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Week Thoughts: Buyers Strike, Market Shuts Down
It was a brutal week for stocks, and midstream stocks were trampled underfoot in the stampede for the exit. Despite underperforming this week, midstream and MLPs (each down 10%) are beating the S&P 500 (-12.5%) for the month so far, which is of little comfort.
The market reacted aggressively to all non-positive news this week, including the FOMC rate increase + commentary, Trump cabinet upheaval, or a pending government shutdown. Positive incremental news on the oil front was ignored, with U.S. inventory report providing only temporary relief and OPEC jawboning ahead of January cuts failed to elicit a positive response.
More relevant to midstream, Kayne Anderson's distribution cut Monday wasn't helpful for midstream sentiment. Wednesday's Bloomberg report of potential PE interest in TGE seemed to help sentiment briefly, before the market was crushed following the Fed announcement later that same day.
Speaking of Strikes…Festivus for the Rest of Us
Originally conceived by the father of a writer on Seinfeld and practiced in real life in the 1960/1970s, the made-up holiday of Festivus exploded into the public consciousness due to a single Seinfeld episode called "The Strike", which aired in December 1997 in the final season of the show. According to Wikipedia, Festivus is celebrated on December 23rd, and was created in response to the over-commercialization of Christmas. Traditions in the TV version include an aluminum pole (as opposed to Christmas Tree), the Airing of Grievances and the Feats of Strength.
The phrase "Festivus for the rest of us" is a reference to those who are no longer living to celebrate. In a year when we've seen a slew of MLPs disappear and we've seen an exodus of investor funds, Festivus seems more appropriate to celebrate than Christmas this weekend, particularly among those still interested in midstream.
In the Seinfeld episode, the elder Frank Constanza starts this portion of the event with the following statement: "I got a lotta problems with you people, and now you're going to hear about it!" This part of the tradition consists of lashing out at others and the world about how they have been disappointments to you in the past year.
The airing of grievances in Midstream I've been doing here throughout the year. I have been outspoken against issues that are obvious and easy to call out, but hard to fix, including: leverage, IDRs, high payout ratios, creeping capex, poor corporate governance, and slow simplification processes. It would be easy to point fingers at BWP, DCP, TRGP, AMGP, EQM, ET, among many others who exemplify the above issues. But, I won't do that today.
Instead, my abbreviated Airing of Grievances will focus on negative superlatives achieved this week.
MLP Index superlatives achieved this week:
Worst week since February 2016 when MLPs bottomed
10th worst week ever
Third worst week in a December ever (the other were in 2014 and 2015)
On pace for third worst quarter ever (17.8% as of now, slightly better than 3Q2015 and 4Q2008
Oil, XLE and equities superlatives achieved this week:
Oil down 11.4% for worst week since January 2016
Lowest oil price since July 2017, after cruising through $50/bbl on Tuesday
Oil prices down 40% since peaking in October
XLE closed at lowest point since February 2016, down 28% from peak
DJIA down 6.8% for worst week since October 2008
S&P 500 down 7.1% for worst week since August 2011
Traditionally, Festivus isn't over until the head of the household gets pinned in a wrestling match. We have very few feats of strength to report. Midstream has beaten the S&P 500 this month, perhaps that qualifies as a minor feat of strength.
For a second feat of strength, I thought it would be fun to re-visit the concept of MLP Distribution Aristocrats, especially as we approach the final, final wave of distribution cuts for MLPs. See my piece from December 2011 for more details on the concept (see original post here).
The idea was to identify and list the MLPs who had raised their distribution in each of the last 10 years. In the post from 7 years ago, there were 11 MLPs on the list. The chart below, in which I reflect numbers as of Tuesday (12/18/18), there are just 6 Distribution Aristocrats, and by the end of next quarter, there will be just 4 such MLPs (the shaded MLPs are being bought or merged).
MMP, EPD and HEP accomplished with substantially less flair and engineering than ET, without relying on IDRs or combining subsidiary MLPs in accretive self-deals along the way (RGP, SXL, ETP).
Festivus Miracles Await
With just 5 days left in the year, even a miracle is unlikely to put much of a dent in the pain of 2018. Minor miracles to hope for are that oil prices and stocks stop falling so midstream can rally. Perhaps the grievances of this week, this month, and this year can become the feats of strength in 2019.
Merry Christmas to my readers. I may post a day or two later than normal next week to capture the final year end numbers as of next Monday. Also, be on the lookout for a non-weekly post where we try some foresight for a change and offer some thoughts on the opportunities and challenges for Midstream in 2019.
MLPs were the worst performing group in midstream this week, and the three index rebalances over the last week didn't seem to have much impact. 3 of the top 5 performing MLPs this week are zombie MLPs waiting on transactions to close (VLP, TLP, DM). All of the bottom 5 were down more than 19% each, with 3 younger producer-sponsored gathering & processing MLPs included, with HCLP near the bottom for a third straight week.
Things were shaken up as we near the finish line of the year on the YTD leaderboard. NRP and CQP are well ahead of the back now. TLP joined the top 5 by holding flat while others fell by the wayside. The bottom 5 is comprised solely of MLPs with returns worse than negative 45%. Incredible.
Midstream Corporations & General Partners
Things weren't quite as terrible in the Midstream corporation group, with median returns from this group finishing well ahead of the AMZ. TGE had a great Wednesday that separated it from the pack on the upside. Cheniere's new commercial contract announcement helped support its price for most of the week. PAGP also seems to have gained some traction relative to others lately. AMGP was crushed all week and was far and away the weakest in the group, on what appears to be a massive overreaction to its sponsor's hedge monetization and plans to spend within cash flow in 2019. Others that underperformed were those with assets closer to the wellhead on the midstream spectrum.
PAGP, TGE and LNG repeated near the top of the group this week. TRGP repeated near the bottom of the group. On the YTD leaderboard, OKE's once massive lead is down to 20 bps with just 5 trading days left in the year. TGE joined the top 5, replacing TRGP. The bottom 5 YTD returns shifted lower, but remained largely intact, outside of AMGP's collapse.
Midstream Corporations
Enbridge traded relatively well again this week, perhaps helped by closing the buy-ins of its two MLP subsidiaries that combined to represent around 4% of the Alerian MLP Index. Last week's best performers Keyera and Pembina were at the bottom this week, each down double digits on no news.
Returns year-to-date are now universally negative for Canadian midstream. TRP's dropped below 20% negative returns, more than 500 basis points behind Enbridge in the annual battle among the largest midstream companies in Canada.
News of the (Midstream) Week
EPD bought back $30.8mm worth of units at an average price of $24.92/unit under a 20-year old buyback program (filing)
This seemed like an opportunistic trade to clean up the old buyback program and to support the stock rather than part of a large buyback effort
TGP announced $100mm unit re-purchase program (press release)
Growth Projects / M&A
Two new LNG offtake agreements announced this week, both with existing LNG export facility owners
Cheniere (LNG) announced 20-year agreement with PETRONAS for 1.1 mtpa of LNG from Train 6 of Sabine Pass, indexed to Henry (press release)
Sempra Energy (SRE) announced 20-year agreement with Polish Oil & Gas for 2 mtpa of LNG from the Port Arthur facility, which remains at the development stage (press release)
Altus Midstream (ALTM) exercised option with Kinder Morgan (KMI) to acquire 15% equity interest in $1.75bn Gulf Coast Express Pipeline (GCX) project (press release)
KMI retains 35% of the project, and DCP and TRGP each hold a 25% stake in GCX
ALTM holds options to purchase equity ownership in 4 other pipeline projects: Salt Creek NGL Line (50%), Shin Oak NGL pipeline (33%), EPIC Crude (15%), Permian Highway (33%)
A consortium including Stonepeak Infrastructure and Brookfield Asset Management is reported to be interested in acquiring Tallgrass Energy (TGE) (Bloomberg)
Shares closed 13.7% higher on day of the report
Stonepeak has previously been involved in funding transactions to support individual assets, and into preferred equity, so this reporting could be referring to financing of TGE's Seahorse project as opposed to a full takeout
Kinder Morgan (KMI) announced it will move forward with its Roanoke Expansion projects on the Plantation Pipe Line and Southeast Terminal after a successful open season (press release)
The Plantation Pipe, backed by a committed 20,000 bpd of volumes, will be a $49mm project
The Southeast Terminal, backed by a committed 10,000 bpd of volumes, will be a $9mm project
KMI also announced the acquisition of a 70.4% majority stake in Reinecke Partners for $20mm
TransCanada (TRP-CA) announced the sale of the Coolidge Generating Station to SWG Coolidge Holdings for $465mm (press release)
The 575 MW natural gas-fired power facility is located in Arizona and is underpinned by a long-term power purchase agreement
NGL Energy (NGL) announced sale of South Pecos Water Disposal assets to WaterBridge Resources, LLC for $238.8mm (press release)
Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP) announced the acquisition of the GP interests in AllDale Minerals and all of the LP interests in AllDale not currently owned by ARLP's affiliate, Cavalier Minerals JV, for $176mm (press release)
ARLP will own 42,000 net royalty acres located in the Anadarko, Permian, Williston, and Appalachian basins after the acquisition closes
ARLP also announced it has begun development of the Excel Mine No. 5, an extension of its MC Mining operation in Kentucky
ARLP expects total capex of $45-50mm over the next 18-24 months
CrossAmerica (CAPL) announced the acquisition of 192 convenience and fuel retail stores from Alimentation Couche-Tard (ATD-CA) with an aggregate value of $184.5mm in exchange for CAPL assets of equal value (press release)
CAPL assets include 56 convenience stores that are currently leased and operated by Couche-Tard and 17 stores owned by CAPL
Kayne Anderson MLP/Midstream Investment Co. (KYN) reduced its monthly distribution 20% to $0.12/share from $0.15/share (press release)
The third distribution cut for KYN since 2015, for a total reduction of 45%, a bit worse than the market cap weighted average of the sector overall since 2015, due to leverage


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Ute battles past, present linger as Biden designates Camp Hale National Monument
President Joe Bides signs the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument designation Wednesday in the Pando Valley (photo courtesy Sen. John Hickenlooper's office).
PANDO VALLEY, Colo. – On his way to Wednesday's signing ceremony to designate the new 53,800-acre Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, President Joe Biden and his motorcade passed over 9,267-foot Battle Mountain Pass, site of a legendary battle between the Ute and Arapaho tribes in 1868. It's also home to the abandoned mining town of Gilman.
"These treasured lands tell the story of America," Biden said before signing the first new national monument designation of his administration. "For thousands of years tribal nations have been stewards of this sacred land, hunting game, foraging for medicinal plants and maintaining a deep spiritual bond with the land itself. By the 1800s, mining activity and the federal government drove out indigenous tribes from their homes, but those tribes continue to use these sacred lands.
"Last year, I issued an historic proclamation, officially designating Indigenous Peoples' Day to honor the contributions of Native Americans to our society and acknowledge the history of violence committed against them," Biden added. "Two days ago, we observed that day in this nation. Today, I'll be signing a proclamation to preserve these sacred tribal lands as a national monument."
Just about 12 miles south of Battle Mountain on U.S. Highway 24, Camp Hale – or "Camp Hell" as its thousands of U.S. Army residents called it during World War II – is famous as the birth of America's elite mountain ski-trooper unit and the many veterans who trained there, fought and returned from the war to found the nation's modern ski industry. Camp Hale, hastily built in the Pando Valley in 1942, also has a darker side as a POW camp and CIA training ground. But the Ute tribes used it as a summer and fall hunting ground for thousands of years before that.
"Since time immemorial, the Parianuche and Uncompahgre bands of the Ute people traveled seasonally here to harvest the bounty of the Eagle River valley," a sign explaining the new monument reads. "This area continues to remain culturally important for the Ute people."
While it's the peace of the place now that was celebrated on Wednesday, with surviving 10th Mountain veterans and Colorado politicians from Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse heaping praise on Biden for taking executive conservation action, the warriors who fought crucial battles in Italy and Alaska were front of mind. The Ute people say their warriors from earlier times deserve similar remembrance.
Malcolm Lehi (David O. Williams photo).
Malcolm Lehi, a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council who was on hand for Wednesday's signing ceremony, said he does not know the details of the Battle Mountain battle but wants that history to be more on display at Camp Hale and in the history books.
"Those things need to be brought to light so that we educate the Anglo people really what happened there before they came, and the battles that happened need to be brought back through history so that everybody's educated and we're all on the same page," Lehi told the Colorado Times Recorder. "It's really powerful because our ancestors were the ones that fought at those times, during those seasons, to survive, which we are here still, surviving. So that's the perspective that I look at as supporting our ancestral territories."
Part of the blame falls on the Ute people, Lehi said.
"The reason why I say that is our elders always spoke about not giving information out," Lehi said. "It would be like giving our tactical warfare to other people so that they can use it on us, which it has been, as you see through the generations as it came from time immemorial to the present day. That's why really the history hasn't been brought up, the wars that happened within this area were never told, so I think it's time to bring that to light so that we educate people."
When mining gave way to skiing as the primary economic driver of the local economy in the early 1960s, it was WWII veterans Pete Seibert and Earl Eaton who founded Vail, recognizing the unique ski terrain of the world-famous Back Bowls. Despite the persistent myth that angry Utes forced out of the Gore Creek Valley by white ranchers and miners in the 1880s set the fire that cleared the bowls of trees, it's far more likely it was a lightning-caused wildfire in 1879.
Seibert, a 10th Mountain veteran who trained at Camp Hale, was badly wounded fighting the Nazis in Italy and became the driving force behind Vail, sought out the Utes for a snow dance during its inaugural season in December of 1962. It took a few days, but in his book, "Vail: Triumph of a Dream", Seibert said it worked: "There was plenty of snow until late April. The only sour note in the whole episode came from a fundamentalist church in eastern Colorado, which denounced us for using 'heathen tactics' to make it snow."
Lehi says he's unaware of the Back Bowls myth, but he is very aware (and very supportive) of recent efforts to change the name of the iconic mountain range that rises up to the north and east of Vail – the Gore Range. The mountains are named for Irish aristocrat Sir George Gore, who by all accounts rapaciously hunted his away across the state in the 1850s.
"Those are the things that need to be brought to light so that people understand, especially when they travel these mountains, because as Ute people we were mountain people, and I think the name of those mountains needs to be changed," Lehi said. "[Gore] wasn't about conservation."
One of the suggested new names is Nuchu, which is Ute word for Ute. There are 12 Ute tribes, and both the Ute Mountain Utes and Southern Ute Tribe sent letters of support for the new Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument.
Scott Fitzwilliams, the White River National Forest Supervisor in charge of managing Camp Hale and the surrounding 2.3 million acres of federal land, told the Colorado Times Recorder he's more than ready for the challenge of the new monument designation.
"It's awesome," Fitzwilliams said. "I've never worked, managed a national monument, so it's something different. But we had them in Alaska when I was there. It's an honor to do something about Camp Hale and the veterans and all that's been done, and then the prehistoric and indigenous people — it gives it some recognition that it deserves. We're looking forward to it."
However, one Ute tribe is not happy about the new designation. The Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in northeastern Utah issued a press release late Wednesday saying they were only consulted a few days before the signing ceremony, were not included in the years-long and ongoing legislative discussions about the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act that preceded the designation, and will fight it, perhaps in court.
The Ute Indian Tribe's Uncompahgre Band considers the Camp Hale area part of its traditional homeland by right and by law.
"We've tried to work with this Administration, but time after time they refuse to address the real issues tribes are facing," Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee Chairman and Uncompahgre Band representative Shaun Chapoose said in the release. "Even on our traditional homelands, they refused to work closely with us. These new monuments are an abomination and demonstrate manifest disregard and disrespect of the Ute Indian Tribe's treaty rights and sovereign status as a federally recognized Indian Tribe. If it's a fight they want, it's a fight they will get."
The Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation and the Ute Mountain Utes are two of the five tribes that signed onto a cooperative agreement with the federal Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to have more say in the management of Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah, which Biden expanded this summer.
In a phone interview with the Colorado Times Recorder, Chapoose said the difference is that Utah Republicans consulted his tribe prior to federal action on Bears Ears, which was cut in size by 85% by the Trump administration after being designated by the Obama administration. Biden returned it to its original size, and then some, but Utah is now suing the administration.
Chapoose says the White River and Uncompahgre Bands of the Ute Nation were forced out of Colorado, but tribes that are still in the state – such as the Ute Mountain Utes and the Southern Utes — naturally support their state government when it comes to protecting Camp Hale.
"It works for them because they're residents of Colorado, right?" Chapoose said. "So, politically, it's in their best interest to be on the right side of the politics there. If somebody would pull out the actual map of Colorado, you will see who was the bands of the Ute that were in that area [Camp Hale]. And you're going to see it wasn't no Southern Ute or Ute Mountain Utes. It was the Uncompahgres and the White Rivers."
The Ute Indian Tribe is a stakeholder in the proposed Uinta Basin Railway, an 85-mile connector between oil fields in the Uinta Basin that would cross tribal land. Bennet, Hickenlooper and Neguse have expressed their support for an Eagle County lawsuit challenging federal approvals for that railway, which would connect to the mainline and send up to 10 oil trains a day through western Eagle County and along the Colorado River.
"OK, so they don't like the fact that I'm trying to have a rail to take oil and gas from my reservation to a market to generate revenue so I can provide services for my people," Chapoose said. "They don't like that, but at the same time, they forget, if I wasn't removed from where I was to begin with [in Colorado], I wouldn't be doing this anyway. So people need to remember, I didn't choose to be removed. They made that choice for me."
The manager of Eagle County, where Camp Hale is located, has said the oil train plan would exacerbate climate change, endanger the Colorado River and increase pressure to reopen the Tennessee Pass Line along the Eagle River and adjacent to Camp Hale.
Two of the three Eagle County commissioners on hand for Wednesday's signing ceremony said they were not sure what impact a national monument designation would have on efforts to reopen the Tennessee Pass Line through Eagle County between Dotsero and Pueblo.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, on hand for Wednesday's ceremony, previously declined to discuss calls for the federal government to derail the Uinta Basin oil trains. Bennet told the Colorado Times Recorder he hoped they would.
Editor's note: A version of this story first appeared on the Colorado Times Recorder website.
Colorado county manager says Utah oil train plan… Eagle County Manager Jeff Shroll (David O. Williams photo). Two…
'Strong opposition' to Utah oil train project builds… Oil tanker photo courtesy of NorthWoodsHiawatha via Wikimedia. The prospect…
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Dormant Colorado rail line could see revival as… Last week, Amtrak issued a statement and a map detailing its plans for new…
Colorado county manager says Utah oil train plan…
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Colorado senator looks to extend health insurance…
Dormant Colorado rail line could see revival as…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


During this one-day journey, 11 teams will participate to the Coyote cup season 2. The program will consist of challenges each one crazier than the others, thrills and fun spirit! Who will win the coyote cup, season 2 ?


IMF Bentham announced that it held a meeting of holders of Bonds (Bond Holders) to seek approval to amend the terms of the Bonds (Restructure Proposal). It announces that the Restructure Proposal was approved by in excess of 75% of Bond Holders voting at the meeting, which was the required threshold to approve the Restructure Proposal. The amendments implemented under the Restructure Proposal include extending the maturity of the Bonds to 22 December 2022, introducing a first issuer call date of 8 January 2022 with a step up in margin of 1.0% applying from 1 January 2022 and introducing additional investor protections.


Violinist Laura Ha has performed with various ensembles and continues to collaborate with many of her colleagues overseas. Ms. Ha has performed as a soloist with several orchestras, such as the Pasadena POPS and the YMF Debut Orchestra. She has also given solo recitals in Canada and the Netherlands. She enjoys performing with her colleagues around the world as a member of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra in Switzerland during the summers and regularly participates in tours with the ensemble throughout the year.
Ms. Ha joined the Utah Symphony in September of 2018. Prior to moving to Salt Lake City, Laura was a member of the Oregon Symphony and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Juilliard School. She plays on an amazing violin made by Mario and Brenda Miralles.


Raghu told Ritalynne something he'd never told anyone.
Liber asked me to look for some rope.
Kiki hasn't heard from Jacob in a long time.
I'm on my way to Tharen's place.
Rolf and Mott have started respecting each other.
Tovah pulled a small flashlight out of his pocket.
How do you like your job, Loukas?
It seemed that Horst wanted to attend the party.
The defence attorney did his best on behalf of Emily to secure his acquittal.
My friends call me Doug.
Evelyn is coming for you.
Caroline doesn't have the will power to quit smoking.
Tell Toerless I won't be at school today.
Narendra is obviously worried about something.
Shannon won't let Oskar in.
Tanya bought a camera to give to Maureen.
Annard is trying to call Duke.
Judge likes reading English literature.
What do you think Ralph did with it?
Murat will be relocating to Boston soon.
The police have picked Cindie up for questioning.
I didn't know Everett's parents let him stay out late on weekends.
Are Greg and Beverly going to fly on a fighter plane?
All their great-grandparents were dead before Cynthia and Bryce were born.
Officer Ahmet Jackson made the arrest.
Nathan has an ironclad alibi for the night of Loyd's murder.
Hirotoshi was good with people.
Nancy seemed to be up to some mischief.
Luc fell and hurt himself.
Will ought to know better than to argue with Christophe.


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Duke University Archives
Duke Football Programs
Images of Duke football game program covers.
University of North Carolina51
North Carolina State48
Wake Forest45
Georgia Tech43
Clemson24
more Opponent »
You searched for: Browse Item Remove constraint Browse: Item
41. Duke vs. University of Tennessee, 1934 Oct 27
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3p84401d
42. Duke vs. Auburn, 1934 Nov 3
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3jh3d57n
43. Duke vs. Wake Forest, 1934 Nov 10
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r36970177
44. Duke vs. University of North Carolina, 1934 Nov 17
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3xs5jk83
45. Duke vs. North Carolina State, 1934 Nov 29
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r32j68733
46. Duke vs. Wake Forest, 1935 Sep 21
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3b27pv16
47. Duke vs. University of South Carolina, 1935 Sep 28
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3p55dm2m
48. Duke vs. Washington and Lee, 1935 Oct 5
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r35717r8r
49. Duke vs. Clemson, 1935 Oct 12
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3jh3d59m
50. Duke vs. Georgia Tech, 1935 Oct 19
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3901zk3m
51. Duke vs. Auburn, 1935 Oct 25
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3dr2pc7f
52. Duke vs. Tennessee, 1935 Nov 2
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r39z90f7v
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3kh0f24f
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3fq9q817
55. Duke vs. Davidson, 1936 Sep 19
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r31j97b7s
56. Duke vs. Colgate, 1936 Sep 26
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3901zk1n
57. Duke vs. South Carolina, 1936 Oct 3
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3599z50p
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3ws8hq1x
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3pc2tc5t
60. Duke vs. Tennessee, 1936 Oct 24
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r3jm23k12


Players are keen on Webber.
Webber's relationship with Nelson might be repaired.
Oakland -- The once absurd prospect of Chris Webber reuniting with the Warriors and Don Nelson is moving toward reality.
With one team official putting the odds at "50-50" and another source saying that an announcement could be made by the end of the week, Webber's possible arrival as a free agent is being met with approval by players.
"That'd be awesome," Baron Davis said Saturday. "We just want to become a better team. If management feels like they can bring in somebody who can help us do that, we're all for it."
According to league sources, the idea of Webber returning was hatched more than a month ago with the Warriors looking for frontline help.
Since then, Nelson and Webber have spoken over the phone to mend wounds from their 1993-94 clashes, which led to Webber's trade after his Rookie of the Year season and Nelson's firing midway through the 1994-95 season.
Webber is expected to make his decision in the next few days. The Warriors follow tonight's game with a midweek trip to Houston and New Orleans.
Nelson continues to dance around the subject of his former headache, but forward Matt Barnes admits recruiting Webber to the Warriors.
"Of course I did," said Barnes, who played with Webber in Sacramento and Philadelphia. "Chris and I have been friends for a while. It would be good to see Chris here. I talked to him a couple of weeks ago. He's working out, just getting ready mentally, physically."
Those indeed remain the biggest questions surrounding Webber, who has not played in an NBA game since the Pistons lost to the Cavaliers in last season's Eastern Conference finals.
Physically, Webber has endured 14 seasons of NBA wear and tear, as well as a microfracture procedure in 2003. He turns 35 in March and would have to keep up with the Warriors' up-tempo style.
Mentally, Webber would have to accept being a role player in Nelson's rotation, with the likelihood of spending ample time at center - the position he bristled at playing during his first go-around under Nelson.
As far as Barnes is concerned, neither will be a problem.
"He can keep up the pace. I see Chris in the summertime, the way he was playing in Detroit. He'll be fine here if he decides to come here. Someone with his experience and his knowledge of the game, the way he passes the ball, all the stuff he does, it'll definitely help our team out."
Webber isn't likely to receive more than the pro-rated veteran's minimum of $1.2 million from any of his suitors, which are believed to also include the Lakers and Pistons. The Lakers recently signed ex-Warriors center DJ Mbenga to a 10-day contract after the injury to Andrew Bynum.
The Warriors are similarly looking to upgrade their frontcourt without moving Al Harrington, according to a league source, and have found the market cool for forward Mickael Pietrus.
That leaves small roster tweaks as the likeliest path to improvement before February's trade deadline, and the Warriors firmly believe the addition of an experienced player - be it Webber, Gary Payton or someone else - would not disrupt their team chemistry.
"It's not stepping on anyone's toes because there isn't one leader," Davis said. "Everyone leads in their own separate way, and in this team, we all feed off each other. So having another veteran in here is no problem."
Nelson added: "Our leadership is so strong here I wouldn't worry about that. I'd say if anything, we'd be stronger. More veteran leadership is a good thing. I've got enough rookies."
Briefly: Barring any drastic changes, point guard C.J. Watson is on track to be signed for the rest of the season when his second 10-day contract expires Monday. ... Pietrus received his first "Did Not Play - Coach's Decision" against New Jersey on Thursday after his on-and-off bout with the stomach flu. "He didn't look real sharp at practice, and I decided just to probably not take a chance on him," Nelson said.
Best news of that article is that seems like Watson will be kept for the rest of the season.
Frankly, I don't care much about Webber. If he signs, great. If not, no biggie.
Best news of that article is that Nellie is smarting up to Pietrus by not letting him play. Good ridance, Mickael.
sfsfsfgiants wrote: Best news of that article is that Nellie is smarting up to Pietrus by not letting him play. Good ridance, Mickael.
#1, I'd love to get Webber. To have a passing big man in our offense would pay huge dividends. Imagine being able to get the same kind of ball movement in the post that we have on the perimeter. If we're not gonna play Brandan Wright (who passes like that), we might as well sign Webber.
32 wrote: #2, **** Pietrus.


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Diocese of Allentown
1515 Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Allentown, PA, USA
http://www.allentowndiocese.org
The Diocese of Allentown was formed on January 28, 1961, when Pope John XXIII signed a document separating the counties of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The news became public February 15. The following April 11, Bishop Joseph McShea, then auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia, was installed as the first Bishop of Allentown by Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi, Apostolic Delegate to the United States in the new Cathedral Church of Saint Catharine of Siena in Allentown.
Bishop Thomas Welsh succeeded Bishop McShea in 1983, followed by Bishop Edward Cullen in 1998 and Bishop John Barres in 2009. Like Bishop McShea, Bishops Welsh and Cullen were former Auxiliary Bishops of Philadelphia. Bishop Barres was a priest of the Diocese of Wilmington, DE, when he was appointed. He became the first priest ordained a Bishop in Allentown's Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena. Seven-and-a-half years later, he became the first Allentown Bishop to be transferred when Pope Francis appointed him the Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, NY.
As the Fifth Bishop of Allentown, Pope Francis, on June 27, 2017 appointed Monsignor Alfred A. Schlert. Bishop Schlert is the first priest ordained for the Diocese of Allentown to be appointed Bishop of the Diocese. He was ordained a Bishop and installed as Bishop of Allentown on August 31, 2017.
Catholics form the largest single religious group in the five counties of the Diocese. In the 84 parishes of the Diocese, there are more than 252,000 registered Catholics, representing more than 20 percent of the general population.
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Die Bundesautobahn 210 (Abkürzung: BAB 210) – Kurzform: Autobahn 210 (Abkürzung: A 210) – ist eine 25 Kilometer lange Autobahn im Norden Deutschlands. Sie verbindet Rendsburg mit der schleswig-holsteinischen Landeshauptstadt Kiel.

Geschichte
Die Strecke wurde in den Jahren 1987 bis 1989 für den Verkehr eröffnet und ersetzt in diesem Abschnitt die Bundesstraße 202.

Ursprünglich war geplant, die A 210 durch die Kieler Stadtteile Mettenhof und Suchsdorf und die Gemeinde Kronshagen zu führen, um sie in Kiel-Wik an die autobahnähnliche B 76 anzubinden, anstatt sie am Kreuz Kiel-West mit der A 215 zu vereinen. Der so genannte Mettenhofzubringer ist das einzige verwirklichte Stück dieser Autobahn, die aufgrund von Protesten nicht weitergebaut wurde.

Ausbauzustand
Die A 210 ist durchgängig vierstreifig ausgebaut. Sie besitzt auf ihrer gesamten Länge keine Standstreifen, sondern nur alle 500 Meter eine Nothaltebucht. Daher gilt auf der gesamten Strecke eine Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung auf 120 km/h.

Das Autobahnkreuz Kiel-West wurde als eine Variation des Kleeblatts mit einer halbdirekten Rampe angelegt. Dies ist auf die Baugeschichte zurückzuführen, die A 215 (Ost-Süd-Relation) wurde bereits Anfang der 1970er Jahre errichtet.

Weblinks

 Bilder der A 210

210
Straße in Europa
210
Verkehr (Kreis Rendsburg-Eckernförde)
Straße in Kiel

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This report analyzes the recommendations of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (the "Committee") in response to the report submitted by the Peruvian State in December 2013. Its main focus is to demonstrate the current context of the migrant population in Peru while working with the Peruvian State to improve the conditions of migrants and the protection of their rights. Based on this, the recommendations put forth by the Committee will be contrasted with the advances made by the State.
This report is the result of an initiative carried out by the Instituto de Democracia y Derechos Humanos de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (IDEHPUCP) with the help of the Universidad Antonio Ruiz de Montoya (UARM) y Encuentros Servicio Jesuita de la Solidaridad (Encuentros – SJS).


Highway 49 traffic near McKnight Way Thursday evening.
Safety has long been a concern on Highway 49, but recent fatalities have brought the sometimes harrowing driving experience further into focus.
Since Dec. 15, there have been five fatalities involving three accidents on the corridor between north Auburn's Dry Creek Road and south Grass Valley's McKnight Way, which has no center divider. Two of the accidents involved vehicles crossing into oncoming traffic.
Devon Rantz lost his son, Joseph, a Bear River senior killed along with best friend Jude Douden in a head-on collision on Highway 49 near Dry Creek Road on Dec. 15.
"I think if there was a median in the middle it would prevent a lot of accidents that happen like the one with my son as far as head-on collisions and people crossing lanes," Rantz said.
Rantz is relatively new to the area. He moved here from Seattle with his wife, who's from Nevada County, three-and-a-half years ago.
Rantz is one of many who've lost loved ones on Highway 49.
In 2005, Kelcie Armbruster lost her brother, Christopher Leighton, who had just graduated from Placer High. Leighton crossed over the double- yellow lines at Combie Road and was killed in a head-on collision.
Armbruster said she believes the speed on Highway 49 is as much of a factor than the absence of a barrier, if not more.
While tragedies have been frequent in recent months, the overall trend since 2003 has been one of improvement. On Highway 49 from Grass Valley to the Placer County line, where more than 30,000 vehicles travel every day according to Caltrans, there have been 53 fatalities since 2003. That's an average of close to four per year.
Since a number of improvements in the mid-2000s, fatalities have dropped. From 2003 to 2006, there were 20 deaths, or an average of five per year. There were seven fatalities in 2005 and six more in 2006.
Since 2007, there have been 33 fatalities, or an average of just more than three per year. That number includes the anomalous 2012, when there were seven deaths. Outside of 2007, fatalities have exceeded four just once, when there were five in 2009.
"What we've had (recently) is a number of tragedies in a short time period, but there's nothing in the statistics that shows an increase in incidents," said Greg Tassone, the Grass Valley California Highway Patrol public information officer.
A number of improvements along the corridor have made things safer. Hold signals, like the one at Combie Road, delay a light from turning green for up to five seconds after the opposing light has turned red, preventing collisions between those pushing a red light and those getting a head start on the green.
"That's absolutely played a role in increasing safety," Caltrans District 3 spokesperson Liza Whitmore said.
Rumble strips, bumps in the road that alert drivers when they've drifted outside their lane, were also put in place. Installation was the result of community pressure, encouraging Caltrans to take action.
"That's why we love to hear from our constituents to know where there's room for improvement," Whitmore said.
The La Barr Meadows Road interchange was overhauled in 2010, drastically improving the flow of traffic.
Other measures included increased traffic enforcement, a daylight headlight mandate, signs imploring drivers to maintain safe speeds, widening the corridor to allow more space between oncoming traffic, and repaving Highway 49 two years ago with reflective markers.
Back in the mid 2000s, Highway 49 from Dry Creek Road to McKnight Way was given a safety corridor designation, making Caltrans and CHP eligible for various grants to improve safety and beef up enforcement.
Currently, the CHP patrols one to two officers on the corridor 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They also receive additional help from outside agencies and local officers who patrol on their time off.
The CHP also splits their shifts so there's patrol overlap.
There's a lot that can still be done, but funding is a major problem.
Arguably the most common argument is there should be a concrete barrier separating opposing traffic, but that's easier said than done.
"You can't just go in and put up the barrier and be done," said Dan Landon, the executive director of the Nevada County Transportation Commission. "The design number is five feet on either side of the barrier, plus the barrier itself. You're talking about an additional 15 feet of pavement to meet the design standard.
He also added those living adjacent to Highway 49 would have to surrender property via eminent domain in order to make room for the widened road.
Michael Wilkie isn't buying it. The Grass Valley resident, who wrote a letter to the editor to The Union expressing his concerns about Highway 49 safety, cites similar constraints overcome on Highway 17 between Santa Clara and Santa Cruz, Highway 37 in Sonoma and Solano Counties and Highway 4 between Martinez and Benicia.
Despite space constraints similar to those on Highway 49, he said, all have put up concrete barriers.
"A center divide has been advised in the past and I attribute not getting such a simple fix to the incompetence of Caltrans and the Sacramento bureaucracy," he wrote.
Much of the mid-2000s improvements were the result of community feedback. Deborah Jones and her husband Bruce Jones were involved in a head-on collision on Dec. 19, 2003, on Highway 49 at Clivus Drive.
After another head-on collision two years later — one the Joneses weren't involved in — they were inspired to organize Citizens for Highway 49 Safety. A group of more than 300 local residents showed up at Bear River High School in 2006 to express their concerns and offer potential solutions, at least partially leading to the safety measures enacted in the years following.
In the wake of the most recent tragedies, the citizens group is planning another meeting for 7 p.m. on March 22 in the Bear River multipurpose room.
Topics Jones would like discussed include safety barriers, more CHP enforcement, posts that prevent cars from crossing over the divider, and various other incremental safety precautions.
Jolie Allen, 11, is a sixth grader at the Nevada City School for the arts. She's working on her Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) project, building a website fix49.org with her brother Silas Allen to gain signatures to present to the March 22 Citizens for Highway 49 Safety meeting. The goal is to raise awareness for the increased need for safety improvements.
She'll start with a presentation on Feb. 16 to the Nevada Union High School leadership class hoping to start a wave of signatures to present in March.
The goal is to collect between 5,000 and 10,000 signatures.


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Our Mission - Our Values
Run Wild Missoula promotes and supports running and walking for people of all ages and abilities.
Core Values:
Honesty, Integrity, Professionalism and Excellence in Reputation;
Creation of a community of runners and walkers that:
- Encourages inclusion and acceptance of all ages and abilities
- Promotes a fit, active and healthy lifestyle for our members
- Provides for multiple opportunities to safely participate, train, learn and race for members of all financial means;
Giving back to the community in meaningful way and
Supporting local vendors, businesses and economy – especially our event sponsors.
More than just words on paper, this Mission and these Core Values guide the decisions we make on our mix of races, use of club resources; member benefits & amenities; community donations and how we support our sport. We hope that you'll continue to join and support us as we work to live up to these standards.
RUN WILD MISSOULA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Catherine Redfern - President. While some people's love affair with running started early in their life, Catherine's has only been for the last decade. She fell hard for running after running the Missoula Half Marathon in 2009. Since that day in July she relishes the feeling of accomplishment after a hard workout and is always in pursuit of the feeling one gets after a really good run! She prefers marathons to 5k's and grinding out a long run is her idea of the perfect way to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning. Catherine, a Western Montana native, is currently employed as a grant accountant with Trout Unlimited's Western Water & Habitat Program.
Jeremy Partain - Vice President. Jeremy has spent most of his life in Missoula, developing at an early age an appreciation for the adventure this area has to offer. After attaining a goal of 100 Mt. Sentinel summits in a year, he set his sights on a new ambition: the Missoula Half Marathon in 2014. Having never run before, Jeremy quickly took to the sport and shortly after joined Run Wild Missoula. He has since participated in multiple marathons, training classes and numerous other races, on both trails and roads. He also enjoys the opportunities RWM provides to be involved, whether it's handing out water cups or as the Race Director for the Missoula 5K. Jeremy attended the University of Montana for both his Bachelors and Masters of Accountancy degrees, obtained his CPA license, and is currently the Chief Financial Officer for MTB Management, Inc. Outside of running, Jeremy loves spending time with his wife—also an avid runner—and 4 active boys, either hiking up a Bitterroot trail, fly fishing Lolo Creek, folfing on Blue Mountain, or camping in Glacier. Jeremy is constantly inspired by the spirit and diversity the running community embraces and feels privileged to be able to serve that community through Run Wild Missoula.
Bryan Flaig - Treasurer. Bryan is a native Montanan – born in Havre, raised in Missoula, graduated from Montana State University in Bozeman, lived/worked in Billings, and ultimately moved back to Missoula in 1982. He has been employed in the financial services industry throughout his entire professional career, including the past 15 years at First Security Bank of Missoula where he presently serves as Senior Vice President and Senior Credit Officer. During that time Bryan has participated in various community organizations and fund raising activities; while his current board, membership, and committee involvements include stints with Destination Missoula, Missoula Kiwanis Club, and Missoula Country Club. An avid sports enthusiast, he discovered a newfound appreciation for the activity of running after completing his first Missoula Half Marathon in 2010. Since then Bryan has developed a better understanding of the mission of Run Wild Missoula, particularly enjoys the social (fun) aspect of the club, and is continually "training" for the next Last Wednesday Beer Run each month. In his spare time, he also enjoys playing golf with friends and relaxing with family at Flathead Lake.
Elizabeth Erickson - Secretary. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Elizabeth has lived in Montana since 1999 and been a runner for much of her life. From high school cross country and road races growing up in Georgia, to more recent years exploring the west's public lands through trail and ultra races, running has been a long time passion. Elizabeth graduated from the University of Montana School of Law and UM's Environmental Studies master's program and currently works as the Open Space Acquisitions Attorney with the City of Missoula, working to protect and expand Missoula's open space, parks and trails.
Erin Clark is never near the front of the pack, but always happy when her feet are moving under her, even more so if the ground beneath is a trail, especially a trail new to her. Although Erin ran road half marathons frequently a few decades ago, she now prefers long trail runs in wild places with friends. She's a member of the Territory Run Team, proud to have been one of the first 10 women to complete a RATBOB, and a frequent volunteer at Run Wild Missoula and Runner's Edge events. Erin is the western field director for the Montana Wilderness Association and dedicates her professional time to building advocates for our state's incredible public lands. She moved to Missoula in 2011 and it was on a run with RWM's trail running class in the North Hills that she truly began to fall in love with this place and its incredible running community.
Pam Gardiner grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and moved around the country for school and work before settling in Missoula in 2004. She started running as part of a weight-loss program and ran three marathons the year she turned fifty-five. For the next fifteen years, she focused on half marathons, with 40 events in 25 states by the end of 2017. Pam has enjoyed volunteering for RWM since 2010. Leading the Back of the Pack (BOP), serving on the Missoula Marathon Committee, and sharing leadership of Galloway training programs have made her retirement after 30 years with the US Forest Service meaningful and fun. She appreciates the chance to apply career-based leadership skills and life-coach training to support other runners. Run Wild Missoula's mission statement inspired Pam to join the club. The commitment to promote running and walking for people of all ages and abilities is a challenging goal. Pam is proud of the club's BOP-friendly events and diverse training programs. Pam and her husband, Lyle Geurts, have one son, Jonathan Geurts (also a runner) who lives in Denver with his wife, Jennie.
Jimmy Grant first moved to Missoula in 1996 to attend the University of Montana. After graduating, he spent time working as a Park Ranger in Wyoming and attending graduate school in Rhode Island before making his way back to Missoula for good in 2007, just in time for the inaugural Missoula Marathon. He survived the record heat that day and has gone on to finish that race five other times to go along with his dozens of other marathon and ultramarathon finishes. Besides being a fixture in the local racing scene, Jimmy is equally recognizable for his involvement in the running community. He has co-directed the River City Roots Run and co-directed the Mountain Running Film Festival for several years. Most notably, he's is a founder of Montana Trail Crew and served as its Board Chair until that organization merged with Run Wild Missoula in 2016. When he's not logging miles or volunteering, Jimmy works as a historian specializing in natural resource and environmental history. His wife, Lori, and their daughters, Addy and Amelia, are all Run Wild Missoula members.
Justin Grigg grew up in Portland, Oregon, and got his start in running in high school track and cross country. He first moved to Missoula for college at the University of Montana in 1992, traded running for hiking and backpacking, and moved away for work for a few years before returning in 1999. After a hiking injury required time on a treadmill as part of the recovery process, he remembered the enjoyment running brought and soon began participating in local 5Ks and 10Ks. He ran his first marathon, the Missoula Marathon, in 2009 and has since progressed to ultramarathons. Though he prefers trails over roads, he can often be found at the Run Wild Missoula Saturday morning run and occasionally at Tuesday Track. He serves as race director for the Turkey Day 8K & 3K Family Fun Run and is a regular volunteer at races around Missoula. After spending nearly 20 years as a journalist in the Northern Rockies, Justin now works in public relations.
Tom Halverson is a native Missoulian, graduating from both Hellgate High School and the University of Montana. For the past 24 years he has been a Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser. He has been running for more than 30 years and has been a member of Run Wild Missoula since its inception He's a regular participant in RWM races, Beer Runs and the Boston/Spring Marathon Training Class.
Leah Handelman's background was light on running prior to moving back to Montana from Boston. After acquiring a tenacious beagle, running over mountains and through forests was the only way to keep up with his one-track nose. Since then, Leah has found a love of running beyond chasing her hound, and expanded her trail running quiver to add everything from backcountry adventures to 100-mile races. She still enjoys training and racing on the roads and can't resist a big city marathon, yet none come close to her favorite Missoula Marathon. Originally from Whitefish, Leah attended Boston College before graduating from the University of Montana School of Law. When not training for her next ultra, she is a litigation attorney focusing on insurance coverage, medical malpractice, and construction law with the Garlington, Lohn, and Robinson law firm. As her mileage increases, so does her appreciation for all that goes into our trails' accessibility, the smooth operation of our races, and the joy running brings to her and the Missoula community.
Chad Taylor started running in response to peer pressure. He was singled out by Tony Banovich as the only non-runner in the room during a Missoula Marathon race committee meeting in 2016 and decided that needed to change. He loves the social aspect of running and the inclusive and community focused mission of Run Wild Missoula. During the day, Chad works for Morrison-Maierle as a structural engineer designing the bones of buildings. He spends the rest of his time on the short end of negotiations with his two kids, squeezing in a lunchtime run or a lap up Mt. Sentinel, or playing bingo with friends at The Thomas Meagher Bar.
In 2020, board meetings will be held in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, October and December. With some exceptions they take place on the last Friday of the month at 7:30 a.m. The September meeting is replaced with the Annual Meeting of Members (which all members are invited to attend). Please contact Run Wild Missoula if you wish to attend so we can make sure there is enough seating.
RUN WILD MISSOULA STAFF
Tony Banovich, Run Wild Missoula Executive Director
Tony is a native of Butte, America and graduated from Butte Central High School and Montana Tech. He has been actively involved in distance running for 35 years as a competitive athlete, race director, club administrator, coach and event volunteer. Many in the Missoula running community became familiar with Tony from his previous work as the start and finish line announcer for the Missoula Marathon, Run For The Luck Of It and Missoula Mile. He has also been the race director for the Huckleberry Run 5K in Trout Creek and the 2012 Montana Cup Cross Country event in Plains. From 2009 to 2014 he was a cross country and track coach for Plains High School. Prior to joining RWM, Tony had a 25-year career as a professional engineer and project manager with the City of Billings, Billings Clinic, and the consulting firm of Sanderson Stewart. Tony and his wife Erin McCarthy have a son Nick who lives in Phoenix with his wife Katie, daughter Emery and son Greyson. Their daughter Zoe is a graduate of Montana State University. She and her husband Nick are currently living in Bozeman. Tony's favorite day is race day - he loves the opportunity to interact with runners and walkers who have just completed a fun and healthy activity.
Ashley Cossairt, Director of Operations
Ashley is a Minnesota native who came to Big Sky Country to attend Montana State University in 2010. After earning her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Sociology, she moved to Missoula to pursue graduate studies at UM. Ashley has been a member of Run Wild Missoula since 2015. Before joining the RWM staff, she volunteered at numerous races; and, she was the race director for the 2016 River City Roots 4-Mile Fun Run. She ran her first race, the Missoula 5K, in 2015; and her first marathon, the Missoula Marathon, in 2016. Since running the Missoula Marathon, she has completed a few more marathons, and still has a bucket list of other races to complete. When not in the office, Ashley can be found out for a run with her husband, Bryan, and Australian Shepherd, Sydney; or, acting as an ambassador for Oiselle.
Elizabeth Wasserman, Program Coordinator
Elizabeth is originally from Upstate New York. She first came to Montana in the Summer of 2018 as a Ranger at Glacier National Park, she returned the following summer looking to make Montana her permanent home. Elizabeth was introduced to RWM and their mission after participating in the 2018 Missoula Half Marathon. Elizabeth has been running since 2008, when she started running for her middle school cross country and track teams. She has been running ever since. She was a competitive runner through her high school and college careers. Currently, Elizabeth trains for long distance road races. She has experience coaching varsity cross country and is also a private running coach. When Elizabeth isn't running, she can be found enjoying the outdoors.
"I was thinking about moving away last summer but the running club in the town where I was going to move doesn't begin to compare-and that was a big factor in my decision to stay here."
- Kelsi Camp, 37, Administrative Assistant


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I needed the roofs replaced on 2 of our outbuildings as well as some minor damage to the fascia. A friend suggested Steadfast Restoration and I gave them a call. Matt came out to meet me and go over all aspects. From the beginning to the end, these guys were awesome!! Everything was done perfectly, with no hassle and very reasonable. Would recommend this company 100%!! Matt and Justin are good people and if we need other jobs done, I will call them first.Thanks Steadfast Restoration!!
Steadfast Restoration is the real deal! Justin is the main person that I have been dealing with. He is very professional and always keep me updates on the status of my roof. Throughout my roof replacement, I have zero stress. They took care of everything, from beginning to finish. I am 100% happy with Steadfast Restoration. I will definitely use them again and recommend anyone to this company. Thank you guys!
Matt and Justin went above and beyond the call of duty in responsiveness in getting the job done and communicating with me every step of the way. Great job gentlemen. Thank you!
The Steadfast Team told us they are committed to 100% satisfaction for every client. What a breath of fresh air in today's world!! Each of the Team completed their part with attentive & open communication melded with follow-through. This demonstrates REAL Integrity to us. We like doing business with folks that say what they mean and mean what they say . . . then do it . . . AND THEY DID!!
Thanks Steadfast Restoration Team for a great job and experience!!


Wrongful termination, also called illegal termination, happens when a company terminates an employee without valid "cause." A termination is considered to be illegal when there is discrimination involved—whether it be gender discrimination, age discrimination, disability discrimination, religious discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, national origin discrimination, or even worker's compensation discrimination. If you were dismissed for reporting your employer's illegal activities, then the termination is also considered wrongful. If the circumstances of your termination are unjust or against public policy, then it is considered a wrongful termination case, which gives you the right to claim for damages against your employer.
In California, even if your work arrangement with your employer is an "at will" employment, which means that, both you and our employer can terminate the employment at any time and for any reason, you can still be a victim of wrongful termination. An "at will" employment does not give your employer the right to violate your basic human rights against unfair or unlawful treatment in the workplace.
If you or your loved one has been dismissed from work without lawful cause, you may be entitled to both economic and non-economic damages as wrongful termination does not only result in loss of earnings, but also emotional distress and suffering. But to successfully obtain compensatory damages or even get your job back, it is important to remember that you will need the expertise of a wrongful termination attorney. Aside from the complexities of employment and labor laws, your employer definitely has the advantage of abundant resources and connections, which they will surely use to their advantage.
If you are a victim of wrongful termination in Los Angeles, California, do not hesitate to consult an experienced and knowledgeable legal professional. Lawsuits are complicated, and you will need a top-rated labor and employment attorney by your side to help you navigate the entire legal process and make it possible for you to get the maximum compensation you deserve.
CALL US NOW AT (866)-500-7070 TO GET IN TOUCH WITH SOME OF THE BEST WRONGFUL TERMINATION LAWYERS IN CALIFORNIA. WE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH TOPNOTCH LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND PERSONALIZED CLIENT CARE REGARDLESS OF THE COMPLEXITIES OF YOUR EMPLOYMENT CASE OR THE ACTUAL VALUE OF YOUR CLAIMS.
Discrimination – If you were treated unfairly in the workplace because of your age, gender, or race, then you may have been discriminated against. This type of discrimination is against the law. The Equality Act, which amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964, clearly states that discrimination based on gender identity, age, and sexual orientation is unlawful. In addition, if the discrimination eventually leads to the unlawful cessation of your employment, then you have the right to file for wrongful termination against your employer.
Forced Resignation – If your employer does not terminate you but creates an intolerable working environment that leaves you with no real choice but to resign, then you may be a victim of coerced or forced resignation. Under California law, forced resignation is considered a "constructive" dismissal, which means that the resignation is not voluntary, and thus can be considered as termination.
If you have been wrongfully terminated at work, regardless of whether the illegal action is direct or indirect, you should be aware that you have a right to claim damages and other losses from your employer, including back wages, unpaid benefits and other emoluments, unpaid rest and meal breaks, and even pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other losses.
The best and only way you can get justice and obtain the maximum compensation you deserve for being unjustly terminated by your employer is to seek legal help from top employment and labor law attorneys who will fight for your rights and who care for your interests regardless of the complexities of your employment and/or labor case.
Don't commit the same mistakes that others have made wherein they are not aware of their rights at work, making them easy victims of unjust treatment in the workplace. As an employee in California, you have rights in that cannot be bargained away by your employer. However, due to ignorance and/or fear, employees are unable to get the compensation they deserve.
Ignorance – Most employees are unaware of their rights at work, from conditions of employment to basic compensation and even work relationships, which generally relates to labor employment and labor law.
Fear of Retaliation – Others, on the other hand, are fully aware of their rights against wrongful termination but don't have the resources or even the resolve to do anything about it because they are afraid that their employers might retaliate and file other cases against them.
In a wrongful termination case, the most important step you can take is to immediately consult a lawyer who has the knowledge and experience necessary to help you win the case.


The Nintendo 3DS has been finally confirmed for February 2011. An intro video of Street Fighter IV has also leaked which shows that the 3DS is not only about a 3D screen it's also about instant gaming with people around you, adding a nice touch of instant interaction to that gaming console.
Keep in mind that Unity is a 1500USD game engine … which totally can stand the comparison with Gamebryo's or UT's ! (who are priced with 2/3more digits…) Unity Bootcamp from Amilton Diesel on Vimeo.
This booth tour of Imagination technology, the makers of the PowerVR chip that powers the Motorola Droid is fascinating. They announced that the chip they are currently designing and that will be found in mobile phones will provide "graphics comparable to the PlayStation 3 in three years".


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Express Logic
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Express Logic and IAR Systems Team Up to Deliver Development Solutions for Commercial Applications in Consumer, Medical, and Industrial Devices
Targeting consumer, medical and industrial devices, Express Logic and IAR have integrated ThreadX and Embedded Workbench IDE at the source code level. Thanks to kernel awareness, developers gain views of all threads and ability to set breakpoints.
Nuremberg, Germany, March 04, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Includes combined support for ARM, ColdFire, V850, and H8 processor-based systems.
Express Logic, Inc., a worldwide leader in royalty-free real-time operating systems (RTOS), and IAR Systems, a leading provider of software tools for embedded systems, today announced a commercial-grade integration for developers of serious applications. The integration combines Express Logic's ThreadX® RTOS and IAR Embedded Workbench® IDE in a form that is easily used out-of-the box by developers of embedded applications. Both Express Logic and IAR Systems products support most popular 32-bit architectures, including ARM's ARM7, ARM9 and Cortex-M3, Freescale's ColdFire, NEC's V850, and Renesas's H8. Now, developers using those processors can benefit from the seamless integration of ThreadX and IAR Embedded Workbench, enabling them to bring products to market faster and easier than ever before.
Express Logic's ThreadX RTOS is structured for use with IAR's Embedded Workbench IDE in a source code project. Developers can immediately compile and build the RTOS library and link it with application code using its services. IAR's Embedded Workbench provides all the editing, compilation, debugging, and version control facilities needed to support embedded development. In addition, IAR Embedded Workbench now includes RTOS kernel awareness for ThreadX, which gives developers a view of all kernel objects and application threads and enables them to set thread-specific breakpoints. ThreadX is provided with a quick-start demo application, with full source code, that developers can use to familiarize themselves with its features and mechanisms. A full list of the IAR Kickstart kits supported by ThreadX can be found here: http://www.iar.com/kits.
"Many of our ThreadX customers use IAR's Embedded Workbench as their preferred development environment," said William E,. Lamie, President of Express Logic. "Now, developers using Freescale's ColdeFire can also enjoy the benefits of the ThreadX-IAR combination and speed their products to market faster."
"ThreadX RTOS and IAR Embedded Workbench complement each other extremely well and suit the development of a broad range of consumer and industrial applications," commented Fredrik Medin, Marketing Director, IAR Systems. "To be successful in these markets, designs need to be introduced as quickly as possible and the combination of our products greatly aid that process."
Express Logic's ThreadX RTOS is a small-footprint, easy-to-use, priority-based, preemptive scheduling hard real-time RTOS that has been used in over 750 million electronic products in consumer electronics, medical devices, industrial automation, and networking applications. ThreadX is extremely fast, and responsive to real-time events. ThreadX is available with validation artifacts for IEC, DO-178B/ED-12b, EUROCAE, and USFDA (CDRH) certification.
IAR Embedded Workbench is a set of highly sophisticated and easy-to-use development tools. It incorporates IAR C/C++ Compiler, assembler, linker, librarian, text editor, project manager, and debugger combined in an integrated development environment (IDE) for programming embedded applications.
ThreadX is available in full source code form, royalty free, at license prices starting at $12,500.
About Express Logic and ThreadX
Headquartered in San Diego, CA, Express Logic offers the most advanced run-time solution for deeply embedded applications, including the popular ThreadX® RTOS, the high-performance NetX™ TCP/IP stack, the FileX™ embedded MS-DOS compatible file system, and the USBX™ Host/Device USB protocol stack. All products from Express Logic include full source-code and have no run-time royalties. For more information about Express Logic solutions, please visit the Web site at http://www.expresslogic.com, call 1-888-THREADX, or email inquires to sales@expresslogic.com.
About IAR Systems
IAR Systems is the world's leading supplier of software tools for embedded systems that enable large and small companies to develop premium products based on 8-, 16-, and 32-bit microcontrollers, mainly in the areas of industrial automation, medical devices, consumer electronics and automotive products. IAR Systems has an extensive network of partners and cooperates with the world's leading semiconductor vendors. Established in 1983, IAR Systems is part of the Intoi Group since 2005. For more information, please visit www.iar.com.
ThreadX, BenchX, TraceX, and FileX are registered trademarks, and NetX, CANX, USBX, StackX, preemption-threshold, picokernel, and UDP fast path technology, are trademarks of Express Logic, Inc. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders.
IAR Systems, IAR Embedded Workbench, C-SPY, visualSTATE, From Idea to Target, IAR KickStart Kit, IAR PowerPac, IAR YellowSuite, IAR Advanced Development Kit, IAR and the logotype of IAR Systems are trademarks or registered trademarks owned by IAR Systems AB. J-Link and J-Trace are trademarks licensed to IAR Systems AB. All other products are trademarks of their respective owners.
Express Logic contacts
John Carbone, Vice President of Marketing, Express Logic, Inc.
Tel: 1-858-613-6640, Ext. 202
E-mail: jcarbone@expresslogic.com
IAR Systems Contacts:
Fredrik Medin, Marketing Director, IAR Systems
E-mail: fredrik.medin@iar.com
Further editorial information, text and graphics by email or to discuss feature article opportunities:
Express Logic Agency contact:
Janice Hughes, Hughes Communications, Inc.
Download of text or graphics: http://www.hughescom.net/pressroom/expresslogic.html
Tel: (705) 774-8686 E-mail: janice@hughescom.net
IAR Agency contact -
Robert Huntley, Publitek Limited, 18 Brock Street, Bath, BA1 2LW, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1225 470000 E-mail: robert.huntley@publitek.com
Fax: +44 (0) 1225 470047 Web: www.publitek.com
John Carbone
expresslogic.com
Click here to view the list of recent Press Releases from Express Logic


Deb asked: "What's the best book you've read recently?"
The most recent one for me is The Day The Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan. The emotional family drama that drove that book was wonderfully captivating, and the story of the Niagara that was intertwined within it was memorable. My review posts on the 31st, a guest post and a giveaway on September 1st.
What was your most RECENT Best Read?


At any moment, about 2,000 thunderstorms are occurring worldwide.
Learn how thunderstorms form, what causes lightning and thunder, and how these violent phenomena help balance the planet's energy and electricity.
Previous Entry Certified ISO 19600 Lead Compliance Manager: Now available for Self-training!


text:
Tubature è un singolo del cantautore italiano Giorgio Poi, pubblicato il 2 dicembre 2016 come secondo estratto dall'album Fa niente.

Video musicale
Il videoclip del brano, diretto da Francesco Lettieri, è stato pubblicato contestualmente all'uscita del singolo sul canale YouTube di Bomba Dischi.

Tracce

Note

Collegamenti esterni


For the right candidates, dental implants are the most advanced tooth replacement system available. A dental implant is a small titanium post which, once embedded into the jaw bone, creates the ultimate base for all types of restorations. Dr. Tejash Patel is a skilled implant dentist who can both place and restore your implants in one office. Dental Plus Clinic has four locations in San Antonio, Beeville, and Seguin, TX, for convenient dental care near you. Whether you need to replace a single tooth with a dental crown or all of your teeth with implant-supported dentures, we can restore your smile.
Dental implants offer many valuable benefits. Once in place, the titanium posts act as artificial tooth roots, providing incredible support for all types of restorations. This means that you can eat foods such as fresh fruit and rare steak without having to worry that your restorations will shift out of place. Like natural tooth roots, implants stimulate the jawbone and prevent the atrophy that follows tooth loss. Other tooth replacement methods cannot provide this benefit. When properly placed and cared for, dental implants can last a lifetime.
Many patients missing one or more teeth qualify for dental implants. Candidates should be in good oral health and able to safely undergo surgery. You also need sufficient bone tissue in your jaw. If you have waited to address a missing tooth, you may require a bone graft to create a proper foundation.
Our team can provide continued care to keep your implants healthy and help ensure that your results last a lifetime.
The best way to find out if implants are right for you is to schedule an appointment with Dr. Patel. During the consultation, he will perform a comprehensive examination of your jaw, gums, and remaining teeth. We will also take x-rays and scans of the supporting structures of your teeth using our cone beam CT scanner. Based on your scans, Dr. Patel can recommend preliminary procedures to improve your candidacy and design a personalized treatment plan to restore your smile.
Dr. Patel can perform virtually every stage of implant treatment, including preparatory procedures such as bone grafts and tooth extractions. In some cases, he can perform extraction and dental implant placement in a single treatment. For improved comfort, we offer sedation administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist.
An implant-supported restoration can provide the same level of function as a healthy natural tooth.
During your implant placement procedure, Dr. Patel will make small incisions in your gums and embed the implant posts into the jaw bone. During a traditional implant procedure, Dr. Patel will then place a temporary restoration that will complete your smile as the implant fuses to the bone tissue over the next several months.
For most patients, it takes three to six months for implants to fuse with the surrounding tissue. About 24 hours after your implant placement, we will call you to ask how everything is going. A week after your procedure, you will return to our office for a follow-up so Dr. Patel can check your progress. We will then provide monthly checkups to determine when it is safe to place your permanent restoration.
Once your jaw is fully healed, Dr. Patel can replace your temporary restoration with a permanent crown, bridge, or denture to fully restore your smile. Our team at Dental Plus Clinic can provide ongoing care to help you experience the best possible benefits of dental implants.
If you are missing one or more teeth, schedule an appointment with Dr. Patel to find out if you are a candidate for dental implants. Implant-supported restorations offer incredible benefits that can help you experience a better quality of life. Book a consultation by contacting our office online or calling (361) 354-5888 today.


The best of Manchester's young business talent came together last night to celebrate at a glitzy awards ceremony, at the Hilton Hotel, Deansgate. Organised by Future Pro-Manchester the Made in Manchester Awards recognised outstanding contribution in 14 categories. The stylish awards event was hosted by radio presenter Tim Cocker, and celebrated excellence in innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, training, development and leadership.
Despite a fire evacuation of the building mid way through the awards, the night was a resounding success. Rickitt Mitchell were delighted to see Kaine Smith recognised as winner of the Highly Commended Young Corporate Financier of the Year.


Local leaders are lining up to lure Marriott's headquarters to their jurisdictions while larger economic concerns lag, researchers warn.
Elected leaders in the Washington area should spend less time poaching jobs from one another and focus on collaborating around international trade and research-based industries, researchers warned this week after releasing new regional economic data.
Local growth slowed in recent years, researchers from the Brookings Institution warned in a report issued Wednesday in conjunction with JP Morgan Chase, and missed opportunities to turn things around are beginning to mount.
If Washington wants to reduce its reliance on federal spending it needs to expand the products and services it can export abroad, where Brookings expects 86 percent of the world's economic growth to occur over the next five years. Although the Washington region made $27 billion in exports last year, that represented only 6 percent of its GDP — the 95th smallest ratio among the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas.
The Washington area is also falling short in commercializing technology and attracting international students, said Amy Liu, Brookings senior fellow. Brookings released economic data on Washington and 28 other large urban areas this week.
"The cities and the firms that are more globally engaged tend to prosper on a much more consistent basis. They are more resistant to the ebbs and flows of the economy," she said.
Instead, local officials have become increasingly competitive economically. As the economy slowed in recent years, leaders in D.C., Maryland and Virginia began more aggressively poaching and recruiting companies from each other.
For instance Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) offered competing incentive packages for the Advisory Board Co. In order to prevent the company from moving its headquarters two miles west, to Rosslyn, Bowser offered the company a $60 million incentive package.
That's on top of $193 million in land and tax breaks D.C. officials agreed to provide D.C. United to keep the soccer team from moving to Virginia or Maryland and $50 million they agreed to spend on a practice venue for the Washington Wizards so it would not be built in Montgomery County.
All of those deals are a prelude to what may be an unprecedented sweepstakes for the headquarters of Marriott International, the Fortune 500 company that has a lease expiring in 2022 and a little more than 2,000 employees in Bethesda. McAuliffe, Bowser and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) have all pledged to make forays to Marriott, and officials in multiple jurisdictions have begun strategizing.
Moving a company a few miles doesn't benefit the regional economy however. Liu warned against high stakes corporate battles as a replacement for growing international trade and growing target industries such as computer systems design, data processing and cybersecurity.
"These political leaders should say, 'Let's set aside the conversation around stealing jobs from one another and moving jobs. What we need is a common strategy for helping the existing firms,'" Liu said.
"That's what a lot of these markets have done — set aside their differences on competition and said let's make sure that those companies that are already here have the market information, the financial resources and other opportunities to expand abroad," she said.
The Washington region remains one of the wealthiest and most highly educated areas of the country, a producer of $400 billion of goods and services and host of 3.2 million jobs in 2014.
But its reputation as a center of political gridlock motivated investment banker Russ Ramsey to chair a bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics as a way of forging a new public and economic identity focused on sports and universities.
"I do think Washington, uniquely among other capital cities, has an opportunity to take this pro sports footprint and university footprint and use them for other things that don't take a big investment," Ramsey said.
Even if they don't preclude cooperation on larger economic issues, Ramsey said intra-regional competitions for corporations weren't helping.
"All the Marriott competition does is push the air around in the balloon, and actually it's taking air out of the balloon," he said.
Ramsey and Peter Scher, JP Morgan executive vice president and head of corporate responsibility, agreed that resolving the ongoing concerns about Metro ought to be a paramount concern for regional leaders. The Brookings research showed that the area had the longest average commuting time among peer cities.
It's not just local commuters who benefit. Washington enjoyed a $6.8 billion economic output from international tourism last year, according to Brookings.


Swiss manufacturing companies are currently under extreme pressure from unfavourable exchange rates with the Euro. Their supply chains have huge potential for profitability increase, but unfortunately, the traditional planning tools embedded in their ERP system do not allow them to convert these potentials in real benefits. Demand Driven MRP is a new planning, inventory management and execution framework that has demonstrated impressive results and is revolutionizing supply chain management around the world. The survival of many companies may depend on their ability to innovate their supply chain operating model and become demand driven.
You are in trouble. You are a Swiss manufacturing company and you are under pressure. The recent developments in exchange rates make your goods forbiddingly expensive for international customers. At the end of 2007 the conversion rate was 1.65 CHF for one Euro. In 2012 the Swiss national bank managed to stabilize the rate at 1.20. Now, the rate has stabilized, on its own, at around 1.05. This means that for a European customer your goods in 2012 were 37.5% more expensive and now they are 57% more expensive than they were at the end of 2007.
There are some who would argue that the situation is less bad than it seems. One such argument is that your Swiss products are not competing on price but on quality, reliability and service. All true. But still, a 57% premium on price is a lot. And Switzerland is not the only country renowned for its high quality goods. Germany is, too.
If there ever was an ideal time to take a long, hard look at your supply chain operating model, then this time is now. I am not talking about moving operations to China or some other remote and low cost manufacturing countries. Quite the opposite in fact. I am also not advocating slashing costs everywhere you can find them – again: quite the opposite in fact; some cost cutting programs often damage the substance of the company, are not sustainable or may even have an opposite effect.
What I am calling for, is for you to challenge the most fundamental assumptions of how you manage your operations, and discover that a good part of the solution lies in your hands.
Let's start by stating what is the goal of every manufacturing company: make money. To achieve that, you buy materials, convert them into finished goods and sell them to your customers. The more efficiently and effectively you can close this loop, the better your returns. Returns are determined by the cash velocity, which is the rate of net cash generation. This is defined as the sales (in Swiss Francs) minus truly variable costs (also known as throughput dollars or contribution margin) minus period operating expense (1). Cash velocity, in turn is determined by flow, which is the rate at which a system converts material into products required by a customer. The emphasis on required by a customer is central. Flow is meaningless if nobody wants to buy what is flowing. And here is where your company may be failing and where there is a huge potential to recover cash. In fact, many companies, under the imperative to cut costs take decisions that actually impede flow. All tactical actions aiming at increasing equipment efficiency and utilization, with the objective of decreasing unit cost are in fact resulting in hindering flow and increasing the total supply chain cost. There are multiple reasons for that, and going into depth would require writing an entire book. Here I will just shortly give the two main reasons, that revolve around common fallacies in supply chain management and leave it at that. If you want to know more about the issue you are welcome to read the literature (1). The first big fallacy is that we generally think of supply chains as linear systems. In a linear system, the whole is the sum of the parts. If I want to optimize the total cost in a linear system I just need to optimize the costs of its individual parts. Therefore I cut down my organization into functional silos and I mandate each function to optimize. Wrong! Supply chains do not work that way, because they are not linear systems. They are Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) and they respond to a complete different set of rules. In fact, using this linear approach will guarantee that the whole system will be sub-optimal. The second fallacy is the unitized fix cost fallacy. Since the advent of MRP II it has become fashionable (yes, fashionable) in many organizations to track standard costs (which are including allocated fix costs and depreciation) and use these cost reports to drive tactical decisions. This drives a whole set of wrong behaviors with the end result of damaging the operations performance. The only costs that your should use for tactical decisions are the ones that are variable in the horizon in question. On a short horizon almost all costs are fixed. Even personnel cost are fix within a three-month horizon (if you exclude overtime and week-end shifts).
Your MRP is definitely not helping you. There is a third obstacle that stands in the way to achieving flow, and it is put in place by the very planning systems that should promote it in the first place. As most other companies, you may have implemented some sort of ERP system. One of the components at the core of each ERP system is a planning module built around an MRP (Material Requirement Planning) engine. This engine was developed in the '60s and '70s of the last century to respond to the planning challenges that companies were facing at that time and to leverage the power of these wonderful new machines that were appearing everywhere: the computers. MRP performs well under a set of very specific assumptions. Whether those assumptions were met at the time of its inception is dubious, but in any case they were met sufficiently well for MRP to represent a break-through. What is certain is that these assumptions are not met anymore today; and the results in term of lost operational performance are catastrophic. What is even more certain is the fact that the globalized marketplace is developing in a direction that makes these assumptions more tenuous every day.
The primary assumption for MRP to perform well is that the demand signal is accurate, both in time and quantity. This may well have been the case in 1970, if your company had a full order book and you were operating in a make to order environment, using raw materials procured locally within a relatively short lead time. What MRP does is very simple. It takes the demand signal and calculates backward in time what needs to be ready by when for each manufacturing step, including the procurement of raw materials. But let's look at the reality today; your customers don't want to wait for the entire manufacturing lead time to get their products. You may be procuring some materials and intermediates globally or you may be outsourcing to third parties around the globe; lead times are longer than they used to be. This forces you to procure and manufacture some of your products based on a forecast. This is the first big assumption break. A forecast is not an accurate demand signal. Procuring goods or running production based on forecast data is guaranteed to build inventories that your customers don't want yet. And while you are doing that you are using materials, capacity and resources that could have been better used to manufacture products that your customers actually want. This goes against flow. As said earlier, MRP calculates backwards in time each step of the bill of materials. There are several parameters in the MRP that drive its calculations. Some of them have a truly dreadful impact: dynamic safety stocks, minimum order quantities, rounding factors, time fences and so on contribute to amplify the error in the demand signal and amplify the variability which is inherent to every manufacturing process. This effect is not linear. A small change in the initial forecast will result in major shifts down the manufacturing chain. These effects are well documented and known under the terms of bull-whip effect and MRP nervousness. Because in an MRP the entire bill of material is made dependent, all variability in the system is amplified. The result of all this is that the supply chain performance of your company has become just unacceptable. Inventories are generally too high and not positioned where they are needed. Some inventory positions are too high, resulting in slow moving and obsoletes, while other positions are too low, resulting in loss of sales or delay in production due to missing materials. When these delays in productions affect bottleneck resources, this results in an additional loss of precious capacity. The costs of correcting these inventory misalignments are enormous and they are never captured as cost of goods. These costs include all frenzy expediting activities that result in massive productivity losses (meetings, emails, phone calls, re-prioritizing, rescheduling, crisis management), distribution costs (express shipments), capacity loss (over-utilization and rescheduling of capacity bottleneck resources). At the end of the day you may well have achieved an acceptable service level to your customers, but at what cost!
Demand Driven supply: a revolution in supply chain management. In the last 20 years or so, many process improvement philosophies have been proposed and used more or less successfully. Lean Thinking, Theory of Constraints (ToC), Six Sigma, have all provided benefits in the past and will still be useful in the future. Unfortunately, many implementations of these concepts were celebrated as local best practices but never managed to spread across entire supply chains. There may be several reasons for that. One primary reason is that none of these methods could provide a viable planning and execution alternative that can be deployed across an entire supply chain. In addition, major ERP houses with their marketing power and the complicity of corporate IT departments were able to steamroll local Lean best practice implementations under the "standardization" imperative.
In the last few years however, things have started to change. Some of the best ideas from Lean, Theory of Constraints, Six Sigma and planning best practices have been combined to create what is today officially known as Demand Driven MRP (DDMRP). Demand Driven MRP provides a complete planning, inventory management and execution framework that can be deployed to entire supply chains, including the integration of customers and suppliers. Powerful DDMRP planning software is available as Software as a Service (SaaS). These software packages are extremely flexible, can be implemented within weeks or months and come at fraction of the typical cost of an MRP implementation. Demand Driven is fully aligned with CAS theory. The two main principles behind Demand Driven are a) the decoupling of the supply chain in discrete units by the use of specially designed stock buffers. These buffers are positioned in critical points in the supply chain and have the function of stopping the variability (bull-whip, MRP nervousness) to be passed across, both from the demand side and from the supply side. And b) the use of true demand signals (not forecasts) to generate manufacturing orders, purchase orders for raw materials and distribution orders (stock transfer) for finished goods. Hence the tagline of DDMRP: Position and Pull. A complete description of the methodology was first published in 2011 in the third edition of Orlicky's classic "MRP" (2). There is a crescent number of companies that have and are implementing Demand Driven MRP or more generally Demand Driven Supply approaches (3) and the results in all cases are stunning. Where there used to be chaos on the shop floor, due to constant expediting, now there is quiet; schedules are stable and capacity is fully utilized to produce what matters. Planners can generates their production plans in hours instead of days. Customer lead times are shorter and market responsiveness is increased, and with it sales and financial returns as well. Inventories are cut by 30-50% and optimally distributed to protect sales or critical operations. Flow and cash velocity are maximized and result in true financial benefits and increased competitiveness.
While Demand Driven will not solve all issues encountered by your Swiss manufacturing company, it can certainly help improving your cash position and reduce your total supply chain cost. These cost savings could be passed to your international customers, thus allowing you to recover some of the lost competitiveness. Additionally, you can use the increased responsiveness to the market as a competitive advantage: some customers may still be ready to pay the Swiss premium for a shorter delivery lead time and better service.
Implementations have succeeded in all kind of industries, from Engineering to Order to FMCG and retail and all in between.
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Most cases of cancer result from avoidable factors such as toxic chemicals and radiation, according to a study.
Researchers found that the more stem-cell divisions that occurred in a given tissue over a lifetime, the more likely it was to become cancerous. They said that though some cancers clearly had strong outside links – such as liver cancers caused by hepatitis C or lung cancer resulting from smoking – there were others for which the variation was explained mainly by defects in stem-cell division. In those cases, they argued, early detection and treatment would be more effective than prevention.
Yusuf Hannun, a cancer researcher at Stony Brook University in New York, wondered about the effect of external factors such as radiation on stem cell division rates. He and his team examined the contribution of environmental factors to cancer risk, such as data showing that people who migrated from regions of lower cancer risk to those with higher risk soon developed disease at rates consistent with their new environment.
They also looked at patterns in the mutations associated with certain cancers. Ultraviolet light, for example, tends to create a telltale signature of mutations in DNA, plus various mathematical models. They found that mutations during cell division rarely build up to the point of producing cancer, even in tissues with relatively high rates of cell division. In almost all cases, the team found that some exposure to environmental factors would be needed to set off the disease.