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Young Leaders Forum
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Press Programme
Media Coverage "Hamburg Summit" 2018
Hamburg Summit 2018
Gallery - First Day
Gallery - Last Day
Gallery - Second Day
9.00: Welcome addresses and opening speeches
"Germany is China's most important partner in Europe"
Tobias Bergmann, President of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, is not one to mince words. In his opening speech at the 8th "Hamburg Summit: China meets Europe", he clearly expressed that this year's summit is "taking place in times of great upheaval which also affect the EU-China relations." He added: "It's time for China and Europe to join forces to deal with the United States' current trade policy." Another focus of this bilateral cooperation, as Bergmann put forward, will have to be digitalization. "This will prepare China and Europe for the future."
Hamburg's First Mayor, Dr Peter Tschentscher, applied these aspects to the city of Hamburg "Economic success, prosperity and quality of life in Hamburg have always depended on free trade." He highlighted that China and Germany are strong partners in promoting climate protection standards in big cities.
Yizhong Li, Chairman of the China Federation of Industrial Economics (CFIE), the Chinese counterpart of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, stressed profound improvements in China's economic figures, as well as underlining the vital importance of a stable development of bilateral trade between China and the EU. "China and the EU should encourage mutual investment and upgrade financial cooperation," he said.
Germany's former chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, who serves for the second time as Honorary Chairman of the Hamburg Summit 2018, picked up where Bergmann left off in his opening speech. While Schroeder put forward that Germany is China's most important partner in Europe and figures are indeed promising, with more than 900 Chinese companies operating in Germany and a bilateral trade volume of over EUR 180bn in 2017, challenges are also immense. Schroeder mentioned the election of US-President Trump and his "America First" policy, Brexit, political upheaval in North Africa as well as attacks on international trade and the underlying system.
The answers he provided concern China as well as Europe: dialogue in times of European and Chinese responsibility as well as a strengthening of multilateralism. Schroeder addressed the audience with words of encouragement, stressing that both countries should "solve old conflicts and stand united against threats" and added that he is convinced that collaboration rather than confrontation should characterise relations, even if opinions may differ.
9.30: Keynote speeches "The New Silk Road" and China-Europe Friendship Award Ceremony
"The new Silk Road should terminate in Hamburg"
After the different opening statements, one of the most important issues of this year's Hamburg summit came into focus for all participants. Victor Chu, Chairman and CEO, First Eastern Investment Group, from Hong Kong and Angela Titzrath, CEO of HHLA, talked about their individual perspectives on the new Silk Road. Conference Chairman Prof. Dr. Hans-Jörg Schmidt-Trenz pointed out that both keynote speakers have at least one thing in common: "Both stand for the close cooperation between China and Europe."
And this message was emphasised in the following speeches. Chu had one key message for the conference: "The new Silk Road is more than building infrastructure in different regions", it even has philosophical implications. Because the Belt and Road Initiative will lead to more mobility and connectivity between different regions and that will promote cultural exchange between countries. Chu: "Partnership and collaboration will bring better understanding and peace. And this is our most important legacy for the next generation."
Titzrath quoted former French emperor Napoleon, who had said that China was a sleeping lion: "Let China sleep; when she wakes she will shake the world." And China did wake up. "The lion is in the process of shaking the world", Titzrath said. She explained the importance of China and Chinese companies for Hamburg. When the first container ship from China came to Hamburg 30 years ago, it carried 1,200 TEU, this year a COSCO-ship had more than 20,000 on board. "Every week, 235 trains travel between Hamburg and China", HHLA'sCEO said. And she talked about her expectations for the future: "The new Silk Road should terminate in Hamburg." This statement was followed by long bursts of applause from the audience.
China-Europe Friendship Award Ceremony
Before the first break of the day, Gerhard Schroeder, former Chancellor of Germany and Honorary Chairman of the "Hamburg Summit: China meets Europe", was the presenter of the China-Europe Friendship Award, with which he was awarded himself at the Hamburg Summit two years ago. He praised this year's awardee Dr Song Heiliang, President of the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), for his "outstanding contribution to the relations between China and Europe, and especially between China and Hamburg". Furthermore, Schroeder complimented Song on his long partnership with the Hamburg Summit, where he already took part in multiple panels in 2014 and 2016.
Song thanked Schroeder and especially the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce for the award. He stressed that the award belongs to all the staff at CCCC.
11.15: China's changing economic landscape – defining new drivers of growth
"China and Germany are destined to take the lead"
China's economic landscape is changing – the People's Republic has committed itself to a new growth model that is more efficient, innovation-driven, consumption-led and sustainable. The panel, hosted by China expert Dr Margot Schueller, analysed the re-direction of the Chinese growth model including its consequences for Europe in terms of trade.
Victor Chu, Chairman and CEO of the First Eastern Investment Group, quoted the President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in his opening statement: "China's reform is clean, lean and green." Chu managed to link this triangle to a positive stance on the US-Chinese tensions. "One may say in ten years 'Thank you Mr President!' Because of you, we see changes in China, we see lower tariffs and we see a silver lining of necessary reforms."
This said, he also addressed the imminent task of managing the US-Chinese relations carefully and coming to a mainstream consensus on data protection. "Otherwise IoT is a recipe for disaster!" However, if Germany and China address this now, both countries are destined to take the lead.
Shift to high-quality, sustainable and green growth
Yiqun Ling, Senior VP Sinopec Group, stressed that these challenges require an in-depth analysis by the government. The switch from accelerating growth to a more sustainable growth model has to be based on three pillars: The first is a change in mentality that includes stopping to pursue high speed growth at all costs and shift to high-quality, sustainable and green growth. The second is to address and contain problems on the supply-side and the third is to strengthen innovation.
Nathalie Errard, Senior VP of the Airbus Group, confirms the country's greener path from abroad. "Greener aircrafts are the future," she said. Given that her enterprise is responsible for a market share of 50 percent in China, she stressed that the significant threat of protectionism as well as tensions between their US-American and Chinese clients have to be brought under control.
No country will make it on their own
Kurt Sievers, President, NXP Semiconductors N.V., emphasized the significance of digitalisation for transformation. "This is bigger than the introduction of the personal computer and the smartphone revolution." He concluded that it is smart to not try and teach China what to do but to learn from China. The benefit would be a bilateral win-win situation with global success.
Pui Shan Lee, Managing Director, Kekst CNC, added that numerous opportunities in the technological sector, including local internet giants, are primed for collaboration with German companies. Kurt Sievers couldn't agree more. To facilitate collaboration, he further emphasized the importance of talent pools and the promotion of exchange among young engineers. "Global relationships are crucial - no country will make it on their own."
13.30: Trade relations between China, Europe and the US – how to rebalance and strengthen global trade ties
"USA and China must keep on talking"
The growing tensions with the USA regarding trade relations give rise to concerns about the effects this might have on the world economy. This panel tried to find solutions for these troubles.
President Donald Trump puts America first and the United Kingdom (UK) will leave the European Union (EU) – a lot of uncertainty is spreading throughout the world. And at the same time, China becomes a superpower, as host Prof Dr Henning Vöpel, Director and CEO of the Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI), put it at the beginning of this panel. How do the panellists perceive the situation of the international trading system?
Trade will increase further
Yu Zenggang, Executive Vice President of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Ltd., was quite optimistic despite the growing tensions between the USA and China. He mentioned that trade between China and America continued to grow. "In the short run, there could be problems, but in the long run, trade will increase further," Yu said.
Dr Angela Stanzel, Senior Policy Fellow and editor of China Analysis, European Council on Foreign Relations, was not as optimistic as Yu. Her mood regarding the imminent trade war was quite dark. She sees a trend from multilateralism to unilateralism. Established relations could come to an end and "ad-hoc alliances will form instead" Stanzel said.
Denis Redonnet, Director 'WTO, Legal Affairs and Trade in Goods', Directorate General for Trade in the European Commission, sees one way out of the trade dispute: "We have to find rule-based solutions, not power-based ones."
Peter Helis, Vice Chairman of the South China Board at the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC), put a remarkable spin on the discussion. He sees Europe in agreement with the USA with regard to some critical issues in China, "but we don't agree on the measures" the USA sought. Helis demanded that the USA and China must keep on talking.
13.30: Pathways to a green future – the rise of sustainable solutions for China's and Europe's economies
The importance of energy, well, green energy
How can European businesses contribute to solving China's environmental challenges? The panel looked into opportunities and challenges on both sides in various areas.
"A green future and sustainable solutions have been already heavily discussed, so we have to find out what is new," said Dr Sabine Stricker-Kellerer, Member of the German-Chinese Dialogue Forum and host of the panel. And when asked about the most recent issues of his future business in China, Liu Guangying, Executive Vice President, State Grid Corporation of China, stressed the importance of energy. He listed solar power, wind power and the increasing cost of production.
Volatility is still one of the major challenges of European and Chinese companies. However, China has already developed a new generation of national grid. "We need to find a friendly balance between the old and the new system," Liu added.
Robert Schoellhammer, the European Representative of the Asian Development Bank, reports that Chinese companies have a common mantra: "Please give us innovation, please give us knowledge." However, the question remains: "How can we have the best European technology applied?" In his opinion, both Europe and China will have to move from fossil energies to cleaner solutions.
When asked about technical differences between Europe and China, Dr Michael Mainelli, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of the Z/Yen Group, listed social, economic, political and technical challenges. His economic example was pricing policy.
The importance of Big Data
"The interest in global energy is relative and part of the internet of things," answered Liu, when asked about the importance of Big Data. His company is working on solar power integration and a new conversion system. His example: Electric vehicles will be a global success story and a platform, with the driver being a user, a consumer and a producer of energy at the same time.
For Marion Finney, Executive Director, Customer Scrap Solutions, Aurubis AG, China is also a role model. According to her, China is very good in the fields of new technology, energy collection and finding new solutions. "We can learn from that," she said.
Fields of disagreement? Panel participants mentioned pricing mechanisms as an important aspect, but also political questions and conflicts of interest.
15.15: China's "Belt and Road Initiative"– opportunities and challenges for Sino-European economic relations
Europe is No 1 for China and vice versa in terms of trade and investment
As part of the "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI), Beijing has implemented new investment and infrastructure projects in Central Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. But is BRI really a chance to bring the European and Chinese economic policies together? The panel was hosted by Prof Dr Eberhard Sandschneider of the Otto-Suhr-Institute of Political Science at the Freie Universität Berlin.
"The Belt and Road Initiative is a scheme that covers five areas of connectivity," explains Dr Song Hailing, President of the China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC). The five pillars are infrastructure, trade, policy and IT, the connection of capital flows and people. "Our cranes are the arms of trade in many countries," he adds.
However, as easy as this might sound, the project is anything but plain and simple, elaborated Prof Sandschneider. Many fear that the initiative is dominated by China. Song Hailing didn't quite dismiss this fear but highlighted that the origin might be Chinese, yet the main focus is on collaboration.
Collaboration though is certainly not an easy task in this cross-border project that involves Central Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. "The initiative has to make more of the Baltic states and Kaliningrad", claims Jens Maier from Hamburg's Port Authority AöR.
BRI has to be based on IT, patience and deep knowledge
Andreas Huber, Global VP and Head of the China Liaison Office of SAP SE, is convinced that one of the main flaws so far is IT-knowledge. He believes that the "Belt and Road Initiative" cannot work without international collaboration in the field of IT.
Thomas P. Lamnidis, VP and Senior Partner at KLC Law Firm, passionately calls for the recognition of the project's dimension: "BRI is a political issue which is much more than just political." Many countries of the BRI are war-torn and very dangerous. "This is the first level at which to fight terrorism," he says. The danger, from Lamnidis' point of view, is that if the initiative doesn't include these countries, there will only be a maritime connection.
Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service (EEAS), pointed out that Europe meets China, as well as other Asian partners. "After all, the whole concept is based on connectivity across borders." There are very well developed Japanese and Indian or Australian policies as well, he says and claims: "Europe has to work with many partners despite the fact that Europe is No 1 for China and vice versa in terms of trade and investment."
Don't just spend your resources, understand the players
Dins Merirands, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Latvia, is also convinced that economic dependency only exists at first sight. "I believe the project comes with interdependency," he says.
Either way, it is safe to say that BRI is not a short-term initiative. "These projects take decades to mature and promote understanding of each other," says Lamnidis and adds: "Don't just spend your resources, understand the players."
15.15: The future of mobility – innovative concepts to move China and Europe forward
Searching for the next big thing
The mobility sector is undergoing considerable disruption. It's being driven not only by the growing market shares of alternative propulsion technologies, but also by the emergence of new usage scenarios that are made possible by new developments in the digital sector. Opening the panel, host Bernhard Bartsch, a Senior Expert for the "Germany and Asia" program at Bertelsmann Stiftung, asked who would emerge as the main driver behind the mobility revolution: China or the European countries?
Corinne Abele, Head of the Foreign Trade Information Bureau at Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), believes that China has set its sights firmly on the mobility revolution – and that the main driver is the central government. Abele cited various laws, regulations and subsidies such as forthcoming requirements on car manufacturers to produce certain quotas of electric cars, or the restrictions on petrol-fuelled cars in certain cities through financial deterrents. "This is definitely changing the market, and it's based more on framework and regulations than on pricing and market mechanisms," Abele said.
Mobility services are future
Björn Avemark, Head of Business Development and Portfolio Management at Daimler Mobility Services in China, also pointed out the changes in everyday life for Chinese citizens as a result of the country's recent mobility advances. Many didn't have easy access to private or public transport and the void was being filled by new business models. Avemark believes that the specific combination of government policy and market necessities in China will give the country a decisive advantage: "The next big thing in mobility will probably come from China – there are enough people, the regulations are in place, the technology is mostly in place and there's customer acceptance."
Whether in Germany or China – car producers in both markets are transitioning from manufacturers to mobility service providers. The transition is driven by the fact that cars themselves are changing profoundly to become electric, interconnected and intelligent. Hu Yong, Assistant to the General Manager and Director of the Strategy Management and Business Planning Department, FAW (First Automotive Works) Group Co., said cars would increasingly turn into mobile terminals in constant contact with our everyday lives. According to Hu, there are still technological bottlenecks such as mileage and safety, but these will be resolved in the coming years: "The concept of mobility will be completely disrupted – it will be more human and it will be scenario-based."
The pressure of urbanisation
Europe is feeling the increasing pressure of urbanisation, especially in the major population centres. More and more people are moving into cities, and many of them bring their cars. According to Henrik Isaksen, Founder and CEO of the Danish company Green Mobility A/S, the situation is a catalyst for smarter and more effective transport. It will be facilitated, he said, by an ever-growing array of digital solutions, for which there already is a very vital market in Europe. "There are a lot of mobility solutions here and we are doing very well at combining different solutions."
Contrasting the mobility market with the market for smartphones, Simon Hou, Co-founder and COO of XCharge, said that the scale of the disruptions would be just as vast but not as rapid. The advent of smartphones had improved the user experience by a factor of five to ten, with near total conversion taking place within five or six years. In addition, he said, the average consumer switched to a new phone once every year. In contrast, most drivers only buy a new car every five to six years. "It is a very disruptive change, but it gives people time to really gradually accept that change and move with it."
17.00: EU-China investment cooperation – from record flows to reciprocity?
Synergies drive progress
"Win-win will be a key topic tonight," announced panel host Knut Engelmann, Partner at Kekst CNC in Germany, before introducing the guests of the panel on EU-China investment cooperation. It is clear that there is tremendous economic growth: Foreign direct investment (FDI) from China amounted to EUR 65 billion in 2017. But this also leads to growing concern about whether the competition is fair and transparent.
China needs the European perspective
Sun Yi, Head of China Business Services Germany, Switzerland and Austria as well as Partner Transaction Advisory Services at EY Germany, provided insights from her experience with M&A deals of Chinese investors. In China, technology is often superior, but the companies need a point of entry to the European market. In order to succeed, they have to know their goals and potential partners: "We tell people: Watch news, watch news in English and know what's going on."
Dong Haochun, VP of Geely Commercial Vehicle Group in the United Kingdom, talked about business activities on a global scale conducted by his company. Geely had to look for strategic partners and synergies. "The reason why we chose Europe is to get a deeper insight into the market and to understand what the consumer wants." There is also a cultural advantage, because Chinese consumers value the quality of European products.
"In an ideal scenario, we are talking about a convergence to a greater level of openness," said Dr Mikko Huotari, Deputy Director of the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) in Germany. Reciprocity rather than protectionism should be welcomed by all parties involved. But research shows that China is not as open to foreign investment as Germany and other European countries. "There is a gap that we have to bridge and that is something that we have to work on together." Huotari does not expect China to open up immediately, but according to him it is still a question of trust and confidence in the reform paths of the Chinese government regarding market access.
Focus shifts from speed to quality
"We are not only open for international, including Chinese, investment, but we will stay open for it. That is built into the European treaties," said Reinhard Bütikofer, Member of the European Parliament and Co-Chair of the European Green Party (EGP). But he sees a necessity to adjust to a changing environment between China and Europe. Due the different political and economic systems, Bütikofer does not think that there will be complete reciprocity. But he stated: "On the basis of reciprocity, we can have beautiful relations."
According to Zhou Yubo, Chairman of China Reform Holdings Corporation, China is moving from high speed growth to high quality growth: "If we are able to work together, e.g. with our counterparts in Germany, we are able to generate advantages for the benefit of each other." The synergies have made progress, said Zhou. "We want to work together with you to organise more forums and summits and to promote our development."
'China meets Europe' evening
"The Hamburg Summit is here to stay"
High above the roofs of Hamburg, the first day of the Hamburg Summit came to a marvellous end. On invitation of dgroup – part of Accenture Consulting – the participants of the summit had the chance to network and enjoy a wonderful night.
At the Hamburg headquarter of dgroup, information, networking and relaxation was on the agenda at the end of the day. On behalf of Accenture, the mother company of dgroup, Dr Moritz Hagenmüller, Managing Diretor, Accenture, Germany, welcomed the participants.
It is a long tradition that companies from Hamburg with close ties to China host the evening event. Hagenmüller explained why his company takes part in the Hamburg Summit: "Our business is digital transformation and we regard China as a leader in digital transformation and the Hamburg Summit as one of the leading conferences on this topic."
Robert Lorenz-Meyer, Deputy Conference Chairman and Member of the Executive Committee of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the long tradition of the conference. He clarified: "The Hamburg Summit is here to stay."
The closing welcoming remarks came from Olaf Rotax, Managing Director & Co-founder of dgroup. He took pride in his business: "We have an exciting job. We are allowed to build bridges, bridges between China and Europe, and bridges between technology and people."
Between Rösti and digital innovation
With a magnificent view over the Inner and Outer Alster, the participants could indulge in a series of culinary delights. The flying buffet mirrored the motto of the Hamburg Summit "China meets Europe". Participants could tickle their tastebuds with North Sea prawns with Rösti alongside Hamburg "Rode Grööt" as well as China Noodles and China Rolls with smoked duck.
A virtual flight through different Silicon Valleys of the world gave new insights into what is and will be possible through digital innovation.
08.30: Keynote speeches and China-Europe Sustainability Award Ceremony
What we need is a One-Europe-Policy … and the China-Europe Sustainability Award goes to Daimler AG
Tuesday's first keynote speech offered an extensive approach to presenting China with a partner of considerable size. A One-Europe-Policy could become key to future strategic negotiations. And this year's China-Europe Sustainability Award goes to Daimler AG for their green commitment in China.
Christi Degen, CEO of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, couldn't be more pleased with the first day of the HamburgSummit18 "China Meets Europe". Her review of the first day also served as an elegant introduction of Prof Dr hc Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference. Ischinger opened Tuesday's first keynote speech on a light note with an anecdote from the early 1970s, when he served in the Office of the Secretary General at the United Nations. "It was one of my first negotiation jobs and my task was to keep the Chinese gift to the UN-building as small as possible," he remembered. In the end, it turned out to be a huge wall mural, by far the largest gift ever. Until today, the painting is on the wall of the delegates' dining room.
His position as Chairman of the Munich Security Conference deals, above all, with the strategic level of bilateral partnerships. "The bad news is that there are rising tensions on a global scale at a strategic level," he said. For the US, China has become one of the key strategic challenges. "We are back to great power competition!" he emphasized.
Good news: Remarkably strong partnership
On the other hand, as he pointed out, there is no doubt that the relations with China offer tremendous opportunities for the EU. China isn't "just" the largest customer for European imports anymore; China has evolved into an important player and partner on global issues. However, growing concerns about excessive Chinese influence should not be neglected. "Is it right that China can veto decisions relating to EU-topics?" Ischinger asked and answered immediately: "Probably not".
Highly desirable: A One-Europe-Policy
Ischinger stressed that it is "our job to make sure the relationship develops in a balanced way." Following this line of thought, Ischinger proclaimed that it is a "huge challenge to make sure the Chinese work with someone of considerable size." The answer is the EU as a whole, not individual countries with a few million inhabitants. However, he criticized that a common EU-approach to China hasn't been found yet. And time is running out. "China knows what they are doing, but do we know what we are doing?"
His suggestion is to regularly invite the EU-Ambassador to be present at state visits. "We are going to be more interesting and more relevant for Chinese partners."
China-Europe Sustainability Award for Daimler AG
Leng Yan, Executive VP of Daimler in Greater China, presented Daimler's activities in the Chinese market. "We are committed to rendering the mobility of the future more efficient, cleaner and safer," stated Leng. "Sustainability is not just a buzzword at Daimler," he said. For this comittment, Dr Torsten Teichert, Member of the Executive Committee of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, awarded Yan Leng on behalf of Daimler with the "China-Europe Sustainability Award 2018". "We will do as the Germans say: Let's continue!" Leng Yan said in his acceptance speech.
09.30: China's digital consumers – understanding the preferences of Chinese online shoppers
"China has an opportunity to contribute to the fourth industrial revolution"
In China, more people use smartphones than in the USA and the European Union combined. This is reflected by how the Chinese go shopping. The digital transformation has changed the habits of consumers. The panel discussed what Europe could learn from China.
The digital consumer in China is young, technically adept and likes to spend money. As an example, Karl Wehner, Managing Director (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Eastern Europe, Turkey) of Alibaba Group, told the audience about the spending on 11th November, China's equivalent to Black Friday. In a single day, Alibaba customers alone bought goods online for over USD 30 billion.
According to Wehner, this is an indicator of how retail will change in Europe and the USA as well.
Ragnar Kruse, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Smaato, pointed outthat Chinese citizens increasingly organise their daily lives with their mobile devices, and that this also applies to shopping.
Alan Yuan, CFO of Souche, described how this fact had changed the way consumers bought cars: "Digital means that you have to target the right customer at the right location with the right message at the right time – especially in the market for cars, where customers only return every few years."
"How can we foster and deepen the cooperation between Europe and China?", host Olaf Rotax, Managing Director & Co-Founder of dgroup – part of Accenture Consulting, asked at one point during the panel's discussion. Dr Huang Dinglong, Co-founder and CEO of Malong Technologies, Co. Ltd., went back in time to answer the question: "300 years ago, the first industrial revolution was started in Europe. Today China has an opportunity to contribute to the fourth industrial revolution, and collaboration between it and Europe is very important in this regard."
11.00: Digital upgrade in manufacturing – on the track to "Made in China 2025" and "Industrie 4.0"
"Everything will be fully connected in the near future"
Regarding Industry 4.0 as a digital upgrade in manufacturing on the way to "Made in China 2025" the participants of this panel focussed on the customer perspective. A central question was: How does this digitalisation process change the business of European and Chinese enterprises? Other buzzwords were smart service, Big Data, Internet of Things, transparency and security.
One fact transpired right at the beginning of the panel: smarter manufacturing and industry will not leave people behind. In his opening, host Frank Riemensperger, Senior Managing Director, Geographic Unit Lead Germany, Switzerland, Austria of Accenture GmbH asked: "What are the new promises you can give to your customers?"
Wang Yongzhi, CIO, CRRC Corporation, highlighted that Germany was a role model: "We had to do some research when we were developing a strategy. How can we promote innovation, green and high quality for sustainable development? There is still a gap, we can learn a lot from German companies here," he said.
Another central question of the panel was: "How can we combine many elements to create smart products that improve quality and efficiency?" Cui Haifeng, Managing Director, Enterprise Business Group for Huawei, emphasised the new era that Industry 4.0 stands for: "Everything will be fully connected in the near future. Everything will be digitalized." With regard to Industry 4.0, the greater scope of connectivity will not be limited to the personal sphere, but businesses in China and Germany also want to connect to every single person.
Put the customer at the centre
Hala Zeine, President Digital Supply Chain for SAP SE, made clear, that a "great customer experience is based on a new product experience." According to her, the new forms of smart technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data combined profoundly change the way a shopping experience is shaped from the customers' point of view.
Toni Cheng, General Manager of DACH & CEE Region at Alibaba Cloud, fully agreed with this and put his company's experience with Alibaba Cloud forward as an example. He also pointed out, that Big Data is not just about traffic, but also about safety.
Zhao Mengda, Chief Strategy Investment Officer (CSIO) at Tuya Smart, introduced the perspective of investment to the panel. According to him, many smaller Chinese companies became customers of Tuya Smart, because they don't have the means to make their products smarter. They require new IT-solutions, including hardware and app development.
Li Zheng, President, Greater China at NXP Semiconductors mentioned the high speed train from Shanghai to Beijing as an example, when he illustrated everyday experience with smart technology and the IoT.
Other topics discussed were Block Chain and artificial intelligence. Asked about the differences between the Chinese and German customers, the diverse mentality and culture were mentioned. Wang reminded the audience of the huge population Chinese companies are confronted with when adopting smart technology and Big Data. According to him, German companies like SAP and Siemens benefit from a good industrial and management foundation. "Rules are well established here in Germany," he said with a smile.
12.30: Closing Lunch
"Hope for the future"
The closing lunch started off on a light note, matching the menu's pickled salmon with star aniseed and ginger. More than 400 participants and around 100 journalists attended this year's Hamburg Summit18, that was to close this Tuesday afternoon.
As a snack in between for the mind, Tobias Bergmann, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that he is putting a lot of trust in Chinese partners to shape a reliable and lasting partnership with Europe. The ultimate goal is to further develop cooperation.
The Hamburg Summit remains one of the most important platforms for Sino-European economic dialogue. That was the conclusion drawn by Bergmann.
The Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce went on to express his gratitude to the Chinese representatives and delegates for sharing their views on how China and Europe, which he cited as main drivers of the global economy, could make progress on current pressing issues. "China's transition creates tremendous opportunities for investment and market access, but also innovation and cooperation, if there is a clear understanding of common interests, and also of legitimate concerns," Bergmann said.
Hamburg as a traditional hub between Europe and China
Dr Peter Tschentscher, First Mayor and President of the Senate of the City of Hamburg, highlighted the fact that his city has been a traditional hub between Europe and China for several centuries, and that China and a strong and stable Europe could make excellent partners.
Looking to the future, Tschentscher emphasised Hamburg's ambition to become a strong partner in the Belt and Road Initiative, a project he said had great potential for multilateral trade and the world economy as a whole. "The new Silk Road network is not a one way street," Tschentscher said. "It creates new opportunities for companies from all the countries involved."
Hamburg's First Major is also pleased with the European-Chinese economic conference. "It has found a most suitable site," he said.
With these words, the audience moved on to the main course: shoulder of beef, peas and pod with mashed potatoes and truffles.
The next hearty food for thought will be delivered by keynote speaker Margrethe Vestager, Commissioner for Competition at the European Commission, after the main course.
Margrethe Vestager began her speech with an anecdote from her youth in western Denmark. When she was five years old, Vestager started to dig a hole in the ground to go to China. Vestager was not successful, the goal was too ambitious, but the wish for contact to the Asian country was established.
No strangers any more
At that time, in the 1970s, China was unimaginably distant, "one didn't know one another", she pointed out. Today, "we're still different in many ways, but we are not strangers anymore". She mentioned several examples, where China and Europe have to deal with the same challenges, e.g. climate change. "Shanghai, Hamburg and Copenhagen are all threatened by rising sea levels."
Close cooperation was a central topic for the European Commissioner. In times of growing tensions due to perceived unfairness in trade, Vestager appealed to China to work together with Europe. "We are not just any partner. Our size gives us influence, it gives us hope for the future," she said, referring to both parties.
She called for an international trade system, based on the rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). She asked for China's support in finding and implementing reforms required by the WTO.
Picking up her story from the beginning, Vestager said, that even when her goal of digging a passage to China was too ambitious, it was the right idea to have close links between China and Europe. "So pick up your spade and start digging."
Our friendship is alive
Andreas Scheuer, Germany's Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, clearly enjoyed the view from the speaker's platform at the Closing Lunch of the Hamburg Summit 2018. "I see, our friendship with China is alive," he said smiling. He also conveyed warm and heartfelt greetings from Chancellor Angela Merkel. "China is close to us, much closer than countries that are located in-between geographically," he said.
Scheuer expressed his strong admiration with regard to Chinese planning and organisation with an anecdote from Shanghai's port. "Back then, when I was there as vice minister, there was only one truck," he remembered. But when asked, why and how, he was told: "We are planning this construction site for 2040."
Both countries need mobility solutions for people who don't drive
Not surprisingly, Scheuer's main field of interest is the "Future of Mobility", which includes digitalization and green technology. "We will need different approaches," he stressed and added "and a level playing field and equal opportunities." We are promoting all technologies here, he said, including automated and network-based transport roads. "The Chinese Minister of Mobility even told me that we have to solve the problem," Scheuer reported.
Given the success of the European-Chinese connectivity platform, he emphasised that German companies are open to pragmatic collaboration, based on international standards including human rights. Andreas Scheuer's final claim was: "We would like to see more transparency, fair competition and open markets with fewer trade barriers." From his point of view, the flourishing German-Chinese partnership would become even closer then.
"Competition is very important"
The most high-ranking official at the Hamburg Summit had the honour to give the last keynote speech of the conference. Liu He, Vice-Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, started by praising Hamburg and some of its renowned citizens. He mentioned Helmut Schmidt, the former chairman of the Hamburg Summit, as well as the composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, whose music Liu could only enjoy in secret during the times of China's Cultural Revolution.
Turning his focus to the economy, Liu said that China is still on a path of growth. In the first nine months of this year, China's GDP increased by 6.7 percent. "And we are starting to render our economy greener, more efficient and more modern." He described his country as being on the way from a planned economy toward a social market economy.
"The differences between our social systems and development models, which we both acknowledge, make it all the more important for us to promote mutual understanding and mutual accommodation, which serve as the very foundation for co-operation between us,"Liu said. He added that recognition of differences and respect for each other were key to such mutual understanding and accommodation.
Liu also promised, that China will proceed on the way to openness. "Competition is very important." As an example, he cited that China pulled down barriers for foreign companies in the financial market. Like Vestager, he promotes reforms of the WTO-rules and promised China's support.
In his closing remarks, Deputy Conference Chairman, Robert Lorenz-Meyer, called the eighth edition of the Hamburg Summit a "great success" and a positive example of how European and Chinese businesses can cooperate to foster innovation and sustainable growth.
Acknowledging that the world was currently in the middle of a trade war, Lorenz-Meyer extended his special thanks to Liu He, Vice-Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China and the summit's guest of honour: "We appreciate your staunch support as a defender of free trade within the WTO framework."
Guests of honour 2018
Liu He, Vice-Premier of the People's Republic of China
Margrethe Vestager, Commissioner for Competition of the European Commission
Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Federal Republic of Germany
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We look forward to welcoming you to "The Hamburg Summit". Please click here to receive more information.
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text:
Home Entertainment Virushka's angel will be live in the house of so many crores, see the pictures inside her magnificent house
Virushka's angel will be live in the house of so many crores, see the pictures inside her magnificent house
Newztezz Online January 13, 2021 Entertainment,
Virat and Anushka will be coming home with their daughter soon . We will show you a glimpse of Virushka's luxurious home with her daughter.
Virushka's darling will be in this luxurious house
Cricketer Virat Kohli and actress Anushka Sharma have become the parents of a child. "Both Anushka and her daughter are healthy," Virat said. Soon the two will come home with their baby from the hospital. Let me show you a glimpse of their luxurious home in which their baby will be.
Virat and Anushka's luxurious home is in Worli, Mumbai. The name of his apartment is 'Omkar 1973'. The two celebrities shifted to this house in 2017 after their marriage. There were reports that the couple bought the house in 2016 before their marriage.
This special person will name Virushka's Angel
After Anushka- Virat gave the good news of the birth of her daughter at her home, Virat wrote a thing keeping privacy in mind. He did not share a picture of his own daughter.
In every decision one takes the advice of Anant Baba
There has been a lot of discussion on social media about her name since the birth of her daughter. According to hospital sources, discussions are underway to name him Anvi. But according to reports, Virushka's daughter will be named by Anant Narayan, the spiritual guru of the Sharma family. Both Sharma and Kohli's family have always believed in Anant Baba's decision, whether it is a marriage decision or a decision to buy a house.
Anant Narayan lives in Anant Dham in Haridwar. Where the Sharma family often comes. So Baba Anant Narayan also went to Italy for Virushka's wedding.
Married in 2017
Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma started dating in 2013. After this the two started saying Virushka and there was also speculation about their marriage. Anushka and Virat got married on December 11, 2017 in Florence, Italy. On August 20, 2020, Anushka and Virat announced their pregnancy.
Tags # Entertainment
By Newztezz Online at January 13, 2021
Labels: Entertainment

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
package org.rythmengine.internal.parser.build_in;

/*-
 * #%L
 * Rythm Template Engine
 * %%
 * Copyright (C) 2017 - 2021 OSGL (Open Source General Library)
 * %%
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 * #L%
 */

import org.rythmengine.exception.ParseException;
import org.rythmengine.internal.CodeBuilder;
import org.rythmengine.internal.IContext;
import org.rythmengine.internal.Token;
import org.rythmengine.internal.parser.CodeToken;

import java.util.List;

/**
 * Created with IntelliJ IDEA.
 * User: luog
 * Date: 19/07/12
 * Time: 9:24 AM
 * To change this template use File | Settings | File Templates.
 */
public class ExecMacroToken extends CodeToken {
    public ExecMacroToken(String macro, IContext context, int line) {
        super(macro, context);
        this.line = line;
    }

    @Override
    public void output() {
        CodeBuilder cb = ctx.getCodeBuilder();
        if (!cb.hasMacro(s)) {
            throw new ParseException(ctx.getEngine(), ctx.getTemplateClass(), line, "Cannot find macro definition for \"%s\"", s);
        }
        List<Token> list = cb.getMacro(s);
        for (Token tb : list) {
            tb.build();
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Triple Take: If not Dustin Poirier, who should Tony Ferguson fight next?
By Farah Hannoun, Simon Head, Danny Segura September 14, 2020 4:20 pm
By Farah Hannoun, Simon Head and Danny Segura | September 14, 2020 4:20 pm
The MMA world's excitement over a potential battle between former UFC interim lightweight champions Tony Ferguson and Dustin Poirier was dampened Saturday when UFC president Dana White said the promotion was moving on from the idea after failing to come to terms with Poirier over the matchup.
Despite Ferguson's social media plea for the UFC to "pay the man," it seems the matchup may be a non-starter, which begs the question: Whom should "El Cucuy" face next?
That's the matchmaking dilemma we pitched to Farah Hannoun, Simon Head and Danny Segura, who offered their suggestions for Ferguson's next opponent in the latest edition of Triple Take.
Farah Hannoun: Dan Hooker
If Dustin Poirier isn't available, then top lightweight contender Dan Hooker would make for an incredible fight.
Hooker may have just lost a unanimous decision to Poirier in June, but prior to that, he had won seven of his past eight. Hooker started out strong against Poirier, but "The Diamond's" experience and grit allowed him to take over the latter rounds.
Hooker is a very dangerous opponent with incredible skill and a matchup with Ferguson would be a guaranteed war. If successful, it would also be a legitimate win for Ferguson over an opponent who's ranked in the top five.
It's matchup that would get anyone excited, and while Hooker would have more to gain, it's a very viable option for Ferguson and his quest to regain the No. 1 contender spot.
Simon Head: Conor McGregor
Yes, yes, I know he's "retired." And yes, I know he has some business to attend to with the authorities in France. But assuming Conor McGregor is clear of trouble following the recent headlines in Corsica, I'd love to see him get back into the swing of things. And who better to face on his return than Ferguson?
They both used to share a management team, but while Ferguson has moved on to pastures new, the pair still have something significant in common – they both want to face Khabib Nurmagomedov. Ferguson's pursuit of Khabib has been littered with illness, injury and the arrival of a global pandemic preventing him from getting the fight his career richly deserved. McGregor, meanwhile, has made no secret of his desire to avenge his UFC 229 loss to "The Eagle."
It's a bit of a stretch but, given McGregor's recent travails, perhaps the best thing for him is to get back into fight camp mode and get back to the place where he thrives: inside the cage. Ferguson, meanwhile, wants a big-time opponent to get him right back in the mix at the top of the 155-pound division.
The lack of a paying crowd makes it unlikely until later this year, at the earliest, but if a deal could somehow be struck for the fight to take place, it might just be the perfect matchup for both men. It's a long shot, but it's gotta be worth a try.
Photos: Conor McGregor through the years
Danny Segura: Michael Chandler
We already know Michael Candler is one of the top lightweights in the world, but we're not exactly sure how good he is among the UFC's elite.
If the former Bellator lightweight champion and now free agent ends up signing with the UFC, why not get him a welcome with one of the staples of the UFC's 155-pound division?
This matchup would give us a good perspective of where Chandler belongs, since Ferguson is one of the most battle-tested and proven veterans in the division. Both fighters have fun exciting styles, but also are very distinct. Chandler is a stocky power puncher with great wrestling, while Ferguson is a a rangy volume striker with serious jiu-jitsu skills. The bout has "Fight of the Night" written all over it, and even potentially "Fight of the Year."
The two warriors are in their mid-30s and a slow build to the title is not the way to go here. Ferguson and Chandler need big fights that can set them up for title shots or title eliminator bouts. A bout between the two would do just that. And like Ferguson says, "Champ (explicit) only."
Breaking, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson, Featured, News, UFC
UFC on ESPN 20 results: Warlley Alves demolishes Mounir Lazzez, calls out 'marijuana guy' Nate Diaz
UFC·	January 20, 2021 3:10 pm · By: Simon Head
Returning Brazilian Warlley Alvez bounced back into the octagon with a big win, then issued a big-name callout at UFC on ESPN 20.
Manager explains why UFC champ Petr Yan moved to American Top Team


text:
California Charities and Crowdfunding Bill – AB 2556
Published on: May 26, 2018 May 29, 2018 by Gene Takagi Category:CALIFORNIA LAW, CURRENT AFFAIRS & OPINION, FUNDRAISING & CHARITABLE GIVING
California is considering passage of a crowdfunding bill sponsored by Pay Pal Giving Fund and applicable to charitable organizations and crowdfunding solicitors. The bill, AB 2556, was introduced by Assembly Member Jacqui Irwin on February 15, 2018 and later amended on April 19, 2018. It currently is being held under submission in committee.
The legislative committee analysis summarizes the bill as follows:
This bill adds to the Supervision of Trustees and Fundraisers for Charitable Purposes Act the ability to engage in "charitable crowdfunding solicitations" by a new category of persons raising money for charitable purposes known as "crowdfunding solicitors for charitable purposes," subject to various registration and reporting requirements, as specified.
More specifically –
This bill seeks to update California's Charitable Purposes Act to recognize online charity giving platforms. Specifically, this bill creates a registration process for charitable solicitors and exempts charitable solicitors from the requirement to have a written agreement with each charity for which they are soliciting donations. Specifically, it provides for the recognition of, and consumer protections for, the practice of charitable fundraising by way of internet crowdfunding efforts.
"Charitable crowdfunding solicitation" means the practice of raising contributions from a large number of people for charitable purposes through means of the Internet.
– This definition would appear to include almost all nonprofit websites with donation buttons (and not only what most people consider crowdfunding sites), though it's unclear whether it is intended that the solicitation actually require a large number of people (whatever that means) to contribute to fall within the definition or whether the objective of raising contributions from a large number of people is enough. The term "charitable" also lacks clarity as to whether it would encompass 501(c)(4) "social welfare" purposes in addition to 501(c)(3) exempt purposes.
"Crowdfunding solicitor for charitable purposes" means a person, whether or not for profit, who engages in charitable crowdfunding solicitation, and who is not defined as a commercial fundraiser for charitable purposes, a fundraising counsel for charitable purposes, or a commercial coventurer.
– This definition explicitly includes nonprofits who engage in charitable crowdfunding solicitations, even if just for themselves.
Written Consent Requirement
A crowdfunding solicitor for charitable purposes ("Crowdfunding Solicitor") must obtain the written consent of a charitable organization prior to using its name in a solicitation unless all of the following 8 requirements are met:
the crowdfunding solicitor for charitable purposes provides only a database or list of charitable organizations that may receive contributions;
the solicitation only lists the charitable organization's name and other public information provided by the charitable organization to the Internal Revenue Service, the Attorney General's Registry of Charitable Trusts, or other federal or state government agencies;
the crowdfunding solicitor for charitable purposes excludes charitable organizations that are not in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service, and where applicable, the Franchise Tax Board or the Attorney General's Registry of Charitable Trusts;
the crowdfunding solicitor for charitable purposes conspicuously discloses the charitable organization can request removal from the database or list, which shall be implemented within five days of a request;
the crowdfunding solicitor for charitable purposes conspicuously discloses that the charitable organization has not provided consent for the solicitation;
the crowdfunding solicitor for charitable purposes conspicuously discloses that the charitable organization may not receive the contribution and if so, that the contribution may be provided to a charitable organization with a similar charitable purpose unless the donor specifies an alternative organization;
the crowdfunding solicitor for charitable purposes shall provide to the charitable organization the contribution and an accounting of any fees imposed for processing the contribution within __ days of its receipt of the contribution; and
if the charitable organization requests donor name or contact information, the crowdfunding solicitor for charitable purposes shall provide such information for donors who consented to share their information, without imposing any fees or requiring the charitable organization to provide consent for other solicitation.
My Review of the 8 Requirements for the Exception
The intent of this requirement is to exclude Crowdfunding Solicitors that are adding commentary or descriptions beyond the name of a charitable organization that may receive contributions. This seems fair.
This requirement seems to be in conflict with the first requirement as it allows the Crowdfunding Solicitor to include public information provided by the charitable organization to a governmental agency, which may include pages of subjective descriptions as some of the public filings (e.g., Forms 990) are treated by many organizations as marketing communications.
For Crowdfunding Solicitors that intend to allow donors to make contributions to any one of a very large number of charities (e.g., all the charities on the IRS Publication 78 database of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions), meeting this requirement seems impractical, which may defeat their business model as getting consent from all these charities would be similarly impractical. Vetting for "good standing" will take time and it's unclear how often that must be done for each charitable organization. If one charitable organization was in good standing at the beginning of the solicitation but (unknown to the Crowdfunding Solicitor) lost such status one month later while the solicitation was ongoing, would the Crowdfunding Solicitor be in immediate violation of not getting consent from every single charitable organization it was raising contributions for?
This seems fair.
This seems fair, though it remains to be seen how a conspicuous disclosure would be defined, particularly in the context where a Crowdfunding Solicitor provides a database of possible recipient charitable organizations. If, for example, the Crowdfunding Solicitor provided a link to the IRS Publication 78 database as possible recipients of its solicitation, but one organization opted out, would providing a separate web page of charities that opted out fulfill the conspicuous disclosure requirement?
This requirement gives me pause. If the Crowdfunding Solicitor is itself a public charity, this seems fair. The donation may be structured as being given to the Crowdfunding Solicitor subject to a recommendation from the donor that it be regranted to another charity, but the Crowdfunding Solicitor must maintain control and ultimate discretion over its own funds (e.g., donor-advised fund or DAF). A DAF sponsoring organization should not require written consent of its potential grantees, which has the discretion to refuse a grant from the DAF. However, if the Crowdfunding Solicitor is a for-profit, it must be careful of not misrepresenting that the donor can get a charitable contribution deduction if giving ultimate control over the funds to the Crowdfunding Solicitor. For a for-profit Crowdfunding Solicitor seeking the exception to written consent, it must tread very carefully here.
This requirement may not apply where the Crowdfunding Solicitor is raising money for itself, including as a DAF sponsoring organization which allows donors to recommend (but not direct) the charitable recipients of grants from a DAF. It doesn't appear that the drafters of the bill are fully aware of how DAFs work.
Registration Requirement
A Crowdfunding Solicitor "shall file an annual report on a form provided by the Attorney General, accounting for all funds collected from charitable crowdfunding solicitations during the preceding calendar year. The annual financial report shall be filed with the Attorney General's Registry of Charitable Trusts no later than 30 days after the close of the preceding year."
– If Crowdfunding Solicitors include all nonprofits raising charitable contributions for themselves from a large large number of people on the Internet, this will be a tremendous burden on the Attorney General's Registry. Do the nonprofit Crowdfunding Solicitors have to account separately for amounts they've raised on different Internet sites?
Constructive Trustee for Charitable Purposes
A Crowdfunding Solicitor "is a constructive trustee for charitable purposes as to all funds collected pursuant to solicitation for charitable purposes and shall account to the Attorney General for all funds."
– This may not make sense if the Crowdfunding Solicitor has no control over the monies raised. A constructive trustee generally has a duty to ensure that the charitable contributions are transferred to the intended party and not used to unjustly enrich another party. For a for-profit Crowdfunding Solicitor that merely engages in the solicitation but does not receive any monies, presumably, its duties end with setting up the platform to ensure the funds are directed to the intended charity, though it's unclear whether its duties as a constructive trustee continue beyond such setup.
Crowdfunding Bill Survey
CalNonprofits is conducting a 7 question survey related to crowdfunding and AB 2556 here.
Last Modified on May 29, 2018
This entry was posted in CALIFORNIA LAW, CURRENT AFFAIRS & OPINION, FUNDRAISING & CHARITABLE GIVING
Tagged with AB 2556, crowdfunding
Bookmark this article California Charities and Crowdfunding Bill – AB 2556
NASCO: 50 State Survey on Crowdfunding Regulations
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text:
Home » Immigration Blog » May 2021 Visa Bulletin Issued by State Department
May 2021 Visa Bulletin Issued by State Department
April 21, 2021 Ian Love
NOTE: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has not yet announced if it will use the Dates for Filing or Final Action Dates chart for the May Visa Bulletin. Please check the USCIS website for the latest updates.
The State Department has released the May 2021 Visa Bulletin, which brings advancement in multiple employment-based categories.
In May 2021, the Final Action Dates chart includes the following key movements:
EB-1
China and India EB-1 will remain current in May.
For EB-2, China will advance approximately three months to December 1, 2016. India EB-2 will progress three months to August 1, 2010. All other countries in EB-2 remain current and unchanged.
EB-3 will bring a two-month advancement for China to May 15, 2018. India will advance five months to February 1, 2011. All other countries in EB-3 remain current and unchanged.
For more information about navigating the Visa Bulletin, catch our on-demand webinar or refer to this list of frequently asked questions, prepared in collaboration with Global Immigration Associates (GIA).
Envoy is pleased to provide you this information, which was prepared in collaboration with Ian Love, who is a Partner at Global Immigration Associates, P.C. (www.giafirm.com), Envoy's affiliated law firm.
Content in this publication is not intended as legal advice, nor should it be relied on as such. For additional information on the issues discussed, consult an Envoy-affiliated attorney or another qualified professional.
Ian is a Partner at Global Immigration Associates. His practice focuses on immigrant and nonimmigrant matters for companies ranging from small startups to Fortune 500 companies.
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text:
/Job: MacEwan University - Bass
Job: Mount Royal University - Conservatory Director
Category: Job Postings	 Published: Sunday, 10 January 2016 19:38	 Written by Troy Ducharme
Conservatory Director
Full-Time, Five Year Term
Competition #8389LK
Mount Royal University's (MRU) Conservatory has played a pivotal role in Calgary's performing arts scene since 1911, enabling people of all ages and abilities to take part in the performing arts. No other performing arts organization has a comparable history or serves as large and diverse a community, from early childhood education through all stages of life. As an educational leader and innovator, it is the largest institution of its kind in Canada; the Conservatory is unique in the breadth and scope of its programming.
Our mission is to nurture the artistic potential in everyone, and to identify and train the great artists of tomorrow. We teach more than 4,000 students annually and welcome tens of thousands of others from our community to our festivals, concerts, and special events. In 2015 we proudly moved into our new home, the Taylor Centre for the Performing Arts, a $90.5M new performance and teaching space, featuring the Bella Concert Hall, as well as classrooms, studios, rehearsal rooms, offices, and an early childhood suite.
Reporting to the Dean of the Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension (FoCEE), the MRU Conservatory Director provides strategic leadership of educational matters in the Conservatory, including the provision of artistic direction, establishment of short and long term goals, development of sound financial and business plans, realization of program and fiscal targets, supervision and evaluation of administrative and instructional staff, oversight of curriculum development and quality of instruction, stewardship of collaborative relationships with other MRU units, successful community outreach, and other duties consistent with the development and maintenance of the MRU Conservatory as a leader in music and performing arts education locally, nationally and internationally.
Build on existing Conservatory strengths and provide inspiring and sustainable programming;
maintain and expand the profile of the MRU Conservatory as an innovative and inspiring leader in arts education
Position the Conservatory as a key player in the success of Mount Royal University;
Lead the establishment and maintenance of relationships with internal and external stakeholders;
Serve as a full member of the leadership team in the FoCEE and a productive participant in the MRU academic community;
Generate revenue sufficient to pay the full costs of Conservatory operations;
Collaborate with the Development Office to garner philanthropic donations in support of the operation of the Conservatory;
Oversee the management of the Conservatory's assets and facilities in conjunction with supportive FoCEE units: Financial & Business Operations and Event & Theatre Services;
A completed doctoral degree with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience;
Senior leadership skills and experience supervising world-class instructors and staff members;
Proven experience in leading instructional and creative initiatives that require highly advanced discipline-specific knowledge and skills;
Proven experience in strategic and financial planning and management;
Proven experience leading an organization and fostering a healthy, productive and inclusive work environment;
Proven experience in dealing with a variety of stakeholders in the broader community;
Demonstrated service orientation, with strong interpersonal and communication skills.
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
For further information, contact Dr. Charles Webber, Dean, Faculty of Continuing Education and Extension at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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The Saunte Small Handbag is a timeless style ideal for holding essential daily items. Handcrafted from a soft natural cow leather, with a smooth minimalist finish. A fixed length shoulder strap allows you to wear it as a cross-body. The strap has been stitched to the back top edges of the bag with a self-covered rivet feature. A wide base and zip closure offer space and convenience for everyday use.


To create a honed surface means to leave it smooth and flat with a matte finish. This is achieved in a number of different ways. A stone which is being diamond grinded and having lippage removed will eventually show a honed finish as the medium resin grades of diamond are used. At this stage a honing powder will be used to enhance the smoothness of the surface.
These honing powders are made from a blend of abrasives compounds and can also be used to remove ring marks on a table or counter left behind by a glass or mug. Some manufacturers produce a whole range of powder grades which will remove minor scratches and also etching as well as producing a fine smooth finish.
Some limestone will not polish and so grinding it with very fine diamonds will produce an ultra-honed surface and so powders may not be required.
We have all the necessary tools and experienced staff to restore your stone floor and make it look as if it was just taken out of the factory. It doesn't matter how damaged or dirty your natural stone is, NYC Stone Care will not leave until you are fully satisfied with our work.


Plurals are, like, really easy to make, dude. Mostly, you just add an "s" to the end of the word. Sometimes, it's "es," but mostly, it's just "s."
Jims: How many Jims are there, anyway?
Sandburgs: Blair and Naomi are the only Sandburgs we know.
Bankses: Simon comes from a long line of Bankses.
You can use apostrophes, or not, with initials or acronyms: How many MA's does Sandburg have?
Speaking of numbers, they should, for the most part, be written out in words.
Unless they are dates or addresses: Blair was born in 1969. He lives at 852 Prospect.


text:
package org.jetbrains.idea.svn.checkout;

import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
import com.intellij.openapi.vcs.VcsException;
import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
import org.jetbrains.idea.svn.api.BaseSvnClient;
import org.jetbrains.idea.svn.commandLine.BaseUpdateCommandListener;
import org.jetbrains.idea.svn.commandLine.CommandUtil;
import org.jetbrains.idea.svn.commandLine.SvnCommandName;
import org.tmatesoft.svn.core.SVNDepth;
import org.tmatesoft.svn.core.wc.ISVNEventHandler;
import org.tmatesoft.svn.core.wc.SVNRevision;
import org.tmatesoft.svn.core.wc2.SvnTarget;

import java.io.File;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

/**
 * @author Konstantin Kolosovsky.
 */
public class CmdExportClient extends BaseSvnClient implements ExportClient {

  @Override
  public void export(@NotNull SvnTarget from,
                     @NotNull File to,
                     @Nullable SVNRevision revision,
                     @Nullable SVNDepth depth,
                     @Nullable String nativeLineEnd,
                     boolean force,
                     boolean ignoreExternals,
                     @Nullable ISVNEventHandler handler) throws VcsException {
    List<String> parameters = new ArrayList<String>();

    CommandUtil.put(parameters, from);
    CommandUtil.put(parameters, to);
    CommandUtil.put(parameters, revision);
    CommandUtil.put(parameters, depth);
    CommandUtil.put(parameters, force, "--force");
    CommandUtil.put(parameters, ignoreExternals, "--ignore-externals");
    if (!StringUtil.isEmpty(nativeLineEnd)) {
      parameters.add("--native-eol");
      parameters.add(nativeLineEnd);
    }

    BaseUpdateCommandListener listener = new BaseUpdateCommandListener(to, handler);

    CommandUtil.execute(myVcs, from, to, SvnCommandName.export, parameters, listener);

    listener.throwWrappedIfException();
  }
}


text:
Tag Archives: Teixeira
Ortiz only player elected by writers into the HOF.
I had the feeling that the only person to be elected to the Hall of Fame by the writers would be David Ortiz, and I also had the feeling that if he made it on the first ballot, that it would not be by much.
Correct on both counts. The Red Sox legend got 307 votes where he needed 296 out of 394 to get in. Needing 75%, Ortiz got 77.9%.
Many notables dropped off the ballot, as Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and Curt Schilling were in their last year of eligibility. They now go to the Veterans' Committee. For Bonds, Clemens and Sosa, steroid allegations cost them the Hall. For Schilling, his political viewpoints and some controversial statements.
Others remaining on the ballot, but who have been associated with PEDs found themselves far from the 75% threshold. That included Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez.
Ortiz also has a questionable past with that. Supposedly his name came up on a list that came up positive in 2003, however he has denied it, and there have been false positives associated with the list. Also, there was no list of banned vs. ok substances. So something picked up legitimately at a GNC could cause a positive. To his credit, Ortiz never came up positive after rules were enforced later on.
Ortiz, mostly a DH, was a 10x All-star, 3x WS champ (get to that in a moment), 7x Silver Slugger, a WS MVP, and an ALCS MVP, who played for the Twins (1997-2002) and Red Sox (2003-2016). While ok with the Twins (OPS+ 108), he blossomed into a superstar with Boston (OPS+ 148). He was probably the most influential and most important player in helping the Red Sox end "the Curse of the Bambino" by helping Boston to its first WS title in 86 years in 2004, then he added two more titles onto that.
Ortiz wound up hitting 541 HR, and getting MVP consideration 8x. While never winning the MVP award, he finished in the top 10 7x, and finished 5-4-2-3-4 from 2003-2007. His final season was probably the greatest final season of any player in baseball history, and he finished 6th in MVP voting that year. In his last year, Ortiz, 40, hit .315-38-127, leading the AL in RBI, the majors in doubles (48), the majors in slugging and OPS, and the AL in intentional walks. He hit .286 for his career with an OPS+ of 141 (100 is average). His 162 game average was .286-36-119. He led the league in HR once (54 in 2006), RBI 3x, doubles once, walks 2x, OBP, slugging, total bases and OPS once each, and intentional walks 3x.
In 85 postseason games, he hit .289, with 17 HR and 61 RBI. He won both games 4 and 5 of the 2004 ALCS for Boston, leading them back from a 0-3 deficit to win the AL pennant and eventually the WS, breaking the 86 year old "Curse of the Bambino." He was ALCS MVP in 2004 (12 for 31, 3 HR, 11 RBI) and WS MVP in 2013 (11 for 16, 2 HR, 6 RBI).
One thing I was and still am critical about is pitchers not coming inside to dust him off of the plate. Can you believe in his whole career, Ortiz was HBP only TWICE? (By comparison, Mantle 13x, Mays 45x, Aaron 32x, Ruth 43x). I'm not for headhunting, but back the guy off the plate?
Ortiz only played 278 games at 1B. 2028 were as a DH.
Here is the ballot, with some notes.
David Ortiz 307 77.9 1
Barry Bonds 260 66.0 10
Roger Clemens 257 65.2 10
Scott Rolen 249 63.2 5
Curt Schilling 231 58.6 10
Todd Helton 205 52.0 4
Billy Wagner 201 51.0 7
Andruw Jones 163 41.1 5
Gary Sheffield 160 40.6 8
Alex Rodriguez 135 34.3 1
Jeff Kent 129 32.7 9
Manny Ramirez 114 28.9 6
Omar Vizquel 94 23.9 5
Sammy Sosa 73 18.5 10
Andy Pettitte 42 10.7 4
Jimmy Rollins 37 9.4 1
Bobby Abreu 34 8.6 3
Mark Buehrle 23 5.8 2
Torii Hunter 21 5.3 2
Joe Nathan 17 4.3 1
Tim Hudson 12 3.0 2
Tim Lincecum 9 2.3 1
Ryan Howard 8 2.0 1
Mark Teixeira 6 1.5 1
Justin Morneau 5 1.3 1
Jonathan Papelbon 5 1.3 1
Prince Fielder 2 0.5 1
A.J. Pierzynski 2 0.5 1
Carl Crawford 0 0 1
Jake Peavy 0 0 1
Bonds, Clemens, Schilling, Sosa drop off. So does anyone not getting 5%, which includes Ryan Howard (MVP , 6 top-10 MVP finishes, and 382 HR), Tim Lincecum (Back-to-Back CYA), Justin Morneau (MVP), Joe Nathan (6x all-star) and Mark Teixeira (409 HR) to name a few.
It really looks good for Scott Rolen to maybe get in next year. A-Rod and Manny Ramirez stand no chance due to steroids and suspensions. Omar Vizquel dropped considerably because of domestic violence and sexual harassment allegations. Andy Pettitte stays on, but HGH admissions hurt him.
Next year will be Jeff Kent's last year on the ballot. (377 HR, MVP).
The biggest name coming onto the ballot next year is Carlos Beltran (.279, 435 HR, 312 SB). While I think Beltran eventually makes the HOF, I don't think it will be on the first ballot. The only other one that can get considerable consideration among next year's newcomers is Francisco Rodriguez. K-Rod had 437 saves, 62 in 2008.
Posted in Awards, Ex-Players, Mike's Musings
Tagged Beltran, bonds, Clemens, Howard, Kent, Lincecum, Morneau, Nathan, Ortiz, Pettitte, Ramirez, Rodriguez, Rolen, Sosa, Teixeira, Vizquel
Game 101. Offense and Bullpen Bail out Happ. Yanks win, 10-7.
Some news before the game report.
Gary Sanchez to the IL. Kyle Higashioka brought up.
Nestor Cortes back up (like he is riding an elevator). Jonathan Holder back down.
Cortes would figure in the game.
Sad news about some former Yankees:
Dwight Gooden was busted twice recently. Once for DUI and coke possession about a month ago, now a DUI in the last week.
According to the NY Post, former Yankees pitcher John Wetteland will return to court in March to face trial for alleged aggravated sexual assault of a child, court records show.
Now to the game.
J.A. Happ had nothing, but the bullpen and the offense bailed him out as the Yanks (66-35) won another slugfest from the Twins, 10-7.
As David Cone said on WPIX, this turn around in the rotation wasn't good. The starters all were knocked out early.
In the first inning, Happ got the first two hitters out, but then gave up a single and a 2-run HR.
The Yanks came right back with 4 in the top of the second. Edwin Encarnacion and Didi Gregorius hit back-to-back doubles for one run. Gleyber Torres walked. After a fly-out by Gio Urshela that moved both runners up, the red-hot Mike Tauchman tripled in two runs to give the Yanks the lead, 3-2. Austin Romine's SF scored Tauchman to make it 4-2.
Happ gave a run right back in the bottom of the second, 4-3.
The Yanks got two in the top of the third when Aaron Hicks led off the inning with his 12th HR of the season, and after the next two batters struck out, Gleyber Torres hit his 20th HR of the year. 6-3.
The Yanks got three in the fourth to go up 9-3. Romine singled, and after a forceout by D.J. LeMahieu, Aaron Judge singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Hicks singled to score LeMahieu and send Judge to second. 7-3. After a line-out by Encarnacion, Gregorius tripled in two runs to make it 9-3. He, like Tauchman, is hot lately.
But staked to a 9-3 lead, Happ couldn't even go five innings to get a decision. He was then knocked out of the game in the bottom of the fourth. A walk and HR made it 9-5. Then two singles and a ground-out put runners at second and third with one out and Happ was then out of the game, replaced by Nestor Cortes, Jr.
Cortes gave up a SF that made it 9-6, then got a strikeout to get out of the inning. He gave up a HR in the fifth to Nelson Cruz, Jr. that made it 9-7. It was Cruz' 382nd career HR.
The scoring then stopped until the ninth, when Edwin Encarnacion's 30th HR of the season made it 10-7 Yanks, which was the final score. Encarnacion's HR was #410 of his career, passing Mark Teixeira on the all-time list.
With Tampa Bay's win over Boston yesterday, the Yanks lead the Rays by 10 games, and the Red Sox by 11. They lead both by 12 in the loss column. The Yanks now go to Boston, where they could really end any hopes the Red Sox have of winning the division just by splitting the four games. Getting more than a split would be great. Just don't get swept and let Boston get back in it at 7 back.
Judge 2 hits (.311)
Hicks 2 hits, 2 RBI, HR (12)
Encarnacion 2 hits, HR (30)
Gregorius 3 hits, 3 RBI
Torres HR (20)
Tauchman 2 hits, 2 RBI
Happ 3 1/3 IP, 6 R, 6 H, 2 W, 3 K. Gave up 2 HR. 5.23
Cortes (W, 4-0, 4.20) 3 1/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 W, 1 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Kahnle (H, 19) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 3 K. 2.66
Chapman (S, 26) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K. 2.50
Posted in Ex-Players, In-Season Moves, Mike's Musings, Players, Regular Season, Scandal
Tagged Chapman, Cortes, Encarnacion, Gooden, Gregorius, Happ, Hics, Higashioka, Holder, Judge, Kahnle, Romine, Sanchez, Tauchman, Teixeira, Torres, Wetteland
Game 93. Yanks get six in 8th to defeat Rays, 8-3.
The Rays were about to cut the Yanks' lead in the AL East down to four games. They were four outs away from doing so.
But a 2-run HR by Aaron Judge and a grand slam by Didi Gregorius turned a possible 3-2 Yankees' loss into an 8-3 Yankees' win and enabled the Yankees (60-33) to stretch their lead over Tampa Bay to six games. The Yankees are 10 up on Boston.
The Rays took an early lead when CC Sabathia gave up a HR to Austin Meadows in the top of the second inning.
The Yanks came right back in the bottom of the second when Edwin Encarnacion hit a 435 ft. HR (28) to tie the game. Encarnacion's 28th HR of the season (Seattle and NY) was #408 of his career, passing Duke Snider on the all-time list, and putting him one behind Mark Teixeira.
In the fourth, CC gave up a HR to Yandy Diaz to make it 3-1 Rays. He almost gave up back-to-back HR, but Brett Gardner robbed Avisail Garcia of a HR.
In the bottom of the fifth, Didi Gregorius and Gleyber Torres both made bad base-running decisions on the same play, and Tampa Bay got a DP to end that half-inning.
Diaz got an RBI double in the top of the sixth to put the Rays up 3-1.
D.J. LeMahieu homered in the bottom of the sixth (13) to cut the Rays' lead to 3-2.
In the top of the seventh, Nestor Cortes, Jr. came in for CC but loaded the bases with one out, David Hale relieved Cortes, and got a DP to get out of the inning and keep the game within reach for the Yankees.
In the bottom of the eighth, Gleyber Torres walked. Two outs later, Aaron Judge hit a 2-run HR (10) to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead, but then they got insurance runs when Luke Voit singled, Gary Sanchez doubled, Encarnacion was intentionally walked, and Didi Gregorius hit his fifth HR of the season, this one a grand slam, to put the Yankees up 8-3.
Hale got into a jam in the top of the ninth, but Zack Britton finished off the Rays.
Yankees' radio announcer John Sterling missed the game. He's missed a couple lately as he (81 years old) is battling a health issue.
LeMahieu solo HR (13) .331
Judge 2 hits, 2 RBI, GW 2-run HR (10) .304
Encarnacion 2 hits, solo HR (28)
Gregorius 4 RBI; Grand Slam HR (5)
Sabathia 6 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 0 W, 6 K. Gave up 2 HR. 4.06
Cortes, Jr. 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 W, 1 K. 4.50
Hale (W, 3-0, 2.45) 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 W, 3 K. 2.45
Britton 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 2 K. 2.31
Posted in Ex-Players, Media, Mike's Musings, Players
Tagged Britton, Cortes, Encarnacion, Gardner, Gregorius, Hale, Judge, LeMahieu, Sabathia, Snider, Sterling, Teixeira, Torres
Game 162. Yanks' season, Teix's career, end with 5-2 loss.
The Yanks lost their season finale, 5-2, to Baltimore and finished the season 84-78.
It matches the 2014 season as their worst since 1992.
With the loss, Mark Teixeira's career comes to an end. He went 0 for 3 in his final game and retires with 409 HR.
The Yanks finished 9 games out of first place, in fourth place in the AL East, and missed getting a wild card spot by 5 games.
They gave up more runs than they scored. Their Pythagorean record was 79-83, so they won 5 more games than they probably should have.
The adjusted OPS was 91, which means the offense was 9% below league average.
The adjusted ERA was 105, which means 5% above league average.
Masahiro Tanaka was their best player.
As for the game, Luis Cessa gave up a run in the third on a SF. Matt Wieters hit a 2-run HR off Cessa in the fourth.
Brian McCann hit his 20th HR in the bottom of the fourth to cut it to 3-1.
Wieters hit his second 2-run HR of the game in the sixth, this one off of Tommy Layne, to put the Orioles up 5-1.
Singles by Sanchez, McCann and Gregorius in the eighth scored Sanchez with the Yanks' final run of the year.
Cessa (L, 4-4, 4.35) 5 2/3 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 0 walks, 6 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Layne 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 1 K. 3.63 (Bos/NYY) Gave up 1 HR.
Parker 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 1 K. 4.67 (Sea/NYY)
Warren 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 0 K. 4.68 (Cubs/NYY)
Bleier 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 0 K. 1.96
Now for an interesting offseason. What moves do the Yankees make?
The postseason is set.
AL: Texas #1 seed, Cleveland #2, Boston #3. Toronto hosts Baltimore in the WC game.
NL: Cubs #1 seed, Washington #2, Dodgers #3. Mets host SF in the wild card game.
In this decade, The Giants have won the WS in 2010, 2012 and 2014. They snuck into this year's playoffs with 87 wins, the same as the Mets and 1 game better than St. Louis. Giants' fans hope the even-year thing continues.
Two broadcasting legends called their final games Sunday. Vin Scully and Dick Enberg.
Posted in Ex-Players, Mike's Musings, Offseason Moves, Players, Postseason, Regular Season, The Front Office
Tagged Cessa, Enberg, Gregorius, Layne, Parker, Scully, Tanaka, Teixeira, Warren
Game 161. Yanks rally for 7-3 win.
Today is the final game of the season for the Yankees. They are 84-77 after yesterday's come-from-behind, 7-3 win over Baltimore.
There are three playoff spots still to be decided, and five teams fighting for those spots, so the possibility of a 163rd game is very real.
Unfortunately the Yanks have already been eliminated, so today is it for this year.
Eventually, the Yanks have to figure out what to do with Luis Severino. It is in their best interest that he develop into a good starter, but his splits this year make you wonder.
As a starter: 0-8, 8.50
As a reliever: 3-0, 0.39
He started yesterday, and gave up 3 runs in just 3 2/3 IP.
After the Orioles scored two off Severino in the third, and another in the fourth on Manny Machado's 37th HR, the Yanks went to work, scoring one run in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, and putting the game away with four in the eighth.
In the fifth, Mark Teixeira (whose last game will be today) singled, Chase Headley walked, and Austin Romine grounded into a forceout at third. Tyler Austin singled in a run to make it 3-1.
In the sixth, with two out, Billy Butler and Rob Refsnyder singled, and Headley doubled in a run.
In the seventh, Austin tied the game with his fifth HR of the year. All of his homers have been at home, and all by going the other way to right field.
In the eighth, Jacoby Ellsbury walked with one out. Headley doubled and Romine singled in two runs. After Austin struck out, Ronald Torreyes walked. Brett Gardner doubled in two runs.
Severino 3 2/3 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 2 walks, 3 K. 5.83
Holder 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 0 K. 5.40
Bleier 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 0 K. 2.05
Yates 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 0 K. 5.23
Clippard (w, 4-6, 3.57 AZ/NYY) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 0 K.
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 3 K. 3.08
I've seen reports that at the trade deadline, the Yanks were looking at Joe Panik from the Giants as compensation. It didn't happen, and you wonder what the Yanks would have done with Castro if it did. Move him to 3B? What then with Headley?
As far as WAR (wins above replacement) this year, the Yanks' best player in 2016 has been Masahiro Tanaka.
Posted in Awards, In-Season Moves, Mike's Musings, Players, Regular Season, The Front Office, Uncategorized
Tagged Austin, Betances, Bleier, Clippard, Gardner, Holder, Romine, Severino, Tanaka, Teixeira, Yates
Game 158. Teix slams Boston, 5-3.
If this was the last HR of Mark Teixiera's career, what a way to go out…with a walk-off grand slam.
The 5-3 win over Boston puts the Yanks at 82-76 and assures them a winning season. Their last losing season was in 1992.
The game was scoreless until the eighth, when Boston loaded the bases with one out. Mookie Betts doubled in two runs and another run scored on a passed ball. The inning started on an error by Castro.
The Yanks only had one hit in the game going into the bottom of the ninth.
Gardner (who got the only hit up to that point) singled. He moved up on defensive indifference, but Ellsbury walked anyway. A WP moved the runners up, and Sanchez walked to load the bases. He was pinch-run for.
Brian McCann walked to force in a run. 3-1 Boston. McCann was PR for.
Castro struck out and Didi popped up, setting the stage for Teixeira and his GW HR.
It was #15 of the season for Teix, #409 of his career.
Bryan Mitchell had a great start.
It was the first MLB victory for James Pazos.
The Yanks tragic # is 1. Just one Orioles win or Yankees loss will eliminate the Yanks from the postseason.
Mitchell 7 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 5 walks, 2 K. 3.24.
Warren 1/3 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 walks, 0 K. 4.76 (Cubs/NYY)
Layne 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk, 0 K. 3.45 (Bos/NYY)
Holder 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 1 K. 6.43
Pazos (w, 1-0, 6.75) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 0 K.
Tagged Gardner, Holder, Layne, Mitchell, Pazos, Teixeira, Warren
Game 156. Yanks rally with 5 in 9th to win "brawl" game.
The Yankees scored 5 times in the top of the ninth and won 7-5 over Toronto in a game that saw a brushback battle, and Luis Severino, Joe Girardi, Rob Thompson and Larry Rothschild all ejected.
The Yanks go to 80-76 and close the season with six games at home. They are all but officially eliminated, being 5 out of a playoff spot with six games to go. The most wins the Yanks can have is 86. Toronto already has that and Baltimore has 85. Not only that, there are three teams between the Yanks and Baltimore.
In the first, Gardner got on on a bunt single (where was that all year) and went to third on a 2-base throwing error on the play. He scored on an RBI groundout by Sanchez.
In the bottom of the first, with one out, Severino hit Josh Donaldson with a pitch. A single and two walks later, the game was tied at 1. Severino got out of the inning giving up just that one run.
In the top of the second, Headley was HBP and the benches cleared. Girardi was tossed. In the bottom of the second, Toronto's Josh Smoak was drilled, benches emptied and more ejections were made.
Toronto got two in the third to go up 3-1.
The Yanks got one back in the eighth. Gardner, who doubled, scored on an RBI single by Ellsbury.
In the ninth, Teixeira homered with one out (14) to tie the game. #408 of his career passed Duke Snider on the all-time list. Gregorius singled, and Hicks homered (8) to put the Yanks up 5-3. Solano doubled, Gardner walked, and Ellsbury singled in a run to make it 6-3. Sanchez got a SF to make it 7-3.
Betances came in and needed help. He once again looked completely out of gas and couldn't field his position. Layne came in to save it.
Gardner had 3 hits and scored 3 runs. Ellsbury had 2 hits and 2 RBI. 2 RBI for Sanchez. Big 2-run HR for Hicks.
Severino 1+ IP, 1 R, 1 H, 2 walks, 1 K. 2 HBP. Ejected. 5.75
Pazos 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 0 K, 7.71
Yates 1 2/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 walks, 3 K. 5.36
Bleier 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 1 K. 2.33
Warren (w, 7-4, 4.64 Cubs/NYY) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 1 K.
Betances 0 IP, 2 R, 1 earned, 0 H, 2 walks, 0 K. Made an error. 3.13. Faced 3 batters, all reached. 2 walks and an error.
Layne (S, 1) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 walk, 0 K. 3.14.
James Kaprielian, who was dominant in spring training and in three games for High-A Tampa this year before being shut down with a flexor strain, is now OK and will be making up time in the Arizona Fall League this offseason. Good news.
Posted in Ex-Players, Managers and Coaches, Mike's Musings, Players, Regular Season, Scandal, Winter Leagues
Tagged Betances, Bleier, Ellsbury, Gardner, Girardi, Hicks, Holder, Kaprielian, Layne, Pazos, Rothschild, Sanchez, Severino, Snider, Teixeira, Thomson, Warren, Yates
Game 150. Sanchez does it again! Yanks win 5-3.
Forgive me for a moment as I play devil's advocate.
If you are the manager of another team, and the score is tied, and the other team has runners on 2nd and 3rd with two out…
and the HOTTEST hitter in baseball is up at the plate…
do you pitch to him? Or walk him to load the bases for the next hitter, hoping for a force at any base?
And if you are the owner of a manager who decides to pitch to him anyway, only to see that batter hit a 3-run homer that wins the game, do you fire that manager?
For that is exactly what happened in the Yankees' 5-3 win over Tampa Bay Tuesday night.
Of the 16 outs Michael Pineda recorded for the Yanks tonight, 11 were by strikeout. He gave up a two-run triple in the third to put the Yanks in a 2-0 hole.
Mark Teixeira hit a HR in the fourth to cut it to 2-1. Teix's 13th HR of the year was #407 of his career, tying him with Duke Snider on the all-time HR list.
In the seventh, Ronald Torreyes and Mason Williams each singled. 1st and 3rd, one out. As I mentioned before, I think the Yanks should look at dealing Gardner for a decent starting pitcher and look into giving the LF job to Williams in 2017. He might platoon with Frazier (Williams vs. RHP, Frazier or Hicks vs. Lefties).
Gardner singled to tie the game, Williams going to third. Gardner stole 2nd while Hicks (just off the DL) stuck out.
So 2 out. Men on 2nd and 3rd, tie game. Sanchez up and 1st base open. Would you pitch to the hottest hitter in baseball or walk him?
Fortunately for us Yankees fans, Tampa Bay manager pitched to Sanchez. He should be fired for his decision. Sanchez hit a 3-run HR (17) to the delight of us Yankees fans.
Was he kidding? Pitching to Sanchez right now?
Thank you very much, Kevin Cash.
In the 8th, a triple and WP let the Rays score a run.
Pineda 5 1/3 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 1 walk, 11 K. 4.89
Layne 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 1 K. 3.24 (Bos/NYY).
Once again, Girardi uses Layne for just 1 batter. AAAARGH! At least THIS time, it didn't burn him.
Severino (w, 3-8, 5.88) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 1 K.
Clippard (H, 23) 1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 2 K. 3.22 (AZ/NYY)
Betances (S, 12) 1 P, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 1 K. 2.79.
Anthony Swarzak was called back to the Yanks, the other day.
The win puts the Yanks at 78-72 with 12 games left.
Posted in Ex-Players, In-Season Moves, Managers and Coaches, Mike's Musings, Players, Regular Season
Tagged Betances, Cash, Clippard, Gardner, Layne, Pineda, Sanchez, Severino, Snider, Swarzak, Teixeira
Game 140. Teix slams Rays, 7-5.
Remember Arte Johnson on Laugh-In? (Yes, I'm dating myself). He had a character that would say "VERRRRRRRRRRRRY INTERESTING!". For that is what the AL East and the wild card spots are right now, and the Yankees, surprisingly after the trade deadline selloffs, are in the thick of it.
Gary Sanchez homered, and Mark Teixeira hit a grand slam, as the Yanks beat the Rays 7-5 on Friday night in a game that featured three rain delays. With the win, the Yanks' sixth in a row, the Yanks are now 75-65.
So here is a look at how the AL East stands right now. Tampa Bay of course, is WAY back.
Toronto -2
Baltimore -3
YANKEES -4
As for the wild card, here you go:
Toronto (as of now, has Wild Card #1) +1
Detroit and Baltimore are tied for Wild Card #2, one game back of Toronto —-
Yankees -1 (need to jump two teams, Detroit and Baltimore)
Houston -2 1/2
Seattle – 3 1/2
KC -4.
Very interesting, indeed. The Yanks have won 12 of their last 16 games. Ever since A-Rod and Teix announced their retirements, they have taken off.
The Yanks scored immediately in the bottom of the first when Ellsbury singled and Refsnyder doubled him home. After Sanchez struck out, Castro singled but Refsnyder was thrown out at the plate.
The Yanks got two in the third to go up 3-0. Sanchez homered (12), and after Castro struck out, Teixeira doubled. Didi moved Teix up with a groundout, and that was huge because Teix was then able to score on a WP.
Michael Pineda gave up back-to-back HR to Logan Morrison and Stephen Souza (Souza is killing us this series) in the fourth to cut the lead to 3-2.
But in the bottom of the fourth, with two out, Refsnyder and Sanchez singled, Castro walked, and Teix hit a grand slam to make it 7-2. Teix's HR was #12 of the season and #406 of his career, putting him one behind Duke Snider on the all-time list.
The Yanks then held on, giving up two in the sixth and one in the ninth, to win 7-5.
One thing that worries me a bit: Betances has been struggling lately.
One thing about Sanchez. It's not just the HR. It's the defense as well. He picked a runner off of second in the game with that cannon of an arm he has.
Nice patience: The Yanks drew 11 walks in the game.
Once again, Girardi was Captain Hook, pulling a starter before the starter could go the necessary five for the win. At this point in the season, with extra pitchers available because of the extended rosters, and needing to play catch up in the standings, he is playing matchup more than usual. It's all about getting the win, no matter who gets it.
Pineda 4 2/3 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 2 walks, 7 K. Gave up 2 HR. 5.07.
Shreve 2/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 0 walks, 2 K. 5.23
Warren (w, 5-3, 4.88, Cubs/NYY) 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 1 K.
Layne (H, 9) 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 0 K. 3.49 (Bos/NYY)
Clippard (H, 21) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 walk, 0 K. 3.13 (AZ/NYY)
Betances (S, 10) 1 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 walks, 2 K. 2.41.
One final note: Sometimes I get asked to be friends on Facebook. If I refuse or ignore it, please don't be offended. I do make a distinction between friends and acquaintances. For example, I am opinionated, as you sometimes see in this blog. I don't only write about the Yankees, but on other things as well, and in this election season, my viewpoints may or may not be to your liking. My friends know me. They see me. They've known me for a long time. They understand me. So if you only know me through this blog, don't be offended if I don't take you up on a friend request. As I mentioned, the distinction between friend and acquaintance. I hope you understand.
Tagged Betances, Clippard, Girardi, Layne, Pineda, Refsnyder, Sanchez, Shreve, Teixeira, Warren
Game 136. Ellsbury & Austin lead Yanks to 5-3 win.
Jacoby Ellsbury homered, had three hits and drove in three runs, and Tyler Austin had two hits (both doubles) and 2 RBI as the Yanks beat Toronto 5-3 on Labor Day afternoon.
The win puts the Yanks at 71-65, 5 1/2 out of first in the AL East, still in 4th place, and keeps them 3 1/2 out of the second wild card spot. They still need to jump teams and probably have to go 18-8 against a tough schedule to make the playoffs.
But they aren't going down without a fight.
Masahiro Tanaka, the Yanks' best player this year (according to WAR on baseballreference.com) didn't have his best stuff, giving up 10 base runners in 6 1/3 IP, but he gave up just two runs in improving to 12-4.
Because of some no-decisions early in the season due to the Yanks' lack of hitting, Tanaka doesn't have as many decisions as you'd think. He probably should be something like 17-6 or so. If he were that, he'd probably get CYA consideration. Maybe he still will. He has had an excellent season.
Tanaka gave up a run in the first, but the Yanks got two in the bottom of the inning on Ellsbury's 2-run HR (7).
In the third, Austin doubled and scored on Ellsbury's single to make it 3-1.
Austin doubled in two in the fourth to make it 5-1. Toronto made it close with two in the seventh.
Aaron Judge is still striking out too often, as he was 0 for 3 with 3 strikeouts today and has some 35 strikeouts in 65 at bats. He didn't take his offensive frustrations out to the field however, as he saved two runs defensively. His diving catch saved one run, and he robbed another of a home run. At 6'7 1/2″, he hardly had to jump to bring back a potential home run ball from clearing the 8′ high fence.
Tanaka (w, 12-4, 3.11) 6 1/3 IP, 2 R, 7 H, 3 walks, 4 K.
Heller 0 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 0 K. 6.00. Faced one batter, gave up a hit for 2 runs, one charged to Tanaka, the other to Holder.
Betances (S, 9) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 2 K. 2.05
We are still awaiting word on Wednesday's starter, now that Green is out.
BTW, have you noticed how little Teixeira and McCann are being used during these important games?
Posted in Awards, In-Season Moves, Mike's Musings, Players, Regular Season, Uncategorized
Tagged Austin, Betances, Clippard, Ellsbury, Heller, Holder, Layne, McCann, Tanaka, Teixeira