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Instagram: The Death of Original Perception and Photographs
by Tim Behuniak
Fstoppers Original
I recently read an insightful Instagram post, made by Outside magazine. In this post, creative director Emma Sheffer spoke of a loss of originality and the current saturation of homogeneity in Instagram feeds. With her comments, I couldn't agree more.
Before I jump off the diving board, I think it should be made clear that this article you're about to read is definitely an opinion article, and that this dynamic and layered idea has been tossed back and forth for quite some time now. A few months ago, I wrote an Fstoppers article that touched upon this thought, and so did another Fstoppers writer back in August of 2018 in a piece titled, "Are You a Photographer Copycat?".
To begin, I'd like to reference to my own article linked above, and the Instagrammer/Influencer whom I spoke with that day. One thing he mentioned that really stuck and that I want to reiterate is that he wasn't fully invested into photography as a creative pursuit and art world. Yes, he is a person who creates, but stated he wasn't and isn't fully invested in the creative industry in terms of its history and creative bounds. He is using the camera and Instagram to travel and make a living, which is totally fine. But, he's also someone who is defining and setting the trends in the creative world.
Second, I think we have to ponder an important question: what is originality? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, originality means the quality or state of being original; freshness of aspect, design or style; or the power of independent thought or constructive imagination.
Immediately, many thoughts come to mind. The main question being: "Can anything be original anymore?" It's an argument and idea that's tossed back and forth over and over again each time this particular Instagram debate arises. Personally, I think yes. If we run with the idea of originality as a "freshness of aspect, design or style," then original ideas, products, services and views of the world are very much still possible, and they happen every day. An example of this is Reuben Wu and his series, "Aeroglyphs."
One of the beauties of life and of being a conscious human is realizing and understanding that most every single person in the world has his/her own way of viewing the world, based on life experiences, the way he/she was raised, who his/her mentors and teachers are and were, etc.
So, if we can agree that most every human on this planet has his/her own thoughts on subjects and views on the world (yes, including creatives!), then why is there so much uniformity in our current popular trends on social media platforms, and Instagram in particular?
For instant proof of this idea, all we have to do is look at Sheffer's InstaRepeat Instagram account. Literally, the entire account simply posts side-by-side grid comparisons of same types of images that were posted on Instagram in order to display this topic. But again, why is this happening?
As Sheffer alludes to in her Outside post, and as Aldo Chacon stated in his 2018 article, one huge, possible reason for this uniformity among posts on Instagram could be because of the "Instagrammer" culture and business model. As Chacon said: "With platforms like Instagram and Facebook becoming more popular than ever, photographers are now being discovered by clients through social media. This has caused photographers to imitate one another because of the feeling that that's what's in fashion and that's what will get them work. All these new trends are basically people trying to create what others are making money from, mostly being nature-oriented photos, lifestyle photos or semi-naked photos." And as Sheffer said, "Instagram is a popularity contest and that breeds homogeneity: just think about high school cliques."
I'm not trying to point fingers and by any means say that Instagrammers/Influencers are destroying the professional creative world. Or to say that they're ruining original views on the world and the creation of original photographs ... because they're not. But rather, perhaps we should be pointing fingers at ourselves. Do we want to keep perpetuating the trends set by Instagrammers/Influencers and others who are creating the same types of images?
Copycating, especially within the creative world, has been happening for ages. As the saying goes, "mimicry is the ultimate compliment." But, I believe that identical work, and the way non-art-trained masses perceive this work, has been amplified because of the easiness of social media, in particular Instagram and its "popularity" culture. Thus, we as the masses and also as creative professionals, have potential to fall into a creative black hole, which it could be argued has already happened.
And to clarify my comment regarding the way non-art-trained masses perceive creative work... I don't mean this to be rude or pretentious at all. What I mean to say is that I believe there is a clear difference in the way imagery is looked at and judged between professionals in the creative world, like photo editors and art directors, with a trained eye for visual arts, and those who do not have the same training, lessons or mentorship. I would argue that most of Instagram users who are liking, copying, and perpetuating the popular Instagram trends (as seen in InstaRepeat's Instagram account), do not have said creative-world lessons, mentorship or training. Another way to think of this is if an architecture or engineering student went to Rome versus someone who has little or no appreciation for architecture and engineering. A trained student's mind and eye will have a much more professional and educated opinion and thought on Rome's incredible buildings and history than someone who has little-to-no awareness of the subject matter.
So what can we do about this topic? For starters, perhaps we should start to (and for those who currently are, continue to) create and share images that are original, coming straight from our own hearts, minds and souls. Of course there are artistic "rules" and guidelines to follow, like the rule of thirds and color theory, but those are also meant to be broken. Perhaps we should create a new trend: rather than create and share an image based on what is popular and what you think might get you thousands and thousands of likes, create and share an image that's personal, or tells a personal story, or comes from your own experiences in and views on the world. Perhaps we can create a new trend of leaving the current trend, and sticking to what we want to create because we personally enjoy it, not because we think others will.
So, although I do think there is a high potential that Instagram's current creative trends can end, or contribute to the downfall of original views on the world and original imagery, I don't think it will happen. Thinking of work like Wu's "Aeroglyph" series gives me hope, and I think there needs to be a greater spotlight pointed back onto ourselves as fellow creatives and perpetuators of art and photographs.
I'm incredibly curious to hear your thoughts about this topic in the comments section below. If Instagram and the internet were to evaporate tomorrow, and getting client and editorial work went back to sending in physical portfolios, who would get the work? Would it be all those creating the same types of imagery, or would it be those who simply create what they want to create, skillfully and differently? What is your personal perception? Do you think that simply being original will be a new trend? Do you think this is an issue at all? Do you think that everyone should simply quiet down and just conform to the current trend? Why or why not?
Timothy Behuniak is a Salt Lake City-based landscape and outdoor adventure photographer who's passionate about getting lost in the woods with his camera. Tim's hope is that his viewers, like him, will one day love and fight to protect the beautiful locations he is fortunate to photograph.
timothybehuniak.com
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Robert K Baggs - April 17, 2019
It's an interesting issue and a good read. I feel as if a lot of people misinterpret what @insta_repeat shows. It's not the death of originality as much as it's the gargantuan influx of images. Everyone has a camera now, most of which aren't "photographers" in the purist sense. So with more images than ever before, there are going to be more accidental duplicates. That paired with more people with cameras than ever before, means there'll also be more replicas. I don't think it's a worrying sign of a lack of originality in the arts, though perhaps I'm off base here!
Andy Barnham Robert K Baggs - April 17, 2019
I disagree it's accidental. More people have access to a camera. Which means more people who want to be instantly famous take images. More people with no creativity with cameras see others who earn $$$ through a single post. Of course they're going to copy what's currently trending and what they think is successful.
IG also doesn't reward originality. It rewards people who spend. Originality will not win with IG as it's now an e- com platform.
Mike Ditz Andy Barnham - April 17, 2019
The Insta Repeats are not accidental dupes, the are well planned dupes.There are a lot pf people who go to Yosemite for the tunnel view or stand where everyone stands to shoot the Taj Mahal or the canyon where the light shines in to get the trophy shot. Now with IG it's pretty girls wearing skirts and big hats or the bearded dudes with a dog and a vintage jeep or motorcycle. I don't know how many are after the $$$ than are after the "photo". But there seems to be a lot of people getting free stuff and "paid to travel" shooting the same thing LoL. More power to 'em!
Tim Behuniak Andy Barnham - April 18, 2019
I agree with your line of thought, Andy. And I think that Instagram's algorithm has something to do with it, too. It seems that if you perform the way the algorithm wants you to, then you will succeed. And that just very much so might mean following the current trend..
Ryan Mense Robert K Baggs - April 17, 2019
Similarly, I don't think this is really a new issue in the social media age. However, Instagram just amplifies what's always been the case. People look at what's out there in their field, and what they think looks good or will get them paid is what is gravitated towards in their future work. Nothing really different than any other time beside the quantity.
Tim Behuniak Ryan Mense - April 18, 2019
I agree - it's always been happening. But perhaps the rate at which it's currently happening is an issue or something new in the creative industry that should be talked about.
Paul Scharff Robert K Baggs - April 17, 2019
I agree in that I think it's just a question of numbers. With the huge saturation of cameras and the ability to see every single photo ever shot, we're going to see duplicates. I recall visiting Niagara Falls in the late 1950s and every single person was taking the very same shot from the very same location. Maybe there was some differences in the cropping or angles, but there was very little originality there, and that was 60 years ago. Take that and multiply the number of cameras by 100, and have the ability to see every single shot and of course you'll see duplication.
Andy Day Robert K Baggs - April 18, 2019
Great read. As McLuhan wrote, the medium is the message.
Tim Behuniak Andy Day - April 18, 2019
Tim Behuniak Robert K Baggs - April 18, 2019
Thanks, Robert! Interesting angle and insight on your end. I think it could be open to interpretation, and I could very well be the one off base!
Sean Scarmack - April 17, 2019
Cue the violin.
Guy Incognito - April 17, 2019
"I recently read an insightful Instagram post,"
I have a feeling that is the first time that sentence has ever been thought up and posted online. Ever.
T Van - April 18, 2019
I think the term Postmodernism is applicable.
I mean if you really did have, training and mentorship in the arts, that would be the term that describes this trend.
post·mod·ern·ism
/ˌpōs(t)ˈmädərnˌizəm/
noun: postmodernism; noun: post-modernism
a late-20th-century style and concept in the arts, architecture, and criticism that represents a departure from modernism and has at its heart a general distrust of grand theories and ideologies as well as a problematical relationship with any notion of "art."
Tim Behuniak T Van - April 18, 2019
Not sure I fully follow this, but interesting insight!
T Van Tim Behuniak - April 18, 2019
Cliff notes version.
Nothing is original.
Everything is a derivative of previous work.
Tim Behuniak T Van - April 18, 2019 [Edited]
I agree, but to an extent. I think original work is still possible. But Picasso said, "The greatest artists are often the greatest thieves." .... But is what's going on online in the trend necessarily "great art?"
Mostly no. The worst offenders, for the most part, aren't trying to do anything but increase followers to increase their income. Unless you consider making money online an art form.
Dave Terry - April 18, 2019
I believe the opinions and tastes of the "non-art-trained masses" are equal in value to those of the most masterful artist, although different in depth of understanding about the nature of the experience of the art-piece being viewed. The reason these same compositions get repeated over and over and over is because they WORK. That's why they get taught over and over and over.
If you take a class on composition, they will instruct a person to take photos in the exact way these "non-art-trained masses" are doing in all of these repetitive photos. The proliferation of generally great composition (the way they teach you to do it anyway) in such high volumes on the internet is really more of a victory in terms of higher levels artistic sensibilities being woven into the fabric low-art of the masses - raising the overall standards of photography at large and revealing that some of this stuff we "artists" do just isn't that hard. And that is a great revelation for any artist to have because it should drive them to explore something new instead of just coasting on their reliance on proven safe compostions. These copy-cat instagram photos should be like the universe saying, "yeah man, we get it. waterfalls are cool. Why don't you get off your ass and try to do something original for once in your life! Or don't, just shoot whatever gets you off man!" - at least that is what I hear the universe saying to me. =)
What is it saying to you all?
Tim Behuniak Dave Terry - April 18, 2019
Interesting thought! I definitely agree in that opinions can be equal in value, but think there is a difference in an uneducated vs. educated opinion. And as for your second graph, I think that's an interesting take -- perhaps we could use this as more motivation to do something different in our work.
Dave Terry Tim Behuniak - April 18, 2019 [Edited]
We don't disagree on anything here. I just think this is a fascinating topic which I engage with my friends on regularly. =)
tl;dr - Originality is hard, and its value depends on what perspective you come from. Also, the proliferation of photography (cliches and all) and the platforms in which we view it will ultimately set the stage for new innovations we cannot see yet.
Originality evolves in cycles that usually start (and restart) with some simple inspiration which prompts some sort of artistic innovation which is eventually followed by popularization, then followed by mimicry, followed by proliferation, followed by over-saturation, followed by new innovation to show how old and boring the previous innovation has become... only until 20 years later when the first innovation becomes cool again. Originality is a self-eating animal.
Every interesting concept that people stumble upon and proliferates eventually gets exhausted and beat into the ground. But these concepts get reborn over and over, evolving with each new birth.
A once "original" concept doesn't become bad simply because it gets copied, but the positive vibes we feel grow duller and duller with each iteration - each one "technically" unique, but cliche in concept. We get bored as viewers and artists and feel pushed to move on to something new. This is GREAT for real art and real artists even as it makes it more difficult. But few things worth a sh#t are easy - which is kind of the whole point for most artists anyway.
As artists (as opposed to the general non-artistic masses simply dipping their toes into art forms) most of the time we don't hail great art or artists "simply" for originality (although somethings are so innovative we can't help but be humbled by them). It's that originality combined with some sort of technical prowess and intentionality that usually gets elevated the most, at least by other artists and educated fans of whatever artform we're talking about. But we are also moved by what makes us "feel" something - and what makes us "feel" something isn't always as original or technically difficult as we wish it were (especially when we see 1000 other people doing the exact same thing)... which should make any artist question whether what they are doing that is so "original" and "technically impressive" is worth all the damn effort. Personally, I have always swung back and forth on that pendulum.
This is usually the area where the "masses" make their low-art... at the level of simply trying to evoke or capture a feeling not caring much about the "artistic quality" of what they create. Once they get close, that's usually good enough for them. Or maybe they do have some undeveloped artistic sensibility, but little desire to go deep with it and just follow well worn paths (like standard photo compositions we see all over the place).
But we are all simply points on a multi-dimensional spectrum. The spectrum isn't simply a line between what is allegedly "good" or "bad," "original" or "cliche" based on the opinions of the supposed masters of some artistic field. They too are merely points on the spectrum. What the masses are doing in those same artistic fields should matter because the proliferation of concepts that get repeated until they are annoying act like dogs on the heels of art as a whole. Among real artists (whatever the hell that means) those dogs thin out the heard and the strongest artists and strongest art usually emerges regardless of what else is going on.
What seemed like a revelation yesterday can become old news real f##king fast in the art world.
It's never going to get easier, and the "Master Photographers" (or even just the pretty good pros) will have to continually up their game (or settle into their own niche) until the end of time. Instagram and all of the copycats therein are only the harbinger of doom for the posers who "think" they are legit. True innovative artists will still continue to rise to the top... it's just that "the top" gets higher and higher all the time. At least an influencer who sees photography as a means to other ends instead of an artistic path of its own is being honest about their connection to photography.
There are a lot of people out there who want to be thought of as "artists" but instead of just putting their nose down and doing the work to become good at their art would rather complain about how homogenized everything has become mainly because they don't actually have any new ideas themselves (and are sad they can't impress people with the same lazy cliches everyone else is already using). Or maybe they're just sick of seeing the cliches but are annoyed they can't think of anything better. The internet in general and Instagram specifically has simply revealed how hard it is to truly be innovative in photography by allowing us to see a massively larger sample of what people are doing as a whole from the end to end along every artistic spectrum.
I think everyone should just set their own standards and get on with life. =)
Phill Holland - April 18, 2019
I think there may also be a shift to redefining what photography is, particular between different genres. If you're overwhelmed by mediocre examples of images, you're going to start believing that's what photography is meant to be; if you try to break from the cliches and the trends the average user is going to turn their nose up when they find an exceptional example of work, that doesn't fit in with what everybody else is doing.
My perspective is street photography centric, it's a very hard genre to master, and 99% of instagram accounts post terrible content, but because they're big accounts, you often see a massive shift in the definition of street photography to match those big accounts.
I don't blame people for being copy cats though, the modern world seems to be teaching us that you don't have to put a lot of work into quality, or even following a moral code to be successful.
Polishing turds as frequently as possible appear to be the order of the day.
Saying that though, I'm naive enough to believe hitting the like button on a photo means that a person likes it, rather than just wanting to support somebody, or just blindly hitting the like buttons loads and loads of times without taking the content in at all.
Paul FIlios - April 19, 2019
Is this really any different than ~90% of all photography over the years? Even when restricted to "professional" photographers. How different or creative are all the family portraits taken in past years in the mall portrait shops, the individual school or athletic team shots of kids, or senior photos for most graduates. Even the vast majority of wedding photos. The only difference is that now these photos all get shared for everyone to see without visiting everyone's home to look at the pictures on their walls or in the wedding album on their coffee table. I'd go farther even and say the same percentage of original paintings suffer from the same similarities, there just aren't as many of them, especially as now almost everyone over 10 routinely carries a camera with them at all times.
David Vivian - April 26, 2019
I almost hate railing on the IG copy culture because it's a platform designed for influencers. It works well!
Tom Reichner - May 22, 2019
I am fairly new to Instagram. I just started my account there this past November. I have really enjoyed becoming part of the Instagram community.
I think that the attitude we have toward Instagram should be the same as the attitude we should have toward anything - to see the good in it and to embrace the positive. There is a lot of good about Instagram. There are also some problems that arise because of Instagram's massive popularity. It behooves us to find what is right about Instagram and to make the most of that.
Is there a lot of "copycat' imagery on Instagram? Yes, of course. There is a lot of copycat imagery everywhere - on magazine pages and on wall calendars and on greeting cards and in art galleries - why would Instagram be any different?
But there is also a lot of really compelling imagery on Instagram that showcases people's creativity and originality. Every day on Instagram I see wildlife and bird photos that are unlike any other wildlife and bird photos that I have ever seen before. People are finding new and different ways to photograph common subjects and posting their results on Instagram. It is quite inspiring!
I have learned a lot from the other photographers that I meet on Instagram. I learn about different animals and the places where they live because others are willing to share not only their photographs, but the information behind the photographs - the back story. This doesn't make me want to go to those same places and take the same kinds of photos that these people have taken. Rather, it gives me the information that I need to go find these animals and get to know them and their habitats, and then to photograph them in my own way.
I don't know anything about the economics of Instagram, so I can't really comment on that aspect of it.
Ross Brownsdon - June 3, 2019
Fantastic article! As professional photographers and artist/creatives, the issue of conformity on Instagram is definitely something more of us are aware of and questioning. I think it's just a natural process of the evolution of social media. I would say we are still in the infancy stage of this medium. The commercialisation of Instagram, ie the proliferation of selling a service or product is in direct contrast to the values of creating art. Selling stuff on Instagram may sustain the existence of Instagram but has a destructive effect on the creative process.
As an artist, one can spend weeks or months creating new work, and then only have a small number of images to communicate the concepts and ideas of the work. Whereas the algorithms of the Instagram platform (ie the rules of playing the game) demands that users post/exhibit work every day, 365 days a year which is completely unnatural and unachievable (not to mention an undesirable burden/pain in the a**) unless you're selling a product or service.
Part of the problem is this phenomenon of likes and followers which has turned users into slaves/addicts for instant gratification. This gratification can be reproduced through the repetition of similar imagery (here lies the absence of originality) to produce the desired outcome over and over to contribute to this tally of likes of followers - the value of art is commodified into a popularity contest not a chance to evoke meaning, thought or contemplation. It is an unnatural and unhealthy behaviour that needs to change.
We can even question who should own such a platform as it is now entirely about commercial gain and the harvesting of information to further aid this commercial gain.
A shift in our attitudes will bring about new platforms to meet our needs as photographers and all sorts of creatives.
phil McClellin - January 16, 2020
Nice article, Tim. I enjoyed it.
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This bay may not be as totally enclosed but it is much quieter than Puilladobhrain. Indeed anchored just east of Ardfad point one can see all the many masts in Puilladobhrain and wonder what makes the human race cluster together.
On Ardfad point there are several rocky outcrops on one of which - the one with the ash tree - is the very ruined remains of Ardfad castle, more like a fortified house. Another McDougall construction.
A bit further to the west is Ardencaple House, a rather fine late 18th century laird's house. It was once lived in by Mrs Frances Shand Kydd, Princess Diana's mother, but now James Taylor lives there He runs the surrounding sporting estate and is also into conservation. There has been a lot of deciduous tree planting, and new wild life ponds in front of the house. It is rather private with a big sign "No access by vehicle or on foot" and a lot of fences (to keep the animals away from the young trees apparently).
The whole place is awash with wild flowers, and seals haul themselves out on the small skerries to stare at you. This is a good spot for children to be let loose in the dinghy - lots of little islands to row around and land on.


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Investment Edge is a tax-deferred annuity with a variety of disbursement options available. It allows for the growth of a death benefit while also providing tax-efficient distributions.
Retirement Cornerstone is a variable annuity with two accounts in one. The investment account side allows for greater accumulation potential, while the protected account side provides a guaranteed minimum income benefit to provide income for later in life.
Structured Capital Strategies offers investment in a wide variety of indexes with the option for some downside protection as well. These are customized indexed annuities that can be adjusted to your level of risk tolerance. The PLUS series has a higher opportunity for return with higher cap rates and longer investment terms.
Accumulator is a series of variable annuities that offer guaranteed minimum income, diversified portfolios, and one of three guaranteed death benefit choices.
Individuals can also invest through AXA Equitable in both brokerage and advisory accounts and a variety of mutual funds as well. There are a wide variety of portfolios, funds, and mutual fund families to choose from.
On the group benefits side of the business, AXA Equitable has both retirement account services and a variety of voluntary supplemental benefit choices.
Dental and Vision benefits can be selected either together or separately. The dental plan offers access to a network of more than 80,000 providers; plans cover preventative services in full and offer coinsurance coverage for other services. The vision plan is partnered with VSP, one of the biggest vision coverage companies in the country.
Group life insurance plans are also available, and they vary depending on the options selected by the employer.
Both short-term and long-term disability plans are also available. These are designed to provide income in the event of a disability that renders the insured unable to work for a period of time.
AXA Equitable manages 401(k), 403(b), and 457 (b) plans. In addition to assisting the employer with setting up a retirement plan, they offer financial counseling to the employee enrolled in the plans as well.
All quoting is done through financial professionals, and there is no online quoting available for any of the products. This includes term life insurance, which is the product that most frequently has an online quoting option on most insurance company websites.
AXA Equitable does have a complex and comprehensive line of products, and it makes sense that they would want to offer potential new clients the opportunity to discuss those options with a professional. Quotes for term life at the very least, however, provide insurance shoppers with a baseline to compare to other companies and determine whether it is worth going into details on the policies with a professional.
In the modern age, older companies that have relied on agents have moved more and more towards a stronger internet presence, and that includes online quoting. It seems unlikely that a company like AXA Equitable brings in a large percentage of its business through internet research, which is probably the reason they haven't bothered to add this option.
The claims section of the website is easily located, with a visible link right off the top menu of the website. From this page, visitors can get claims started and gather information regarding how to proceed. The information is clearly stated and easy to understand.
Claims for life insurance policies can be initiated online. The system will take you through the process and give further instruction as to what forms and documents are required. Once those forms have been mailed into AXA, the status of the claim can be monitored online; this requires a myAXA account that can be created once you have a claim number.
Life insurance claims can also be filed over the phone at 800-777-6510.
There is a separate claims line for annuity claims at 800-789-7771. Other products have a variety of other contact options.
The online claims forms library has quick and easy access to the most commonly needed forms for life and annuity policies.
The beneficiary resources section of the website provides advice and assistance with navigating the process of a life insurance claim as well as managing death benefit funds.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) record, found under AXA Financial, has an A+ rating. There is a total of 42 customer complaints on file in the past three years, 18 of which were closed in the past twelve months. This is a very low volume of complaints for such a huge company. AXA Equitable has been BBB accredited since 1937.
While AXA Equitable has plenty of reviews on their own website, we were unable to find much in the way of direct consumer reviews in any of the usual places. As a general rule, we do not use reviews found on a company's website to develop our recommendation for that company; the ability of the company to moderate and curate the reviews that are shown on their own site has a tendency to skew the overall ratings in the company's favor.
In 2016, AXA won in a lawsuit brought against them by investors claiming they had been charged excessive fees on annuity products. The judge ruled that the fees were, in fact, fair and reasonable.
On the heels of the 2016 decision came two more lawsuits against the company, both filed in January of 2017. These accused the company of unfair rate increases. As of the time of this review, there is no further information on the progress of these cases.
Neither of the legal issues in AXA Equitable's recent history raises major red flags; rising premiums on universal policies are common across many similar companies, and AXA is not the only one to take some legal heat for it. This makes it less concerning in terms of the company's reputation.
AXA has a good range of products, although some of them may be a little complex for those seeking a basic life insurance policy to provide a cash benefit to family members. That makes them a better choice for those who want to sit down and create a long-term financial plan with an advisor. We found nothing of concern in their reputation or record and in fact a very low complaint volume.
AXA Equitable is a venerable company with a solid financial backing; they may not be the most affordable life insurance company out there – though we do not have rates to compare, it seems unlikely they offer budget products – but they appear to be a good one.
I wonder if AXA Philippines is affiliated with AXA everywhere else?
I recently had to take money out of my IRA retirement fund to pay my taxes. I was told they would have to cash in some of my investments because I did not have enough cash in my account. This concerns me because I should have money there. They also charge fees even if I lose money or don't show a profit. Your rating concerns me. What should I do?
Inside your IRA you can hold cash, but you typically don't (or not that much). What you actually own are stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, etc. So when your IRA balance says something like $100,000, it usually means the value of the investments equal $100,000.
In this case, what they probably mean is they need to sell some of these stocks, etc. in order to generate enough cash to withdrawal the amount they need.
I am taking time out of my legal work to provide your company with a negative review! We have been attempting to receive the correct form to add our Trust on the beneficiary form. I have provided a third party release form so my wife could speak for me.
The company has made it VERY hard for us to accomplish what we initially attempted.
We first received the WRONG form through the mail. I took time out of my workday to contact you AGAIN to have you email me the correct form. ONCE AGAIN the wrong form was sent. The manager, [Redacted], claim that form should have NEVER been emailed out.
This morning my wife contacted you again and was refused to receive the CORRECT form to be mailed out. I will NOT EVER recommend your company to anyone!


Why Book Singapore Tours with Us?
From beautiful gardens to animal safaris to island hopping, Singapore is made out of everything that is fantastic and is a must visit destination in Southeast Asia. Singapore is offering a lot more beyond delicious cuisines, luxurious accommodations and branded shopping hubs which have turned the country into tourists' paradise. Keeping in mind your preferences we offer tailor-made plans so that you can have the best out of your Singapore vacations with us. This colourful island country has a lot of options to explore and we make sure to give you every bit of it. Our Singapore tour packages are custom made and perfect for romantic getaways, solo travellers, and family trips. Book with us because our holiday packages are not restricted just to the main tourist attractions but we also offer a detailed tour of many offbeat destinations in Singapore. Enjoy beautiful Singapore zoo where animals are kept in a friendly atmosphere, you can also interact with them and pet some of them; Garden of Bay; China Town, and Little India, Sentosa Island.
We also take you to some of the lesser visited spots like live turtle, and tortoise museum, Arab Street which are some of the must-visit spots included in our itinerary. Our trusted local travel guides will also help you in exploring the destination and will introduce you to their culture. We offer you comfortable and luxurious services at every stage of your journey. So if you are still thinking about 'how to visit Singapore', just grab one of our amazing Singapore travel packages or get one customized for yourself. Trust us with your trips because we don't just give you tour package we give you lifelong experience that you can cherish.
The Orchard road is 2.2-kilometre-long road over populated by retail and entertainment. It is one of the major attractions of the tourists in Singapore. It is also known by Vaira Kimadam or Tang Leng Pa Sat Koiby the localities (Singaporean Tamils and Singaporean Chinese respectively)! The Orchard road planning area is also one out of the fifty- five urban planning area of Singapore as claimed by the urban Redevelopment authority.
Termed as the observation wheel of Singapore, the gargantuan flyer was set up in the year of 2008 and comprises of 28 air-conditioned capsules all of which are designed to make way for 28 passengers. With a proud height of 165 meters, this Ferris Wheel boasted of being the largest in the world until the year of 2014 which witnessed the establishment of High Roller in Las Vegas.
The Sri Mariamman temple is the oldest temple of Hindu religion in Singapore. Built with Dravidian style, it is situated at 244 South Bridge Road, downtown in the district of Chinatown. Considering the architectural and historical importance the temple, it is claimed to be a historical Monument and is managed by Hindu Endowments Board, a statutory board under the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports of Singapore.
Fixed at the Boat Quay, Raffles Landing Site owe its eminence back to the historical event of Sir Stamford Raffles' landing at the particular place back in 1819 wrap up the first treaty with the local rulers. Symbolized by the figurine of Sir Stamford Raffles, this landing site is situated in the northern part of Singapore River.


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February 24, 2015	News 617 Views
Mouser Electronics, the global authorised distributor with the newest semiconductors and electronic components, has announced it has entered into a global distribution agreement and partnership with Microsemi – a global provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance. Microsemi's comprehensive portfolio features many of the company's solutions including the SmartFusion2 and IGLOO2 product families, timing and synchronisation products, and Power-over-Ethernet products targeting a broad range of applications in defense, security, communications, aerospace and industrial markets.
The Microsemi product line, now available from Mouser Electronics, features the company's industry-acclaimed SmartFusion2 System-on-Chip (SoC) FPGAs and IGLOO2 FPGA devices. The SmartFusion2 devices integrate a non-volatile flash based FPGA with a full-feature microcontroller subsystem, enhanced FPGA fabric and high-speed serial and memory interfaces. The IGLOO2 FPGAs integrate a fourth generation flash-based FPGA fabric with high-performance communications interfaces on a single chip, specifically targeted at the cost-optimised FPGA market with up to 150K logic elements. In addition to the SmartFusion2 and IGLOO2 FPGA devices, Mouser will also stock a variety of the company's switching ICs and timing and synchronisation ICs to round off Microsemi's comprehensive portfolio of semiconductor and system solutions now available to Mouser customers.
"Adding Mouser Electronics as a global channel partner truly positions Microsemi to better support our customers and enhance our worldwide distribution network," said Phil Sansone, Microsemi vice president of global distribution sales. "Not only will we be able to satisfy more of the requirements of our existing customers, but leveraging Mouser's excellent design and supply-chain services and logistics support, we can drive new growth opportunities, expand our global presence and get our products into the hands of developers even faster."
This new distribution agreement provides Mouser Electronics' customers with a greater selection of FPGA and semiconductor solutions to choose from, and also gains them access to Microsemi's extensive worldwide design and support infrastructure.
"Microsemi's portfolio of high-performance semiconductors and system solutions aligns well with our current line card and customer base," said Jeff Newell, Mouser senior vice president of products. "We look forward to a successful, long-term relationship as we deliver their products, technologies and services to our engineering community."


Current Resident: Moved to Porter Ranch 17 years ago and love it! My kids attended Castlebay and PRCS and both schools are excellent and different from other LAUSD schools... its higher achieving with a wider cultural diversity. I love the hiking trails nearby. There are gated and non-gated communities. It does get windy at times but its NOT windy all the time and its seasonal. I love that the 118 freeway is right here & can take me to the 405, 5, 210, 23, and 101 freeways pretty quickly as theres not much traffic on 118 as other LA freeways. Theres a few good private schools nearby like Sierra Canyon and Chaminade. Overall I love living here and I feel away from the crowds and craziness of busy Los Angeles! It is getting more and more busy and crowded in LA overall and Rinaldi Street (main street in PR) gets backed up during traffic hour but thats part of living in LA.
Current Resident: Beautiful neighborhood with excellent public schools! Though it is a bit isolated from other areas in Los Angeles, it's a very beautiful and friendly place.


Apps are at their peak and we will be seeing many ad-tech companies developing specific apps for each market under one same platform. As a result, mobile app producers will have to increase the benefits and offerings that are provided by existing apps. Here are the top 4 mobile app predictions for 2017, by Portada's digital media correspondent Pedro Labarta.
Smart prices will take over.
Apps focused on the sale of products will have to become smart bots, since buying sensitivities vary depending on region/country. Producers of mobile applications will have to use individual user data, along with location at the time of sale in order to achieve better profits down the road. For example, people in Mexico may not be willing to pay the same amount for a particular product as do people in Spain. Companies will be able to classify purchases according to the algorithm needed to quickly adapt to each market, thereby unifying inventories and databases.
This will be the year in which businesses such as agencies will be able to safely, quickly, and effectively monetize applications. For example, a clothing brand will be able to pay for an in-app ad when the user is searching for a specific application or even within the app itself, as is already the case today, but will also be able to do it a crucial moment of the game or video where the advertiser wants its ad to appear. This will help advertising networks improve their performance and especially their revenues once this feature kicks in by mid-2017. This will lead to higher satisfaction rates and more business opportunities for all.
Apple, Samsung, and Google specialize in mass consumer products. The smartwatch is not a great product because it does not replace the phone, just as Apple Pay has not replaced the credit card. Also, not everyone wears a watch, while most everyone uses a smartphone. This is another problem faced by large companies that have failed to build an adequate ecosystem and a monetization model for smartwatch developers. With development not being financially viable, developers will stop creating for it and instead focus on creating for apps for TV, etc. This will open a new source of revenue for publishers, leading to better content and a better advertising platform that makes it a win-win for everyone.
Messaging has tapped out, so entering this market is too complicated these days. The focus now should be on developing message extensions, where we can take advantage of the billions of people already connected on them.
We are already seeing specific developments for iMessage from Apple and Facebook Messenger. Instead of opening an application such as Skype separately, users will use a face-to-face extension within the messaging application with which they are already familiar.
This will be the year in which businesses such as agencies will be able to safely, quickly, and effectively monetize applications.
Extensions will not stop there, however. They will be used for everything, including some tools we are already used to seeing in our email, such as calendar invitations, unread text markings, current status, and functions that will be carried out within our specific message groups. Bots and AI were launched in 2016, but they still do not work very well. In 2017, we will see strong breakthroughs in bot intelligence and more implementations in our everyday technology. Many of today's most promising video messaging and walkie-talkie apps will soon find themselves competing against and potentially missing out on a well-implemented app extension.
However, bot technology will see its strongest boom in late 2017.


Odex systems has become the standard among drilling contractors for casing in water wells, geothermal wells and for shallow micro piling work.
One Hammer used in multiple purpose. Odex include guide devoice, polite bit, reamer, casing shoe, locking kit.


Meet Cherry Rose Arcilla, high school intern for Airport Transit Operations. She discovered all the small things that keep a big airport operating for passengers.
Cherry Rose Arcilla first heard about the summer internship program through the Young Executives of Color (YEOC) program, a nine-month college preparation program hosted by the University of Washington. At a career fair hosted by YEOC, a Port of Seattle representative guided students on applying for the summer internship.
And so, after a competitive but successful application process, Cherry was pleased to hear that she had received a position with the Airport Transit Operations (ATO) Office at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
As a low-income youth and immigrant from La Union, the Philippines, Cherry wanted to share her perspective on accessibility and equality to the entire Port. "It is an important topic that often gets overlooked. Preparing an event open to all employees was intimidating, challenging, and exciting. With the help of others, it turned out to be a great success".
At Cleveland High School, Cherry excelled inside and outside the classroom. She was part of the National Honors Society, All Girl Everything Program, and the Upper Bound program for first-generation low-income students. In 2016, she led one of Seattle's select frisbee team to the national stage where they placed third in the country.
After her internship, Cherry will visit London for the first time before starting her freshman year at the University of Washington in Seattle.


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Musical artist Sarah Getto to entertain at Disabilities Awareness Day at State Capitol
Darla Shelden
Published: April 17th, 2015
OKLAHOMA CITY – Award-winning Oklahoma singer-musician-songwriter Sarah Getto will be the featured performer at the 21st "People with Disabilities Awareness Day" at the state Capitol from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 20.
Event organizers estimate 900 Oklahomans with disabilities and advocates will participate on every floor of the building at 2300 N.W. 23 Street.
"We encourage Awareness Day participants to wear green, if possible, to show unity," DRS Executive Director Joe Cordova said. "When decision makers at the state Capitol see a lot of people in the halls or rotundas all wearing disability-awareness green, our efforts have an even greater impact."
For this year's event, the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services chose the theme "Disable the Label: It Matters to Me." The graphic depicts the negative word "disabled" with the "d" crossed out to illustrate that people with disabilities want to be recognized as individuals, not limited by stereotypes.
The event offers participants an opportunity to talk with legislators about critical disability issues and services. They will discuss the impact on employment opportunities and other goals.
Seventy-five exhibitors, from Mid-America chapter of Paralyzed Veterans to TSHA (Tulsa Speech and Hearing Association), will offer the latest disability information on the second and fourth floors at the Capitol.
Sarah Getto will perform a mini-concert during the award ceremonies beginning at 3:30 p.m. in the west hall on the second floor. Limited seating is available with standing room in the "balcony" located in the west hall on the third floor.
A former DRS Visual Services client, Getto travels more than 30,000 miles each year and has performed for more than 100 thousand people.
Born blind with a severe cleft palate, Getto taught herself to play piano at age three and violin at 10. In addition to her award-winning voice, she also plays guitar, bass and autoharp.
Getto graduated summa cum laude in 2007 from Southeastern Oklahoma State University with a degree in music education with employment preparation assistance from DRS' Visual Services.
As a composer in her early teens, Getto writes music in many styles including country, pop, adult contemporary, classical and Christian. Her show covers selections by Anne Murray, Karen Carpenter, the Supremes, Alison Krauss and others.
Getto last entertained at People with Disabilities Awareness Day in 2008. (For more information, visit www.sarahgetto.com.)
Several Oklahomans or state organizations will be honored during the event.
This year's award winners include: Scott Ellis, Government Relations Director of the Mid-America Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America – Disability Leadership Award; Peter Broussard, Cintas employee — Client of the Year; Cintas, uniform and safety equipment company — Employer of the Year; Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City — Legislator of the Year; and Jaclyn Cosgrove, The Oklahoman reporter – Excellence in Communication Award.
Jane Thomas, Oklahoma School for the Blind employee and Betty Fine, Oklahoma School for the Deaf retiree will both received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Participants are encouraged to pre-register online at www.okdrs.org/drupal/pwdad-registration. Late registrations will be accepted the day of the event at noon on the first floor.
Parking is available on the south side of the state Capitol. Accessible parking is located at the base of the south steps. Overflow parking is available at the Jim Thorpe Building west of the Capitol on Lincoln Blvd.
Visitors may enter the building at the accessible southeast entrance on the first floor.
Every Capitol visitor is required to pass through a metal detector and run all purses and bags through an x-ray scanner.
More than 577,000 Oklahomans – almost one in six — have disabilities, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
www.City-Sentinel.com
Pat McGuigan
CapitolBeatOK
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We dare to say that those store-bought fig cookies are no match for our own, made with homemade fig jam and our cookie mix!
You already know that our Cookie Mix makes great, easily portable cookie bars with berries, peaches, and other fresh fruits. Figs are also a great fresh fruit option and their deliciousness factor skyrockets when you spend a bit of extra time making homemade jam for your cookies. The result? A not-too-sweet snackable bar that is frighteningly similar to a store-bought cookie you grew up with.
Don't let the homemade jam step intimidate you! In fact, you can read more about how to make your own homemade jam here. Get cooking! And enjoy!
In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan bring the figs, brown sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla to a boil, stirring as needed.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 40-50 minutes, occasionally smashing the larger pieces with the back of a fork and stirring. They will cook down and thicken with jam-like consistency.
Remove from the heat and cool completely. This fig filling can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Next, using a spatula, spread the fig jam evenly over the bottom layer of cookie mix. Lastly, evenly sprinkle the remaining cookie dough over top of the jam, pressing lightly down to make a solid bar.
Bake the bars until golden (20-25 minutes,) then allow to cool in the pan before cutting, serving, wrapping or enjoying!


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How Teaching ESL Abroad empowered me & built my confidence – Video
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Watch the video below to see how our graduate Leigh stopped delaying her travel plans and decided to teach ESL and travel the world. Leigh talks about how she found empowerment by teaching English abroad, as well as how travel can empower women. Leigh also shares tips on what to pack for your adventure abroad, and advice for anyone thinking about teaching English overseas.
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Read some of the highlights from our interview with Leigh below:
What made you decide to teach English abroad?
How did you find out about teaching English abroad?
What was the certification process like?
How long did it take to find a job?
What was it like, as a woman, traveling alone?
What kind of classes did you teach?
What advice would you give women who want to teach abroad?
Do you have any packing tips for future ESL teachers?
How did your experiences traveling and teaching abroad empower & change you?
Do you have any last tips for anyone preparing to teach English abroad?
Q & A with Leigh
Right now I'm finishing my Master's of Fine Art and Creative Writing. Part of the reason I came back to The States was to get that finished. I want to teach at a university eventually so that [her Master's] is part of that.
My experience teaching abroad, I took an Oxford Seminars course in the University of Chicago in 2014…and then in 2014-2015 I lived in Japan and taught abroad there, and then in 2016-2017 I was living and teaching in South Korea.
I just got back last year, so it's been a little bit of an adjustment. [I'm] having a little bit of reverse culture shock.
I did a little bit of traveling after my last contract. So I finished in February and was traveling until June of last year.
We actually found you on Instagram because you were sharing all kinds of really cool images of your experience teaching English abroad.
Yeah! I just had such a great time and saw so many great things. And not only do you go to the country you go to and really explore that but it just makes you want to go other places. It inspires you and gives you the lust and excitement for travel.
What made you decide to get certified and teach English abroad?
So I think I'm maybe in a little bit of a unique situation… A lot of people come out of college and they're 22 years old and they don't know what to do and they're like "I want a gap year and I'm going to live abroad!"
I was actually in my early 30's and I was in the position of being single for the first time in a while. I didn't have kids, I didn't have a mortgage, and I said "I always wanted to travel. Why am I not doing it?"
For me it was really like, if not now, when? If I'm not going to take the leap now, there's never going to be a good time. You're always going to be like "I wish I had more money. I wish I had lost a little weight before I did this." I think you just put things off and you tell yourself all the reasons that you'll do it later, and you put it off and tell yourself "someday I'll do this, someday I'll do that."
I think really for me it was like "When's someday? I'm living my someday. I need to go do it!"
I was a substitute teacher for a little while. I had my bachelor's but I didn't have my teaching credentials. So I didn't really go into that. I was working as a barista, I did office jobs for a while, and I always loved English. I always had a passion for English, and language, and culture. So I think I saw it as a vehicle of traveling. I saw it as a way of getting to see the world and also doing what I had studied. I studied creative writing. So it was a way of living the way I had prepared for in some ways.
How did you feel about going abroad by yourself?
I think you can do so much preparing… and when it comes down to it there's only so much you can prepare for because there's no way to know what it's going to be like to be plunged into another culture where you don't speak the language and you don't understand the customs entirely…At a certain point you just have to take the leap…I was excited.
There's a lot of different routes people can take. I loved Oxford Seminars because it's not just an online credential course. [It has] in-class experience and online experience… So I would go in and do some in-class experience teaching and practice and then the rest of it was online answering questions and studying.
I thought it was really valuable to have the classroom experience because I had done some substitute teaching but I wasn't really a full time teacher so I felt like "I don't want to be thrown into the fire" with teaching because you're in a new culture. The last thing you want to do is not feel confident.
So I think it [the Oxford Seminars course] really helped me gain the confidence. You do a lot of exercises with your classmates and your teacher. I think they had us up on the first day teaching. It really helped prepare me.
How did you decide where you wanted to teach?
[Japan] was really far from my original thought. I had wanted to go to Europe but it was kind of difficult to get into…and hard to get a visa… So I started looking at Asian countries. And I'd always loved Japanese culture and life. I loved the food, and anime and all the fun things. So I thought [Japan] would be a good first place for me.
How long did it take to find a job teaching English in Japan?
It was relatively quick. It's almost easier than getting a job in the US if that makes sense. I feel like sometimes [in the US] when I finished college and I had my bachelor's and I was sending out resumes, [I would] just never hear from anybody, or [I would] go on an interview and never hear back. It was really frustrating. But it felt like when I had my [TESOL/TESL/TEFL] Certification, people were recruiting me. I would get to choose [between teaching jobs]. People would interview me…and it was really interesting because I got to pick the place I wanted to go and what would be a good fit for me.
So that was really a great experience for me and I had a lot of options. [Oxford Seminars] has a really great graduate placement service. You get an advisor and they help place you… so it was a really easy, painless experience.
What was it like, as a woman, buying a one-way ticket and traveling abroad alone?
I found it really empowering to travel abroad as a woman. It helped me take more risks, and make decisions and stand by my decisions, and have my voice heard.
I think living abroad, you also learn to be a really good listener, because a lot of times you don't understand everything that's happening. You don't understand every word that's being said. You don't understand the customs. So you really want to take a step back sometimes and just observe and make sure you're not offending anyone. A lot of people come in with a mindset of "I'm [still] in America and this is how we do things here," but you have to open your mind to a new experience.
In Japan, I taught "mommy and me" classes which are one-year-olds and their moms – and that was a lot of basic colors, shapes, music, lots of dancing – and then all the way up to 19-year-olds. So I taught a whole range of classes and I taught at four different schools. So I got to see a lot of the country that way…
My second posting, when I went to South Korea, I was in a kindergarten class. So I taught 5 and 6 [year-olds] and then after school I taught 7-10 year olds.
What advice would you give women who are thinking about teaching English abroad?
Just do it! Don't think about it. Don't think about the excuses of why not or why you can't. Don't let that fear drive you away. I think that you have to make a decision and just kind of follow through with it. And then it all just kind of happens very quickly and follows along with itself.
Find yourself a community there. I met a really great community of women who I traveled with. In my first job I was living in Gifu, Japan. We did our training in Nagoya and then everyone went to different parts of the country. So I made these great friends in the first two weeks and then we all went to live in different places, but it was great because someone would call me up and say "Hey! Want to go to Nagano this weekend?" And I'd be like "Yeah!"
It was really cool. I met this really wonderful community of educators and women travelers [who were] not just from the US, but also from Scotland, from Australia, from Canada, from all over the world. It was really cool.
Do you have any packing tips for future ESL teachers abroad?
I think I over-prepared like everyone who packs. It's like "I'm going away for a weekend. I need 6 pairs of shoes!"
I ended up packing two large suitcases, which for a year is reasonable. I kept it to that because otherwise it's too hard to travel around with. I think the thing to think too is that…you can go to a grocery store[when you're abroad]. When I went to Korea I bought a bicycle. I bought a comforter for my bed. I bought a lot of the things there. You don't need to bring as much.
Clothing was big for me. I wanted to make sure I had clothing that fit because an extra large is like a medium in our size or a small… but other than that everything you can get there and sometimes it's fun to try new stuff. I loved trying the cosmetics there. They have so many cool things that we don't have yet. Especially Korea. It's like the cosmetics capital of the world.
I think that there's a current… climate of division among people and I think that traveling really teaches you empathy and it teaches you understanding. And…when you listen to people and sit back and really listen to their lives, I had so many touching experiences with women when I went abroad.
I was actually in a motorbike accident in Cambodia about a year and a half ago. I went off a bridge. It was really crazy but I remember… I was sitting in the village. Someone was going back to get the bike out of a tree. It was insane. I was kind of in shock and I was crying and all these women just came out of their homes and they were touching my face, and one got ointment out of her purse and was putting it on this really big scratch I had on my face.
There's a language that doesn't have words between women. It's the language of "carers" and of empathy. And I think we need so much of that in this world.
It was so touching to me because they were living in this really abject poverty and they just had nothing, but they gave me what they could give me, and they took care of me when I was in a really vulnerable situation.
And I had so many experiences like that that were so touching. Like I would get lost in Japan, and little Japanese grandmothers would take your arm and literally walk you to where you needed to go. Or you'd leave your umbrella behind and they would chase you down to give it back to you. I just had so many wonderful experiences like that.
I think it's so important for women now to have a broad worldview, and I think education is so important, and traveling and meeting people from different places is so important to expanding your worldview and understanding of things.
I would say to anybody, I had fears. There were definitely fears I had going abroad and things you have to overcome in your own mind, but change can't really come unless you're in an uncomfortable situation. You have to force yourself outside of your comfort zone to have true change.
I just urge women to take that leap. You'll have the most amazing experiences of your life.
I'm working now and people are always saying "You've been where?! You've done what?!" and they're just so amazed but it's like "You can too…"
Take the leap. Take a risk. You'll really grow as a person, and just become more confident in yourself and who you are.
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Athens, Ga. – The Georgia Bulldogs (12-7, 3-5) fell to the Arkansas Razorbacks 80-77 in the series' first game that spilled into double-overtime on Tuesday night in Stegeman Coliseum.
Double-overtime remained stagnant for the first two minutes until a tip-in by senior forward Yante Maten gave Georgia the advantage. The game went back and forth with an Arkansas 3-pointer seconds later and two free throws from Maten regained Georgia's edge. The Razorbacks drained another three, only for it to be answered by a three from junior guard William Turtle Jackson II to take the Georgia lead back 76-75. Arkansas again made a three to surpass the Bulldogs at 78-76. Maten drew a foul and made 1-of-2 from the line, pulling within one and a defensive stop on the ensuing Arkansas possession gave the Bulldogs a shot. That last attempt fell short and the Razorbacks held on to defeat the Bulldogs 80-77.
Maten had his ninth double-double of the season and 25th of his career with 26 points and 15 rebounds tying his career-high in boards. Maten has eclipsed the 20-point mark in 10 games this season including three of the last four. He is also now tied for overall career points with former teammate J.J. Frazier. Jackson posted a new career-high for three's with 5 contributing to his overall 15 points.
Twenty seconds into the game Jackson posted a three clinching the Bulldog's lead, which held till the half. Georgia stretched its lead to as high as 16, before the Razorbacks (14-6, 4-4) made it a five-point game going into the break at 33-28.
Coming back to action, Arkansas had the first points of the half but Georgia held onto the advantage. At 16:21 the Razorbacks took over the lead, 38-37, for the first time. Strong defense on both sides contributed to the lead changing six times within 12 minutes. Arkansas gained its largest edge of six points at 7:45 but Georgia was able to come back and tie the game, 58-58, with 3:55 remaining. The lead changed three more times ending with Georgia at the line. Two free throws by Jordan Harris sent the game, 63-63, into its first overtime.
A Georgia foul brought Arkansas to the line to take the first lead in extra time. Freshman forward Nicolas Claxton answered with a jumper to regain the Bulldog advantage. With 1:32 remaining, the Razorbacks hit a three to go up 69-66. A Claxton bucket and a block on the defensive end brought Georgia back on offense. Harris forced a foul to go to the line again to tie the game, 69-69, segueing into double-overtime.
Red-shirt senior guard Juwan Parker had his seventh double-digit game of the season with 12 and recorded a new career-high in blocks with two. Junior forward Derek Ogbeide tied his career-high of assists with three as well. Of the last four meetings in Athens, Arkansas has gone into overtime three times, including tonight, but this was the first double-overtime. The Razorbacks were also unable to gain a lead larger than six on the Bulldogs throughout the entirety of the game. The game featured two of SEC's top-three scorers in conference play and overall with Maten (19.6 ppg) and Jaylen Barford (19.2 ppg). Each led their team with 10 at the half and finished with over 20 points. Barford had 24 points.
Georgia returns to action on Saturday, January 27 at 2 p.m. against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas.
• The double-overtime game marks the first in the Georgia-Arkansas Series. The series is split in the last four games played in Athens with three needing overtime. All four contests were decided by five points or less.
• With :41 seconds left in 2OT, Yante Maten knocked down a free throw to pull within one. The point tied him with former teammate J.J. Frazier in career points at UGA.
• All 15 points and shots (career-best 5-of-8) from junior guard Turtle Jackson came from 3-pointers. Threes represent 35 of Jackson's 62 made field goals this season.
• From the free-throw line, the Bulldogs went 20-of-26, while the Razorbacks were 11-of-14. Maten finished 13-of-16 from the charity strike, his third time this season tallying double-digit points from the line.
• The game featured two of SEC's top-three scorers in conference play and overall with Yante Maten (19.6 ppg) and Jaylen Barford (19.2 ppg). Each led their team with 10 at the half and finished with over 20 points. Barford had 24 points.
• Georgia held the lead throughout the first half. The second half and overtime consisted of 17 lead changes and nine ties. The largest lead of the game occurred in the first half with the Bulldogs up by 16 points. Arkansas led by as much as six points in the second half.


The nearly Rs 300,000-crore Indian auto components industry sees opportunities in the challenge posed to it by the global shift to electric vehicles. They are trying hard to make EV parts.
Their fortunes will be linked to how quickly a robust market for EVs develops in India and there is some concern that policies are not yet in place to be able to support domestic demand.
Still, regulatory moves that will increase the penetration of hybrid vehicles in India could offer a path of transition for the parts makers from supplying to internal combustion engine vehicles to EVs.
Samvardhana Motherson Group, India's largest component maker with revenues of nearly Rs 60,000 crore, had its moment of epiphany a little more than a year ago when one of its customers asked for wiring harnesses and junction boxes.Nothing was unusual about the enquiry because Motherson gets dozens of these every day.
But, this time, the customer – the Swedish automotive maker Scania – wanted the auto parts for its electric buses. "The truck maker designed the component and asked us to make it for them," says Pankaj Mittal, director and chief operating officer of Motherson. "EVs are a reality — they are on the streets," says Mittal, today in no doubt of the force of change in the global auto industry.
The demand for EVs has increased sharply in the last couple of years, early as the shift away from vehicles based on internal combustion engines is. And, like Mittal and Motherson, that is both an opportunity and threat staring India's auto parts makers – who make nearly Rs 300,000 crore in revenues every year supplying to both domestic and global vehicle makers.
Despite regulatory flip-flops with its EV policy, India, too, will witness a gradual rise in EV adoption and auto component companies are gearing up. According to the component makers lobby ACMA, short for Automotive Component Manufacturers Association, and global automotive consultancy firm Roland Berger, the demand from vehicle buyers will result in a 15% penetration of EVs in India by 2025. With a regulatory push, it could be 18% and it could even double to 35% in the best case of a rapid transition.
By 2025, annual passenger car sales in India will be 6.7 million, according to German data tracker Statista. That's double of what it was in 2015: 3.5 million. Add to that commercial vehicles, e-rickshaws and two-wheelers – an explosion of EVs is expected in the market in the next seven years. The government's procurement of electric buses and e-rickshaws and the interest of taxi companies in electric mobility will further boost EV sales.
If that happens the component business will go through a massive shift. An EV has 80% fewer moving parts compared to an IC engine vehicle. EV components also undergo less wear and tear, which will also negatively impact after sales revenue of the industry.
Back to Motherson and Scania: the parts that Motherson would supply to Scania was to run the electric motor and high voltage component of the electric vehicle. The challenge was that the operating voltage of the IC engine vehicle is 12V (for vehicles in North America) and 24V (for Europe and India). Automakers are also now adopting a new 48V system to make way for newer electrical features in modern ICE vehicles. For electric-powered engines, the full EV operates at 600V to 800V. "That is a huge difference," says Mittal.
The component was to be built ground up. "The size and the weight is different, the hazards are different. It can give an electric shock if it was not treated properly, and the vehicles need corresponding protection," Mittal adds.
Globally, Mittal says that there is a clear pattern they want to start with buses, especially where there is high-density population. India is following the same curve, he explains.
Motherson isn't the only company who is looking at EVs as a means to extend its business or safeguard itself if IC engines cease to survive in the years to come. JBM, Lucas TVS, Brakes India, Sandhar, Bharat Forge, Sona BLW, JTekt, Green Fuel, Paracoat, Rico and Mahle are among large component makers exploring opportunities in electric mobility.
Most of the companies are secretive about their plans in EVs – it is a difficult bet to make in a nascent industry – or are in the initial process of building capabilities. Most of them declined requests for interviews and comments.
Some of them show their concerns. "Our company doesn't get affected but 45-50% of the component business, which is of building powertrain parts will be impacted," says Jayant Davar, co-chairman and managing director of Sandhar Technologies, which counts TVS, Honda, Mahindra, among others as its clients. Sandhar makes plastic injection mouldings, vehicle electronics, and vision systems.
A senior executive with one of the component makers named above said that the impact on electric mobility will be pronounced on jobs in the auto parts business. "About 33 lakh people work in India's auto components manufacturing business. About 15 lakh of them would get impacted if there is a complete shift to EVs because those components will become obsolete," he added. The executive requested anonymity as his company is in a silent period and in the middle of a merger.
The good news is that the component industry will get enough time to shift and make EV components as the demand grows. "Several companies have got patents for electric motors and power management systems," says Davar, without naming the companies.
At Sandhar he has set up a team of seven engineers working on various technologies to improve the efficiencies of EVs. For example, on the power management side, Sandhar is building components that will help in efficient distribution of power from the battery to the various parts of the car, including the wheel. "We need to find out ways to maximise the output of the batteries without any leakage… It is important to avoid wastage," says Davar.
The company is also working on electric powertrains, of which 75% will be the battery. Then there is work on the charging infrastructure side – on having fast charging and portable chargers. Davar says that the big disruption will be if Sandhar is able to build something that will allow the battery to get charged in 15 mins.
That, to be sure, will take some serious development and breakthroughs. Tesla superchargers take about 75 minutes to charge 100% on the original 85 KWh Model S. Sandhar's aim is to incrementally improve fast charging in steps of 5% and10%.
Another large component maker Nirmal Minda Group has brought together a team of 10 engineers working only on EV technology. The role of the engineers is to tear down the EV and map the components and find out opportunities. Two big areas that the group has identified is battery and electric motors. The other areas where work is happening is on switches, lights, aluminium and plastic – which will go into an EV irrespective of shifts in technology.
The group has finished building an R&D centre in Pune, which is looking at futuristic technologies, one being EVs. The other areas are AI, connected cars, and high-end electronics. "The idea is to develop technologies at the group level and then introduce them to the various divisions," says Jain.
Many of there technologies, Jain says, will become useful for EV component development. However, everything comes at a cost. With EVs, the cost is fewer components, lighter vehicles and efficient design.
What really changes with EVs is the fewer number of components (see chart). Also, in a battery-powered vehicle, the fewer moving and wearing parts lead to lower maintenance costs for vehicles over their lifetime compared to a gasoline vehicle where the gearbox and clutch have high maintenance requirements after 150,000 km. In India, the average life of a car is seven years, many of them running for more than 150,000 km.
An EV gearbox is much simpler and maintenance requirements are lower unlike in an internal combustion engine where the spark plugs and engine oil need to be regularly changed. Most of these components are absent in an EV. Thus the requirement of maintaining or changing particulate filters, mufflers, turbochargers, and the like is just not there.
What is complex is the electronics. The semiconductor powertrain in EV is six to 10 times more than that in any combustion engine vehicle. "The vehicles are changing… the powertrains are not the same. Even the Euro VI is different from Euro I, II, III and IV," says Motherson's Mittal. He knows the stretch from IC engine cars to EV. For, Motherson makes the cockpit for the BMW i8 EV, for instance.
The powertrain is not the only challenge. For EVs to improve in efficiency, the vehicles need to be lighter. "Metals are changing into plastic. The interiors will become prettier," says Mittal. Making the vehicle lighter will increase the range of the EV – one of the biggest problems right now. One of the areas where Motherson is working is using natural fibre to make door trims lighter.
While there are companies who are looking at designing products for EVs, there are others looking at a unique opportunity to convert IC engines into EVs.
Bengaluru-based Altigreen produces electric powertrains that can be retrofitted to existing ICE systems to convert them into hybrid systems. In October, the company partnered with engine maker Greaves Cotton to offer a range of clean energy powertrain solutions for three-wheeler and small four-wheeler commercial vehicles.
Amitabh Saran, founder and CEO of Altigreen Propulsion Labs, feels that there is no rational reason for electric or hybrid vehicles to be so expensive in India and that is one of the reasons why electric vehicles are related to high performance and as a premium vehicle in India. "When we work with the OEMs, we are ensuring that our systems offer higher power and better performance but at price points that should not be more expensive than a typical sedan sold in the market. There is really no reason. You can come up with a financing model for batteries and even with or without that, it should not be double the price of an existing car just because I'm giving you good performance," says Saran.
He emphasises that the quality needs to be the best because suppliers have to comply with the high standards required by the OEMs and "because it has to go through all the warranty cycles and other certification requirements". "It also ensures that from a customer perspective, there is a lot of confidence that you will get support and service," says Saran. The company develops in-house motors, controllers, battery management systems, drives, electronics, software, and the IoT (internet of things) components for the system.
As a subsystem and component manufacturer, Saran feels that the challenges are similar to what startups have to tackle with an emerging ecosystem. "Once an OEM comes on board or once volumes are visible to anyone, then you always have an ecosystem develop very quickly and that's the advantage in India. Once your ecosystem partners can see that there is a business in this and they got to invest in this, then you can set up either an assembly line, manufacturing line," says Saran.
Saran also feels that since these ecosystems cycles are not two- or three-year cycles, but five- or six-year cycles and hence we need to get started moving in that direction today.
The new standards, known as the CAFE norms and aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of automobiles, come into effect April 1. They prescribe cars to increase fuel efficiency by 30% or more from 2022 and 10% or more between 2017 and 2021. The improvement will be measured on the fuel litres to run 100 km. Given the limitations in improvement in IC engines, industry experts see a shift to hybrid vehicles first and EVs next.
"If it goes hybrid, it will add to the number of components in cars. Hybrid is like inverter ACs and refrigerators and will be important to meet the CAFE norms," says Amit Kaushik, India head of Detroit-based auto consultancy Urban Science.
Hybrids need to have more mature electric circuits, transistors, capacitors, inductors, and a more powerful battery. The car starts on petrol and after some time, the hybrid technology takes over while in motion. "But it comes at a cost – about 25-30% more than an IC engine. If there is a mass adoption, the technology can be less efficient. Most of the component makers are looking at EVs and hybrids as a new opportunity or extension of their existing business," explains Kaushik.
ACMA's Mehta shares the same view. "Hybrid is a via-media to evolve into EVs. The industry needs time for evolution," he says.
There is still the big question mark around EV batteries. Range anxiety, battery charge time, and the distance to charge stations are concerns every EV buyer considers before buying it.
At present there are around 500 charging stations in India, while the country needs three million of them, says Davar of Sandhar. "Infrastructure is one of the three biggest challenges," he says. Without charging stations, only green diehards will buy EVs.
According to Chetan Maini, founder of India's first electric car company Reva and currently the vice chairman of SUN Mobility, to bring about mass adoption of EVs, it is essential to have appropriate charging infrastructure in place. This pattern is very visible in countries that have had higher vehicle adoption.
"Today, electric cars are significantly more expensive that petrol vehicles. The cost of the batteries is 30% to 50% of this cost. If we remove the battery from the equation, the prices become comparable to regular cars," Maini had told FactorDaily in April last year. SUN Mobility has partnered with Ashok Leyland to introduce a swappable battery bus.
Most EV companies currently look to China for fulfilling their Li-Ion battery requirement but this trend is slowly changing as Indian companies have also realised the importance of having a local ecosystem of battery cell and pack manufacturers.
Incumbent battery companies Amara Raja and Exide are looking at putting capacity to manufacture battery packs. Suzuki in a joint venture with Toshiba is erecting a battery manufacturing facility in Gujarat, which will be operational by 2020. Earlier last month, Mahindra & Mahindra and Korean battery manufacturer LG Chem had announced a partnership to develop Li-ion cells based on NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) chemistry for Indian applications.
However, there are questions. "If I want to sell the battery and the car separately, then who gets the subsidy," asks Akshay Kashyap, managing director of Green Fuel, which has developed its own battery pack, and is selling to two-wheeler and three-wheelers.
Kashyap also feels that there is a reluctance among Indian vehicle makers to work with Indian component manufacturers given the stage of the technology. He insists that without government support, the Indian market won't develop – which will in-turn hurt the components industry. "There is a high risk of becoming dependent on international companies. We have never been able to build a Bosch or Delphi or Continental out of India," he says.
Others like Motherson's Mittal are a little more optimistic. "China is a leader in EVs, but the industry is nascent… There can be some opportunities in some of the components," he says.