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Liver diseases are fast being recognized as a public health concern in India
7 months ago Saptarsi
We all know that liver diseases are fast being recognized as a public health concern in India. Cirrhosis of liver and chronic liver diseases are increasing progressively as causes of mortality in India with the statistics revealing that around 10 lakh patients of liver cirrhosis are newly diagnosed every year in our country. According to World Health Organization, liver disease is the tenth most common cause of death in India accounting for 18.3 % of all cirrhosis deaths globally.
The treatment of chronic and acute liver failure is liver transplant as in many cases; it cannot be
controlled with other treatments. It is also a treatment option for some people with liver cancer. In
an endeavor to provide comprehensive treatment of liver disease, Ruby General Hospital, Kolkata
has partnered with Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai to start a specialty Liver Clinic followed by
Liver Transplant Programme in Kolkata. With regard to the above, an inauguration program followed by a Press Meet had been organized on Friday, 15th July, 2022 between 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm at the Seminar Room, Ruby General Hospital.
Ruby General Hospital is a 27 year old NABH and NABL accredited multispecialty hospital with a very
busy comprehensive Cancer Care Centre since 2015. We are focusing on transplants and have already
got the license of Kidney Transplant with an intention to start Bone Marrow and Liver Transplant very
soon. We are partnering with Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai as this is a renowned multi-organ transplant centre having 20 years experience in liver transplant and clinical excellence. They have got a sizable and comprehensive Liver Transplant Program, having both allograft and cadaveric transplantations. They have performed more than 3000 liver transplant since its inception with a success rate of 96% for living donor cases. The centre of excellence of Liver Transplant department has performed more than 110 transplants in 2021 despite the severe effect of pandemic. This includes 40 paediatrics liver transplants last year with 100% success, a rare feat to achieve. The department regularly performs auxiliary liver transplant for acute failure in children. Further dual lobe liver transplant for overweight patients are a common practice.
The Press had been addressed by Dr. D. P. Samadder (Director Medical Affairs, Ruby General Hospital), Dr. Joy Varghese (Director, Hepatology and Transplant Hepatology, Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai), Dr. Sujoy Ranjan Deb (Dy. Medical Director, Ruby General Hospital) and Mr. V.
Bhaskar Reddy (Head, Corporate Relations, Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai).
The chief guest of the event had been Swami Vivek Maharaj of Dakshineswar Ramkrishna Sangha
Adyapeath. Swami Vivek Maharaj congratulated the entire team for this endeavour. He also encouraged the Team with his inspirational speech and his divine blessings for this project.
A couple of post liver transplant patients of Kolkata, who got their transplant done at Global Gleneagles Health City, Chennai were also present at the inauguration program. They shared their experience of Global Gleneagles Health City, Chennai and congratulated the Ruby General Hospital
team for the launch of Specialty Liver Clinic and Liver Transplant Programme in Kolkata.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. D. P. Samadder, Director Medical Affairs, Ruby General Hospital said, “This Speciality Liver Clinic, once every month and subsequent Liver Transplant Programme at Ruby General Hospital will be a great support to the people of Bengal and Eastern India. We are already getting a very good response from our existing patients of Hepatology. For many people, who are
travelling outside the state, this will be a big boon saving a lot of cost and hassle.”
According to Dr. Joy Varghese, Director Hepatology & Transplant Hepatology, Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai; “As we are still dealing with options to manage liver disease rather than its cure, preventive aspects of Hepatology should be our prime focus for treatment. Implementing healthy lifestyle practices, avoiding over the counter medications, indigenous preparations with hepatotoxic potential, avoid misuse of alcohol and prompt referral to specialists in acute conditions will protect
liver and prevent future damage to a large extent.”
Dy. Medical Director, Ruby General Hospital, Dr. Sujoy Ranjan Deb said, “We have got an excellent Team of Gastroenterologists at Ruby and a lot of patients come from all over Bengal and adjoining states. This monthly Speciality Liver Clinic at Ruby by well-known hepatologist of Global Gleneagles, Dr. Joy Varghese will prove to be a great opportunity for all of us, especially with the Liver Transplant
facilities to add on, very shortly.”
Mr. V. Bhaskar Reddy, Head, Corporate Relations, Global Gleneagles Health City Hospital added, “We are extremely happy to partner with Ruby General Hospital, Kolkata. The primary reason for initiating this comprehensive liver programme is to enable the people of West Bengal and adjoining states to avail world class liver treatment.”
Head of Gastroenterology, Ruby General Hospital, Dr. Sunil Baran Das Chakraborty and the undersigned concluded the event by seeking blessings for all from Swami Vivek Maharaj and vote of thanks to all the participants from press and media, Team from Global Gleneagles Hospital, Head of Departments of all the Medical and Surgical Departments at Ruby General Hospital and all others.
Tags: Liver Diseases, Ruby General Hospital Ltd
Previous সেকেন্ডারি স্টিল ইন্ডাস্ট্রিকে উন্নত করার লক্ষ্যে
Next বৃন্দাবন মাতৃ মন্দির তাদের ১১৩ বর্ষের দুর্গা পূজার প্রস্তুতি খুঁটি পুজোর মাধ্যমে শুরু করে দিল
বিশেষ চাহিদা সম্পন্ন শিশুদের নিয়ে কোলকাতায় শুরু হল সেল্ফ হেল্প ফেয়ার
Statement from Apollo Hospitals on Current Covid Situation
1 month ago Saptarsi
পার্থসারথি দত্ত শর্মার একক আলোকচিত্র প্রদর্শনীর উদ্বোধন করলেন মন্ত্রী জাভেদ আহমেদ খান
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Search Worlds Without End
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Search Results Returned: 3
Bliss House
Bliss House: Book 1
Laura Benedict
Death never did come quietly for Bliss House... and now a mother and daughter have become entwined in the secrets hidden within its walls.
Amidst the lush farmland and orchards in Old Gate, Virginia, stands the magnificent Bliss House. Built in 1878 as a country retreat, Bliss House is impressive, historic, and inexplicably mysterious. Decades of strange occurrences, disappearances and deaths have plagued the house, yet it remains vibrant. And very much alive.
Rainey Bliss Adams desperately needed a new start when she and her daughter Ariel relocated from St. Louis to Old Gate and settled into the house where the Bliss family had lived for over a century. Rainey's husband had been killed in a freak explosion that left her 14 year-old daughter Ariel scarred and disfigured.
At the grand housewarming party, Bliss House begins to reveal itself again. Ariel sees haunting visions: the ghost of her father, and the ghost of a woman being pushed to her death off of an upper floor balcony, beneath an exquisite dome of painted stars. And then there is a death the night of the party. Who is the murderer in the midst of this small town? And who killed the woman in Ariel's visions? But Bliss House is loath to reveal its secrets, as are the good folks of Old Gate.
Charlotte's Story
Step back into Bliss House, the yellow-brick Virginia mansion with a disreputable, dangerous past, that even the sheen of 1950's domesticity cannot hide...
The fall of 1957 in southern Virginia was a seemingly idyllic, even prosperous time. A young housewife, Charlotte Bliss, lives with her husband, Hasbrouck Preston "Press" Bliss, and their two young children, Eva Grace and Michael, in the gorgeous Bliss family home. On the surface, theirs seems a calm, picturesque life, but soon tragedy befalls them: four tragic deaths, with apparently simple explanations.
But nothing is simple if Bliss House is involved. How far will Charlotte go to discover the truth? And how far will she get without knowing who her real enemy is? Though Bliss House may promise to give its inhabitants what they want, it never gives them exactly what they expect.
The Abandoned Heart
Three women. A cursed house. Generations of lives at stake. The third novel in the acclaimed Bliss House series reveals the secret that started it all.
There is no bliss to be found in Bliss House.
In Old Gate, Virginia, stands a grand house built by Randolph Bliss, a charming New York carpetbagger who, in 1878, shook off dire warnings to build his home elsewhere. For the ground beneath Bliss House is tainted with the kind of tragedy that curses generations, seeping through the foundation and sowing madness in its wake. His first and second wives, and his young Japanese mistress, Kiku, bear witness to Randolph's growing insanity with stories of his cruel manipulations and their desperate struggles to find happiness for themselves and their children.
Their desire to live and love and even take revenge also fills the house, triumphing even over death. Spanning half a century, The Abandoned Heart is the prequel to Charlotte's Story and Bliss House, forming a trilogy of southern Gothic novels in which one haunted house begets haunted lives that echo over centuries. A haunting so powerful that even Bliss House's destruction cannot kill it.
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| 0.494186
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Traffic - Where the Poppies Grow
Vogon (VCD2005)
This is a nice present for all you early Traffic fans and lovers of 60s psych pop/rock in general. The CD is filled with restored and newly mastered tracks now available on CD for the first time. Nine first tracks are from the band's two BBC radio shows in 1967. The first show was aired October 1967 and the second one December of the same year. Now I just got to say that the sound quality is not that great compared to modern standards but still very good and the excellent music is still highly enjoyable, warts and all. Included is of course the band's first hit "Paper Sun" and I just love that song. Other highlights include "Coloured Rain", "Dear Mr. Fantasy", "Heaven Is In Your Mind" and "Dealer". I'm only a little bit disturbed by the occasional Dj introductions, but I can live with them.
The last seven songs were recorded live at Radiohuset, Stockholm, also in 1967. This is another radio broadcast and the sound is pretty similar but no dj talk here. Because these tracks were recorded in front of a live audience they have more live vibe with for example some cool, bluesy jamming on "Giving To You". Some of the tracks are the same as on BBC radio shows but we do get for example their second early hit "Hole In My Shoe" (my second favourite Traffic track!) starting off with a nice sitar intro and the nine-and-a-half-minute "Feelin' Good". "Paper Sun" is a rather energetic version! It would have been amazing to be in the audience during this gig... All in all, Where the Poppies Grow is a great historical document of one of the greatest psych pop groups in the 60s. Check it out!
vogon.bandcamp.com/
Where The Poppies Grow by Traffic
Cosmic Fall - In Search of Outer Space
Us and Them - From the Corner of My Eye 7"
Timetable for Berlin Desertfest online!
Astral Visions Mixcloud Show #79 now online
Magic Bus – Phillip The Egg
Various Artists - Goldfish
Permanent Clear Light - Maurice N'est Pas La 7" EP
Star Sponge Vision - Crowley and Me
Unimother 27 - Acidoxodica
Desertfest Berlin 4.-6.5.2018!!!
Lucille Furs - Another Land / Leave It As You Foun...
Dj Astro's Playlist @ UFOP Psychedelic Easter, Bar...
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| 0.704857
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SFI & The Daily SME
Reviewed by dvdfreak
Last modified on Monday 17th August 2020, 08:39:54 PM
Česká verze / Return to index
Label: SFI & The Daily SME (Slovakia)
Region: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 8
RCE protection: No
Copyright protection system: None
Disc type: DVD5 (the data occupy 4.18 GB)
Playback time (hh:mm:ss.frames): 1:28:26.13
Video: PAL
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1 non-anamorphic
Bitrate (min / avg / max): 1.49 / 5.50 / 7.13 Mbps
Slovak Dolby Digital 2.0 mono* / 256 kbps
Subtitles: Slovak & English
Menus available in: Slovak & English
Newsreel (12:51, in Czech & Slovak**)
About the movie (2 pages, in Slovak & English)
Press coverage (2, resp. 3 pages, in Slovak & English)
Biographies (in Slovak & English)
Ján Kadár (2 pages)
Maximilián Nitra (2 pages)
Ivan Bukovčan (2 pages)
Tibor Andrašovan (2 pages)
Božena Obrová (1, resp. 2 pages)
Július Pántik (2 pages)
Photogallery (8 movie stills)
16-page booklet (in Slovak)
Notes: This film is a part of the "Slovak Cinema of the 40's & 50's" DVD edition
(released by SFI & The Daily SME), which also includes:
"Čert nespí" ("The Devil Never Sleeps")
"Dáždnik svätého Petra" ("St. Peter's Umbrella")
"Kapitán Dabač" ("Captain Dabač")
"Rodná zem" ("Native Land")
"Šťastie príde v nedeľu" ("Luck Will Come on Sunday")
"Štvorylka" ("The Quadrille")
"Štyridsaťštyri" ("Forty-Four Mutineers")
"Varuj...!" ("Beware!")
"Vlčie diery" ("Wolves' Lairs")
The disc starts with the SFI logo, followed by an ad for Klapka.sk. The latter is actually a short interview with Zdena Studenková (1:00, in Slovak), who speaks about her role in Stanislav Párnický's "Južná pošta" ("The Southern Mail").
From SFI's press release:
The "Slovak Cinema of the 40's & 50's" edition was supposed to be released last year [2010] already, however, given the physical condition of these older titles and the complexity of the restoration work, it was moved to this year. All the films in this edition are thus brought to the viewers in a high quality presentation with restored picture and sound. Because of the extensive print damage, the complete digital restoration took two whole years, the most difficult part being the image restoration. The colour grading on "Šťastie príde v nedeľu" was done by its own cinematographer Vladimír Ješina, who, as a close collaborator and friend of Paľo Bielik, corrected also "Kapitán Dabač" and "Štyridsaťštyri". The grading on "Čert nespí," also shot by Vladimír Ješina, was, due to Ješina's health problems, done by Peter Csordás. For the other films, whose cinematographers are not among us any more, the work was delegated by the Slovak Association of Cinematographers to Stanislav Szomolányi ("Katka," "Rodná zem," "Štvorylka," "Dáždnik svätého Petra") and Vladimír Holloš ("Varuj...!," "Vlčie diery").
Ladislav Dedík from Studio 727, who participated in the digitalisation and restoration of the films, describes the process: "The films we worked on were heavily damaged due to their age, quality of film stock, and the technological processes used in production and the creation of film prints. Because some of the films were used as propaganda material, the numbers of prints made were considerable, each new copy further damaging the original negative. In case of the war films, the authentic World War II archival footage used differed from the rest of the material in terms of grain structure and the amount of print damage. These parts made the restoration process much more difficult. The most frequently appearing types of damage were dust, dirt, splices, tramlines, scratches, tears and breaks, instability, gate hairs, jumps in grain density, and even missing frames. The most effort-demanding titles were "Varuj...!," "Vlčie diery," "Kapitán Dabač" and "Katka." To give you a better idea, while there were 1.5 million blemishes on average in each of the films in the previous edition [Slovak Cinema of the 60's], the majority of titles in this edition contained more than 20 million. This fact is the reason why some of these films took over a year to restore."
Nothing extraordinary to report here but our ol' friends, the banding (see e.g. frame 11208) & the missing frames:
26436 / 26437 | 114493 / 114494
RE the latter, I've been told that bits of footage had already been missing in the photochemically restored archival print SFI sourced out for the digital restoration, and - as no complete print [supposedly] exists - the missing frames could not have been found elsewhere...
*difference between channels is -87.19 dB (0.00 %)
**subtitled in Slovak & English
Back to top / Return to index
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Juan Martínez Pérez • Elson Complex • Art & Spencer • Los Gilets
Juan Martínez Pérez is Spanish fingerstyle acoustic guitarist based in Bern, Switzerland. He is releasing music under his real name, "Juan Martínez Pérez", as "Elson Complex", "Art & Spencer", and (soon) "Los Gilets". The latter is new guitar duo project with David Westin aka "Nylonwings". First release "Bellavista Blues" is due on February 3rd, 2023. Juan's guitar music has been described as inspiring, intense, introspective, and relaxing at the same time. As Elson Complex he has published around 50 guitar originals through different labels, such as Florecilla Records, Raighes Factory, Yellow Rose Records, Burro Borracho Records, Sky Valley Records, Soothe Sounds, and his own speedchill label. This includes collaborations with Melany Thompson, Andy Salvanos, Edy Hafler, John Clark, Jürg Kindle, Mathew Joseph, Pablo Briceño, Nathaniel Graham, Whalebone, A.B. Chediski, Nylonwings, Will Moore, Harry Waters, Tommy Berre, and Grammy Award winner Andrew York. End of October 2022, Elson Complex reached 8 million all-time streams on Spotify, where he currently has around 100.000 monthly listeners. In October 2022, he also started to release guitar tracks under his real name, Juan Martínez Pérez. Furthermore, he has side project called "Art & Spencer" with Belgian multi-instrumentalist Marc Vliegen aka "Have a Cigar". Juan is founding member of the "Contemporary Classical Collective" (CCC), an informal group of spirited musicians from all over the world, dedicated to a sub-genre of contemporary classical music that variously goes under the label of "neo-classical" or "indie-classical".
Link to all digital platforms for streaming Juan's different music projects. Thank you for your support!
Juan on social media:
juan.martinez (at) speedchill.com or contact (at) speedchill.com
© Copyright 2021 speedchill.com | Legal notice | Privacy notice
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The Positivity Hoax: How the Science of Happiness Got it Wrong (Pt 1)
Ever wanted to punch a positivity junkie in the head?
Me neither. That would be mean. But I can see why you might be tempted.
In 2000, the American Psychologist, devoted its millennial issue to positive psychology. Fourteen years, and hundreds of books, studies, programs and websites later, ARGHHH.
Enough already.
Sometimes it’s easy to feel positive. To see the world in a shiny happy light.
Like when the video of your two-year old and the dog on a slide goes viral and now you have a book deal traveling the world writing about dogs on slides.
Feeling good is easy.
A few entries in your gratitude journal, and you’re there.
But what if cool things happen and you still feel deeply sad?
What about when you feel irritable or insecure and afraid?
What if you feel depressed or anxious and you just can’t shake it?
Cultivating attitudes of optimism, gratitude and kindness etc, sounds like solid advice. But there’s a dark side that’s rarely spoken about.
The Positivity! movement implies that bad moods and periods of darkness are not optimal, that we should do something to change them. But as any gardener knows, it’s in darkness that a seed germinates and begins to grow.
Believing we should be something other than we are, is like saying we’re not good enough.
Which isn’t positive, or self affirming.
The gratitude zealot
Whenever I come across someone who talks about how positive they are, or who is on a crusade to teach other people to be more grateful, it worries me.
My first thought is always—Oh boy, they’re in trouble. What are they doing with their grumpy, I’m-not-good-enough thoughts? It’s not possible to be positive all the time.
If at some later date, I hear they’re depressed, while everyone else is shaking their head saying, but they seemed so happy, I think—of course this happened.
It’s not unreasonable given their beliefs.
The interesting (and confusing) thing is
The positive thinking crusade has been around for over 150 years. It’s typically traced back to the New Thought movement that sprang up in reaction to fire and brimstone Calvinist religion.
But in the last 30 years it’s moved out of the fringes and into the mainstream. It’s no longer seen as some hippy, free love idea, it’s based on science. The science of “positive psychology.”
Which is interesting, don’t you think?
How is it that such learned, well-meaning, sciency type people have got so off track?
I’m so pleased you asked because I’d love to walk you through how science fails us in this regard, and what I think the real secret to feeling happier is.
The history of science (in 97 words)
Science is the organization of thought, based on reproducible experiments.
It’s not a new thing.
There have always been individuals with inquiring minds, who make discoveries that propel our understanding forward.
But in the past few hundred years the degree to which we, as a society, turn to science has grown exponentially.
Evidence based analysis is the perfect tool for some things: Like for monitoring the health of our planet. Developing life saving antimalarial drugs. Or creating tools like my Wacom drawing tablet. (I love that thing)
But where we once used the experimental model only for hard sciences—maths, physics, chemistry—we now use it across all areas of society. Including wishy washy disciplines like nutrition, sociology and psychology.
Research and analysis have become accepted as the only way to know anything.
Lord Richard Layard
Did you know that “psychology” used to mean study of the soul?
The term “psychology” was first used in the early 16th century by Croatian humanist, Marko Marulic, in his book, Psichiologia de Ratione Animae Humanae and literally translates as study of the soul.
Three hundred years later, everything changed when in 1879 German scientist William Wundt established the science of psychology as an experimental field.
He proposed that the mind could be measured and the nature of being human could be understood through scientific means.
For a long time the focus was on treating people who were “unwell.”
But in the 80’s, psychologists started to look at how to thrive: Positive Psychology.
The shocking truth about science
Science looks like it knows what it’s doing.
Science says things like:
Using ANOVAs we found a significant time effect (F=39.84, p<0.05). Plus an extrapolated correlation of what the bejeesus. Which is why carrots are orange.
Science is like the person you meet at a dinner party who is so freakishly articulate you become paralyzed with inadequacy. Oral skills you hitherto possessed are replaced with an urge to talk about small furry animals.
(Only a slight exaggeration of what I said the last time someone asked what I did.)
But just because someone uses highfalutin language, doesn’t mean that what they’re saying is correct.
When we discuss the latest research, we don’t talk about the details, we talk about the summary USA Today reprinted. But few journalists are trained in scientific analysis and most research goes to print unchallenged. Yet everyone acts as if what has been reported is true.
Now we have a simplified version of what was already questionable.
I used to be science’s bitch
If a scientific paper said, this is what these results mean, I believed it.
It was all, so, well, rigorous.
After 3 years at college, I was high on how robust science was.
Then along came Murray. A red–haired Canadian lecturer who taught me to see past the somber numbers and weighty words, and ask:
Is this really what these numbers mean?
What about this oddity here?
Should we really be glossing over this area?
Can we really draw this conclusion from these findings?
He reminded me about common sense.
Scientists like to think they’re dealing in hard facts. As if they’re measuring the world with God’s ruler. But what’s often forgotten is that all research rests on assumptions:
Assumptions that the data was collected accurately. Assumptions that the participants fairly represent the population. Assumptions that the analysis is correct.
Often the assumptions are wrong.
Remember thalidomide.
Remember margarine (You know that stuff is bad, right?)
Remember shoulder pads and leg warmers. (Probably not science’s fault)
A scientist thinks like a mechanic
To a mechanic, a car is a collection of parts that fit together in a logical and predictable way. When something goes wrong, the mechanic wants to isolate what needs fixing.
A car is relatively simple. So this works well.
A scientist, like a mechanic, sees the world as a series of connected parts, and believes knowledge is found by pulling things apart.
But when you’re dealing with complex systems. This gets tricky.
Take the study of human nutrition: Scientists look at how individual nutrients—vitamins and minerals—affect common diseases, like heart disease and cancer, as well as general health.
But food is complex and so is the human body. Nutrients don’t act uniformly across all body systems. And not everyone metabolizes things in the same way. This is why health officials, in their effort to find a one-size fits all solution, keep making mistakes.
Since the 80’s we’ve been told that cooking in animal fat was akin to cooking in Agent Orange.
And now, three decades later … full fat is back.
These flip-flops happen because scientists mistake logic for accuracy. You can be logical, but if the pieces you’re putting together (logically) are incorrect, so is your conclusion.
Yes. Some research links fat to heart disease. But other factors are ignored: Sugar. Wheat. Vegetable oils. To name a few.
And we’re all different anyway. I’m never healthier than when eating a high fat, high potato, dairy and meat soaked diet. But not everyone is.
(More on accuracy versus logic shortly)
Fuzzy wuzzy was psychology
If nutrition is vague science (nutritionists don’t think it is), happiness, is even vaguer. The mountain of assumptions is so high you could sky dive off it.
For instance, a study on happiness first needs to define happiness.
In 2004, Martin Seligman—sometimes referred to as “the father of positive psychology”— in his book Authentic Happiness, said, happiness has three parts: (1) positive emotion & pleasure (2) engagement with life, and (3) a meaningful life.
But, in 2011—less than ten years later—in his book Flourish, he changes his mind:
I used to think the topic of positive psychology was happiness, that the gold standard for measuring happiness was life satisfaction, and that the goal of positive psychology was to increase life satisfaction. I now think that the topic of positive psychology is well-being, that the gold standard for measuring well-being is flourishing, and the the goal of positive psychology is to increase flourishing.
In both instances Seligman speaks as if he’s stating fact. But he’s not. It’s a stab in the dark, by a bunch of scientists trying to quantify the human condition.
Hmm.
Lets have a go, shall we.
The point is, quantifying the human condition is mission impossible.
It’s like, if you and I get together one weekend to make a net to catch a star—Sunday’s are good for me—we’d get points for trying.
But ultimately, we’re not going to succeed.
A typical psychology study goes like this
Researchers often don’t tell people what they’re actually studying.
And hide the real questions in the middle of fake ones.
The researchers then “code” the answers, converting them into numbers so they can analyze them. They’re looking for correlations and patterns.
Remember, they see themselves as people mechanics, looking for something to fix.
At last. They find something!
They have the answer!
The Pumpkin Study (actually a study on well being and happiness) draws an amazing conclusion …
They repeat the study. They talk to researchers from around the world. They’re now more sure than ever.
(They’re also relieved. The next round of funding is coming up.)
And before you know it there are 300 books and websites called “Total complete absolute utter positive positivity.”
But. But. But.
There is a gargantuan leap between noticing that people who are more happy have happier thoughts, and thinking that if we told sad people to change their thoughts, they’d feel happier.
It’s a classic case of looking for a silver bullet and finding duck pooh spray-painted silver. In science terms there is a correlational relationship, but not a causal one.
Correlation versus cause
Take my height these past few years.
Steady. No growth. Nothing happening here.
Now take the rainfall in southern California, over the same period.
This is interesting.
See how the shapes of the graphs are the same.
Look what happens when we look at both results together
The “R” equals 0.96! This is a very high “R” (R is the correlation coefficient. 1.0 is perfect) My lack of growth shows an almost perfect correlation with the rainfall.
And, it makes sense. I arrived in 2011, and at exactly the same time the rains stopped coming.
In scientific terms, looking for correlations is often the first step in testing any hypothesis. But it’s hardly conclusive.
Yet correlations are often reported as if the relationship is strong and causal.
Psychology isn’t wearing any clothes, don’t tell psychology
It’s widely accepted that positive thinking is good for us, yet the evidence is sketchy.
Even Seligman thinks it’s strange:
The science is quite new and the evidence, if not scanty, is far from irresistible. Why had I worn my knees begging granting agencies—often in vain—for so many years about [other topics], when now, generous individuals, unasked, would just write large checks upon hearing me lecture once about positive psychology.”
There is a general feeling among policy makers and education specialists, many of whom have jumped on the positivity bandwagon, that the science will catch up.
It’s just a matter of time.
But rates of depression have risen dramatically in the past 50 years, and people today are more stressed than ever. According to a recent Stress In America Study, teens and millenials are among the most stressed in society.
Things are getting worse, not better.
The final, and most important question is—
Are we on the right track and is the scientific model the right tool for improving well-being?
Scientists live in their heads. They’re trained to be that way.
There’s nothing wrong with this. Bloggers who draw cartoons and write about spirituality also live in their heads a lot of the time.
(Yes you)
But feeling peaceful and contented is about learning to use our mind less.
Because it’s our mind that feels insecure. It’s our mind that pushes us when we need to rest. It’s our mind that’s mean and critical. It’s our mind that doesn’t want to forgive and let go.
It’s out mind that comes up with wrong conclusions born out of fear and ego.
So why do we expect thought-obsessed scientists to have the answer? Aren’t they the last people we should be listening to?
Well-being—the final frontier
The scientific model is looking for a stock set of actions people can take for a guaranteed outcome.
A manual.
The fundamental flaw in using science to describe highly complex systems, is that in focusing on the detail, we miss the larger picture.
For genuine feelings of peace and ease, we need to go long. Not short.
We need to take a broader view:
A view that says our path is different from anyone else.
A view that says we are not our mind, or what we do, we’re the bit beneath that.
A view that says there’s nowhere to go, we’re already there. And that our job, in this life time, is to see this.
The next time you see research that says you should be something other than you are
Don’t automatically believe what you read.
Tap into what you feel guided to do. What feels right for you.
Yes, exercise is healthy, but if all you feel like doing right now is eating a bar of chocolate—or having one of your favorite vegan smoothies—and watching reruns of Friends, go for it.
And if any piece of “wisdom” makes you feel worse, question it.
In my experience, genuine insight is kind and gentle. Eye opening. And almost always comes down to uncovering another layer of how awesome we are.
To find out what to do with our cantankerous thoughts, read part II of the positivity story:
5 Tips for Inner Peace That Go Against the Positivity Movement.
Thanks for stopping by! I really am, as always, thrilled to have you here.
PS: Say “hi” below
I always love to hear what you have to say. What do you think about all this pressure to be positive and grateful? Do you even see it as pressure? Maybe it works for you? Maybe it doesn’t? I know that others enjoy hearing more thoughts than just mine. So please do leave a comment below=)
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5 Tips to Feeling Lighthearted This Holiday For People Who Find Holidays Hard - Lisa Esile says:
[…] tend to think the best way to achieve this is by doing something: by thinking positively; by not eating junk food; or by finally reading The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying to the […]
5 Tips For Inner Peace That Go Against the Grain of the Positivity Movement - Lisa Esile says:
[…] If you haven’t, you might want to take a few moments to look now. […]
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Last 12 months (1)
Classical Studies (3)
Eighteenth-Century Music (1)
The Cambridge Classical Journal (1)
The Classical Quarterly (1)
The Journal of Hellenic Studies (1)
Cambridge Philological Society (1)
Classical Association (1)
SPHS Soc for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies (1)
The Life behind the Music, the Life behind the Words: On Writing Poems about String Quartets by Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert
Ruth Padel
Journal: Eighteenth-Century Music / Volume 19 / Issue 2 / September 2022
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 August 2022, pp. 119-123
Print publication: September 2022
You have access Access
Homer's Reader: A reading of George Seferis
Journal: The Cambridge Classical Journal / Volume 31 / 1985
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2013, pp. 74-132
The reader I have in mind is a poet. My immediate interest is the example he provides of a writer's relationship with her or his reading. My aim is double: to suggest both that Homer illuminates the work of the later poet and that the later poetry can function as an interpretation of Homer which offers even to a scholar valuable ways of reading the epics, especially the Odyssey. Accordingly, I shall usually offer translations both of the modern and of the ancient Greek, since not all classicists know modern Greek intimately and those who study modern Greek do not always know the ancient language well.
Let us begin by reading one of Seferis' best-known poems. He wrote it in the Thirties and many contemporary poetic influences, both French and English, are at work in it. But I want to read it now from a special perspective, which I shall argue was crucial to Seferis through all his work. I shall read it as a search for a significant but bearable relationship in his own poetry with Homer and, through Homer, with the whole ancient poetic tradition.
(A.) Toynbee The Greeks and their heritages. Oxford, etc.: University Press. 1981. Pp. x + 334. £12.50. - (C. A.) Trypanis Greek poetry from Homer to Seferis. London and Boston: Faber and Faber. 1981. Pp. 896. £25.00. - (M. I.) Finley Ed. The legacy of Greece: a new appraisal. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1981. Pp. [viii] + 479 16 plates, 1 map. £8.95.
Journal: The Journal of Hellenic Studies / Volume 103 / November 1983
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 October 2013, pp. 233-235
Print publication: November 1983
‘Imagery of the Elsewhere” Two Choral Odes of Euripides1
Journal: The Classical Quarterly / Volume 24 / Issue 2 / December 1974
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2009, pp. 227-241
Print publication: December 1974
In this paper I approach the relationship between one kind of choral ode and its play, through an analysis of two stasima and less detailed reference to their respective plays. The two odes, Hipp. 732–75 and Hel. 1451–1511, share the theme which has provoked comment on Euripides' use of ‘escapism’ to counteract the supposed reality of his tragedies. I prefer to see the escape-form as a reassertion of the themes and problems of the play in a different and distant context, and to suggest that even in the ‘elsewhere’ of lyric song the dark features of life that mark the drama are not to be escaped. The winged boat in the Hippolytus, for instance, is parallel in the ode to the winged bird, symbol and vehicle of escape, but it is also the ship whose journey initiates the disaster of the play.
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NSWP Publications (5)
NSWP Briefing Papers (2)
NSWP Policy Briefs (2)
Legislation and Policy (10)
(-) Violence (5)
(-) French (3)
(-) Violence
Community Guide: The Homophobia and Transphobia Experienced by LGBT Sex Workers
This resource is a Community Guide to the Briefing Paper on the Homophobia and Transphobia Experienced by LGBT Sex Workers. It provides an overview of the full Briefing Paper, and provides key recommendations for policymakers and other stakeholders.
You can download this 6 page resource above. It is available in English, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.
Download this resource: Community Guide, Homophobia and Transphobia, MPact NSWP - 2018
Theme: Stigma & Discrimination, Violence
Briefing Paper: The Homophobia and Transphobia Experienced by LGBT Sex Workers
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people experience targeted homophobia and transphobia at every level – including legal, political and social. For sex workers who are LGBT, discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity adds to and intensifies the discrimination they experience as sex workers.
Download this resource: Briefing Paper: Homophobia and Transphobia, MPact NSWP - 2018
Community Guide: The Impact of Criminalisation on Sex Workers’ Vulnerability to HIV and Violence
This resource is a Community Guide to the Policy Brief on the Impact of Criminalisation on Sex Workers’ Vulnerability to HIV and Violence. This guide summarises how criminalisation increases sex workers’ vulnerability to violence and HIV, and makes a series of recommendations towards the full decriminalisation of sex work as an integral step to improving the lives of sex workers. The full Policy Brief is available here.
Download this resource: Community Guide: The Impact of Criminalisation on Sex Workers’ Vulnerability to HIV and Violence, NSWP - 2017
Theme: Health, Human Rights, Violence
The Impact of Criminalisation on Sex Workers’ Vulnerability to HIV and Violence
This policy brief examines the impact of laws that criminalise sex work, informed by NSWP members’ submissions to an e-consultation. It examines the impact of criminalisation at three distinct phases: the surveillance and policing of sex workers prior to arrest; arrest and formal involvement of the criminal justice system; and release and return to the community. The paper covers various areas of law and law enforcement practices that disproportionately impact sex workers, including immigration laws, policing of public spaces, anti-LGBTQ laws, HIV criminalisation and religious codes.
Download this resource: Policy Brief: Impact of Criminalisation on Sex Workers’ Vulnerability to HIV and Violence, NSWP - 2017
NSWP Consensus Statement on Sex Work, Human Rights, and the Law
The Consensus Statement details eight fundamental rights that sex worker-led groups from around the world identify as crucial targets for their activism and advocacy. Following a global consultation with members, the NSWP Consensus Statement reaffirms NSWP ’s global advocacy platform for sex work, human rights and the law. A 12 page summary of the Consensus Statement is also available.
Download this resource: ConStat PDF EngFull.pdf
Theme: Economic Empowerment , Health, Labour, Legislation and Policy, Migration & Trafficking, Stigma & Discrimination, Violence
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Info Decameron 2017
Crew 2017
Taja Savina
Home » Taja Savina » Artists 2017 » Taja Savina
Taja Savina graduated from The Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia: Choreographic art (bachelor), and from The Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet according to the program: “Scientific and creative laboratory of composition of modern forms of dance” (master).
During the studying she took work shops of many famous russian and foreign choreographers. About 5 years she cooperates with ODDDANCE Theatre. During this time, she has managed to participate in some performances, such as “White wind”. Also Taja took part in shootings of a promotional video of this performance.
Taja was an assistant at butoh festivals at the master Katsura Kan in Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Helsinki, during festival Kan choreographed for her. With this solo she acted in theatres of Russia and abroad. In parallel with it she created several dancing and butoh solo with which Taja acted on various platforms in Russia and in Finland.
Taja has participated as a butoh dancer (a role of the witch) in Luk Perceval’s performance “Macbeth” in 2014 which premiere was held on the stage of Baltic House theater. Also she works as a ballet master, she choreographs for the performances in theaters. One of the last projects where Taja’s choreography was used was a performance based on Charlotte Gilman’s work “Yellow wall-paper” in Turku in Tehdas theatre in cooperation with the director Ricardo Marin and the actress Sofia Molin, butoh performance “Meet my Monsters” in Helsinki which premiere was held on November 14th, 2014 in Höyhentämö theater with participation of the dancer Minja Mertanen, two assembly performance “Hoffman. Visions” on the big stage of Theatre for Young Audience in St. Petersburg and other performances.
One of her latest works in+SECT has taken the 3rd place in a competition “Total Theatre” in 2013 according to the results of an internet voting. Participant of Russian Look 2016.
After that one of her performances “3T” was nominated for a GOLDEN MASK AWARDS and she was nominated as “the best feminine role in modern choreography”. Also she created and executed choreography in the clip of the LACRIMOSA band.
Taja has published the book: “Manifesto. Echo of the Russian futurism.” in June, 2016.
More information: www.anastanssia.com
Tags: Artists 2017
KARL GILLICK – Artistic Director / Co-Creator
COHDI HARRELL
Andreas Bennetzen
OddDance
© The Decameron. All rights reserved. rsneight Designs
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Razer Unleashes Blade 14 Gaming Laptop: Ryzen 5000 Mobile with GeForce Graphics
by Gavin Bonshor on June 14, 2021 6:30 PM EST
Ryzen 5900HX
During their E3 2021 gaming event this afternoon, Razer has launched the latest variant of its popular Blade 14 gaming laptop. For the first time, Razer is using an AMD processor to power its latest Blade 14 thin gaming laptop. Marking a milestone within the company, the Razer Blade includes plenty of features, including Wi-Fi 6E, dual USB 3.2 G2 Type-C, and multiple options with NVIDIA's GeForce RTX graphics for fine-tuning the laptop's portable gaming performance.
Back in 2011, when Razer first entered the gaming laptop market, the competition between Intel and AMD in the desktop and mobile space wasn't like it is now. Since then, a lot has changed with the emergence of AMD's Ryzen architecture, and at present, it is doing very well. With Ryzen Mobile offering powerful performance and in January, it launched its Ryzen 5000 Mobile parts at CES 2021.
With Razer commanding a niche market in the laptop space with all of its models designed for gaming, the latest Razer Blade 14 comes equipped with AMD's Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, with eight cores, sixteen threads, a maximum boost clock speed of 4.6 GHz, and is unlocked allowing users to apply overclocks. While the Blade 14 isn't an 'AMD Advantage' system benefiting from both AMD processor and graphics, it marks a big step for a brand typically associated specifically with Intel chips.
The AMD Ryzen powered Razer Blade 14 comes with two choices in regards to panel type. This includes the option of a 1080p 144 Hz 100% sRGB display, or a more premium 1440p 165 Hz 100% DCI-P3 display. Both panels are IPS-based and come with variable refresh rate support. For storage, the Razer Blade 14 includes a 1 TB PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD, while memory comes in the form of 16 GB of DDR4-3200. Unfortunately for buyers looking at later-life upgrades, the memory is fixed onto the motherboard, so 16 GB is all it ever will have.
Buyers can select between three NVIDIA options in terms of graphics. This includes a GeForce RTX 3060 mobile GPU with 6 GB of VRAM, an RTX 3070 with 8 GB of VRAM, or an RTX 3080 also with 8 GB of VRAM. All three models have their GPUs set to 100 W TGP (total graphics power). Keeping the components cool is a vapor chamber cooling solution, and Razer is advertising up to 12-hours battery life and comes with a compact 230 W power adapter.
Razer is also touting the Blade 14 as the world's thinnest gaming laptop, and the dimensions make it rather sleek indeed. It's 16.8 mm thick, with a 220 mm x 319.7 mm footprint. Although Razer didn't provide us with details on the weight, the frame itself is custom CNC milled from a single block of T6 grade aluminum, commonly used for aircraft parts, and comes with a matte black anodized finish. Other design aspects include per-RGB backlit keys powered by Razer Chroma and features an N-Key rollover keyboard. The keys themselves have a 1 mm actuation, and keys can be programmed via Razer Synapse 3. Also included is a large glass precision trackpad, which is Windows Precision-capable and adapts to usage and can respond to multiple finger gestures.
I/O connectivity include two USB 3.2 G2 Type-C ports with DP alt-mode and 100 W charging capabilities, two USB 3.2 G2 Type-A ports, one HDMI 2.1 video output, and a single 3.5 mm combo audio port. Along the top of the bezel is a Windows Hello 720p webcam and comes with THX-certified Spatial Audio with two premium speakers. The Blade 14 also comes with a Kensington lock for security on the go.
The AMD Ryzen 5900HX powered Razer Blade 14 will start shipping from June 14th, with prices starting at $1799.
Gallery: Razer Unleashes Blade 14, 14" Powered By Ryzen 5000 & RTX Graphics
AMD Launches Ryzen 5000 Mobile: Zen 3 and Cezanne for Notebooks
AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS Cezanne Review: Ryzen 5000 Mobile Tested
CES 2021: ASUS Unveils ROG Strix Scar 15 Gaming Laptop, Ryzen 5000 Mobile
eastcoast_pete - Monday, June 14, 2021 - link
It might be "the world's thinnest" gaming laptop, but to me that's almost meaningless if it comes at the expense of zero memory upgradability. That's a dumb design choice! Especially as this uses standard DDR4 RAM, and not (faster) low power DDR, which could at least partially justify the choice of soldered-in, non-expandable RAM.
Tams80 - Tuesday, June 15, 2021 - link
Having upgradeable memory (anything really) is better. Let me say that.
But realistically, once you upgrade RAM on a laptop are you ever going to upgrade it again? Probably not (as you'll probably go for the max and therefore likely not have motherboard support for higher amounts, if you ever need more in a laptop).
So, if you see this as 16GB of RAM and that's it and that meets your needs, then it's fine. Overpriced, for sure, but it is also a Razer.
eastcoast_pete - Tuesday, June 15, 2021 - link
I agree with you on some points, but I am also the kind of person who likes to hang on to my laptop for several years (as in 3 or more). And that's where the ability to add another 8 or 16 GB RAM comes in. I wouldn't buy a laptop with fixed 16 GB anymore, never mind 8 GB; I simply don't know if I would want or need 24 or 32 GB RAM in two or three years from now. But yes, if I buy a new laptop every two years or so, the absence of an option to add RAM probably wouldn't matter.
meacupla - Tuesday, June 15, 2021 - link
well, you wouldn't want 24GB of ram, because then it won't run in dual channel.
I could totally see configuring a 5900HX with 32GB of ram from the start.
erinadreno - Tuesday, June 15, 2021 - link
I believe you can actually buy 96Gb x64 width lpddr chips, which would in term be 24GB in dual channel. And that's how most 12GB ram phone was made. Pointless, but possible
FakThisShttyGame - Tuesday, June 15, 2021 - link
They should allow you to upgrade the laptop gpu and cpu as well no? Upgrading ram doesnt add much performance upgrade comparing to cpu and gpu
lmcd - Monday, June 14, 2021 - link
Wild, I didn't think they'd sacrifice access to their external gpu product. Guess that's a misprediction on my part.
bsleek - Tuesday, June 15, 2021 - link
Agreed. I was looking for any TBx connectivity which I realize would need an extra component in an AMD system but I figured Razer might be the first to offer this. I guess not (yet?).
patel21 - Monday, June 14, 2021 - link
Sorry but I just stopped reading the article after "so 16 GB is all it ever will have".
Soldered RAM is an Abomination on Gaming PCs
Spunjji - Wednesday, June 16, 2021 - link
By the time 16GB of main system RAM is a meaningful limitation in games, the GPU will be close to obsolescence. I'm not a fan of soldered RAM, but this is a case where it's really not a huge deal.
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this site....
New Topic Reply Topic
TOPIC: this site....
this site.... 7 years, 9 months ago #4040
Thundar
This site is near death...emulation has declined also.
Re: this site.... 7 years, 9 months ago #4041
Headrush69
It definitely seems like it.
Vanilla Gamer has been down, don't hear much from OpenEMU twitter page, has been quiet on the the Retroarch front, only thing constantly changing is MAME and WINE. (which isn't always a good thing in some cases)
Yup, but as people age, their life changes course & what they used to be doing gets put aside for new hobbies & new things in life & consoles get more modernized, having more attention on them,
menace690
A lot of attention is put on RetroPie as well. Having a dedicated emulation station for 50 bucks is a pretty sweet deal.
I for one check this site everyday still and will continue to do so even though I almost never open an emulator anymore. I do hope that we can get archive.vg to represent a larger video game community one day.
I open OpenEmu about 9 times a week, best thing as far as I'm concerned
mossy_11
Like menace, I visit everyday even though I don't do much emulation nowadays (I pretty much only use Mini vMac and Sheepshaver, then occasionally something else for research purposes). And I keep the Video Game Media of the Day ticking along.
I think the exciting stuff in emulator development is behind us now, and the remaining challenges are things like cycle accuracy and the really difficult systems (Saturn, newer consoles, platforms that have no surviving documentation).
I have a partially-written news roundup dating back to early January that I never found time to finish. Was thinking of changing the news roundup format to have a few paragraphs of highlights and then a list of everything else, but I've been focused on other things — life gets busy when you're juggling full-time work (freelance, in my case) with study and several side/hobby gigs. It'd be great if someone else could put their hands up to take over news or do some blogging or whatever.
dickmedd
I grip to MacScene (omnipresent in my bookmarks bar for at least 8 years?) like an Internet safety blanket. I emulate regularly, but accept the fact that maybe we're just done talking about it? I'm predomoninatly an GNU/Linux user these days, not the fanboy I once was, and don't know why I visit here daily anymore. I'd gladly contribute to preserve an emulator DB on archive.vg, but I think these boards just aren't the same anymore. I've never met any of you IRL, but there's a familiarity about you all that's incomparable and more lasting than any other online experience I've ever had. I'm also definitely drunk.
HelixNRG
I'd come more often if the latest emulator news was updated more often
Or has it been that there just hasn't been any news of new and updated emulators for OS X?
I've noticed the decline in popularity in emulators over the years...I don't remember having to roll my own from source code back in the 1990s, when the craze seemed to be at its peak.
Or it's simply been a matter of interests not aligning - while I find console games interesting, they take a back seat to my fondness for Apple II and IIGS, classic Mac, Japanese PCs (like PC88, PC98, etc) and MS-DOS, Amiga and ST. And interest in those seems to be waning (?).
I'd love to see Open Emu officially supporting arcade stuff too, but that doesn't seem to be a priority either.
It's a combo of things I think. People get older, lose interest in what they used to do, move on to things that require more time....& then new systems come out, more time on them...but for me, the old games will always be fun too. In fact I prefer side scrolling 2d games. I watched my son play Call Of Duty Modern Warfare, looks great, but doesn't interest me...Contra tho still interests me. Maybe cuz I'm more into old school things, than these modern games. Long live the older games.
Richard Bannister
I basically moved on from my projects when it was obvious that OpenEmu had blown them completely out of the water
To be fair though, it'd likely have happened anyway. As other posters have said, interests change over time... though it is tempting to try to roll a new version of Emulator Enhancer in Swift.
Perhaps some day...
Roger Manuel
I think there is definitely more room for more things in Mac emulation. Emulators on Mac are getting better with taking care of basic user emulator features (video, audio, input controls, etc.), and some emulators even have sporadic support for more advanced features like video filters, cheats, or save states. But developer features like GDB remote debugging, RAM watch, register writes, VRAM previews, and LUA scripting simply don't exist in Mac emulators. But I've seen several emulators on the Windows (and even Linux) side that do have these features. In other words, Mac emulators can't produce cool emulation-related content like TAS videos, ROM hacks, homebrew ROMs, or fan translations. If you want to do these things, you have to run Windows (or WINE).
On the Mac side, we're still trying to get our basic end-user features working in a native Mac interface, whereas other platforms, especially Windows, already have this established. OpenEmu is the shortcut to getting a whole bunch of emulators working natively on the Mac, and it does an extremely good job as an end-user focused frontend. But I don't see OpenEmu ever getting into the really advanced developer features. The current state of the project and the design of its GUI simply don't fit that paradigm.
This is why I still see a place for standalone emulators taking on the role of exposing every advanced emulation feature available for its platform, while multi-emulator frontends like OpenEmu take on the role of providing casual gaming that is easily accessible. And this is why I haven't given up on the Mac port standalone DeSmuME. I want Mac DeSmuME to have full feature parity with the Windows version while still feeling like a native Mac app. And I want Mac users to be able to generate NDS-related content without having to resort to using Windows or WINE.
I applaud Richard Bannister for doing so much for Mac emulation in the last generation (I grew up on all of his emulators!), and I applaud, and I also work with, the OpenEmu team for the current generation of casual gaming focused emulation. But there needs to be emulators with advanced developer features so that we can do our own content creation on our own platform. So I don't think Mac emulation is dying. It just needs to take its next step. Here's to the next generation of Mac coders to take it there!
seanstar
Wow... yeah, I was wondering how the heck I was still on the "most active" list...
I've been doing some indie dev stuff that is not really emulation-related since no emulator I know supports the PowerGlove: www.psychsoftware.org/portfolio/?tab=Software&sec=Games (still, feel free to news it if you want). However, in the long and winding road since I was last on here regularly, I did manage to break some pretty big related news on nesdev; namely serendipitously acquiring the full source code to the onboard COP888 ROM on the PowerGlove, meaning that full accurate emulation ought to now be possible if anyone is inclined. Thread's at forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?p=95284#95284
What brought me back here for an actual sniff around was wondering if there are any good bank-at-once NES CHR rip/edit tools. Just as a what-the-heck side project to freshen myself up for interviews in Unity, I've found myself building a PPU homage which can take image-conversions of 128x128px CHR banks, slice & palletize them (on the fly, no less), and use them to build nametables, etc. with most of the bells and whistles of actual NES hardware. All the heavy lifting for backgrounds is done (including optional parallax effects); I'll probably start on sprites tomorrow. Temporary demo at www.psychsoftware.org/stuff/temp/UPPU_Web/UPPU_Web.html
But to get the CHR banks to work with, I've been relying on either
source BMPs from homebrews I've made myself, or
crafting a tedious process of manually reading iNES headers in a hex editor, copying the CHR block into a new file, unix-splitting that file, and script-processing the 8k chunks through an old chr2bmp dev tool I have kicking around.
Squirrel's tile-by-tile editor runs, but doesn't seem to do bank-at-once, and the last time I remember running a bank-at-once tool on Mac was in the OS8/9 days...
Oh, and I will reiterate the big props to Richard. My needs haven't really progressed since what is now "last gen," so I'm still mainly running his stuff. If OpenEmu has surpassed Nestopia, BSNES, etc., has anything out there surpassed AudioOverload? Yes, you can get plugins or other multi-players that do games on the side, but thus far their interfaces have all proven horrendous for navigating old chiptune formats...
vitaflo
I do agree props to Richard. I still run all his emu's on my old Mac Mini. Once you reach a certain point of emulation on systems, it's hard to see much more improvement. Doesn't mean the emu is dead, just "figured out".
Eventually MAME, now that it includes MESS, will run everything and probably accurately. I actually think this will be a good thing. It gives one binary to target for a frontend, etc, instead of having to configure a dozen different emu's. The next 10 years on this front should be exciting.
Mame & Mess I used to have fun with. I'm not a techie like most of you, I like things simple, & MacMame was simple...had it all, even cheats. Mess was simple too, back then. But since MacMame became unplayable on new OSs, and SDL versions are confusing as heck, & the front end I can never get it working.
I'm going to give QMC2 a go again as a frontend, although I do find it overly confusing. Oh for the days of MacMAME. Why do emulator developers not think like that anymore to make emulation is easier for all users (OpenEmu accepted)?
Anyways, QMC2 seems to get more complicated because now MAME and MESS are now combined in the SDL binary for OS X. I've got no idea how to setup MESS with QMC2, to specify the BIOS of each system I want to emulate (hopefully the BIOS ROMs I found for v0.149 on the Internet Archive are still good enough for v0.163.
But if ANYONE has setup MESS with QMC2 on Mac OS X, I'd love to hear from you.
I've been given a link to QMC2's forums, and I hope to get some help from there too: t.co/DEECLjkSbs (Thanks to R0ni, who maintains the SDL binaries for OS X).
Nice work on the PowerGlove ROM, seanstar!
What does bank-at-once mean?
I assume you mean to do something to a whole CHR bank with one operation. But exactly what, I can't figure out. Import/Export?
The relevant project was/is the PPU emulator I put together in Unity (macscene.net/component/kunena/75-emulati...ityppu?Itemid=0#4062). The ROM development pipeline I know always involved full 128x128px 256-tile 8k CHR banks (1 pattern table) and there used to be tools to view/extract/swap a whole bank at a time. I was looking to rip some tilesheets from an actual game or two and see if I could mock the scenes up in my PPU emulator, but when I need to grab 256 tiles for a full pattern table, doing that 1 tile at a time is a pain.
MetalDragon
No news update since November (over 8 months)
Where do you guys get your news fixes and talk about mac and emulation and related stuff?
It definitely has been a long time since we did any updates. I'm open to ides if anyone is interested in helping out.
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Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna listened to the problems of general public in Janta Milan
Dehradun, April 23:
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna listened to the problems of general public in Janta Milan at Chief Minister Residence on Monday and instructed the concerned officers to provide immediate solutions to their problems on the spot. He also sanctioned relief fund for the needy persons.
Chief Minister Bahuguna said that the State Government was committed towards the welfare of the common man. He said that the District Magistrates had been given instructions to provide solutions to the problems of the public in district level itself. He said that they had been asked to listen patiently the problems of the general public and resolve them in District and Tehsil levels then and there so that the public do not have to visit the Capital city.
Answering to the question raised by the media, Chief Minister Bahuguna said that the great number of people visiting in Janta Milan was a clear indication that their faith towards state government had increased. Chief Minister also sanctioned relief fund to the people for medical treatment, financial assistance and also issued instructions to the concerned officials to resolve problems pertaining to disability, widow and old age pensions.
Karnprayag MLA Anusuyya Prasad Maikhuri along with former Purola MLA Rajesh Jwantha and the delegation of public representatives called on the Chief Minister and apprised him about the problems of the local people.
There will be no Janta Milan program at CM Residence on Tuesday.
According to the information received, the CM would be at Rishikesh to flag Off Char Dham Yatra at 10.30 am. After that, he will visit Shaheed Sthal located at Haridwar Road, Rishikesh and pay his tribute.
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The Soldier Dreams too Late
written by Leigh Kennicott October 31, 20213:44 pm updated on October 31, 2021
Placek, Moorman, Sullivan, Coner Lane. Photo courtesy Open Fist.
In Canadian Daniel MacIvor’s short play (70 min), The Soldier Dreams, David, the central character (played variously by Ethan Niven and David Shofner), lies in a coma. He is dying, we infer, of AIDS near the height of the epidemic in the nineties.
We learn of him through the interactions of his dysfunctional family: The oldest, Tish (Amy Moorman), is particularly unpleasant and controlling. Her husband, Sam (Casey Sullivan), is a decent enough guy who keeps his opinions mostly to himself, while youngest sister, Judy (Stephanie Crothers on the day I attended), we are told, is a flibbertigibbet. Ethereal David watches over the scene, making sense of the comatose David’s mutterings even though his family and even his live-in lover (Conor Lane) cannot.
Director Amanda Weir has more than enough space in which to enact the interplay between scenes, which gives the entire enterprise a laconic pace.
Since the action veers from David’s hospice bed to dream sequences of David’s fateful encounter with an exotic stranger (Schuyler Mastain), the enigmatic setting features construction girders that symbolize a disco, surrounding the realistic bedding (all designed by Jan Monroe). Despite Matt Richter’s well-designed lighting, the lack of a backdrop, however, causes some action to disappear into the expansive darkness. The rest of Open Fist’s design team works competently to support the entire enterprise.
The play harks to earlier works on the epidemic such as the Normal Heart, and in MacIvor’s rendition, the story of a chance encounter between David and a stranger has become all too familiar. Perhaps AIDS’ global impact was the reason that Open Fist chose this play to open its first production since the beginning of COVID. But, since our current pandemic doesn’t seem to affect David’s hapless family as we feel in our current moment, the production fails to make a connection.
The Soldier Dreams alternates with Never Swim Alone Saturday at 8:30, Sunday at 7:00 pm and Monday at 8:15 pm through December 12th. For both plays proof of vaccination is required. Admission is by recommended donation of $20. Consult www.openfist.org for more details.
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Marking an animal as sold or died
When animals leave your farm, you should mark them as 'sold' or 'died'.
It is important to mark animals as sold or died when they leave your farm. This will keep the database clean and up-to-date.
When an animal is marked as sold or died, its record will remain in the database, but the animal will no longer be monitored. The animal's active device will automatically be unassigned.
An animal can only be marked as sold or died in the Datamars Livestock web app.
To mark an animal as sold or died:
On the Animals screen, select the animals you want to mark.
Click ... in the top right-hand corner and select Mark as sold or Mark as died.
When an animal has died or has been sold, you will also need to remove its active device. This can be re-used on a new animal or stored for later use.
Removing an active device
Re-using an active device on a new animal
Storing an active device
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New in the Shop: Standard 25-piece Hnefatafl Game
Classic 25-piece Hnefatafl Game getting ready for play
Sunday, 22nd December 2013
The latest addition to the range of games in The Hnefatafl Shop is the Standard 25-piece Hnefatafl Game. With this game comes a balance between cost and elegance. It was created for customers who like the style and handling of the Deluxe 25-piece game but need something at a lower price. This set bridges the gap between the economical Basic range and the Deluxe.
The pieces are the same attractive wooden pawns that the Deluxe set uses, which give the game some of its old-fashioned Victorian feel. And the board pattern is the same, too, with nine rows of nine 1-inch (25mm) squares. This combination makes for easy handling, even for those with bigger fingers.
The board is of the same simple construction as the Basic range of games, and the pieces are supplied in a drawstring pouch. The rules booklet is the same as that supplied with all 25-piece games, containing three sets of rules: tablut, tawlbwrdd and sea battle tafl.
The Hnefatafl Shop, a subsidiary of the board game company Cyningstan, was created to provide a specialist on-line shop for hnefatafl. It forms part of the site Hnefatafl: the Game of the Vikings, which draws on over a decade of research to promote the game of hnefatafl and to provide information about its history, rules and strategy. By specialising in one game, The Hnefatafl Shop can offer a better range of products than more general gaming outlets.
Damian Walker, proprietor of The Hnefatafl Shop, said: "This game is a product specifically requested by customers. It fills the gap nicely between the most economic and the most luxurious games, and I think its smart but simple good looks will appeal to people."
The game is available from http://tafl.cyningstan.com/shop/842/standard-25-piece-hnefatafl-game
Related Product: Classic 25-piece Hnefatafl Game
This hnefatafl game is the standard by which others should be measured. Priced lower than the Deluxe game, the standard game still offers simple elegance that makes it an attractive ornament for the coffee table while not in use. The board is made from beech plywood, and measures 10 inches (250mm) square. It is coated with a cellulose lacquer to give it a smooth, glassy feel, and is then polished with beeswax. The playing area consists of nine rows ... (read more...)
Price: £24.95+P&P Out of stock. Order:
See your basket to check out products.
New Product: Basic 37-piece Hnefatafl Game
New Product: Deluxe 25-piece Hnefatafl Game
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Wednesday: The Infowars Nightly News: REVEALED: Trump Tax Reform — Will Ryan Sabotage?
On this Wednesday, April 26th, 2017 broadcast of the Infowars Nightly News, Trump takes the lead on tax reform, delivering a plan that looks like the one he campaigned and won on. But Paul Ryan and the Democrats are trying to tell us that tax cuts create budget deficits. David Knight looks at the details of what has been proposed and debunks the myth of increased deficits — tax cuts historically have INCREASED tax revenue. Deficits come from even greater spending.
Tags: Paul Ryan, Tax Reform, Taxes, Trump.
Tuesday: The Infowars Nightly News: Establishment Moves To Delegitimize Breitbart, Alt-Media
On this Tuesday, April 25th, 2017 broadcast of the Infowars Nightly News, Chuck Schumer Says If Breitbart, New York Times Are Given Equal Credibility, ‘You Worry About This Democracy’. Meanwhile, the establishment works to protect their bubble as they destroy prominent conservative voices and block new media from joining ranks. - Watch now
Tuesday: The Alex Jones Show. Chobani CEO Threatens Infowars With Lawsuit Over Sour Claims Against Him And His Company’s Immigration Policies
Tuesday, April 25th 2017: Donald Trump's 'The Wall' - The president has signaled he may back off a demand for the latest federal funding bill to include a down payment on the southern border wall, yet another delay on a major campaign promise. Regardless, illegal border crossings reach the lowest figures in decades. Also, the entire US Senate meets at the White House for a briefing on the North Korea situation. On today's show, trends researcher Gerald Celente discusses the wave of populism sweeping the globe and gives his predictions on a Marine Le Pen victory in France. Breitbart Texas editor Ildefonso Ortiz also fills us in on what's happening on the ground at the border. We'll also take your calls during this worldwide transmission. - Watch now
Monday: The Alex Jones Show. Globalism V. Nationalism Round 2: Establishment-Backed Macron And Populist Le Pen Face Off For The Presidency
Monday, April 24: French Election: Nationalism Vs Globalism - The French presidential election will be a turning point in the worldwide fight against globalism. President Trump took another jab at the mainstream media after they released polls showing he would still beat Hillary Clinton in a popular vote. Tommy Robinson of Britain First will join the show to discuss radical Islam. We'll take your calls on this worldwide transmission. Tune in! - Watch now
Nightly News for Monday, April 24, 2017
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for Elisabeth, February 1997
last modified March 20, 1999
PG-13. This fanfiction occurs before Forever Knight's episode "The Black Buddha," after the flashbacks of "The Human Factor." Please see the endnote for disclaimers, credits and all that good stuff.
Alma sighed, staring at the gutted innards of the Raven. Fully illuminated for day, the windowless nightclub looked somehow abandoned and violated; the construction workers she was supervising had all gone off on their lunch break, leaving her to a solitary bottle of Janette's finest. And it was indeed Janette's finest, as Janette was not around to object. Rot Lacroix, anyway, Alma thought, pouring herself another glass and vaguely regretting that a certain well-matured electrician had not returned alone to fetch the jacket he'd forgotten. Next time, she would have to be sure he left something more significant behind -- his wallet, perhaps.
Finishing her drink, Alma rose from her booth and carefully disposed of the bottle behind the bar, rather then in one of the construction crew's recycling bins lined up against the far wall. It was not that she had anything against recycling -- in fact, having a vampire's more-than usual stake in the future, she considered herself quite "green," as the current term colored her opinions -- but while her ever-present goblet of red liquid might add something to the mystique of the exotic designer in black and gold who insisted on personally supervising the job, this was her second bottle of the day and she really could not allow the workmen to think her dependent on her drink for anything but effect. That was something she had learned from Janette's example, before the Raven's last owner had finally tired of using mortal bartenders; human employees are so much less trouble when they think you are well above their own weaknesses.
Lacroix would twist his lip halfway between a laugh and a sneer at that, Alma thought, glancing quickly around the Raven to confirm she was unobserved before flying up to check the view from the height the new stage would soon occupy. He would approve of the superiority, yes, the dominance, but when it came to mortals, he would simply drain a problem and be done. Management/labor relations at their most basic. The old vampire never did properly appreciate that mortals were a limited resource, taking so long to breed and grow before they were useful for anything more than a quick snack. It was probably due to his being brought across in the teeming countries of the south, the Scandinavian vampire flattered herself, where day never outlasted night, and life and labor were never more precious than the conquered inhabitants of the nation next-door. She on the other hand, had learned as a mortal child that a full plate of tough meat was far preferable to a single mouthful of sweetbread. She felt momentarily better for having a stand from which to disdain him.
"No," she had told Lacroix when he had approached her that last night in Janette's Raven. Unwilling to waste what she knew would be her final free evening in Toronto for a good, long time, Alma had spread her annoyance around with the current idioms she knew discomfited the ancient vampire: "N -- O. What part of 'No' don't you understand?"
"Alma," Lacroix had whispered, his tone hovering on the edge of warning like a radio tuned one frequency too short. It was more menacing than even an outright threat could have been, and Alma had gulped down the rest of her drink just to give her hands something to do other than tremble. This is ridiculous, she had thought; he's Janette's master, not mine.
Alma had reached up to signal Miklos's replacement-in-training for another drink, but Lacroix had caught her wrist, clasping it just hard enough to deliberately impress upon her how gentle he was being. "Hungry, my dear? And why shouldn't you be, living forever on Janette's hospitality? It does not have to be like that."
"It is not like that, old man!" Alma had snapped, breaking his hold on her wrist in a gesture that would have shattered the arm of a human, and striding across the dance floor toward the exit. Confronting him, she had felt her eyes burn and her fangs slip into place, and had not cared.
The sure knowledge that it was not, in fact, "like that," had not been enough to ward off the embarrassment of appearing dependent. Unlike most of the youngsters who roomed in the basement of the Raven, Alma was neither poor nor abandoned. Well into her fourth century, she had created furniture for the Sun King and wallpaper with Morris. But ever since a traumatic experience as a new convert, when a mortal servant -- foreign, and newly employed by her peripatetic master Nissa -- had unwittingly opened to the summer sun all the shutters in her bedchamber, Alma had had an absolute, irrational terror of sleeping alone. When she and Terry had split up almost three years ago, she'd had to ask Janette for shelter, and though there had been a few friendships and flings in the meantime, she had still had to resort to the Raven as often as not. She knew Janette did not hold it against her, but despite the bargain meant to salvage her pride -- in which she had remodeled the Raven just before that catalogue photo shoot -- the embarrassment of her weakness was compounded by the humiliation of how that weakness appeared to others.
Alma shook her head at the memory now, and perched herself on the ladder in the center of the dance floor, under the new lighting system. Locking her ankles around the top rung and reaching up into the fixtures to confirm that the heat sensors were wired to the sprinklers, she reflected that Lacroix never did anything without calculation. When he had appeared at her business suite that next evening, he had done so with a proper appointment made through her assistant. Colleen must certainly have been hypnotized, for she was too good an assistant to have forgotten and accepted a new client against orders; but Alma had appreciated the gesture, anyway, and the provocation of the previous night had played her directly into his hands.
"Janette has given me the Raven," Lacroix had said urbanely, his long limbs somehow elegantly distributed even on the folding chair which was all she'd had to offer in her half-packed office. "As you know." He raised one eyebrow. "Janette is leaving Toronto. As you also know." He had paused there, and had not continued until Alma nodded. "You are preparing to leave as well, which your assistant was kind enough to tell me, so that I did not need to deduce it from the boxes near the door and the . . . accommodations . . . in here." Lacroix had then fallen silent again.
"Yeah, I'm leaving," Alma had confirmed, leaning back in her chair. Here in her own office, on a working night, wearing a tailored suit rather than an evening gown, she had been neither predator nor prey, but master in her own right, and she had regretted that the scene she had allowed the night before would have an impact on the carefully-cultivated world of her craft. At least the studio was already closed up, she had told herself. "I'm glad you understand that, Lacroix, because then you'll see that there is no way I can do what you're asking in the time remaining." Even if I wanted to do it at all, she had not added aloud.
Lacroix had steepled his fingers. "Janette has given me the Raven. The Raven has a role in my plans to reclaim Nicholas. For it to play that role, I need the stage properly set. I would no more undertake the task myself with you available to me than I would remove a bullet in the presence of Nicholas's pet doctor."
His pedantic tone had made Alma first bristle, then smile with condescension. "I'm flattered, but the fact remains; I'm leaving too soon to complete the task, and you've offered nothing that could tempt me to stay."
"Have I not?" he had asked, uncrossing his legs and leaning forward with an intense expression. "Then allow me to do so now. I meant what I said about your . . . dependence . . . on Janette's hospitality. I know what your problem is, and I can lead you out of it."
"Really." Alma had remarked flatly, scraping her memory simultaneously for how he could know, and how far she could trust him.
"Janette cannot keep from me anything I truly wish to know," he said patiently. "And I am quite willing to pay in advance for this service, as it is . . . my abilities . . . in question, not yours. Shall we say tomorrow, two hours before sunrise? At my townhouse? Feel free to bring . . . a friend."
"I'll do that," Alma had answered, and then whipped a blank sketchpad out of the top drawer of her desk. "So just how bad do you want the Raven to look?"
Done examining the ceiling's electronic innards, Alma blinked to adjust her vision and then surveyed the embryonic Raven-"lite." Lacroix was getting what he wanted. The only things she had been unable to bring herself to touch were the chains -- the dear, elegant, post-industrial chains -- though even they looked cheap and tawdry in this new atmosphere. More lights, more tables, garish colors, a stage that was more display case than performance venue: she was glad that Janette would not be around to see the grand re-opening. The former proprietor might not stake her for her part in this . . . might not.
And was it worth it? Alma asked herself again, meditatively climbing down the ladder -- aluminum: she had insisted that metal equipment be substituted for wood whenever it could be -- and returning to the bar. She had long since forgiven Nick Knight for his prissy attitude about that balding mortal detective; after all, she would be just as upset if someone tried to take her Colleen before she was finished with the woman. So she was not getting any satisfaction out of furthering Lacroix's plans on that front. And the artistic satisfaction in this job, what there was of it, was mainly of a perverse sort: dismantling and inverting all the work of her renovations two years before.
Alma poured herself another glass of wine-laced blood and strolled slowly from the bar to the booth where her diagrams were laid out, thinking as she did that each step might be echoing in the dreams of the vampires who were even then asleep below. Urs was down there, the sweet, eager newcomer who had pitched in when Alma had discovered that Miklos, Brianna, Mirah and Sylvia had all already left. That must have been a very busy week for Aristotle, she thought, and Alma wondered if Janette had known how thoroughly her departure would destabilize their community. They depended on her, more than she ever acknowledged. Seating herself, Alma shivered at the thought of what it would mean to be a vampire in Toronto with this strange, new Lacroix in charge of this strange, new Raven. She had done Urs no favors, introducing them like that.
Urs and Alma had arrived at Lacroix's townhouse two hours before dawn, as specified. They had waited on his porch like teenagers who had forgotten their keys until he arrived home from his shift at that radio station. Nervousness had turned into embarrassment and then annoyance. "About time, old man," Alma had snapped, earning herself a shocked look from Urs's wide eyes, and an amused glance from Lacroix's narrow ones.
"My . . . apologies, ladies," he had said as he unlocked the heavy door. "Traffic, you know."
Urs had laughed at the sally -- Lacroix had flown, not driven -- but Alma had continued to glare. He had wanted something from her, and it had been up to him to make her want to give it. Tardiness was far from the best beginning to a working relationship.
He had ushered them inside, not bothering to light the long, narrow entryway as he stepped in front of them to open a door to a room Alma deemed a parlor -- the contemporary term "living room" simply did not do it justice. The furniture had seemed eclectic, from a perfectly-replicated Roman divan near the Elizabethan harpsichord, to an ultra-modern glass table perched on a steel pyramid, but somehow everything came together to define a gap that only Lacroix could fill. Alma had approved.
"So how do we go about this?" Alma had asked, seating herself on a sturdy chair behind the glass table and wondering idly if Lacroix would be keeping this house or moving into Janette's vacated apartments in the Raven.
"First," Lacroix had replied, removing his coat. "You take off your wraps. Then you introduce your companion."
"I'm Urs," the girlish American vampire had said, smiling and moving straightforwardly to shake his hand. Instead, Lacroix had caught her by the fingers and turned her wrist, kissing her knuckle in a way that would have brought a blush to Urs's cheeks had she fed more recently.
"And I . . . am Lucien Lacroix." Releasing Urs's hand and gaze, Janette's master had moved over to the one unshuttered window in the room, and then turned again to Alma. "Now if Urs will make herself comfortable over by the harpsichord, and you will come here, we can begin."
"Why there?" Alma had asked, looking askance at the floor-to-ceiling expanse of unshielded glass. "I mean, since you know my . . . situation . . . I thought you would hypnotize me." Even as the words had come boldly out of her mouth, she had cursed herself for stupidity. Just because he was older than the primordial ooze and his every step blasted power like a severed gas line did not mean that he could whammy other vampires, no matter what the stories said. But what else could help her? This is a mistake, she had told herself, and risen to go.
"While I appreciate your estimate of my abilities," Lacroix had intoned unreadably, "nothing that intrusive will be necessary. Do sit . . . Alma." Faced with that iron command, she had obeyed. "Now, it seems as if your . . . situation . . . is the direct result of a fledgling trauma, when you were trapped beneath the blankets of your bed for almost three days, under windows opened to the unsetting sun of the far-northern summer. Your master had left you alone while she went on an impromptu trip, necessarily taking her household mortals with her for protection from that self-same sun. Finally, driven by hunger, you made a mad dash across the room to the door, suffering severe burns in the process. Is that an accurate summation?"
Alma had nodded sharply, refusing to meet either his eyes or Urs's. Her vampiric memory had presented her with the incident more vividly than could even the fiction of virtual reality, every detail fresh and painful: her throat again hoarse with unanswered screams, her nostrils again raw with the smell of her own burned flesh. Her expression had not wavered, but she had been afraid it would if she saw either the scorn or compassion she expected from each, respectively. It was bad enough that they knew her weakness; it was bad enough that she had a weakness at all.
"How long had you been a vampire when this occurred?" Lacroix had asked. "Weeks? Days?"
"A month," Alma had answered. "Or six weeks. Nissa brought me across just when the last of the snow had retreated to the tops of the mountains." Lacroix's eyebrows had quirked briefly at that, and Alma had bristled. "So?"
"So, you were an infant in your vampire body, more fragile, in many ways, than even a mortal." His words had dripped honey, and Alma had wondered if the fascinated Urs was aware of the bees which always come with that sweet. "At that critical time, your emotions were dependent on your master for stabilization, as your body continued to reform itself level after level, system after system." His tone had turned pedantic again, professorial. "It is not widely known, but a vampire, come across by a matter of hours, is actually still capable of consuming food and withstanding sunlight, though the more and better blood taken in, the less time that intermediate -- pupae, if you will -- stage lasts. Now, I know much of terror -- how to cause it, how to employ it. Vampire or mortal, much the same. There are many ways to combat it --"
In mid-sentence, Lacroix had moved with more than vampiric speed, catching up Alma and carrying her to the unshuttered window before she could think to struggle. As he had moved against the frame, she had recovered herself, her fangs dropping and her eyes swirling red; she had begun to kick and hit him. Lacroix had set her on her own feet, but continued to hold her in front of the window in a grip she could not break, his arms pinning hers like a metal clamp on a block of soft wood. Urs had moved to pull the string attached to the shutters, but the ancient vampire had warned her off, his voice calm and his eyes icy blue.
"There is no need for that, Urs. This is exactly what Alma needs. I am standing here with her, if you doubt her safety." The sun had begun to peek over the buildings across the street, and Alma had all but ceased her struggles as her old fear crept over her, dragging at her limbs like a bath of concrete. Lacroix's words had poured into her as a sunbeam broke through a gap between buildings and hit them both. "That hurts, does it not? But not as badly as you remember. Think, Alma. Find the difference between the past and the present. Your skin smokes now, but it does not yet burn. See how much you can take? See how strong you are? You need no one to defend you from this. You can withstand it alone. This cannot be used to trap you so, a vampire grown, ever again. There are as yet no flames --"
Alma had wailed as that statement was suddenly belied by the sun's growing intensity, and hearing her, Urs had yanked the shutters closed and knocked the two smoking vampires away from the window. Kneeling at Alma's side and chanting the soothing falsehood that everything was okay now, Urs had checked her burns -- Alma's bare hands, face, and neck had all ignited in that final second -- and then stared up accusingly at Lacroix. "What kind of monster are you?"
"A very effective one, Urs," Lacroix had grunted, checking his own exposed skin and finding no damage. "Judge me by the results of my actions, if judge you must. There are two chambers to be found on this level, one with twin beds and one with a large, single bed. Both are well-stocked with blood; both are prepared for you to use as you see fit today, a fitness I presume you will consider based on the goal of this . . . encounter." He had nodded his head in a gesture which somehow resembled a bow, and then left the room.
Sitting in the booth which served as the command center of the Raven's remodeling, Alma unthinkingly crushed the goblet in her fist as she struggled to free herself of the memory of that morning in Lacroix's home: Urs helping her to the nearest bedchamber, securing the shutters, practically pouring the blood into her. Alma sighed at the spilled wine and broken glass now covering the corner of the table, and resignedly returned to the bar to look for a dustpan and towel. At least the goblet had been almost empty; she had gulped its contents instinctively as her memory replayed her injuries in slow-motion agony.
It had not been at all what she had expected and planned for, and her anger had been an even more effective analgesic than the undiluted human blood Lacroix had provided in generous quantities; but somewhere between the experience itself and the anger and humiliation it inspired, Lacroix's bizarre shock-treatment had actually wrought some good. After they had both fed, Alma had sent Urs to the other room, promising to call if she needed her. At first, Alma had wanted privacy only to rant at Lacroix in an archaic Norwegian dialect, but eventually she had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion, suffering, at last, no ill effects from having her ally in the next room, rather than in the next bed or on the next pillow. It was not a cure, but it was a beginning. Alma smiled absently, kneeling down to reach the cleaning-supplies cabinet under the bar. Nissa always said that beginnings were like fish in a net. The next time Alma tracked down her master, she would have to remember to ask what that was supposed to mean. Something about being able to sell them, eat them, or pitch them back, if she recalled correctly.
Caught up in her thoughts, Alma missed hearing the mortal's approach until he was well inside the Raven. She cracked her head on the bottom of the bar as she jumped to her feet. "Unh!" she grunted in annoyance, and then drew the sound out into a pained whimper when she noticed the mortal staring at her. It was that middle-aged electrician who had forgotten his coat. Dave something. Grey? No: Graham. Dave Graham.
"That's going to be a nasty bump, Ms. Narvik," he said consolingly. "Would you like me to take a look?"
"No!" Alma said, quickly placing her hand over the spot which would have been bruising badly had she been human. "No, that's all right. I was just looking for a dustpan; I've managed to break a glass." She gestured over toward her booth.
"Well, that's easily dealt with," he smiled, reaching for a box near his feet. He came up with a dustpan and hand-sized broom, and Alma waved him over to the mess she had made, smiling in return. What wine there was, was nearly dry, and he meticulously swept the bench and floor as well as the table, not missing a fold or crack as he looked for stray shards.
"Dave -- may I call you Dave?" Alma asked, leaning weakly against the booth to better play up the pain of her supposed injury. "How much longer will this job last for you?"
"Well," he said, carrying the dustpan carefully to a rubbish heap. "The carpentry guys will be here well through next week, but I expect to be done tomorrow."
"So you won't be coming here any longer? This particular crew won't expect to see you?"
"Pretty much." He flashed her a hesitant grin as he returned to the booth.
"Well, then, Dave," Alma said, breaking out the most seductive smile in her repertoire that did not involve fangs. "Are you free tomorrow night?" She had worked long and hard to set the stage for the charade by which Lacroix planned to lure Nick back into the fold, and though she had accepted his payment, surely he would not object to her taking advantage of the . . . fringe benefits. After all, she planned to get the maximum use out of this Dave before draining him. Which reminded her: if she could hold her new fish, as it were, she would not need to worry about disposing of the body and making it back to the Raven by dawn. Delighted at the thought, she leaned in close to him and whispered, "How about your place?" I'll be happy to make it mine alone for the day, she did not add aloud.
James Parriot and Barney Cohen created the fantasy television series Forever Knight. The Sony Corporation owns it. It periodically appears on the SciFi Channel. I intend no infringement! Please support Sony and SciFi in all their Forever Knight endeavors!
All characters and situations in this fantasy fanfiction are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to any real people or events is entirely coincidental.
This story is an oblique tribute to Elisabeth's "The Charade, AKA Lacroix at the Raven."
Alma appears on-screen only in "For I Have Sinned," but Janette tells Nick Alma is responsible for the Raven's redesign in "Love You to Death," and also mentions her "decorator" in "Last Act."
I am indebted to Bonnie and Catherine for their editorial suggestions.
Please do not archive, post or distribute this piece; you're welcome to link to it here on my site. I wrote "Renovations" and posted it to fkfic-l in February, 1997. I coded it in HTML and placed it on this website in March, 1999.
Thank you for reading! Comments and constructive criticism are appreciated. Please email me or comment on my LiveJournal or Dreamwidth.
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The Harper Government: dishonest, reckless, stupid
The usual, in other words.
Jerry Ronstead says:
… and a Trudeau or Mulcair government would be even worse. Best to stay with the devil we know because the other devils are outright scary.
que sera sera says:
No doubt more fodder for the Conservatives’ dossiers on suspect Canadians (aka students, aboriginals, immigrants, liberals, feminists, GLBTs, democrats, prisoners, socialists, veterans, childless, singles, atheists, non-Christians, scientists, environmentalists, artists, unemployed, university educated, intellects, pundits, multiculturists, muslims, palestinians, etc. etc.).
“Finley said new policies have been put in place so government staff is more diligent at protecting personal information.”
What we really need are new policies put in place to protect citizens from the outrageous abuses of the Harper government & its taxpayer funded relentless, bilious propaganda machine.
And someone, anyone, within this toxic government, from the PMO on down, actually interested in adhering to policies in the first place.
John Morse says:
Also backbiting, bent, bluffing, cheating, corrupt, crafty, crooked, cunning, deceitful, deceiving, deceptive, designing, disreputable, double-crossing, double-dealing, elusive, false, fraudulent, guileful, hoodwinking, mendacious, misleading, perfidious, recreant, shady, shifty, sinister, slippery, sneaking, sneaky, swindling, traitorous, treacherous, tricky, two-faced, two-timing, unctuous, underhanded, unfair, unprincipled, unscrupulous, untrustworthy, villainous, wily,audacious, brash, breakneck, carefree, careless, desperate, devil-may-care, fast and loose, feckless, foolhardy, harebrained, hasty, headlong, heedless, helter-skelter, hopeless, hotheaded, ill-advised, imprudent, inattentive, incautious, inconsiderate, indiscreet, kooky, madcap, mindless, negligent, overventuresome, playing with fire, precipitate, rash, regardless, temerarious, thoughtless, uncareful, venturesome, venturous, wild,brainless, dazed, deficient, dense, dim, doltish, dopey, dull, dumb, dummy*, foolish, futile, gullible, half-baked, half-witted, idiotic, ill-advised, imbecilic, inane, indiscreet, insensate, irrelevant, laughable, ludicrous, meaningless, mindless, moronic, naive, nonsensical, obtuse, out to lunch, pointless, puerile, rash, senseless, shortsighted, simple, simpleminded, slow, sluggish, stolid, stupefied, thick, thick-headed, trivial, unintelligent, unthinking, witless and tits. H/T Dictionary.com
Bruce A says:
It is so hard to get good help. The myth remains in tact that Reformers are good managers. I am quite certain many in Harper’s cabient have not run a lemonade stand, let alone kept a paper route for more than a week.
E Madsen says:
Certainly NOT unavoidable as Diane Finley says.
And yet, constantly, there are certain “pundits” and “politicos’ of the right wing media that herald the brilliant political mind of one Stephen Joseph Harper, yet under his stewardship, our country seems to stagger from one crisis to another, nobody seems to be minding the store…when Harper finally is ejected from the PMO…the incoming governing party…will no doubt find a sabotaged mess, cooked books, all the Conservatives lies and scheming will come to light…and whomever the new PM will be…will no doubt be aghast over how completely disruptive and a total failure this Harper government was… You heard it here first…the new PM will have to hold a press conference…stating that the business the nation can’t move forward until the ungodly mess Harper will leave behind is remedied. And Canadians will pay through the nose for it…
yet under his stewardship, our country seems to stagger from one crisis to another
I presume you are referring to the inability of anyone else to win an election?
Oh, I see, you win an election and thus have carte blanche to proceed against the grain of 60% of Canadians that voted otherwise. This is the problem with the political agenda of the Conservatives and Harper…not only does the vote reflect that Harper didn’t win the popular vote…but the fact that Harper refuses to represent the will of the Canadian people as PM…only what’s important to the Reformacon agenda…when you become the leader of a country…it’s not winner takes all…is can the winner lead for all.
But why discuss democratic honour when all the right wing can say when its own corruption is unraveled before all…all the right wing say is…”Hey we won!!” As if that somehow excuses the lies, scheming and underhanded erosion of our democracy.
Democracy is precious and fragile system. Why? Because democracy thrives on the honour system. Any fool with a little power can disrupt and erode a democracy. It’s no great feat. Thus we need honourable leaders to make it preserve the legacy and growth of democracy. Make it work.
Unfortunately one Stephen Harper is anything but an honourable leader.
Reuben says:
Dishonest, reckless, stupid? Was there ever a Canadian government that was “honest, careful, intelligent”? 🙂
Shawn Doran says:
I hate it when stuff out of “The Thick of It” comes true, especially when it’s on our side of the ocean. (Though of course in that case it was losing thousands of immigration files on a data stick, but the seriousness of the matter is the same here)
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Current Events & Iniatives
Adaawewigamig
From Discriminations to Meaningful Work:
A Look into the Status of Urban Indigenous Youth Employment.
We are very grateful to the National Association of Friendship Centres for
reaching out to us to take on this work. The Friendship Centres play such
a big role in the lives of so many urban Indigenous youth. Some of us are
“Friendship Centre Babies,” some of us got our first job or role on a Board
at the Friendship Centres and some of us have attended workshops and
programs that have supported our connections to community. So often
the experience of urban Indigenous people is forgotten but the Friendship
Centres are always advocating for better.
We want to extend so much gratitude and humility to all the youth that filled
out our survey! It was just a simple survey with no big incentives
to give back but almost 400 Indigenous youth took the time to
respond to this survey. We take the trust you have in us very
seriously and will use this report to push your voices forward.
_discrimination_to_meaningful_work_report_v5f.pdf
Braiding Grassroots Wisdom
We want to acknowledge all the wisdom and knowledge that was shared with us during the creation of this toolkit from past, present and future Indigenous youth.
Chi-miigwech, kinanastomitanan to Nimkii Azibikoong Youth Collective, The Indigenous Support Project, Young Indigenous Women’s Utopia, Revitalizing Our Sustenance, Chokecherry Studios, Reclaiming Our Roots, Western Arctic Youth Collective, Stoney Nakoda Youth Council, Georgian Bay Anishinabek Youth (GBAY), Indigenous Harm Reduction, Fishing Lake Metis Settlement, Niizh Manidook Hide Camp, our hosts Shanese Steels, Reeta Koostachin and Quinn Mewasige, all the folks that tuned into the webinars and supported
behind the scenes.
Thank you to Assembly of Seven Generations (A7G) and everyone in its network for continuing the work of bringing communities together and working toward the implementation of TRC Call to Action 66. This work
continues for those that have left us too soon, those that needed community the most but could not find it and those that will need community now and in the future.
We would also like to thank the Youth Hope Fund and those that nominated A7G for this fund, a fund that was created from many years of advocacy of Indigenous youth and their supporters who hope to see an end to the
ongoing suicide and mental health crisis that affects so many Indigenous youth. This fund is administered by Indigenous Services Canada.
As well as Tewegan Aboriginal Housing who continues to support the ongoing work of A7G and made this toolkit possible.
Community work is never singular or individual. This toolkit is yet another example of what we can create together.
BraidingGrassrootsWisdon.pdf
Children Back, Land Back: A Follow-Up Report
to the 1st Ever Gathering of First Nation Youth
in Care Advisors - Dec 2021
It was recently announced that an agreement-in-principle has been reached on long-term reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services Program and Jordan’s Principle.
In November 2019, A7G along side the Caring Society and Youth In Care Canada helped facilitate and organize the First-Ever YICC Gathering Of First Nations Youth Advisors which resulted in the creation of Justice, Equity And Culture: The First-Ever YICC Gathering Of First Nations Youth Advisors Report.
The youth we spoke to in 2019 shared their stories as well as their recommendations on a way forward. We listened and honoured their recommendations by hosting a follow-up gathering at a very critical time for the future of youth and children in and from care.
This past November, A7G hosted 2 focus groups and a national survey. In just a few short weeks, we heard from over 100 Indigenous youth and children who had experienced child welfare. The young people that bravely shared their experiences and knowledge with us, offered more guidance and recommendations that influenced the agreement-in-principle which we hope will turn into action and change as soon as possible.
We are happy to share with you the Children Back, Land Back Report: A Follow-Up Report to the 1st Ever Gathering of First Nation Youth In Care Advisors.
Chi-miigwech, kinanaskomitin, qujannamiik, thank you to everyone that took the time to participate and share. Thank you to Ashley Bach, Cindy Blackstock and the Caring Society for your years of advocacy and commitment to seeing justice for children and youth. Thank you for trusting us with this work and we will always continue to fight to see justice for you all.
Children Back, Land Back.pdf
Youth Opportunities Fund - Year 2 & 3 Report
Led by The Students Commission of Canada (2021)
YEAR 2 REPORT
This report was completed to better understand the outcomes of A7G in all the work that they do with Indigenous Youth. Four interviews with people who play different roles in the A7G community were conducted and were later transcribed and analyzed for recurrent themes. The interviewees included
an Elder and advisor to the project, one of the cofounders, a youth participant, and a youth member of the
A7G community who is also on the board.
The recurrent themes found in the interviews were divided into two different sections: (1) What does A7G do?
and (2) How do they do it?
YOF Year 2 Report
This report was completed to better understand the role of the A7G Marketplace in the community: Why it is important and what impacts it is having on youth and the wider community? One focus group was held via Zoom with people who play different roles in the A7G community including both staff and youth participants. This focus group was later transcribed and analyzed for recurrent themes. These themes were divided into 5
different sections described below.
1. The Roots of the Market
2. Strengthening Relationships
3. Building Up Young People
5. Ideas for the Future
Accountability in our Lifetime: A Call to Honour the Rights of
Indigenous Youth & Children (February 2021)
It is unclear how and if Bill S-210 contemplates the unique experiences of First Nations, Metis and Inuit children and youth, and how a Bill of this nature would uniquely impact the lives of First Nations, Metis and Inuit children and youth. The Bill does not contemplate Canada’s long-standing human rights violations against Indigenous children and youth, as substantiated by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (2016 CHRT 2), the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
accountability_in_our_lifetime.pdf
UNICEF: Reimagine Playbook
LAND BACK: Indigenous Youth Leading the Way in Indigenous
Sovereignty (November 2020)
A7G played a unique role in advising on, developing and hosting the Stay In to Speak Out session on Indigenous Sovereignty, which brought together Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth from across Canada who organize within or are interested in the Land Back movement to discuss their experiences and calls to action. The session connected Indigenous youth leaders who are leading sovereignty movements in their territories to discuss needs and goals. Together, we developed a report entitled, Land Back: Indigenous Youth Leading the Way in Indigenous Sovereignty. This report provides an opportunity for all Canadians to have a holistic understanding of the foundation and current actions that encompass some Land Back movements. The following statement provides a small understanding of what was discussed during the session. This is an opportunity to read the report in its entirety and meaningfully participate in the Calls to Action.
https://oneyouth.unicef.ca/sites/default/files/2020-12/Reimagine%20Playbook_FINAL.pdf
Youth Opportunities Fund - Year One Report
Led by The Students Commission of Canada (2020)
Here is our tree model which shows the process of the work we do. To see the full report, download the file below.
YOF Year 1 Report.pdf
Yellowhead Institute Briefings (2020)
To read full briefing on Mapping Indigenous Services Ottawa
To read full briefing on Ethical Research Engagement with Indigenous Youth
Mapping Indigenous Youth Services - Ottawa (2020)
Over the course of three months, we have worked on a report that maps and highlights Indigenous youth services in Ottawa. The findings came from a literature review, environmental scan, community outreach and a focus group (that was held on February 7, 2020), led by Indigenous youth. We want to highlight that this report was researched and written by three Indigenous youth alongside our co founder Gabrielle Fayant.
In addition to the report, we have created an online resource of Indigenous services within the Ottawa region. You can view the resource here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1WrcMfg2dmMjEWADW2tMbWjuKT172FrMB&ll=45.41906177922785%2C-75.70117000000005&z=11
To download file:
mapping_indigenous_youth_services_a7g_-_final_.pdf
Building the Field on Indigenous Youth Healthy Relationships: Initial
Meeting Report (2020)
This report is situated within the context of many other initiatives working to address this violence and support building healthier relationships; however, there remain many challenges. Through the work of Indigenous Youth Voices, summarized in the report “A Roadmap to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #66 and based on hearing from over 500 Indigenous youth in Canada, Indigenous youth reported their challenges and solutions, and how they felt about reconciliation.
To download file:
btf_fnmi_hub_first_meeting_report.pdf
Youth in Care Canada Gathering of First Nations
Youth Advisors (Nov 2019)
The youth who attended the gathering are committed to advocating for child welfare reform and for their communities, families and peers and they are referred to in this report as Youth Advisors. The report also describes historical discrimination in Indigenous child welfare systems, how the gathering was developed and the planning process used by the Youth Advisors to navigate through difficult conversations. The Youth Advisors focused their discussions on child welfare reform and what it would take for Indigenous youth to feel heard and feel important. In addition to their recommendations for child welfare reform, their initial thoughts on
receiving compensation and hoped for next steps are detailed.
38228_chrt_compensation_report_v5_final.pdf
Indigenous Youth Voices - Roadmap to TRC 66 (2018)
The network consists of First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth aged 30 and under. We invited Indigenous youth, youth councils, groups and organizations to unite and work together with the common goal of having our voices heard. Our focus was not on drawing attention to any one particular youth issue, but on connecting existing visions and amplifying the perspectives and priorities that they represent and include them into the roadmap.
"Our realities are important, and despite being the most vulnerable people in this country we are also the fastest growing demographic in Canada. Our priorities matter. Our solutions matter."
final__2_-_indigenous_youth_voices_-_roadmap_to_trc_66_-_compressed.pdf
Indigenous Youth Voices
A Way Forward in Conducting Research With and by Indigenous Youth (2019)
Indigenous Youth Voices (IYV) is excited to announce that, in partnership with the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society (the Caring Society), has received the SSHRC Indigenous Research Capacity and Reconciliation—Connection Grants
Our goal is to ensure that the knowledge produced by this research will empower Indigenous youth to better identify research, programs and services that work and do not work for them, and will also support youth in conducting their own youth-led research. The knowledge shared in the gatherings will inform a position paper to SSHRC on best practices for engaging with Indigenous youth in a holistic and ethical way.
Currently, IYV has conducted 6 sessions in Ottawa, Haida Gwai, Edmonton and Toronto. Sessions included LGBTQ2S+, urban Inuit, Metis, and diverse Indigenous youth leaders from Toronto and Winnipeg.
indigenous_youth_voices_a_way_forward_in_conducting_research_with_and_by_indigneous_youth.pdf
YouthRex - Indigenous Youth Voices
Take Five : Indigenous Youth Voices
IIn 2016, the Honourable Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, Carolyn Bennett, appointed Indigenous youth leaders André Bear, Gabrielle Fayant, and Maatalii Okalik to establish the Voices of Indigenous Youth Council to provide implementation recommendations for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) Call to Action #66: “We call upon the federal government to establish multi year funding for community-based youth organizations to deliver programs on reconciliation, and establish a national network to share information and best practices.” The council developed A Roadmap to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #66 to guide the process, based on surveys and consultations with youth across the country. Gabrielle shared an engaging keynote on Indigenous Youth Voices at YouthREX’s 2018 Knowledge to Action Exchange. Summarized are 5 key messages from this talk.
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The Escalating Obsession with Rarity
With the passing of Thanksgiving, we have more or less officially entered the holiday season. It can be an awkward time of year. But we also know it's a time when many fine beverages will be consumed and shared. Something to look forward to.
What folks will be drinking and sharing is another matter. As Aaron Goldfarb's a recent article in Punch suggests, tastes are increasingly driven by rarity and extreme presentations. We have reached the point where a beer isn't likely to be considered great unless it's rare and racy.
This aligns with what we've seen in recent years, as rare, high-priced beers have established a strong presence in beer shops and many premium grocery stores. Total beer inventories have been rising, but a lot of old standards we used to know and love are gone, displaced by specialty beers.
That trend is a good reflection of the actual beer world. Fans chase rare and crazy stuff and want to be seen drinking it. They aren't going to show up at a bottleshare or similar gathering packing something that's readily available and moderately priced. Perish the thought.
In effect, we've achieved stratification in beer. That may not have been inevitable, but it was the logical result of the growing popularity of craft beer and the rise of super fans in recent years. While the brewery count was exploding, so was the demand for special beers. Examples include barrel-aged, fruit-infused, wild and even ultra hoppy beers.
Meanwhile, many of yesterday's best beers are forgotten. Even if they're still good and highly drinkable, they're too common and made in breweries that are far too big. As Goldfarb says, "There’s nothing 'cool' about [those beers] —no remote brewery to travel to, no can release to line up for, no rarely-seen, iconoclastic brewer to idolize."
Retailers have contributed to what's happening and it's hard to blame them. If you're a retailer, your prime directive is to maximize return per square foot. It's easier to do that with high priced specialty beers than it is if you're selling mainstream craft beer in any form. Breweries have jumped on the bandwagon, as well, offering specialty beers via spendy fan clubs.
Festivals have piled on, too. They strive to offer as many one-off, arguably rare and often extreme beers as they can. Organizers fully realize potential patrons are more likely to attend and pay premium admission prices if they think they're getting something unique, as opposed to tastes of broken down standards.
I tend to look for historic parallels in these trends and there's a feasible one here. As I was reminded while watching the Soundbreaking series on OPB, 45 rpm singles became highly unfashionable once LPs became the artistic standard in the late 1960s. I think we're seeing something similar to that in craft beer, as speciality beers push old, uncool standards into the background.
The trend is supported by a lot of the data we're seeing, data that generally shows many older, larger breweries losing momentum while many newer, smaller breweries gain share. Some of that is probably more closely related to the image new places are selling than the beer, but never mind. Rare and arguably innovative is the current cool.
Where does this lead? I have no idea and I don't think anyone else does, either. Some say beer is simply becoming more like wine. Maybe so. But there's also a chance this is an unsustainable, generational fad that won't last. We shall see.
Posted by Pete Dunlop at November 27, 2016 No comments:
Labels: 2016, craft beer marketplace, rare beer obsession
Lompoc Rolls With Changes at 20
Lompoc Brewing is turning 20. In case you aren't aware, Lompoc was one of the second wave of craft breweries that launched here in the mid-1990s. While some are no longer around, Lompoc has rolled with the punches and continues to carve out a successful path.
Jerry Fechter and Bryan Keilty
They'll be celebrating two decades in December with Zwanzig Fest, a week-long lineup of special events at Lompoc’s five pubs (Zwanzig means 20 in German). Several local brewers and writers, including yours truly, helped brew their anniversary beer, Zwanzig, a bitter Märzen ale.
Purests know authentic Märzen is a lager, not an ale. Never mind. This particular beer is a tip of the hat to Lompoc's first beer, Erst Ale. It will be pale orange in color with a mildly malty body. Eight hop additions ought to give it plenty of aroma, flavor and bitterness.
If craft beer newbies aren't particularly familiar with Lompoc, there's a reason. Which is that, despite operating out of several locations, they have been somewhat obscured by Portland's brewery explosion. When owner Jerry Fechter opened New Old Lompoc in late 1996, there were only a handful of competing breweries.
The story is fairly well-known and is briefly retold in Portland Beer. Fechter had worked at Old Lompoc Brewing in Northwest Portland for several years. The beers were decent, but he felt the food should be better. The lease was always an issue. When the owners negotiated a three-year renewal, Fechter saw an opening and inquired about buying the business during a round of golf.
Soon enough, the owners came back with a number. It was a number Fechter thought he could manage. But as he looked at what needed to be done to move in the direction he wanted, it became apparent that an investor would be needed. Enter legendary publican, Don Younger.
"I had enjoyed beers with Don," Fechter recalls, "but I didn't really know him. A guy at Belmont Station, then next to the Horse Brass on Southeast Belmont, told me Don might be interested in my project. He spoke to Don. The next day, my phone rang. It was Younger."
The call led to a couple months of drinking and discussion, trying to figure out how a partnership might work. Eventually, they hammered out an agreement. Younger became a partner in the business, but stayed mostly in the background while Fechter managed day-to-day operations.
"We knew the food needed to be better," Fechter recalls. "That meant a hood and an improved kitchen. We also realized there was unutilized space in back where we could put a patio. So we built a nice patio, which was busy and a hidden gem in Northwest Portland for many years.
By the time Younger passed away in 2011, he and Fechter had opened additional locations...the Fifth Quadrant, Sidebar and Hedge House. Fechter had also partnered with publican Jim Parker on Oaks Bottom Public House. Today, Fechter operates those locations, as well as Lompoc Tavern, which replaced the original Lompoc pub on Northwest 23rd after it was demolished.
The pub and beer business is a more challenging enterprise these days. You can't get by with a few standard beers and an occasional seasonal. You need seasonals and specialty beers all the time to keep up with all the new places coming online. Head brewer Bryan Keilty is constantly working to develop unique recipes and approaches.
"We know relevance is a challenge with so many new breweries opening," Keilty says. "The attraction of new places isn't new and it doesn't bother us. It just means we need to stay on top of our menu and work to build and maintain a solid beer lineup. That's our focus."
Packaged product is another matter. Lompoc has a handful of bottled beers in distribution via Maletis Beverage. That was strictly 22 oz bombers until last summer, when they launched C-Note and Pampelmousse IPA in 12 oz six-packs. Cans of something may be on the way.
"The strategy with bottles is marketing, getting our name in front of consumers," Fechter says. "That's the main reason we do packaged product. When we saw bomber sales slowing, we launched six-packs. The next step might be cans, but distribution will never be a big part of what we do."
Fechter's thinking is well-informed. He knows the best margin on his beer is in his pubs. Why play the distribution game where the profit per bottle, gallon or keg is small? With retail space getting crowded, some regional and national craft brands are getting squeezed. Meanwhile, a lot of smaller breweries are doing fine. Small and local is a good place to be.
After 20 years in an increasingly competitive business, it's clear enough that Fechter and his team have figured out how to successfully navigate changing times. Congrats on the milestone, folks. See you at Zwanzig Fest.
Labels: 20 years, Bryan Keilty, Jerry Fechter, Lompoc Brewing, Zwanzig Fest
The Myth of Poor Craft Growth
As I mentioned in last week's piece, and as many who follow the industry know, it's not been a stellar year for beer. We've been seeing some pretty low growth numbers since before summer and there's no clear evidence that things have improved. But it's not all gloom and doom.
Oregon Barrel Volume Growth
A big part of what's happening in the overall industry is that light beer is imploding. Bud Light sales were down 4% for Q3 (July-September). Bud Light is just one of many premium and sub-premium brands losing steam. That lost volume is a huge drag on the industry as a whole. Thus, the funk.
The craft segment is also underperforming, with single digit growth on the year. That wouldn't cause alarm if growth in recent years hadn't been in high double digits. When you're accustomed to year-over-year growth numbers like that, slower growth causes concern and, in some quarters, panic.
Despite the sluggish growth year, things probably aren't as dire for craft beer as some of us have been led to believe. We may be approaching saturation in some areas, but the overall health of the industry is pretty good.
The above chart shows some Oregon breweries that are doing quite well here. As with the negative numbers chart below, these are August 2015 to August 2016 OLCC numbers, provided by a helpful assistant who does quarterly spreadsheets. My disclaimer, as always, is that OLCC numbers are hopelessly incomplete and useful only as a guide to trends.
The list is comprised mostly of newer breweries formed within the last 10 years. These are brands that have flourished in recent times. Their beers have won awards and fans. Even 10 Barrel, which has unfair advantages over independent craft brewers, has produced some notable beers and continues to attract a following despite its ownership situation.
Now look at the chart below. These are the breweries showing the largest negative numbers over the same period. Three of the five are older, established breweries. The developing trend in Oregon is that younger, vibrant brands are taking share from long-established ones. Why? Likely because consumers, when they have a choice, prefer beer made in newer, typically smaller breweries.
Oregon Barrel Volume Decline
The same trend appears to be gaining traction around the country. Small, local breweries are opening everywhere..the craft brewery count is now around 4,500. A lot of the new kids are taking share from established craft breweries, as well as from big beer. We are seeing this trend documented in IRI losses for older craft brands and big beer.
So why are craft growth numbers sluggish this year? Probably because small brewery volumes aren't being fully captured in IRI stats. Why? Because an increasing amount of beer is being sold in breweries or at growler fill stations, pubs, beer beers and others places outside IRI view. It will take improved data collection to see the full extent of what's happening.
For now, don't get too caught up in the notion that craft growth is faltering. A saturation point is coming. But we're not there, yet.
Labels: 2016 sluggish craft beer growth, Oregon craft beer trends 2016, the myth of IRI numbers
Looking for Scapegoats in a Flat Growth Year
In a year when beer volumes are flat or declining across the board, everyone is looking for answers. But particularly Anheuser-Busch, which is spending millions on advertising and craft brewery buyouts in an effort to stem a rising tide of losses. Unsuccessfully.
AB, which today announced that it is acquiring Texas-based Karbach Brewing, earlier reported that Bud Light had the worst quarter of the year, with sales down nearly 4%. Overall AB shipments were down 2.5% for Q3. These are significant hits.
AB isn't alone. Many brands are taking a beating this year, including some craft brands. In Oregon, a year-to-year comparison of OLCC stats shows significant declines for several well-known breweries (see chart below). The Craft Brew Alliance, whose numbers strangely aren't part of OLCC stats, just reported that Widmer and Redhook are both down over 20 percent for the third quarter. Yikes!
But never mind what's happening in craft beer. The craft marketplace is getting increasingly crowded and complicated. That's a separate discussion. Anyway, what's happening to big beer is far more interesting and entertaining. Because, aside from buying up craft breweries, their game plan hasn't changed that much. And it isn't working.
One of AB's biggest bets this and every year is the NFL. The reality of our times, which features DVRs and plentiful viewing options, is that live sports programming is the last vestige of TV advertising. And the NFL has been the king of live sports for decades. Anheuser-Busch has been tapping that lifeline with ad dollars for years, and continues to do so.
This year, AB's "Official Beer Sponsor" arrangement allowed it to release team-themed Bud Light cans for 28 of the 32 teams. You've seen these things in stores, of course. Here in the Northwest, we're mostly seeing Seahawks cans. Elsewhere, cans are similarly market-appropriate.
OLCC Stats
August 2015-August 2016 (taxable barrels)
But the cans campaign isn't panning out. In fact, it's apparently working in reverse because Bud Light is in virtual free fall right now. That naturally conjures up questions about why. When you spend big bucks on sponsorships and marketing campaigns, you expect results.
It turns out NFL ratings, like Bud Light numbers, are in the tank. Overall NFL ratings are down 12 percent for the season. Ratings for Monday Night Football, sporting a new play-by-play guy thanks to the exit of Mike Tirico, are down 24 percent. ESPN, which aires MNF, lost more than 600,000 subscribers in October, its worst month on record.
What's up with ratings? It depends on who you ask. Some suspects are poor play, crappy games, too many ads, player antics, election year noise, national anthem protests, etc. The most persuasive argument for me is that younger fans who play fantasy football track player stats on their smartphones don't get their NFL fix the traditional way...and don't show up in ratings.
Exactly how lower NFL ratings and beer consumption are related is unclear. If folks of beer drinking age aren't watching games on the tube, there may be some correlation between slumping ratings and the decline in Bud Light sales. But everyone needs to stop and recall that a number of established brands with no connection to the NFL are facing challenges this year.
In a flat year, it's tough to see what's driving things. AB's team can campaign may get better traction through the end of the year. It was just getting underway in Q3. Bud Light numbers and NFL ratings may also bounce back as we enter the holidays and the stretch run of the season.
So there's no need to look for scapegoats, yet. We'll get there.
Labels: beer market slump, Bud Light NFL cans, NFL ratings down, scapegoats
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National Grange News
Charlene Shupp apppointed National Youth Director
MARCH 2008 -- Charlene Shupp has recently been apppointed Youth Director of the National Grange.
She lives with her husband Matt and son Evan in Bainbridge, PA where they operate a dairy farm with Matt’s parents. A fourth generation Granger, Charlene belongs to Elizabethtown Grange #2076 in Lancaster County where she serves as the Youth Director and the Assistant Steward. She also has an associate membership with Oriental Grange #165 in Wyoming County. Matt and Charlene served two terms as the Pennsylvania State Grange Young Couple, 2005-2006, 2006-2007.
Charlene received a B.S. in Dairy Science from Virginia Tech and a minor in Communication Studies. She is employed as Special Sections Editor for Lancaster Farming newspaper.
Other agricultural accomplishments include: 2005 Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Excellence of Agriculture award winner. She and Matt represented the state in the Excellence of Agriculture contest at the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Jan. 2006. In Nov. 2006 she was the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Discussion Meet state winner. In Jan. 2007 she competed in the AFBF contest, making it to the final four and was recognized as a national finalist.
Charlene’s other agricultural/community service membership highlights include: Wyoming-Lackawanna Counties Dairy Princess Committee pageant chair; advisor for the Dickenson College Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta; Wyoming-Lackawanna Counties Farm Bureau and Pennsylvania Farm Bureau member; Elizabethtown Fair Dairy Show chair; and a member of the American Guernsey Association and National Holstein Association.
In her spare time, Charlene enjoys breeding and showing Guernsey and Holstein cattle at the local and regional dairy shows.Regarding her recent appointment at National Grange Youth Director, Charlene said “We must work together to capitalize on our strengths in order to prepare the youth and young adults to become advocates for our communities and rural America.”
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Friday, January 27/2023
2021-06-25 21:56:51Ameriabank’s green bonds admitted to trading at Armenian Securities Exchange
2021-06-15 23:28:39Armenia's Central Bank expects private remittances to Armenia to grow this year by 15-17%
2020-04-06 14:40:10Former economy minister forecasts how long COVID 19 situation will last in Armenia and how many people will be infected
About $72.5 million (SDR 51.429 million) would become available to Armenia after IMF Board meeting
YEREVAN, November 18, /ARKA/. An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Nathan Porter, conducted discussions during October 19-November 12, 2021 for the 2021 Article IV consultation, as well as the combined fourth and fifth reviews of Armenia’s economic program, which is supported by an IMF Stand-By Arrangement (SBA), the IMF Office in Armenia said.
It said at the conclusion of the discussions, Mr. Porter issued the following statement:
“We are pleased to announce that the IMF team has concluded discussions for the 2021 Article IV consultation and has reached a staff-level agreement with the Armenian authorities for the conclusion of the fourth and fifth review under their economic reform program, which is supported by a three-year Stand-By Arrangement. The agreement is subject to approval by the IMF’s Executive Board, which is scheduled to consider this review in mid-December. About $72.5 million (SDR 51.429 million) would become available after the Board meeting.
“The economy posted almost 5 percent growth in the first half of 2021 supported by strong external and domestic demand. Annual CPI inflation accelerated to 9.1 percent in October driven by pent-up consumption, supply constraints, global and domestic food inflation, and pass-through from dram depreciation in early 2021. The fiscal deficit narrowed in the first half of 2021 owing to strong revenue collection, and a gradual scaling down of the emergency spending that helped mitigate the impact of the twin shocks that hit Armenia in 2020. The banking system’s capital and liquidity buffers have remained strong, and the external position has also strengthened, with the currency appreciating over the past few months.
“The recovery is expected to continue, with GDP growth of 5½ and 5¼ percent in 2021 and 2022, respectively. While growth could accelerate faster next year on the back of strong reforms, downside risks are also elevated, including from the ongoing fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, geopolitical tensions, a slowdown in external demand, and potentially heightened global financial market volatility. Inflation is expected to begin moderating by mid-2022, as the effect of supply-side and external shocks dissipate, and recent monetary policy actions have their full impact. The Central Bank of Armenia continues to proactively manage the challenges from above-target inflation and an uncertain global environment, and should remain ready to adjust its monetary stance as necessary while allowing the exchange rate to be a shock absorber. The draft 2022 budget balances near-term support with the medium-term needs for higher capital spending and is in line with Armenia’s fiscal rules and the need to rebuild fiscal buffers over time. Robust exports and remittances are expected to narrow the current account deficit in 2021.
“Beyond the near-term, it is important to maintain the strong policy and reform efforts, building fiscal buffers and further strengthening medium-term sustainability; reducing inflation towards the Central Bank’s target of 4 percent; safeguarding financial stability; and delivering sustained, green, and inclusive growth. In this regard, we share many of the objectives of the Government’s 5-year program which focuses on the pursuit of a knowledge-based, export-oriented, investment-driven growth strategy, aimed at reducing poverty and improving living standards. To achieve these objectives, it is important to develop concrete action plans with associated key performance indicators and costing, fully operationalize the recently approved public investment management decree, complete the PPP operational framework, strengthen fiscal risk management, transparency and governance, and improve the business environment, while at the same time creating space through growth-friendly revenue-enhancing tax policies, spending prioritization, and higher quality public investment.
“The IMF team thanks the Armenian authorities, representatives of civil society, private sector, development partner, and diplomatic community for fruitful discussions and cooperation.” -0-
Read the news first and discuss them in our Telegram
Tags: Armenia, IMF Новости Армении АМИ Новости-Армения
2021-12-20 15:07:45 IMF: Armenia’s economic growth projected at around 5½ percent in 2021
2020-12-14 19:27:47 IMF: Armenia’s Central Bank should stand ready to adjust its monetary policy stance
2020-11-20 19:17:18 IMF says SDR 25.714 million (around US$36.7 million) will become available for Armenian budget support after Board meeting
2020-06-24 17:16:01 Armenian parliament is considering ratification of $315 million loan agreement with IMF
2020-04-15 19:38:26 IMF to provide Armenia with $280 million loan
2020-04-10 13:58:11 IMF to consider initiative on increase IMF financial support for Armenia under stand-by agreement to $280 million
2019-12-25 14:31:59 IMF executive board concludes first review under the stand-by arrangement for Armenia
2019-12-10 16:23:10 Armenian finance minister and IMF delegation discuss further cooperation
2019-10-21 18:45:20 IMF and Armenia’s central bank to conduct joint scientific conference in Dilijan in 2020
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say no to movie review spoilers
films and life…can there be anything else of relevance?
Maiden: Using undertow as a verb
I’m declaring undertow as a verb, as in underdwhelmed, as in, ‘I got undertowed’ by the high praise for the documentary “Maiden”. I like the sound of it and hope to have it goes viral. Of course I’m saying this somewhat tongue in cheek. On the one hand, what the women on “Maiden” did, as… Continue reading Maiden: Using undertow as a verb
Categorized as documentary
Tel Aviv on Fire: Firing on All Cylinders
‘Tel Aviv on Fire’, directed by Sameh Zoabi, winner of Best World Cinema at this year’s Sarasota Film Festival, provides what movies are made for: the tonic and affability to temporarily assuage real life troubles. Yet due to Sameh Zoabi and co-writer Dan Kleinman’s complex web of conflicts and sharp dialogue, Tel Aviv on Fire… Continue reading Tel Aviv on Fire: Firing on All Cylinders
Categorized as foreign film, Uncategorized Tagged Dan Kleinman, Kais Nashif, Sameh Zoabi
Mid film screenwriting is: Blinded By The Light
“Blinded By the Light” written and directed by Gurinder Chandha, most famous for “Bend it Like Beckham”, could have been an award contender, but some silly elf must have helped co-write the middle sections of the film. The movie premise and last twenty minutes were profound, yet a segment of the middle reminded me of… Continue reading Mid film screenwriting is: Blinded By The Light
Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged Rob Brydon, Viveik Kalra
Mike Wallace is Here: A Convergence of Ideas
I’m having a convergence of ideas culminating in a life changing philosophy. Contributors are: Martha Gellhorn’s Lettters as detailed in an October 2019 release book by Janet Somerville, a song by The Wood Brothers “Postcards From Hell”, a 2014 commencement address by Jim Carrey and last, but certainly not least, the documentary “Mike Wallace is… Continue reading Mike Wallace is Here: A Convergence of Ideas
Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged Avi Belkin
How Many True Loves Fit into One Lifetime? Marianne & Leonard
Despite some luke warm reviews, I chose “Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love” today over the much lauded “Maiden”. Why you ask? My rapturous viewing of last year’s Nick Broomfield documentary masterpiece, “Whitney: Can I Be Me?”. Don’t get me wrong, Whitney Houston’s music is close to my core, whereas Cohen’s singing seems, dare I… Continue reading How Many True Loves Fit into One Lifetime? Marianne & Leonard
Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged Leonard Cohen, Nick Broomfield, Whitney Houston
I Don’t Know Why You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello…The Farewell
Lulu Wang’s first major film, “The Farewell”, which she both wrote and directed, should be a tutorial for American film makers. Sure, we have our rare Damien Chazelle folks (rent “First Man”, for instance, which definitely didn’t get enough box office love), but if you want truly poignant pensive artistic moments on film, these days… Continue reading I Don’t Know Why You Say Goodbye, I Say Hello…The Farewell
Categorized as Uncategorized Tagged Awkwafina, Burns Court Cinema, First Man, Lulu Wang, Sarasota Film Society, Shoplifters
Living: Many Intimate Moments
Corsage: Screenplay copyright check in aisle 3
The Whale Nudges its Way into My Top Ten
Navalny: Shocking, but sadly not surprising
White Noise: Driver’s Poise
Goldie on A Rare Hamletesque Command: Get Thee to a ‘Tangerine’ry
Martiin Edic on my top ten of 2015
JB on A Rare Hamletesque Command: Get Thee to a ‘Tangerine’ry
Goldie on Hail Hail Cusack’s Back and Dano’s Better Than Ever
Shop Amazon - Spend $75 and Receive 20% Off Athletic & Outdoor Shoes
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WHERE ARE THE US JOBS ASK THE CORPORATE CASH HOARDERS
WebDec 17, · On December 15, , Fannie Mae announced that it will be adopting ANSI Measuring Standard in Appraisers will be required to use the Square Footage-Method for Calculating: ANSI® Z (American National Standards Institute®) Measuring Standard for measuring, calculating, and reporting gross living area (GLA) and non-GLA . WebNov 11, · Now here’s the headline! Swiss National Bank loses nearly $ billion in first nine months Reuters reported the Q3 result last week, in which Switzerland’s publicly traded central bank (SNB) suffered its largest loss in its year history. The news release reads beyond belief, not because of the unprecedented amount of value that was lost, . WebMay 12, · Choose Hotels near Oakbrook Terrace Park District based on your preferences like cheap, budget, luxury or based on the type of hotels like 3 star, 4 star or 5 star. Explore & get best deals on. Oakbrook Terrace Park District, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. 1, likes · 21 talking about this · 1, were www.hccf.ru Oakbrook Terrace Park District .
How Cash Hoarders Like Apple Hurt Wall Street - Where the Money Is - 10/3/13 - The Motley Fool
He went on to note that “instead of investing money productively, creating new jobs and opportunities, our corporations are hoarding cash.”. WebOct 12, · Microsoft has responded to a list of concerns regarding its ongoing $68bn attempt to buy Activision Blizzard, as raised by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and come up with an. $ trillion dollars earned by US companies remains overseas to avoid taxation. Early in the company's life, it asks investors to give it money. Companies in the US are flush with cash and are paying out a smaller Politicians and policymakers are going to have to ask the questionhow much longer. WebNov 11, · Now here’s the headline! Swiss National Bank loses nearly $ billion in first nine months Reuters reported the Q3 result last week, in which Switzerland’s publicly traded central bank (SNB) suffered its largest loss in its year history. The news release reads beyond belief, not because of the unprecedented amount of value that was lost, . Hoarders is an American reality television program which aired on A&E, from to , on Lifetime in , and again on A&E beginning in WebNov 09, · Tucker Carlson slammed Apple on his nightly broadcast for restricting the use of the Airdrop feature on its iPhone — in China only. With widespread protests over China’s “zero-covid” policy that indirectly led to the deaths of 10 people in an apartment fire, Tucker views the limitation of a communications app as a clear sign that . WebNov 20, · Google has agreed to a $ million settlement with 40 states, while Walmart has agreed to pay $ billion in lawsuits for its role in the opioid epidemic. Here's that and more business news in. WebNov 01, · She searched for jobs — unsuccessfully — and finally resigned without having a position lined up. A month later she landed her current job as a strategy director at a public relations agency. Quitting our jobs was not an easy or impulsive decision. We even tried to find ways to avoid it and weighed our options for many months. WebDec 01, · If you followed the Republican presidential nomination (which seemed like ages ago) you undoubtedly remember Republican Herman Cain’s “” tax proposal in which he advocated a nine-percent flat income tax for corporations, a nine-percent flat income tax for individuals, and a nine-percent national sales tax.. Other Republican . WebLatest breaking news, including politics, crime and celebrity. Find stories, updates and expert opinion. WebDec 06, · Keep reading by creating a free account or signing in.. Sign in/Sign up; Subscribe; Support local news; News Sports Betting Business Opinion Politics Entertainment Life Food Health Real Estate Obituaries Jobs.
Stop Hoarding Cash
In a bid to create more jobs, Ontario companies will be given incentives to spend the billions in cash they're hoarding, Finance Minister Charles Sousa. WebNov 9, · Desi Lydic joined "The Daily Show" as a correspondent in September when Trevor Noah started his tenure as host. She is a professionally trained improvisational and comedic actress who studied and performed at The Groundlings and ImprovOlympic. WebNov 08, · We’ve made it to November. The Fed continues its Quantitative Tightening (QT) path. With each passing day the cries for a Fed Pivot grow. On some level we must accept that the economic outlook for the near-term future does not look good. In 4 Months of QT Down, on October 5 the total balance sheet was standing at $8,,,, . As the United States and the world deal with the ongoing pandemic, the FBI's national security and criminal investigative work continues. WebDec 05, · James Howard Kunstler is the author of many books including (non-fiction) The Geography of Nowhere, The City in Mind: Notes on the Urban Condition, Home from Nowhere, The Long Emergency and the four-book series of World Made By Hand novels, set in a post economic crash American future. WebOct 14, · Hello, and welcome to Protocol Entertainment, your guide to the business of the gaming and media industries. This Friday, we’re taking a look at Microsoft and Sony’s increasingly bitter feud over Call of Duty and whether U.K. regulators are leaning toward torpedoing the Activision Blizzard deal. In the years to follow, economic upheaval ensued as the U.S. economy shrank Essentially, companies could acquire money cheaply due to high share prices. We're reminded that Freddie and Fannie (and Ginnie for that matter) are names of companies that were turned into acronyms which then became nicknames. The Penny Hoarder Jobs, Saint Petersburg, Florida. Media/News Company If you need a little extra cash heading into the holidays, a seasonal job may. Apple Pay doesn't work on Twitter, so don't even ask. Apple does not have enough cash to buy Twitter and still operate its business. When asked if they thought it was a good time to hold on to cash, The Chinese are doing a great job of saving cash compared with, say, people in the US.
Community involvement jobs north west|2010 census jobs south carolina
WebMay 12, · Choose Hotels near Oakbrook Terrace Park District based on your preferences like cheap, budget, luxury or based on the type of hotels like 3 star, 4 star or 5 star. Explore & get best deals on. Oakbrook Terrace Park District, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. 1, likes · 21 talking about this · 1, were www.hccf.ru Oakbrook Terrace Park District . The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission have information You shouldn't trust anyone who offers to help and then asks for money or. WebPlasma Center Manager Jobs in Conway, AR Featured Jobs; Plasma Center Manager Trainee - Conway & Little rock, AR Grifols is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all Federal, State and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, national origin, ethnicity, religion. . Abuser won't sign up wife, kids for insurance through his job. By www.hccf.ru; Apr 05, Print Article. Share. Ask Amanda: My Husband is. U.S. News logo What to Know and Ask Surrounding PTO at Your Company Fewer companies allow PTO hoarding these days because it is more commonly. The Government Accountability Office found earlier this year that the average effective tax rate on U.S. corporations is only percent of their income. WebAfter rightfully blasting US mainstream media for failing to report on tanks being rolled into action to intimidate protestors, Tucker said: We can say, we know for a fact, that Apple is covering for the government of China [In spite of it being located in the US and run by an American], Apple is in no sense American. WebOct 06, · JPMorgan Chase has reached a milestone five years in the making — the bank says it is now routing all inquiries from third-party apps and services to access customer data through its secure application programming interface instead of allowing these services to collect data through screen scraping.
WebNov 17, · A cashless society would be the nail in the coffin for liberty and freedom, offering centralization, the likes of which Marx could only dream. The existence of a government backdoor or spyware becomes a real possibility, and given the State’s track record, a real likelihood. Then, of course, the ability to track, freeze, and even set expiry . What do you do when you're sitting on way too much cash while the stock “You have to buy--or you lose your job,” shrugs one Los Angeles money manager. WebNov 8, · We’ve made it to November. The Fed continues its Quantitative Tightening (QT) path. With each passing day the cries for a Fed Pivot grow. On some level we must accept that the economic outlook for the near-term future does not look good. In 4 Months of QT Down, on October 5 the total balance sheet was standing at $8,,,, . For example they have an article that is titled "6 companies that send people money when they're asked nicely" on that list are things like. Forex platform demands business leadership to battle COVID crisis. Forex platform says cash-rich firms should do their bit to support partners. Jobs are being lost and companies are suffering, (not to mention the. [th Congress Public Law ] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] the requirement relating to obtaining cash contributions from non- Federal.
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“Expressive” feat. BJ The Chicago Kid & Illa J
About Slum Village
Chances are, if you are anywhere near the Detroit music scene, you have heard of the influential hip hop trio that makes up Slum Village. The group was founded in the early 90′s by 3 childhood friends: Baatin, T3, rapper and producer J Dilla, who all grew up together in ..... Read More
Young RJ of Slum Village “I Know” fe...
“Yes” Instrumentals available now on iTunes.
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investment fees | Pension360
Tag: investment fees
CalPERS to Cut Investment Fees by 8 Percent Next Year
CalPERS calculates that it will cut investment-related fees by 8 percent in fiscal year 2015-16, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The pension fund has been looking to cut costs recently by reducing the number of private equity managers it invests with and moving more investment management in-house.
According to CalPERS’ proposed budget, obtained by Bloomberg, the 8 percent decrease in fees will come from several areas:
Calpers projects it will pay about $100 million less in fees for hedge-fund investments. The pension has said it would take about a year to unwind all its holdings. It paid $135 million in fees in the fiscal year that ended June 30 for hedge-fund investments, which earned 7.1 percent and added 0.4 percent to its total return, according to Calpers figures.
Brad Pacheco, spokesman for the pension fund, wasn’t immediately available for comment.
Base fees for private-equity investments are projected to decline 7.5 percent to $440.6 million as some investments matured, the number of managers was reduced and Calpers won better terms for new deals.
Base fees for company stock managers are projected to increase 25 percent to $51.3 million. Fees for performance are projected to decrease by $32.6 million because of favorable renegotiated contract terms, Calpers said.
The largest U.S. state pension fund, known as Calpers, projects that it will pay $930.7 million in base and performance fees to investment firms in the fiscal year that begins July 1, down from more than $1 billion this year and $1.3 billion last year, according to the fund’s proposed budget.
CalPERS managed $295.8 billion in assets as of December 31, 2014.
Photo by rocor via Flickr CC License
Posted on March 12, 2015 March 13, 2015 Author Ted BallantineCategories Home, Pension NewsroomTags CalPERS, CalPERS budget, hedge fund investment, hedge funds, investment fees, investment management, pension costs, performance fees, private equity, private equity investments, private equity managersLeave a comment
Pension Transparency Bill Moves Forward in Kentucky House
A bill is moving forward in the Kentucky House that would increase the transparency around investments made by the state’s retirement systems.
The Senate unanimously passed the measure last month.
The bill would require the state’s pension funds to disclose the use of placement agents, any fees paid to those agents, and more. An official summary of the bill from Legiscan:
[The bill] require[s] the Judicial Retirement Plan, the Legislators’ Retirement Plan, the Kentucky Retirement Systems, and the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System to establish by reference in administrative regulation a placement agent disclosure policy; require the policy to disclose, at a minimum, to the boards of trustees of the plans and systems the name of the placement agent, dollar value of investment, and the fees or payments made to placement agent for each investment in which a placement agent was utilized; define placement agent; require the plans and systems to submit a quarterly update of the information disclosed to the respective boards of trustees to the Government Contract Review Committee; provide that the disclosure shall apply to contracts established or renewed on or after July 1, 2015.
The Senator sponsoring the bill, Chris McDaniel [R], told the State-Journal:
“The fact of the matter is there is nothing that forces them to disclose this to the General Assembly right now and by extension the public,” McDaniel said. “It’s important people know where money is and isn’t placed, the kinds of returns we are getting and to really force that.
“This will require that they do these things. It’s a bill that public employees want to see pass. It’s a bill transparency advocates want to see pass be it conservative, liberal or otherwise. People want to know how their tax dollars are being spent. I’m optimistic the House will pick it up.”
The bill is called Senate Bill 22.
Photo credit: “Ky With HP Background” by Original uploader was HiB2Bornot2B at en.wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia; transfer was stated to be made by User:Vini 175.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ky_With_HP_Background.png#mediaviewer/File:Ky_With_HP_Background.png
Posted on March 3, 2015 March 8, 2015 Author Ted BallantineCategories Home, Pension NewsroomTags disclosure, disclosure policy, investment fees, Kentucky House, Kentucky Senate, placement agents, Senate Bill 22, Senator Chris McDaniel, transparencyLeave a comment
Chicago Treasurer: Investment Firms Overcharging Chicago Pensions By $50 Million
Chicago’s new Treasurer, Kurt Summers, said last week that he believes investment firms are overcharging the city’s pension funds to the tune of $50 million annually.
Summers says firms are levying higher fees on the city’s smaller pension funds than on the larger funds, for the same work.
From DNA Info:
Since taking office in December, Summers claims he’s discovered that investment managers are wringing upwards of $50 million a year in extra fees out of the city and Cook County’s 10 employee pension funds by charging substantially higher fees to the smaller pension funds for the exact same investments.
“I don’t begrudge any firm from making as much money as it can, that’s what they’re in the business to do,” Summers said in an interview last week. “It’s our fault for operating in silos and not looking at this sooner.”
Summers said when he came into office he found that just 23 firms are raking in half of the $142 million in fees the pension funds pay out to manage $35 billion in funds.
“Let’s go have 23 conversations,” Summers said. “Let’s start with the firms who have gotten plenty of their fair share.”
Summers plan is to aggregate pricing, similar to New York City’s system, and convince investment managers to offer the lowest fee to all the pension funds, not just the largest ones.
He said he’s already spoken with four firms and gotten a commitment from one to lower fees by a third.
Summers has previously advocated using pension money to make direct investments within Chicago.
Photo by bitsorf via Flickr CC License
Posted on February 9, 2015 February 11, 2015 Author Ted BallantineCategories Home, Pension NewsroomTags Chicago Treasurer, direct investments, investment fees, investment managers, Kurt Summers, overchargeLeave a comment
Pensions Criticize KKR Over Fee Refund Spurred by SEC Exam
Some pension funds are criticizing KKR’s communication with investors regarding “erroneously” charged fees; the firm refunded those fees last year, but waited a year tell investors that the refund was the result of an SEC exam.
From the Wall Street Journal:
KKR & Co. is getting unusually pointed criticism from some of its public-pension fund investors, after they discovered that KKR didn’t tell them for almost a year that its decision to refund some money was prompted by a regulatory exam.
The contretemps, rare in the tightly-controlled world of private equity, stems from a Securities and Exchange Commission exam of the industry giant in late 2013. Regulators found that the firm had erroneously charged some expenses and didn’t fully disclose it was collecting certain fees, according to a document obtained from one of KKR’s largest investors, the Washington State Investment Board.
As a result of the SEC findings, the private-equity giant in early 2014 refunded money to investors in some of its buyout funds.
Several KKR investors said they were informed of a fee credit but didn’t learn the reason until after The Wall Street Journal last month broke the news about the SEC exam findings and the refunds.
Read the full Journal article here.
Photo by Securities and Exchange Commission via Flickr CC License
Posted on February 5, 2015 February 6, 2015 Author Ted BallantineCategories Home, Pension NewsroomTags investment fees, KKR, private equity, SEC exam, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington State Investment BoardLeave a comment
Preqin Tells Private Equity to Heed the “Power of the Limited Partner” After CalPERS’ Cuts
Research firm Preqin has released a note reacting to CalPERS’ cutting of private equity managers.
The firm notes that limited partners are beginning to wield more negotiating power, and cautions private equity firms to consider CalPERS’ actions an “effective statement” on the power of limited partners.
More from Chief Investment Officer:
Private equity fund managers should take heed of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s (CalPERS) overhaul of its allocation to the asset class and focus on justifying the terms they present to clients, according to Preqin.
The research firm was responding to last week’s announcement by CalPERS that it wanted to drastically reduce the number of private equity managers it uses in order to cut costs.
“The decision by CalPERS may not immediately result in a drop in overall commitments to private equity funds,” Preqin said in a research note, “but serves as an effective statement to fund managers on the importance of justifying fund terms, as well as the power of the limited partner.”
The research firm said CalPERS’ decision reflected a wider concern among investors that fees were the biggest challenge to their investment in private equity. Roughly 58% of respondents to Preqin’s survey of US public pensions said fees were their chief concern.
It’s important to note that CalPERS is not cutting its allocation to private equity, only the number of PE managers it employs.
Preqin’s research note can be found here.
Posted on January 27, 2015 January 29, 2015 Author Ted BallantineCategories Home, Pension NewsroomTags asset allocation, California Public Employees Retirement System, CalPERS, cut costs, investment fees, limited partners, Preqin, private equity, private equity managers1 Comment
Chart: Negotiating Hedge Fund Expenses
A recent survey asked investors: have you negotiated a cap on direct expenses with your hedge funds managers? This chart, above, displays the results.
The 2013 version of the same survey found that fees were the biggest obstacle for institutional investors looking to put money in hedge funds:
1st chart credit: Ernst & Young 2014 survey
2nd chart credit: Ernst & Young 2013 survey
Posted on January 9, 2015 January 16, 2015 Author Ted BallantineCategories Home, Pension NewsroomTags direct expenses cap, hedge fund fees, hedge fund manager, hedge funds, institutional investors, investment fees, investorsLeave a comment
General Partners Gain Upper Hand Over Pension Funds As Raising Capital Becomes Easier
Pensions & Investments released an interesting report yesterday outlining the balance of power in the private equity world between general partners and pension funds.
In the last few years, the balance of power has shifted dramatically towards GP’s, according to the report.
From Pensions & Investments:
Until the 2008 financial crisis, general partners pretty much set the rules, leaving most limited partners little say on terms, including on fees and expenses, when they committed to funds. Then fundraising got harder, and even the most popular private equity managers had to accept investors’ demands for lower fees and expenses and a greater degree of transparency.
Now, the highest-returning general partners are regaining the upper hand.
“Certainly, the pendulum has swung more toward the GP compared to 2009,” said Kevin Campbell, managing director and portfolio manager in the private markets group at fund-of-funds manager DuPont Capital Management, Wilmington, Del. The firm was spun out from the pension management division of DuPont’s pension plan in 1993.
Said DuPont’s Mr. Campbell: “I’ve seen the pendulum of power change positions several different times during the last 15 years,” where private equity fund terms are determined by the GP and sometimes they are more influenced by the LP.
Strong-performing managers that retain the same team and the same investment strategy used when they earned their strong returns have the most influence over fund terms, Mr. Campbell said. These managers also are raising a fund that is similar in size to their last fund and they have a “good investor base,” meaning investors who routinely commit to their funds, he said.
Some are increasing their negotiating clout by getting large capital commitments from sovereign wealth funds before the first close, enabling them to give other interested institutional investors a take-it-or-leave-it deal, said Stephen L. Nesbitt, chief executive officer of Marina del Rey, Calif.-based alternative investment consulting firm Cliffwater LLC.
Part of the reason GPs have power over LPs has to do with fundraising. GPs are having an easy time raising capital, which means they don’t have any incentive to negotiate terms with LPs. From P&I:
It’s easier to raise capital now; funds are raised more quickly and general partners have more influence on terms, he added.
Indeed, some private equity funds are closing very quickly, with access to much more capital than they need. Instead of holding several fund closings — giving general partners the ability to invest the capital commitments before the final close — a number of firms are having “one-and-done” closings. Because there are asset owners willing to invest on those terms, the GPs have little reason to give in to limited partners demanding changes to fund terms.
For example, Veritas Fund Management in August held a first and final close at $1.875 billion for its latest middle-market private equity fund, after just three months of fundraising. And private equity real estate manager Iron Point Partners LLC in November closed the Iron Point Real Estate Partners III LP at $750 million, well above its $450 million target.
And KPS Capital Partners LP held a first and final closing last year of its $3.5 billion KPS Special Situations Fund IV, above its $3 billion target. It was KPS’ third oversubscribed institutional private equity fund, according to a statement from the firm at the time.
Posted on December 9, 2014 December 11, 2014 Author Ted BallantineCategories Home, Pension NewsroomTags balance of power, featured, financial crisis, fundraising, general partners, increase transparency, investment fees, investment strategy, limited partners, pension funds, private equity funds, private equity managers, real estate, strong investment returns1 Comment
New Chicago Treasurer Makes Pension Funding His Priority
Chicago Treasurer Stephanie Neely is stepping down at the end of November.
Her replacement, Kurt Summers, said his priority will be fixing the city’s pension systems. From the Chicago Sun-Times:
The full City Council is expected to ratify the appointment of Kurt Summers at Wednesday’s meeting, but the incoming treasurer is not waiting for the vote before rolling up his sleeves and getting to work.
He’s already meeting with actuaries and pouring over the books of the four city employee pension funds.
They include the Municipal Employees and Laborers funds that have already been reformed and police and fire pension funds still waiting for similar action.
In 2016, the city is required by law to make a $550 million contribution to shore up police and fire pension funds with assets to cover just 29.6 and 24 percent of their respective liabilities.
Much of that money will have to come from Chicago taxpayers.
That’s because, unlike Municipal Employees and Laborers, police officers and firefighters do not get compounded cost of living increases.
The process of making the city’s pension funds healthy, he said, includes decreasing investment fees and increasing investment returns. In other words, “investing more efficiently and less expensively.” From the Sun-Times:
As a member of the board overseeing all four city employee pension funds, Summers said he can “make a dent” in the taxpayer burden by reducing investment fees and bolstering returns.
Summers noted that the firefighters and laborers pension funds are paying dramatically higher fees to their investment managers than the Municipal Employees and police pension funds.
“One fund is paying 80 percent more in fees. Another is paying 50 percent more. Yet, there’s one client: The city of Chicago. That’s real money. For fire, the value of that is about $2.5 million-a-year on $1 billion in assets,” he said.
“These kinds of things aren’t going to solve the kinds of holes we have. But any benefit we can find to invest more efficiently and less expensively is a benefit to taxpayers and retirees.”
Summers noted that the bill that saved the Municipal and Laborers Pension funds — by increasing employee contributions by 29 percent and reducing employee benefits — assumes an “actuarial rate of return” on investments of 7.5 percent-a-year.
That makes it imperative that the funds invest in the “right type of assets,” he said.
“If there’s market shock during that time that looks anything like what happened in 2008 — or even what we saw in July — then you end that period of fixed, graduated contributions with less funding than was modeled out in the legislation and there’ll have to be greater catch-up to get to 90 percent funding,” Summers said.
“We’ll have to have portfolio and asset allocation changes to protect our rate of return because ultimately, the taxpayers and retirees are relying on us to hit that number and, if we don’t, they have a bigger bill on the other side of the graduated payments structure.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean being conservative, he said.
“It’s a common misconception to say, `If I invest in the markets or fixed-income [instruments], we’re gonna be protected, but real estate, private equity or hedge funds are risky.’ That’s plain wrong,” Summers said.
“The reality is, you have just as much, if not more exposure to risk and volatility in the market with investments in basic public securities than you do with alternative products meant to mitigate risk and limit volatility. That’s the business I was in — trying to do that for clients around the world.”
As Treasurer, Summers would be a trustee of the city’s pension funds.
Posted on November 12, 2014 November 12, 2014 Author Ted BallantineCategories Home, Pension NewsroomTags asset allocation, Chicago Municipal Employees and Laborers fund, Chicago Police and Fire Pension Funds, Chicago taxpayers, Chicago Treasurer, employee contributions, investment fees, investment returns, investment risk, Kurt Summers, Stephanie Neely, volatilityLeave a comment
New York Pensions Paid More Fees To Wall Street In 2013-14, But Fee Growth Is Slowing
New York City released its annual financial report Friday, which gave observers a peek into a part of pension finances under growing scrutiny: investment fees paid by the city’s 5 major pension funds.
The fees paid by the city’s pension funds have grown since last year. But the rate at which they’re growing has slowed significantly.
New York’s five pension funds paid Wall Street investment managers $530.2 million in the most recent fiscal year, an 8.5 percent increase, according to the city’s annual financial report released today.
The rate of growth in the year through June slowed compared with the previous period, when expenses paid to the city’s almost 250 managers rose 28 percent.
New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, who serves as chief investment adviser to the pensions, has vowed to reduce fees and increase internal management. Fees erode returns crucial to funding benefits for New York’s more than 237,000 retirees and future payments to 344,000 employees.
Pension assets for police officers, firefighters, teachers, school administrators and civilian employees rose about 17 percent to $160.6 billion in the 12 months ended June 30, according to the report.
Eric Sumberg, a spokesman for Stringer, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The five pension funds included in the report are: the New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS), Teachers’ Retirement System of The City of New York (TRS), New York City Police Pension Fund, New York City Fire Pension Fund, and the New York City Board of Education Retirement System (BERS).
Collectively, the funds allocate 6 percent of assets to private equity, 2 percent to hedge funds, 29 percent to fixed income and 58 percent to equities.
Posted on October 31, 2014 November 3, 2014 Author Ted BallantineCategories Home, Pension NewsroomTags investment fees, New York City Board of Education Retirement System, New York City Employees' Retirement System, New York City Fire Pension Fund, New York City Police Pension Fund, New Your City annual financial report, NYCERS, Teacher's Retirement System of the City of New York, wall street feesLeave a comment
Deutsche Bank: CalPERS’ Hedge Fund Exit “Has No Bearing” On Allocations Of Institutional Investors
The CalPERS Building in West Sacramento, California.
Deutsche Bank says that after a series of meetings this month with institutional investors, they’ve concluded that CalPERS’ hedge fund exit “has no bearing on most investors commitment to the industry.”
Deutsche Bank prime brokerage notes that hedge funds have been engaged in “extreme protection buying in equities” and said that the recent exit from hedge funds by CalPERS “has no bearing on most investors commitment to the industry.”
After speaking with the institutional investor community regarding their commitment to maintain their hedge fund allocations, Deutsche Bank’s Capital Introductions group reports this positive message that it says was bolstered by recent meetings with Canadian pensions and global insurance companies throughout the month, while a trip to Munich indicated an increase in hedge fund exposure from institutions.
Separate hedge fund observers, meanwhile will be watching numeric asset flow patterns in December and the first quarter of 2015 to determine on an objective basis if there has been a statistical move away from hedge funds.
Even if institutional investors on the whole aren’t moving away from hedge funds, the exit by CalPERS – and the public debate swirling around the investment expenses associated with hedge funds – has forced some hedge funds to reconsider their fee structures. From the Wall Street Journal:
Two titans of the hedge-fund and private-equity world say they are growing more open to reducing fees in the face of rising scrutiny of the compensation paid to managers of so-called alternative investments.
Mr. [John] Paulson [founder of hedge fund firm Paulson & Co.] said he feels “pressure” to act in the wake of “enormous numbers in compensation” for hedge fund managers. Mr. Paulson, 58, earned a reported $2.3 billion last year, counting both fees and the appreciation of his own personal investment in his funds.
“Institutions are becoming a little more demanding…they are putting pressure on the management fee and the incentive fee,” he said Monday during a panel discussion at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Joseph Landy, co-CEO of $39 billion buyout shop Warburg Pincus, echoed Mr. Paulson’s experience.
“There are a lot of private-equity managers out there who can make a lot of money before they return a dime to investors,” Mr. Landy said. “Most of the pressure [to reduce fees] has been on the actual annual management fee.”
Neither he nor Mr. Paulson, however, were too concerned about any widespread threats to their businesses.
“We came out relatively unscathed from the crisis. We’re doing pretty much the same things we did as before [with] very little restrictions on how we invest the money,” Mr. Paulson said.
Paulson said he think more hedge funds will start using “hurdles”, a fee structure which prevents managers from collecting performance fees until they’ve met a certain benchmark return.
Photo by Stephen Curtin
Posted on October 24, 2014 December 11, 2014 Author Ted BallantineCategories Home, Pension NewsroomTags alternative investments, CalPERS, Deutsche Bank, hedge fund allocations, hedge fund divestment, hedge fund fee structure, hedge funds, institutional investors, investment feesLeave a comment
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Click here for concerts I’ve been to.
Single sleeve signed by Frida and Björn, London 1989
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M-Digital
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By Charmaine | April 17, 2020
This checklist defines 633 sciences, arts and research of varied degrees of respectability and rarity, starting from the widespread and esteemed (chemistry) to the obscure and quirky (peristerophily). On the one hand, there are some reasons to consider that rational alternative idea (which is at work not solely in economics but in addition in political science and different social sciences) can’t be applied to empirical phenomena without referring to external norms or values (Sen 1993; Reiss 2013).
Scī′ently, knowingly.—n. Scient′olism, false science, superficial data.—Scientific frontier, a time period used by Lord Beaconsfield in 1878 in speaking of the rectification of the boundaries between India and Afghanistan, meaning a frontier able to being occupied and defended in line with the requirements of the science of strategy, in opposition to ‘a hap-hazard frontier.’—Absolute science, data of issues in themselves; Applied science, when its laws are exemplified in coping with concrete phenomena; Dismal science, political economic system; Gay science, a medieval title for belles-lettres and poetry typically, esp.
So in a quick conclusion, we discover that Science mainly bases its assumptions upon our personal limitations and shortcomings, and that’s the essence of the problematic definition of Science, and it needs to be resolved earlier than it limits the mind or narrows the perceptions of upcoming scientists.
My definition of a profitable scientist is one that has developed lifelong studying skills, one that has acquired and promotes the acquisition of multidisciplinary knowledge, one that makes use of and encourages the use of edge slicing know-how, one that applies data and expertise to the widespread good and wellbeing of the global human society, and last but not least one who believes in integrity and collaboration.
Our Narrow Definition Of Science”
Take into account some examples. Based on the standard view, all that rational choice principle calls for is that folks’s preferences are (internally) consistent; it has no business in telling individuals what they ought to prefer, whether their preferences are according to external norms or values.
There are additionally closely associated disciplines that use science, comparable to engineering and medicine , which are generally described as applied sciences The relationships between the branches of science are summarized by the next table.
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One of the often requested questions in the modern world is ‘What is the that means of science and expertise?’ Man is progressive in nature. Finally, one other strategy often cited in debates of scientific skepticism against controversial movements like ” creation science ” is methodological naturalism Its major point is that a distinction between pure and supernatural explanations should be made and that science needs to be restricted methodologically to pure explanations.
Completely different words or symbols will be used to describe the legislation of Good, as a result of this immortal vitality is immeasurable and will by no means ever be constrained by, or constricted to, a logo, a e book, a select group of individuals, a product, or a human group.
Forensic science is the method of resolving authorized issues with the use of science. If a scientist gives a TED discuss, posts experiments on YouTube, turns into an open entry writer, or testifies in Congress, they are doing one thing that’s arguably as necessary as pushing the boundaries of information: They are breaking down the hallowed halls of science.
Social science too examines the causes of phenomena of curiosity, and natural science too often seeks to elucidate natural phenomena of their particular person constellations.
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BAIC SENOVA
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