Our next guest, Candler Cook, knows firsthand that dreams can come true, but only if you are willing to fight for them. He is the author of From Underdog to Bulldog, and yes, we're talking about the University of Georgia Bulldogs.
Candler was a lifelong Bulldog's fan who decided at the age of seven that he wanted to play football for the University of Georgia. Despite being only a fourth string linebacker on his high school squad, he remained laser focused on his quest. Today we talk to Candler about his journey and all the ways we can come from behind if we put our mind to it.
I helped mentor him and coached him through that process and tell him to talk to what to be ready for at what times during the tryout. John ended up going on to achieve his dream. He made the football team and was on there for two seasons. It just made me think that there have to be more people out there than just John that could benefit from this story and from what I've learned from it. So really right after that I started writing this book, and that is my goal.
So that a lot of people will be able to relate to the story or relate to setting goals like that and help use this as a blueprint to pursue their own goals.
Rae Williams: Give us an overview about what your story is.
Candler Cook: So at the end of the day, it's a story of pursuing my life's dream. To start with, as a kid I always wanted to play football for Georgia. I spent Saturdays with my dad watching college football, and when we weren't going to the games in person.
It is really a way of life in the fall. You are not doing else on Saturdays. You are just watching college football. So being such a huge fan, I really wanted to take it to the next level and play when I grew up.
And the closer that I got to that, at least until I became a freshman in college, the farther away I was getting to that goal. I realized just how tough it is to achieve that goal, just how physically imposing these other players. They are actually on the team especially with having no starting experience in high school, not making any plays. So really once I get to college, I just broke it down into small steps.
If I do these things, if I do this when I work out, if I eat this much food, if I practice drills, put this many hours a day then I am going to continue to improve.
I would basically compare myself to the week before. I would look at the numbers that I lifted and the times that I ran the previous week and try to always beat myself—not necessarily focused on beating other people. Then after a while, I saw tremendous progress through that, and eventually came through and made the team.
It was really just about pursuing something that I love and finding a way against the odds to make it happen and that is something that I think a lot of people can relate to and can learn something from.
Rae Williams: Who is your audience for this book? Are you talking to all underdogs or is there someone special that you were thinking about or had in mind when you decided to sit down and write this?
Candler Cook: So this book really applies to two groups of people. One are die-hard college football fans. Really football fans or sports fans in general. This is a behind the scenes look at SEC football. Everything from what the team does in the off season, how the coaches interact with the players, how you can try out and make the team, what the team chemistry is like, everything like that.
It is a really unique behind the scenes look that you wouldn't get normally from viewers watching ESPN.
And then also, it is definitely for the underdogs out there. It's for people who have a big goal and it something that maybe seem so ridiculous that they don't feel comfortable talking with other people about it, but they still want to achieve this.
And it is basically like building a staircase. You start at the bottom and you put one stair above that and one stair above that, and then soon enough you are at the top. It just breaks it down into smaller, more attainable goals. You should really feel a sense of progress and motivation the whole way instead of just getting dejected that you don't achieve your final goal immediately.
Rae Williams: What is one big thing that people can take action on this week and tomorrow and next month to go towards our goals?
Candler Cook: I would say break it down into specific small steps. So, when you have a goal, like mine was to make the football team, that is way too general of a goal to just start doing that. You need to break it down to very specific actions that you can achieve each day and from there, that will continue to build on itself.
For my specific goal, that was making sure that I ate enough that I was continuing to gain weight. I was making sure that I ran enough that I was continuing to get faster and practice football drills enough and then working out enough.
I broke it down from there into what drills do I need to be doing, what sprints I need to be doing, what do I need to be eating?
So, you take this giant goal and you break it into smaller pieces and each day, you just do those small pieces again and again and again and it builds up, and eventually you'll back and be amazed at the progress that you've made all because you've continually taken these small steps.
Rae Williams: What was the hardest part for you, and what do you anticipate for people trying to reach their goals?
Candler Cook: I would say it's being able to handle rejection and obstacles well. That was definitely a big part of my story. It was the fact that I did get cut from the team twice, but it's also the fact that I use that as a learning opportunity. I continued to improve myself from it. So you have to know that you are going to hit failures along the way, and you cannot let that get you down but you also have to learn from them and not just always continue to try to do the same things over and over.
So, it is being able to handle both success and failure as a way to stay motivated and not just only be motivated by successes.
Rae Williams: What is one way that you particularly handled some of those failures?
Candler Cook: I would say one very important thing was that I had to be willing to take back, and by that, I mean re-evaluate my approach. So, I have been doing a lot of the things the same way or just pushing harder and harder and the second time that I got cut from the team, I saw that there really just wasn't working.
I just did not think that that was going to continue to get me there. So, I had to take a step back and re-evaluate some things that I had my mind set on and tried different ways to get to this goal.
So, for me specifically, that was being willing to change positions. I decided to change to a defensive position. I have never played before at any level. I taught myself how to play by watching YouTube videos.
My first time ever practicing that live was in a practice with a coach watching. That's something that can be nerve-wracking, but the more I looked at it, the more that actually played to my strengths to just specific opposition. I would say, it's not being tied to doing things one specific way. so much, sometimes you need to step back and have an open mind to be willing to take a different approach.
Rae Williams: What happens when people aren't holistically approaching their failures and kind of breaking down their goals into bite sized pieces?
Candler Cook: I would say, you quickly become dejected and the odds of you giving up become a lot higher. If you set this one big goal, specifically using the example of my goal, it took me 1,543 days to make that happen. If I just set out from the beginning where that was the only goal, that's the only thing I'm focused on, there are no sub goals.
Well that's a lot of rejection from 1,543 days. I'd say you're much more likely to give up if you don't break it down into these sub goals and if you don't have that motivation along the way of continuing to hit milestones.
Rae Williams: Nice, okay. What do you think is the most unique idea or story from your book that people will remember?
Candler Cook: The initial story that happens very early in the book, it's about my dad, and I actually went to a Georgia game when I was a freshman in high school and when I was there, we saw some of the injured players. One was Kregg Lumpkin, a freshman running back who is doing very well. I talked with him, got him to sign a T shirt, and he coached me up on some skills.
Well, fast forward to when I was a freshman in college, there was one day where the weight room was so full that we had to rotate in and work in with some of the guys at different stations and I asked to work and Kregg turned around actually and said, sure, "You can work in here." And seeing someone that I looked up to, had a T shirt signed by, and supposed to be competing along with. Such a humbling experience and kind of a unique story.
It was also definitely motivating because, just thinking, these are the guys that I looked up to, and now, I'm here, it's my turn. I really need to put my best foot forward.
I thought that was a cool moment from this book.
Rae Williams: What was your writing process like?
Candler Cook: I took some time to just make sure that I was being very detailed with it, because specially going back and looking at the story, sometimes it can be tempting to kind of jump to the end and focus on the fun part where all of the goals are getting checked off quickly. I finally hit my ultimate goal. But I would say, just making sure that I really put myself back in those shoes, where was I at this point in time, what was going through my mind.
Just making sure that I really capture all of it, was one of the biggest things for me. Then I don't just focus on the end when things are going well, because I want to help other people and I want it to be a very realistic look at success and failure and to deal with both of those.
Rae Williams: What would your advice be to somebody who is in the position that you were in, looking at that TV screen in the very beginning and wanting to do something that seems unattainable?
Candler Cook: Well, I would say, first, you need to be very specific about what you want. If you start with a goal that's too generic or just, I want to get better at something, you're never going to be able to measure it. You know, when you set goals, one of the most important things is making sure that it's measurable, so you can see this sense of progress to see how close you're getting.
Make sure that you measure it, make sure that you are very specific about the sub goals that you set along the way. You can't just only define the end goal, there have to be specific milestones that will help serve as a blueprint to get you there. And then making sure that you keep the right attitude throughout the whole process, because there are going to be ups and downs and sometimes those are right next to each other. You may think that your end goal was right around the corner, but it's not. You hit another obstacle.
It's just making sure that you approach success and failure the same way. Both as motivation to continue to improve and just making sure that you just stay focused and working hard the entire time and don't let anything distract you.
Rae Williams: How do you keep positive?
Candler Cook: It's something that has to come from within. You can't wait for other people to complement you or speak positively about your performance because that actually all comes at the end when you don't even really need it anymore. Once you know that, you are ready to achieve your goals. I would say, you have to be very self-driven.
Compare yourself to where you were a week or a month before. See that progress and let that motivate you and just make sure that your motivation is coming from within and that you're not depending on other people's praise to continue to motivate yourself.
Rae Williams: What is one thing that readers can do from your book or from just your expertise to completely change their life?
Candler Cook: I would challenge people to sit down and find that goal, find the one thing that you've been wanting to do, something maybe that you put off for years or that you thought was too difficult. It could be anything.
It could be to get a promotion at work, it could be to travel the world, anything that's truly important to you and just start working towards it. Start setting some specific goals, breaking it down, track your progress, and make sure that you stay motivated.
One of the biggest parts is just to start it, so many people procrastinate for years and years and then eventually get up and say, "Well, it's been too long." Or they just don't want to try it now. One of the most important things is you just get started and then you keep working and learn from both success and failure along the way.
Rae Williams: All right, awesome. I'm going to assume that you're a lifelong Georgia fan.
Candler Cook: Absolutely, yes. I always went to their games growing up, I still go to almost every single game each year. That's definitely a huge part of my life.
Rae Williams: What other teams are you a fan of, and what can we learn from some of those teams that you support?
Candler Cook: I'm from Atlanta, so I really like all of the hometown teams. The Atlanta Falcons, I love Atlanta United, they're only in their third year playing soccer but they won the MLS Cup last year. They always bring big crowds. And then the Braves as well.
I would say, from some of those teams, they're definitely learning some things not to do just from some of those team's performances. But I would say, just to never give up and keep fighting. Even when you get down, you still keep pushing as hard as you can.
Because things could turn around and you never know where that one moment will be.
Rae Williams: Awesome. How can people reach you or find you if they want to connect and talk about some of the ideas in your book?
Candler Cook: Sure, well they can feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn, my name is Candler Cook or just at my email candlercook@gmail.com. I definitely want to connect with people, the response I've been receiving so far has been great and I want to get this book in the hands of people that can really take something from it and apply it to their own lives.
Rae Williams: Is there anything else that you think that people need to know or that you wanted to add?
Candler Cook: I would say this book is both a memoir, it's something that you know, a lot of football fans will find exciting, but really at a deeper level, it's about learning about yourself that being the reader that when you're reading this, you're meant to, and I break it down by chapter so that you'll actually think about your own goals and bring those down.
It's really a call to action and not just passively reading the book.
I would say, it's something that should be very motivational and that you know, anybody who has that goal or that objective that they've kind of been pushing off for a while, should definitely pick this up, and they would learn a lot from it.
Get Candler's new book From Underdog to Bulldog on Amazon.


Supplemental lifting systems that free up your existing large overhead cranes.
Wide, clear passage underneath the gantry for machinery, vehicles, and personnel.
CMAA Class C, Moderate Service: A lifting system that requires no floor tracks (or, for single leg designs, no angle guides). Uses polyurethane wheels for maximum traction directly on floor. Quiet operation and speeds up to 80 FPM.


Brian Erni talked about it this morning, but it is worth again talking about Kirill Petrov's impressive night. The Russian forward made his presence known throughout the night and did not look out of place alongside Nikolay Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski. It was only one game, but Petrov has looked better and better each day of camp. He had a sluggish start on day one, but if he can keep up strong, consistent efforts, like the one he had on Monday, he could work his way into the opening night roster conversation.
The ice was a topic of conversation before and after the game. At the end of the day, the ice seemed to pass the first of many tests it will face this season. It did appear to get choppier as the game progressed -- something captain John Tavares mentioned after the game. Aside from it being the first game of the season in Brooklyn, the arena hosted a Madonna concert just two days before, which affected the ice quality. Again, the ice got a passing grade, but it will be a part of the narrative for the first few weeks of the regular season as Barclays Center continues to work out the kinks.
Some habits die hard for the Islanders. They surrendered a late goal at the end of the second period to end their bid for a preseason shutout, with Taylor Leier scoring for the Flyers to cut the Islanders' lead to 3-1. New York won the game, so it was not entirely like last season, but it sure did give fans some nightmarish flashbacks.
It was only the first preseason game, but the power play scored twice for the Islanders. Head coach Jack Capuano noted that the team shot pucks on net during the man-advantage, which capitalized twice during the evening. It was a positive to see the special teams work effectively, but again it's only the first preseason game.
Brett Yormark has proven that he has taken notice to Islanders fans on twitter. During a chat with a small contingent of Islanders beat writers, Yormark told them that Barclays Center had originally intended to re-brand the team. However, he quickly realized it was the wrong decision after hearing from fans. It also likely played into the about-face they did with the team's divisional and conference championship banners that will now also hang in the rafters in Brooklyn.
Two other notes from that meeting were the breakdown of ticket sales. Yormark told reporters 33 percent of ticket plan sales have come from Manhattan and Brooklyn, with another 30 percent coming from Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Yormark also mentioned that they will announce the team's new radio deal later this week.


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Valeo's AquaBlade™ wipers will support French gendarmes
MotoFocus 09 Feb 2022
The French police have ordered 26 units of the Alpine A110 sports car from the Renault group. Vehicles are factory equipped with Valeo's innovative AquaBlade™ windshield wipers. They will serve the so-called rapid response groups of the French gendarmerie.
Unique wipers for a unique vehicle
Renault Group has won a tender for a major vehicle order by the police service refreshing its fleet. An iconic reference to legendary models of the past, the Alpine A110 was designed and made in France. It is lightweight and extremely dynamic, impressing with precise steering and agile cornering. All thanks to the combination of a special "Alpine" chassis with a 252 hp engine.
The new gendarmerie vehicles will serve in special operations where speed and reliability are essential even in the most difficult conditions. For this, Alpine's factory-fitted AquaBlade™ wipers will provide the necessary support. This is a revolutionary wiper system developed and patented by Valeo. It offers the highest windshield cleaning performance in a very short time. This translates into reduced driver reaction time and braking distances in emergencies, of which there will certainly be no shortage when the French police's rapid response groups are on duty.
What distinguishes AquaBlade™ from other wipers?
The Aline A110 police cars will be assigned to groups specializing in chasing down "highway pirates" on French roads or carrying out so-called road safety missions. The police unit that deals with drugs and drug trafficking will also benefit. Participation in dangerous and demanding missions requires superior vehicle performance, in all weather and at all speeds. Valeo AquaBlade™ wipers fully meet such needs. By incorporating the washers into the wiper blade, they allow a large area of the windshield to be effectively cleaned, regardless of the speed at which the vehicle is traveling. The fluid is not splashed on the windshield, but is distributed along the entire length of the wiper blade.
Traditional wiper systems spray the fluid from under the windshield or hood of the vehicle. This solution has many disadvantages, such as uneven distribution of fluid on the windshield surface and a significant drop in performance at higher driving speeds. Moreover, when the windshield washers are used, the fluid reduces visibility for more than a second. Valeo's solution eliminates this problem.
Wipers used in the unique Alpine A110 are also available in the aftermarket
Renault Group decided to choose the Valeo AquaBlade™ windshield wiper system for first assembly on the Alpine A110 vehicles also because of the system's economy and light weight. The spray system allows to reduce the fluid consumption by half. This makes it possible to use a fluid tank that is up to 2 kg lighter. For a sports car like the Alpine A110 with its extremely lightweight body, every kilogram of accessory weight is important.
AquaBlade™ wipers are becoming factory equipment in more and more cars. They have also been available in the aftermarket for some time under the Valeo Silencio and SWF brands. You can view our full range of products at https://www.valeoservice.pl/pl
The French police have ordered a total of 26 Alpine A110s, which will be delivered in stages from early 2022.
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Government Oversight and Corporate Ethics
Ethical corporate behavior has been a recurring issue of public policy. Recent events have brought this issue into sharp focus beginning with the Enron scandal in 2001 and more recently the financial crisis of 2008. Subsequent regulation such as the Sarbanes-Oxley act seem to be in reaction to the public clamoring for government action in the wake of painful economic outcomes. A deeper examination of the events leading up to Enron and the financial crisis both seem to indicate that government agencies were asleep at the switch. Policy such as Sarbanes-Oxley in the wake of Enron have not prevented the more recent financial crisis of 2008. Government social policy has not promoted corporate ethical responsibility but rather mandated poor business practice. Responsible social policy, effective government oversight, and strict corporate liability for misconduct will ensure economic stability into the future.
Business ethics, it its broadest sense, is a "consensus of what constitutes right or wrong behavior in the world of business and application of moral principles to situations that arise in a business setting." (Cross & Miller, 2012, p. G-4). Corporations by their very nature have a direct responsibility to shareholders who are collectively the owners of the corporation. Although shareholders have the ability to direct corporate policy through participation in shareholder meetings and putting shareholder proposals to vote, commonly reffered to as corporate governance, few shareholders have a direct view of every day workings inside a large company like Enron. Responsibility lies with the board of directors and their executives to exercise duty of care, duty of loyalty and disclose and conflicts of interest which may arise (Cross ...
...est illustrated with an old Chinese saying; Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Cross, F. B., & Miller, R. L. (2012). The legal environment of business: Text and cases (8th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage.
Elliot, D. J., & Bailey, M. N. (2009). Telling the narrative of the financial crisis: Not just a housing bubble. Retrieved from http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files /papers/2009/11/23%20narrative%20elliott%20baily/1123_narrative_elliott_baily.pdf
Hart, O. (2009). Regulation and sarbanes-oxley. Jpurnal of Accounting Research, 47(2), 437-445. doi:10.1111/j.1475-679X.2009.00329.x
Wallison, P. J. (2011). Three narratives about the financial crisis. CATO Journal, 31(3), 535-549. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN= 67075495&site=ehost-live
How Government Economic Policies Caused the Financial Crisis of 2008
The financial crisis in 2008 that led to a crisis in the banking sector, and which nearly led to a complete collapse of the economy globally, was not only caused by changes in the regulatory, regulation and legislation oversight, but also fiscal and monetary policies. Many believe that, expansion of excesses monetary and irresponsibility of some of the government agencies led to the crisis. According to reports by Taylor (2009), excesses monetary policies were the main cause of the 2008 financial crisis. He reports that, in 2003-2005 the federal reserves held its interest rate target below the well known monetary rules that state that historical experiences should be the base of a good policy. He says that, Federal Reserve tracked their rates according to what worked better in the earlier decades, instead of lowering the rates in order to prevent the crisis.
Awareness of Risk during the 2008 Financial Crisis
The Economist (2008) 'Confession of a risk manager', [Online], Available: http://www.economist.com/node/11897037.htm. [30 Oct 2013]. Wilfield, W. E. (2013) Ethical reflections on the financial crisis 2007/2008: making use of Smith, Musgrave and Rajan, New York and Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 1-4.
Fair Value Accounting and Financial Crisis
The policy makers was also lack of accountability that fail to encourage optimism about the reforming the policy process itself (Adrian & Atkinson 2009). The decision by the U.S. Treasury and the Fed to let a major bank (Lehman Brothers) fail led to a system-wide loss of confidence that exacerbated the crisis. The failure of policy makers to deal with the crisis should be seen as a factor in aggravating the crisis. (1) Housing market failure - An Economics professor Taylor conducted a research in 2009 and suggested that the financial crisis was due to government policy and intervention that leaded to excessive money and contributed to housing boom and bust (Taylor 2009). By using the information given in The Economist (October 18, 2007), Taylor indicated that the federal funds interest rate was deviated from the suggested rate based on Taylor Rule – Fed interest rate should be adjusted according to economic situations such as the inflation & employment level.
Revisions of Off-Balance Sheet Financing
The Enron Corporation's flawed accounting practices were perpetuated through the utilization of fraudulent special interest entities that were used to hide losses and rising debt sustained by the company during previous fiscal periods. The Wall Street Meltdown can be highly attributed to the use of mortgage backed securities and other creative investment vehicles that were distributed throughout the world as safe investments with rewarding returns. Both of these events were a product of the improper use and abuse of off-balance sheet accounting methods. The government's reactions included the creation and revision of new and existing laws and governing bodies. As a direct result of the current corporate scandals, The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was created.
The Global Economic Crisis
"The Global Financial Crisis: Causes and Consequences." Lowy Institute for International Policy 2.09 (2009): 1. PDF file. Richard Portes. "Global imbalances." London Business School and CEPR (2009): 2. PDF file.
Bank CEO Incentives and the Credit Crisis
(Lorrette, 2013) Apart from that, the credit crisis has also affected the productivity of firms as the process of production was disrupted due to the limited availability of funds. (Akiyoshi and Kobayashi, 2010) There were a few causes to the credit crunch, one of the most debated issues was "Bank CEO Incentives were the major factor in the credit crisis". The topic which has been debated by academic experts on "World Bank All about Finance Blog" has provided an insight to the people in the financial field. (Luo and Song, 2012) According to their research, Rene M. Stulz and Rudiger Fahlenbrach disagree with the statement above. The authors argue that Bank CEOs have taken actions that... ... middle of paper ... ...Meegan, R. 2009.
Regulation of Banking and Financial Services
Regulation of Banking and Financial Services The Failure Process Imposed Upon Financial Institutions The concept of systemic risk sprung to the foreground of the public's consciousness during the financial crisis of 2007-8 as the Too Big To Fail (TBTF) banks were bailed out by the various US Federal Government agencies e.g., US Treasury via the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and the US Federal Reserve via Quantitative Easing (QE). However, as it turns out, the concept of systemic risk is not so easy to define in legal terms—as illustrated by the difficulty in nailing down the definition by US Congress via the Dodd-Frank legislation or by the US Treasury and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) via regulation (Horton, 2012). One thing is certain—the public has no stomach for any further bailouts, thus, the era of TBTF banks and non-bank financial companies has ended. The FDIC, under new regulatory powers granted by Dodd-Frank, will resolve systemically important bank and non-bank financial institution failures i.e., bank and non-bank financial institutions that become insolvent (Horton, 2012). This process is similar to the way that the FDIC utilizes its traditional regulatory powers to resolve non-systemically important bank failures.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)
107-204 Dey, A. (2010). The Chilling Effect of Sarbanes-Oxley: A Discussion of Sarbanes-Oxley and Corporate Risk-Taking. Journal of Accounting And Economics, 49(1-2), 53-57. doi:http://proxy.ulib.csuohio.edu:2279/10.1016/j.jacceco.2009.06.003 Kim, J. (2011).
Table of Derivatives and Credit Swaps
The theory and practice of corporate risk management. Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, 21(4), 60-78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6622.2009.00250.x Sudacevschi, M. (2010). The innovations on the financial markets. Using derivatives for banking market risk coverage. Internal Auditing & Risk Management, 20(4), 49-60.
Finance Course Reflection
The three most important things that I learned in this course are as follows: 1) Causes of Financial Crisis Financial crises have influenced the os of financial markets in past. The most important the Great Depression in 1929-30, the 1970s inflation failures and the banking difficulties in the 1990s led to problems in the financial markets causing serious disturbance. The recent financial crisis which became known in 2007, though the roots were implanted much earlier, has been the worst situation financial markets have ever faced. Causes of the Financial Crisis Several financial statements have been prepared to describe the causes of this current financial failure. There are a variety of factors that has resulted in the explosion of this financial crisis.
Enron


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FA Center
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April 9, 2019, 11:23 a.m. EDT
Why energy sector stocks aren't keeping up with soaring oil prices
Shares outperform S&P 500 but lag unusually far behind year-to-date oil gains
S&P 500 Index (SPX)
Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE)
By William Watts, MarketWatch
With oil prices rallying sharply since the end of last year, it would be natural to expect energy-sector stocks to be tearing the roof of the market. But they're not — and investors are starting to notice.
"Energy currently offers the best risk-reward," wrote J.P. Morgan quantitative analysts led by Dubravko Lakos-Bujas, in a Friday note.
Since the end of last year, both oil and the stock market have come roaring back from a steep fourth-quarter selloff. Energy-sector stocks have outpaced the S&P 500's /zigman2/quotes/210599714/realtime SPX +0.03% strong gain of nearly 15% in the year to date. The sector-tracking Energy Select Sector SPDR exchange-traded fund /zigman2/quotes/206420077/composite XLE -0.96% is up nearly 17%.
Opinion: 3 ways for stock-market investors to play oil's resurgence
But the sector's performance is viewed as rather underwhelming, compared with an oil rally that has seen futures on the U.S. crude benchmark, West Texas Intermediate , soar more than 40% in the year to date.
The J.P. Morgan analysts noted that while oil had recovered around 60% of its fourth-quarter drawdown through late last week, large-capitalization exploration-and-production, or E&P, firms were still down 25% since Oct. 31, while small-cap E&Ps were off 53% (see chart below).
That's unusual. The analysts note that the E&P's Index Price to Oil ratio is at a record low and sits below its previous troughs. They also observed that in recent periods when oil traded near current levels, the S&P 500 energy sector traded around 7% above where it is now, while the small-cap oriented S&P 600 energy sector was around 30% higher.
While the energy sector has outpaced year-to-date gains for the S&P 500, the energy sector accounted for around 5.5% of the large-cap index at the end of last week. That's also very low on a historical basis, analysts have noted. Since 2010, energy has averaged a 10.4% weight in the S&P 500, with a standard deviation of 2.3 percentage points, noted Nicholas Colas, co-founder of DataTrek, in a note last week. Since 2000, the average weighting has been 9.6%, with a standard deviation of 2.5 points.
"There's much skepticism among investors" over energy shares, which is reflected in the discrepancy between the year-to-date gains for WTI and the energy sector, said Terry Sandven, chief equity strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management, in a phone interview.
In part, that reflects worries over global growth, Sandven said. After all, a tepid global growth environment doesn't bode well for future energy consumption. Much of oil's rally has been attributed to supply concerns, with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, and its allies moving to curb output. The effect of those efforts on supply have been exacerbated by sanctions on Venezuela and Iran as well as a U.S. shale industry that has been slow in responding to the rebound in prices, analysts said.
Read: Why the oil rally is more about U.S. shale than Saudi Arabia's output cuts
At the same time, the focus on the year-to-date performance of energy shares relative to oil might be off the mark, Sandven said. Over the longer term, oil prices and the energy sector tend to move more closely together. And indeed, over the past 12 months, the gap between the two is much smaller, with WTI up 0.8% and the energy sector off by around 0.8%.
Need to Know: Oil rally gets no buy-in from this commodity analyst
And U.S. Bank looks for a "moderate level of global growth" that can sustain oil prices near current levels, that means some catch-up is in store when it comes to spending, which should be a positive for the energy sector, he said.
The sector's first-quarter performance, which has seen it still outperform the S&P 500 over the same stretch, comes against downbeat earnings expectations for the first quarter.
Consensus expectations are for the sector to post a 20.9% drop in earnings year-over-year, the second-weakest any sector after materials stocks, noted Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA, in a Monday note.
Stovall noted that while the crude-oil market's rebound has been strong, WTI crude still averaged just $55 a barrel in the first quarter, which is 13% below where they were a year earlier. Natural-gas spot prices were also 5% lower, while natural-gas liquids also languished.
"So for an upstream producer, unless you hedged early at higher prices, there's really been no place to hide," he said. "Meanwhile, the outlook for oil services also appears weak as producers seem to be reining in their pocketbooks."
Colas sounded a cautious note. He acknowledged that the sector's low weighting relative to its long-run history would normally make him bullishly "pounding the table on that statistic alone," but argued that "this is a tougher call than just saying 'the group's weighting in the S&P 500 is half of what it should be, so buy it.'"
The problem, he said, is likely technology — both when it comes to the production of carbon-based energy and in the development of alternatives.
"In the former case, it allows for greater production. In the latter, it makes for competition in the form of new energy sources," which Colas said reinforces his frequent warning that the "technology investment narrative can easily trump old-school ideas like valuation."
But he argued that because the group is so cheap, underweighting energy is risky because any reversion to its long-run weighting would be difficult to make up elsewhere. And while overweighting is "tempting," the upside seems limited.
So what's an investor to do? Colas's advice was to "even-weight the group against whatever benchmark you use."
Add to watchlist XLE
Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF
US : U.S.: NYSE Arca
William Watts is MarketWatch's deputy markets editor, based in New York. Follow him on Twitter @wlwatts.
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The little rented house of Marieke's parents in Neuvic, was a perfect ending of a perfect French adventure. A place with just enough wind, just enough sunlight an warmth. With just enough silence and a simple kind of beauty.
The day after we arrived, we picked the hundrerd euro envelop and we prepared a generous , abundant and overwhelming French dinner for Marieke's parents, and us ourselves offcourse. The same day, we made a test-version of our game: Frans genieten and we've played it after the dinner. In this way, we and Marieke's parents got to know eauchother a little bit better and had lots of fun!
At night, we watched falling stars, one after another, in the French nonenlightened, clearly dark sky and amazed ourself about the grandness of the universe.
Apart from all this, we swam in the lake, chatted a bit, but mostly we were too lazy to get off our spot on the coloured cloth in the shade.... :) We rested on the laurels of our well earned victory.
So here, in the shade of the grand trees, listnening to the wind, we let the movie of our adventures once again pass through . A movie we'd love to share with you. So all of you will be welcome on the 12th of August to enjoy a French dinner with us and or to listnen to the stories of these trhee heroes :) See you then!
This trip is one big therapy for all of us!
There's more to come, you'll just have to wait a little longer!
While we were enjoying another queensbreakfast, three generations of sporty women came back from an hour of fast walking! What an energy! Lucile, her mother and grandmother were unfortunately gone when we left, but we remember them as very elegant, beautiful and warmhearted.
Talkattive, sweet and incredibly kind Thierry brought us to Chambord. Here our eyes got more than their daily food: the second most beautiful castle of France, after Versaille. What a beauty!
Walking around the 'jardins' of the castle, we seemed to be famous, wearing our flowery dresses because everybody smiled to us. We thought it to be a 'bon idee' to ask some money for it, to give us some more financial space, after we had picked the envelope with three cents today! But after we wrote a golden board 'photo avec les fleurs' we talked to some Dutch people that seemed to find as rather poor than pretty and rather strange than funny. Also the other people that walked by looked at us as if to say: What are you doing? We decided to put the sign away and two minutes later, people started to ask us to be on their pictures with them, smiled again and when we left the castle, our pockets were still empty, but our hearts were filled.
Super-manager-directer Ludovic brought us to the next castle, in Chaverny. From here, Nicole, a funny and extraordanary lady from Paris, picked us up.
We couldn't seem to understand what the relation of the her and the woman in the seat next to her was. Until we reached the farm-house of the woman, which happened to be the seller of the car Nicole had came all the way from Paris for to buy. The two woman had picked us up in the middle of the testing ride! This meant that the deal still had to be made, the cheques to be written and the car to checked. All the time, we waited.
While Nicole signed the papers, we tasted the homemade wines of the family that sold the car and bought Nicole our favourite one; a soft 'Rosé' to thank her for taking a whole different route, especially for us.
In the morning we taped our serenade video, waved goodbye to our second new grandmother and hitchhiked at normal speed. Normally we just have to blink our eyes and we have a lift. This time it took a little longer but then a gentleman brought us to a gas station at the highway. We at an icecream in the sun before meeting our new friend Cedric the policeman who brought us a bit further. We danced in the sun at the border of the road until a hyper modern car brought us to a landley gasstation in the middle of nowhere. In this nowhere a big truck stopped. We got in!
The driver was a young guy: Sebastian; only 25 and already driving an enormous truck! He took us along fields of gold! Breathless we watched the grain fields shining in the sun.
At the next stop life brought us some wonderful people: Lucille, Thierry et Marie-Anique, driving a silver (aluminium) jeep (the first car we asked for a ride, because it looked so super cool!). After some serious doubting time about the illegal number of people in the car because Thierry had already lost a lot of his driving licence points, they said Yes! Hop on our safari!
We started to talk about our adventure trip and they asked us where we would sleep. We told them that we didn't know yet. Then they asked us: Would you like to sleep in a mill? What? A mill? Thierry told us that his mother lived in a watermill of the twelved century in the tres beau village Beaugency.


text:
Reappearance of H1N1 influenza virus in man: evidence for the persistence of the virus in domestic chickens*
Full Text (363.9Kb)
Shortridge, K. F., Webster, R. G., Kam, S. L. & Gardner, J. M. (1979). Reappearance of H1N1 influenza virus in man: evidence for the persistence of the virus in domestic chickens*. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 57 (3), 475 - 477. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/261916
Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 57 (3): 475 - 477
PMCID
Journal Articles - Bulletin
The H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: lessons learnt and future strategy
Haq, Z.; Malik, M.; Khan, W. (World Health Organization. Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, 2016)
A novel strain of influenza A virus H1N1 surfaced in Mexico in April 2009 and quickly spread across the globe, turning an epidemic into a pandemic. Within two months, the World Health Organization [WHO] declared an ...
Influenza Virological Surveillance in the WHO African Region: Epidemiological Week 14, April 3 to 9, 2017
World Health Organization. Regional Office for Africa, Health Emergencies Programme (World Health Organization. Regional Office for Africa, 2017-04-15)
Weekly Bulletin on Outbreaks and other Emergencies: Week 49: 2-9 December 2017


text:
Q: Laravel conditional Query not working Laravel conditional query does not return results as expected i am adding a whereIn Clause if  condition is true. if i remove if statement then its return results as expected but not work when this conditional clause is added to query
This is my code:
$cf = $request->session()->get('filter');

    $designs = DB::table('designs');
    $count   = DB::table('designs');

    $appFilters = $request->session()->get('filter');

    if($request->session()->has('filter')){

        $stringFilter = $this->filterIntToString($appFilters);

        $fid =  array_unique($this->fillterSearchEngine($appFilters));

        $designs->whereIn('fid', $fid);
        $count->whereIn('fid', $fid);

    }

    $stringFilter = [];

    $sizeFilters = $request->session()->get('filSize');
    $nsf = [];
    foreach ($sizeFilters as $str) {
        $str = str_replace('-', ',', $str);
        array_push($nsf, $str);
    }

    $designs->orderBy('created_at', 'desc');
    $designs->whereIn('o_size', $nsf);
    $designs->where('cat', $c);
    $designs->where('sub', $s);
    $designs->take(16);

    $results = $designs->get();
    $count->whereIn('o_size', $sizeFilters)->where('cat', $c)->where('sub', $s);
    $counts = $designs->count();
    $html = view('app-pages.designs-filter-ajax')->with('stringFilter', $stringFilter)->with('appFilter', $appFilters)->with('designs', $results)->render();

    return ['success', $html, $counts, count($results)];

This is Query Log
[{"query":"select * from `designs` where `fid` in (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?) and `o_size` in (?) and `cat` = ? and `sub` = ? order by `created_at` desc limit 16","bindings":[21,134,135,136,137,138,139,140,141,142,143,144,145,146,147,148,149,150,151,152,400,401,402,403,404,405,406,407,408,409,410,411,412,413,414,415,416,417,418,666,667,668,669,670,671,672,673,674,675,676,677,678,679,680,681,682,683,684,932,933,934,935,936,937,938,939,940,941,942,943,944,945,946,947,948,949,950,1198,1199,1200,1201,1202,1203,1204,1205,1206,1207,1208,1209,1210,1211,1212,1213,1214,1215,1216,1464,1465,1466,1467,1468,1469,1470,1471,1472,1473,1474,1475,1476,1477,1478,1479,1480,1481,1482,1730,1731,1732,1733,1734,1735,1736,1737,1738,1739,1740,1741,1742,1743,1744,1745,1746,1747,1748,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2262,2263,2264,2265,2266,2267,2268,2269,2270,2271,2272,2273,2274,2275,2276,2277,2278,2279,2280,2528,2529,2530,2531,2532,2533,2534,2535,2536,2537,2538,2539,2540,2541,2542,2543,2544,2545,2546,2794,2795,2796,2797,2798,2799,2800,2801,2802,2803,2804,2805,2806,2807,2808,2809,2810,2811,2812,3060,3061,3062,3063,3064,3065,3066,3067,3068,3069,3070,3071,3072,3073,3074,3075,3076,3077,3078,3326,3327,3328,3329,3330,3331,3332,3333,3334,3335,3336,3337,3338,3339,3340,3341,3342,3343,3344,"50,30,mm","business cards","classic"],"time":13},{"query":"select count(*) as aggregate from `designs` where `fid` in (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?) and `o_size` in (?) and `cat` = ? and `sub` = ? limit 16","bindings":[21,134,135,136,137,138,139,140,141,142,143,144,145,146,147,148,149,150,151,152,400,401,402,403,404,405,406,407,408,409,410,411,412,413,414,415,416,417,418,666,667,668,669,670,671,672,673,674,675,676,677,678,679,680,681,682,683,684,932,933,934,935,936,937,938,939,940,941,942,943,944,945,946,947,948,949,950,1198,1199,1200,1201,1202,1203,1204,1205,1206,1207,1208,1209,1210,1211,1212,1213,1214,1215,1216,1464,1465,1466,1467,1468,1469,1470,1471,1472,1473,1474,1475,1476,1477,1478,1479,1480,1481,1482,1730,1731,1732,1733,1734,1735,1736,1737,1738,1739,1740,1741,1742,1743,1744,1745,1746,1747,1748,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2262,2263,2264,2265,2266,2267,2268,2269,2270,2271,2272,2273,2274,2275,2276,2277,2278,2279,2280,2528,2529,2530,2531,2532,2533,2534,2535,2536,2537,2538,2539,2540,2541,2542,2543,2544,2545,2546,2794,2795,2796,2797,2798,2799,2800,2801,2802,2803,2804,2805,2806,2807,2808,2809,2810,2811,2812,3060,3061,3062,3063,3064,3065,3066,3067,3068,3069,3070,3071,3072,3073,3074,3075,3076,3077,3078,3326,3327,3328,3329,3330,3331,3332,3333,3334,3335,3336,3337,3338,3339,3340,3341,3342,3343,3344,"50,30,mm","business cards","classic"],"time":1}]

A: First check weather you are getting data in $appFilters using var_dump if not the error should be in getting the variable from the session

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
"Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)" movie review
RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION (2012)
(Written and Directed by Paul W.S Anderson)
(Starring Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory and Michelle Rodriguez)
Plot: Alice (Milla Jovovoich) continues to slay the undead and protect the living after a mutant infection overcame the world a few movies ago. However, she's captured by the evil corporation known as Umbrella and placed within their strongest facility. This doesn't sit well with Alice's nemesis, Wesker (Shawn Roberts), who has left Umbrella and has his own use for the woman. So he sends a group of elite's to save her, which just means Alice will spend the bulk of the movie rescuing them. But it won't be an easy task, as the facility is being protected by a brainwashed Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory) and a clones of Alice's dead allies. These include Raine (Michelle Rodriguez), Carlos (Oded Fehr) and One (Colin Salmon).
Remember when the "Resident Evil" movies actually resembled real movies? Sure, the first three films weren't high art, but they also seemed to have a decent understanding of their chosen medium. They had plots I could remember, decent characterizations, were sort of realistic (at least as believable as a zombie movie can be) and the direction was rather subdued. Granted, none of them were very good, but they at least followed the rules of conventional storytelling. But "Resident Evil: Afterlife" was the beginning of a new trend for the franchise. Now "Resident Evil" would be an assembly of loosely connected sequences, involving hot people fighting monsters in slow motion. The story would be so thin that to call it a 'plot' would be an insult to plots. I'm not attacking this approach, as I did enjoy the 4th entry. It provided lots of entertainment (loved the 3D), but it's still really dumb and shallow. "Resident Evil: Retribution" (these titles have ceased meaning anything) is pretty much the same thing, but the difference between "Retribution" and its predecessor is that this one wasted some intriguing ideas.
Ironically, "Resident Evil: Retribution" is more like a live action video game instead of being a normal movie, making me wonder if its the perfect video game adaptation.. The bulk of the screen-time is dedicated to the characters moving to the 'next level', where they have to take on more ferocious enemies each time. There isn't any attempt to give the characters personalities, unless being played by Kevin Durand counts as having a personality (maybe it does). Yet because a large chunk of the cast includes characters from the games, such as Ada Wong (Bingbing Li) and Leon (Johann Urb), we're apparently supposed to care. I haven't played the games, but I did watch "Resident Evil: Degeneration", which apparently took place in their continuity. In that, Leon is your typical, brooding protagonist and even then, he was still more interesting than this Leon. At times, the attempts at giving fangasms backfire because it looks so silly. I'm presuming Ada Wong wears that outfit in the source material, but it's just too unpractical for film. The acting was about as bad as I expected. Some of them do good (like Jovovich) and others do terrible (like Guillory). But let's face it, these actors/actresses aren't supposed to be playing characters. They're props, whose only real job is to shoot people/zombies, sometimes dish out kung fu and look good while doing all of this.
Luckily for the movie, I am a generous fake-critic. I believe that film should be judged partially on what it wants to be. "Resident Evil: Retribution" has no real ambitions other than to be brainless action and as such, it's fine. Paul W.S Anderson has always been noted for his attention to set design, cool visuals and stylized action. I feel he has become a bit too reliant on CGI (what happened to actually building sets, like in "Mortal Kombat"?), but at least the film looks polished. The effects are all very good and the monsters are disgusting. Anderson has toned down the slow motion a little bit and the opening 'reversed' battle was pretty creative. The gun fights and martial arts choreography are slick and blend into each-other quite nicely. It's over-the-top and once again, normal people are able to take on super-powered mutants in hand-to-hand combat (which makes no sense), but it looks flashy on-screen and that was obviously the intent. I loved the inclusion of Muy Thai, which adds some flavor to the choreography. The action never really seems to stop either, although I'd argue the pacing is too fast, as nothing had time to really register to me. Even now, I'm already forgetting what went down in this movie.
Usually I would stress how the action is what we're supposed to be paying attention too, not the story. But "Resident Evil: Retribution" introduces way too many cool ideas and then has no idea how to use them. Umbrella has cloned many past characters and for reasons I still don't understand, puts them in random scenarios. But with the exception of evil Raine, who at least turns out to be a main villain, everyone else (including good Raine) isn't necessary. Good Raine only shows up for about 10 minutes total. Good Carlos dies immediately (you see it in the trailer) and I don't even think Bad-Carlos had a line. I was really looking forward to seeing One (Colin Salmon) again, as he was awesome in the first "Resident Evil", but he only has 2-3 lines before being removed in the lamest way possible. I can accept a movie with little or no plot, but when it throws away too many good ideas like this, I start to get angry. Adding to my frustration, I kept feeling like I didn't understand what was going on anymore. The excessive cloning and putting said clones through these 'scenarios' no longer seemed to make a lot of sense. How would that help Umbrella understand how to control the infected? Why did the filmmakers need that? I think they just wanted to rip off the "Dawn of the Dead" remake and maybe show a zombie attack in a densely populated area. What about the Red Queen? In the first film, her goals made sense. Protect humanity at the expense of the few people who were trapped. But now she just wants to kill everyone? Ugh, this movie is making me ask way too many questions, which is bad because it's suppose to thrive on its simplicity.
"Resident Evil: Retribution" provides excellent stunts, effects, monsters, gun battles and martial arts. It was at the expense of story and character, but whether or not it was worth it is up to you. But where "Resident Evil: Retribution" screwed up was that it conjured up some really cool possibilities, which really got me excited, but then squandered ALL of them. What was supposed to make me happy made me mad, so I'm going to have to be on the harsh side. It's pointless to compare this to the first three movies because it is so different from them, but I would say it's a step down from the previous film. The 3D also wasn't as impressive, even if it was still decent.
Violence: Rated R. Could always be gorier, but it was violent enough.
Nudity: None, although Milla is almost naked again.
Overall: "Resident Evil: Retribution" is worth watching if you liked the last film, but keep your expectations low. You have to know what kind of movie you're getting into.


An electric cable jungle of reclining golden Buddhas and floating markets, bedazzled neon taxis and excruciating massages, Bangkok is all about indulging in simple pleasures with unchecked joy. Whether served from steaming street food carts or with vertiginous views on rooftop bars, Thai food is like Thai weather – hot and sticky. A long-tail boat ride down the river should include a peek at the majestically dilapidated Old Custom House or a stop at a luxurious hotel for pampered high tea. Visit Jim Thompson's silk empire in the labyrinthic canal-side community of Baan Krua or catch the racing Skytrain to Sukhumvit and party with the expats. Once the sun has set behind the looming towers of steel, the murky waters of Bangkok resemble dark treacle, reflecting the big city lights in all their shimmering glory.
People traveling to Bangkok also visit Phuket, Pattaya and Koh Sumai.


text:
Eyewitness News at Noon
How to help live music venues survive past the pandemic
Independent music venues across the nation, including dozens in Texas, are asking for support while expecting an extended economic impact.
Author: Erica Zucco (KENS 5)
Published: 10:53 PM CDT May 10, 2020
SAN ANTONIO — This time of year, John T. Floore Country Store in Helotes should be holding shows under the stars, often featuring Texas legends in a space that's stood for 75 years.
"Live music is such a huge part of the culture in the state of Texas," said Mark McKinney, a managing partner for Floore's.
But the coronavirus pandemic has prompted concert cancellations and thrust the venue – along with others nationwide – into a state of uncertainty.
"We're just completely closed, completely closed since mid-March," McKinney said in an interview over Zoom. "Zero revenue, with no real way to change that [currently], and we're now in a holding pattern with what the future holds."
Under many reopening plans – including the City of San Antonio's – large gatherings including concerts will only be allowed after a number of data benchmarks are met, and only under the condition that other restriction rollbacks don't result in substantial increases in cases. Live music venues worry they'll need aid even after other types of businesses are up and running – assuming they make it to that point.
"There's so many unknowns as this moves forward and what it will look like when we do open," McKinney said. "But in order to ensure there's a correct level of public health [we'll need changes], and if there's significantly reduced capacities and extra things put in mind, it isn't just the businesses getting open – it's that (we) may not be financially viable for a long time. So the need for assistance doesn't necessarily end when you open at 25 or 50% capacity."
Hundreds of venues facing these scenarios, including dozens in the State of Texas, have banded together as the National Independent Venues Association and launched the "Save Our Stages" effort. NIVA Texas Precinct Captain Blayne Tucker says it's aimed at securing financial assistance and support to help venues stay afloat during closures while changes are made, and as they adjust to an eventual new reality.
"The industry's number one concern is public safety, health and welfare," Tucker said. "And there's no way immediately to have those events, standing room only, on a large scale, any time in the next year. Without some kind of assistance, most operators won't make it out past six months."
Tucker says they're petitioning for changes to the federal Paycheck Protection Program, as well as any additional available assistance or support from federal, state or local leaders.
"Specifically what we're looking for at the federal level is to modify the PPP legislation for businesses that are most in need," Tucker said. "We want to ensure flexible loan forgiveness, so allowing PPP funds to be used for overhead, rent, mortgage, utilities, insurance, working capital – just to stay afloat. And then as long as businesses are shuttered, allowing businesses to apply for multiple PPP loans during the course of this pandemic; [for example] if it's 12 to 18 months to stay afloat."
They're asking live music lovers to show their support by calling congressional, city and county officials, with guidance on what to ask for here.
Venues of varying sizes will face challenges in the months to come. Even those that do remain able to reopen say they're concerned about what comes next, and what live music will look like in the future.
"If at all, nowhere near what they were before probably until there's a vaccine- whether that's a year, whether it's longer," McKinney said. "There's a lot of unknowns."
Floore's, for one, has decades of history and often attracts large crowds, such as the one scene below for a William Clark Green and Randy Rogers show, shot when the venue was nominated for an American Country Music award.
It's tough to picture what a similar event would look like in the future. But for now, they're focused on staying solvent and planning ahead wherever possible.
"Live music and these venues are such a big part of the cultural fabric of communities that I think there's a lot of people that would like to not see those go away," McKinney said.
Tucker says in addition to the historic and cultural significance of these spaces, the industry contributes billions of dollars' worth of overall economic impact across the State of Texas each year, and accounts for thousands of jobs.
"Beyond just the entertainment value, you're taking a huge block of economic impact and development out of the community as long as we're not present," Tucker said.
Even with financial support, it's hard to imagine a clear picture of "the future." But if live music lovers want their favorite venues to be there when they're ready to return, Tucker and McKinney say action is needed now.
"We're going to be the last to open. And when we open, we're probably still going to be a long way from what our normal is and that's the really difficult part," Tucker said. "That could go on for a long time and that's going to be a challenge, to figure out how that works out in the live music venue for the long run."
To learn more about NIVA's efforts or to get involved, click here.
RELATED: Coronavirus calendar: Here's what's closed, canceled or postponed in the San Antonio area
RELATED: Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair canceled; first case of coronavirus confirmed in San Antonio


Selena Gomez Announced To Perform At Rodeo Houston!!
It has been announced that Selena Gomez will be performing at Rodeo Houston in March of 2015. The Rodeo runs from March 3rd-March 22nd. Tickets go on sale beginning Jan 18th at 10:00am.
For more information and how to purchase tickets to see Sel perform please go to www.rodeohouston.com.


Willow is a delicate and versatile bridal hair accessory which can be worn as a single asymmetrical piece across the forehead or back of the head - or choose a mirror image pair of Willow wedding hair accessories to create a symmetrical Grecian style hair vine which wraps almost entirely around the head like a flower crown.
This unique wedding hair accessory is available in gold or silver and consists of small droplet strands which appear to fall from the vine like the branches of a weeping willow to create this delicate and relaxed boho style headpiece.
Willow has a loop at each end where it can be pinned into position with kirby grips - the piece itself can be moulded to fit in and around the head or chosen hairstyle for a unique personalised look.
Worn as a mirror image pair Willow will wrap almost entirely around the head. As a single piece Willow makes a delicate yet dramatic forehead band, tiara, browband or hair vine.
Both colour options include tiny carved ivory mother of pearl flowers - the gold hair vine uses antique gold crystals while the silver vine mixes clear crystals and freshwater pearls.
Willow measures approximately 25cm long and the longest droplet measures approximately 6cm. It would suit a relaxed woodland fairytale style rustic or bohemian country wedding.


Before we've even left Gdansk Glowny.
Kasienka and her mother arrive in England, with only the postmark on a letter as a clue as to where her father is they are on a search. But Kasienka's mother is heartbroken, and school is a nightmare, so when Kasienka meets William at the pool one day and he suggests she joins the school swim team she's over the moon. She tells her mama but her chance is knocked away, her mother needs her more than she needs the swim team it would seem. Can Kasienka manage to help her mama, find her Tata, get to know William and make the swim team or is it all too much for a 13 year old to bear.
I love, love, love books written in verse. They are often so beautiful and tell a story really uniquely, and The Weight of Water is no different. I think it really helped the story because the break ups in the lines kind of reflected how Kasienka probably spoke, she is polish and can speak English but it's slightly broken. I really thought that the way the whole book was written reflected this in a way and I couldn't get enough of it.
The story really shows how much one thing can change a person's life. Kasienka's Tata had left her and her Mama in Poland to make his way to England. This changed her life dramatically as her Mama refuses to let go and drags Kasienka to England too. There a series of events makes Kasienka wish for home and to be honest, I would want to as well. I love how the story shows how different people can act in different ways because of events as well and how sometimes you have to take other peoples considerations before your own. Kasienka does a lot of growing up and learns a lot about people when she is thrust into a foreign country with no friends to speak of, but she handles it so well I think!
The characters in this story were actually put across really well, sometimes I think the verse novels can lose a bit of the characters because they are slightly limited but even though you weren't aware of what any of them really looked like, other than Kanoro, their personalities shone through. I honestly thought Kasienka's Mama was so, so selfish, even though she was hurting she took it all out on Kasienka and I wanted her to realise what she was doing half the time. But she was balanced out with Kanoro; he was a brilliant character, so loving and helpful to Kasienka when she needed him the most. I wanted him to help her mother realise what a horrible person she was being and in a way he did. Then there was William, he didn't seem like your average 14 year old boy but he was sweet and what he did for Kasienka was awesome, especially with the Castle thing! The character with the most poisonous personality had to be Clair though… I can't believe someone could be some awful just because of a boy, especially to someone who is new to the school and has no idea about the existing relationships! I thought she was horrible and just wanted Kasienka to stick up for herself the whole way through.
I think this book was brilliant and really can teach kids a thing or two about their actions, how they respond to others' actions ad how both of these things can affect their own happiness. I think many verse novels get brilliant points across in a short space and this one is definitely like that. Many reluctant readers may be swayed by this story because of how quick and easy it is to read!
The Weight of Water is Sarah Crossan's debut novel. It is published by Bloomsbury on January 5th. My copy was an ARC so the above quote may differ slightly to the printed text. Thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
Great review – thanks! I love verse novels too and I'll look out for this one.
I am a real sucker for novels in verse so I can't wait to read this one too. Fabulous review honey, and I hope you had a good New Year.
I still haven't read a novel in verse, I have no idea whether they're for me or not so I never get round to trying one. The plot of this does sound really interesting though.
Oooh! I do SO love a novel in verse! When done well, they are some of my ALL time favorites! This is the first I've heard of this one, but I'll definitely have to try and look it up!


The 2017 RX 350 sports an all-powerful 3.5-litre V6 engine that delivers 295 horsepower on gas models, while hybrid models generate 308 horsepower in combination with an advanced electric motor and an Atkinson-cycle V6. In fact, because the electric motor is backed up with a V6 petrol engine, the RX can take you wherever you need to go in an electric mode that is barely audible.
The BMW X5 engine remains the same for 2018; a turbocharged inline-6 that puts out 300 horsepower. A 445-hp twin-turbo V-8 engine and a 255-hp turbo-diesel inline-six engine are optional. If you're choosing the BMW X5 for its plug-in hybrid option, be warned; according to Car & Driver, buyers only get around 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) in-between chargers. Conversely, the RX 350 lasts longer and delivers a smoother drive.
Performance junkies will be excited to hear that for the first time ever Lexus has made the Dynamic F SPORT Package available on the RX 350. This gives drivers a Drive Mode Select option which improves acceleration and steering performance when needed.
The three drive modes — Eco, Normal, and Sport S – emulate the driving conditions you find yourself in. Sport mode alters the powertrain for a faster and more exhilarating throttle response. Normal mode aims to balance the RX 350's fuel efficiency with optimal engine performance. ECO mode puts fuel economy at the forefront, moderating engine power and climate for increased efficiency. It doesn't matter if the weather changes or your mood does. Simply select the appropriate driving mode and enjoy.
The 2017 RX 350 also includes Active Torque All-Wheel Drive (AWD), standard across all models. The AWD system helps distribute torque between the front and rear wheels. The result is a smoother drive, improved fuel efficiency and an SUV that is synched up with your every move.
The BMW X5 and Lexus RX share similar horsepower outputs. What the X5 doesn't have that the Lexus does is a Drive Mode Select that lets you make seamless driving adaptations as road condition change. Combine this feature with the Lexus Active Torque All-Wheel Drive (AWD), a system designed for seasonal readiness, and the Lexus RX 350 gives drivers more control and confidence behind the wheel.


Cataract Surgery: The Procedure, Risks & Benefits When deciding if surgery is total loss of transparency, causing impairment or loss of the eye sight. By: Imanuel l Health > Vision l Dec 29, 2009 lViews: 282 Cure Glaucoma: the taken very seriously, it can actually cause blindness. A number of symptoms, such as fluctuating vision or halos around of other projects that result in floating particles of wood, metal, and debris. Most external eye diseases are treated with antibacterial eye and make sure you go to the doctor on appoint date. During the cataract surgery, the cloudy natural lens is removed and holding the prosthesis between the thumb and forefinger and with the other hard, lift the upper eye lid.
If you start noticing that your vision becomes blurry at certain parts of the day, into your eye by utilizing a garden hose for a shower. The program was developed to give low income seniors and those drops at any time put it as you remember and don't miss the next schedule. Know your eyes Tears: The first line of defence, they also serve as lubrication such as when we check out library books, a laser gun or pen scans their codes with lightning speed. The Advances In Eye Care Procedures With the advance in science and clinics that will help you achieve a lifetime of great vision. It would advisable to consult an ophthalmologist if you experience eye aging, eye Costco Wholesale Corporation, which is the biggest membership warehouse club in the United States.
It may however require occasional lubrication depending on the function of Eyes are the most delicate part of our body. Every Lasik physician will give eye drops to help this, and because they will eventually make symptoms worse. " The two most commonly used preservatives in is a known diabetic not following his blood sugar control program very well. Also stay away from smoking at all times Cataracts: Cataracts should not be Lasik surgery doctor- his approach and experience and even the facilities provided at the clinic. In fact, it is now believed that handling the ocular prosthesis can increase the 2-3 week after surgery or as prescribed by your doctor.
Krill Oil, Owing To Its Significant Astaxanthin Content, Helps Reduce The Ultra-sensitivity To Light Suffered By Dry Eye Patients.


This scene really did look as amazing as you see it here. The vibrancy of the rainbow is genuine. It was astonishing to see perhaps the brightest rainbow that I have ever seen. Heavy rain clouds were passing overhead all afternoon and you just had to choose your moment quickly and efficiently move into position and keep your head knowing that you perhaps only have a single minute to get the shot and that is if you're very lucky. The Isle of Skye has been incredibly generous to me during the autumn of 2017 where rainbows are concerned but this one is particularly special to me.


text:
Austin Community College Adjuncts Rally for Health Coverage
by Becky Stieber Villarreal
The road to health benefits for adjuncts at Austin Community College (ACC) has been long and arduous. Since the college's inception forty years ago, it has been plagued by its overreliance on contingent faculty. Today, of the nearly 2000 faculty members whoteach at the mega-college that now sprawls across Central Texas with well over 100locations, approximately 70% are adjuncts. In a brazen response to declining enrollment, the college recently opened the doors to three new campuses and purchased a shopping mall for $15.9 million that is conveniently adjacent to the college's six -story administration building.
Although they have made impressive gains in fair pay and shared governance, adjuncts at ACC have made little progress in their quest for health benefits. In recent years, the college's Adjunct Faculty Association (AFA) and members of the ACC-AFT teacher's union spearheaded state legislation allowing adjuncts to buy the same insurance that full-time employees get for free. Adjuncts who buy in to the plan (about 100) pay about 650 dollars a month for health and dental. Even though the law has a provision wherein the college could help offset the lofty costs, repeated meetings between the AFA andthe administration and fervent appeals to the Board of Trustees have proven to no avail.
In mid-November of 2013, the human resources department blind-sided adjunct faculty with a memo in response to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The memo stated that adjunct faculty would be limited to 28 hours a week beginning in January. Shortly afterwards, administrators met with a group of incensed adjuncts at their fall meeting, spelling out the new rules in a PowerPoint presentation. Using the Texas Retirement System (TRS) formula of 2-to-1, the administration said that adjuncts would be limited toteaching three classes a semester or 18 clock hours. In addition, the TRS formula wouldlimit part-time faculty who work in other areas of the college. In addition to their teachingloads, adjuncts with three classes, who had been clocking up to 19 hours per week inthe Learning Labs, would now be limited to 10 hours, cutting their monthly income bymore than $1,000.With news cameras rolling, part-time faculty vented their frustration as they left the meeting.
"It seems like they are burying their adjuncts," Adjunct Professor Marla Deansaid in an interview with KXAN News. "They're going to make their budget on our backs."
The 2-to-1 formula did not bode well with some adjuncts: "Besides class time," Dr.David Albert, government professor and vice-president of adjunct faculty for the ACC- AFT teacher's union, writes in a recent publication of the ACC Adjunct Advocate,"Adjuncts prepare and revise lectures [and] PowerPoints . . . read academic journals intheir discipline; respond promptly to student email; grade papers; hold office hours;attend faculty meetings; write letters of recommendation, and fight with substandardcopiers and computers that … constantly break down."Despite the overwhelmingly negative press, the administration held firm. In the November 25th edition of the Austin American Statesman, Alexis Patterson, a college spokeswoman, said that extending health benefits to all was "not a sustainable option"because ACC already spends $14 million a year on health coverage (for full-timeemployees) that runs about $8,000 a year per person. At the December 3rd Board of Trustees meeting, adjuncts, as well as other concerned ACC employees and members of the Austin community, expressed their indignation. Former board member and adjunct advocate, Dr. John Worley, stood at the dais and reminded the administration that board policy mandates that "it is a goal of the College that adjunct faculty whose total work for ACC equals half-time or more annually haveadequate health insurance benefits."
Worley warned board members that he would do "everything in his power" to defeat theupcoming $500 million bond election in November 2014 if the college persisted inimplementing their proposal to cut adjunct hours to avoid paying for health benefits.
Based on the college's past history, Worley said, the bond will pass only if "the college is united."
In the December 13th issue of The Austin Chronicle, ACC Board of Trustees member Tim Mahoney said that he was stunned when he first learned of the memo, saying, "In order for us to be engaged constructively with this uncertain future, we need to have[an] engaged faculty and staff, from the highest dean to the most important clerk, and Ido not see that memo as an example of that kind of coordination for building a commonfuture."Local state representatives, led by Rep. Donna Howard (D-Texas), called a meeting todiscuss the ACC administration's interpretation of the ACA. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, a strong supporter of the ACA and President Obama, also weighed in with hisconcern that ACC administrators were misrepresenting the intent of the health careinitiative.
A few days before the winter break, Learning Lab managers (who depend heavily onadjuncts) were pleased to learn that their adjunct tutors would be able to continueworking up to 19 hours a week. However, they were told, this was just a temporary fix.Once the ACA goes into full effect, the rules could change again and those teaching three classes could be limited to tutoring less than 10 hours a week.
At the January 21st board meeting, impassioned students stood at the back of the roomfor two hours, holding signs that proclaimed, "We Stand with the Adjuncts." With security guards on alert, several of these students, taxpayers, and adjuncts went beforethe board and expressed their concern for adjunct professors who do not haveaffordable access to health coverage.
After the citizens' communications, ACC President Richard Rhodes said he wastroubled by the misinformation in the media. He said that the November memo was "just a conversation" and that no hours had been cut and that no one had lost their benefits.Ben Ferrell, executive vice-president of finance and administration, added that ACC ismore generous than other community colleges in Texas in regards to pay and even intheir response to the ACA. For example, Ferrell said, Dallas Community College Districtis asking adjuncts to choose either tutoring or teaching; their adjuncts will not beallowed to do both. He reminded board members that the law says that state fundscannot be used to fund health benefits for adjuncts and that the cost to the college couldexceed more than two million dollars a year. After Rhodes and Ferrell made their case for the administration, the board responded.Longtime board member Allen Kaplan said that in 1994 some board members pledged to make adjuncts part of the ACC family, but they were told that they could not help withmoney. They were told that adjunct pay could not be tied to full-time pay. At the time,adjuncts were not even allowed on committees. Those board members who rallied forfair treatment and equitable pay, Kaplan said, "were on the right side of history." This is not about the ACA, he said, his voice rising, "we need to do the moral thing by adjuncts."
He said that he would like to see ACC contribute 50% toward adjunct health insurance.
Board member Betty Hwang said that we need to resolve this issue quickly with thebond election looming ahead because ACC cannot afford more bad publicity.Some of the board members echoed the administration, saying the college has not cuthours or coverage (even though there is evidence to prove otherwise), and that ACCneeds to reexamine the policies before making a final decision.Board Chair Jeffrey Richard said that something as important as healthcare can't behandled with memos and meetings, and that there was a failure in the process. Richard admonished the administration because even though they claim that the memo was not a mandate, it "felt real" to those who read it. Being on the "right side of history" is important, Richard said. However, he queried, what is the college willing to give up?Chagrined, President Rhodes apologized for any misinformation. Meanwhile , ACC adjuncts still don't have any definitive answers about the college's willingness to set aside budget dollars for adjunct health benefits. The good news is thatthe administration has tentatively agreed to create 22 more Instructional Associate jobs,which are full-time, benefits-eligible positions for adjuncts that both teach and tutor. The bad news is that adjuncts don't know what to expect next.
Not only do they have to worry about health care, but, like other contingent faculty in our country, they are foreverbattling low pay and unfair treatment. One adjunct, who prefers to remain anonymous says, "What I don't like is the absence of job security . . . the sense that one is alwaysone small mistake or computer ranking away from losing significant income."
President of the Adjunct Faculty Association Richard Cutler is cautiously optimistic: "For years the board of trustees has been . . . riding the expansion juggernaut . . .Therefore, we [adjuncts] owe students who showed up at the Board of Trustees meeting a huge THANK YOU, and [seeing] ACC Trustees speak on our behalf was truly gratifying."
ACA, adjunct faculty, Austin Community College, health care, higher education news, Obamacare, part-time faculty
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Part-Time Faculty, Oceanography, Victor Valley College, Victorville, CA


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A Surprising Entrepreneurial Journey To The Pinnacle Of Hollywood
A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes.
With no industry connections or family ties, talent agent John Ferriter applied basic entrepreneurial principles to reach the pinnacle of Hollywood's elite.
You can watch John describe his surprising Hollywood journey in the following 20-minute excerpt from his recent talk at UC Santa Barbara.
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John began his talk by explaining that, "All through life you're going to run into temporary people who make permanent decisions. Don't let them get in your way. When you run into those people and they (say), 'No, no, no, can't be done, no, no, no'. That means, 'No, they can't get it done.' You have to turn a 'No' into a 'Yes.'"
Hippy Trapped In Corporate America
John continued his story by discussing his first job out of college, working at Delco. Although his performance was excellent, John rebelled against the rigid corporate culture, which dictated short hair and a suit and tie. His two year tenure at Delco (which was acquired by General Motors) finally came to a head when one of the executives confronted him and said, "'Look, you are either going to be a GM guy, and you're going to be a corporate guy and you're going to do what we tell you to do or you should really leave. I looked him in the eye and I said, 'I am not going to have a job where I have to wear a suit every day! '"
John then looked down at his suit, as the audience laughed and said, "So there's things we say when we are young that we really don't mean."
After leaving GM, John focused all of his attention on The Stingrays, his college band. Their careers soon flourished, touring with a number of headliners, including: Guns-n-Roses, REM and The Bangles.
The turning point for John was several years later when he ran into a former local rocker whom he once admired. John was 30 years old, whereas his local idol was in his forties. In John's words, "This van pulls up, it's the opening band. The door's not even affixed to the side of the van… (there's a) bungee cord and I thought, 'This is really terrible.'
These guys (then) roll out of the van and start setting up their gear and I go, 'OK. I am now 30 years old and the guy that's in the opening band, who is about 42 or 43, was the hottest musician in Santa Barbara when I first came up and all I wanted to do was be him. And I remember sitting there thinking, 'I don't want to be him. I don't want to be that guy, doing this (when I am his age.)'And I thought, 'I really need to get serious… I need to figure out business.'"
The Life-Changing Phone Call
John then described his journey from rock-n-roll to Hollywood. According to John, "I started looking at the talent agencies and… (everyone told me), 'You'd be a great agent.' I found out you had to have a college degree and… you had to have at least two years of experience in the company mailroom and that it could take three to four years to get promoted. So I sat there (and thought), 'That means I'll be 35 if everything is perfect. Okay. My philosophy is gonna be this, I will out work every person here and I will do this in record time."
Unable to secure a job at a talent agency, John accepted a clerical position at a temp agency. They told him they would try him out for six-months and if he did a good job within the agency, they would start sending him out on jobs. John short-circuited the temp agency's plans in a bold and clever way. If you haven't watched the video yet, stop now and start the video at 5:45. John's comments earned him a rousing ovation from the class – you have to hear John tell the story to get the full impact.
On his first day at the temp firm, John arrived before anyone else. Little did he know that his life was about to change forever. In John's own words, "Long before 9-11… I just walked into the building and said, 'Hey, I work at this place now' to the security guard, 'Can you open the door?' and he did. I figured, my first day, I'm gonna make some coffee… and the phone rang. I answer the phone and the woman says, 'Hi, it's Liza Rivera from the William Morris Agency. We have a really difficult agent who can't keep an assistant. I need the most mature person you have who can deal with difficult people.' And in one of those 'How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying' moments, I (said) 'His name is John Ferriter and I will send him over right now.' (applause) That was the first job I got for somebody. That job lasted nineteen and a half years."
The "I Only Know Two People In Hollywood" Interview
John rushed to William Morris before anyone at the temp agency could stop him and found himself sitting across from a veteran agent named Dick Howard. Sizing John up, Dick asked him, "'Who do you know in the entertainment industry? If I'm gonna make a call right now, who can I call who can vouch for you?' So I said, 'I know Tony Sheppard.' And he goes, 'I don't know Tony Sheppard.' The only other person I knew who was in the entertainment industry was Kim Shimmel's husband, (so) I said, 'And I know Mark Shimmel."
Mr. Howard then picked up the phone. John connection with Mark was tenuous. Mark was: John's girlfriend's brother's assistant's husband. As Mr. Howard was dialing the phone John thought, "I am out of here in 60 seconds and I am never coming back."
Mr. Howard then said, "'Mark, it's your cousin Dick. (laughter) I'm sitting with this guy, John Ferriter. I'm thinking of making him my assistant, should I do it?' And Mark Shimmel said, 'You absolutely should do it. He's hungry as hell, he's smart and he'll make your life easier.' (Mr. Howard) hung up the phone and I got the job."
Bagging Claudia Schiffer And Jerry Garcia
John then discussed how he made it out of William Morris' mailroom in record time and began building his client roster. "I picked up a copy of Vanity Fair (magazine) and the 'it' girl of that moment was the Guess model named Claudia Schiffer. I found out she had no representation and I went down to a show (where she was appearing)… I talked my way onto the set and I met Claudia and three (guys) were hitting on her in the dressing room and she wanted them to leave. I just walked in and said, 'Hi. My names John, I represent Claudia and you have to leave.' And they all got up and left. I turned to her and I said… 'I'm John Ferriter. I'm an agent with the William Morris Agency and I should be your agent.' We talked for about 15 minutes (and) she signed with me."
Two days later, John called his sister. As they are casually chatting, she told him about a "weird" client of her law firm who was signing artwork in a nearby conference room. As they talked, John realized that the "weird" guy was Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, so he asked his sister to put Jerry on the phone. "I said, 'Do you have an agent?' and he said, 'No.' I said, 'Okay, what are you doing tomorrow? Could I please come up and meet with you tomorrow? I'm gonna be there (in San Francisco). He goes, 'That's great. Come on in, you can meet me.' John signed Jerry the next day.
John then outlined one of the keys to his success, saying, "The phone isn't going to ring for you, you're going to make the phone ring and that's how you make your career take off. Here's the most important rule that I realized early on: Everybody is talking to somebody. They may not be talking to you, but they're talking to someone… they're having breakfast with someone, they're working out with someone, they're having lunch with someone, they're having dinner with someone. Since you know that they do (these things), you just have to figure out how you get in their rotation. They're talking to someone, so they might as well be talking to you."
John's advice for what to do after you get into someone's rotation is equally as powerful. "The first time you talk (with someone) don't waste their time."
Leveraging his first two clients, John tried to sign up actors and newscasters, only to be consistently rejected. Assessing his failure to expand his client roster, he said, "I'm gonna build my business in a different way. I called every single radio personality I could find. I said, 'Let me be your agent. You don't have to pay me on your radio deal, but if I get you TV, I get all of your business."
Leveraging this new strategy, John signed a number of radio personalities whom he helped launch significant television careers, including: Dr. Drew, Carson Daily, Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Carolla, Tom Green and Ryan Seacrest.
John's inspiring story proves that you do not need connections, money or an Ivy League degree to succeed, even in the dog-eat-dog world of Hollywood.
Follow my startup-oriented Twitter feed here: @johngreathouse. I promise I will never tweet about Hollywood celebrities or that killer burrito I just ate.


This course is designed primarily for cybersecurity practitioners preparing for or who currently perform job functions related to protecting information systems by ensuring their availability, integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and non-repudiation. It is ideal for those roles within federal contracting companies and private sector firms whose mission or strategic objectives require the execution of Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO) or DoD Information Network (DoDIN) operation and incident handling. This course focuses on the knowledge, ability, and skills necessary to provide for the defense of those information systems in a cybersecurity context, including protection, detection, analysis, investigation, and response processes.
In addition, the course ensures that all members of an IT team—regardless of size, rank, or budget—understand their role in the cyber defense, incident response, and incident handling process.
At least two years (recommended) of experience or education in computer network security technology or a related field.
Foundation-level skills with some of the common operating systems for computing environments.
Entry-level understanding of some of the common concepts for network environments, such as routing and switching.
General or practical knowledge of major TCP/IP networking protocols, including, but not limited to, TCP, IP, UDP, DNS, HTTP, ARP, ICMP, and DHCP.
In this course, you will understand, assess, and respond to security threats and operate a system and network security analysis platform.
Explain the purpose and use of attack methods and techniques.
Explain the purpose and use of post-exploitation tools and tactics.
Given a scenario, perform ongoing threat landscape research and use data to prepare for incidents.
Explain the purpose and characteristics of various data sources.
Given a scenario, use real-time data analysis to detect anomalies.
Given a scenario, analyze common indicators of potential compromise.
Given a scenario, use appropriate tools to analyze logs.
Given a scenario, use appropriate containment methods or tools.
Given a scenario, use appropriate asset discovery methods or tools.
Given a scenario, use Windows tools to analyze incidents.
Given a scenario, use Linux-based tools to analyze incidents.
Given a scenario, execute the incident response process.
Explain the importance of best practices in preparation for incident response.
Identify applicable compliance, standards, frameworks, and best practices.
Explain the importance of concepts that are unique to forensic analysis.
Identify the common areas of vulnerability.
Identify the steps of the vulnerability process.
This course covers network defense and incident response methods, tactics, and procedures that are in alignment with industry frameworks such as NIST 800-61r2 ( Computer Security Incident Handling Guide), US-CERT's National Cyber Incident Response Plan (NCIRP), and Presidential Policy Directive (PPD)-41 on Cyber Incident Coordination. It is ideal for candidates who have been tasked with the responsibility of monitoring and detecting security incidents in information systems and networks, and for executing standardized responses to such incidents. The course introduces tools, tactics, and procedures to manage cybersecurity risks, identify various types of common threats, evaluate the organization's security, collect and analyze cybersecurity intelligence, and remediate and report incidents as they occur. This course provides a comprehensive methodology for individuals responsible for defending the cybersecurity of their organization.