Two electrical distributors pumped up profits when they analyzed and cleaned errors in their product data.
Challenged by price-matrix management, many electrical distributors' profit levels drop year after year. They have fallen victim to out-of-control profit leakage, which occurs as a result of poor product and pricing data.
The importance of fixing this problem has caught the attention of industry leaders, including Bill Elliott, president, Elliott Electric Supply, Nacogdoches, Texas. When asked to name the three biggest challenges facing the electrical industry in Electrical Wholesaling's ElectroForecast 2005 (January, page 16), Elliott, also the chairman-elect of the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED), St. Louis, identified managing the price matrix as one of the biggest.
Surveys exploring distributor pricing and product data management practices conducted by Allen Ray Associates in 2004 indicate many electrical distributors have no clue regarding the purity of the product and pricing data populating their systems. Simply put, managing this data has not been a priority for many distributors. That's too bad – because most would enjoy an increase in gross margin of at least 1 percent if they gave it priority.
The downward data spiral can start in several places. Bad data is brought forward when electrical distributors switch or upgrade ERP systems; third-party pricing services sometimes provide bad data as well. To compound the problem, many electrical distributors were forced to reduce staff when the electrical business climate declined at the beginning of this century. Personnel in charge of maintaining prices were often among the first to go. With fewer employees available to manage pricing and product data, some distributors lost control of this important information. It had a huge impact on bottom-line profitability.
Additionally, distributors want and need "net-into-stock" prices to stem the wave of incorrectly claimed special pricing authorizations (SPAs). Many manufacturers' pricing catalogs provide both pricing multipliers (the distributor must figure his price using a multiplier and a column price) and net-into-stock prices (an already heavily discounted real price that requires no math on the part of the distributor). When manufacturers mix and match, using both multiplier prices and net-into-stock prices, it can become confusing, plus it's labor intensive for a small distributor to put into the ERP system.
When bad pricing data is used by distributors to build sell prices, it gets ugly. Many distributors do not understand why they're not making money. Part of it is they don't truly understand their pricing.
By studying several key areas of their businesses, electrical distributors can quickly determine if they have a problem with inaccurate pricing and product data.
Examine counter sales to see if they produce lower margins than the company as a whole. Who in your organization overrides established pricing? You may have personnel/training problem.
Look at the how much time employees spend changing or correcting prices. Is there overtime associated with this function? Your company may be spending more time on this than you realize.
Take a small sample of your "C" and "D" gear or controls and compare them to product data that has gone through the Data Audit Certification (DAC) process developed by Industry Data Exchange Association, Rosslyn, Va., for the Industry Data Warehouse (IDW). Comparing your product data to this data, which comes directly from the manufacturer to the Industry Data Warehouse, will give a true indication of the data problems in your system.
Two large electrical distributors – one with $164 million in annual sales and the other with $198 million – recently embarked on a quest to correct pricing and data. Each realized inaccurate data cost them plenty in decreased profits. Each was willing to allocate resources to fix the problems.
With the help of Allen Ray Associates, retained as a consultant for the data-cleaning project, the electrical distributors began a journey to clean their data.
Both distributors' current ERP systems had inherited data mistakes from previous versions during system upgrades. Regardless of whether the distributor built a sales price from a reference column with a multiplier or from cost up, the average of bad data for "C" and "D" items was between 37 percent and 42 percent. With this much bad data, when selling "C" or "D" items either from stock or special order, there's no way a distributor will make the profit level needed for the carrying time or special orders.
Each distributor ran between 45,000 and 88,000 items in their ERP systems. Both companies needed at least two employees to maintain this information. Incidentally, only 8,000 to 14,000 items were in stock. The variance between the large product databases is explained by the number of branches and dissimilar lines within those branches. Both distributors were having trouble finding and keeping current net-into-stock prices and sell prices because of the multiple sources of product and pricing data they received from their manufacturers, reps and third-party database companies.
Both distributors also run "parallel catalogs" with more than a million items. The product and pricing is supplied from third-party pricing services. Instead of customizing the data feed from the pricing service companies to receive only the information for the products carried in stock, the distributors wanted all the data to grow their product lines. However, loading data for more than a million items into an ERP system would cause it to run at a crawl.
Instead, the distributors load the data into parallel catalogs – a file that is separate but linked to the lookup reference screen. Salespeople can look up an item and price it even though the distributor doesn't stock it. Although adding the products seemed like a good business decision, the added products cause headaches when supplied data is bad.
Neither distributor had ever focused on cleaning its product and pricing databases. Instead, errors were corrected on the fly – often after products had already been invoiced. Even though both distributors had product managers on staff, they were still challenged with inaccurate product data descriptions and pricing.
Both distributors understand that once they normalize their product and pricing data, synchronizing their data with what is provided (preferably directly from the manufacturer through IDX2 from IDEA) is an on-going process.
Incorrect UPC numbers or manufacturers' product codes accounted for 36 percent of the data mistakes; the remaining errors were in the lack of a populated cost field or incorrect sales prices. The sheer size of these two databases required constant attention, and required dedicated personnel. Unfortunately, the cost of this personnel contributed directly to overhead and not to the value-added services for which the distributors' customers will pay. The vast majority of data mistakes occurred with "C" and "D" items.
Another problem area was the counter. At both distributors, more than 50 percent of price changes were made by counter sales personnel. Counter sales gross margins for both distributors averaged between 21 percent and 24 percent. A distributor needs to make at least 28 percent gross margins on counter sales.
Although product and pricing data may come from various sources, an examination of this data and synchronization with the manufacturer is of prime importance if distributors are to increase margins and grow business. Synchronizing distributor data with the data provided by the manufacturer through IDEA reduces transmission errors, which in turn reduces "kick-out rates" or errors on the order, acknowledgment and billing between manufacturer and distributor. Correcting these errors can easily cost between $75 and $150 per occurrence. Every time an error is generated, it costs both the distributor and the manufacturer.
If a distributor enters an order with the wrong price, unit of measure or UPC code, the manufacturer must manually fix the mistake and notify the distributor. If a distributor does not fix the error in its system, the order will not be received correctly. It will cause late payment because it does not match what's in the distributor's system. The distributor will end up either partially paying the invoice, issuing a debit to the manufacturer or sitting on the invoice until there is some resolution. Either way, it becomes a costly transaction that can be avoided by synchronization with certified manufacturer data through IDEA.
IDEA now has the necessary fields in its IDW database to supply net-into-stock cost down to the branch level. This means a distributor can potentially automate to receive net-into-stock pricing at the branch level from a single secure source via EDI in a timely fashion. Distributors need not wait for reps to authorize pricing, or handle various conversion routines to produce accurate branch-level pricing.
Both distributors increased profit at the end of these projects. When they ran their final tabulations and looked back across sales of the items for which there had been mistakes for years, they wondered why they hadn't gotten this project off the ground sooner. Each company would have enjoyed an increase of 1.00 to 1.84 percentage points in gross margins, respectively, at their currently operating ratios.
Both distributors now have committees that look at pricing on a regular basis. This makes sense. Distributors are in the business of selling product at a profit – why not have employees examine their cost, sell prices and inventory on a regular basis?
One distributor is working with counter personnel to not be the customers' "good buddies" and automatically lower prices. The distributor is also restricting which employees have the authority to discount prices, and have reevaluated acceptable margins.
Synchronized product and pricing data through IDEA allows a distributor to drive business faster. The reduction in data mistakes means less overtime, less headcount, lower postage, fewer aggravating phone calls and better customer service.
A good tool to ensure clean data is available through the Data Audit Certification (DAC) process developed by Industry Data Exchange Association, Rosslyn, Va., for the Industry Data Warehouse (IDW). DAC is growing in scope and size, with over 910,188 certified items from more than 120 manufacturers and 109 distinct, brand-name product lines. The very idea that manufacturers are placing "certified data" at the Industry Data Warehouse is an open invitation for the approved distributor and manufacturer to talk the same language from the start of the order, acknowledgment, and invoice to a SPA claim back.
To emphasize the importance of clean data, the following procedure was followed to test the accuracy of product and pricing data provided by a third-party pricing service. Product data for more than 100,000 items from one manufacturer was selected from a third-party pricing service and from the IDW. UPC numbers were matched from those products and then tested for accuracy of the data from both sources.
The DAC-certified data from the IDW obtained directly from the manufacturer was 100 percent accurate. The third-party pricing service data contained inaccurate minimum order quantities in more than 60 percent of the items and a disturbing variety of pricing errors.
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1. Drink water and eat. I can't stress this enough, the second you wake up drink a big glass of water. It's so important to rehydrate after hours of not drinking anything. And make sure you're eating something in the morning. Whether it's just a banana with peanut butter or a full breakfast with eggs, protein, and healthy carbs it's so important to get enough energy in you for the day. Eating a hearty breakfast can also help reduce unhealthy cravings throughout the day, so make sure you start it off right. My favorite on-the-go breakfast is a banana with peanut butter on a whole wheat english muffin or berries and yoghurt, and my favorite full-fledged breakfast is a whole wheat english muffin, two eggs over easy, half an avocado and berries or yoghurt.
2. Keep a gratitude journal. I started keeping a gratitude journal a year and a half ago when I started college and it's been the best decision I've ever made. I do admit there have been times where I've been not as good about writing something down everyday, but I always get back on track. All I do is whip out my notebook and write 1-2 lines about something I'm grateful for at that moment. Spending 30 seconds to think about something positive can make such a big difference to your day. I also find myself pulling out my journal and reading back through all the things I've written when I'm having a bad/hard day. I really think this is something everyone should do.
3. Spend 3 minutes checking your planner. I am constantly filling out my planner (currently using this Kate Spade one) throughout everyday just to make sure I'm on top of my schedule and all the work I have, but I like to spend a bit of time every morning going over all the things I have to do that day. As I'm doing this I also cross off the day before, it's such a small action but really helps me shift my focus from the past to the present. When I do this I always remind myself that it's a new day with new possibilities and new intentions, as cheesy as that may sound.
4. Make yourself a cup of coffee. I started doing this recently (even in my dorm room), and I've been loving it. I find that making coffee at home makes you move around a little bit which is exactly what I need when I first wake up (along with my cup of joe). I didn't think I was going to be able to make coffee in my dorm room, but it's surprisingly easy. I just have ground coffee from Trader Joe's, an Alfred coffee french press (which I'm obsessed with) and then a microwave safe mug to boil water in. It's something mindless you can do while still moving around a bit.
5. Do your makeup. Even on days that are a bit more chill or that I'm going to be staying in for a while I always do my makeup and get dressed. I don't do anything crazy or over the top but the act of getting ready helps me get into a more productive mindset. Especially if I'm going to be doing some work or need to do something important, getting dressed and made up puts me in the 'ready to go' headspace, it always makes me feel so productive without fail.
6. Tidy up your space. I try not to let my room and workspace get too messy, but when I wake up I really try to tidy up and organize as much as possible. I'll throw away any trash, file away lose papers and very quickly make up bed. Doing all of this helps me feel organized and calm about the day ahead of me. There's nothing better than having a clean and fresh start to the morning.
7. Meditate or create daily intentions. I've started using the apps Headspace and Calm in the mornings, and it's made such a difference. I usually just put on a 5 minute meditation that I'll listen to while I'm tidying up or brushing my teeth. Even if I'm not focusing on it 100%, just having it on in the background makes me think about the day ahead of me and what I want to get out of it.
8. Use citrus essential oils. Citrus scents are known to be amazing for waking you up and making you feel revived and fresh. I love to use anything citrus (lemon, orange, grapefruit) in my diffuser in the morning to make the room smell nice and wake myself up. If I'm really needing it, I'll also dab a little bit on the insides of my wrists to carry around with me as I start the morning.
9. Get some sunshine and fresh air. When I wake up in the morning and don't have anywhere to be for a bit, I always try to get outside even just for a little bit. Whether I walk out to grab breakfast and coffee or I just sit on my patio for 10 minutes, being outside always makes me feel so awake and ready to begin the day. And plus, so much research says that getting a little bit of Vitamin D every morning has infinite positive affects on your body.
10. Start your morning routine at night. Yes- get your morning off to the best start possible by getting everything ready the night before. Get your stuff organized, get your things together if you have an early start, just make sure you end everyday prepared for the next day. Not only will you thank yourself for doing so the next morning, it will also help you sleep better and feel more at ease knowing you're prepared.


My first game system was the original playstation, but I never truly discovered the fact that I was a gamer until I played Sonic Adventure for the Sega Dreamcast at a friend's house. Life moved on barely seeing that game again until my mother got me a GameCube for my birthday.
On a visit to my grandfather's house I discovered that they made a re-release of Sonic Adventure for the Nintendo GameCube, I felt like I witnessed the birth of a universe, I was so happy. I played with my grandfather's friend Mike who was living there. Nothing was odd or paranormal about this game and to my slight dissapointment, the graphics were slightly worse than the Dreamcast's. Eventually I discovered the cute little creatures you can raise called Chao. Mike, after much dispute (and constant begging from me) gave in and gave me keep Sonic DX. After a few months the game was scratched beyond repair, I felt like my world had shut down. I kept quiet in school the only person I talked to was my best friend Gary.
Slowly another year came and gone, it was the 18th of September when I slowly drifted off to sleep at around 9 or 10 o'clock after playing a bit of Super Mario Sunshine, I just defeated king boo so I went to bed with a smile on my face, but in the back of my head I knew it was no replacement for my treasured Sonic Adventure. The 19th was on a Saturday so I wasn't worried about school. I woke up to mom yelling happy birthday and pinning me on the couch for birthday spankings. (Hey I was 11 and she's crazy) after laughter from my brothers and step-father it was over and my presents were given to me. I got a new MP3 player, a copy of Metroid Prime, and a new Lego set from my brothers. My mother had to babysit and Ron, my stepfather, had to go too. Believe it or not I wouldn't have wanted my birthday go any other way.
The game started up normally, I never really skip the intro video, I mean, perfect chaos was one of the coolest things I have ever seen! I hit start and of course chose the only playable character at the beginning, Sonic. It started with the fight against Chaos 0 who I dealt with as quickly as possible. I made haste to the chao garden and began to raise the two default blue and yellow chao of course just trying to get stamina up seeing as how I had no animals. I got their stamina as high as I could before they started to throw the food away; I then headed eagerly to level 1.
Excited to run from the killer whale you had to flee from on the wooden bridge it destroys as it chases you, I did a speed run through it. The second I arrived at the ending the cutscene with Tails began. It's not until I beat the casino level when things got... strange. You appear in the sewers and get the light speed shoes from that place. You use the ring dash the shoes give you and appear in the pawn shop which wasn't accessible. It has an odd green stone, but it's really a golden chao egg. Being the smart kid I am (and a tiny bit of help from the strategy guide) I fooled that chunky pawn shop npc by switching his egg with the rock you find of about the same size.
Now this is where things get weird, I don't like throwing the egg against the wall to smash it open to make the chao hatch my process is picking it up, putting it down, picking up, and repeat. Eventually the damn thing decides to hatch a small golden chao with a green dot crawls out of the egg and takes a seat. After completing the first level I purchased a white egg if I might add so there's four chao in my garden the little gold chao began to crawl around but where it crawled too caught my attention.
The newborn took a seat in the center of a triangle formed by the other three. I watched as the casing around the four began to form signifying they are maturing. I knew something was wrong, but I continued to watch the process of these chao transforming. Instead of the happy short music skit that plays when they transform it was a darkened deep sound, leaving a state of sorrow in my mind. This was nothing compared to what happened next.
The cloud dissolved and revealed the four, to my horror they were all dark type, skin black with red markings on their hands and feet, even though they didn't hatch with these facial features they all had the sharp grin, and menacing eyes as if they were always up to something.
What startled me is that the golden one even had skin as black as oil (gold chao do not change color when matured), and it approached sonic slowly with enough time to notice the red streaks under its eyes, and slight red tips on its teeth. The thing is they were realistic and seemed like the young creatures was crying tears of blood. The other chaos didn't have this feature. Just him, he lifted his arms to be picked up by sonic, (this was also strange because mature chaos don't do this.) so I gave in to the creatures wants and picked it up, when I did my heart skipped a beat because all stats were 99 except one, stamina symbolizing hunger, it was at 98. A loud screech was heard, much like the yell that Perfect chaos emits only at a much higher pitch.
The chao began to squirm as Sonic's facial features changed from continent to fear, then to pain as if this adorable little creature was crushing his skull. The chao turned around in his hands, I rapped the B-button to make him put the demonic monster down to no effect. Suddenly in a flash of white light that would put an epileptic into a seizure, the chao jumped onto Sonic knocking him onto his back, the chao's arms slowly shifted into the lion claws, in an animation I've never seen before.
He dug them into Sonic's face slashing and clawing viciously as I stared in horror, the claws got redder and redder as sonic became more and more mangled by the demonic creature. I tried to save poor sonic by pausing it but all that happened was a text box, like the one that appears when talking to an npc, that said three words that made my heart stand still, "No, you watch!" I began to cry as my childhood hero and favorite game character was torn to shreds by the demon chao, who from now on we will call Lou.
Lou stopped his onslaught and panted heavily looking down at the corpse of Sonic, the muscle tissue bleeding slowly one of his eyes popped out of the socket. It was a lot for an eleven year old to see, but what came next was worse, Lou leaned forward and began to feast on the dead Sonic's flesh slowly tearing away the muscle, (I take this time to remind you that Lou's stats are up) his stamina began to regenerate slowly, he continued to eat until the counter reached 99. Another text box appeared saying in blood red letters. "More, I want more.", as the chao was panting heavily blood dripping from its chin.
The game shot me back to the title screen where you select your file, I quickly tried to delete that file but the screen kept saying "No.", so I tried to select file #2 or three, same result. Instead of revisiting that horror again I shut the console off and put the controller on the stand, I tried to recover the disk but the eject hatch wouldn't open. I rubbed my eyes and laid down for bed, almost the second after I closed my eyes I was out and I began to dream.
I was confined in a dark room, one light illuminated a dirty mirror standing in front of me. I looked into it to see my reflection and something else through the grime on the lower corner, it was small, had blood flowing from its dark red demonic eyes; it seemed to be drooling teeth covered in a fresh coat of crimson which led down to its lower jaw and dripped to the floor.
Slowly its teeth parted and it began to speak to me, not in a cute innocent voice the chao usually have but in a voice that would put the lead singer of Six Feet Under to shame. It was all audible somehow. Lou spoke slowly and calmly as if it had something in its throat.
I began to sweat as it continued to talk to me.
"If I go hungry…" I had a sharp pain in my neck as the beast sinks its teeth into my throat. I scream loudly as it pulls away and whispers into my ear.
"…you will regret it." I woke up suddenly looking around hoping my entire experience was a dream, but it wasn't, the box was in the corner torn apart contents spilled out and the game case open on the TV stand.
I had no choice, from fear of what Lou would do to me I started the game, selected my old file and stared in shock as the hope that this was all a dream faded away, the character selection screen was brought up, Sonic's face was torn apart, his body twitching as the revealed muscle tissue continued to bleed slowly, one of his eyes was hanging out of socket, the other was missing.
I swallowed a bit of vomit that was rising into my throat and selected the only other character I had unlocked; I scrolled over to Tails and gasped. His facial expression wasn't the happy go-lucky fox that I know and love, but a dark depressing shadow of the young cub he is, his eyes filled with sorrow that could make the most evil demon cry gently for the suffering he must feel.
It opens with Tails flying his plane through the air testing the new power source, a chaos emerald. His music wasn't happy and joyful; it was dark, slow, and sad. He didn't lean over the side of the plain to wave gleefully at sonic as he normally does, and I knew why, there was no sonic to wave to anymore. He crashed the plain as he always did when the game moves normally.
Slowly I begin to go through the game playing level after level trying to drown out the looming feeling of evil trying to push me to sacrifice the young Tails to that beast. I grip my eyes shut tightly "N-No, I won't do that to Tails." I tell myself. I suddenly drop the controller and let out a yelp when I feel a sharp pain in the back of my head. The voice begins to speak again, "You are MINE!" I begin to cry, not from the pain but from the guilt of what I'm going to put poor Tails through. As Tails approaches the elevator to get up to the chao garden, the pain in my head begins to numb until the doors open and it stops completely.
he screen fades back in, revealing the elevator opening it shows Tails cowering in the corner at the back of the elevator, claw marks all over the back and sides, his fingers bleeding lightly as it seemed the frantic scratching have torn his nails off. Tails uttered slowly, "I-I'll be good, I promise!" the camera switches to Lou and his friends the four chao sitting in the same formation they were in when that horrible evolution took place. I began to make Tails walk out of the elevator heading to the triangle.
The leader stood slowly extending his arms as if offering a gentle kind embrace to Tails but that smile showed the deceit. I forced Tails forward and pushed B, instead of lifting the Lou into the air Tails dropped to his knees embracing the creature. Lou's arms wrap around Tails, with a yip in pain Lou's claws slip into the fur and eventually the flesh of the young fox's back.
With a sudden jerking motion Lou tears open his back revealing Tails's spine and ribcage to the three other chao. Like animals they begin to swarm the injured fox, they violently tear the poor creature apart while the leader stands over the messy pile laughing like it's a joke. Even though Tails is being torn apart, shrieks of pain can still be heard. After a few minutes hearing the sounds of crunching and tearing, they disperse revealing a mess of what used to be Tails.
I cried throwing the controller onto the floor, shouting at the television as it continued to show Lou laughing at me, he slowly picks up Tails's heart from the pile and squishes it lightly trying to make it look like it is beating, and offers it to the screen.
"For you…" he says slowly. I scream at the screen with hatred in my voice, "NO MORE!" To which he replies smirking evilly taking a small bite out of the heart in his claws.
"More…" I was confused as I had no other characters unlocked to feed to him. "Now let me help you…" he said slowly, I jump as the screen flashes a new message, Knuckles unlocked.
A small shred of hope dawns upon me, if anyone could kill this thing its knuckles. I didn't believe it to be honest, but I tried to force myself to.
Lou spoke again, "if I must prod my pet to behave, so be it." I scrolled over and went to select Knuckles, he was a bit discolored the red a bit darker than normal, his gloves were damp as if he has been crying, but this wasn't what was the worst. His eyes hallow as if his pupils have been taken from him, soulless to the highest definition of the word.
It started with the smashing of the master emerald and the cut scene carried on normally. I quickly did the first few levels carefully avoiding the mystic ruins chao garden, you couldn't pay me to go in there.
I eventually progressed enough to get into the hotel but first I had to defeat Chaos 3, easy enough but once he left the elevator leading to the fight his prideful face suddenly shrank as he stared out at the camera, "Not me too…" he begged sobbing a little. I made him turn to the elevator; I began to feel the pain again. Soft blue tears began to slip down the echidna's face, sobbing sounds could be heard but then he says the words that force me to pity him, "I'm afraid…" I begin to cry deeply as the elevator doors close, I hear the laughter from Lou.
He apparently has swallowed his fear because he walks out in a stance that shows he is not afraid; this is short lived because just as soon as he walks out Lou grabs Knuckles by the face using his small wings to lift him in the air. Suddenly he begins to spin at a speed that would only make a large black and red blur visible.
A loud "Crack" is heard fallowed by knuckle's body flying away from the horrible vortex blood falling like rain from his neck hole, in a circular pattern drenching the other chao in red; one's mouth is wide open trying to catch as much as he can. Leo casually tosses the severed head to his company laughing deeply and devil like, the kind of laugh that would be burnt into my memory forever.
The three begin to feast upon the flesh from the severed head giggling happily and demonically. Lou flies to the corpse and pulls out his spine wiggling it around like a maraca, he continues while slowly humming a small song as chao do in the normal game. The others take their attention off the severed head and dance to the sounds their master is making.
The cut scene is normal he lost his darling pet frog and begins to chase it, eventually getting to the town. The hotel is closed and he has to head onto the beach, I quickly catch the frog but instead of holding it up triumphantly, he embraces it crying deeply. "I love you Froggie…" he cries, slowly he leaves the beach walking into the hotel, he puffs his chest out trying not to seem afraid of what will happen next.
With a lightning fast jabbing motion Leo buries the stick into Big's stomach, with a smirk Leo begins to twist the stick roughly coiling Big's insides around it. Leo yanks the stick out pulling his intestines out with it, Big screams in pain and agony. The chao kicks Big onto his back jumping onto his chest roaring triumphantly. He begins to savagely thrust the spear into Big's face, splattering blood everywhere. With a small gurgle his chest stops moving and body goes cold. The chao begin to devour the poor cat. Leo's grin somehow became more maniacal as he says something that made my blood run cold, "One more." He roars with laughter as it says Amy Rose unlocked.
My heart jumps into my throat as it skips me back to the main menu yet again, I felt tired and thought to myself knowing he was listening, "May I go to sleep Leo?". A short burst of laughter fallowed by "Trying to delay the inevitable are we daddy?" he said mockingly, I sigh knowing that I would have another nightmare so I just head to the character selection screen.
The sight of Big was one I could barely stand, he was lying on his back, the sharp stick sticking from out from his stomach, but it was the fact his intestines were coiled around tightly around it, that got to me. "I-I'm sorry Big… so sorry." I said sadly as I began to cry again. I scrolled to Amy and began to study her features, the best way to put how she looked was, afraid, not like the kind of fear of what's going to happen next in a movie, no this fear was real, so real it struck my heart like a steak piercing through it as a punishment for putting all these cute animals through this pain.
I selected Amy and what she said cut deeper than anything I have heard prior. "Let's finish this…" she said in a serious voice as she pounded her hammer off the ground, all sense of fear she expressed earlier was gone, I once again had a hope that this could be over. It opened normally Amy walking down the street cheerfully, the music in the background was dark and fearful but that's about all that was different.
She bumped into the bird who became her traveling companion as the normal cut seen continued. A sigh escaped my lips as I begin to head to the chao garden ready for whatever evil idea Leo had in mind for this poor girl. After entering the elevator a frightful expression spread across Amy's face as the doors slowly closed.
She walked through the large doors into the garden where Leo was waiting for her; he smiled evilly as he lunged at her knocking her off her feet. He chuckles lightly as he stares into her eyes, "What a pretty face she has, wouldn't you agree?" he slowly drags his claw across her cheek leaving a small cut. "Would be a shame for anything to happen to it." He laughed evilly as he began to bash her head off the floor roughly but not enough to do much damage before the bird let out a loud chirp attacking the monster. A loud screech was emitted by the chao as he slapped the bird away and began to savagely tear it apart.
Amy took this chance steadily rising to her feet hammer in hand. She brought the hammer to the side of Leo's head sending him clear across the room, another screech as he fell to the ground clearly injured. The other three chao roar in anger and lunge at her only to be knocked back by her hammer spin attack. Two get knocked out cold; the third's head gets taken clean off, his neck spurts a bit of blood as it drops to the ground. She quickly deals with the two disoriented lesser chao by smashing their heads with the hammer multiple times leaving nothing but a sick red paste in remains.
Leo recollected his senses and rose to his feet. A loud enraged roar is released as he jumps for his final kill; Amy quickly leaps out of the chao's path landing another hammer swing to his side, knocking him out of the air and into the wall headfirst. A cracking noise is heard as he hits the ground. Slowly he begins to speak facing the camera with fear in his dark satanic eyes, "Don't do this, I was only hungry daddy." He looked up at Amy in fear as she winds back her hammer staring down at the beaten creature.
I sighed watching as she brought the hammer down upon the creatures head exerting a "Crunch", she winds the hammer back and repeatedly hits the beast's head destroying all traces of his facial features. A high pitch screech was emitted as the screen went to static, a long crack shot down the window behind the TV stand as the screen flickered images of all the dead characters before shooting me back to the main menu. Quickly I took the game out of the console putting it back in its case and throwing it into the garbage never to be seen again. I felt as if, I was free, this horrific experience was over.
I went to bed happy that everything was about to go back to normal, I had a nightmare about Leo that night, he didn't speak to me, just stared with hurt filled eyes the tears of blood flowed sadly down his face. I pitied the creature he extended his arms slowly to embrace me; I turned away and began to walk in the opposite direction. I heard a slight please in a soft innocent voice but I ignored it and kept walking. Slowly I woke up in a few hours looking around frantically.
"I-It's over, it's finally over…" I said happily looking outside to see my parents pulling into the drive way, believe it or not I missed them so much and stood to greet them at the door, and then I heard it, that voice, that damn voice.
"It's not that easy daddy." Fallowed by evil laughter, and everything went black. My eyes opened several hours later to my mother's frantic crying and Ron on the phone calling the hospital. I tried to speak but the words were not my own.
"Are you OK Dominic?!" my mother asked embracing me worriedly. An involuntary grin spread across my lips, my teeth sharp to a point as I utter three words against my will that made my blood run cold, "I'm fine mommy..." she smiles looking at me, her worried look is replaced by terror as I finish my statement.


text:
namespace VulkanCookbook {

  void BindPipelineObject( VkCommandBuffer     command_buffer,
                           VkPipelineBindPoint pipeline_type,
                           VkPipeline          pipeline ) {
    vkCmdBindPipeline( command_buffer, pipeline_type, pipeline );
  }

} // namespace VulkanCookbook

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


London, UK – Novum Global Services (Novum GS) is pleased to announce its arrival. The new company will be led by Joan Mill as CEO, who will also in the interim continue in her role as Head of Sales & Marketing for FusionExperience. Joan has also joined the FusionExperience Board in this capacity.
Novum Global Strategies Ltd (Novum GS) has been set up with a specific focus on Intellectual Property portfolio management and introduces its award winning product, NovumIP. This IP Portfolio Management application enables efficiency, commercialisation and a holistic view of a company's global IP portfolio in a single place. In essence, the ability to transform and grow its IP portfolio by cleverly removing clunky legacy systems and gaining a competitive advantage (whether they have a defensive or offensive IP strategy).
We are very interested in working with companies in the Telecommunications, Manufacturing, Bio Life sciences/Tech, Automotive and Pharmaceutical areas.
Joan Mill, CEO, Novum Global Strategies (Novum GS), said: "The time has come for us to sharpen our focus on NovumIP and the enormous benefits that it can provide, as there is simply no other application available to satisfy all of the complex requirements of a sophisticated IP department in a single solution.


CARLSOOOOOON AAAAND PEEEEETERSSSSSS! · 22 · From Location Location. Thats my motto.
Okay guys, I'm back for real this time I swear.
Allright, see you in 2019!
Well, last night I finally saw Zootopia and I found myself really enjoying it. What did y'all think of it?
Hey everybody, I'm back. What did I miss?
The world has changed in the years you have been in stasis. Aliens now rule us (i for one welcome our alien overlords.) The president was held hostage, and worst of all, Donald Trump's hair came alive.
Although aliens invading isn't a problem if you live outside of America. Hollywood tells us this all the time.
HAPPY B DAY I GUESS?
That was wonderful, thank you for sharing that with us.
Hey guys, did you know dog urine is acidic. It's true! In Canbodia, there was a lamp pole that actually fell over because so many dogs peed on it. Isn't that fascinating?
Guys, wanna know what happens if a father has his kid, starting from age 4, play games from the first generation of gaming to the current in chronological order? Well, now's your chance.
I read it and, well, it was a really interesting article.
Retro games are cool, and if you're good at them - it's even better.
If I ever had a child, I'd at least pass on my Game Boy Color to them...but I'm not having a child. Interesting article all the same, though!
Where is this dog's neck?!
Oh hey, I think you might have some setting checked that makes you approve comments on your profile before they appear and you've forgotten to approve some messages you've received since then. For example, I can't see the happy birthday message I sent you last month, nor your reply to it, but I received a notification stating you had replied.
Okay guys, imagine this: Five Nights at Freddy's... ON SEGA CD! Eh? Eh??
Happy birthday! Your first day not being a minor anymore! I guess I didn't get around to asking you back in April, so I guess I'll ask you now. What made you decide to change your username from Ultimate Nerd-meister to TinFoilHats?
I just wanted to change it to coincide with my accounts in the other places where I'm also named TinFoilHats.


text:
<?php

/**
 * Simple syntax highlighter for console output. We just try to highlight the
 * commands so it's easier to follow transcripts.
 */
final class PhutilConsoleSyntaxHighlighter extends Phobject {

  private $config = array();

  public function setConfig($key, $value) {
    $this->config[$key] = $value;
    return $this;
  }

  public function getHighlightFuture($source) {
    $in_command = false;
    $lines = explode("\n", $source);
    foreach ($lines as $key => $line) {
      $matches = null;

      // Parse commands like this:
      //
      //   some/path/ $ ./bin/example # Do things
      //
      // ...into path, command, and comment components.

      $pattern =
        '@'.
        ($in_command ? '()(.*?)' : '^(\S+[\\\\/] )?([$] .*?)').
        '(#.*|\\\\)?$@';

      if (preg_match($pattern, $line, $matches)) {
        $lines[$key] = hsprintf(
          '%s%s%s',
          $matches[1],
          $matches[2],
          (!empty($matches[3])
            ? hsprintf('%s', $matches[3])
            : ''));
        $in_command = (idx($matches, 3) == '\\');
      } else {
        $lines[$key] = hsprintf('%s', $line);
      }
    }
    $lines = phutil_implode_html("\n", $lines);

    return new ImmediateFuture($lines);
  }

}


text:
Home NFL AFC Oakland Raiders Game Grades: Week Eight
Oakland Raiders Game Grades: Week Eight
Grant Richards
f the Oakland Raiders position groups were given letter grades and placed on a report card, the report would not even come close to being posted on the family refrigerator. Some groups have shown improvement while others have declined greatly. It would be nice to have all segments of the team thriving, but some find consistency boring.
(Grades are based on team expectations)
Overall Playcalling Grade (Jon Gruden/Greg Olson): A-
Despite the overall lack of consistency, the Raiders gameplan has remained fairly similar over the last three weeks: power runs with Jacobs and short passes melting into midrange/deep passes as the game progresses. Speaking of consistency, the Raiders have scored exactly 24 points in their last three games.
But the Raiders seem comfortable in this offense and have been running it better each week. The Raiders seemed to take some time to discover their identity, but just now appear to be hitting their stride.
Offensive Line Grade (Tom Cable): A+
Looking at the Raiders' offensive line on paper could leave some to believe Tom Cable has one of the easiest jobs in the NFL. Despite the talent, the coaching of the offensive line has been incredible. The Raiders have allowed one sack in their last four games and have not allowed a sack in their last three. Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs constantly find comfort in the safety of the pocket.
Overall Playcalling Grade (Paul Guenther): D-
The only thing keeping this grade above an F is the promise the team showed in its earlier games.
Over the last two games, the defense has been disgusting. As previously discussed, the Raiders are settling in as a 24 points per game team, so the defense does not need to be elite, just good enough to allow 23 points per game (23 points allowed per game would rank the Raiders at 15th in the league). However, the Raiders currently sit at 28th in the league with 27 points allowed per game.
These last two weeks have been very hard to watch from a defensive standpoint. Whether it is Aaron Rodgers easily completing passes to open receivers or watching linebackers cover DeAndre Hopkins, it is quite easy to see something is wrong with this defense.
Defensive Line Grade (Brentson Buckner/Guenther): B
The 2019 Oakland Raiders have matched the 2018 Raiders sack total in just seven games. While 13 sacks put the Raiders at 25th in the league, it certainly shows improvement.
The Raiders have also significantly improved their run defense. In 2018, the team allowed an average of 140 rush yards per game, while this season they have cut it down to 93 rush yards per game, ranking them 9th in the league.
The defensive line has been the shining star of an otherwise dull defense.
Overall Grade: B-
We have seen the Raiders play much better than what they have shown in their two most recent losses. The team is far better than this.
Since seeing what the team can actually do, expectations have been raised significantly. 4-3 was held as the expectation throughout the entire game against the Texans, but now 4-4 is required.
The Raiders have a rare get-right/must-win game this Sunday against the Detroit Lions. The Raiders must get everyone back on track as they approach the significantly easier half of their schedule.
Hunter Renfrow
Josh Jacobs
Previous articleLightning struck twice, Predators struck thrice
Next article2020 Raiders Draft Profile: DE Chase Young

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Sai Kung West Country Park () is  a  country park on the Sai Kung Peninsula in northeast Hong Kong.

Opened in 1978 the park's sights include:

 Wong Chuk Wan ()
 Tai Mong Tsai ()
 Pak Tam Chung
 Yung Shue O
 Lai Chi Chong
 Hoi Ha Marine Park

History
Sai Kung West Country Park was formally designated on 3 February 1978.

See also
 Sai Kung West Country Park (Wan Tsai Extension)

References
Sai Kung West

1978 establishments in Hong Kong
Country parks and special areas of Hong Kong
Sai Kung Peninsula
Tai Po District

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


America is a good country, and I'm very happy to be here legally in the United States.
As a European college educated female professional, if Donald Trump were on the ballot in the general election this fall, here are some of the reasons why I'd gladly vote for him. Because as good as this nation is, it can become much better under the proper leadership. Let's look at the various leaders in the presidential race, and you'll see why I support Donald Trump.
Clinton – Cruz – Kasich – Sanders – Trump; photo credits CNN.
1) Hillary Clinton would be a disaster for America. Mr. Trump is right, it's shocking that the Democratic front runner is so corrupt and sloppy that she's about to be interviewed by the FBI, after a staffer of her's has been granted immunity to make him testify. As our 9 year old son likes to remind us, it was a room full of Bernie Sanders supporters who were chanting about Hillary, "She's a liar! She's a liar!"
While I wasn't living in America then, I've heard and read the stories about how Hillary ran cover for her philandering husband Bill. How is that anything except cold, politically calculating heartlessness towards the women she claims to champion? Our son and the Bernie supporters are right. "She's a liar! She's a liar!" You can't trust her, period.
2) There is so much smoke around the Clinton Foundation and high dollar speaking deals with her husband Bill during her term as Secretary of State, not to mention the big bucks Hillary got from her own speaking to big money companies. Hillary is all about herself, money and power. She'd be a disaster for America on trade, on foreign policy and on domestic policy too.
Dinesh D'Souza documented in his movie on President Obama, that Hillary was a disciple of the "Rules for Radicals" left-wing activist, Saul Alinsky. Do we need to say much more than that fact?
As professionals and thinking people read this, there has never been a tax or regulation that Hillary hasn't joyfully embraced. It will take someone who is politically incorrect - fearless - to beat her and the Democratic machine that would back her. We don't need four or eight more years of President Barack Hussein Obama's failed domestic and tragic foreign policies. D'Souza's correct. That's what Hillary would be; another Obama, or worse.
3) If Bernie Sanders gets the Democratic nomination because Hillary is indicted or the FBI leaks damaging information about her prior to the close of the primaries, Senator Sanders openly said he's sincerely a socialist. He's right on TPP and poor trade deals costing Americans millions of higher wage jobs. But he's so wrong on taxes, regulations and on what creates jobs or attracts or keeps money coming or staying in America.
Senators Sanders is acting as a populist, he gets the younger people excited by promises of free college and free health care. Nonsense. Everyone living in reality knows there is no such thing as a free lunch, someone always pays. He fails to mention that his stories about Denmark are history, they're moving away from all that so-called free stuff as best as they can. Look what supposedly free stuff has done to Greece!
It can't be justice to take from someone who earned what they have, and then give it to someone who didn't earn it. When a person does that, we call that theft and its a criminal act. So government doing it doesn't make it proper, it makes government the opposite of what America's founders had in mind; which is to protect the people from a government that would control them or take the fruits of their labors. We have God-given right in America to life, liberty and to pursue property, money and happiness.
Its both obvious and historic that you diminish incentives when you take what someone earned and give it so someone else who didn't earn it.
4) I've seen what even post-socialistic eastern European nations look like first hand, because I went to university in Europe. Europe can be lovely, but post-socialist Eastern European nations are often more gray metaphorically...the aftermath of socialism isn't pretty. Socialism wrecked Cuba. Look at the wealth of South Korea vs. the poverty of North Korea, etc.. That the proper answer to the president's recent and shocking error, advising listeners that between communism and capitalism, "Just choose from what works." Nonsense!
Given that Hillary would be bad, Bernie is only better in the sense that at least he's honest that he's a socialist. Either he or Hillary would be a disaster for America, and Donald Trump can say as someone who knows how to build good companies and good deals why Bernie or Hillary are wrong for this nation.
For example, if high minimum wages truly worked, why not make the minimum wage $100 an hour vs $15 hourly? Answer? Because the higher the wage, the fewer the people who will get or keep a job. Some fast food places are already experimenting with automated restaurants. Thanks Barack, Hillary and Bernie...and only Donald Trump can look people in the eye and say that the proper economic environment is how you lift wages. Artificial wage hikes harms those it claims to help.
When millions of illegals will have to leave, wages will rise naturally. It won't be a massive disruption some fear, because it won't happen overnight. Business professionals will have time to adapt. Keep in mind that Henry Ford proved that by paying more, you fuel the middle class naturally, and when you protect your economy as President Reagan did at times with tariffs, you create and protect jobs in your own nation. Building iPhones in America not China just makes sense, if the prices go up some, so will the wages we have as a result of other policies that Mr. Trump advocates.
5) I'd vote for either of the remaining three Republicans over either of the two Democrats. The Libertarian candidate won't have a chance, so voting for them might as well be a vote for a Democrat.
That said, Senator Ted Cruz clearly has changed his positions on issues like amnesty and trade, just as Senator Marco Rubio and others have said. Cruz misrepresents his opponents views, which is why both Governor John Kasich and Mr. Trump have called him "Lyin' Ted." Senator Cruz laughs like a kid at his own jokes, he's so obviously full of himself, even though he's highly rehearsed. He spins stuff routinely, and while he'd likely be a fine conservative justice for the Supreme Court, he has done virtually nothing in his Senate career save prep for a run for the White House.
Governor Kasich troubles me on TPP and trade, on border security, Syria and Muslim immigrants (yes, coming from a Muslim nation, and I'm saying it: if Americans want to avoid the kind of bloodshed seen in Paris, Brussels or large parts of the Middle East, a temporary ban on unvetted Muslim immigrants is just common sense!). Kasich is essentially for amnesty for illegals, and he concerns me on support for traditional marriage and a range of issues that people of faith, business professionals and all who love American ideals should care about.
Again, I'd vote for either Kasich or Cruz over Hillary or Bernie, but Mr. Trump is right – they are controlled by their donors, and thus neither is the true outsider who will shake up the status quo in Washington DC that Donald Trump would be.
6) You are sometimes as defined by those who oppose you as by those who support you, and more to the point, you can be understood for the reasons why they oppose or support you. Mr. Trump's Republican opponents aren't against him because he doesn't have conservative positions. I've listened to Manhattan's Real Estate Mogul on Hannity and other shows say what he believes and why, and his positions are conservative ones – common sense and pro-America First reasoning. He looks, talks and his body language all seem sincere about his positions.
He knows his public rally talking points, and our son laughs and smiles when he asks a crowd; what are we going to do on the border? "Build a wall!" the people and our son answer back. Whose going to pay for it? "Mexico!" says a Trump rally crowd and our son in unison.
But Trumps comfort in those main taking points has not yet translated to smooth talking points on tough or thorny topics.
That's not in my mind a lack of sincerity, as his opponents claim. Rather it's what Dr. Ben Carson, Governor Chris Christie, Senator Jeff Sessions or multi-decade conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly says; Donald Trump isn't a practiced politician. He deserves the right to clarify errant comments that all who seek office will make, just as life-long activist and seasoned politico Barack Obama did when he said as he campaigned for president that there are 57 states; duh! A big misspeak!
7) Mr. Trump is confident, which successful people often are, and at times a little too much so, which is likely why he hadn't studied the details on issues like his professional political rivals have.
But he is also smart enough to rapidly change or clarify a statement when he has misspoken, and that is a result of input behind the scenes from advisers. He has a team of managers in business that are clearly great, which is why his Trump brands are successful, so there is every reason to believe he will have a great team as President. I listed to his speech to AIPAC, which was presidential. It reflected his ability to listen to advisers and others on key issues. Put him in front of a teleprompter, and he'll do just as well as others who use them.
8) As someone who has played the modern game of American politics, by giving money to both sides to get what he wants, Mr. Trump is well positioned to expose the current system for the corruptions that have resulted from ignoring the proper Constitutional limits that the federal government is supposed to practice. That doesn't make him a closet liberal. It makes him honest about how he got along with people in both major parties. That's one reason I believe he will bring people together; in business, that's what you as a leader have to do.
Some people think he is too tough or too brash, and so on. Pardon me? There are some issues that no one has tackled in America for decades, and when you lance a boil, puss and blood often come out. At first it is ugly. But that is often the first step of the healing process. The fact that Mr. Trump, Dr. Ben Carson and Chris Christie now are working together reflects the example that he can do so with others who may have been or now are his rivals.
9) Mr. Trump believes in peace though strength. That worked for Ronald Reagan, it will work now too. Like Reagan, Mr. Trump isn't a neo-con who favors every war that comes along. He sees the threat of radical Islamic terrorism. He'll fight to protect America. Isn't that the first job of a U.S. President? And as someone who has listened to Islamic radicals for decades, I can tell you, America needs to be vigilant about who it lets in.
Mr. Trump is correct about NATO, and America paying billions to be the protector of other nations around the world. It's silly to think we should borrow money from China to pay to defend South Korea and Japan against China's surrogate, the North Koreans.
Mr. Trump would not have made the dumb deal with Iran that President Obama did. President Obama missed the chance to help my former nation become free when protesters took to the streets in Tehran. Most Iranians want freedom from the mullahs who terrorize their own citizens. Instead of helping the protesters, Obama and Hillary Clinton's foreign policy stayed silent, yet they supported the radical Islamists, who briefly gained power in Egypt. Hello? Hillary owns the disaster of Obama's Libyan policy, the policies that allows Ukraine to be raped by Russia and the general mess in the Middle East, the South China Sea and around the world.
The Trump non-intervention approach would have been wiser than Hillary's in Libya, which has seen Americans die in Benghazi. Clinton's lies, the Obama administration covers-up, and now that nation is becoming a hot bed for ISIS. Tragic! That's an example of Hillary's vs. Donald Trump in foreign policy in action!
Libya's Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi was a dictator, but now Italy and Europe are getting Libyan refugees from that now-failed state. Thanks so much, Secretary Clinton and President Obama! Why would any objective, thinking person vote for more of those kinds of international disasters?
10) As an educated business woman, I know that lower taxes, fewer and more common sense regulations, ending ObamaDoesn'tCare - that's been the job killing, cost-spiking opposite of what was promised on health care reform - would all be good for business.
When you think about Democratic policies, just look at how badly Obama's health care reforms have harmed millions of Americans. In the manufactured housing industry we work in, Dodd-Frank has been applied by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in ways that are so bad, that the National Association or Realtors ® (NAR), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and lending groups are supporting the industry's efforts to end the unfair restrictions that harm millions who own, sell or want to buy quality, safe, energy saving and affordable factory-crafted homes. Hillary and Bernie would both keep Dodd-Frank; Donald Trump has correctly called Dodd-Frank a disaster, and has vowed to end its business-harming and job-killing abuses.
Smart tax and regulatory reforms could bring back trillions of dollars that left the U.S. due to corporate inversions. Presidents Kennedy, Reagan and Clinton administrations all saw tax cuts that boosted business and increased government revenues too. These would not be borrowed money; it's invested money that would boost the U.S. economy better than almost anything else you could do. Who says? Former Reagan Administration official and CNBC host, Larry Kudlow.
Mr. Trump isn't against foreigners or legal work permits. He wants to protect American jobs on trade, by protecting against illegal immigration and by protecting our borders and interests at home and internationally. That's smart.
11) DemoRinoCrats - the political class that can profit no matter who is in office or power in Washington - those people fear Donald Trump. They fear him because they think he'll upset their gravy train. Some pundits may be well meaning and oppose him, because they just don't get it.
Smart people adapt, and free enterprise and limited government are better than crony capitalism or socialism.
Protecting your economy is as important as protecting your borders. I believe that a President Trump would indeed be the "Best Jobs President that God Ever Created." Most if not all of the fear and head-fakes spoken by talking heads and professional writers who oppose his agenda are either misinformed, self-seeking or protect some group's cozy crony agenda.
Washington needs to be shaken up. We need to send more power back to the states, just as education and other items need to go back to the states. The closer the government is to the people, the better off we are, and that was the vision of the founders of this good land.
12) No candidate is perfect, and neither is Donald Trump. My husband likes to quote G. K. Chesterton, and one of his favorite lines is "Sometimes the perfect is the enemy of the good." Trump isn't perfect, we can all cite his flaws, but we can cite flaws in all of the candidates, or in ourselves.
America isn't good because it was or is perfect. But it set high ideals that made America great. For decades now, this nation has drifted away from those ideals, and tens of millions are paying the price.
The answer to income inequality is to make the playing field more level through fewer barriers of entry. Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder whose politics I disagree with, is but one example of a person who became a billionaire in short order through innovation. Allow people to innovate, allow people to fail. Give them the educational tools to succeed. Don't hobble people through promises of a free lunch that comes at someone else's expense. Margaret Thatcher was right, the problem with socialism is that sooner or later, you run out of other people's money.
We've not gone to any Trump rallies, we read, listen in the car or watch on TV when we can. On a business trip, my husband and I had a client give us a Make America Great Again hat, and that was before we were on board with him as the best candidate. Studying the issues, listening to the debates, town halls, reading and listening to good, smart people we know helped us better understand the Trump phenomenon.
Perfect? Hardly. Colorful? Yes, and his common-sense straight-talk brings hope, which is why millions are coming out to vote that haven't done so in years.
Mr. Trump can beat Hillary or Bernie, no doubt about it, because the Democrats strategists say that he is a threat to them and their base. Sometimes you have to look to those opponents, understand why they are opposing voices and then look at those supporters and ask, why are they-all in for this man?
By Soheyla Kovach. Soheyla is a member of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent organization to MHLivingNews.com and MHProNews.com.


mary's review: I applied for the credit card about a month ago, have had the card for a couple of weeks. The day I got it, I tried to activate the card, only for them to tell me I could not activate because I was not calling from the same number as provided on the application. Since I knew I provided my cell since it was the only # I have, I figured I must have entered in a number wrong. When I tried to explain this to them, they told me there was nothing I could do. They are still expecting me to make a payment this month and I have no idea what I am supposed to do. Obviously I am not going to give money to someone who will not activate my cc. It's the biggest scam I've ever heard of.
The customer service # given on the back of the card is just an automated customer service. To get a real person, you have to call a different # entirely. I've never heard of a company doing that before!! I tried calling them for an hour today and could not get through to a real person. The system doesn't even put you on hold, it just disconnects completely, so I had to dial the # several times, only for it to keep hanging up on me.
The one person who I actually was able to talk to a couple of weeks ago was very rude. I was trying to find the online customer service when I happened upon this site. Please, if your are considering applying for this card, just don't. It might seem like a good deal if you have bad credit, but it's really not.
I will continue to try to reach "customer service" today. If I can't, I'm contacting the BBB.


text:
Bradenton Top Ten Prospects: Oneil Cruz and Cody Bolton Lead a Solid Group of Prospects
John Dreker
Yesterday we took a look at the season recap for the Bradenton Marauders. We noted in the title to that article that they had many of the top prospects for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Some of those players were there at the start of the season and others joined the team halfway through the year. Today we look at the top ten prospects list, voted on by myself, Tim Williams and Wilbur Miller.
This list was very interesting for a few reasons. The top three players for all of us were the same players in the same order. The 4-7 spots you see below are interchangeable because there was no difference in the voting totals (10 points for first place, down to one point for tenth place). You're basically looking at 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d, instead of a real 4-7 ranking. For the first time since we have started doing this years ago, the top ten players were all the same for everyone. Obviously not the same exact order since we had ties for the 4-7 spots, but only ten players total got top ten votes. For comparison, the recently released Greensboro and Morgantown lists each had 13 players receive votes. All of the players in the top ten were among the top 50 prospects in the system when we did our mid-season updated rankings in early August.
We used 140 plate appearances as the minimum for hitters to qualify for the list and either 40 innings or 20 appearances for pitchers. The main players that eliminated were Luis Escobar, Osvaldo Bido and Braeden Ogle, with the latter two making the Greensboro top ten. Here are the previously released lists:
GCL Pirates
Bradenton Top Ten
Oneil Cruz, SS – Cruz just barely qualified for this list, recording 145 plate appearances. He missed time with lower body soreness early, a fractured foot that occurred in late April and then he was promoted in late July. When he played, we saw the tools that make him an exciting prospect. Cruz, who turns 21 years old next week, has three legit plus tools. His raw power is off the charts. He's a plus runner, and he has a cannon for an arm. Since he didn't play enough to qualify for the Altoona top ten list, we can look at his entire season here. In 73 total games, he hit .298/.356/.475, with eight home runs and 11 steals. For a power hitter, who was young for both levels, he had a respectable 25.3% strikeout rate. The main issue here is that he had a lot of trouble with recognizing off-speed pitches. He would swing through them like they were fastballs, but he also had an uncanny ability to make contact on bad swings and his raw power led to hits. Basically, he could look bad, but still get results. Getting upper level experience should help him in that area, especially in the Arizona Fall League this off-season. It seems like the Pirates are keeping him at shortstop. There's no smoothness to his game, but at 6'7″ with speed, he can cover ground quickly and that plus arm helps.
Cody Bolton, RHP – Bolton absolutely dominated this level before receiving a promotion to Altoona in late June. In 12 starts with Bradenton, he had a 1.61 ERA in 61.2 innings, with 69 strikeouts, a .174 BAA and an 0.86 WHIP. He didn't have a lot of success in Double-A, which we will get into in the Altoona recap/top ten next week. Bolton missed the second half of 2018 with a forearm injury, so there were some questions coming into this year. He showed some excellent stuff last year with West Virginia, then looked even better from day one this year. Bolton was filling the strike zone with a 93-95, 96 MPH fastball last year. This year he was sitting 94-97 MPH, hitting 98 from time-to-time, while still throwing a ton of strikes. He was throwing a new cutter/slider, showing two versions, with a hard one he used more often that got into the low-90s on occasion, as well as a mid-80s version that had more of a sweeping break. Bolton didn't use his changeup often, though the pitch still got high marks for its late downward break. He will open up 2020 in the Altoona rotation.
Travis Swaggerty, CF – Swaggerty skipped over Low-A in his first full season of pro ball after he was drafted in the first round last year. He started off slow in Bradenton, before finishing up strong. His .646 OPS during the first half was below league average, then he didn't hit much once the second half started. That all changed in July, which saw him put up an .822 OPS, followed by a strong .906 OPS in August. The key improvements here were his ability to cut down on the strikeouts. Swaggerty didn't really have a poor strikeout rate, but he was aggressive with pitches in the zone, so it wasn't odd to see him swing-and-miss 2-3 times in an at-bat. He showed a good eye though and rarely chased, which led to 57 base on balls, ranking him fifth in the FSL in walks. Swaggerty made a lot more hard contact late in the year. The problem here was that he didn't get the ball in the air often. The second half version of him would make a great lead-off hitter. He showed improved routes throughout the season in center field, instead of relying on his plus speed to make up ground on some catches. His arm is above average and he should pick up his share of stolen bases in the future. If the power doesn't fully develop, you still have someone who gets on base, plays solid defense and takes advantage of his plus speed.
Lolo Sanchez, OF – Sanchez was one of three players here who repeated Low-A this season, only to put up big numbers and get promoted to Bradenton mid-season. Sanchez posted an .829 OPS in Greensboro, before moving up a level at the All-Star break. His stats were not strong with Bradenton, but we are talking about someone who turned 20 during this season, and a player who has solid tools across the board. Sanchez hit .196/.300/.270 in 52 games with the Marauders, while mostly playing left field. He can play center, but wasn't going to get time there ahead of Swaggerty. On the bases, he had 33 steals, reaching 30+ for the second straight season. Sanchez showed the ability to make consistent contact and he improved his walk rate in Bradenton over his Greensboro rate. The tools are here for him to succeed at the higher levels and youth is on his side
Mason Martin, 1B – Martin had a breakout year with the power numbers, similar to what he did in the GCL after being drafted in 2017, only this season was a much larger sample size. He had 23 homers in 82 games with Greensboro, then added 12 more in 49 games with Bradenton. He also had 32 doubles and four triples, giving him 71 extra-base hits. Martin also led the system with 68 walks. The real question here will be whether or not he makes enough contact for his tools to translate at the upper levels. He led the system with 168 strikeouts, which was nearing in on an all-time Pirates minor league record before the final three games were canceled due to Hurricane Dorian. A player who had 71 extra-base hits, 68 walks and 168 strikeouts would be a great addition to the MLB team, but lower level strikeouts rarely translate well to the majors. We saw some of that already with his rate jumping from 29.0% in Greensboro to 32.3% in High-A. The fact that he turned 20 during the season helps his case, as there's no rush to push him through the system. Martin is an average runner, who has some issues at first base, though he looked better in 2019 than he did last year.
Calvin Mitchell, OF – Mitchell made Bradenton's Opening Day roster as one of the youngest players in the league. He's slightly older (by months) than three of the other players on this list, but those three all began the year in Greensboro. Mitchell had a solid first full season in pro ball last year, posting a .771 OPS in 119 games for West Virginia last year. He saw nearly identical playing time in 2019, with 118 games and 493 plate appearances, compared to 495 last year, so it's an easy comparison year-to-year with the jump to High-A. Mitchell hit more homers this year (15 vs 10), but most everything else went down. His walks went from 41 down to 32, while his strikeouts went from 109 to 142. Those numbers were acceptable last year, but they trended a little too far in the wrong direction, which helped lead to a 61 point drop in his OPS this season, despite more over-the-fence power. The offense is important to focus on here, because unlike the other two outfielders on this list, Mitchell adds no value on defense or on the bases. His prospect status relies on him hitting enough to make it as a slow corner outfielder.
Max Kranick, RHP – Kranick made some major strides in 2019, even if all of them don't show up in the stat line. He was shutdown late in the season due to his increase in innings over last year (31.1 more than 2018). Kranick finished the season strong, posting a 2.95 ERA over his final ten starts, compared to a 4.84 ERA prior to that point. His stats were really skewed by a three-game stretch in early May, because he had a 2.91 ERA prior to those games. Kranick, who turned 22 in late July, was the FSL league leader in innings at the time that he was shut down. He finished with a 1.19 WHIP, a .246 BAA and a 78:30 SO/BB ratio. The real strides he made this season were with his pitches, starting with a fastball that was touching 97 MPH in starts. Just two years ago, he was hitting low-90s in starts and last year, he occasionally hit 96 MPH late, which is a number he sat (94-96) during most of his starts this season. The second improvement was with his slider, which was used often this year, completely replacing his curve. The pitch is still a work-in-progress. He throws it in the mid-80s usually, and can ramp it up a little for a harder break, so it's almost like two different pitches. Later in the year, he was working on mixing in his changeup more often. He should begin 2020 in Altoona.
Rodolfo Castro, 2B/SS – Castro began the season back in Low-A ball this year, after hitting .231/.278/.395 in 105 games for West Virginia in 2018. Still just 19 years old at the start of this season, Castro showed instant improvements, especially in the power category. He was promoted to Bradenton during the All-Star break in mid-June and he went on to hit .243/.288/.391 in 57 games. Castro picked up a total of 48 extra-base hits this year, with the last 19 coming in High-A. While neither would qualify as strong stats, his walk/strikeout rates stayed the same as last year, which is what you like to see with more power and a player moving up. Castro showed more polish on defense, looking above average at second base, with the ability to play shortstop. He is still prone to errors on routine plays, but that should improve with age/maturity. He's likely going to open up back in Bradenton next year.
Nick Mears, RHP – In one year, Mears went from an undrafted free agent (who still had college eligibility), to a Double-A pitcher. Mears was signed after a strong showing in summer collegiate ball. He threw mid-90s and mixed it with a strong curve that he used as a strikeout pitch. He began this season in Greensboro, but that assignment didn't last long. Mears was promoted to the Marauders on May 4th and made 23 appearances in High-A, posting a 3.60 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, a .202 BAA and a 43:9 SO/BB ratio in 30 innings. More importantly, he was a better pitcher than what we saw last year. He hit 100 MPH at least once this season, touched 99 MPH often, and was sitting 96-98 MPH most of the time. His curve was harder, and his control was better. That helped him move up to Altoona late in the year and also earned him a trip to the Arizona Fall League, where he is currently in the Peoria bullpen. There's a chance for him to move quickly through the system, as long as he's showing the same pitches next year, then we could see him in Pittsburgh later in the year.
Aaron Shortridge, RHP – Shortridge was drafted in the fourth round last year out of a major college (UCal). Despite being 21 years old and a starting pitcher, he had much more upside than your average player who fits that same mold. That's because he didn't pitch much during his first two years of college, plus he still had some room to fill out in his 6'3″ frame. Early in the season, Shortridge was getting solid results without showing any improvements in his stuff over last year. It wasn't until late in the year that he found another few ticks on his fastball and he did that without sacrificing any command on his pitches. He went from 88-90 in early starts, to sitting low-90s and hitting 94 MPH, later in the year. The 22-year-old Shortridge finished with a 3.25 ERA in a league-leading 135.2 innings. He had a 1.14 WHIP and a 104:25 SO/BB ratio. Besides the added velocity, he got help from improving his curve, while throwing plenty of strikes and mixing his pitches well, also throwing a slider and a changeup. He should be in the Altoona rotation next year.
Aaron Shortridge
Calvin Mitchell
Cody Bolton
Lolo Sanchez
Mason Martin
Max Kranick
Nick Mears
Oneil Cruz
Rodolfo Castro
Travis Swaggerty
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Gatwick To London
Taxi and Cab Gatwick to London, Brighton and Southampton
Second busiest airport after Heathrow, Gatwick is world's busiest single runway airport. It lies in Crawley, West Sussex and at an approximate distance of 25 miles from Central London.
Central London is a notable neighbourhood that boasts of some of the finest attractions and places for accommodation. The area also lies at close accessible distance from Birmingham Palace, the seat of the Royal family. Tower Bridge and Tower of London are other important landmarks in Central London. A stay in this neighbourhood is a wise choice owing to its close proximity to major attractions.
Some of the well known luxury hotels in this area are The Bulgari Hotel, Four Seasons Hotel and Claridge's. Approximate time required to reach Central London from Gatwick airport is 75-90 minutes.
Brighton is a popular destination for day trips. After arrival, passengers can be comfortably transferred from Gatwick to Brighton in spacious vehicles that can be pre booked using simple and secured online portals.
Southampton is a famous sea port that lies at a distance of 81 miles from Gatwick airport. Vehicles infant/child seats can be availed at nominal cost by passengers from Gatwick to Southampton. Subject to availability, passengers are also eligible for free upgrades and consequent transfers are completed by professional drivers with minimal hassle.
Transit passengers from Gatwick to other airports can avail timely transfers in taxis and minicabs even during odd hours of the day. A dedicated helpdesk team is available for assistance 24/7 with free flight monitoring and timely driver dispatch.


Humor: Cellphone Etiquette - Something New Everyday!
As the train rolled out of the station, the guy sitting next to her pulled out his cell phone and started talking in a loud voice "Hi Sweetheart, its Eric, I'm on the Train.""Yes, I know it's Six thirty and not four thirty, but I had A Long Meeting". "No, honey, Not with the blonde from the Accounts Office, It was wid the Boss". "No Sweetheart, You're the only one in My life"."Yes, I'm sure, Cross my heart".
Fifteen minutes later, he was still talking loudly. When the Young Woman sitting next to him had enough, she leaned over and said into the phone "Eric, hang up the phone and come back to bed."


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Donald Trump's Ferrari sells—but not as bigly as anticipated
The 2007 Ferrari once owned by President Donald Trump was not the "bigliest" sale of the year. While it was the most anticipated consignment of this weekend's Auctions America Fort Lauderdale sale, Trump's F430 coupe was a "no sale" at $240,000 — 10 grand below the car's low estimate. A few hours later, however, it was announced sold, post-block. The final price was reportedly $270,000, still well short of the $350,000 at the top of the presale estimate range.
Our 45th president may not be a "car guy" in the traditional sense, but he has had some special rides, including a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, a Maybach, a Lamborghini Diablo, and a Mercedes McLaren SLR. But interest in cars is anomalous among non-Michigan politicians. We're uncertain which ones Trump still owns (U.S. presidents are not allowed to drive, anyway), but the Diablo sold on eBay last year for $460,000. This Ferrari was consigned not by Trump but by the car's subsequent owner.
Trump reportedly owned the 4.3-liter V-8-powered Ferrari for four years and covered 2,400 miles. The current owner added another 3,600 miles. Under Trump's ownership, the F430 was registered in New York and titled personally to the President, rather than a business.
An F430 with F1 transmission and paddle shifters, like this one, in 2007 would have cost a little over $180,000. The price at auction for F430 F1s is typically in the low- to mid-$100,000 range. Special models like the F430 Scuderia command nearly double. Spiders and cars equipped with a proper six-speed manual gearbox are also worth more since relatively few F430s were equipped with manual trannys and this was one of the last Ferraris offered with a manual.
Presidential memorabilia is certainly collectible, but we've never seen presidential supercars before. The closest thing is Joe Biden's 1967 Corvette 327/300 convertible, but he's the original owner and it probably won't be sold any time soon. If this sale is any indication, Trump ownership history can in fact add a significant premium to a car, but Donald Trump is no Steve McQueen when it comes to vehicle collectability.
News This Mitsubishi Eclipse sold fast for a furious $170,500
News You could bag a Bronco restored by a Formula 1 champ
The Manifold BMW's next M2 spied, Bollinger dials back retail EV plans, Toyota fleshes out heritage parts horde
News USPS pumps the brakes on new fleet; going all-electric will add $3.3B
Auctions Party on! Wayne's World Mirthmobile is bound for Arizona Auction Week
The Manifold Porsche puts new spin on turbocharging, Honda's surprisingly handsome HR-V, hi-po Escalade looms large
Read next Up next: Are classic Toyota pickups the next big thing?


The Residence Guide is a must read for all residents in order to understand expectations, policies and the many supports in place for students living in residence.
Residence Advisors are on duty every night after the office closes to respond to students. When the office is closed, residents can call the RA cell phone at (416) 688-3818.
The Student Housing and Residence Life professional staff team is available to support you throughout your stay in residence. Please visit our Contact page for staff contact details and office hours.


Polymers from ethylenically unsaturated monomers, cross-linked by a substituted divinylazobenzene are useful as pharmaceutical compositions for the delivery of medicaments. The polymers are degraded by the enzymes of the upper gastrointestinal tract or are transferred intact past the upper gastrointestinal tract, to deliver the medicament to the large intestine. In particular, the polymers contain divinylazobenzene compounds of the formulae ##STR1## wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, (except that R1 and R2 are not both H), Cl, Br, I, NO2, NH2, RO, ArO, COOH or salts thereof, COOR, COOAr, CHO, COR, SO3 H or salts thereof, R or Ar and wherein R is alkyl of up to 18 carbon atoms and Ar is mono- or bicyclic aryl of up to 15 carbon atoms.
Polymers containing cross-linked azo bonds, which polymers are useful for releasing therapeutic agents into the lower gastrointestinal tract.


February | 2008 | MusicEdTech: Teach music. The technology will follow.
Podcasting is a great way to introduce students to the basics of recording, editing and mixing audio. By the time my students get to podcasting, year 2 or 3 of my class, they have had a lot of experience composing and mixing MIDI sequences created in GarageBand and Logic. Recording, editing and processing audio is a whole new ball game. I break it down into a few projects that teach the basics of everything they need to know about audio before they produce their own podcast.
The Speech Project introduces students to prerecorded audio and how to edit, process and mix audio for clarity with music underscoring. Basically, the assignment is to incorporate one or more prerecorded speeches into self-composed music. The music needs to be appropriate to the speech or the point of the piece. They cannot use the speech in its entirety so they need to make selections and edit the audio files. I distribute a few dozen pre-selected speeches as aiff audio files via our Mac Network shared folders. The speeches cover a wide array of topics including politics, early sound recordings, poets reading selections of their works, baseball, the moon landing, space travel and Civil Rights era speeches. Students listen to them via iTunes and can then import the ones they want into Logic. The assignment is very open-ended and allows students a great deal of leeway and creativity. Students can underscore parts of the speech, combine different speeches, use snippets of the speech rhythmically, any combination or any other means they can think of. The results are amazing as students often transform the original intentions of the words into a new idea they create in the piece and highlight their new creation with music.
Additionally, students now need to learn about plug-ins. Compression, EQ and Noise Reduction are just a few of the basic processing tools needed to clarify the audio so it can be heard over the music without pushing the volume. Students can then explore effects such as Reverb and Delay. How about using a Guitar Amp Simulator on the spoken word? They are only limited by their imagination and the amount of RAM on their computer!
Next time, The Commercial Project: An Introduction to Recording Audio.
A technical note: It is best to have the highest quality audio files, aiff or wav, for students to edit and manipulate as opposed to MP3. When you load an MP3 into an audio editing program, it will automatically convert it into aiff or wav. That means it will extrapolate the missing information in the MP3 and fill it in according to the conversion algorithm. You might as well start with the best source file you can rather than leave it to the program to "fill in the blanks".
A legal note: You can use these speeches for educational purposes but be careful if you want to use them in a podcast. They may not be public domain.
I went to the local library and borrowed a collection of speeches on CD/DVD. I could choose the ones I wanted to distribute to my students and download them in the highest quality audio format.
http://bclacademicaudio.blogspot.com/ This is the Bloomfield College (NJ) Library's blog for audio & video files that may be considered "academic" in nature: lectures; readings; literature; and, discussions.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/ A database of and index to 5000+ full text, audio and video versions of public speeches, sermons, legal proceedings, lectures, debates, interviews, other recorded media events, and a declaration or two.
I just love how easy this mic is to use and how good it sounds. It comes with a desk top stand and you can get the suspension mount separately or some dealers sell all three as a package. I also use a pop filter that attaches to the shock mount. Plug the USB into the computer, make sure the System Preferences and software preferences (that's in the Sound menu for each) recognizes the mic and you are good to go. Since this mic does not have any external gain control, you'll have to set the Input level in the System preferences. A little experimenting and you'll get the right input for your voice or instrument. Yeah, go ahead and try this bad boy out on an acoustic guitar, piano or any other instrument. I's really meant to be used up close so you won't get enough sensitivity for making a good recording of your chorus or band but it might work out really nicely for practice recordings. It depends on the volume of your ensemble and the room you are in. Try it!


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Home / Fiction / Bapo
Bapo
Nicholas Jose
The title of Nicholas Jose's new collection of stories refers to a form of Chinese painting that tricks the eye into thinking what it sees is a collage of fragments. Bapo literally means 'eight broken', where eight is a Chinese lucky number and 'broken' implies that luck has run out – though the term also suggests that there's another kind of luck, in simply surviving, and being able to hold the pieces of one's life together in some sort of order.
Jose's stories feature a cast of characters affected by time or chance in different ways, artists, diplomats, entrepreneurs, immigrants, families at the crossroads. Many explore Australia's relationship to China or have echoes of China in them; others dwell on the qualities of memory, resilience, play and adventure – qualities which are implicit in the form of bapo, and characteristic of Jose's writing as a whole.
Epdf ISBN : 978-1-922146-66-3
Epub ISBN : 978-1-922146-67-0
pp : 200
Published : September 2014
Nicholas Jose was Cultural Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Beijing from 1987 to 1990, at a vital moment in China's history, and has played an important role in artistic relations between the two countries since then. He is the author of seven highly regarded novels, three of which, Avenue of Eternal Peace, The Rose Crossing and The Red Thread, deal with Chinese subjects, as does his collection of essays, Chinese Whispers, and collection of short stories, Bapo, was shortlisted for the Steele Rudd Award in 2015. He was general editor of the Macquarie PEN Anthology of Australian Literature and is Professor of Creative Writing at Adelaide University. Visit Nicholas Jose's official website here.
Shortlisted, 2015 Steele Rudd Award (University of Southern Queensland Australian Short Story Collection)
For readers and book clubs
Visit the Nicholas Jose: Online Archive
Video Interview (Writing & Society Research)
Death Fugue
Sheng Keyi Fiction Published : September 2014
Original Face
Nicholas Jose Fiction Published : September 2006
Educated Youth
Ye Xin Fiction Published : June 2016


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South African parliament to clamp down on illegal land invaders
Illegal land invaders in South Africa have been put on notice with the parliament now saying it will take stern action against those implicated.
This coming in the wake of reports of attacks and invasion of a 7,500-hectare farm in KwaZulu-Natal Province over the weekend, where "violent thugs" torched the farm and allegedly threw the farm manager into a fire.
The manager was hospitalized with burns.
"We must do all in our power to stem illegal farm invasions and ensure that such acts of criminality do not derail the legitimate process of restitution, nor cause hardship and suffering to the rightful beneficiaries of such claims," said Nkosi Mandela, chairperson of Parliament's Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Committee.
Mandela said land restitution process is highly emotive characterized with trauma, pain and suffering arising from historic dispossession, but violence will not be part of the process meant to restore, heal and advance reconciliation and social cohesion among the South Africans.
Parliament in South Africa is preparing to amend the Constitution to pave way for land expropriation without compensation.
The land issue has been in the spotlight in South Africa since 2018 when the ruling African National Congress (ANC) stepped up efforts to expropriate land without compensation.
Meanwhile, the government is soon to release a report which will inform the finalization of a comprehensive, far-reaching and trans-formative land reform program.
But even with the government's efforts, landless South Africans complain that the country has not done much in tackling the land issue, arguing that most of the country's land still remains in the hands of a few people.
The South African parliament is preparing to amend the Constitution to pave way for land expropriation without compensation.


text:
The Order of Australia is the only Australian order of chivalry. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, to recognise Australian citizens and other persons for achievement, meritorious service, or for both. At that time, Companion of the Order of Australia was the highest of three grades of the Order (Companion, Officer, Member).

On 24 May 1976, the grade of Knight or Dame of the Order was established, displacing Companion as the highest grade.  On 3 June 1986, the Knight/Dame grade was abolished, and Companion was once again the highest grade.

On 25 March 2014, the Knight/Dame grade was re-established, Companion once again being relegated to the second highest grade of the Order.  The Knight/Dame grade was again abolished on 2 November 2015.

Divisions
The Order has two divisions; General and Military.  In general, recipients who are not Australian citizens are appointed Honorary Companions, though there have been certain exceptions. (For example, Prince Philip's appointment as AC (mil.) was substantive.)

Knights and Dames
Seven Companions have later been promoted to Knight or Dame of the Order of Australia: Sir John Kerr, Sir Gordon Jackson, Dame Quentin Bryce, Sir Peter Cosgrove, Dame Marie Bashir, Sir Angus Houston and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Australian Companions

General Division

Military Division

Honorary Companions

Former Companions

Announcements of appointments of Companions
A list of links to announcements of all awards appears on the Governor-General's website.

Gen = General Division; Mil = Military Division; Hon = Honorary award; Tot = Total

Australian Honours Search Facility (previously called It's an Honour)
 Companion of the Order of Australia
 Fact sheet
 From the Advanced search  page, it is possible to produce a list of all recipients that appear in the Australian Honours Search Facility database).
In March 2014, there were 457 entries in the database.
In December 2016 there were 501 entries in the database. (Versus [508 awarded minus 3 resigned minus 1 cancelled] = 504, minus 3 not in the database = 501)
In September 2017 there were 512 entries in the database. (519-4=515, minus 3 = 512)
The list does not necessarily show all recipients of the Companion of the Order of Australia, as some awardees of Australian honours elect not to have their names appear on the Australian Honours Search Facility website.
The database information does not distinguish between the General and Military divisions, nor whether the award is honorary or substantive.
Note, however, that honorary recipients are denoted by [ H ] next to their name in the search function.
 As stated above, awards to foreigners are usually honorary, and to date, all awards to foreign Companions in the General division have been honorary. The only exception to this has been Prince Philip's appointment as AC (mil). To date there have been no Honorary Companion appointments to the Military division. This has not necessarily been the case in other grades. (For example, US General David Petraeus AO (mil) is honorary, and Prince Charles and Prince Philip's substantive knighthoods (AK) were enabled by changes to the Letters Patent.)

See also
 List of Knights and Dames of the Order of Australia

Notes and citations


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