shares in issue. With an equity base of $505 million these shares would have a book value of $18 per share. It is quite likely that the number of shares now issued could be increased to existing shareholders thus allowing for a smaller sum per share for the IPO.
Based on earnings to date, it is and the current number of shares outstanding could be priced around $10 each which is much lower than the net asset value. The prospectus will disclose the full extent of the pricing and then investors can get a clear picture of its worth as an IPO.
IPO outlook | Of course the stock exchange has no direct competition, nevertheless it has to compete with other forms of investments both local and overseas, that are available to investors. It also noted that the JSE has not been customer friendly with the investing public and there are other signs of management weaknesses that could prevent an investment in the stock to optimize investors’ returns. It is the view of IC Insider that the stock market should pick up over the next several years as interest rates remain low making stock market investing more attractive than in the past few years. If so, then the JSE will benefit from increasing fees and possibility more listings.
Caribbean Cream trading on Friday
Caribbean Cream will commence trading of Friday under the ticker symbol Kremi. This confirms IC Insider report last week that the listing was set for this week. The company is the latest to be listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
Stock outlook | The company which went to the market in April to raise $75.7 million was just oversubscribed on May 1, well ahead of the closing date of May 10. Not much is expected in terms of price movements when trading starts since there was not the usual demand and heavy subscription for the shares as has been the norm for majority of the junior listing stocks.
Filed Under: Company News, General Business News, Initial Public Offers, JSE Main Market, Stock Market Tagged With: JSE Company
Caribbean Cream over by 1,177 shares
May 9, 2013 by IC Insider.com
The latest IPO to hit the Jamaican market, Caribbean Cream producers of the Kremi brand of ice cream, was oversubscribed by 1,177 units at the close on May 1, 2013.
The application for listing on the stock exchange is now before them and a decision is expected by Monday after which listing should commence. No listing date as been determined as yet, the broker informed IC Insdier.com, but the view is that trading could commence in the stock towards the end of next week.
A total of 387 applications covering units valued J$75,714,000 were received and processed for this Initial Public Offering (IPO). Of this number, 386 applicants covering 72,713,623 units received 100% of the total allotment requested.
The offer was for the subscription of 75,713,623 ordinary shares at the price of $1.00 per share. Applications in the public pool of up to 2,500,000 shares, received 100% allotment and one applicant over 2,500,000 shares was allocated 2.5 million shares plus approximately 0 .998446% of the excess.
Stock outlook | Investor’s Choice analysts project earnings per share of 17 cents for the year ended February 2013 and 39 cents for the 2014 year. The stock is likely to struggle at the issue price for a while with the less than robust reception to the issue. The annual results should be out soon, which should help the stock price once more financial data is released to the public.
Filed Under: Company News, General Business News, Initial Public Offers Tagged With: JSE Company
KREMI oversubscribed
When the public offer of Caribbean Cream Ltd (CCL) KREMI closed on Wednesday, it brought the total number of companies to raise funds using the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s junior market to seventeen (17).
Caribbean Cream Ltd (CCL) KREMI, seeking to list on the JSE Junior Market, closed on Wednesday morning, May 1, 2013 with applications amounting to more than 375. Word reaching ICInsider.com was that the level of oversubscription was not high. This means that the stock will struggle in early trading to hold the $1 price but ICInsider.com data suggest that earnings to be reported will beat a number of investors’ expectations when the annual results to February are released in a few weeks.
The Invitation for Subscription for 75,713,623 Ordinary Shares at J$1.00 opened on Thursday April 25, 2013 and was originally scheduled to close on closed May 10, 2013.
Stocks & Securities, the brokers to the deal, indicated that applicants (inclusive of Applicants for Reserved Shares) will be advised of the basis of allotment within three (3) business days in accordance with the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market Rules.
The brokers also stated that the closing of the Invitation represents a landmark event for the company’s expansion as CCL recently signed a $13 million deal with Sandals Resorts International as the sole supplier of bulk ice cream to its Jamaican properties. CCL has also brokered a successful transaction with getting its products into Jewel Resorts.
CCL when it lists on the stock exchange later this month will bring the total listing on the junior market to 17 and will be the second since the start of 2013.
Talk Back | What were your reason for buying or not buying this IPO?
Kremi IPO to close today
April 30, 2013 by IC Insider.com
ICInsider.com has been reliably advised that the initial public offer (IPO) of shares of Caribbean Cream which opened to the public for subscription on, 25th April 2013 will close today, Tuesday April 30, most likely on the morning, well ahead of the original propose close of 4:30 pm on the 10th May 2013. The early close was subject to the right of the Company to close the subscription list at any time after it opens on 9:00 a.m. on the Opening Date, once the issue is fully subscribed. The shares which were priced at $1 each and meant to raise $75 million did not get the blessing of some brokerage houses as they saw the price as being too high, and in one case, they saw it as too risky based on inconsistent earnings amongst other issues.
JMMB‘s Forecast and Valuation | The company is expected to remain profitable despite the uncertainties in the local economy. The macro-economic instability may subside following an International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement with Jamaica against the background of foreign exchange inflows and a slight improvement in the net international reserves. Further, listing on the Junior Stock Exchange will give the company a tax break for the next ten years, which should boost earnings attributable to shareholders. Revenues will continue to improve over the short term, while the enhancements and expansion in productive capacity of the company’s facility will likely improve its operational efficiency.
Within this context, the net earnings for the 2013 financial year end are expected to reach $29.81M (or EPS of $0.08). Meanwhile, net profits for the 2014 financial year end are projected to reach $40.99M (or EPS of $0.12). At the initial public offering price, the price-to-earnings ratio will be 12.70 times. The average trailing price-to-earnings ratio for the Junior market is approximately 6.41 times (Main market has a P/E of 6.58 times). Further, the average trailing price-to-earnings ratio for manufacturers and retailers listed on the Junior market is roughly 6.75 times (Manufacturing sector on the main market has a P/E of 6.06 times). Therefore, assuming a forward P/E ratio of 8.0 times for the 2014 financial year against the background of improved investor sentiments and stability in the local economy; the intrinsic value for Caribbean Cream Limited’s share based on estimated earnings is approximately $0.94.
The capital base of the company is expected to improve to $195.16M or a book value per share of $0.52 by 2014 financial year end. Assuming a forward P/BV of 1.8 times, the intrinsic value of stock is $0.93.
NCB Capital Markets‘ assessment of the prospectus | “For the nine months to November, the company increased net profit by 103% and boosted its equity base by increasing its share capital. Caribbean Cream Ltd ended the March 2012FY with earnings of $31.36Mn, the highest profit the company has recorded over the past five years and a sizable improvement to the $5Mn loss experienced in the previous year.
Earnings have been extremely volatile over the last 5 years
Earnings for the nine months period of $23.67 was driven almost entirely by a $21.0Mn revaluation gain following an $11.62Mn profit in the prior year period. This further confirms the earnings volatility
Company is highly leveraged which could impede its growth prospects
Current ratio of 0.79X raises liquidity concerns
Free cash flow is negative which could restrict the company’s ability to follow through on its dividend policy which is to pay out at least 20% of earnings.
There is no clear growth strategy even amidst the company’s rapid expansion As a result of the aforementioned, we are not recommending this investment at this time”.
IC Insider considers that both assessments are way off the mark. Assessment of the company’s performance must be based on pretax profit, not after tax which has varying taxation elements that has nothing to do with operating activities. Profit before tax has been very consistent since the commencement of the company, Earnings for 2013 is more likely to hit 17 per share if the trend in revenues continues after November last year. If the company makes $29.8 million as indicated above in profit for 2013, earnings per share would be 9.8 cents not 8 cents before tax based on the 302.85 million shares issued for the year to February this year.
The company’s rapid growth has helped to put pressure on working capital. New cash to come from the IPO, will help address some of the issue rightly pointed out above.
Talk Back | What do you think? Was the IPO overvalued?
20/20 Hindsight: Access Financial IPO
Your decision to invest in a company should be based on a full assessment of all the facts. Case in point, the Access Financial Services IPO offer. Below is the full text of my response to an article published in the Jamaica Observer in October, 2009 that I felt was flawed in its valuation of the IPO offer. Rather than the stock being overvalued, the facts indicated that the stock had an above average growth potential that could “far exceed any other stock on the market.” Needless to say, my BUY recommendation was not greeted favuorably by readers.
Many Jamaicans remain poor because they never take the time to find out the facts. The same seems true of an unfortunate assessment of the value of the shares of Access Financial Services in its current IPO carried in the Friday business section of your paper.
Share valuation is not about looking back at pass earnings but at likely future earnings. The article, deals well with many of the attributes of the company, but fails to indicate clearly, a full assessment of the true worth of the shares. In so doing, there seems to no focus on the impact of the removal of the tax on profits and the growth in earnings this year so far that will sharply boost earnings, as well as making the earnings for last year on a performa basis, better than reported. To attempt to cast aspersions at Mayberry’s integrity in the offer price, is far too unfortunate as there is no evidence to suggest that the broker is trying to milk funds from the proceeds. In fact Mayberry is not selling any of their holdings in the offer and indicates that they have no plans to do so in the future. The gains from their initial investment, is purely on paper at this time.
Critical facts: What are some critical facts? First off the shares are not overvalued. An honest comparison with other listed companies will show that there are none that have the potential to grow as fast. The writer makes some unfortunate comparisons with JMMB and Scotia Group. The former has no chance of growing anywhere close to Access while Scotia Group’s possible growth is around 15-20% per annum. Those who fully understand share valuation know that the higher the growth rate, the higher the valuation.
The market targeted provides very high profit margin not even credit cards offer these margins. The history shows that the company has had very little bad debt even while lending to the riskier clientele. The market here is huge.
Big profit jump: Most importantly, Access earnings for last year, which came in at $69 million, was earned after writing off amounts incurred as loss of funds due to theft of $17m. When the earnings are adjusted for such losses and the tax free profits are factored in, then the earnings last year is around $3 per share. At $18 per share, the PE is 6, a little higher than the market average. But look what is happening in 2009. For the 6 month period from January to June 2009 the Company recorded total revenue of $151 million, an increase of 47% over 2008. Pre-tax net income for the period was $37 million, a 205% increase over the previous year. These 2009 figures clearly indicate that earnings for the full year should jump sharply, all things being equal. By my recognizing earnings for the full year could exceed $100 million or $4 to $5 per share. At just over $18 per share that a PE of 3 or 4, the shares are far from overvalued.
Stock to perform: Investors need also to be aware of the small number of shares that will be in the public’s hands that will exert upward pressure on the price once the company delivers. If management continues to keep bad loans at bay the way they have done so far, the sky is the limit. Investors in the stock will be extremely happy as the return on their investment will far exceed any other stock on the market. Investors who refrain from buying the stock are making a grave error if they really think it is vastly overvalued as the article suggests.
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READER RESPONSES to above:
I profoundly disagree with John’s assessment of Access.
John has sought to suggest that the stock is fairly valued, but his assessment is based on future value of existing stock.
I cannot see how one could be willing to be $18.43 per share today, which is what the stock should probably be valued 4-5 years from now.
One never knows what the future hold especially in the financial market hence should never pay so much upfront especially for an IPO.
John has failed to look at the fact the growth rate of this company is most likely to fall once it has gone public, due to a different type of corporate structure and reporting requirement required for a public vs a private company.
The “new” company is likely to be more conservative in risk taking position thus likely to slow down its growth rate.
Based on the above I see the growth rate slowing down, making those who purchased this stock at this inflated rate, likely to lose at least 60% of its valuation weeks are listing.
If Access intends to sustain a pretty good growth rate, it means plowing back the profits into the company, which virtually assures that the investor has no dividend to receive at least in the first 2-3 yrs depending on management plans.
If access intends to pay dividends, this alone means less retained profits to be used in the expansionary mode, this slowing its growth.
Regardless of what John thinks, asking investors to pay so much upfront for a future value which may be justified in the next 4yrs, means investors are in for a raw deal.
I will look to buy when the stock reaches a value lower than its net current assets, which lowers my downside losses.
Persons who bought this stock at 4.35 its net current assets, have zero protection on the downside losses, and are likely to suffer very serious losses once trading begins.
Overvalued IPO
This stock is priced at 4.35 its book value per share, meaning it is 4.35 times its net current assets or put another way 4.35 its valuation.
Scotia Group on the other hand @ $17.96 is valued at 1.21 price to book. Scotia group earns close to a billion dollars in profit each month and pays close to a $1.00 per share in dividend each year.
Now access is being offered at a price of $18 per share, a price which is not only greater than a well run and profitable company as Scotia current price of $17.96, but at a value is almost 4 times higher than Scotia, amazing.
Price is what you pay, value is what you get and I fail to see one getting value out of paying $18.43 per share for such a small company as Access.
Personally I would not buy this stock for more than a price to book of 0.75 , which works out to just about $4.60 per share.
Orane
I looked over their prospectus the very day it was released and came to the very same conclusion that this price is pie in the sky!! I have a degree in Finance and I invest in companies on the JSE including Mayberry and I think this is a sad day in IPO valuation. They had the opportunity to set the standard for the Jr. JSE and they are muggin it up.
The conclusion I draw from their pricing is that they take the Jamaican investor for idiots, like so many companies in Jamaica. And they are playing on peoples greed. I would love to invest in this company and if it hits the market I will wait for the price to realign to it’s proper valuation before buying.
Mayberry’s behaviour is nothing new as mentioned in the article beyond CCFG look what they did to Salada over the from 2007-08 even though they had no hope whatsover of taking over the company because the majority share holder refused to sell they kept on putting news out into the market about them taking it over. This drove up the price on Salada shares to on speakable heights for a company barely eeking out a profit and not paying any dividend. Salada had to enact a split to create liquidity and something of a normal valuation. Mayberry is a hype machine and this is coming from an investor.
John, I hope you are not doing a favor to yout friends at Access and Mayberry. What you have written about Access share price is pure nonsense. The price is grossly overpriced.
IF THERE WAS AN AWARD FOR FINANCIAL NONSENSE, BASED ON WHAT YOU WROTE, I WOULD NOMINATE JOHN JACKSON!!!
.Mitchell
John shame on you, this is the worse crap I have heard since CASH MINUS and OFLINT. How can you look at yourself in the mirror? Bro you and your organization are worst than the THREE CARD man.
Now where the hell is the FSC dont they see the fraud that is been perpetuated on the nation. This is corporate malpractice. SHAME ON YOU ALL
Access financial may have great growth potential, but not great valuation just yet. This is a IPO for the balance sheet valuation somewhere else as an Associated Company. The Lead Broker could have done a better job with this IPO in more ways than one. There is no long term benefit from this IPO and all the initial investors in this IPO will lose money. The stocks will be bought back from the market when the price of the shares hit rock bottom. That is a strategy.
No value. I will repeat, NO VALUE
Mayberry is reporting that this IPO has been oversubscribed!!
Mr. Jackson everyone has a right to his or her opinion, you Sir should have done your homework. I am not a stock broker, but I was interested in the offer and did my research, after reading the Prospectus I decided not to take up the offer.
Look at likely future earnings, the future of Access Financial looks BAD. WHAT IS THEIR BUSINESS?????? SUB-PRIME LOANS. In the USA a company such as this would be called a predatory Lender.
The business model looked okay 3 to 4 years ago, but now it just looks dismal. Most of the clients the foward looking statement alludes to are people who live paycheck to paycheck. With all the talk of layoffs and cutback in the Jamaican economy, how does the principal of Access expect their business to grow?
One point made in the prospectus is that Government does not regulate this particular company, and therefore they can keep their interest rate on their products higher. Look at the percentage of bad loans recorded for 2008, and then compare that to the 9.09% projected non-performing loans in the prospectus. Come now Mr Jackson, does this sound right to you?
How is the market huge when this company’s business model caters to small and micro business sector? Take an informal survey on how many micro business have pulled down their shutter since the year started.
If i did not have access to information I might have called you for guidance as a stockbroker.,what a disappointment that would have been.
Navek
Does anyone still have the Mayberry IPO. Well it is the same way before they go public two years before they have a MASSIVE growth. I read the ACCESS IPO and and decided that i would wait or investigate the financial details. I am in a WAITING mood
Chris Berry
Orane,
Your recollection of what happened with Salada is not correct. The current owners made an offer to purchase the outstanding shares of the company, we made an offer which was substantially higher than the current owners offer. At the time many said our offer was too high yet the price passed our offer and remains substantially higher to this day. We sought to purchase an undervalued asset and we were unsuccessful in acquiring it.
Cairy
John – A couple of quick questions for you and possibly the Observer. Who is responsible for regulating financial analyst commentary on securities in Jamaica? Are there any rules around disclosure either for the publisher or the analyst? Don’t you think regulation in this area would be welcome? Comments from the BOJ, FSC, FDIC or the JSE would be welcome.
Filed Under: Company News, General Business News, Initial Public Offers, Investment Tips, Stock Market Tagged With: 20/20 Hindsight
KLE Group — to buy or not?
KLE Group’s entertainment hot spots may be great places to let one’s hair down after a long day but are the shares, placed on the market late last year, good for one’s pocket and peace of mind? That was the challenge many investors faced when the company placed 27 million shares on the market, which was snapped up with great speed. But judging from the small 13 percent level of oversubscription and 198 applicants, seasoned investors had a different picture from that of the promoters and the principal owners.
In 2008, seven young Jamaican entrepreneurs are said to have had a world-class vision to create a unique blend in the local entertainment market-place, thus was born the hybrid lounge/club — Fiction — a new addition to Kingston’s night-life with its über chic design, lavish, intimate VIP booths, premium audio visual equipment and first-rate bar experience.
To rave reviews and patronage from locals and some of the world’s top celebrities, the club imprinted the Fiction Lounge brand on the entertainment industry. The early success attracted one of the world’s most marketable and fastest athlete, Usain Bolt and the Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records restaurant with its perfect blend of what is termed a “4 dimensional experience of touch, taste, sight and sound” brought together in the same location as the Fiction Lounge.
Expansion | Having raised the desired capital, the KLE Group is to expand into other related ventures including a theme park and villa community on the north coast. The ventures include the following collaborative projects highlighted in the IPO.
“The Secret Room”, said by the promoters to be the first of its kind gaming lounge will be operated in conjunction with Supreme Ventures Ltd., and strategically positioned between Fiction Lounge and Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Records restaurant.
Night life in the second city, Portmore, will be catapulted into a new experience with a coliseum style nightclub to be named FAMOUS. KLE said that the more than 6,000 sq. ft. setting will be decked out with LED screens, projection walls and “unparalleled décor, sound and lighting” that will create an unforgettable nightclub vibe.
KLE Group plans to add BESSA, a lifestyle themed villa community to be built in Oracabessa in partnership with Sagicor Life Jamaica. The 8 acre ocean and river front property will be the site of 45 lavish living spaces with 1 bedroom swim-up suites, condos and 4 bedroom villas.
The expansion plans sound impressive but these are yet to come on stream even as the risk associated with them seems higher than for many other ventures in the country and certainly, the businesses operated by the majority of listed companies.
Priced for future | The numbers in the prospectus did not read impressively and nowhere therein could one find information to justify the $3.70 offer price with a PE ratio around 17. The best that could be gleaned was a price below $2 each which would have been more reasonable.
It was fully priced to sales, which came in at approximately one time sales. That may not have appeared bad and was around the trading point for most of the junior market stocks. However, the price to net book value was 18 times, representing a huge premium over all other junior listed stocks. Cargo Handlers was the highest priced in terms of net assets at 6 times, based on the 2011 audited results.
Pan Caribbean Financial Services (PCFS), financial adviser and broker, indicated how they arrived at the price but unfortunately, investors were not privy to that information as it was not included in the prospectus. A spokesperson for the broker provided some clarification on KLE’s valuation as follows:
DCF (discounted cash flow) methodology was used in computation.
A discount rate of 23% – 26% was applied with terminal multiple of 4.5 – 5.0.
This methodology was chosen based on KLE’s immediate prospects as outlined by the group.
KLE is a true start-up and as such forward looking.
Based on conservative estimates, we see KLE having earnings of between $50 million and $60 million next year.
Any potential earning was excluded from Usain Bolt’s Tracks & Records’ expansion and franchising.
Given the above, post IPO P/BV of 2.9x and forward PE of 6x-7x.
The main issue with this valuation is that the stock market has not priced in 2013 earnings for the vast majority of stocks. So why should that be done for what many see as a very a risky investment in KLE? But even if the company hits the profit target, at the upper end, based on present valuation of stocks, one would be looking at a price around $5 for a gain of a third, several months down the road. Interestingly, subsequent to this issue, there were two others. One, Paramount Trading came out in December at a PE of 3 times earnings before tax, with the price of the stock moving up in value, and before that, Consolidated Bakery (Purity) came out with what then appears to be a PE of 8, more or less in line with the Junior market valuation but has hardly moved up on price, having been barely oversubscribed.
One off cost | One possible hidden factor that could help is the administrative costs for 2011, which has some one off expenses that should not recur and therefore, stands to boost the bottom line, all things being equal. In addition to income and expenses attributable to the restaurant and Fiction Lounge, there were other corporate expenses not directly related to either. These included professional fees, categorized as enterprise management expenses paid to Neustone (provider of managerial and administrative services) in exchange for business development in relation to new and existing business opportunities for the company as well as other services.
If one thinks that Usain Bolt’s name was worth a fortune then his association with the brand may have compelled one to invest. After all, he had indicated his interest in stepping up his investment in the venture. Time will tell if his athletic prowess will be reflected in his financial skill.
Another issue in the short run is that, so far, there is no evidence that the restaurant’s success to date has been significantly impacted by the worldwide name recognition of the world class athlete. Will it positively impact the fortunes of the company in the future? Only time will tell.
2012 Results | Subsequent to the above, KLE recently released full 2012 results with and reported a loss of J$13 million versus $7.7 million in 2011. In 2012 depreciation charge swelled to $20 million compared to $4.7 million in the previous year, while a $15 million reorganization cost was picked up in 2011. The stock which was issued to the market at $3.70 each last traded at $3.50 on April 4 but the offer is down to $3.20 with no bids as of April 24.
Filed Under: Company News, Company Results, Initial Public Offers, Investor's Choice Best, JSE Main Market, Stock Market Tagged With: JSE Company
Kremi Cream IPO — a strong buy
Update | The Kremi (Caribbean Cream) IPO was oversubscribed and closed earlier than expected on Wednesday May 1, 2013. Click here to read more . . .
Kremi (Caribbean Cream) racked-up 60% increased sales in the nine months to February this year, consistent with the historical growth of the company. If past history of revenue growth is anything to go by, the immediate future could be bright for the company and investors, who hold on to the stock after the company issues shares to the public officially on Thursday April 25.
The issue, in all likelihood, will be closed minutes after it opens as investors try to get hold of as many shares from a limited amount that will be available to the general public. Just about 68 million of the shares at a $1 each will be available to the general public, which includes 18.9 million reserved for Stocks and Securities Limited or their clients.
Kremi Ice-Cream is the brand; the company is Caribbean Cream Ltd, which started operations in 2008 just before the economic recession commenced.
While net asset value is a mere 15 cents per share — which is very high — the earnings per share work out at 15 cents for the year, it was 10 cents ending May last fiscal year. Investors Choice, a sister publication to ICInsiders.com, projects earnings of 39 cents for the 2013/14 year on the basis that revenues will continue to climb aggressively but at a slightly slower pace. Based on this year’s numbers, the PE is around 6, about the average of the majority of junior market companies. Revenues are growing very strongly and could accelerate if all the expansion plans and new machinery materialize. This suggests that there is considerable ‘upside’ for earnings and the stock value going forward.
Sales for the 2013 fiscal year to November were $462 million compared to $431 million for the full 2012 fiscal year and $289 million for the nine months to November 2011. That’s impressive, and if it continues for some time into the future, profits will increase appreciably. Listing will add some cost to overheads as listing fees and other associated costs increase with more shareholders.
Earnings Growth | Caribbean Cream’s performance in fiscal year 2012 was impressive as turnover increased 47.44 percent to $431 million while pre tax profits more than tripled to $31 million. This year seems set to surpass 2012 as nine month numbers are already ahead of those for the prior year for the same period.
Pre tax profits for fiscal year 2010 slipped 19.7 percent to $5.3 million, mainly due to increased administrative expenses, which climbed 25.5 percent to $37.6 million; selling and distribution costs were up 47.1 percent to $7.5 million and finance costs rose 36.8 percent to $3.9 million—all costs associated with a planned expansion.
After fiscal year 2010, management invested in production, which helped to grow turnover by 38.2 percent to $292.3 million, and pre tax profits 36.2 percent to $7.2 million in fiscal year 2011, as net profit margin remained low. Gross profit margins have remained consistently above 25 percent for the last four fiscal periods.
The company is sensitive to changes in foreign exchange rates as they import most of their major ingredients. These fluctuations will impact its margins from time to time as input costs adjust accordingly.
Borrowings climbed in the November quarter on that of the prior year as well as inventory, which exploded no doubt to meet high Christmas demand and also to possibly counter the foreign exchange risk from devaluation. At the 2012 year end, debt to equity was almost 1:1 compared to 2.4:1 in the prior year. As of November 2012, the ratio was slightly less than 1:1 even as borrowed funds climbed to $94 million.
The current asset ratio is low, well below norm, but the company over its recent history carries low levels of receivables and inventory except for except for an substantial increase in the amount tied up at November 2012.
Concerns | There were errors in the report of the auditors that were included in the prospectus. Clearly, the auditors, the executives, the board, brokers, the stock exchange nor the Financial Services Commission (FSC) picked up the errors. Some investors may well ask- if there are errors, could there not be more lurking in the dark?
I am recommending it as a BUY for this stock as the performance to date, suggests strong sales and profit going forward into 2014 fiscal year.
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Hereditary Office and the Tribulations of Power: A View from Togo, by Nadia Lovell
November 27, 2014 / Mats Utas / 1 Comment
Togo seems to be next in line, after Burkina Faso and Mali, to flare up in violence and instability, albeit so far on a limited scale. Old conflicts relating to the political legitimacy of power holders, and perennial questions over the establishment of fairer democratic institutions, have led to vociferous demonstrations in Lomé, the capital and, particularly, in the Quartier de Bé, a known hotbed of trouble-making for the regime, as it houses not only some of the poorer strata of the population, but also religious leaders, students, and other political activists and opinion makers. The Quartier de Bê often acts as a barometer of political tension. Violent clashes between thousands of pro-democracy advocates and security forces took place last week-end. The protests were very efficiently and quickly quietened through the use of force. Riot police intervened to squash what could herald the beginning of renewed long-term political unrest.
The protests in Togo have been directly inspired and influenced by recent events in neighbouring Burkina Faso, where street protests and demonstrations called on the demise of President Blaise Campaore. The wave of discontent in Burkina finds its source in Campaore’s refusal to step down, turning the presidency (officially an elected position) into a de facto dictatorship, or a fiefdom resembling a kingdom of old, without the safeguard of adjoining and complementary institutions. In Burkina, citizens’ protests resulted in the successful demise of its president, and his fleeing the field to seek refuge elsewhere. At the core of the street movements in Burkina has been an association created on the go, labelling itself le Balai Citoyen (the Citizen’s Broom), alluding to the task of grassroot movements to sweep the political landscape from littering debris and whisk into place a new, legitimate and untainted democratic order. (see previous posts on this blog by Lanzano, Hagberg and Bjarnesen).
Conflict in Togo has been looming for a long time. The previous president, Gnassingbe Eyadema, remained in power for the illustrious period of 38 years, making him the longest-sitting president in Africa’s history. He managed to cling to power come what may, surviving military coups and assassination attempts, and managing to foil demands at democratisation time and again, and holding firm when pro-democracy movements erupted in demonstrations and protests in the early nineties, inspired by similar movements in neighbouring Benin, Gabon, and then Zaire. Thus in the early 1990s, Eyadema succeeded, through a combination of masterful rhetorical politics and the knowledgeable usage of his iron-hand tactics, in undermining credible, burgeoning but fragile attempts at democratisation. The old adage of “divide and rule” was soon proven again to be both methodologically efficient and ideologically convincing. The use of military force, torture and coercion were also part of his arsenal of means of dissuasion. Hundreds of political opponents either disappeared or were brutally murdered, prompting the EU to suspend its aid to Togo in 1998. Corpses were said to have been dumped in the sea, washing up on the shore by the dozen shortly afterwards. Neighbouring Ghana acted as a haven for political refugees, helping with the setting up of camps as temporary shelter for opponents fleeing oppression. Thus the plethora of protests against Eyadema the elder’s one-man self-proclaimed de facto dictatorship, ranging from political parties in opposition to human rights groups demonstrating for the holding of fair elections, and student movements taking to the streets with similar demands, were all either undermined and swallowed up into the folds of power, or brutally put down and quietened by force. In the end, and in light of these rather destabilising turns, Eyadema the elder appeared as the only viable democratic force capable of ruling such a seemingly politically divided and unstable nation. Elections were proclaimed, which he won, again and again: he appeared as the saviour rather than the root cause of the problem; the benevolent patriarch rather than the ruthless dictator. His magical use of rhetoric can only be described as masterful. Yet, he continued to rule, until his death in 2005, over an increasingly divided and disillusioned country. Togo’s economy took a dive for the worse, political discouragement became even more entrenched, and the will that had been mastered to orchestrate the burgeoning pro-democracy movement waned into a barely audible murmur on the political scene.
It is against this background that the current political situation needs to be examined. Resentment has festered for a long time, as has the desire for change and a transition to a democratically elected leadership. Yet, upon Gnassingbe Eyadema’s passing in 2005, his son Faure Gnassingbe took over the leadership of his father’s political party and, soon afterwards, the presidency of the country pending the promise of democratic elections. The time lapse enabled Faure Gnassingbe to canvas and tie the political elite to his cause, and undermined, yet again, the efforts of opposition parties to garner enough support for a viable electoral campaign. Elections were held later in 2005, which Faure won, soon decried by international and local observers as having been anything but fair and democratic. Yet Faure Gnassingbe seems to have inherited more than the country that he considers to be his birthright: his underhand tactics appear to be as efficient as his late father’s, and he succeeded in “winning” even the following elections of 2010, this time again against a background of electoral fraud. The fact remains, nevertheless, that political opposition remains deeply divided and undermined, and finds it difficult to gain ground in such unpropitious and manipulated terrain.
Based on the French political system (Togo was a French colony taken over from Germany after World War I, and remained so until its independence in 1964), presidential elections are expected to take place every five years. This means, quite simply, that the next elections are due to be held next year, in 2015. Opposition parties, independent intellectual elites, and a large number of the “commercants”, the traders who constitute such an important part of the population of the capital in particular, have been calling for ground-breaking political reforms, among them changes to the constitution limiting the number of presidential terms to two consecutives periods only, a complete overhaul of electoral procedures (starting with local elections, then regional ones and finally culminating in presidential ones. The current order is reversed, giving the president the right of say over all political processes), greater freedom of speech, increased powers to unions and other associative organisations, and a review of processes of democratisation and the institutions to support this. The current constitution places no limits on the accumulation of consecutive presidential mandates. Faure Gnassingbe has been busy garnering support in order to enable him to be eligible for a third term in office. This has been decried by the opposition.
Thus it is that the Balai Citoyen in Burkina has inspired local activists in Togo. This street movement is led here by Claude Ameganvi, who launched the official start of a petition calling for a return to the reviewed constitution of 1992, when pro-democracy reforms had been introduced and temporarily curbed the powers of the presidency. The battle had been long-drawn and difficult, leading to human rights abuses and the assassination of one its leading proponents, Tavio Ayawo Amorin, leader of the Pan-African Socialist Party and chiefly instrumental in calling for these constitutional reforms. He was shot by armed and masked gunmen in broad daylight in the streets of the capital, and has now become an inspirational torch bearer for the Balai Citoyen, who launched its campaign on his tomb. The demonstrations and protests that had followed his death in 1992 led to further use of force by the regime, resulting in the deaths of some 300 Togolese citizens. The constitutional changes implemented in 1992 were later overturned by Eyadema senior in 2002.
The launch of Balai Citoyen Togo on November 20 is not fortuitous, as it commemorates the birth date of Tavio Amorin while also paying tribute to another innocent victim of the then leader’s insatiable appetite for power: it is claimed that a young man (whose first name was Innocent) was sacrificed on this day in 2002 in order to appease spiritual forces and secure the recovery of the ailing Eyadema Senior, said to have been suffering the ravages of throat cancer. The symbolic coincidence of these two deaths, both highlighting the excesses of a political leadership bent on holding on to power come what may, has become a pivot for the Balai Citoyen Togo, whose aim it is to assemble between 500.000 and one million signatures across the country.
The last word has certainly not been said.
Dr. Nadia Lovell is the author of Locality and Belonging (Routledge) and Cord of Blood: Possession and the Making of Voodoo (Pluto Press), and a number of articles on migrations, ethnicity, youth and politics in Togo.
Categories: Election violence, Elections
Tags: Togo
« Nigeria’s 2015 elections and the politics of (avoiding) violence, by Henrik Angerbrandt Fighting the War with the Ebola Drone, by Kristin B. Sandvik »
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What is the most requested or asked about book in the Temple’s Library?
By Bro. Stuart C. Pool 32°
The book in our collection that is most commonly requested is Manly P. Hall’s An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy: Being an Interpretation of the Secret Teachings Concealed by the Rituals, Allegories, and Mysteries of All Ages. This was subtitled, probably for easy pronunciation, The Secret Teachings of All Ages. The book was originally published in 1928 and is considered by many to be Hall’s magnum opus.
Manly P. Hall was born in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada on March 18, 1901. In 1919 Hall moved to Los Angeles, California with his grandmother to reunite with his birth mother in Santa Monica. It was here that at age 18 Hall became infatuated with the occult and esoteric philosophy. Between the years of 1920 and 1923, Hall wrote two small pamphlets and three books, to include amongst those, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, which was published in March of 1923.
Harold Voorhis nicknamed The Secret Teachings of All Ages “The Great Book” in his article, ‘“The Great Book” of Manly Palmer Hall.’ This nick name was aptly given due to its “voluminous content” and the “immense field covered” in this book.
As Voorhis mentions, Hall covers a wide variety of Philosophical, theosophical, even mathematical topics. According to a piece written on the Colorado Grand Lodge’s website, which has a digital version of this book, “If you read this book in its entirety you will be in a good position to dive into subjects such as the Qabbala, Alchemy, Tarot, Ceremonial Magic, Neo-Platonic Philosophy, Mystery Religions, and the theory of Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry.” To give you examples of how wide the subject matter is here are just a few of the fifty chapter titles: Pythagorean Mathematics, The Zodiac and its Symbols, Freemasonic Symbolism, and Mystic Christianity. So you can see that Hall’s book really does give you a broad range of topics from mathematics, to theology, as well as freemasonry. Some of these subjects have multiple chapters discussing different areas within the subject field as well. For instance there are three Rosicrucian chapters
To go with these chapters, there are forty-eight color plates with depictions relating the adjacent text. Some of these are the illustrations of: The Forty-Seventh Proposition of Euclid; Odin, The Scandinavian Father God; and the Grand Rosicrucian Alchemical Formula. Each of these illustrations comes with a footnote description of what each illustration is and how it relates to the chapter and adjacent text. All of these watercolor illustrations are attributed to J. Augustus Knapp; only twenty-seven of the forty-seven actually have his signature on them.
George Barron, Curator of the De Young Museum in San Francisco, Commented on Hall’s work stating, “Into this volume has been compressed the quintessence of a colossal learning. It is a living human document, pulsating with the mental and spiritual vibrations of a profound thinker who takes knowledge for his province and reduces whole libraries to a single tome.” When it was written it was then, and still is now, one of the most important compendiums of its kind. It is also the source of controversy in the esoteric communities and has been for almost a century. There are some sections of this book that are now outdated, with the sections that deal Islam being among those few; although those faults are greatly out-weighed by the comprehensive information of the other subject areas. If you’re like me and did the math of Hall’s birth date and the publication date, you’ll realize that Bro. Hall created his Magnum Opus when he was only twenty-seven years old.
The original publication of The Secret Teachings of All Ages is called the Subscriber’s Edition, which was a numbered edition of only five-hundred and fifty copies. The manufacturing cost of this book at the time was $150,000 which is equivalent to $2.087 million today. These editions were sold only by subscription, as the edition title may suggest, and the subscriber would pay fifteen dollars upfront at the signing of the subscription agreement and the remaining sixty dollars would be paid out in four equal monthly payments of fifteen dollars each. Again, after inflation, the seventy-five dollar cost of the book is equal to $1043 with each monthly payment of fifteen equaling $208. The data that we have shows there was very little profit, with around sixty-five dollars per book in manufacturing, the profit was only about ten dollars. The prices varied on original subscription document however, so the exact cost and profit may never be known.
There are a lot of details on how the book was made and why it was so expensive.
Along with the Subscriber’s Edition there were four other editions on this book that had numbered copies. The second edition published was the King Solomon Edition which also had only five-hundred and fifty numbered copies. The main difference between the Subscriber’s and King Solomon Edition’s is that the Subscriber’s Edition housed three pages in the front of the book which listed the names of the owners of five-hundred and fifty copies. The third edition was the Theosophical Edition which had only two-hundred copies printed. The Rosicrucian Edition was the fourth edition of this book and had only one hundred copies printed. The Fifth Edition did not receive a special name like the other four and this one had eight hundred copies printed.
The Secret Teachings of All Ages was originally printed, for all five of the 1928 editions, on over one-hundred and fifty miles of the highest quality paper made by Alexandra Japan. The book uniquely qualifies as both a quarto and a folio, which is one of the reasons the book is so expensive. A quarto is a method of creating pages by folding a single piece of paper twice to create four pages from one; you most commonly see this in small eight page pamphlets. However it still qualifies as a folio because folios are pages at least fifteen inches in height, and The Secret Teachings is approximately nineteen inches tall.
The book’s type is Italian Old Style made by the Monotype Company. The chapter headings were all done in Caxton, and at the beginning of each chapter there is a two-color initial letter which was produced by the Caslow Foundry in England. Another very interesting fact is that the pagination of Manly P. Hall’s book was patterned after the Gutenberg bible, which many know was the first large size book printed from moveable type. All of these specifications were put together by the printer, Frederick E. Keats, and it took him over two years experimenting with different inks, paper, and type to come up with what we see in this magnificent work of art.
This masterful work of art did not stop with paper quality and font types. Hall hired John Henry Nash, a master of typography, to design the binding for his new book. Nash designed a web-like batik, which is a dyed fabric with many colors made by covering areas not to be colored in wax. The corners of the book were then reinforced with Spanish baby goat skin imported from England.
If that didn’t seem like it was enough protection, each book is protected by a substantial wooden box. The wooden box, also designed by Nash, sports the same web-like batik as the book itself and reinforced by linen corners. The corners were dovetailed to insure the strength of the box. Altogether, box and book, The Secret Teachings of All Ages weighs over fifteen pounds.
It’s not hard to see why people would consider this book M. P. Hall’s Magnum Opus. Spending top dollar in order to print this volume back in 1928, he made sure that these books would last through the ages. Here at the House of the Temple we have two copies of the King Solomon Edition, so please don’t hesitate to come by and see its grandeur for yourself.
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Gum disease linked with gestational diabetes risk
• Dental Health • • Diabetes • • Gender: Female • Apr 09 08
Pregnant women with gum disease may be more likely to develop gestational diabetes than those with healthy gums, researchers have found.
Gestational diabetes arises during pregnancy and usually resolves after the baby is born, but it can raise a woman’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on. It can also contribute to problems during pregnancy and delivery, including maternal high blood pressure and a larger-than-normal baby, which may necessitate a cesarean section.
The new findings, published in the Journal of Dental Research, suggest that gum disease may be a treatable risk factor for gestational diabetes.
Cannabis Indicated as Possible Risk for Gum Disease in Young People
• Dental Health • • Tobacco & Marijuana • Feb 05 08
Young people who are heavy smokers of cannabis may be putting themselves at significant risk for periodontal disease, according to new research.
The study, published in the Feb. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, is believed to be the first to explore whether or not smoking a substance other than tobacco – in this case, marijuana more than other cannabis products – may be a risk factor for gum disease.
After controlling for tobacco smoking, gender, socioeconomic status and infrequent trips to the dentist by one-third of the participants, the study reported a “strong association between cannabis use and periodontitis experience by age 32.”
Tooth loss in elderly linked to mental impairment
• Dental Health • • Psychiatry / Psychology • Sep 18 07
Older people who have lost their teeth are at more than three-fold greater risk of memory problems and dementia, UK researchers report.
“This study essentially raises questions rather than answering them,” Dr. Robert Stewart of Kings College London, the study’s lead author, told Reuters Health. “The measurements were taken at the same time, so we are not able to say what caused what.”
Nigeria to destroy all foreign-made toothpaste
• Dental Health • Aug 17 07
Nigeria has asked retailers to hand over for destruction all imported toothpaste on their shelves after its food and drugs watchdog said it had discovered a harmful substance in a Chinese-made brand.
The order followed a spate of scares in the United States about Chinese products, including seafood tainted with antibiotics, and toothpaste and animal food ingredients containing toxic chemicals. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) said it had found diethyl glycol—an anti-freezing agent which can damage the kidney and liver—in Colgate toothpaste.
Fake dentist has 29-year career in Malaysia
Malaysian police have arrested a man who practiced as a dentist for 29 years although he had no medical training and treated patients at his home in a cast-off examining chair.
The impostor’s closest brush with the dental profession was during the years 1962 to 1978, when he assisted an army dentist by carrying his bag on visits to plantation workers’ homes, the New Straits Times reported Wednesday.
Dental assistants at risk of lung problems
• Allergies • • Dental Health • Jul 06 07
Dental assistants who work with substances called methacrylates may be at risk of developing asthma or chronic respiratory symptoms, a study has found.
Methacrylates are used in dental filling materials and bonding agents, like those used to cement porcelain veneers, crowns and orthodontic brackets. Dental assistants are exposed to airborne methacrylate particles when mixing these materials or during placement or removal of dental restorations.
Tainted toothpaste had wider reach than thought
• Dental Health • • Public Health • Jun 28 07
Chinese-made toothpaste tainted with a potentially poisonous chemical was distributed to more places in the United States than initially thought, the New York Times reported on Thursday.
About 900,000 tubes of toothpaste containing diethylene glycol, an ingredient in antifreeze, were distributed to hospitals for the mentally ill, prisons, juvenile detention centers and some hospitals serving the general population, the Times said.
Animal study links prediabetes and gum disease
• Dental Health • • Diabetes • Mar 20 07
People with “prediabetes” may want to pay close attention to their dental health, if new animal research findings apply to humans.
In experiments with rats, Dutch researchers found that animals with a condition that mimics prediabetes were more susceptible to developing periodontitis, which causes the gums to recede and the bone supporting the teeth to erode.
Dental X-rays may help detect osteoporosis
• Dental Health • • Gender: Female • Jan 10 07
A computer program that analyzes routine dental X-rays could offer a simple, cheap way to detect the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, new research suggests.
British researchers found that a software program they developed was able to spot signs of declining bone density in dental X-rays of the lower jaw—a potential sign of osteoporosis.
Allergies, bottles may misalign baby teeth
• Dental Health • Oct 28 06
Nasal allergies, bottle-feeding and thumb sucking may all contribute to certain types of tooth misalignments in young children, a study shows.
In a study of nearly 1,200 children between the ages of 4 and 5, Mexican researchers found that those who were bottle-fed, used pacifiers or sucked their thumb before the age of 1 were more likely to have a posterior crossbite—where the upper teeth in the back of the mouth bite down behind, rather than in front of, the lower teeth.
Similarly, children with nasal allergies were more likely to develop an open bite, in which the top and bottom teeth in the front of the mouth do not connect when the jaw closes.
More data needed on silver tooth fillings: panel
• Dental Health • Sep 11 06
A U.S. advisory panel on Thursday said a government report that found no evidence of health problems from silver, mercury-based dental fillings was incomplete and urged more study.
The panel of outside experts did not vote specifically if the silver fillings in the mouths of millions of Americans, also called amalgams, were safe. But the panel chairman said members agreed most people would not suffer ill effects.
“The key message is for the vast majority of the general population there is good evidence that amalgams are safe,” panel chairman Dr. Karl Kieburtz said in an interview.
Stress of caregiving may lead to dental ills
While providing care for others, many caregivers seem to forget about their own well-being, including their oral health, new study findings suggest.
“Our results indicate that caregiving is associated with elevated plaque and gingivitis levels, thus indicating that this demanding task, usually associated with increasing stress, is a significant risk factor of poor oral hygiene,” the researchers write in the Journal of Periodontology.
Caretakers “need some time to take care of themselves,” study co-author Dr. Fernando N. Hugo, of the State University of Campinas in Sao Paulo, Brazil, told Reuters Health.
Early periodontal treatment leads to lower medical costs
• Dental Health • Mar 10 06
Chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus (DM), coronary artery disease (CAD), and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) have been associated with periodontal disease.
These conditions can be extremely costly to treat, and it has been unclear if earlier periodontal treatment could lead to a reduction in overall risk and medical expenditures.
At the 35th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research, a team of investigators from the Columbia University School of Dental & Oral Surgery (New York, NY) and Aetna Dental (Pittsburgh, PA) reported findings from a study that investigated the effect of early periodontal treatment on Per Member Per Month (PMPM) costs for DM, CAD, and CVD, in a population of 144,225 patients with both medical and dental insurance.
Dental rinse could lead to painless gum checkups
• Dental Health • Jan 26 06
A new analytical technique could allow dentists to detect gum disease just by having patients rinse their mouth with salt or baking soda, Canadian researchers said on Wednesday.
The analysis is done by measuring the level of white blood cells in a person’s mouth, according to an upcoming study in the Journal of Periodontal Research. The study found that people with gum problems show a higher count of white blood cells, which are produced by the body to fight disease.
Spouse Caregivers of Alzheimer’s Patients Show Higher Risk of Gingivitis
• Dental Health • Nov 22 05
Caregiver spouses of patients with Alzheimer’s disease develop gum disease at twice the rate of their non-caregiver counterparts, researchers report in the latest issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.
Because there was little difference in oral hygiene between the two groups in the study, the researchers say the difference may be related to stress.
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Xiaomi Mi5 Specs Leak Once Again: Snapdragon 820 CPU, QHD Display, 4GB RAM
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and possibly Sony Xperia Z5 are the next flagship smartphones to be released on the market this year, but the 2015 will end in full force with the launch of the next Nexus smartphone and Xiaomi's Mi5 high end smartphone.
The have been quite a few leaks regarding Xiaomi's next flagship, which was originally slated for a July release. However, it appears that due to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 overheating issues, Xiaomi decided to delay the smartphone until later this year when the next generation of Qualcomm chipsets get released. Keep in mind that the information emerged online as a rumor, so there's no way to confirm it since the Chinese company refused to comment on these rumors.
Well, it looks like according to the latest hearsay, Xiaomi Mi5 is now on track for a November release. This means that the smartphone might be announced slightly earlier, though an exact release date will probably be announced closer to the event. Along with the release timeframe of the smartphone, new details on the phone's specs have just popped up via MobiPicker.
Quad HD display and fingerprint scanner
As expected, Xiaomi Mi5 will be a beast when it comes to specs. The smartphone will be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset, which will be complemented by no less than 4GB of RAM. The smartphone will pack either 16GB or 64GB of internal memory, but it will also come with microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 128GB). In the front, the Mi5 will boast a 5.3-inch capacitive touchscreen display that will support Quad HD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution.
In addition, the phone will pack a 16-megapixel camera on the back, as well as a 6-megapixel camera in the front for video calls and selfies. Last but not least, Xiaomi Mi5 will ship with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop operating system right out of the box, but it will also feature a 3,030 mAh battery and fingerprint scanner.
Xiaomi M5 mockup
Image credits to MobiPicker
Nexus 5 (2015) Will Be Manufactured by LG, Not Based on LG G4
There have been much talk on Google's next Nexus smartphones, which are expected to be unveiled later this fall. As expected, the search giant is mum on these rumors, but that's mostly because nothing has been set in stone yet.
Many of you probably remember several weeks ago new reports claimed Google will launch not one, but two Nexus smartphones this year. Sadly, the company is also said to have dropped plans for another Nexus tablet this year. Anyway, the unannounced Nexus smartphones are said to be manufactured by Huawei and LG, as they will target different price tiers. In fact, Google is trying to appeal to consumers who prefer phablets, but also to those that like to go with standard sized displays.
Germany blog AndroidPIT claims source close to the matter confirmed that the Nexus 5 (2015) will indeed be manufactured by LG.
It remains to be seen whether or not there will be a second Nexus smartphone
When the first rumors about the Nexus smartphones emerged online, Google wasn't yet sure that LG should build one of its Android smartphones, instead it played with the idea because the South Korean company has the necessary expertise for the task. But now it looks like Google has finally decided that LG is best suitable to build the Nexus 5 (2015), so the only thing that remains to be decided is whether there will be a second Nexus smartphone and what company is going to build its.
In the same piece of news, Google and LG will redesign the Nexus 5 (2015) from ground up, which means it will not be based on LG G4's blueprint. Also, the Nexus 5 (2015) name is not yet set in stone, so Google might launch it on the market under a different name. No additional details on the phone's specs have been given, but we expect the Nexus 5 (2015) to be unveiled this fall along with Google's new Android M operating system.
Nexus smartphones
Image credits to Google
Sony Xperia Z5 Launching in September with Snapdragon 820 CPU, 4GB RAM
Sony Mobile has been launching two flagships smartphones per year for a long time, but the Japanese company announced back in 2014 that it will limit new releases to just one flagship each year.
After this year's Xperia Z4/Xperia Z3+ fiasco we thought Sony will announce its next top of the line smartphone only next year, but it looks like we were wrong. According to a new report, Sony plans to launch its unannounced Xperia Z5 flagship smartphone sometime in September. In fact, the device might be officially unveiled at IFA 2015 trade fair and will probably for on sale later this year. We're not sure when and where the Xperia Z5 will be made available for purchase, but the cited source also has some specs to share with us.
If you're a long-time Xperia user here is what you should expect to be included in the next high-end smartphone in the series.
Xperia Z5 Compact and Xperia Z5 Ultra also in the pipeline
First of all, Sony Xperia Z5 is said to be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset, which hasn't been commercially released yet, but it's already being tested with some prototypes like Xiaomi Mi5. The powerful CPU will be complemented by no less than 4GB of RAM. There's no mention of storage, but we expect the Xperia Z5 to pack microSD card for memory expansion. Rumor has it that the smartphone will feature a 21-megapixel camera with Sony Exmor RS IMX230 CMOS sensor, autofocus, LED flash and 4k video recording.
The Xperia Z5 will be powered by a huge 4,500 mAh battery and will definitely feature a fingerprint recognition sensor. We also expect the smartphone to ship with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop operating system right out of the box since Android M won't be available until its unveil. In the same piece of news, Sony is rumored to be readying even more high-end smartphones for later this year, including the Xperia Z5 Compact and Xperia Z5 Ultra.
Sony Xperia logo
Image credits to Sony Mobile
Samsung Galaxy A8 Shows Up in Brochure, Brings New 16MP ISOCELL Camera
Rumor about Samsung Galaxy A8 continue to emerge, but the South Korean company has yet to unveil the smartphone. The Galaxy A8 is expected to be Samsung's slimmest Android smartphone at only 5.9mm thickness.
We already know most of the phone's specs courtesy to all the leaks in the last couple of weeks, but it looks like the folks over at SamMobile have just published a new piece of information about the Galaxy A8. It appears that Samsung is likely to pack a new 16-megapixel ISOCELL camera sensor inside the Galaxy A8. According to the cited source, the camera sensor (LSI3P3) that will be packed inside the Samsung Galaxy A8 has a slimmed-down pixel size of 1.0 µm. Also, the thickness of the camera module has been reduced to 5mm, which makes it 23% sleeker than Sony's IMX240 module that's now included in the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
This is probably one of the reasons the Samsung Galaxy A8 has only 5.9mm thickness making it the one of the slimmest smartphones launched by the South Korean company. In the same piece of news, the Galaxy A8 recently popped up in a brochure in South Korea, which points to a imminent launch in the not so distant future.
Octa-core Snapdragon 615 CPU and 3,050 mAh battery
For those out of the loop, here are some of the phone's confirmed specs via “rumor mill.” First of all, the Galaxy A8 is a phablet that sports a large 5.7-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution and 386ppi (pixel per inch). On the inside, the sleek smartphone is said to be equipped with a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal memory. As mentioned earlier, Samsung Galaxy A8 will boast a thin 16-megapixel ISOCELL camera sensor, while in the front there's will be a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.
We also know that the smartphone will be powered by a 3,050 mAh battery and will ship with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop operating system with the latest version of TouchWiz UI on top.
Image credits to GSMArena
16MP ISOCELL camera sensor
Image credits to MyDrivers
Xiaomi Mi5 Specs Leak Once Again: Snapdragon 820 C...
Nexus 5 (2015) Will Be Manufactured by LG, Not Bas...
Sony Xperia Z5 Launching in September with Snapdra...
Samsung Galaxy A8 Shows Up in Brochure, Brings New...
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Bose-Einstein Condensation: An Introduction
Keith Burnett, Mark Edwards, & Charles W. Clark (ed). Among the most remarkable effects that quantum mechanics adds to the catalog of the thermal properties of matter is “condensation” of an ideal gas of identical particles into a single quantum state, the principle of which was discovered in the theory of statistical mechanics by Bose & Einstein in the 1920s. Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) is a mechanism for producing a macroscopic quantum system, & is exemplary of the macroscopic quantum phenomena of superconductivity & superfluidity.These 15 papers provide an introduction to current work on BEC.
Competing for Employees: Proven Marketing Strategies for Hiring & Keeping Exceptional People
Behavior & Learning of Animal Babies
Yukon Alone: The World’s Toughest Adventure Race
Customer Service Operations: The Complete Guide
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Ranking Best Available Coaching Candidates for LA Lakers
Published: July 3, 2014Posted in: LA LakersTags:
The Lakers were the only team in the NBA without a head coach until Jason Kidd made a sudden detour from the Brooklyn Nets, landing messily with the Milwaukee Bucks.
This left the Nets without a coach—for about 10 minutes. Per Scott Cacciola of The New York Times, that vacancy has now been filled by the very capable Lionel Hollins, who may well have been the best candidate left for the Lakers.
But the Lakers continue not to be in any hurry. They’re back to being the only game in town again, albeit with fewer available players.
Other candidates who had conversations with the Purple and Gold only to exit stage left include Derek Fisher, who joined the New York Knicks as their head coach, and Alvin Gentry, who became Steve Kerr’s associate head coach for the Golden State Warriors.
And then there were the guys who didn’t actually interview but had solid Lakers connections, such as former Lakers assistant coach Quin Snyder, who was hired as the Utah Jazz’s head coach, and Los Angeles D-Fenders assistant coach Luke Walton, who is finalizing an agreement to become an assistant with Golden State, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
Is anybody left?
Per Dave McMenamin for ESPN Los Angeles, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak recently mentioned the search during a conversation about free agency: "We may continue to interview, but we have a pretty good feel of what's available and we're comfortable that we can get a good coach, probably in the beginning of July.”
With the arrival of July, Lakers fans continue to wait and wonder.
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Home Alternative Red Hot Chili Peppers’ John Frusciante Spotted Drinking In Photo
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ John Frusciante Spotted Drinking In Photo
John Frusciante was thought to be completely sober at this point as fans know about his very storied past with drug abuse and needing to be on drugs to function. This, however, seems to be false as John was spotted drinking out with someone as a photo was taken.
John Frusciante is the very legendary guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and he has spoken out so frequently about his sobriety and what it took to get him to a point of no longer needing drugs. As such, many followers of John and the rest of the band just assumed that he was totally off of anything mind altering at all. This just isn’t the case.
You see, John has actually spoken out a lot about his addiction. John has stated in the past that yes, he has quit very hard drugs like heroin, but he still has, in the past, smoked cigarettes, smoked weed, and drank alcohol.
It’s hard to tell if John still smokes weed or smokes cigarettes at this point, but it’s clear that he does still enjoy drinking in moderation and he can control himself around drinking and smoking it seems. Many fans feel that Anthony Kiedis’ addiction and John’s addiction were two different things. Fans noted that Anthony’s was much harder to stay off of, where John’s was like a switch he could turn on and off at his own accord.
On Reddit, fans stated the following…
YaBoyIcedCoffee stated: “John was only 100% sober for a very short period from 1999 until the By The Way tour when he mentioned smoking a bunch of weed in an interview, but I can’t even say that to a certainty. For all we know he has relapsed on substances and recovered since then and we’d never know. After all, he’s the most private guy in the band.”
jenet-zayquah went much deeper mentioning that the pic is older than thought to be: “This pic is actually from mid-2018 (Source) and shows him “Cheers!”ing with Indonesian guitarist Dewa Budjana, who had tapped John for a collaboration on his album “Mahandini” (2008). I think John does some vocals and also guitar fills on one track.
I have heard that he’s into craft beers (<raises her glass>), so it’s not surprising to see. Also, if a collaborator offers to buy you a beer, are you gonna be an asshole and ask for chamomile tea?
I also know he’s always liked red wine and likely still enjoys it, but c’mon, he’s Italian! (Fun fact: His great-grandfather was from Benevento in the province of Campania, a wine-producing region inland from Naples and Salerno. So yeah, it’s in his blood. X-D
He absolutely needs to quit smoking if he hasn’t already. His voice in recent interviews sounds pretty awful, very husky and scratchy. Just a guess, but I would be shocked if he can still hit all of his usual angelic falsetto notes. Perhaps he’s planning to quit so he can work on getting his singing where it needs to be for the tour.
Generalized (a)moralist rant (optional reading):
Deffo not attacking OP at all, nor am I minimizing the sobriety struggle that many folks wrangle with (I have addiction on both sides of my family and lots of friends too), BUT there’s a huge difference between having a beer with a friend on occasion and speedballing 24/7 for 5 years straight. Yes, it’s a gateway drug, blah blah, but some addicts only have trouble with certain substances while others are not a problem for them (e.g., LSD is not addictive in the same way crack is). For some people, substituting a less harmful or less problematic substance (that they can keep under control) in place of a problem substance (that they can’t handle in moderation) is a workable solution; at any rate, it’s a positive step.
This is not to say that for some people, complete abstention isn’t a good option; it’s all what the individual is comfortable with and what works for them personally. Nobody (not even a recovering addict) has a crystal ball to be able to predict if somebody else having a drink once in awhile is going to quickly spiral into them picking up a pipe or needle. Yes, it might happen, but that’s not your battle to fight.”
Anthony Keidis
John Frusciante
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