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Exaggerator's Upset Victory in Preakness Caps Record-Breaking Day at Pimlico
Columnist Articles
May 23, 2016 by Rick Buckley
Exaggerator – 2016 Preakness Stakes Winner
Nyquist wins the 2016 Preakness Stakes in route to becoming the next Triple Crown Champion!
That was the lofty expectation coming into the weekend's 141st Preakness Stakes. Undefeated in all of his eight starts, the striking three year old colt, sired by leading freshman Uncle Mo, Nyquist, seemingly made easy work of every challenger. Five different courses, six different distances, five furlongs in a blazing 56.2 seconds in his debut, the 1 1/4 over Churchill's Kentucky Derby; East Coast, West Coast; fast track, wet track, nothing seemed to faze him.
American Pharoah and Nyquist comparisons, with previous consecutive Triple Crown winners of the past, was the talk of the day; most notably the 1978 historical series with Affirmed and Alydar that followed Seattle Slew's 1977 undefeated sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Heavy talk considering the many other great horses who failed to add their names to the hallowed halls of the Triple Crown legacy.
"And they're off in the 141st Preakness!"
The Run to First Turn
Similar to Affirmed and Alydar, a rivalry had developed over the span of Nyquist's eight undefeated performances. From the June 05, 2015 initial start of his eight race winning streak, Nyquist's skills would be tested by the tenacious Curlin colt, Exaggerator. Like Nyquist, Exaggerator had also competed over five different courses and at distances from five furlongs to a mile and a quarter. Four of them against Nyquist, and all four ending in defeat. The last two meetings were the February 15, 2016, 7 furlong San Vicente and the May 07, 2016 1 1/4 mile Kentucky Derby; Both times second and both times Nyquist had an answer for the late closing Exaggerator.
Following the 2016 Kentucky Derby, trainer Doug F. O'Neill shipped Nyquist two days later to give him a chance to get acclimated to the narrow straightaways and arguably tighter turns of Pimlico racecourse. J. Keith Desormeaux, the hard boot, old school trainer of Exaggerator opted to keep his colt in Kentucky and let him recover a bit before making the trip east to Maryland, the place where his training career began as an apprentice of Charles Hadry, alongside his younger Hall of Fame brother, Exaggerator's jockey, J Kent Desormeaux.
Nyquist battles it out early versus Uncle Lino inside on the turn
Heavy, consistent rain was the flavor of the day in the weather forecast as Preakness day approached. The test of champions was close at hand and a muddy track would level the playing field. Nyquist had never performed over a muddy, rain drenched course and Exaggerator decimated of field of seven in the Santa Anita Derby over a muddy track in monsoon like rain.
Nyquist remained the heavy 3-5 favorite as they approached the gate. As expected, Nyquist broke smartly and moved straight to the front joined by Uncle Lino to his inside and Awesome Speed to his outside. Jockey Kent Desormeaux quickly placed Exaggerator down to the rail for a ground saving trip some 13 lengths back as they stormed through the stretch for the first pass by the fans. With speed to his outside and the inside post position # 3, jockey Mario Gutierrez pushed Nyquist through a blazing first quarter in 22.38 seconds as they made the first turn. As they moved to the backside, Desormeaux and Exaggerator tactically moved up the rail inside of horses to within just two lengths off of Nyquest and Uncle Lino as they continued the battle on the lead.
With Nyquist in the middle, Exaggerator behind Uncle Lino in the green silks back in the distance begins to make his move
As they made their way for home, before a record crowd of 135,256 screaming fans, Kent Desormeaux and Exaggerator charged to the outside and swept past Nyquest and back to the rail as they extended the lead. Nyquest moved outside for another challenge only to falter late and be nosed out for second by the late closing, Dale Romans trained Cherry Wine.
Exaggerator completed the 1 3/16 miles in 1:58.31 to earn his fifth victory in 11 starts and the $900,000 winner's share of the $1.5 million purse.
Exaggerator comes home in the 2016 Preakness (with a very happy fan in the background)
Exaggerator, coming home happy and healthy
On to the Winner's Circle
NBC reporter with trainer Keith Desormeaux
As winning trainer Keith Desormeaux made his way onto the track, following his upset victory with Exaggerator over the undefeated Nyquist, he responded to NBC's question of his thoughts on the performance, "I'm just glad I get to walk across this track and take a picture on that side. When you get to take your picture taken on the turf course, you know you've done well."
"It's kind of like the Santa Anita Derby, to know that you have the race won pretty much at the eighth pole, you've got to enjoy it."
"I hope it's not only because of the muddy track. The horse has been training phenomenally. I think there was a conscious decision on the training approach between the Derby and here. My philosophy was to take it as easy as possible because you're not going to gain any fitness in those two weeks. I did what I could to get him happy and fresh and strong and I've always said he's always had a great ability to recover and he showed it today. The Belmont is three weeks from today, so I'll be there with bells on."
Winning Jockey Kent Desormeaux (Exaggerator): (NBC Telecast) "I can't even fathom. It's going to take a while. I'm in shock right now. I think that Nyquist had company all the way around the course. They stayed really wide. For the [trouble] I've had in his previous starts, I had a dream trip today. I was on the fence and they all stayed wide. These turns, you want to paint the fence. We did, they didn't and, not for nothing, but knowledge is power."
Dale Romans (Cherry Wine, 2nd): I'm proud of my horse, proud of the jockey. Exaggerator looked great all week and Keith did a good job with him. It's a special thing, two brothers in a classic like this. It was like the O'Briens (father-son) winning the Breeders' Cup. That's the special thing about the sport, it proves it's a family affair. (Romans said Cherry Wine will go to the Belmont Stakes along with Brody's Cause)
The way the race set up and the track being muddy and we were in the one hole. He knew what I was talking about, he's a big Calvin Borel (rider of 50-1 Derby winner Mine That Bird in 2009) fan. I told him to 'give him the Mine That Bird trip, sit way back, past the mile make sure you catch the last one.' That's the only part of the instructions he didn't listen to.
Exaggerator and Kent Desormeaux with owner Matt Bryan leading
(On longtime owners Frank Jones and William Pacella) "One of the greatest things that has happened in my career was when the horse was coming back, and I was congratulating them and they told me how proud they were of me and the horse. That was a special moment in my career."
Doug O'Neill (Nyquist, 3rd): (Did slop affect your horse?) "I don't know. Hats off to Exaggerator and Team Desormeaux. What a great run. I didn't think we could get beat, to be honest with you. Nyquist is such an amazing horse and he still ran a great race. We'll kind of figure this all out, watch some replays. I didn't get a chance to talk with Mario (Gutierrez). Nyquist still ran a huge race."
(On Belmont) "We'll huddle up with Paul and Zillah Reddam and the whole crew and see how he comes out of it. It looked like he came back and got unsaddled in good shape. Maybe we'll try again."
"It's a bummer, of course. Our horse, God, he's such an amazing horse. I can't wait to see him in a little bit, give him a big kiss and a pat on the head because he's still a winner in our book. They're not machines. Being 8-for-8, we kept thinking that this horse is never going to lose, but they all lose any one time or another. We'll be OK."
"They went pretty good early on. I just really wanted to see a good, clean trip and trouble free. I think Mario did a wonderful job with that. He didn't bring it today and more than anything Exaggerator just ran a monstrous race. Hats off to them."
"When he swung out, I thought he might come back, Exaggerator had that momentum and Nyquist had done so much early in the race and just couldn't keep pace. He still gutted it out and almost held on for second. I'm very proud of him."
(On weather) "It's Mother Nature. What are you going to do? Pimlico did a great job of it with it raining all day long."
"I thought we were good all the way around. I didn't have the greatest angle but there was some point there where it just seemed like they were going to get into a head to head battle and all of a sudden I could see Mario going around him. Oh my God, I didn't know Exaggerator was that far ahead of him. I'm just so proud of him and I still feel like a winner."
"We just wanted a clean trip. We thought we had the best horse and wanted to ride him like the best horse and not try to get too cute and get perfect positioning. Him going fast early was really my idea, thinking 'he's the best horse, take it to them.'
If we're going to get beat, let's get beat being aggressive and not trying to get cute and get in trouble."
Preakness Stakes winner, Exaggerator, headed home through the mud
Exaggerator's upset victory capped a record-breaking day at Pimlico, where a record crowd of 135,256 attended the 14-race program. The previous record was set in 2015, when 131,680 watched American Pharoah win the Preakness on his way to a Triple Crown sweep. Saturday's handle of $94,127,434 eclipsed the 2005 handle record of $91,028,704.
WRITTEN REPORT AND ALL PHOTOS BY: Rick Buckley
Rick Buckley
Derek Braun: Professional Equestrian and Horse Show Impresario
COURSE DISCOURSE – The $380,000 Suncast CSI 5* Grand Prix
Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Lose
COURSE DISCOURSE: $205,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSIO4*
FEI Children's and CSI-W Guiadalajara
COURSE DISCOURSE: $132,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix CSI3*


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Values and Conduct
Investisseurs (Fr)
Investors (En)
Disrupting System 1 thinking: Better science for smarter marketing
Since the publication of Daniel Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow in 2012, there has been an explosion of interest in System 1 versus System 2 thinking (aka Dual Process Theory) and its applications to marketing in particular. But what if we have it wrong? Are we using the latest and best science appropriately?
Vinod Venkatraman Customer Experience, USA
Rich Timpone Ipsos Marketing, US
Manuel Garcia-Garcia Global Science Organization, USA
Ornella Godard Global Neuroscience Director, France
Martin Schoeller Global Science Organisation, France
Colin Strong Global Lead of Behavioural Science, Global Science Organisation, UK
Tamara Ansons Behavioural Science, UK
The conventional wisdom is that most decisions are made by System 1, and only occasionally does System 2 kick in to override System 1. Additionally, System 1 decisions are thought to be very resilient, and the biases impossible to break. These "new" laws of human behaviour have fueled dubious claims about related phenomena, such as 95% of behaviours are driven by non-conscious processes, cognition and emotion are two separate and independent processes, emotion is entirely non-conscious and measuring it is exclusively the domain of neuroscience, and cognition is entirely conscious and easily accessible by asking questions.
While the narrative is easy and compelling – that emotions help overcome our cognitive limitations by facilitating rapid non-conscious responses – it does not represent the complex and adaptive nature of the decision-making process. A fundamental paradigm shift is happening in the scientific literature away from the canonical Dual Process Theory (DPT), and marketing must keep pace lest we miss out on important and valuable insights.
The traditional, "System 1, then sometimes System 2" sequence is not supported by the data—people engage in both automatic and deliberative thinking at the same time, sometimes in conflict. Cognitive processing is not binary, but falls along a continuum, ranging from slow/deliberative to fast/automatic. An independent, regulatory process monitors and guides the cascade of processes, literally disrupting automatic responses and allowing a decision or behaviour to be adapted dynamically, based on the context and availability of resources. All of this is deeply influenced by the context, goals, prior associations and experiences stored in memory, and the bodily sensations that combine with these other factors to produce emotions.
In this work, we have crystallized the latest science into a new model for human experience and decision making. This model disrupts the myths that have grown out of the prior generation of science and addresses some of the most important marketing questions of today: What causes marketing disruption? How can I design, evaluate and optimise products and experiences that disrupt default behaviour? How can I create emotional experiences that will support adaptive decisions and stimulate behaviour change? We discuss the evolution of the proposed model and its scientific basis. Then, we discuss results from our research on how disruption influences adaptive decision making and changes behaviour in marketing and other domains, with empirical examples from advertising research and the changing shopping behaviours around the COVID-19 public health crisis.
Find our solution here
Disrupting System 1 Thinking - September 2020
On January 19, join us for a complimentary webinar to learn how our quick-turn, cost-effective ad-hoc solution, FastFacts, can help you achieve your research needs.
[WEBINAR] How do I communicate the benefits of Social Intelligence
On November 18, join experts from Ipsos, Convosphere and BT for a discussion about what social intelligence research is, and how best to communicate the benefit within your organization.
[EVENT] GOR 2020
On September 10-11, join us for a friendly, valuable and inspiring event which is a must for everyone involved in online research: the 22nd General Online Research Conference! Meet like-minded people and get to know the latest trends in online research.
Empathy - Real People, Real Life [Webinar recording]
Today's challenge is to stay close so that we better understand the motivations and influence the dimensions that are shaping behaviour now and in the future.
[EVENT] The Female Quotient Equality Lounge @ Advertising Week
October 6-8 - Advertising Week events are celebrations for the cross-section of the industry, built on a foundation of best in class thought leadership.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Lebron James & The Wrong Side of History
June 1, 2018 By timothytt
by timothytt
June 1, 2018 June 1, 2018 Filed under:
(GetDrawings.com)
'Lebum.' 'Lebrick.' 'Choke artist.'
It was fun rooting against Lebron James after he left the Cleveland Cavaliers to form the super-squad Miami Heat alongside future hall-of-famers Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh—especially after he predicted the Heat would win "not one, not two, not three, not four…" but several NBA Championships. He was the bad guy who took the easy way out, and instantaneously made himself a polarized figure.
But let's face it: that time has ended. Lebron James has transformed and transcended the glorified idolization of just a basketball player. He is an iconoclast making his mark beyond the sport of basketball. Though he bleeds like every other man, and experiences bad games and embarrassing losses, his ability to see beyond the thin realm of momentary performances is what sets him apart as one of—if not— the greatest basketball player of all time.
Though the 2017-2018 NBA season may not be one of Lebron James' best seasons statistically, it may be the season stamped with his signet to ensure that he be rightfully dubbed the "King James" of the NBA. For example, in a record-setting fourth consecutive matchup against the super-team Golden State Warriors, Lebron scored 51 points in game 1 of the 7-game series, almost single-handedly willing his team to win. His team fell short in overtime—yet his poise, leadership, and effort in that game began changing opinions about whether or not he is the greatest. Even after the game, when reporters tried baiting him into making one of his teammates look bad, James exhibited probity to avoid creating a nasty headline that would demean his colleague. He even challenged the reporter to "be better" as he walked out of the press conference.
Nevertheless, the naysayers continue heckling as they hold on to their childhood hoop heroes. Unfortunately, they are slipping into an abyss of history that will not deal kindly with them in the future.
The reasons James would be considered a legend, though, has more to do with his kingly character off-the-court than his on-the-court dominance—especially this season. He has been a faithful father and husband, and has kept his name out of scandals; ignored the drama surrounding Kyrie Irving's abandonment of the Cavs before the season started; had "nigger" spray-painted on his Los Angeles home; drawn unusual criticism from news outlets; is fearlessly battling to protect his brand and ideas; and led a less-than-stellar Cavaliers team to an Eastern Conference Championship and the NBA Finals—his eighth consecutive appearance.
But amid his ongoing family life, on-the-floor trials, and off-the-court scrutiny, Lebron handles all of it with Black Panther-esque regality. He accomplished a goal to play all 82 games this season (his fifteenth season), is the first player with 30,000 points, 8,000 rebounds, and 8,000 assists, and has maintained an elite presence on the court, averaging 27 points per game during the regular season and almost 35 during this postseason. He's done these things without compromising nor remaining silent about pressing on- or off-the-court issues, yet has illustrated how to address them straightforwardly and respectably. As all great king's do, James balances his power and vulnerability for the betterment of the whole.
When you watch Lebron play, he dishes the ball as effortlessly as he scores. He is not a greedy scorer. He wants to win, and he knows he needs to trust and serve his teammates to achieve that goal. But James' servanthood on the court is a reflection of what may be his greatest off-the-court quality: generosity.
He grew up plagued by a broken system, so he understands the ongoing systemic issues America is—or is neglecting to—deal with. Lebron consistently works to provide opportunities for impoverished individuals: He's created a foundation "to positively affect the lives of children and young adults through education and co-curricular educational initiatives"; His school provides an opportunity for every student who completes his program to receive a free college education; and he sparingly spends his money, unless he's using it to support historical monuments that exhibit the importance of social justice. He's arguably one of the greatest because he is a servant—after all, it was Jesus who said, "The greatest among you will be your servant" (Matthew 23:11).
But it is not just Lebron's charity that exemplifies him as a great. His humility to acknowledge the trailblazers who made his way possible is just another featured trait of those history would identify as legends. He follows the footsteps of the celebrated who used their platforms to call attention to the great inequalities of their day—even when it was a polemical. When Muhammad Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector, Jim Brown, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and a host of other well-noted athletes joined forces to show public solidarity for Ali's decision at a time when it was highly controversial.
John Carlos, along with Tommie Smith, raised his fist on the medal stand in a symbolic display of Black empowerment after an influential interaction he had with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Later, Carlos and Smith's action garnered wide-spread criticism. Brent Musburger publicly called the two "black-skinned storm troopers."
Basketball player Craig Hodges won two NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, and used one of his invitations to the White House as an opportunity to implore President George H.W. Bush to show more concern for disenfranchised African Americans. He also criticized his teammates, including Michael Jordan, for not using their platform to oppose systemic oppression. His efforts got him blackballed and arguably cost him $40 to $50 million.
Like these leaders—servants many consider heroes—Lebron has taken the opportunity to lead or take part in the discussions of civil unrest. He's done this vocally and symbolically. He openly discussed with Kevin Durant and Cari Champion, his issues with Donald Trump and the political climate. His views drew the "just shut up and dribble" comments, which he respectably, but unashamedly addressed. "I will not shut up and dribble," James said on the set of the Inside The NBA post-game show. "I owe it to my peers…fans…the youth…and everybody that has laid the path for me to get to this point." He understands the responsibility that comes with the platform he has, and knows he is a trailblazer only in the sense that the aforementioned legends help create his path. He values the history of what Kareem and Russell went through in a time where they weren't allowed to say the things he now has the liberty to say. For that a reason, he believes he "can't sit here and allow that to happen because of what they went through…I can't do that because it's so many people that's looking up to me, and it's so many that's going to come after me."
Realizing he is a symbolic figure, James also uses the limelight to draw upon symbols that reinforce his views just as much as he speaks on the inequalities of our society. After Eric Garner was choked to death at the hands of law enforcement, Lebron, along with a host of athletes across various sports, decided to wear an 'I Can't Breathe' shirt to draw attention to the unjust nature of Brown's death. The following season (2017-2018), on opening night, he debuted the Nike "Equality" sneakers. He later announced that 400 limited-edition pairs would be available for purchase via a drawing that participants could enter an unlimited amount of times for a $10 donation. The proceeds were dedicated to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. When the announcement was made about the shoes, he posted a picture of the shoes with the caption: "Basketball is our vehicle but equality is our mission – stand for something positive and do what you can to make a difference!!"
Whether Lebron is the greatest basketball player of all time will be debated until he retires. But the magnitude of his spotlight coupled with the sacrifices he continually makes for the African American community, may be the reason we'll remember him as the greatest. The greatness of an individual is rarely unanimously recognized during their careers. Admittedly, all we catch are snapshots in the moments of what might be greatness. But based on James' collection of work thus far in his career, it seems inevitable that he will be remembered as one of the greats.
Perhaps before it's too late, we can look at the body of work Lebron James has crafted and is crafting—on and off the court— and dispel of our reservations to withhold from him the title "greatest basketball player of this era". Maybe this once in history, we can unanimously agree that a great basketball player walks among us now. Maybe we can do away with the endless MJ vs Lebron debates and enjoy the the beauty of James' game and activism while we still have time to witness it in person. Maybe we can stop questioning his legacy and accept that he already is a legend. Considering how history tells the stories of athletes like Lebron, we ought to respect his greatness on this side of his career, rather than joining the bandwagon when he's retired.
When asked if losing in the first round of the playoffs would effect his legacy, James commented, "My legacy is bigger than basketball…What I do in my community, and what I do with my foundation, and kids that I've continued to inspire, that's my legacy. This basketball thing—it'll come and it's going to go. You know that." And then he and the Cleveland Cavaliers went on to defeat the Indiana Pacers in the first round.
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Samuel Contesti: "I love everything about figure skating"
We have not heard much about Samuel Contesti, the 2009 European silver medalist and five-time Italian national champion, since his retirement from competion in the summer of 2012.That's why we were especially glad he found time for us during a short break after a "Music on Ice 2013" rehearsal in Geneva and we could catch up with him about the things he is busy with now.
Every year you participate in Laurent Tobel's shows. Tell us more about your work with him.
I always come to Laurent shows, yes. We have been friends for so many years. But it's not only this. It's a great pleasure to skate in his shows. Because they are different from every other show, where usually you just skate a program in the first part and another program in the second part and where you usually don't have a storyline. But in his shows there is a story, for example, today it's a story about Japan. And also with Laurent Tobel there is always such a funny cast! We have a lot of fun, really. With Laurent I have a special connection. And we share the same sense of humour.
What will you skate here tonight?
We missed you this season. What are you doing now as your daily job? How is your life going on after the retirement?
Training to come back to competitions?
I don't know. We'll see! At the moment I'm just training. I'd like to do other shows, for example. But it's more difficult if you don't compete anymore on an international level.
If not for competitions, do you have any plans to come back on the ice as a coach? Or maybe as a choreographer?
Not yet... I'm waiting. And probably not as a choreographer: my programs were always my wife's ideas. She always did everything, from both the technical and choreography sides. Even now, for the shows she is still choreographing my programs. She knows what I can do and what I cannot.
Do you still follow the competitions?
What did you like the most from the last season?
Figure skating! I love everything about figure skating. I like the fact that the level is getting higher and higher. Every year it becomes more and more difficult. And that's a good thing!
What do you think about the future of Italian skating?
Hard to say. I always felt very close to the whole team. I am happy when they succeed and I feel very sad when something goes wrong. But you know, as a spectator it's easy to talk. Sometimes you can hear bad comments, but the truth is that this is figure skating: to fall is just much easier than to stand! It's such a hard sport. I know it well, I had my difficult times too. So, I just wish good luck to everyone for the next season. And health above all, this is the most important thing!


This would be very nice. I was almost ready to switch to linux with the hope to make this one working.
I still keep my FreeBSD Galera test systems so if you need anything to test or for configuration issues please let me know asap.
I tried about 1 year ago Galera cluster with MySQL and it didn't work out so back then I tried as I tried today MariaDB 101 with Galera cluster.
I see that both Galera and MariaDB ports are being modified but the combined configuration don't work at all. I also see that Galera cluster is officially supported on FreeBSD.
I have managed to bring up the cluster and make both nodes join but then replication don't work at all and even mysqld process hung when trying to stop one of the nodes.
I have been reading this post https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/53969/ and I ended up at the same place where the author BlindPenguin ended.
Adding this line 'export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/lib/gcc49' to  /usr/local/bin/mysqld_safe made the cluster running and nodes able to join, but data transfer between nodes don't seem to work.
I've been trying with various of configuration sets, first tried the ones (the most basic ones) from the galera official documentation, then I changed some stuff just for troubleshooting but no matter what I change I can't get it working.
My request: Please let me know if anybody from the port maintainers did a successful cluster configuration with Galera? After all this port is not marked as broken?
And if I can get any help from the port maintainers , or I should probably contact the Galera as port provider?


My interest in the topic of negotiations has grown exponentially over the years, stemming first from early childhood as I tried to comprehend why my father was walking in a picket line during labor negotiations for his job. At the time, I didn't quite understand what labor negotiations meant, nor did I really grasp why this was such big news for our small town (and why footage of dad's picket line kept replaying on the local news - I thought he was something of a celebrity!). Later, when my career in orchestra management began, I consumed as many articles and readings on the topic as I could, trying to comprehend the "why" of past contract negotiation difficulties between musicians and managements. During this time, I also provided various supporting roles in a handful of labor negotiation processes, gaining first-hand accounts of how difficult, tenuous, contentious, and personal these negotiations could be. After transitioning into higher education, I watched from the sidelines and had conversations with many involved individuals as orchestras across the nation (Detroit, Minnesota, Atlanta, Cleveland, San Francisco, and Chicago, just to name a few) went through their own strikes or lockouts due to unresolved contract negotiations.
In trying to pull these thoughts and experiences together, I have been left questioning what a successful negotiation truly means. Often, I hear about negotiations only as they relate to labor disputes. These types of negotiations have incredible personal impact, given the contracts directly influence the working environment and earning potential of the individuals involved. Yet in reality, negotiations are a part of every day living. It might be negotiating with friends for where to eat; or perhaps it's at a market, trying to bargain for a lower price of a particular item; or, of recent memory for me, attempting to negotiate a fair used car trade-in value with a salesman. Negotiations rely heavily on communications - yet therein lies the challenge. Those involved in the negotiation have a responsibility to share sufficient and honest information with the other party, yet often assumptions are made that the other party is not being truthful with the shared information.
With all of these experiences and questions swirling, I enrolled in Coursera's Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills course as my third class in the No Pay MBA program. Taught by University of Michigan's Ross School of Business Professor George Siedel, this course provided insight into the fundamentals of negotiations. This course was also my first experience where the differences between online and classroom learning were illuminated.
This class had 8.5 hours of video lectures created by Professor Siedel. While the content of the lectures was quite informational (and nearly paralleled his book), the piece that was difficult as a student was the lack of actual practice. Whereas other courses have exercises during or at the end of each course module, this course had only one assignment, aside from the final exam. I can only venture to guess that in a traditional classroom, the practice of negotiation would happen during each class period. By virtue of having an online class, it becomes increasingly difficult to have predictable interactions among students. Yet why should this preclude a MOOC instructor from assignment more experiences to interact with other learners, in this case in support of practicing negotiations? While I greatly appreciated the course and the course content, I did feel this class sold itself short in the practice and application of the 8.5 hours of presented negotiation material.
My position: My elderly uncle wanted to sell his home, yet had four criteria that were non-negotiables. I had to act on his behalf to negotiate a deal with the buyer, a former friend / colleague from high school back in the day, earning enough from the deal that would allow my uncle to purchase a smaller apartment.
The other position: This individual had the authority to negotiate the purchase of the property, with some flexibility, yet there were multiple aspects that this individual had to consider (I'm not disclosing more here to keep confidentiality of the exercise).
When approaching this negotiation for the first time, I aimed to end with what I needed for my uncle. While I tried to anticipate the ZOPA (zone of potential agreement), I decided to try my best for an interest-based bargaining agreement, giving both sides the opportunity for a successful outcome. At the end of this exercise, I negotiated exactly what my uncle needed out of the deal. I left pleased …. yet the only feedback from my colleague was "ask more questions". We didn't debrief any further about the experience, as this would have given unfair insight into the second round of negotiations the following day. I was perplexed - I thought I had asked enough questions. I thought I understood my colleague's point of view, and what was needed from the deal. If asking more questions was the feedback, however, I knew that my assumptions to my assessment must be totally off base, yet I couldn't figure out how or why.
For the second negotiation, I again approached the deal as an interest-based bargaining exercise. Noting my own internal insecurities (even though this was a fictitious experience!), I attempted to set them aside and see if I could gain more for my uncle. My cohort member, however, started the negotiation with what I thought was an incredibly low offer. This had me immediately rethinking my strategy during the negotiation, though I thought I had taken my colleagues' advice and continued to ask more questions. At the end of this exercise, I had settled for the exact same agreement as the previous time - I got out of the deal exactly what my uncle needed, nothing more. I was satisfied …. until I debriefed and learned the other side of the story.
In this fictitious exercise, I learned that the other individual had a lot more to spend in the deal to acquire the property. A LOT of money .... all that I left on the table! In the debrief, I also learned the full aspects of what my negotiation partner had to consider; some of the information in our conversation was used only for my partner's personal gain - it really didn't impact the core of the deal that was being made. I left this exercise questioning how I value risk and reward, and contemplating how this factors into every position that is held. I also left the exercise questioning how dynamics change between a one-on-one negotiations vs a multi-party negotiation. Above all, I learned the value of preparation and practice. Like with most any skill-set, the understanding of a topic comes through dedicated learning and practice.
Personally, continued learning and feeling confident in this topic seems to be endless journey - the more I learn, the more questions I have. While I would have preferred more classroom negotiation experience, I'm very much looking forward to continuing an individual exploration of this topic with other No Pay MBA cohort members through our own reading, study, and practice negotiation simulations together. I fully understand that some negotiations are more at risk than others - yet the value of truly understanding communications again dominates my ideal of leadership abilities.


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Eran Duzman, MD
4605 Barranca Parkway, Suite 100
Speaks: Hebrew and English
About Eran Duzman
Dr. Eran Duzman grew up in Irvine. He attended University High school where he graduated with honors and gained early admission into the University of California Irvine. Dr. Duzman attended UC Irvine where he obtained a bachelors degree in biological sciences and won several research awards. Dr. Duzman then attended New York medical College where he earned his M.D Degree. He gained honors in research on several occasions while in Medical school. He received an excellence award in his surgical rotation for his research on Radial Keratotomy as treatment for near sightedness. Dr. Duzman then completed a one year internship in Internal Medicine at Westchester county medical center in New York. Dr. Duzman then attended a four year ophthalmology residency at Louisiana State University in New Orleans where he studied under the pioneers of laser refractive surgery. As a resident, his emphasis was on cataract and refractive surgery. He also gained excellence in research awards and professional publications for developing new techniques in glaucoma surgery. After finishing his residency in New Orleans in 1998, Dr. Eran Duzman joined Lakeside Vision Center. Dr. Eran Duzman was elected the Chairman of the Ophthalmology Department at HOAG Hospital a position that he has held for 2 consecutive terms.


The Emlenton Summer Festival will once again hold it's annual Softball Tournament. This is a single-pitch, double-elimination tournament. Teams will be notified after drawing of their first scheduled game time. Game and field rules will be announced and posted on game day. Parking for the tournament will be in the grass below the field.
Download Entry Form and Rules.
In the event of rain, tournament will be held on Sunday of the festival.


Camperdown House is the forgotten gem of Dundee and faces a bleak future unless someone in the city council grasps the nettle and finds a sustainable use for the historic building.
I have been calling for something concrete to be done for a number of years now. I think that it is time for the council to decide how it is going to make changes happen at Camperdown House.
The most recent report on the future of the A-listed Camperdown House seems to be gathering dust on a shelf somewhere, despite almost £1 million having been spent on major roof repairs three years ago.
The neo-classical mansion is one of Dundee's glories. However, apart from the occasional large-scale event, most notably the annual Flower and Food Festival, the stately home remains closed to the public.
Part of the problem now is that no one department seems to be interested in taking responsibility for promoting the building. It's a crying shame that it's closed nearly all the time and only opens for the Food and Flower Festival. A lot of people do express interest in Camperdown House when they see it being used for that. It's not controlled by Leisure and Culture Dundee and the environment department don't have an agenda for it, neither does city development, so it falls between three stools.
I think there is scope for the possible use of it as a restaurant/café or a hotel of some sort. I'd like to see that if there is any kind of private use for it that there was also a way in which the public could be given access to the artworks and the exhibits. There should be an exhibition about the history of the house and the background in the Battle of Camperdown.
Something must be done about it because there was a lot of money spent on roof repairs recently and the public are having to pay for the continuing maintenance of a building that's empty most of the year. It needs someone to grasp the nettle and take it forward.


I used to use Everything but this has now replaced it because it is so jaw-droppingly fast.
Example - to find all files beginning with 'Cold' took at most 10 seconds across my 11 partitions and thousands upon thousands of files.
Program is only 557k, just unzip it and run from there i.e. it is standalone.


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Was Fanta Really Invented by The Nazis?
Who has not heard of Fanta, the tasty orange-flavored fizzy drink? Most of us have. Millions consume the beverage on a daily basis the world over.
Only its parent brand, Coca-Cola, and possibly its rival, Pepsi, are the two other sodas that dwarf Fanta in terms of sales.
It was only recently, in 2015, that the Fanta brand celebrated its 75th anniversary. If you do the math, 2015 minus 75 equals 1940, placing the year of inception close to the beginning of the Second World War.
Some might think that, because Fanta is an American drink, it was most probably developed with the brave GI's in mind and with the primary ingredients sourced from Florida oranges.
The truth is a somewhat different story, and one most of us have never heard of, despite a very silly marketing disaster on the part of The Coca-Cola Company. So, let's start with that. And you might get an idea of where and how Fanta was first created.
The Coca-Cola Company, in 2015, thought that it would be a great idea to spill the beans on the popular beverage's history. The aim was to tell the story of post-war values in the USA.
However, the inappropriate nature of the ensuing advert was even worse than rival Pepsi's notorious ad involving Kendall Jenner breaking up a riot with a can of Pepsi a few months earlier.
Vilification of the ad was harsh. Many asked how Coca-Cola could equate the period of the Holocaust with the good old times?
His explanation was not enough. Detractors were quick to say that the name "Fanta" was derived from the German word "fantastisch." It was alleged that Adolf Hitler himself gave the order for the development of an orange-flavored drink for his troops.
Furthermore, it was claimed the oranges were not sourced from Florida, but from Nazi Germany's Fascist ally Italy and the end-consumer were not American GIs but guys in jackboots from the Sturmstaffel (SS).
All in all, the commercial was hastily discontinued. However, the embarrassment lingered on.
The truth of the matter is somewhat different, and Adolf Hitler had no direct involvement in Fanta's creation, although he did have an indirect role, namely by hurling Germany into the Second World War.
Fanta was not a Nazi creation like the Volkswagen Beetle. Instead, a clever Coca-Cola managing director based in Germany came up with the idea of Fanta out of necessity.
Before the outbreak of the Second World War, Coca-Cola was one of the most popular drinks in Germany. The American company had to open more factories to keep up with demand.
Between 1933 and 1939, the number of crates sold in Nazi Germany rose from 100,000 to 4.5 million per year. The Coca-Cola Company was even a sponsor of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
However, Nazi jackboots started traversing the European Continent, first into Poland and then the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. This invited economic sanctions from both the US on Germany and from the Third Reich on American companies within its borders.
By the mid-1940s, Germany found itself at one of the lowest points in its history. Adolf Hitler and his cronies ruled the country with ferocious abandon. In the blink of an eye, Germany was enemies with former friends and trading partners.
Coca-Cola Germany, as a result, faced a significant problem. The import of the Coca-Cola concentrate was prohibited, courtesy of Reichsmarschall Herman Goering and, later, the Allied embargo.
In addition, most raw materials were getting scarcer as the economy gradually shifted from that of peacetime to wartime. So, Max Keith, the managing director of Coca-Cola GmbH in Essen, had to do something to keep the subsidiary going.
Max Keith assigned Dr. Schetelig, Coca-Cola's chief German chemist, to start looking for an alternative. The important thing was that the new soft drink needed to be made from available ingredients. The selection was not large, making the result all the more surprising.
Eventually, Dr. Schetelig managed to concoct a beverage made from whey and apple pulp.
The idea was ingenious. Apples grow in abundance in Germany, even during the war. And whey was an available by-product resulting from the quark and cheese production that continued even in times of war. The result of the good doctor's efforts was a refreshing, slightly sweet fruit drink.
All it needed was a name, one which should be catchy and positive.
The idea was that the drink should be fun and taste great. With that ethos in mind, Max Keith announced a name competition among the company staff.
Fanta was a fantasy word that would give the advertising industry a lot of fun in the years to come. "The great thing about the brand name is that it is immediately understood in most languages," said Keith. As a result, in 1941, Fanta was registered as a German trademark.
The drink would be produced right until the end of the Second World War. After the war, other raw materials gradually became available again, and the Fanta recipe could be further developed.
In 1949, Fanta was registered as a trademark in the US. The name rights truly belonged to The Coca-Cola Company from that point in time.
The infrastructure for the distribution of soft drinks was at a surprisingly high level in the aftermath of the war. Had Fanta not already been invented and successfully marketed, then there probably would have been a lot more work to be done.
Instead, Keith was able to seamlessly continue with the business as he did in the pre-war years. He was never a member of the Nazi Party and generally not politically engaged. What interested him most was the company.
The brand reached two major milestones in 1955. Coca-Cola Italy experimented in Naples with a new orange recipe, which was to prevail. Consequently, when we talk about Fanta today, we refer to the most popular orange soda in the world––not the original whey and apple juice drink.
The second big hit which catapulted the brand forward was the introduction of new packaging in 1955.
French designer Raymond Loewy came up with the famous brown Fanta ring bottle. It was a design that fitted perfectly with the good-mood drink and was, at the same time, functional and straightforward. The dark glass protected the ingredients from the light, and the horizontal rings made the bottle distinctive and handy—a stroke of genius.
Fanta was launched in Australia in 1955, and a year later in the USA. By the time the 1960s came around, Fanta was already bubbling away in 36 countries, including the Soviet Union in 1979 and China in 1984.
Fanta lived up to its fanciful name in the following decades. Fanta Orange was the most popular flavor and made its triumphal procession around the world. In the late Sixties, Fanta Lemon was added. In the Eighties, it got really wild with more fruity flavors. And today, Fanta comes in all shapes and guises, including the all-important low-calorie version.
But what has remained of the brand's somewhat murky past?
Apart from the name, absolutely nothing.
Fanta was the brainchild of an American company director who wanted to circumvent ingredient shortages in the Third Reich. The drink was not created at the behest of the Führer as the misleading myth we mentioned earlier suggests.
However, German influence did play a part in the soda's creation in the form of Dr. Schetelig and the employee competition that came up with the name. But that is about it.
Modern Fanta bottles have a completely dissimilar design. Furthermore, the Fanta we drink today has an entirely different composition to the Nazi-era drink that was, as we have seen, primarily apple-based.
So, it is safe to say that you can continue to enjoy this signature orange-flavored soda without a bad conscience.


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Bruce Springsteen and the North Carolina bathroom privacy law
April 13th, 2016 #1
Ian Smith son
Let's just get this out of the way right up front: I'm a Springsteen fan. Have been since I was a very young man and always will be.
With that said, it's worth noting that The Boss has delivered a smack in the face to his fans in North Carolina this week, cancelling on short notice a concert he was scheduled to play there because of his objections to the state's new bathroom privacy law. He took to his Facebook page to break the news.
As you, my fans, know I'm scheduled to play in Greensboro, North Carolina this Sunday. As we also know, North Carolina has just passed HB2, which the media are referring to as the "bathroom" law. HB2 — known officially as the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act — dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use. Just as important, the law also attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace. No other group of North Carolinians faces such a burden. To my mind, it's an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress. Right now, there are many groups, businesses, and individuals in North Carolina working to oppose and overcome these negative developments. Taking all of this into account, I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters.
We've covered the North Carolina law here until I'm blue in the face, explaining why it's not "discrimination" in any sense of the word and was, in fact, a necessary response to the ordinance passed by the City of Charlotte. Had they been reasonable and willing to accommodate everyone, as well as respecting the basic privacy rights of their own citizens, none of this would have had to happen. Instead, they chose to go far beyond even the compromises we saw in San Francisco and other liberal enclaves where separate, unisex or single user facilities will exist alongside normal, single gender facilities, leading to the promised pushback from the state government.
Springsteen isn't just a legendary classic rock musician, but also a businessman. He has to make his own decisions as to how he manages his professional affairs and it's not the government's place to force him to play or stay away. No doubt many of his fans are very disappointed, but the market will react to his decisions as it does in any line of private enterprise. (Though frankly, Bruce is probably immune to market forces at this point because he clearly doesn't need to sell any more tickets or albums at this late stage in his career.)
This is still disappointing to me personally, and it's a subject which keeps coming up year after year throughout the entire entertainment industry. There was a time back in the day when Bruce seemed to have a far more grounded attitude about politics and culture, but in an odd reversal of the evolution of most folks on that score, Springsteen seems to have grown increasingly more liberal, if not socialist, as the years have gone by. Perhaps that's a luxury afforded to those who make it to the big time very early in life, become financially secure and rely on big city liberal markets for their ticket sales. Who knows, really?
But as I already mentioned, this is something we wrestle with not just in the music industry, but television, movies, stand up comedy and all the rest of the entertainment spectrum. As a rule, I generally try to simply ignore the political views and rants of entertainers I enjoy, partly because it's their right to hold any beliefs they wish. But it's also due to the fact that if I refused to watch any movie or show, listen to any music or laugh at any jokes by people who are flaming liberals, entertainment options would probably come down to a choice between Ron White or watching paint dry. (Yes, I know there are other exceptions, but you get my point.)
Of course, there are cases where it's shoved in your face so often that you can't ignore it and simply give up in despair. (Chris Hardwick is a hilarious stand-up comedian who also has a great podcast, but his show @Midnight has pretty much devolved from funny observations on internet culture to a half hour of insulting conservatives every night, which is sad.) But plenty of other entertainment options are out there which don't veer into the political very often, if at all.
The one redeeming point about all of this is that I don't have to take advice on social, economic or foreign policy from actors, singers or comedians. I'll leave that to our friends on the Left. If Springsteen doesn't want to do business in North Carolina so be it. He simply opens up a market opportunity for others to fill the void.
Bruce Springsteen and the North Carolina bathroom privacy law « Hot Air
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N.B. Forrest
Location: Virginia, CSA
To my mind, it's an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress.
That shitlib cunt no doubt denies peoples' constitutional right to freedom of association in the "holy" name of his Progress.
"First: Do No Good." - The Hymiecratic Oath
"The man who does not exercise the first law of nature—that of self preservation — is not worthy of living and breathing the breath of life." - John Wesley Hardin
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Finiteness and infinity do not contradict.
Take the line for example.
1. It observes a finite degree of one, where the line as infinitely projecting observes 1 as continuous.
2. The line as projective, cannot project unless there is somewhere for it to project too or from, hence the line must invert if it is to project anywhere. This inversion so to speaking observes the line going in an opposite direction from the beginning point. This is considering the point the line projects towards is the same point it is projecting from as all 0d points are the same.
3. This leads to two infinities considering the line is infinite. So now the line as multiple relative lines, through the inversion of 0d point space, is now finite yet stemming from the same infinite source. Finiteness is multiple infinities in these respects and now we have a premise for infinity to be quantified.
4. These two lines are simultaneously half of the original line. So with the inversion of the line, which for definition's sake I will call "folding", comes simultaneously quantitative expansion (multiplication) and contraction (division as fractals). This line as two lines, still however is one line considering the line is an infinite numbers of points between polar points. Hence, we can observe 3 lines in one.
5. These two lines, stemming from 3 points (one at each polarity and one in center), must continually project past there origins if they are to maintain themselves. However both lines are projecting from an origin of the center point, hence what we observe through the line is strictly the point as void existing through direction...This is considering a line is a point directed towards a point. So with that in mind the point must project towards itself, through the line.
In these respects the points at both ends are directed towards each other as these points are directed away from the center point, while towards each other as extensions of the center point. This is considering point exists through point. These end points directed towards each other effectively multiply the line, considering the line exists as one direction where quantity is specifically directional.
This forms the first angle, with this angle "condensing", as each end point is drawn towards the other. Infinite directions, are observed, or under the terms of the degree: 90 degrees (directions) are observed as 90 directions.
6. The angle as it condenses again form itself into a line, with the angle being 1 direction in itself. Under these respects the line exists as an infinitely condensing angle. In simpler terms the line exists as an angle and the angle exists as a line where one cannot exist without the other. The angle and line are duals so to speak.
7. The angles as a line must go in an opposite direction, considering the premise of the line existing is one off continually inverting directions. So the angle expands, forms into the original triadic line and contracts in the opposite direction.
8. Considering this occurs as a rate of infinity we can observe 4 directions at once (as 6 lines, vertices and horizon are 3 in 1.), through infinite grades of direction or 360 degrees, results in right/left and up/down. So now the line exists as a four directional structure as two dimensions.
9. This structure in turn must project away from its origins where the end points are directed towards each other and the center projects. This results in depth as the object goes forwards and backwards. From one angle this would appear as all lines contracting to a center point than expanding causing the object to seemingly disappear into a point and then expand from a point (or coming and going out of nothingness as it alternates between the dimensions of forwards and backwords).
This folding into "forwards" results in 4 lines as 5 with these four lines being a quarter of the original, hence the "folding function" observes 1/4 and 4 as simultaneous. This happen dually with backwords as well. So at this step we have 3 lines of horizon, vertice and depth where the line is reduced to one sixth.
The problem occurs, considering the line is the only standard of size, the lines are only relatively smaller compared to there prior localization and hence effectively are not shrinking or expanding on there own terms considering each line is infinite.
10. So with depth included we have 6 lines through 3 as 9. Now this is occurring at a rate of infinity with each "geometric object" quite literally being its own time zone. This process occurs further, and would need actual graphs at this point, until you reach infinity as a sphere with the sphere as infinite directions being conducive to 1 in itself.
11. The sphere, relativistivally, becomes a point, considering it must project in one direction and the cycle continues. Hence the point is relatively a sphere and the line is composed of infinite spheres as infinite ones and zeros.
12. Going from the points it may be observed that we have a number progression so to speak, where all numbers are actually infinities. All these steps are mere localization of infintity so too speaking; hence simultaneously proves through a folding process that there are possibility infinite ways to result in a number line.


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Ukraine says more than 1,200 bodies found in mass graves around Kyiv
Ross McGuinness
11 April 2022, 4:39 am ·4-min read
WARNING: Graphic images and content below
Watch: Ukraine says it has found more than 1,200 bodies in Kyiv region
More than 1,200 bodies have been found in mass graves in the area around Kyiv, Ukraine has claimed.
It comes as the UK says it is considering sanctions for Russian troops and generals suspected of committing war crimes during its invasion of Ukraine.
On Sunday, Ukraine's prosector general, Iryna Venediktova, accused Russia of killing civilians every day.
She told Sky News that 1,222 bodies had been found in towns and villages surrounding the capital Kyiv.
Ukraine said 132 bodies were found in the town of Makariv, 30 miles west of Kyiv. The town's mayor said all those killed had died from bullet wounds.
A Ukrainian mother breaks down in tears after the body of her son was discovered in a manhole at a petrol station on the outskirts of Buzova village, west of Kyiv, on Saturday. (AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian men wrap the body of a relative whose remains were discovered in a manhole at a petrol station in the outskirts of Buzova village, west of Kyiv, on Saturday. (AFP via Getty Images)
Residents look at a destroyed Russian tank on the outskirts of Buzova village, west of Kyiv, on Saturday. (AFP via Getty Images)
Almost half of the town has been destroyed, according to reports, after it was occupied by Russian troops during the invasion. It was seized back by Ukrainian forces on 22 March.
A number of bodies were also discovered in a mass grave in the village of Buzova, west of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials claimed. The village was occupied by Russian troops for weeks before it was recaptured. The number of dead there is unknown.
It follows reports of more than 400 bodies being discovered in mass graves in the city of Bucha, 16 miles north west of Kyiv, after Russian forces pulled out.
Officials exhume the bodies of civilians in Bucha, Ukraine, from mass graves at the rear of a church on Saturday. (Getty Images)
Ukrainian women wait to identify their relatives among the dead at mass graves in Bucha, Ukraine. (Reuters)
Veneditktova said that in the area around Kyiv alone they had found the bodies of 1,222 dead.
"Of course, what we saw on the ground in all regions of Ukraine is war crimes, crimes against humanity, and we do everything to fix it," she told Sky News.
British prime minister Boris Johnson made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Saturday to meet Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Johnson said Russian president Vladimir Putin had "permanently polluted his reputation" through the actions of his forces.
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and British prime minister Boris Johnson in Kyiv on Saturday. (Reuters)
Britain's Ministry of Defence said the retreating Russian troops had left behind evidence of the "disproportionate targeting of non-combatants" as they pulled back from the area around Kyiv.
In an intelligence assessment released on Saturday evening, it said this included "the presence of mass graves, the fatal use of hostages as human shields, and mining of civilian infrastructure".
On Sunday, policing minister Kit Malthouse said the UK could start targeting Russian troops and generals suspected of committing war crimes in Ukraine with sanctions.
He said the UK was determined to do all it could to help bring to justice those responsible for the "truly awful crimes" which had taken place during the invasion.
Read more: Ukraine says Boris Johnson visit 'brings us closer to victory'
He told Sky News: "We are putting as much support into the conflict as we possibly can to support the Ukrainians in their fight, we will do the same to bring those to justice who have perpetrated some truly awful crimes during this dreadful time."
Following Johnson's visit to Kyiv, Downing Street announced the UK would be sending 120 armoured vehicles and new anti-ship missile systems on top of the latest £100m package of military support announced last week.
The UK support was welcomed by the Ukrainian president, who urged other Western allies to follow suit as Russian forces regroup for what is expected to be a new offensive on the eastern Donbas region which is part-held by pro-Moscow separatists.
In its latest intelligence assessment, the Ministry of Defence said that in response to mounting losses, the Russians were trying to bolster their forces by recalling troops who had been discharged since 2012.
Watch: Boris Johnson makes surprise visit to Ukraine
Click on this image to see all Yahoo News UK's latest content on the Ukraine crisis


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Home > Business > TCS logs 27% Q4 profit dip to `3,858 cr on `2,628-cr staff bonus
TCS logs 27% Q4 profit dip to `3,858 cr on `2,628-cr staff bonus
PTI17 April 2015 1:11 AM GMT
The country's largest software exporter TCS on Thursday reported a steep 27 per cent fall in net profit at Rs 3,858.2 crore in the January-March quarter, primarily due to a one-time employee bonus of Rs 2,628 crore. The company had reported a net profit of Rs 5,296.7 crore in the same period last fiscal.
The Tata Group company, which chips in with more than 60 per cent of the group's overall profit, reported a revenue growth of 12.4 per cent at Rs 24,219.8 crore in the reporting quarter, up from Rs 21,551.1 crore a year ago. The overall weak numbers were contributed by a steep fall in net margin, which in rupee terms plummeted to 15.9 per cent from 24.6 per cent, primarily because of the rupee volatility, which resulted in a margin compression. Commenting on the numbers, company MD and CEO Natarajan Chandrasekaran told reporters that "we had hinted at cross currency headwinds, it proved to be worse. We lost 2.70 per cent to that. Still we've done well, I would say."
Right before the result announcement, the company had announced a whopping Rs 2,628 crore one-time bonus to employees to celebrate its one decade of being a publicly traded company. TCS went public in August 2004 and today is the country's most valued company with over Rs 5.05 lakh crore in market value and also the second most valued IT firm after IBM. Globally, all employees who have completed at least one year of service will be eligible for the special bonus. The company had 3.18 lakh employees as of December 2014 quarter.
Each employee will be given a reward equivalent to one week's salary for every year of service completed at TCS, it added. Chandrasekaran said the headwinds came in from telecom, insurance and energy sectors and the company had cautioned about all the three earlier. During the quarter, TCS added 14,395 employees, while on a net basis the addition was 1,031, he added, taking the overall employee strength to close to 3.3 lakh.
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Hi! I'm an Italian photographer, developer, musician & student of ComputerScience @UniTn. I love technology, graphic design, programming, numbers, networks, algorithms, data and many other things! I'm a dreamer interested in everything and in the future I would like to launch an ICT startup.
I love photography and art in general: my aim is to describe and document life through my personal point of view (and through the lens of my camera). I'm a guitarist for passion, reader for my knowledge addiction and sometimes writer for hobby (blog coming soon, I don't have the time for all that code at the moment!).
I love the beauty and I insatiably look for it in people and things.
When it comes to branding, communication is everything: without the right image there is a risk that the product would not feel so attractive and would not live up to expectations.
For a couple of months I've been studying new communication techniques, business/management and economy/finance.
I work essentially on the web.
I deal with front-end, developing websites with clear, clean and accessible contents. I prefer flat-design and open spaces.
I'm studying computer science and so I also develop different applications.
I love photography, it has always fascinated me since I was at middle school.
I try to capture instants, emotions and daily life. I upload the most interesting shots on flickr.


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Abu Simbel Panorama
by Dennis Jarvis
Abu Simbel is a Temple complex, originally cut into a solid rock cliff, in southern Egypt and located at the second cataract of the Nile River. The two temples which comprise the site (The Great Temple and The Small Temple) were created during the reign of Ramesses II (c. 1279 - c. 1213 BCE) either between 1264 - 1244 BCE or 1244-1224 BCE. The Great Temple was dedicated to the gods Ra-Horakty, Ptah, and the deified Ramesses II. The Small Temple was dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Queen Nefertari, Ramesses' favourite wife.
This image was first published on Flickr. Original image by Dennis Jarvis. Uploaded by Mark Cartwright, published on 06 January 2013 under the following license: CC BY-SA. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work even for commercial reasons, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.
Scaffolding Arch of Abu Simbel Great Temple, 1966
International campaign for the safeguarding of the Nubian monuments...
Dismantling of Abu Simbel Statues, 1966
Dismantling of the statues of the Great Temple at Abu Simbel during...
The Small Temple, Abu Simbel
The Small Temple at Abu Simbel was dedicated to Hathor and Queen...
Abu Simbel - Work in Progess
View of work in progress, during the repositioning of the temples...
Abu Simbel - Plastic
Final plastic, which shows the original position of the temples...
Ramesses II, Abu Simbel
Four colossal statues of Ramesses II flank the entrance of his...
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Jarvis, D. (2013, January 06). Abu Simbel Panorama. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/image/1008/
Jarvis, Dennis. "Abu Simbel Panorama." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified January 06, 2013. https://www.ancient.eu/image/1008/.
Jarvis, Dennis. "Abu Simbel Panorama." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 06 Jan 2013. Web. 18 Jan 2020.


text:
Cage Match
Guantanamo is the least of America's prison problems.
By Dahlia Lithwick
June 05, 20096:37 PM
The public-opinion two-step on the wisdom of closing the prison camp at Guantanamo is fascinating, and not just because Americans are now inclined to keep the detention facility there open forever. The current legal meltdown about what to do with prisoners still at Guantanamo shows that contrary to popular belief, Americans care a good deal about prisons, prisoners, and prison reform, but only when the inmates threaten to tumble out into their backyards.
But there's the rub: We already have a prison problem, and it's already in our backyards. That's what Sen. James Webb, D-Va., wants us to understand as he launches an ambitious new effort to reform U.S. prisons nationwide. It's not quite as dramatic as the prospect of Abu Zubaydah escaping from the Supermax prison in Colorado and rampaging through the Rockies, but the U.S. prison crisis gets worse every year, and nobody seems to mind. Webb has decided to try to reignite the subject of prison reform, because he's convinced that when it comes to the prison problem, Americans need only know how to count.
Here are the facts about America's prisons, according to Webb:
The United States, with 5 percent of the world's population, houses nearly 25 percent of the world's prisoners. As Webb has explained it, "Either we're the most evil people on earth, or we're doing something wrong." We incarcerate 756 inmates per 100,000 residents, nearly five times the world average. At this point, approximately one in every 31 adults in the United States is in prison, jail, or on supervised release. Local, state, and federal spending on corrections now amounts to about $70 billion per year and has increased 40 percent over the past 20 years.
Webb has no problem locking up the serious baddies. In fact, he wants to reform the justice system in part so that we can incapacitate the worst of the worst. But Webb wants us to recognize that warehousing the nation's mentally ill and drug addicts in crowded correctional facilities tends to create a mass of meaner, more violent, less employable people at the exits. And unlike Guantanamo, there are always going to be exits.
The Justice Department estimates that 16 percent of the adult inmates in American prisons—more than 350,000 of those incarcerated—suffer from mental illness; the percentage among juveniles is even higher. And 2007 Justice statistics showed that nearly 60 percent of the state prisoners serving time for a drug offense had no history of violence and four out of five drug arrests were for drug possession, not sales. Webb also reminds us that while drug use varies little by ethnic group in the United States, African-Americans—estimated at 14 percent of regular drug users—make up 56 percent of those in state prison for drug crimes. We know all of this. The question is how long we want to avoid dealing with it.
Why does the senator from one of the country's most rabid lock-'em-up states believe that with two wars raging, an economy collapsing, and America's Next Top Model beckoning seductively, Americans are truly ready to grapple with his new legislation—the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009—which establishes a blue-ribbon commission to review the nation's entire prison system?
Fear-based policies only get you so far, and when it comes to drugs and prisons, it's time to start thinking about reality. Webb says he looks forward to the challenge of communicating the problem to Americans and working together to solve it. He suspects that if Americans actually have the reality-based conversation about our disastrous prison policies, we'll understand that the trends all move in very dangerous directions: We lock up more people for less violent crime at ever greater expense, ultimately breeding more dangerous criminals and ignoring the worst.
The Guantanamo problem we've finally started to grapple with in a pragmatic, rather than symbolic, way—it's a dangerous place with some dangerous people—is a mere speck in the eye of America's larger prison program. An AP story last week described a small Montana town that was more than willing to take all of the Guantanamo prisoners and incarcerate them because, ultimately, a jail is a jail and prisoners are prisoners. If we are so worried about locking up a few terrorists for life in maximum-security U.S. jails, shouldn't we be giving at least some thought to the folks already there? As Dennis Jett observed recently in the Miami Herald, "even if everyone at Guantánamo were transferred to a U.S. prison it would amount to an increase of less than one hundredth of one percent in the total number incarcerated in this country."
Compared with the powder keg of our domestic prison system, Guantanamo actually starts to look pretty benign. And if we are going to have a huge national panic attack about detaining dangerous individuals after 9/11, let's be honest that the dangers of a handful of Guantanamo prisoners "rejoining the battlefield" or escaping from maximum-security prisons is far more remote than the crisis now festering in our own jails and prisons. Americans who claim to be worried about allowing alleged terrorists into their own backyards would be well advised to recognize what's already happening in their own backyards. The U.S. prison system as it now exists makes even less sense than the prison camp at Guantanamo. And unlike Guantanamo, no matter what we may wish, it won't be contained, ignored, or walled off forever.


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Q: How to know in java about MYSQL updates Is it possible to get in Java some events (table was updated or ect) from MySQl.
thanks!

A: You can add a trigger on the update/insert in MySQL. Then one possible solution would be to add a kind of logging record to a DB table, which you can poll in java.

A: In case you are looking for Event handling (do something if database is updated) then it would be better to do it the middleware itself as it should be your prime source of database operation.
Else you will have to do some kind of polling on some attribute and then perform your action.
If you are looking to do something on front end if database is updated then you can use Reverse Ajax which will inform the user when database is updated, but here also middleware will generate the condition for Reverse Ajax for it to publish the notification.

A: As far as I know, MySQL does not support events. If you are looking for a database which does support events, you might want to look at Firebird.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Saturday was a landmark day for Dromore Under 14s for more reason that one.
They reached the Cup final with a storming win in what was their first ever game against Tandragee and they even managed to notch up their 100th goal of the season in the process.
Dromore started brightly and soon went ahead. When Karl's shot was blocked, Adam was quick to follow in and find the net.
Karl then passed to Ben, who finished well from a tight angle to make it 2-0 with his first goal of the season.
Karl was provider again for the third, this time to Adam who made a good run from the half way line to score.
Liam passed a lofted ball over the defender's heads for Karl to run on and score.
Briggs then won the ball in the area and provided a neat pass for Karl to net the fifth.
Soon after, Jason's shot was blocked by a defender but the rebound came back to him and this time he buried it.
With the last touch of the first half, Patrick provided a superb free kick over the defenders for Adam to run onto and with the keeper trying to close the space, the forward lofted the ball over him to score the seventh.
In the first ten minutes of the second half, Tandragee played well. Philip then brought a high ball down in the box and rather than shoot, squared for Karl to score.
Karl then took a corner from the right and Liam was unmarked to side volley the ball into the bottom right for Dromore's 100th goal of the season in the cup and the league.
Finally briggs hit a great cross in that Euan retrieved on the left and passed to Karl, who in turn found Jason to finish into the bottom right.
There were also near missed from Morgan, Philip and Patrick. Coaches John and Dave were understandably happy with the result and congratulated the boys on the win.


So you've got an awesome idea for a business, you've confided in your mum and bestie and they've said 'go for it'. So now it's time to come up with a name for your new venture and get a logo, right?
It's human nature to think that you couldn't possibly start a business unless you have a great logo — something that symbolises the start of your empire. But it's not true.
There are plenty of very successful, money-making businesses out there that have appalling logos or start off with simple wordmarks, and there are many beautifully crafted logos that have never made a single dollar.
The overall visual identity of your brand is extremely important, but it's definitely not a high priority when you're first starting out.
There are a lot of other milestones and priorities to spend your money on before you spend big on what you look like.
However, there is one exception to this!
If your product requires packaging, such as food or beauty products, then yes, you'll need to make sure from the get go that your visual identity is a carefully crafted representation of your brand's purpose and personality.
For everybody else, put your hard-earned dollars towards building a unique product or service and achieve these five things before you go knocking on a designer's door.
It's still important to have a business plan – even if it's just a couple of pages about the financials.
Having a business plan helps to organise your thoughts and put processes in place for all the aspects of your business that you need to think through before you start.
A good business plan doesn't have to be long, but it helps to think through the viability of your business.
A business is not a business unless you are developing a product or service that people actually want, need and are willing to part with their hard-earned cash for.
After you've developed your business plan you need to find people who will actually buy your product or service.
Sorry, but friends and family don't constitute a test audience.
Find strangers that will give you honest feedback about your idea. And, if you can get them to pledge money or pre-pay you for when you deliver – even better.
Up until this point a name really isn't that important. It's a good idea to have a working title, but it's more important to make sure you can actually build the product and get the customers.
Once it's clear your business has legs, then it's time to think about naming.
Find and secure your URL – pretty much all businesses these days will require an online presence, even if it's just a simple landing page with contact details. To secure your URL you'll need to think about what geographic markets you'll want to operate in, both now and in 5-10 years time.
Secure social media handles on all the key channels your audience will frequent eg. Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook. You might not be able to get your specific brand name, but a variation is also fine.
This seems pretty obvious, but you should definitely sort out whether you can actually make or source your product before doing anything else. Especially if your idea is tech-based – these are notorious for taking longer to build than planned.
If your idea is a service, then at least get a landing page set up so customers know how to contact you.
And for the most important bit… paying customers. Once you've set up your business, the faster you can find customers who will pay you the better.
For many businesses, 50 customers might be too many, you might just need to get a couple of big value customers to make it worthwhile.
But, getting customers is sometimes easier said than done.
When you've achieved all of this… and it looks like your business is getting some traction and starting to take off, then it might be time to think of investing in a beautifully crafted identity.
But until this stage, focus on creating value and finding the customers.


With December now in full swing and the festivities of Christmas literally just around the corner there's never been a more apt time to indulge in the traditional ghost story for Christmas. So when the opportunity arose to cover one of the legendary performances of Robert Lloyd Parry as M R James telling Ghost Stories for Christmas, how could we simply refuse.
Tonight Robert is performing as James again, staging two of his most beloved stories 'Lost Hearts' and 'A Warning To The Curious' in the Old Red Lion's upper rooms. The intimate setting is perfectly set for an evening of ghost stories, with a victorian style chair and table littered with appropriate mementos of an old Cambridge professor. Taking our seats and illuminated only by candlelight the hustle and bustle of London fades away as Robert begins these beloved chilling tales of haunting encounters. Stripping the ghost story back to it's very foundations as a medium best told intimately and with limited light the ambience is perfect as your eyes constantly adjust themselves to the darkness around the narrator. In doing so, you're constantly reminded of our most primal of fears the darkness, and Robert uses this to great effect.
Both stories are told fantastically well, with some notably chilling moments. It's especially unsettling hearing of the ghostly apparitions of the gypsy children as they haunt young Stephen. Not to mention the monstrous phantom of William Agar in A Warning To The Curious as he constantly pursues the helpless amateur archeologist Paxton.
These performances are absolutely perfect for the Winter season, especially at a time when ghost stories are on the rise. If you haven't yet I heartily endorse you get yourself a ticket for one of Robert's future performances.


text:
Reasons Why Victor Osimhen Is Better Than Lukaku
Currently, Victor Osimhen and Lukaku are the two best players that carry special places in the heart of all football fans who watch the EPL and the Serie A.
Both of them have conserved forms and have also maintained their names on the score sheets for long periods
On the other hand, Lukaku the Chelsea forward has been having a hard time trying to increase his score in the EPL even as he starts better.
Still, a lot can be said about his rendition with the Belgium team as he has scored several goals on international duty.
Osimhen, on the other side, has also kept a remarkable run with 5 goals for his club this season.
The Napoli forward is also credible for Nigeria's progression to the World Cup playoffs as he did well in the attack.
hat aside, there are also two things that he is currently doing better than Lukaku.
1. Most Scoring often
Without any thoughts, Lukaku has been a great striker and has scored numerous goals for his clubs and National team.
But presently, Osimhen is doing that better than the Belgian as looking at their league records, Osimhen has earned five goals while Lukaku is with just 3 goals
2. Resisting markers
This is another province in which Osimhen is doing better than Lukaku.
It is always hard to mark him out of a match and prevent him from agreeing on with the ball.
Even when he can not score, he makes a useful assist that leads to something.
But in Lukaku's case, sometimes he is inclined to be excluded from a game when he is marked heavily, especially when playing as a point man.
defenders have also been succeeding in keeping him quiet in many games by simply man-marking him.
That can be seen as the reason why his goal score is suffering.


It's a New Year! Time for a fresh start and a great opportunity to get organized and stay compliant. We know that running a compliant business requires a lot of organization. Whether you are part of a big team or handling HR for a small business, it's nice to get a little help. And, if you've already fallen behind a bit, don't worry, this checklist can help you catch up.


What sets this gym apart is its cool aesthetic, awash in natural sunlight and high ceilings.
Amp up your workout routine this year at Yorktown Heights' new athletic facility, Level Fitness.
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Group fitness classes are offered in both the early morning and evening, in addition to one-on-one personal and small-group training. What sets this gym apart is its cool aesthetic, awash in natural sunlight and featuring high ceilings and use of natural materials, such as wood, marble, slate, and stone. A salt room and a hydro-massage lounge are also available.


text:
SOVAY – Book Review
Celia Rees
YA Historical
England, 1974
She pulled down the black mask that she had worn at last winter's masked ball and pulled up the green silk kerchief to hide the lower half of her face. The coach creaked almost to a halt at the crest of the rise, the horses sweating after the steep hill. As the driver drew back his whip to urge them onward, Sovay drew her pistol and walked her horse forward.
'STAND AND DELIVER!'
When Sovay becomes a highway robber, she does so to test her beloved's ardour. But she continues for other reasons, reasons related to her father's disappearance, and the claim that he has committed treason…
'Sovay' was a very enjoyable book but it wasn't at all like I expected. From the books description I thought it would be all about a young girl turned outlaw, almost like a female robin hood, yet Celia Rees went a step further and made it so much more. Revolving around the French revolution the story was full of spies, death plots and intrigues, with likeable and interesting characters, each with their own history and engaging personality.
I particularly liked the main character Sovay, who keeps her strong will and daring hidden behind a demure female mask. She is truly a woman ahead of her time and I like how she often shocks her male companions by doing something society deems 'manly and unfeminine'.
My only criticisms of this book are that I didn't think there were enough outlaw scenes and I was never sure who Sovay's love interest was supposed to be until the very end, however there were so many great potentials that I would have been happy with whoever she had ended up with. Also I feel that some of the characters from the beginning were either forgotten or put aside yet having said that none of these things spoilt the book for me.
Overall it was a really enjoyable read I remain a big fan of Celia Rees' books, my favourite however still being 'Pirates'. Yet as for 'Sovay', I would recommend it to any lover of strong heroines, historical fiction and anyone who just wants something a little different.