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Posts Tagged 'ruins'
Κωστή Παλαμά-Ασάλευτη Ζωή/Kostis Palamas-Motionless Life
Posted: 08/11/2013 by vequinox in Books, Canada, Greece, Greek Canadian Writers, Greek Writers, Literature, Poetry, Translation
Tags: ancient, filled, grave, Αθάνατος, Πραξιτέλης, αρχαία, αγάλματα, ερείπια/immortal, λάκκος, μεστός, ναός, Praxitelis, ruins, staues, temple
Ἡ ἀσάλευτη ζωή
Καὶ τ᾿ ἄγαλμα ἀγωνίστηκα γιὰ τὸ ναὸ νὰ πλάσω
στὴν πέτρα τὴ δική μου ἀπάνω,
καὶ νὰ τὸ στήσω ὁλόγυμνο, καὶ νὰ περάσω,
καὶ νὰ περάσω, δίχως νὰ πεθάνω.
καὶ τό ῾πλασα. Κ᾿ οἱ ἄνθρωποι, στενοὶ προσκυνητάδες
στὰ ξόανα τ᾿ ἄπλαστα μπροστὰ καὶ τὰ κακοντυμένα,
θυμοῦ γρικῆσαν τίναγμα καὶ φόβου ἀνατριχάδες,
κ᾿ εἴδανε σὰν ἀντίμαχους καὶ τ᾿ ἄγαλμα κ᾿ ἐμένα.
Καὶ τ᾿ ἄγαλμα στὰ κύμβαλα, κ᾿ ἐμὲ στὴν ἐξορία.
Καὶ πρὸς τὰ ξένα τράβηξα τὸ γοργοπέρασμά μου
καὶ πρὶν τραβήξω, πρόσφερα παράξενη θυσία
ἔσκαψα λάκκο, κ᾿ ἔθαψα στὸ λάκκο τ᾿ ἄγαλμά μου.
Καὶ τοῦ ψιθύρησα: «Ἄφαντο βυθίσου αὐτοῦ καὶ ζῆσε
μὲ τὰ βαθιὰ ριζώματα καὶ μὲ τ᾿ ἀρχαῖα συντρίμμια,
ὅσο ποὺ νἄρθ᾿ ἡ ὥρα σου, ἀθάνατ᾿ ἄνθος εἶσαι,
ναὸς νὰ ντύση καρτερεῖ τὴ θεία δική σου γύμνια!»
Καὶ μ᾿ ἕνα στόμα διάπλατο, καὶ μὲ φωνὴ προφήτη,
μίλησ᾿ ὁ λάκκος: «Ναὸς κανείς, βάθρο οὔτε, φῶς, τοῦ κάκου.
Γιὰ δῶ, γιὰ κεῖ, γιὰ πουθενὰ τὸ ἄνθος σου, ὦ τεχνίτη!
Κάλλιο γιὰ πάντα νὰ χαθῆ μέσ᾿ στ᾿ ἄψαχτα ἑνὸς λάκκου.
Ποτὲ μὴν ἔρθ᾿ ἡ ὥρα του! Κι ἂν ἔρθη κι ἂν προβάλη,
μεστὸς θὰ λάμπη καὶ ὁ ναὸς ἀπὸ λαὸ ἀγαλμάτων,
τ᾿ ἀγάλματα ἀψεγάδιαστα, κ᾿ οἱ πλάστες τρισμεγάλοι
γύρνα ξανά, βρυκόλακα, στὴ νύχτα τῶν μνημάτων!
Τὸ σήμερα εἴτανε νωρίς, τ᾿ αὔριο ἀργὰ θὰ εἶναι,
δὲ θὰ σοῦ στρέξη τ᾿ ὄνειρο, δὲ θάρθ᾿ ἡ αὐγὴ ποὺ θέλεις,
μὲ τὸν καημὸ τ᾿ ἀθανάτου ποὺ δὲν τὸ φτάνεις, μεῖνε,
κυνηγητὴς τοῦ σύγγνεφου, τοῦ ἴσκιου Πραξιτέλης.
Τὰ τωρινὰ καὶ τ᾿ αὐριανά, βρόχοι καὶ πέλαγα, ὅλα
σύνεργα τοῦ πνιγμοῦ γιὰ σὲ καὶ ὁράματα τῆς πλάνης
μακρότερη ἀπ᾿ τὴ δόξα σου καὶ μία τοῦ κήπου βιόλα
καὶ θὰ περάσης, μάθε το, καὶ θὰ πεθάνης!»
Κ᾿ ἐγὼ ἀποκρίθηκα: «Ἂς περάσω κι ἂς πεθάνω!
Πλάστης κ᾿ ἐγὼ μ᾿ ὅλο τὸ νοῦ καὶ μ᾿ ὅλη τὴν καρδιά μου
λάκκος κι ἂς φάῃ τὸ πλάσμα μου, ἀπὸ τ᾿ ἀθάνατα ὅλα
μπορεῖ ν᾿ ἀξίζει πιὸ πολὺ τὸ γοργοπέρασμά μου».
Motionless Life
And for the temple I struggled to create
a statue on this rock: my body,
to place it naked, and to spend my life
and to spend my life and never die
and I created it. And people, latest worshipers
before the badly dressed wooden statues
felt the thrill of anger and the shiver of fear
and saw the statue and I as combatants.
And they thrashed the statue and sent me to exile.
And to the foreign lands I led my steps
yet before it I offered a strange sacrifice
a grave I dug and deep into it I buried my statue.
And I whispered to it: "unseen spend your days
along with the roots and ancient ruins,
until your time comes, invincible flower that you are
the temple longs to dress your godly nakedness!"
And with its wide open mouth and with the voice of a prophet
the grave spoke: "No temple, nor podium, nor light, a waste.
For here, for there, nowhere your flower, oh, master craftsman!
Let it for ever vanish in the un-rummaged hole.
Let it never have its time! Yet if it appears
let the temple shine filled by the people's statues
immaculate the statues and the all-great sculptors
come back, Oh phantasm, during the night of the tombs!
Today's day came early, tomorrow's will be late
the dream won't rescue you, the dawn you wish will never come
with the longing of immortality you can't reach, stay,
a hunter of the cloud, the Praxiteles of the shadow.
The present and tomorrow's things, snares and seas, all
tools and tricky visions you drawn into
farther from your glory, single violet of the garden
and you will wither, understand it, and you will die."
And I answered: "Let me wither and let me die!
Creator I also am with my mind and all my heart
let the tomb consume my flesh, my fast passing through
perhaps is worthy more than all these immortal."
Translated by Manolis Aligizakis
Chapter 7 of 'The Circle' a novel on Iraq by Manolis
Posted: 26/03/2011 by Mayanaam in book, Books, Canada, Fiction, Greek Writers, Literature, Politics
Tags: Auntie Mara, Baghdad, Bill Wanton, bombs, Chapter 7 of 'The Circle' a novel on Iraq by Manolis, CIA, Death, destruction, Emily Roberts, Hakim, Ibrahim Hazim Mahdi, international intrigue, Iraq-Iran war, Jennifer, killings, Langley, Los Angeles, Matthew Roberts, New York, Rassan, Regis Hudson, ruins, Saddam Hussein, Sheraton Manhattan Hotel, Soviet Union, Talal, Underwater photography, war, Washington D.C., William Polson
"Manolis weaves an intriguing tale of international malfeasance and its effects on many including two Iraqi war orphans in America and their lovers…"
– Ben Nuttall-Smith
Circle is a political intrigue story that reflects recent world events and their aftermath. The characters are caught between circumstances of their cultures and politics of the times, players who are not what they portray: naïve and cunning, loyal and duplicitous, sentimental and appetite driven.
Hakim wakes up and turning to his side, he looks at Jennifer who's still asleep. She looks beautiful when she's asleep, like an angel, he thinks, and he runs his hand down her body.
Like an angel with a nice ass. He smiles at the thought.
It's Tuesday, 6:00 in the morning, and he has to meet his uncle at the hotel for their ride to the airport. He hurries to the shower. When he's out of the shower she's still sleeping. He goes closer to her and wakes her up with a light nudge. Jennifer opens her eyes.
"Is it time, already?"
He nods yes. Jennifer is up and ready in a little while and they have a quick coffee before he has to leave. It's still early for her to leave for her office which is just a short distance away. The other day Hakim gave her a key to his apartment.
"I'm going, sweetie." He kisses her.
"Have a good trip, my love. Take care. I love you," she hugs him.
Fifteen minutes later he's at the hotel and takes the elevator to his uncle's suite. Ibrahim is ready. Before they get into the elevator to go down, Ibrahim says to one of the guards, "Rassan, you remember my nephew, Hakim? No matter what happens, he's to you exactly as I am, do you understand?"
Both bodyguards shake hands with Hakim, a sign of understanding and they all go into the lobby. The clerk at the desk calls their limo and they get on their way, arriving at the airport about two hours before the flight. Although so many years have gone by since the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, the security procedures at American airports haven't changed very much. People still have to deal with long lines, strict rules, and expensive regulations.
They check their bags and go to the lounge for a drink before departure. Ibrahim orders a bottle of carbonated water, and Hakim orders a coffee. The two guards sit close by at a different table.
"Who are we to meet in New York, my uncle?"
"My lawyer, my stockbroker, and my banker. I want them to meet you. I want you to open an account with the broker and deposit your certificate in that account. I also want you to open an account with my banker in your own name."
Their flight is a five-hour affair. They have first-class seats and are served a light lunch once the plane is in the air. Hakim is hungry and enjoys the food, although Ibrahim eats only a bit of his. They each enjoy a glass of red wine.
Hakim asks the same question as on the previous day.
"My uncle, you promised to tell me more about the work Matthew Roberts and the Admiral do for the CIA, do you remember?"
Ibrahim takes a deep breath, smiles, and says,
"It is a long story, my dear boy; however, in a nutshell, this is it. They both work for a department that goes by the code name the 'Circle'. They are located in Washington D.C., not in Langley. In their department 130 people analyze intelligence, data, and information, and make recommendations to the Executive Branch. This is where decisions about war take place. Based on the recommendations of the Admiral, who bases his decisions on the analyses of Matthew's people, the war room as some call it, takes its stand against any enemy as circumstances dictate."
He stops and takes a deep breath. Ibrahim does that a lot more often, Hakim notices. The old man looks at his nephew, wondering how far he can still go with this.
"They are the basis of a detailed system that undermines the governments of various countries, based on what their goals are and serving their interests the best way possible. They formed the basis for the decision to go against Saddam Hussein in the war of 2003. That department of the CIA is the one which sexed up the propaganda before the war."
"In other words, they are the reason the war started?"
"Well, I wouldn't put it that way exactly; however, they had a lot to do with it. You see, they are not the final decision makers of the government, but they make recommendations based on data. They have a plan of action for any foreseeable event, which could turn the outcome of their strategy one way or another. They plan with various options always before them, and even then they prove to be wrong on many occasions. There's always a variable that cannot be predicted ahead of time, and when it comes to play, it alters the results time and time again. This is the same reason they are wrong so many times — the unpredictability of the reactions of people to certain events and to intelligence. Every time you think how or why a decision has to be made, it's like being in a maze, and you can only hope for the outcome you have predicted."
He stops for a while, calls the flight attendant and orders two glasses of wine. Hakim takes a sip of his wine, looks at his watch, and estimates they are halfway to New York. His uncle looks tired. Yet Hakim wants to know more.
"What else do you know, my uncle?"
He learns that the CIA have undermined a number of governments over the years. They have been involved in several countries, from Chile in the seventies, to Bosnia in the nineties, Somalia, and more. Ibrahim continues, "Of course, most importantly they got involved with our country. However, don't think that this is the only time they got involved with Iraq. Americans have been around for a long time and they are the ones who armed Saddam in the first place; they provided him with the best army at the time and set him against the Iranians. It was a war that lasted a long time and cost us hundreds of thousands of dead and billions of dollars."
"Well, if they helped Saddam to power and armed him, then why did they turn against him and cast him out?"
"It's the way politics goes sometimes, my son. Politics makes bad bedfellows. You have a friend now, and later that friend becomes the enemy, and the game goes on. You see, in politics, being in the game is what matters, not whether you win or lose. It's just the need to be in the game."
He stops and sips his wine as Hakim tries to absorb all he has heard. In other words, Hakim thinks, one could say it was Jennifer's dad's work that started the war in 2003. The reality of such a thought brings a taste of hatred to his mouth, a taste he doesn't like at all. Feelings of hatred go deep for the people who killed his parents. But how can he hate Jennifer? Still the end result was the death of his parents and the destruction of their home, and someone will have to pay for that.
"Then, one can say it was Matthew's work that caused the war that started in 2003, my uncle?"
"That would be stretching the case to look at it that way. The work of that department is a major instrument for the decision taken, I agree."
"What else do they do in that department of the CIA?"
"Basically, that, my boy. They undermine and destabilize countries, giving them reasons to get involved and come to the assistance of the populace. You see, when a country is destabilized they find the right to interfere. They claim it's in their national interest to do so. After the fall of the Soviet Union, so many eastern countries were desolate and the Americans leapt in like vultures, and by throwing dollars into their economies, sought to buy loyalty for a long time. You could call it 'Divide and Conquer'. The British were experts at that 100 years ago. However in the end, they were kicked out of great many places, and even lost the influence they had exercised on those people. That's the way things are now going for the Americans and that's why you see anti-Americanism all over the world. You know, my son, five billion people cannot all be wrong and the Americans the only ones right."
"One more question, my uncle, then I'll leave you to rest as I see you look tired. Since Saddam didn't have the weapons of mass destruction, the main reason for the attack, why didn't he come out in the beginning to state that clearly, and get the support of the other countries around the gulf?"
Ibrahim looks at him for a moment, "Always remember, my son, power is so convincing, so overwhelming, it's like a drug; it makes a person become addicted. Saddam liked it to be known by the other nations of the gulf that he had weapons of mass destruction, because that made him look even more powerful than he really was. It was another part of the political game; one he lost in the end. He bluffed with the Americans for years for that very reason. He didn't expect them to attack. That's where he was wrong. But the results of the war are the thousands of our people who lost their lives and the billions of dollars it has cost us, and the thousands of orphans it has created. There is no end to the misery that war brings. Always remember it's a good policy to keep your head down and be out of sight; never gloat about things you don't have no power over."
Hakim leaves him to close his eyes for a while as they are drawing closer to their destination. Their flight is smooth and relaxing and there has been no turbulence at all. Hakim feels like closing his eyes as well, so they both relax for a while.
In New York on schedule they head for the Sheraton Manhattan Hotel. Ibrahim, as always, has reserved a penthouse suite on the top floor. The guards take the luggage upstairs. It is about 6:30 in the evening and Ibrahim wants to rest for a while before dinner.
Hakim lies on the couch and tries to relax, but finds it very hard to do so as his mind jumps from one bad thought to another. He starts to feel a hatred he hasn't felt before, like a fire slowly burning inside him, yet he welcomes that feeling as it gives him some consolation for his parents. Deep inside, he has never forgotten the hate he has carried since the days when he was taken home by his Uncle Ibrahim and Aunt Mara. Now, he recognizes the feeling he has suppressed it for such a long time and now it comes to the surface to give him the release he needs, a release that will only be fully realized when he can avenge their deaths.
Jennifer is at home with Emily watching the game shows they both enjoy. They finish their dinner around seven in the evening when the phone rings. Jennifer rushes to get it hoping that it's Hakim but it's Matthew from his hotel in Washington.
"Hi Dad, how are you?"
"Hi sweetheart, I'm good; how are you both doing?"
"I'm okay, Dad. I'll get mom." She passes the phone to her mother.
"Hi, Matt,"
"Hello, my love; how are you?"
"I'm fine; how is the weather there?"
"It's nice and warm for this time of year. I phoned yesterday around lunch and couldn't find you. Is everything okay?"
Emily thinks back to yesterday, "Yes, everything is fine." She lowers her voice and continues. "Jen is lonely since Hakim went to New York with his uncle, but other than that we are good."
"Hakim is in New York? That was what I wanted to talk to you about yesterday."
"What is it, Matt? You sound excited."
"Honey, it's a lot bigger than what we thought. Do you know what he is to inherit? Ibrahim is a very rich man, very rich; and guess who it is all going to? — Hakim."
"What is he going to inherit?"
"An estate worth over two billion dollars."
"Two billion dollars, now come to your senses, Matthew, you're not serious, are you?"
"I'm dead serious, baby; I've done the research. I know facts."
Emily's mind, like Matthew's, races to what an astronomical amount of money two billion dollars is. She smiles at the thought. What, if any, effect will this have on Talal? After all, they are buddies. They are like brothers. Has Talal a piece of that?
"Should we say something to Jennifer?"
"No, leave it alone; we'll tell her when I get there on the weekend."
"Alright then, I won't mention anything to her."
"I'm still wondering why he went with his uncle to New York, though. Perhaps the ball has started to roll already. If that is the case, we'll see the results very soon."
Emily says is ready to hang up.
Mathew is still excited with the idea of the money and carries on.
"You didn't tell me where you were yesterday, where were you?"
"I was out shopping."
"Good night, then. I'll call you tomorrow."
"Good night, Matt." She ends their conversation. She's not in the mood for more talk tonight; her favorite game show is on and her mind is preoccupied with two eyes full of sadness and anger, as well as all the money Matthew has just told her about.
Matthew is on his bed, at 9:20 p.m. in Washington D.C., and wants to rest his brain from the exhaustion of the day at the office. Yet his mind won't let him relax, as it races to the troubling suspicion of his wife's whereabouts yesterday. Could she be cheating on him? Matthew has been married for a long time; he's a fifty-five-year-old established bureaucrat. Why suddenly does he have all this anxiety about his wife being unfaithful?
He turns on his other side and crawls under the sheets. He changes the TV channel and slowly his eyes grow tired. He feels all the emptiness in his stomach and in his heart. Then his worrisome mind slows down and he falls asleep.
"What did Dad have to say, Mom?" Jennifer asks.
"Nothing important, honey, the same old story."
"Is he coming home on the weekend? I heard you telling him Hakim has gone to New York. Did he say anything about that?"
"No honey, nothing. He says he'll be home on the weekend."
Jennifer goes upstairs to her room and Emily pours herself a drink.
Wednesday morning in New York and the sky is clear. A tired city awakens from a last night of excitement and partying. New York is a city that never sleeps, like Las Vegas. New York has the reputation as being the best entertainment city in North America, although the big corporations running the Las Vegas casinos like to think their city is the best in that department.
Hakim is up. He gazes at the view of the waterway. Far to his right he can see the boats as well as cars in the streets. He has been up for a while when Ibrahim comes into his room, prepared for the day.
"Good morning, my uncle."
"Good morning, my dear son."
Ibrahim calls Rassan to order their breakfast. While they wait Ibrahim calls his lawyer, William Polson.
He speaks to the receptionist, "Good morning, this is Ibrahim Mahdi. I am in New York and I would like to talk to William."
It takes a few moments before a person answers.
"Good morning, Ibrahim, how are you? Welcome to New York. Where are you staying?"
"Good morning, William. I am at the Manhattan Sheraton as always. I want you to get Bill Wanton and Regis Hudson and come over for an hour, some time after eleven. I need you all for an hour or so. Get Regis and Bill to bring along the necessary forms for new accounts. You also need to prepare a power of attorney and bring it along."
"That sounds good, Ibrahim; I'll put everything together. I'll confirm our timing within half an hour."
"Very well, then," Ibrahim puts the phone down.
His lawyer, William Polson, wonders what brings the old man to New York this time of year. Usually, he comes in the spring because he likes to stroll when the flowers are in bloom and he gets the chance to play a game of golf. However, his task now is to find the other two and make sure they show up on time because he knows their time is limited and he doesn't want to keep Ibrahim Mahdi waiting.
Breakfast has arrived and Hakim and Ibrahim enjoy it while the two bodyguards eat theirs in the other room. Ibrahim briefs his nephew about what is to take place.
Before they finish their breakfast, the phone rings and the lawyer confirms they'll be at Ibrahim's suite no later than twelve o'clock. That pleases his uncle and they relax for a while. Hakim wants to call L.A. to check on things at the office and he also wants to talk to Jennifer. He makes his phone calls. He is reassured by Peter that everything is fine at the office. After speaking with Jennifer, he decides he'd like to go for a walk in this big city for an hour. Ibrahim tells him, "Go ahead, my dear boy, go for an hour. A walk will be good for you. Don't be late; our visitors will be here by noon. That gives you an hour and a half. Take along Rassan; he knows a bit of this city."
"Oh, that won't be necessary, I just want to be alone and walk for a bit. I won't go far and I won't be late, don't worry."
He gets organized and in a few minutes is on the street, outside the big hotel. This is such a busy city with all the traffic, all the honking, and all the cabs. He spends some time looking around and taking pictures. Hakim realizes this is the city that got hit by the terrorists back in 2001 and has never been the same since. Yet people are everywhere, walking, talking to one another or to themselves as they go by, a lot of them talking into the earpieces of their phones as they walk. It's a big city with big buildings and big problems. Like other cities New York has the unemployed, the hungry and the homeless, the well-to-do, the criminals and the law-abiding citizens, and others who write their own laws in the streets, day and night. Hakim comes to realize this is the way of life in every big city of the world, New York is no exception.
About an hour later, he returns to the hotel by backtracking and is in his uncle's suite at 11:20. He steps into the shower and gets ready for the meeting.
The visitors, as Ibrahim called them, come right at 12:00. Rassan has ordered a bottle of champagne and finger food.
"Good morning to all," the lawyer says, as he enters. He shakes hands with Ibrahim.
The other two do the same.
Ibrahim introduces Hakim.
"Gentlemen, here is my son, not my natural son, as you know I was never gifted with one, yet this is my son, Hakim. Remember his name, Hakim. Always remember that he's just as I am; when he speaks to you, it's like I am speaking to you."
Then he turns to Hakim and says, "My dear son, this is your lawyer, William Polson, your bank manager, Bill Wanton, and your broker, Regis Hudson. These're the men you'll be dealing with from now on regarding our affairs."
They shake hands with Hakim, who feels overwhelmed by all the attention. Ibrahim calls Rassan to pour champagne for all of them and they have a toast. They drink and they take some food, and they chat for a few minutes until Ibrahim says, "Well, gentlemen, now is the time to put together all the papers. We want one bank account in Hakim's name and one account with Regis."
They do the paperwork. Ibrahim transfers ten million dollars into Hakim's bank account. The broker takes the certificate of Hakim's shares and gives him a receipt. Toward the end of the meeting, Ibrahim asks the lawyer, "You have a power-of-attorney prepared, I suppose? Let me sign it. Keep it in your hands and remember that power of attorney gives this young man the right to everything I have with the three of you here in the United States. If for some reason something happens to me unexpectedly, or should I become incapacitated, this man will manage my affairs, as he is my heir."
All three listen carefully to what Ibrahim says and nod in agreement.
"Is there something we should know, sir?" William asks, taking Ibrahim aside while the others concentrate on doing the paperwork.
"I'm facing a health issue, William, and I want everything to be in order should something occur. I'm about to start chemotherapy, and since I don't know the side-effects of the medication or to what extent it'll affect my ability to manage my affairs, I present you with my heir, and you now know what to do. I rely on your professionalism to see that things go smoothly, when the time comes."
Hakim feels extremely hot all of a sudden as his mind fills with what he can do with all this money and the shares he's to start dealing with as early as tomorrow. He feels anxious about all this activity which has to do with his future and the responsibility of reigning over the empire of his uncle's wealth. The champagne makes him a bit more relaxed. Ibrahim has just transferred ten million dollars into his account and his shares are worth close to three million dollars. Suddenly he is a multi-millionaire. His mind goes back a few days ago to when he was just a poor computer engineer. Now, with a few strokes of the pen, and thanks to his Uncle Ibrahim, all that has changed. But with all the money comes a very heavy responsibility.
He starts feeling the weight of the anticipated expectations of his uncle, and a fear overtakes him: will he be capable of doing what is expected of him? Yet, he knows deep in his heart that he's destined to achieve big things. Hakim takes what's in front of him with courage and a positive attitude, and suddenly all the responsibility seems a lot easier. He'll make sure the water trickles down the proper ditch; why should he feel bad?
What is there to feel bad about, after all, when you are given a few million dollars to play with and you know that there is a lot more coming your way from the same source?
He smiles at the thought and moves closer to his uncle, who is talking to Bill Wanton.
"Congratulations, Hakim," the banker says to him.
"Bill, I'll be in touch."
"Don't forget to give your name to reception and always ask for me."
"Of course, of course."
Regis Hudson has been a broker for the past twenty-five years. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions. He has a small portfolio of selected clients with the big bucks — the big wheels, as he calls them — one of them Ibrahim, perhaps the largest account in Regis's portfolio. He turns the old man's portfolio around once every twelve to eighteen months; however, a portfolio of this size gives Regis the income of a few months at a time, and he is happy with that. Now he has to deal with the young man, and he sees the opportunity of further rewards as he expects Hakim to be more aggressive in the acquisition and disposal of securities. He moves closer to Hakim and takes him aside.
"Let me ask you, Hakim, is there anything on your mind you need to attend to anytime soon?"
"Yes, there is something I'd like to do; however, I'll be in touch with you from L.A. Give me a few days."
The meeting comes to an end at about 1:45 in the afternoon. The visitors leave and Ibrahim decides to rest for a while. Rassan makes arrangements for their flight back to L.A. They fly at 6:30 p.m. on an American Airlines flight that will get them to L.A. around 8:30 p.m. Hakim cannot relax with all the activity of the day, with all this money in his account he feels overwhelmed. The feeling is hard to describe. He knows his life will be different from now on, but in exactly what way he cannot see, as yet. But he himself is not any different, he knows that; his bank account has a lot more money, that's all. Yet, how is Jennifer going to look at him from now on?
Thursday morning Los Angeles opens her eyes, staring at the sun rising steadily on the eastern horizon, gifting the city with warmth and joy. Even the homeless smile this morning knowing it will be easier to locate food in the restaurant garbage bin or the neighborhood pub garbage; there's always something edible there. The smog overarches the city touching the taller buildings, sitting lazily on top of the high-rises. Rush hour is beginning and traffic increases with bottlenecks in main arteries. One can hear the morning sounds of the commercial, business center as people slowly reach to their destinations, stores open their doors and customers rush in.
Ibrahim Hazim Mahdi sips his morning coffee and reads the latest news. He's pleased with the way his day went yesterday; he felt pride with Hakim next to him all along. Sometimes, he remembers having asked Allah why he wasn't gifted with a son of his own, yet that was years ago. These days he takes what comes his way as a gift from the Almighty because he knows the days of each are counted first by Him and next by His people.
Ibrahim knows deep in his heart that Hakim is going to do just fine with the money that he's leaving for him. He also knows that Hakim will take good care of his Auntie Mara, as long as Allah choses to keep her in this world. Despite all these positive thoughts there still lingers an unexplained anxiety which has taken hold of his mind and makes his heart ache; yet he cannot find the reason for it. He wonders why he feels this now, after has taken care of everything.
The phone rings and he answers to a girl's voice.
"Good morning, I'm calling from the medical center. Mr. Mahdi, please."
"This is Ibrahim Mahdi."
"Sir, I need to arrange an appointment for you with the specialist who examined you. He has the results from your tests. What would be the best time for you later today?"
"Any time is fine, young lady."
"Alright then, is one in the afternoon okay?"
"Yes, that will be fine; I'll be there at one."
It's early evening in Baghdad, and Ibrahim decides to call Mara. He dials his number at home. The maid gets the phone and calls his wife.
"Hello," he says, "how are you? I haven't talked to you for two days."
He hears Mara weeping on the other end and asks, "Why are you crying, my beloved? I'll be home in a couple of days. Is everything alright?"
"Yes, everything is alright," she manages to say while sobbing. "Are you really on your way home soon?" She doubts him.
"Yes, my dear, everything I need to do here is done. We got back from New York last night; I'm on my way to the medical center to get the results this afternoon. Don't worry. I'll be there in a couple of days."
"Alright then. How is my son doing?"
"He's doing very well; he has a girlfriend who seems to be a nice girl. Everything is fine."
He says goodbye to her and puts the phone down. Yet a feeling of discomfort still lingers in his mind.
Perhaps I'm just apprehensive of the test results, he thinks, and that gives him some peace of mind.
Hakim has been up for one hour or so, as the events of yesterday have kept him awake just about all night. His mind jumps from one thought to another, and always, the question of what he can do with all this money at his disposal. He needs to buy an apartment; he may buy a new car; what else? He cannot think of anything else right now. Maybe he can help Talal with his bills, as well. When he thinks of his friend, he picks up the phone and calls him.
"Hey, Talal, how are you?"
Talal is surprised to hear him this early in the morning.
"Hey to you, too; what time did you get in?"
"Around 8:30 last night the flights were on time, both ways. My friend, you wouldn't believe what happened there. I'm still amazed at how things went. I'll tell you all about it when I see you; I'm not going to the office today, so we'll hook up later for a game of pool, okay?"
"Okay, you dirt bag, but what happened, tell me now."
"No, not now, when I see you later."
"Well, I have news for you also, remember?"
"Oh yes, I remember. I'll call you later."
He hasn't called Jennifer yet. He doesn't feel like calling. His mind travels to her father and he wonders how he can see him without saying anything. He wonders whether it would be a good idea to talk to Jennifer about it; Matt is her father, and he should let her know of her dad's activities. On the other hand, she may already know. Perhaps it would be better to leave her out of it completely.
He wants to know how things are in the office; however, it's still a bit early to call. He has a quick shower and makes toast. He likes the looks of the weather outside, so he decides to go for a walk. He's out of the apartment within ten minutes and heads to his favorite spot in the park. He spends about half an hour walking when Jennifer calls him.
"Hello, honey, you are up already and haven't called."
"Hi, sweetie, I didn't want to get you up this early; how are you?"
"I'm good. I miss you."
"Sweetie, I was only gone for two days. What are you going to do if I'm gone for a month or so?"
"Where do you have to go for a month?" she asks, and he feels her panic.
"I don't, I'm just asking. What are you going to do if I'm to go for a month someplace?"
"I don't know. If that happens, we'll see. When am I going to see you?"
"Later on this afternoon or evening. I'll call you as soon as I'm free."
"Alright. I love you."
He returns to the path and carries on with his walk. His mind goes to Ibrahim. Hakim cannot stop being amazed by his uncle's decision to trust him with all this money. Yet, he also knows his uncle's estate is worth a lot more than ten million dollars; he also knows he's the only heir besides his Auntie Mara. His brain spins at what a person can do with so much money. He also remembers that he has three cousins in Iraq from his uncle Osman in Tikrit, two women and a man. Hakim wonders whether Uncle Ibrahim has put anything aside for them.
His uncle is in Hakim's thoughts when the phone rings and it's Ibrahim to let him know he has to go to the medical center for the results of the biopsy at one in the afternoon. Hakim promises to go along with him and Ibrahim sounds happy.
Emily Roberts is browsing through the pages of Cosmopolitan magazine while drinking her morning coffee and listening to the television. Nothing but killings and all the horrid things people do all over the world. Sometimes, she doesn't even feel like putting the TV on, yet she does it automatically, like so many other things people do without thinking.
Jennifer has gone to work and Matthew will probably call around 9:30 his usual checking-in time. Emily knows she has to be careful from now on, ever since the day he called and she was out with Talal. She knows his mind goes to a million different things, and rightly so, she admits to herself; he's a man and Emily knows what men do when they think of their wives being unfaithful.
She grabs the phone and calls Talal.
"Hello there, sweet Talal."
"Hello to you, too, my sweet Emily; how are you this morning?" His voice is melodious to her ears, like honey on his tongue.
"I'm okay, and you?"
"I'm good, what's on your mind?"
"I'm alone, I'm thinking of things and I wonder if—'' She stops right there, giving him the chance to take the initiative.
"Oh, is that so?" he says with that laugh that makes her feel so good. "Perhaps some company from a certain man would be in good order." He plays with her.
"See you in twenty."
She's elated. He's on his way. She rushes to the shower. She's so happy and finds herself to be so aroused as well. She finishes her shower, puts on a robe and fixes her hair. She's ready. She looks at the clock; Matthew shouldn't phone for at least another three quarters of an hour, enough time to enjoy Talal's touch, his firmness. As if listening to her thoughts, he rings the doorbell. She rushes to the door.
"Good morning, my sweet Emily."
"Good morning to you, too, my sweet Talal," she says, as he comes in and she falls into his arms. He smiles and her whole world is smiling at her, her whole world changes into a fairytale, and his voice sounds like a fresh spring song. Her lips search for his with passion.
They walk slowly upstairs, kissing along the way, and at the same time he removes his clothes. They lie down and make passionate love.
She is in seventh heaven for a long time. He is there next to her, relaxing after all the pleasures of their lovemaking. When Emily touches his body, she knows heaven can not be much better than that.
He turns to her and asks, "When is your husband coming home?"
"Why are you asking me that?"
He doesn't go any further with that, but asks instead, "What do you like to do, Emily? What hobbies do you have?"
She finds his interest strange. He has never asked her that before.
"I don't have any, really."
"Why not, what do you do for Emily, my sweet Emily?" he insists.
What do I do for myself? She asks herself out loud.
"Yeah, besides being a wife and a mother, what else do you like to do? Some people like to go for walks, others like to play pool, what do you like to do that you enjoy?"
"I know what you are asking me, my sweet Talal. Come to think of it, I don't remember ever giving much thought to that before. What do I like to do? Well, I like to take pictures. I always liked the idea of someday starting to take underwater pictures. I'm a good swimmer."
"Underwater photography. Now, that's something I would love to do myself," he says.
"Yeah," he says. Then, as if thinking to himself, he carries on. "There is so much beauty to take pictures of back home, in the gulf."
She gets excited about the idea and says to him with a smile on her face, "Perhaps one day we may get the chance to do that."
He looks deep into her loving eyes and says quite seriously,
"Yes, perhaps some day, my sweet Emily, some day soon, I hope."
He gets up, dresses, and goes downstairs. She's in her robe when she kisses him at the door and says, "I hope to see you soon. I love you." She's afraid of her own voice as she utters these last words.
He stares at her like he did earlier upstairs and says, "Yes, sweet Emily, soon. I love you, too."
He leaves. She's higher than heaven. She's a woman in love, again, in love with a younger man, and this recognition makes her feel like a seventeen-year- old girl, finding the beats of her heart, singing a melodious tune, the same as his voice when he talks to her.
From Manolis's new novel 'The Circle' (Libros Libertad 2011)


text:
« The Vermont model
Captive.com covers the Delaware Department of Insurance »
How to fix Delaware's captive insurance bureau
April 27, 2010 by leewilliamscri
Delaware's unprofitable captive insurance bureau will continue to flounder, unlikely to see any new revenue dollars, unless there are substantive reforms, national experts say.
By Lee Williams and Danny Russell
Reputation is everything within the highly-competitive captive insurance industry.
Firms looking to create a captive insurance company, which is a cost-saving form of self-insurance, are courted by an ever-growing list of potential domiciles – states and countries eagerly seeking their business.
The domiciles want access to the taxes and fees the captives will contribute to their state budgets once they're operational. Some states with active captive programs can see millions of dollars transferred into their general funds.
The up-front money for a potential captive, which can consist of salary for a captive manager, audits, financial and pre-qualification reports, can sometimes exceed $100,000.
If there's even a hint of impropriety at a potential domicile, the captive will run away and locate elsewhere. There are nearly a hundred diverse domiciles worldwide who will gladly take their business. It's a buyer's market.
When considering a potential domicile, national captive insurance experts say their industry's wants and needs are simple: efficiency, expertise, and most important – stability.
If Delaware's captive insurance bureau wants to compete globally, and actually generate revenue for the state instead of losing $100,000 as it did last year, these three specific areas must be addressed and improved.
The bureaus tarnished image must also be cleansed.
"A domicile's reputation is certainly a significant element of the decision on where to domicile," said Dennis P. Harwick, president of the Captive Insurance Companies Association (CICA), which is the only domicile-neutral association of captive insurers.
Restore reputation
Christina A. Mancini is a partner and CEO of Captive.com, a Web site that has become required daily reading for the world's captive insurance industry.
The partnership launched the site in 1995. It is sponsored by some the largest service providers in the industry. Today Captive.com generates more than a half-million "hits" per month from some 40,000 unique visitors. She tracks media reports pertaining to her industry, and sends out regular notifications of newsworthy developments.
Few people are better positioned to track trends within the industry, and fewer still know what the captives are looking for when considering a new domicile.
"Each customer has their own criteria, but by far and large, what they're looking for is stability, and the expertise that exists within the regulatory staff of a domicile," Mancini said. "Other issues are the premium tax structure, flexibility in dealing with regulators and capitalization requirements."
Mancini's Web site published links to many of the stories written by the Caesar Rodney Institute, as part of CRI's ongoing series "Delaware Dept. of Insurance: Not in the public interest."
The series revealed Delaware Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart's proclivity for awarding lucrative no-bid contracts to friends, campaign donors and out-of-state consulting firms – possible violations of Delaware's procurement and contracting regulations.
CRI revealed how Stewart awarded a $16,000-per-month contract to Steve Kinion, who is currently the director of the captive bureau, although he has had several titles within the insurance department, even though Kinion lives in Springfield, Illinois, where he maintains a thriving law firm.
These issues, Mancini believes, may or may not impact the bureau's ability to obtain new captives.
"I don't know how this will play out, but it could have an impact on captives coming into the domicile," she said. "They're in an awkward position."
The insurance commissioner was given the opportunity to defend and clarify some of the issues raised about her stewardship of the insurance department when she testified before the House and Senate insurance committees two weeks ago.
Rep. Michael Ramone, R-Middle Run Valley, said the commissioner's testimony raised more questions than it answered.
"Quite frankly, I wasn't comfortable at the end of the process with the answers we got, particularly with the hiring processes and business decisions involving taxpayers' money," Ramone said. "She brought in her war-chest of speakers and said now we needed to trust them?"
Stewart refused to be interviewed for this and every other story CRI has published.
Her refusal to comment, Mancini said, is troubling.
"I guess one would have to wonder why," she said. "I have been bullish about Delaware for several years, and I think I speak for the industry in wishing them success. Openness and transparency are needed to put this situation to rest.
Restore stability
Since Stewart was elected in 2008, the Delaware Department of Insurance has seen a revolving door of deputy commissioners and captive directors – a far cry from the stability Mancini and others say is so necessary if the state hopes to compete globally and build relationships within the industry.
Several people have been appointed second in command, according to Stewart's e-mail correspondence obtained by CRI through a Freedom of information Act (FOIA) request:
"Mr. Steve Kinion, who carries the title of Sr. Advisor to the Commissioner and is, for all practical purposes, the de facto Deputy Commissioner…" according to an e-mail sent April 29, 2009 by Stewart's chief of staff Elliott Jacobson.
"I am appointing Edmond M. Ianni as Deputy Insurance Commissioner…" Stewart wrote in an e-mail May 5, 2009 to Office of Management and Budget director Ann Visalli.
"That salary is higher than any cabinet secretary in the state – we will have to discuss tomorrow," Visalli wrote hours later in her reply.
"Under the direction of my Deputy Commissioner Gene Reed, a task force within the department has been meeting to discuss these issues identified by physicians," Stewart wrote in a press release sent last month, defending her department's actions in response to an editorial that accused her of not responding to pre-authorization denials.
Changing senior staff and their duties is in direct opposition to the stable working relationship sought by potential captives, which has become standard practice at other domiciles such as Vermont, the largest captive domicile in the United States.
"Vermont has had very little change. People do like that," Mancini said. "They [captives] know the former and current director. People know the regulatory staff, not only the regulator himself but those who work for him. Now, if insurance commissioner change frequently, and with each change the new commissioner brings in new regulatory staff rather than keeping existing staff, predictability and expertise and relationships will suffer."
Delaware had one of the industry's best-known and most-respected captive experts on staff when Stewart was elected, Bill White, whose 25 years of traditional and captive insurance experience dwarfs that of any of Stewart's expensive appointments.
White was picked by Stewart's predecessor Lt. Gov. Matt Denn to launch Delaware's captive bureau, after he successfully created and launched Washington D.C.'s captive program.
"Bill has enormous expertise," Mancini said. "He did a tremendous job building the regulatory framework in D.C., and then he moved to Delaware and did a remarkable job there too. He is exceptionally bright, a tremendous guy, and a real asset to any domicile where he gets involved."
Rather than retaining White and his world-class contacts within the captive industry, three months after taking office, Stewart forced him out the door.
Inconsistent testimony
During her testimony before the House and Senate insurance committees, Stewart blamed White's "sudden" departure from the captive bureau as the reason she awarded no-bid contracts to Kinion, Ianni and her personal friend Mary Jo Lopez.
White left her in the lurch, she told lawmakers.
"I was annoyed when I heard that," White told the Caesar Rodney Institute. "That was not the case."
Instead, White vividly recalls a conversation he had with the commissioner in February 2009, on the drive home from Dover, after he and Stewart met with the Joint Finance Committee.
White had already envisioned several goals for the captive bureau. He was looking forward to discussing his ideas with the commissioner and seeing them implemented.
"I asked for her strategic directives, what she wanted for the captive bureau over the next three years. I wanted to establish a presence in the market and establish credibility in the market," White said. "Different types of captive and known service providers were coming here. I wanted to get to the point where the revenue generated by the premium taxes would break even – our take-off point. We needed clear strategic objectives to align properly. We had those things under Matt Denn."
White never got any answers.
Instead, he was told to make room for Kinion, Ianni and Lopez.
"She said, 'Bill you need to come up with a plan that includes these people,'" White recalled.
Stewart was somewhat vague about the roles the three contractors would play within the bureau.
None had any captive experience, although Kinion was a respected regulator on the traditional insurance side.
Stewart said Lopez would become the bureau's Director of Business Development.
"I made the mistake of asking what we were selling," White said. "She got ticked-off about that."
"Ultimately, I decided not to worry about how these people fit in," he said. "I outlined a plan based on what worked and generated 38 captives."
Stewart, through her appointees, made it clear she wanted her people in the bureau, not anyone appointed by Denn. White resigned two months later.
White is not bitter, and his skills are very much in demand – even more so than when he worked within Delaware's bureau. He politely declined to discuss recent industry buzz about where he is going to establish a captive program next.
Restore expertise, cooperation
White's suggestions for fixing Delaware's captive bureau would still work today. They're simple, cost-effective and could be implemented overnight.
"Captives want to know your regulatory approach. The statutes are not really that different, one domicile to another," White explained. "What they are looking for is flexibility – a regulator they can have a discussion with and support in terms of structuring a captive, or feedback on structuring a proposal."
White describes this vision, which has worked extremely well wherever he's worked, as a "consultative regulatory approach."
"They're looking for a regulatory environment that will assist them in successfully licensing their captive," White said. "It doesn't matter whether the domicile is large or small."
Stewart and her team have been spending vast sums of money traveling the county on "road shows" to market what they call the "Delaware Advantage."
"They need to articulate a strategic vision, goals and objectives and determine what resources they need to support that," he explained. "That's the message that will eventually get out to the marketplace."
Licensing captives, he said, is a "sophisticated business transaction. You do not sell it like retail. You attract business."
White has heard from colleagues within the captive industry they have trouble getting someone from within Delaware's captive bureau to even return phone calls.
"Their concern is they can't get someone to respond on a timely basis to basic questions – every day maintenance stuff," he said. "I have no idea what's happening on the application basis."
Appoint the commissioner
The Delaware Department of Insurance ranks 47th in the country in terms of efficiency, according to data supplied by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners that was analyzed by CRI.
CLICK FOR FULL SIZE IMAGE
Delaware is one of only 11 states that elect their insurance commissioners. The rest appoint industry experts to the role. Appointed insurance commissioners have consistently higher efficiency ratings than elected commissioners.
The higher the efficiency rating, the more "bang for the buck" the states receive in terms of revenue from their insurance departments.
Of the states with elected insurance commissioners, Delaware ranks last in terms of efficiency, budgeting more dollars per employee than the other states.
Shaun Fink is executive vice-president of the Caesar Rodney Institute.
"It's time for Delaware to reexamine the process it uses to select insurance commissioners," Fink said. "The Delaware Department of Insurance should function like an ATM for the state, in terms of the revenue it generates that is transferred into the General Fund. Given the issues the Caesar Rodney Institute has raised about our current commissioner and her stewardship of the office, it may be time to consider whether the state would be better off with an appointed commissioner – an industry professional – rather than an elected official from the dominant political party."
CRI research fellow Sara Clark contributed to this report. Contact CRI research fellow Danny Russell at dannyrussell53@gmail.com. Contact investigative reporter Lee Williams at (302) 242-9272 or lee@caesarrodney.org
The Caesar Rodney Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan research and educational organization and is committed to being a catalyst for improved performance, accountability, and efficiency in Delaware government.
© Copyright April 27, 2010 by the Caesar Rodney Institute
Posted in State Spending, Transparency | 9 Comments
on April 27, 2010 at 2:46 pm | Reply Enough
Each article about this joke of an insurance commissioner and the ever more appalling information you discover is better than the last. This one can be summarized in one sentence: To fix Delaware's captive insurance bureau and indeed the entire Department of Insurance, get rid of the corrupt and incompetent commissioner, Karen Weldin Stewart, and her equally corrupt, overpaid, and underqualified cronies ASAP.
on April 27, 2010 at 3:10 pm | Reply Underwriter
So Stewart refused to be interviewed for any of the articles in this ongoing series. That may be "troubling," as Ms. Mancini of Captive.com put it, but it's not surprising.
Stewart is known for refusing interviews unless the interviewer presubmits all questions because she's too uneducated and inexperienced to answer them herself. Elliott Jacobson vets the questions first and then writes out the answers for her to memorize, the same as he does all speeches she gives to industry groups and law firms all over the country. Not to consumers, though. She has no interest in them at all because they don't fatten her bank account.
on April 27, 2010 at 3:19 pm | Reply LiberalGeek
Do you believe that there is only a single deputy at a time, or can there be many duputies for a single "Sheriff"? It seems to me that deputy is not a singular position, and often there are several deputies for any executive position.
Is it valid to quote your own executive VP to deliver an opinion on this? How would it fly if the New York Times quoted one of their executives to support a story on government malfeasance.
How close should Steve Kinion live to successfully perform in his job? Mr. White lived in Princeton, NJ when he held the same position. Would Pittsburgh, Washington DC or Norfolk be acceptable locales to live in to be acceptable?
My favorite quote in this story has to be this one, though.
That cracks me up.
I think that my bottom line here is not what personnel and/or spending decisions the IC is making, but rather the flawed process that she is using to make those decisions. That issue is compounded by the "we can do whatever we want to do" attitude that is displayed by her closest advisers. I suspect that she has spent too much time with Senator McDowell.
on April 27, 2010 at 3:56 pm | Reply leewilliamscri
The IC has only ever had one deputy.
I've quoted senior editors in newspaper stories before, both in Delaware and elsewhere. They, like Shaun, speak for the organization. I do not.
Mr. White took the train to work in Delaware every day.
As to Ms. Mancini's comments, she has to tread carefully, given her position.
I agree with your conclusions.
Lee – Deputy implies "assistant" to me. Perhaps there is something to this, but it seems flimsy to me.
Is Shaun Fink your co-worker or boss? It is an opinion quote from the guy that probably has a desk right next to yours. It hardly seems appropriate while trying to maintain that CRI is non-partisan.
Whether or not Mr . White took the train to work, doesn't answer my question, nor have any bearing. My boss works 2000 miles from me and I have never met him other than across a phone line. Does that necessarily imply that I (or my boss) is unable to do the work required to complete our jobs? Again, this line of reasoning weakens your valid arguments.
Ms. Mancini's comment that I used is not just treading carefully, you used it in a way that has no meaning. Are they paying you by the word? 🙂 And why does she have to tread lightly? Is the state of Delaware a client of hers, a competitor of a client, an advertiser on her website, or is she afraid of litigation?
Liberal Geek – your bias is showing. You're wasting your time if you're hoping to diminish CRI's credibility. Stop your baseless attacks and look at the facts. Lee uncovered and reported more solid evidence of incompetence and corruption in the DOI than your silly Delaware Liberal blog ever could or would have the guts to publish if it did.
I am not the one that is trying to hide my bias. As proof, I give you my nickname.
But DL has been tracking on this issue since before CRI had a blog. The fact that we refuse to print your baseless attacks (I am looking at you, Enough) should give me more credibility than most.
I give Lee props for some of the research that he has done, DL has neither the time or expertise to pull together the information that he has. Lee has also been good about not taking your bait on many lies (like that KWS is illiterate, for example).
My interest here is that the prosecution of this issue be done openly and without your bull. The argument is diminished when half-truths are presented as proof of impropriety. So far, we have only seen smoke. There hasn't been any fire, despite a small group of people running around screaming that the place is on fire. I hope Lee keeps digging and gets some satisfaction on this, but if we want anyone to take it seriously, it must be truthful.
on April 27, 2010 at 10:04 pm | Reply Enough
LG: I'm not sure I understand your comment about any "baseless attacks" that you're imputing to me. Nothing I've written in comments on this blog is not factual. It's the only one I ever commented on although I've followed yours and others. Your conjecturing is a little far afield.
What's been happening in the DOI so far is self-explanatory and no one can whitewash or trivialize it, not even you. We're now far past the point of giving Karen Weldin Stewart the benefit of the doubt.
on April 28, 2010 at 11:01 am | Reply Enough
Another thing, LG:
Your claim that Stewart being illiterate is a lie is wrong. She is certainly borderline. People who've seen her writing have confirmed it and so do her emails Lee obtained from the DOI.
She didn't write the recent article that appeared in the WNJ under her name. The author was Elliott Jacobson who is an excellent writer and does all the writing for her. Her communications are usually limited to one or two sentences full of spelling and grammatical errors. Not finishing high school will do that.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home Other Design
MIT Creates Beautiful LED Origami Robot Garden
in Design, News, Technology
In an attempt to make programming more attractive, MIT has developed a stunning "robot garden", dozens of fast-changing LED lights and more than 100 origami robots that can crawl, swim, and blossom like flowers. I'll tell you, if this doesn't make kids want to code… nothing will!
The "garden" was created by a team from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. It features robotic sheep, origami flowers that can open and change colors and, of course, robotic ducks – you can't have a robot garden without robotic ducks. The ducks actually change their shape by being heated in an oven.
The software for the robots is operated from a tablet and is described in a paper accepted to the 2015 International Conference on Robotics and Automation. The project is not only meant to highlight the attractive results you can get through robot programming, but also exemplify their work in distributed computing – a software system in which components located on networked computers communicate and coordinate their actions by passing messages.
"The garden tests distributed algorithms for over 100 distinct robots, which gives us a very large-scale platform for experimentation," says CSAIL Director Daniela Rus, the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a co-author of the paper. "At the same time, we hope that it also helps introduce students to topics like graph theory and networking in a way that's both beautiful and engaging."
The software can actually run on any Bluetooth device through a simple "control by click" feature that involves clicking on individual flowers, as well as a more advanced "control by code" feature where users can add their own commands.
"Students can see their commands running in a physical environment, which tangibly links their coding efforts to the real world," says Lindsay Sanneman, who is lead author on the new paper. "It's meant to be a launchpad for schools to demonstrate basic concepts about algorithms and programming."
According to the team, the entire design came together quite easily – they started with eight distinct varieties of origami flowers, including lilies, tulips, and birds of paradise. The flowers are embedded with printable motors which allow them to "blossom". The sheep robots were created via traditional print-and-fold origami techniques, while the magnet-powered ducks started as two-dimensional paper prints that were heated in an oven, causing them to automatically fold into shape.
"Many elements of the garden can be made very quickly, including the pouch motors and the LED flowers," DelPreto says. "We're hoping that rapid fabrication techniques will continue to improve to the point that something like this could be easily built in a standard classroom."
Personally, I agree with the team: tools like this one will raise a lot of attention to programmed systems; it's an efficient an beautiful way of exhibiting the research.
"Computer science has so many real-world applications that a lot of kids don't see because they aren't exposed to them from an earlier age," Sanneman says. "That's why we think there's a lot of potential for tools like this."
Images and story source: MIT.


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24 Jun 079: Simpsons
Posted at 01:44h in 100 Hoopties, TV by Jennifer Beatty
Since its debut in 1989, The Simpsons has gone on to become the longest-running sitcom in television history. The show's direct influence on pop culture can be felt throughout the world and proved that animation could be for adults and still be commercially lucrative. Its impact has been so tangible that some of the show's catchphrases and one-liners have crossed cultural borders and been adopted into the English language. Originally created as a reoccurring skit on the Tracy Ullman show, creator Matt Groening formulated his version of a dysfunctional middle-American family based on his own family members. The success of the Simpsons directly led to the creation of Family Guy, American Dad, Futurama and paved the way for countless other animated series that continues to influence American culture.
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078: Aerosmith
080: Public Bikes


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Mark Hamill: Filming 'Star Wars: Episode VIII' Is Like 'Working For The CIA'
Dustin Wicksell
The production of the new Star Wars trilogy is infamous for its tight-lipped secrecy, but actor Mark Hamill has recently shed new light on the extent to which Disney and Lucasfilm strive to mitigate leaks, comparing the experience to working for the United States' intelligence services.
Hamill made the comments during an interview with Polygon, ostensibly to promote his new YouTube series, Mark Hamill's Pop Culture Quest. No matter the focus of any interview Hamill gives, the actor can hardly escape his most famous role. Fans are understandably most interested in his return as Luke Skywalker in Episode VIII, which was preceded by only a moment of screen time in The Force Awakens.
Hamill obviously can't say anything specific about the production, yet he did reveal the seemingly extreme lengths to which Disney and Lucasfilm have gone to avoid leaks.
"Man, I can't say anything about anything. It's like working for the CIA. You get your pages in the morning, and they take them from you as you walk so they can shred them before it somehow leaks. You have security lines you have to walk through, both to and from set. And, not to mention, you have to wear these big monk hoods to protect your costume from drones."
Star Wars 8 is so secret, Mark Hamill says it's like working for the CIA https://t.co/4EggiF7DFo pic.twitter.com/5SOn503D5B
— Total Film (@totalfilm) November 18, 2016
Disney is no doubt justified in implementing such tight security around the Star Wars: Episode VIII set, as intrepid fans are always on the hunt for the smallest scrap of information regarding the franchise. Drones have been used in attempts to photograph the sets of both The Force Awakens and Episode VIII, as GamesRadar notes, with varying degrees of success. Before the release of The Force Awakens, a plot summary that was 99 percentage accurate made its way online, though fans had no way of verifying it before the movie's release. Earlier this year, a similar plot summary for Episode VIII surfaced online, as the Inquisitr previously reported; its veracity is still questionable.
How Mark Hamill's pop culture quest is letting the Star Wars icon delve into a personal passion. https://t.co/J7lNMT9bmc pic.twitter.com/rI0E300ukh
— IGN (@IGN) November 16, 2016
Hamill also noted in the interview that he was surprised by the strength of fans' reaction to his appearance at the end of The Force Awakens, the brevity of which was mostly kept a secret. Though he was able to speak to some degree about his role in that film, the actor noted that during the production of Episode VIII, in which he is expected to have a much larger part to play, Disney and Lucasfilm are so strict that he can hardly mention any aspect of the film.
MARK HAMILL shares his opinion of JARED LETO's JOKER in #SuicideSquad! https://t.co/KWyyDi1C6n pic.twitter.com/pSLMll4CbY
— ComicBook NOW! (@ComicBookNOW) November 16, 2016
The actor also took a few moments during the interview to reflect on the role that he is possibly best known for outside of his iconic turn as Luke Skywalker; voicing the Joker in more than a dozen different animated iterations, most notably Batman: The Animated Series. Commenting on Jared Leto's most recent take on the character, Hamill said that he loved the portrayal, musing that every actor who approaches the role brings a different interpretation to it, largely dependent on the needs of each particular script.
"I don't think there's a definitive version of the Joker and I don't think there can be. It's like Hamlet, really. It'll be constantly redefined."
WATCH / Travel down geek lane with (con alum) Mark Hamill's 'Pop Culture Quest' web series: https://t.co/4cSXAvIt14 pic.twitter.com/MS52BTwpjP
— Salt Lake Comic Con (@slcomiccon) November 10, 2016
Whatever the scope of Hamill's appearance in Episode VIII, fans have more than a year to wait before witnessing it themselves. Though Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters in just under a month, Star Wars: Episode VIII is set to debut on December 15, 2017.
[Featured Image by Chris Jackson/Getty Images]


Online master's degree programs in engineering at Lawrence Technological University have been ranked 17th in the country in the 2014 U.S. News and World Report survey of the best online college programs for veterans.
In addition, LTU's online engineering programs were rated best in the nation (with the only perfect score) for faculty credentials and training.
LTU's College of Engineering offers online master's degrees in engineering management and industrial engineering.
Last November LTU ranked 18th in the 12-state Midwest region – and first in Michigan – in the inaugural ranking of the best colleges for veterans compiled by U.S. News and World Report. LTU was one of 234 colleges nationwide that scored well for graduation rate, faculty resources, reputation and other markers of academic quality measured in the 2014 edition of U.S. News Best Colleges.
All of the ranked Best Online Programs for Veterans are in some way tied to organizations working to improve the higher education experience for veterans. Lawrence Tech is among the universities that are certified for the GI Bill and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, two federal initiatives that help veterans reduce the cost of higher education.
LTU is also on the 2014 Military Friendly Schools list compiled by Victory Media, the publisher of G.I. Jobs magazine.


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Walk The Moon "Tightrope" – The Song of the Week for 1/7/2013
Released October 5, 2012 via RCA Records, "Tightrope" is the official 2nd single from the debut and self-titled album by Walk the Moon
Genre: Indie Rock
Welcome to the first Song of the Week of 2013! Just as a refresher, every song chosen as Song of the Week is new (usually released within the last few months), perhaps brand new, catchy, infectious, has great lyrics, and an outstanding video.
The new single "Tightrope" from Walk the Moon fits the bill perfectly. We shall see if the song measures up the success of the first single "Anna Sun". The band is currently on tour and has been supporting the likes of Weezer, Panic! At The Disco, and Grouplove.
What are your thoughts on "Tightrope" as the 2nd single and your thoughts on the debut album overall? Sound off in the comments section below!
"In my head, I'm rolling over
I'm changing, I've been the change on the swings
On the set on the night that we met
And now the beads of water, move up the glass
You speak your mind, and you can not take it back"
Walk the Moon Official Site
Walk the Moon Youtube Channel
Follow Walk the Moon on Facebook
Follow Walk the Moon on Twitter
Walk the Moon Myspace Page
Walk the Moon Wikipedia Page
Walk the Moon ArtistDirect Artist Page
Walk the Moon NME.com Artist Page
"Tightrope" on Last.fm
"Tightrope" on Spotify
Full Lyrics for "Tightrope"
Buy "Tightrope" on Amazon
Buy Walk the Moon on Amazon
Tags: 2nd Single, Indie Rock, New Music 2013, RCA Records, Song of the Week, Walk the Moon, Walk the Moon Self-Titled


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Ces, 60 nitrogen sources, and 15 sulfur sources applied as nutrients (Table S
Версія від 00:03, 28 лютого 2018, створена Taxi5singer (обговорення • внесок)
In total 425 pathways for metabolism of distinct imply SD) did not bud nor sporulate (S compounds have been delineated. Distribution of enzyme activities of P. putida DOT-T1E classified in accordance with the EC nomenclature. (A) EC X; (B) EC XX; and (C) EC XXX. Colour code for classes and subclasses by numbers are indicated. For complete particulars in the EC classification the reader is referred to http:// www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iubmb/enzyme/.glycolytic pathway, in agreement using the genome evaluation of other folks Pseudomonads (del Castillo et al., 2007). A big variety of sugars were discovered to not be metabolized by T1E such as xylulose, xylose, ribulose, lyxose, mannose, sorbose, D-mannose, alginate, rhamnose, rhamnofuranose, galactose, lactose, epimelibiose, raffinose, sucrose, stachyose, manninotriose, melibiose, tagatose, starch and cello-oligosaccharides, to cite some, in agreement with the lack of genes for the metabolism of those chemical compounds after the genome evaluation of this strain. The outcomes also confirmed the ability of P. putida to work with as a C supply organic acids (which include acetic, citric, glutaric, quinic, lactic and succinic among other people), specific L-amino acids (Ala, Arg, Asn, Glu, His, Ile, Lys, Pro, Tyr and Val),and various amino organic compounds. (See Figs S1 4 for examples of catabolic pathways for sugars, amino acids, organic acids and aromatic compounds catabolism.) Strain T1E harbours genes for any limited variety of central pathways for metabolism of aromatic compounds and many peripheral pathways for funnelling of aromatic compounds to these central pathways. As in other Pseudomonads certainly one of the strategies exploited by this microbe for the degradation of diverse aromatic compounds should be to modify their diverse structures to prevalent dihydroxylated intermediates (Dagley, 1971); another approach would be to Sease actually implies dis-ease, a malfunctioning create acyl-CoA derivatives such as phenylacetyl-CoA (Fern dez et al., 2006). Regarding?2013 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology, Microbial Biotechnology, 6, 598?Solvent tolerance methods peripheral pathways the P. putida DOT-T1E genome evaluation has revealed determinants for putative enzymes capable to transform a variety of aromatic compounds. The DOT-T1E strain is able to make use of aromatic hydrocarbons for instance toluene, ethylbenzene, benzene and propylbenzene to cite some (Mosqueda et al., 1999). The strain also makes use of aromatic alcohols like conyferyl- and coumaryl-alcohols and their aldehydes; a range of aromatic acids which include ferulate, vanillate, p-coumarate, p-hydroxybenzoate, p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate, phenylpyruvate, salicylate, gallate and benzoate (see Fig. S4). These chemicals are channelled to central catabolic pathways. Upon oxidation of these chemical substances they're metabolized by way of among the 3 central pathways for dihydroxylated aromatic compounds present within this strain. The b-ketoadipate pathway is usually a convergent pathway for aromatic compound degradation extensively distributed in soil bac.Ces, 60 nitrogen sources, and 15 sulfur sources utilized as nutrients (Table S2). In total 425 pathways for metabolism of diverse compounds were delineated. This analysis confirms the limited ability of P. putida to make use of sugars as a C source, that is restricted to glucose, gluconate and fructose. DOT-T1E has a full Entner oudoroff route for utilization of glucose along with other hexoses, but lacks the 6-phosphofructokinase in the?2013 The Authors.
Отримано з http://istoriya.soippo.edu.ua/index.php?title=Ces,_60_nitrogen_sources,_and_15_sulfur_sources_applied_as_nutrients_(Table_S&oldid=294661


This Soft Parka Jacket is a parka crafted from light woven fabric with drawstring, set-in sleeves and patch pockets on the front. Cut in boxy fit, this piece has a drawstring gathered at the waist on and bottom. This piece also has covered zip fastening and black snap button.


Argos Legal Group has added this section as a means for veterans to obtain information relevant to their individual cases. Argos Legal Group encourages veterans to ask questions about the law, record development, or strategies of the case. As examples, below we have listed some frequently asked questions.
CAN ARGOS LEGAL GROUP ASSIST VETERANS IF WE ARE NOT LOCATED NEAR THEM OR NEAR THEIR LOCAL VA REGIONAL OFFICE?
Yes. In dealing with the VA, all evidence and arguments are submitted in written form. Once we accept a case, the Regional Office sends us an entire copy of the claims file, so we are able to make a case in support of benefits by using the claims file and VA case law.
IN A CLAIM FOR SERVICE-CONNECTED AGGRAVATION OF A PRE-EXISTING DISABILITY, MUST THE VETERAN SHOW AN INCREASE IN DISABILITY DURING SERVICE TO TRIGGER THE PRESUMPTION OF AGGRAVATION?
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CLAIM FOR TOTAL DISABILITY BASED UPON INDIVIDUAL UNEMPLOYABILITY (TDIU) AND A CLAIM FOR AN EXTRA-SCHEDULER DISABILITY RATING?
A veteran can be rated 100% disabled under both a TDIU or extra-schedular theory. See Bowling v. Principi, 15 Vet.App. 1, 5-9 (2001).
HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF A DISABILITY AWARD?
You look at two factors. First, you must consider the date the last claim was received by the regional office, and second, the date the disability in question first manifested or became symptomatic. The later of the two dates should be the effective date of the service-connected disability award. See 38 U.S.C. § 5110(a); McGrath v. Gober, 14 Vet.App. 28 (2000).
Yes. A veteran can receive both VA service-connected disability benefits and Social Security benefits. However, it is important to note that receipt of one does not guarantee receipt of the other. A veteran generally cannot receive both a VA pension and Social Security at the same time.
A veteran generally can still work when receiving VA disability. However, typically in order to receive individual unemployability or a 100 percent scheduler rating for certain disabilities, a veteran cannot work full time or make over a certain amount of money per year (generally anything above the poverty line). This depends on each individual case and if you have questions about a claim for unemployability, or if you are not able to work due to a disability incurred in service.
If a condition that you are service-connected for through VA has worsened, you can file an increased rating claim using the basic claims form or by submitting a letter to your regional office indicating that your condition has worsened, and you would like it reevaluated. It might be helpful to submit treatment records to VA proving a worsening of your condition.
ARE A VETERAN'S DISABILITY PAYMENTS CONTINUED FOR A SURVIVING SPOUSE AFTER DEATH?
A veteran's service connected disability is not automatically continued for his/her surviving spouse. But a surviving spouse may be eligible for a death pension depending on income or Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits.
WHAT BENEFITS ARE AVAILABLE FOR SURVIVORS OF DECEASED VETERANS?
VA offers certain benefits for survivors and dependents of deceased veterans. A veteran's spouse may qualify for Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits if: 1) the cause of the veteran's death was due to service, 2) a veteran's death resulted from a non service-related injury or disease and the veteran was receiving, or was entitled to receive, VA Compensation for service-connected disability that was rated as totally disabling for at least 10 years immediately before death, 3) the veteran was receiving the total disability for at least five years following his or her release from active duty immediately preceding death, or, 4) the veteran was a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999, and was receiving benefits for at least one year prior to death.
ARE VA SERVICE-CONNECTED BENEFITS TAXABLE?
No. VA service-connected benefits are not taxable and are not considered a part of a veteran's yearly earned income.


Cubet Techno Labs is a 150+ member Digital Engineering company with offices in India and London, helping to deliver your digital dreams to perfection. Formed in 2007, Cubet has been focused on SMAC (Social/Mobile/Analytics/Cloud) development and consulting to help enterprises and online businesses go from idea to execution.
Our extensive Laravel development services are perfect for highly agile business methodologies. Our certified Laravel developers create brilliant extensions and accurately map web applications to ensure faster, optimal performance of your solutions. With a clear focus on creating optimized database integrations that reduce lag and increase performance, our Laravel development services provide speed, agility and performance.
We have over 30+ portfolio of enterprise mobile/web application projects built on the Laravel framework and we would be happy to talk with you about the enormous possibilities of using it for your next idea - however big or small. Some of our clients include enterprises like The British Medical Journal as well innovative Tech Start-ups like Active Inspiration from the UK, US, EU & Australia.


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Hands-On with the Hautlence Vortex "Concept d'Exception", Containing as Many Parts as a Grand Complication (with Original Photos & Price)
Hautlence,
Featuring jumping hours on a chain linked to a rotating escapement, the Vortex puts the most complicated Hautlence movement inside a newly designed titanium case with sapphire crystals all round.
Established to develop new methods of showing the time, Hautlence first launched its flagship movement in the HL2.0 in 2010 (above left). The Vortex is an improvement on that, with a large, angular case that contains the tweaked movement that retains its signature features – a retrograde minutes, jumping hours and a escapement that rotates every hour. Made up of 552 parts – equivalent to the number of parts in grand complication with minute repeater, perpetual calendar and tourbillon – the HLR2.0 movement is a complex beast that looks the part. The minutes are indicated on a semicircle across the dial, with the power reserve indication running from one to three o'clock. A grey tinted sapphire dial covers most of the front of the movement, but the display back reveals all of it.
Once the minute hand hits the "60" mark, it jumps back to "00". Simultaneously, the hour numeral in the window at nine o'clock jumps. It doesn't quite jump instantaneously as in traditional jump hour, but moves deliberately and purposefully, with a little bounce at the end. The reason for that is each hour numeral is one link in a chain with that's visible on the rear of the watch, while the gears that drive it are visible on the left side of the case. The chain in turn is linked to the escapement, visible at six o'clock, that rotates like a spit.
Bevel gears translate the lateral motion of the gear train into the vertical motion of the escapement. It turns 60 degrees each time the hour changes, making four complete revolutions every 24 hours.
The skeletonised balance wheel and hairspring are made by Mimotec via LIGA photolithography
The movement is finished with a dark grey ruthenium coating, with gilded gears exposed through some shrewd open working providing contrast. Unusually for such a movement with a time display that requires significant amounts of power to move, it is self-winding, with a 40-hour power reserve. That's possible because it has two mainsprings, one dedicated to keeping the time and the other solely to power the movement of the time display.
At 52mm wide and 50mm in length, the Vortex is extremely large. Larger in fact than the HL2.0 it succeeds. However, because the case is oriented horizontally on the wrist, rather than vertically as in the HL2.0 it wears better. But being titanium it is relatively lightweight. Conceived by Parisian design studio BBDC, whose partners worked with Hautlence co-founder Guillaume Tetu at TAG Heuer, the case is actually a sleeve with openings on the top and bottom. Plates with the lugs are screwed onto each end to close the case. The movement is mounted on the bottom plate, inserted into the case sleeve, then the top plate closes off the top.
The angular form of the case is inspired by glass-covered skyscrapers, which is why six crystals cover almost every surface, revealing the movement from almost every angle. Because the crystals are so large, and also angled in front, they are attached to the case via thin film adhesive.
Limited to 88 pieces in titanium (with other case metals to come), the Vortex has a price tag of SFr160,000 before taxes.
The Vortex (left) with the HL2.5
Hands-On With The Hautlence Destination 02 Dual Time (With Live Photos And Price)
Featuring Hautlence's signature cushion case, the Destination is a dual time zone featuring an elaborately and expensively constructed dial. Launched last year and just about to hit stores, the Destination is the new entry level model in the brand's line-up.
Hands-on with the Lange Grand Lange 1 Lumen (live photos and price)
Hands-on with the Zenith El Primero Tourbillon (with live photos and price)


The Rock, Selena Gomez and Cristiano Ronaldo earn bank.
A picture might be worth a thousand words, but celebrity Instagram posts are worth a lot more than that.
For the second year in a row, Hopper HQ analyzed internal and publicly available data to curate their Instagram Rich List 2018. The ranking reveals which celebrities, athletes, models and influencers rake in the most dough from the social media site.
Kylie Jenner, who came in at No. 3 on Forbes' 2018 list of the world's 100 richest entertainers, rose three spots from her position on last year's Instagram Rich List to take the crown. With 138 million followers, the uber-famous makeup mogul can charge up to $1 million for a single post.
Pop singer Selena Gomez and soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo round out the top three, earning up to $800,000 and $750,000 per post, respectively.
Hopper HQ also created a separate ranking of those in the "influencer" niche. Compared to last year, these Instagram-famous personalities are earning considerably more per post.
Makeup artist and beauty brand founder Huda Kattan, who tops the influencer list, can charge 83.3 percent more than she could last year, while belfie queen Sommer Ray can make up to $20,000 per post.
To view the full Rich List, head to Hopper HQ's website.


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Freshmoor () is an 11.2 hectare (27.7 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset, notified in 1989.

Freshmoor is one of the few remaining areas of unimproved wet acid-grassland and mire on the Blackdown Hills.

References

Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset
Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1989

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Black Dragon Dragon Boat Club fees cover members' race day fees, and State and national race fees.
Prices are for a full membership.
Once you have registered, you need to send payment through to Black Dragons account.


"Living in Arizona with all the dust has been bearable since I started wearing your filtered masks. Thanks!" ~ Kathy C.
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BEER INDUSTRY: MARKET SLOWLY RECOVERS
by BBGV | Sep 22, 2020 | News | 0 comments
HCM City - Domestic beer consumption in the second half of the year is expected to improve over the first six months, while next year the beer industry can grow by 20 per cent compared to the low base this year.
Despite progress, beer consumption volume is unlikely to reach the figures recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to SSI Research.
"We believe that beer consumption volume may take several years to recover to the levels prior to the Covid-19 outbreak and before the promulgation of Decree No.100/2019/ND-CP [which outlines sanctions for drunk driving that took effect early this year]."
Demand for beer was negatively affected by the pandemic in the first six months, with consumption volume down by 12.7 per cent, while consumption of the FMCG portfolio dropped by only 7.3 per cent, according to Nielsen's statistics.
According to Nielsen, beer consumption volume in the second quarter dropped by 22.6 per cent compared to the same period last year. Nielsen's data reflects actual beer consumption, while the revenue of Sabeco (SAB) and other beer brewers in Vietnam reflect figures from breweries to distribution agents.
The share of beer consumption accounted for 20.7 per cent of FMCG consumption in Vietnam in the first six months of 2020, slightly down compared to 22 per cent last year.
Production output has recovered from May, with an increase of 60 per cent compared to the period from February to April. Accumulating output in the first half was down 17 per cent over the same period last year, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam.
The second quarter was the worst quarter for the beer industry due to the national social distancing measures in the first three weeks of April. Beverage businesses stopped operation from mid-March to early June. Non-essential businesses in high-risk localities were asked to stop operations again amid the second COVID-19 outbreak.
SSI Research said Q1 was the worst quarter for SAB's earnings, as SAB did not promote sales and distribution channels in Q1. However, its beer consumption in June almost recovered to levels prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.
It also reported higher profit margins thanks to its efforts to cut costs. Similarly, most of the listed beer brewers reported a recovery in Q2.
It estimates that SAB's beer output in 2020 will decrease by 30 per cent year-on-year. The company's business outcome in the latter half of the year is expected to be better than that in the first half of 2020 if there is no social distancing applied across the country.
According to the report, COVID-19 has changed the industry sales structure, with an increase in sales through off-trade channels (all retail outlets like hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, mini markets, kiosks, wines and spirits shops).
"Consumption in off-trade channels will become even more important in the following years," SSI Research said.
Thus, beer companies are making efforts to boost sales on off-trade and modern trade channels.
In 2019, total beer production reached more than five billion litres (up 22.9 per cent over the same period in 2018), while consumption reached over four billion litres (up 29.1 per cent over the same period last year).
BEER INDUSTRY: MARKET MAKES SLOW RECOVERY
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Learn how to set up a new or existing S3 bucket so that it can store PDFs generated by Paperplane.
Paperplane uploads PDFs to your own S3 bucket. In order for this to occur, you will need to grant permission to upload files to your bucket. This is done by setting a "bucket policy".
Follow the steps below to create your bucket and apply the policy. You can use the AWS web console or the command line interface.
Sign in to AWS and open the S3 console in your browser. Click "Create Bucket" and choose a bucket name and region. Continue to step through the wizard (you can leave all the default options unchanged) and create the bucket.
Next, set the bucket policy using the example bucket policy below. You'll need to have the bucket policy (modified with the correct bucket name) saved as a file.
When applying the policy make sure to change myapp-bucket-name to the actual name of your bucket.
Your bucket is now ready for use!
The next step is to generate an API key using the Paperplane dashboard. This will allow you to start generating PDFs.