text:
Toggle SGML Header (+) (-)
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001564590-18-027670
<TYPE>10-Q
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>70
<PERIOD>20180930
<FILING-DATE>20181107
<DATE-OF-FILING-DATE-CHANGE>20181107
<FILER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>SIERRA BANCORP
<CIK>0001130144
<ASSIGNED-SIC>6022
<IRS-NUMBER>330937517
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>CA
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>10-Q
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-33063
<FILM-NUMBER>181164595
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>86 NORTH MAIN STREET
<CITY>PORTERVILLE
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>93257
<PHONE>5597824900
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</FILER>
Go to... Top Section 1: 10-Q (10-Q) Section 2: EX-31.1 (EX-31.1) Section 3: EX-31.2 (EX-31.2) Section 4: EX-32 (EX-32)
Section 1: 10-Q (10-Q)
bsrr-10q_20180930.htm
FORM 10-Q
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2018
Commission file number: 000-33063
Sierra Bancorp
(State of Incorporation)
(IRS Employer Identification No)
86 North Main Street, Porterville, California 93257
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company" and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large Accelerated Filer
Accelerated Filer:
Non‑accelerated Filer:
Smaller Reporting Company:
Emerging Growth Company:
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the Registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.
Common stock, no par value, 15,283,310 shares outstanding as of November 1, 2018
Part I - Financial Information
Item 1. Financial Statements (Unaudited)
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
Item 2. Management's Discussion & Analysis of Financial Condition & Results of Operations
Critical Accounting Policies
Overview of the Results of Operations and Financial Condition
Earnings Performance
Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin
Provision for Loan and Lease Losses
Non-Interest Income and Non-Interest Expense
Earning Assets
Loan and Lease Portfolio
Nonperforming Assets
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Deposits and Interest-Bearing Liabilities
Other Interest-Bearing Liabilities
Non-Interest Bearing Liabilities
Liquidity and Market Risk Management
Capital Resources
Item 3. Qualitative & Quantitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Part II - Other Information
Item 1. - Legal Proceedings
Item 1A. - Risk Factors
Item 2. - Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
Item 3. - Defaults upon Senior Securities
Item 4. - (Removed and Reserved)
Item 5. - Other Information
Item 6. - Exhibits
Item 1 – Financial Statements
(audited)
Cash and due from banks
Interest-bearing deposits in banks
Total cash & cash equivalents
Securities available-for-sale
Loans and leases:
Gross loans and leases
(9,463
Deferred loan and lease costs, net
Net loans and leases
Foreclosed assets
Premises and equipment, net
Other intangible assets, net
Company owned life insurance
Non-interest bearing
Interest bearing
Repurchase agreements
Short-term borrowings
Subordinated debentures, net
Other liabilities
Commitments and contingent liabilities (Note 8)
Shareholders' equity
Common stock, no par value; 24,000,000 shares authorized; 15,277,710 and 15,223,360 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively
Additional paid-in capital
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net
(10,555
Total liabilities and shareholder's equity
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements
(dollars in thousands, except per share data, unaudited)
Three months ended September 30,
Nine months ended September 30,
Interest and dividend income
Loans and leases, including fees
Taxable securities
Tax-exempt securities
Federal funds sold and other
Total interest income
Subordinated debentures
Total interest expense
Net interest income
Provision for loan losses
Net interest income after provision for loan losses
Non-interest income
Service charges on deposits
Total non-interest income
Other operating expense
Salaries and employee benefits
Occupancy and equipment
Total other operating expense
Income before taxes
PER SHARE DATA
Cash dividends
Earnings per share basic
Earnings per share diluted
Average shares outstanding, basic
Average shares outstanding, diluted
Total shareholder equity (in thousands)
Dividends paid (in thousands)
(dollars in thousands, unaudited)
Other comprehensive income, before tax:
Unrealized (losses) gains on securities:
Unrealized holding (loss) gain arising during period
(713
Less: reclassification adjustment for gains included in net income (1)
Other comprehensive (loss) income, before tax
Income tax expense related to items of other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Other comprehensive (loss) income
Comprehensive income
Amounts are included in net gains on investment securities available-for-sale on the Consolidated Statements of Income in non-interest revenue. Income tax expense associated with the reclassification adjustment for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0 and $386 thousand respectively. Income tax expense associated with the reclassification adjustment for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was $1 thousand and $414 thousand respectively.
Cash flows from operating activities:
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Gain on sales of securities
Gain on sales of loans
Loss on disposal of fixed assets
Gain on sale on foreclosed assets
Writedowns on foreclosed assets
Net amortization on securities premiums and discounts
Accretion of discounts for loans acquired and net deferred loan fees
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies
Amortization of core deposit intangible
Decrease (increase) in interest receivable and other assets
Increase in other liabilities
Deferred income tax benefit
Net amortization of partnership investment
Cash flows from investing activities:
Maturities of securities available for sale
Proceeds from sales/calls of securities available for sale
Purchases of securities available for sale
(151,711
Principal pay downs on securities available for sale
Net purchases of FHLB stock
Loan originations and payments, net
Purchases of premises and equipment, net
Proceeds from sales of foreclosed assets
Purchase of company owned life insurance
Increase in partnership investment
Net cash from bank acquisition
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Increase in deposits
Decrease in borrowed funds
Increase in Fed funds purchased
Increase in repurchase agreements
Cash dividends paid
Stock options exercised
Net cash provided by financing activities
Decrease in cash and due from banks
Beginning of period
End of period
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 – The Business of Sierra Bancorp
Sierra Bancorp (the "Company") is a California corporation headquartered in Porterville, California, and is a registered bank holding company under federal banking laws. The Company was formed to serve as the holding company for Bank of the Sierra (the "Bank"), and has been the Bank's sole shareholder since August 2001. The Company exists primarily for the purpose of holding the stock of the Bank and of such other subsidiaries it may acquire or establish. As of September 30, 2018, the Company's only other subsidiaries were Sierra Statutory Trust II, Sierra Capital Trust III, and Coast Bancorp Statutory Trust II, which were formed solely to facilitate the issuance of capital trust pass-through securities ("TRUPS"). Pursuant to the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") standard on the consolidation of variable interest entities, these trusts are not reflected on a consolidated basis in the Company's financial statements. References herein to the "Company" include Sierra Bancorp and its consolidated subsidiary, the Bank, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Bank of the Sierra, a California state-chartered bank headquartered in Porterville, California, offers a full range of retail and commercial banking services via branch offices located throughout California's South San Joaquin Valley, the Central Coast, Ventura County, and neighboring communities. The Bank was incorporated in September 1977, and opened for business in January 1978 as a one-branch bank with $1.5 million in capital. Our growth in the ensuing years has largely been organic in nature, but includes four whole-bank acquisitions: Sierra National Bank in 2000, Santa Clara Valley Bank in 2014, Coast National Bank in 2016, and Ojai Community Bank in October 2017. Details on our most recent acquisitions are provided in Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements. We also acquired a branch located in Lompoc, California from Community Bank of Santa Maria in May 2018, and opened a new branch on Palm Avenue in Fresno in September 2018. As of the filing date of this report the Bank operates 40 full service branches and an online branch, and maintains ATMs at all branch locations and seven non-branch locations. In addition to our stand-alone offices the Bank has specialized lending units which include a real estate industries center, an agricultural credit center, and an SBA lending unit. The Company had total assets of close to $2.5 billion at September 30, 2018, and for a number of years we have claimed the distinction of being the largest bank headquartered in the South San Joaquin Valley. The Bank's deposit accounts, which totaled $2.1 billion at September 30, 2018, are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") up to maximum insurable amounts.
Note 2 – Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in a condensed format, and therefore do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") for complete financial statements. The information furnished in these interim statements reflects all adjustments that are, in the opinion of Management, necessary for a fair statement of the results for such periods. Such adjustments can generally be considered as normal and recurring unless otherwise disclosed in this Form 10-Q. In preparing the accompanying financial statements, Management has taken subsequent events into consideration and recognized them where appropriate. The results of operations in the interim statements are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other quarter, or for the full year. Certain amounts reported for 2017 have been reclassified to be consistent with the reporting for 2018. The interim financial information should be read in conjunction with the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").
Note 3 – Current Accounting Developments
In May 2014 the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This ASU is the result of a joint project initiated by the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB") to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue, and to develop common revenue standards and disclosure requirements that would: (1) remove inconsistencies and weaknesses in revenue requirements; (2) provide a more robust framework for addressing revenue issues; (3) improve comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities, industries, jurisdictions, and capital markets; (4) provide more useful information to users of financial statements through improved disclosures; and (5) simplify the preparation of financial statements by reducing the number of requirements to which an entity must refer. The guidance affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets. The core principle is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that
reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance provides steps to follow to achieve the core principle. An entity should disclose sufficient information to enable users of financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. Qualitative and quantitative information is required with regard to contracts with customers, as well as for significant judgments and changes in judgments, and assets recognized from the costs to obtain or fulfill a contract. The guidance does not apply to revenue associated with financial instruments such as loans and investments, which is accounted for under other provisions of GAAP. ASU 2014-09 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods therein, and the Company thus adopted ASU 2014-09 on January 1, 2018 utilizing the modified retrospective approach. The Company's primary source of revenue is derived from income on financial instruments, which is not impacted by the guidance in ASU 2014-09. Furthermore, the Company evaluated the nature of its non-interest income, and determined that for income associated with customer contracts transaction prices are typically fixed and performance obligations are satisfied as services are rendered. Therefore, there is little or no judgment involved in the timing of revenue recognition under contracts within the scope of ASU 2014-09, and there was no impact on our financial statements upon the adoption of ASU 2014-09. Please see Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements for more detailed disclosure information.
In January 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments–Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. This guidance addresses certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. Among other things, the guidance in this ASU (i) requires equity investments, with certain exceptions, to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income, (ii) simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring a qualitative assessment to identify impairment, (iii) eliminates the requirement for public entities to disclose the methods and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments measured at amortized cost on the balance sheet, (iv) requires public business entities to use the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes, (v) requires an entity to present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the change in fair value of a liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk when the entity has elected to measure the liability at fair value in accordance with the fair value option for financial instruments, (vi) requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset on the balance sheet or in the accompanying notes to the financial statements, and (vii) clarifies that an entity should evaluate the need for a valuation allowance on a deferred tax asset related to available-for-sale securities. This amendment is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Entities are required to apply the amendment by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption, except for the amendment related to equity securities without readily determinable fair values which should be applied prospectively to equity investments that exist as of the date of adoption. The Company adopted ASU 2016-01 effective January 1, 2018, and it did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In accordance with (iv) above, the Company measured the fair value of its loan portfolio at September 30, 2018 using an exit price notion. See Note 9 Fair Value Disclosures and Reporting, the Fair Value Option and Fair Value Measurements.
In February 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The intention of this standard is to increase the transparency and comparability around lease obligations. Previously unrecorded off-balance sheet obligations will now be brought more prominently to light by presenting lease liabilities on the face of the balance sheet, accompanied by enhanced qualitative and quantitative disclosures in the notes to the financial statements. ASU 2016-02 is generally effective for public business entities in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company has leases on 21 branch locations and an administrative office building, which are considered operating leases and are not currently reflected in our financial statements. We expect that these lease agreements will be recognized on our consolidated statement of condition as right-of-use assets and corresponding lease liabilities subsequent to implementing ASU 2016-02, but we are still evaluating the extent to which this will impact our consolidated financial statements.
In March 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation–Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, as part of its simplification initiative. ASU 2016-09 became effective for public business entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within that reporting period. Accordingly, the Company adopted ASU 2016-09 effective January 1, 2017. Prior guidance dictated that as they relate to share-based payments, tax benefits in excess of compensation costs ("windfalls") were to be recorded in equity, and tax deficiencies ("shortfalls") were to be recorded in equity to the extent of previous windfalls and then to the income statement. ASU 2016-09 reduced some of the administrative complexities by eliminating the need to track a windfall "pool," but it increases the volatility of income tax expense. ASU 2016-09 also removed the requirement to delay recognition of a windfall tax benefit until such time as it reduces current taxes payable. Under this guidance, the benefit is recorded when it arises, subject to normal valuation allowance considerations. This
change was applied by us on a modified retrospective basis, as required, with a cumulative-effect adjustment to opening retained earnings. Furthermore, all tax-related cash flows resulting from share-based payments are now reported as operating activities on the statement of cash flows, a change from the previous requirement to present windfall tax benefits as an inflow from financing activities and an outflow from operating activities. However, cash paid by an employer when directly withholding shares for tax withholding purposes is classified as a financing activity. Pursuant to the guidance, entities were permitted to make an accounting policy election for the impact of forfeitures on expense recognition for share-based payment awards. Forfeitures can be estimated in advance, as required previously, or recognized as they occur. Estimates are still required in certain circumstances, such as when an award is modified or a replacement award is issued in a business combination. If elected, the change to recognize forfeitures when they occur would have been adopted using a modified retrospective approach, with a cumulative effect adjustment recorded to opening retained earnings. We did not elect to recognize forfeitures as they occur, and continue to estimate potential forfeitures in advance.
In September 2016 the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, which eliminates the probable initial recognition threshold for credit losses in current U.S. GAAP, and instead requires an organization to record a current estimate of all expected credit losses over the contractual term for financial assets carried at amortized cost. This is commonly referred to as the current expected credit losses ("CECL") methodology. Expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date will be measured based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Another change from existing U.S. GAAP involves the treatment of purchased credit deteriorated assets, which are more broadly defined than purchased credit impaired assets in current accounting standards. When such assets are purchased, institutions will estimate and record an allowance for credit losses that is added to the purchase price rather than being reported as a credit loss expense. Furthermore, ASU 2016-13 updates the measurement of credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities, by mandating that institutions record credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities through an allowance for credit losses rather than the current practice of writing down securities for other-than-temporary impairment. ASU 2016-13 will also require the enhancement of financial statement disclosures regarding estimates used in calculating credit losses. ASU 2016-13 does not change the existing write-off principle in U.S. GAAP or current nonaccrual practices, nor does it change accounting requirements for loans held for sale or certain other financial assets which are measured at the lower of amortized cost or fair value. As a public business entity that is an SEC filer, ASU 2016-13 becomes effective for the Company on January 1, 2020, although early application is permitted for 2019. On the effective date, institutions will apply the new accounting standard as follows: for financial assets carried at amortized cost, a cumulative-effect adjustment will be recognized on the balance sheet for any change in the related allowance for loan and lease losses generated by the adoption of the new standard; financial assets classified as purchased credit impaired assets prior to the effective date will be reclassified as purchased credit deteriorated assets as of the effective date, and will be grossed up for the related allowance for expected credit losses created as of the effective date; and, debt securities on which other-than-temporary impairment had been recognized prior to the effective date will transition to the new guidance prospectively with no change in their amortized cost basis. The Company is well under way with transition efforts. We have established an implementation team which is chaired by our Chief Credit Officer and includes the Company's other executive officers, along with certain members of our credit administration and finance departments. Furthermore, after extensive discussion and due diligence, we engaged a third-party vendor and purchased a specialized application to assist in our calculation of potential required reserves utilizing the CECL methodology and to help validate our current reserving methodology. A preliminary evaluation indicates that the provisions of ASU 2016-13 will likely have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements, particularly the level of our allowance for credit losses and shareholders' equity. While the potential extent of that impact has not yet been definitively determined, initial estimates indicate that our allowance for loan and lease losses could increase by 100% or more relative to current levels if utilizing a discounted cash flow methodology with forecasting.
In January 2017 the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. Currently, Topic 805 specifies three elements of a business – inputs, processes, and outputs. While an integrated set of assets and activities (collectively referred to as a "set") that is a business usually has outputs, outputs are not required. In addition, all the inputs and processes that a seller uses in operating a set are not required if market participants can acquire the set and continue to produce outputs, for example, by integrating the acquired set with their own inputs and processes. This led many transactions to be accounted for as business combinations rather than asset purchases under legacy GAAP. The primary goal of ASU 2017-01 is to narrow the definition of a business, and the guidance in this update provides a screen to determine when a set is not a business. The screen requires that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. This reduces the number of transactions that need to be further evaluated. The amendments in this update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and we implemented ASU 2017-01 on a prospective basis effective January 1, 2018. This update affected the accounting treatment used for our branch deposit purchase in the second quarter of 2018, and we expect that it will also impact the way we account for certain branch acquisitions in future periods, if the opportunity for such arises.
In January 2017 the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Accounting for Goodwill Impairment. This guidance removes Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test, which requires a hypothetical purchase price allocation, and goodwill impairment will simply be the amount by which a reporting unit's carrying value exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. All other goodwill impairment guidance will remain largely unchanged. Entities will continue to have the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine if a quantitative impairment test is necessary. The same one-step impairment test will be applied to goodwill at all reporting units, even those with zero or negative carrying amounts. Entities will be required to disclose the amount of goodwill at reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts. The amendments in this update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. We have not been required to record any goodwill impairment to date, and after a preliminary review do not expect that this guidance would require us to do so given current circumstances. Nevertheless, we will continue to evaluate ASU 2017-04 to more definitely determine its potential impact on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
In March 2017 the FASB issued ASU 2017-08, Receivables – Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20): Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities. The amendments in this update will shorten the amortization period for certain callable debt securities held at a premium, by requiring the premium to be amortized to the earliest call date. Under current guidance, the premium on a callable debt security is generally amortized as an adjustment to yield over the contractual life of the instrument, and any unamortized premium is recorded as a loss in earnings upon the debtor's exercise of a call provision. Under ASU 2017-08, because the premium will be amortized to the earliest call date, entities will no longer recognize a loss in earnings if a debt security is called prior to the contractual maturity date. The amendments do not require an accounting change for securities held at a discount; discounts will continue to be amortized as an adjustment to yield over the contractual life of the debt instrument. ASU 2017-08 is effective for public business entities, including the Company, for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. If an entity early adopts in an interim period, any adjustments must be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. To apply ASU 2017-08, entities must use a modified retrospective approach, with the cumulative-effect adjustment recognized to retained earnings at the beginning of the period of adoption. Entities are also required to provide disclosures about a change in accounting principle in the period of adoption. Management has evaluated the potential impact of ASU 2017-08, and does not expect its adoption to have a material impact on the Company's financial statements or operations.
In May 2017 the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting. This update was issued to provide clarity, reduce diversity in practice, and lower cost and complexity when applying the guidance in Topic 718. Under the updated guidance, an entity will be expected to account for the effects of an equity award modification unless all the following are met: 1) the fair value of the modified award is the same as the fair value of the original award immediately before the original award is modified; 2) the vesting conditions of the modified award are the same as the vesting conditions of the original award immediately before the original award is modified; 3) the classification of the modified award as an equity instrument or a liability instrument is the same as the classification of the original award immediately before the original award is modified. The current disclosure requirements in Topic 718 continue to apply. ASU 2017-09 is effective for public business entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company adopted ASU 2017-09 effective January 1, 2018, but since we have not modified equity awards in the past and do not expect to do so in the future, there was no impact on our financial statements or operations upon adoption.
In February 2018 the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement–Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. This ASU requires a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the lower corporate income tax rate authorized by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 ("Tax Act"). The Tax Act was enacted on December 22, 2017, and included a reduction in the maximum Federal corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent effective January 1, 2018. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years, but early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted the guidance for the first quarter of 2018, retrospectively to December 31, 2017. The change in accounting principle was accounted for as a cumulative-effect adjustment to our balance sheet, resulting in a $413 thousand increase to retained earnings and a corresponding reduction in AOCI on December 31, 2017.
In February 2018 the FASB issued ASU 2018-03, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Financial Instruments–Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. This new guidance relates to ASU 2016-01, which provides for a measurement alternative for certain equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values. ASU 2018-03 allows a company to change its measurement approach for such equity investments to the "fair value through
current earnings" method. However, once a company makes this election for a particular investment it must apply the "fair value through current earnings" model to all identical investments and/or similar investments from the same issuer. Furthermore, a company cannot apply a different measurement methodology for future purchases of identical or similar investments of the same issuer. The new guidance also clarifies the following: when applying the measurement alternative to equity investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value, in the event there is an observable price/transaction for a similar instrument from the same issuer, the objective is to re-measure the equity investment to its fair value as of the date of the observable price/transaction; for forward and option contracts measured under the alternative, when there is an observable price/transaction or impairment of the underlying equity instrument the contract should be re-measured to its fair value; and, the presentation guidance requiring the portion of the total change in fair value that results from changes in instrument-specific credit risk to be reported in accumulated other comprehensive income applies when the fair value option is elected under either ASC 825, Financial Instruments, or ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. The amendments also clarify the interaction between the instrument-specific credit risk guidance in ASC 825 and the foreign currency guidance in ASC 830. The transition provisions of ASU 2016-01 generally require a modified retrospective approach, but they specify prospective transition for equity investments without a readily determinable fair value. The new guidance amends the transition provisions such that only equity investments without a readily determinable fair value for which a company elects the measurement alternative will be subject to prospective transition guidance. The new guidance is not required to be adopted concurrent with ASU 2016-01 on January 1, 2018, but given that it amends the transition guidance in ASU 2016-1, concurrent adoption is permitted. The new guidance must be adopted no later than the third quarter of 2018 (an interim period). The Company elected to adopt ASU 2018-03 effective January 1, 2018, which did not impact our financial statements because we did not change our measurement approach for equity instruments that do not have readily determinable fair values.
In August 2018 the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, as part of its disclosure framework project. Pursuant to this guidance, disclosures that will no longer be required include the following: transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy; transfers in and out of Level 3 for nonpublic entities, as well as purchases and issuances and the Level 3 roll forward; a company's policy for determining when transfers between any of the three levels have occurred; the valuation processes used for Level 3 measurements; and, the changes in unrealized gains or losses presented in earnings for Level 3 instruments held at the balance sheet date for nonpublic entities. The following are additional disclosure requirements: for public entities, the changes in unrealized gains and losses for the period included in other comprehensive income for recurring Level 3 instruments held at the balance sheet date; for public entities, the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used for Level 3 measurements, although for certain unobservable inputs the entity will be allowed to disclose other quantitative information in place of the weighted average to the extent that it would be a more reasonable and rational method to reflect the distribution of unobservable inputs; for nonpublic entities, some form of quantitative information about significant unobservable inputs used in Level 3 fair value measurements; and, for certain investments in entities that calculate the net asset value, disclosures will be required about the timing of liquidation and redemption restrictions lapsing if the latter has been communicated to the reporting entity. The guidance also clarifies that the Level 3 measurement uncertainty disclosure should communicate information about the uncertainty at the balance sheet date. ASU 2018-13 is effective for all entities in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods. Early adoption is permitted. In addition, an entity may early adopt any of the removed or modified disclosures immediately and delay adoption of the new disclosures until the effective date.
Note 4 – Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information
During the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, cash paid for interest due on interest-bearing liabilities was $5.880 million and $3.645 million, respectively. There was $10.000 million in cash paid for income taxes during the nine months ended September 30, 2018, and $6.497 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2017. There were assets totaling $180,000 that were acquired in settlement of loans for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, relative to $648,000 during the nine months ended September 30, 2017. We received $3.987 million in cash from the sale of foreclosed assets during the first nine months of 2018 relative to $99,000 during the first nine months of 2017, which represents sales proceeds less loans (if any) extended to finance such sales.
Note 5 – Share Based Compensation
On March 16, 2017 the Company's Board of Directors approved and adopted the 2017 Stock Incentive Plan (the "2017 Plan"), which became effective May 24, 2017, the date approved by the Company's shareholders. The 2017 Plan replaced the Company's 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (the "2007 Plan"), which expired by its own terms on March 15, 2017. Options to purchase 392,770 shares that were granted under the 2007 Plan were still outstanding as of September 30, 2018 and remain unaffected by that plan's expiration. The 2017 Plan provides for the issuance of both "incentive" and "nonqualified" stock options to officers and employees, and of
"nonqualified" stock options to non-employee directors and consultants of the Company. The 2017 Plan also provides for the issuance of restricted stock awards to these same classes of eligible participants, although no restricted stock awards have ever been issued by the Company. The total number of shares of the Company's authorized but unissued stock reserved for issuance pursuant to awards under the 2017 Plan was initially 850,000 shares, and the number remaining available for grant as of September 30, 2018 was 767,000. The potential dilutive impact of unexercised stock options is discussed below in Note 6, Earnings per Share.
Pursuant to FASB's standards on stock compensation, the value of each stock option granted is reflected in our income statement as employee compensation or directors' expense by expensing its fair value as of the grant date in the case of immediately vested options, or by amortizing its grant date fair value over the vesting period for options with graded vesting. The Company is utilizing the Black-Scholes model to value stock options, and the "multiple option" approach is used to allocate the resulting valuation to actual expense. Under the multiple option approach an employee's options for each vesting period are separately valued and amortized. A pre-tax charge of $101,000 was reflected in the Company's income statement during the third quarter of 2018 and $18,000 was charged during the third quarter of 2017, as expense related to stock options. For the first nine months, the charges totaled $274,000 in 2018 and $459,000 in 2017.
Note 6 – Earnings per Share
The computation of earnings per share, as presented in the Consolidated Statements of Income, is based on the weighted average number of shares outstanding during each period. There were 15,267,587 weighted average shares outstanding during the third quarter of 2018, and 13,839,111 during the third quarter of 2017. There were 15,251,746 weighted average shares outstanding during the first nine months of 2018, and 13,824,173 during the first nine months of 2017.
Diluted earnings per share calculations include the effect of the potential issuance of common shares, which for the Company is limited to shares that would be issued on the exercise of "in-the-money" stock options. For the third quarter of 2018, calculations under the treasury stock method resulted in the equivalent of 176,819 shares being added to basic weighted average shares outstanding for purposes of determining diluted earnings per share, while a weighted average of 105,800 stock options were excluded from the calculation because they were underwater and thus anti-dilutive. For the third quarter of 2017 the equivalent of 174,876 shares were added in calculating diluted earnings per share, while 120,700 anti-dilutive stock options were not factored into the computation. Likewise, for the first nine months of 2018 the equivalent of 176,719 shares were added to basic weighted average shares outstanding in calculating diluted earnings per share and a weighted average of 105,800 stock options that were anti-dilutive for the period were not included, compared to the addition of the equivalent of 186,721 shares and non-inclusion of 120,700 anti-dilutive options in calculating diluted earnings per share for first nine months of 2017.
Note 7 – Comprehensive Income
As presented in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, comprehensive income includes net income and other comprehensive income. The Company's only source of other comprehensive income is unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale investment securities. Investment gains or losses that were realized and reflected in net income of the current period, which had previously been included in other comprehensive income as unrealized holding gains or losses in the period in which they arose, are considered to be reclassification adjustments that are excluded from other comprehensive income in the current period.
Note 8 – Financial Instruments with Off-Balance-Sheet Risk
The Company is a party to financial instruments with off‑balance‑sheet risk in the normal course of business. Those financial instruments currently consist of unused commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit. They involve, to varying degrees, elements of risk in excess of the amount recognized in the balance sheet. The Company's exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by counterparties for commitments to extend credit and letters of credit is represented by the contractual amount of those instruments. The Company uses the same credit policies in making commitments and issuing letters of credit as it does for originating loans included on the balance sheet. The following financial instruments represent off‑balance‑sheet credit risk (dollars in thousands):
Commitments to extend credit
Standby letters of credit
Commitments to extend credit consist primarily of the unused or unfunded portions of the following: home equity lines of credit; commercial real estate construction loans, where disbursements are made over the course of construction; commercial revolving lines of credit; mortgage warehouse lines of credit; unsecured personal lines of credit; and formalized (disclosed) deposit account overdraft lines. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. Since many commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the unused portions of committed amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. Standby letters of credit are issued by the Company to guarantee the performance of a customer to a third party, and the credit risk involved in issuing letters of credit is essentially the same as the risk involved in extending loans to customers.
At September 30, 2018, the Company was also utilizing a letter of credit in the amount of $95 million issued by the Federal Home Loan Bank on the Company's behalf as security for certain deposits and to facilitate certain credit arrangements with the Company's customers. That letter of credit is backed by loans which are pledged to the FHLB by the Company.
Note 9 – Fair Value Disclosures and Reporting, the Fair Value Option and Fair Value Measurements
FASB's standards on financial instruments, and on fair value measurements and disclosures, require public business entities to disclose in their financial statement footnotes the estimated fair values of financial instruments. In addition to disclosure requirements, FASB's standard on investments requires that our debt securities that are classified as available for sale and any equity securities which have readily determinable fair values be measured and reported at fair value in our statement of financial position. Certain impaired loans are also reported at fair value, as explained in greater detail below, and foreclosed assets are carried at the lower of cost or fair value. FASB's standard on financial instruments permits companies to report certain other financial assets and liabilities at fair value, but we have not elected the fair value option for any of those financial instruments.
Fair value measurement and disclosure standards also establish a framework for measuring fair values. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Further, the standards establish a fair value hierarchy that encourages an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and limit the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair values. The standards describe three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair values:
Level 1: Quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that the entity has the ability to access as of the measurement date.
Level 2: Significant observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, and other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.
Level 3: Significant unobservable inputs that reflect a company's own assumptions about the factors that market participants would likely consider in pricing an asset or liability.
Fair value estimates are made at a specific point in time based on relevant market data and information about the financial instruments. Fair value disclosures for deposits include demand deposits, which are by definition equal to the amount payable on demand at the reporting date. As discussed in Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements, we adopted ASU 2016-01 for the first quarter of 2018, thus fair value calculations for loans and leases at September 30, 2018 reflect exit pricing, and incorporate our assumptions with regard to the impact of prepayments on future cash flows and credit quality adjustments based on risk characteristics of various financial instruments, among other things. This is not entirely comparable with fair values disclosed as of December 31, 2017, which were estimated primarily by discounting estimated cash flows at current market interest rates (entry pricing). The estimates at both dates are subjective and involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgment, and therefore cannot be determined with precision. Changes in assumptions could significantly alter the fair values presented.
Estimated fair values for the Company's financial instruments are as follows, as of the dates noted:
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Quoted Prices in
Active Markets for
Identical Assets
(Level 1)
Financial assets:
Investment securities available for sale
Loans and leases, net held for investment
Collateral dependent impaired loans
Financial liabilities:
For financial asset categories that were carried on our balance sheet at fair value as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company used the following methods and significant assumptions:
Investment securities: Fair values are determined by obtaining quoted prices on nationally recognized securities exchanges or by matrix pricing, which is a mathematical technique used widely in the industry to value debt securities by relying on their relationship to other benchmark quoted securities.
Collateral-dependent impaired loans: Collateral-dependent impaired loans are carried at fair value when it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the original loan agreement and the loan has been written down to the fair value of its underlying collateral, net of expected disposition costs where applicable.
Foreclosed assets: Repossessed real estate (known as other real estate owned, or "OREO") and other foreclosed assets are carried at the lower of cost or fair value. Fair value is the appraised value less expected selling costs for OREO and some other assets such as mobile homes; fair values for any other foreclosed assets are represented by estimated sales proceeds as determined using reasonably available sources. Foreclosed assets for which appraisals can be feasibly obtained are periodically measured for impairment using updated appraisals. Fair values for other foreclosed assets are adjusted as
necessary, subsequent to a periodic re-evaluation of expected cash flows and the timing of resolution. If impairment is determined to exist, the book value of a foreclosed asset is immediately written down to its estimated impaired value through the income statement, thus the carrying amount is equal to the fair value and there is no valuation allowance.
Assets reported at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized below:
Fair Value Measurements - Recurring
Fair Value Measurements at September 30, 2018, using
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for
Realized
Gain/(Loss) (Level 3)


This website presents hotels of Haghpat of different price categories: you can book a room in both budget hotels in Haghpat and luxury hotels. Room rates depend on level of comfort and location of the hotel, close location to well-known attractions of Haghpat. In addition the floor, view, list of extra service, season, etc. affect on room rates.


Contemporary style with an attractive rustic vibe, this storage bed will make a stylish and functional addition to your bedroom. Made in the USA and constructed from solid Maple by 600 skilled craftsmen ensures that you will receive a quality piece to enjoy for years to come. This bed features three storage drawers perfect for keeping extra sheets, blankets and pillows within reach.
The Sedgwick Contemporary King Panel Bed with 3 Side Storage Drawers by Artisan & Post at Godby Home Furnishings in the Noblesville, Carmel, Avon, Indianapolis, Indiana area. Product availability may vary. Contact us for the most current availability on this product.
120-082C Side Rail, 5/0 & 6/6 1 0" 0" 0"
120-082D Vertical Support (for King 1 side storage bed only), 6/6 1 0" 0" 0"
120-082B Storage Unit, 5/0 & 6/6 - 3 Drawers 1 82" 23.125" 16"
The Sedgwick collection is a great option if you are looking for Rustic Contemporary furniture in the Noblesville, Carmel, Avon, Indianapolis, Indiana area.
Browse other items in the Sedgwick collection from Godby Home Furnishings in the Noblesville, Carmel, Avon, Indianapolis, Indiana area.


George Mallory was eulogised as a near ethereal being, a tragic and beautiful boy destined for the martyrdom that eluded him in the trenches of the Great War. Though Mallory's legend would continue to grow, by the 1930s a more muscular mountaineering paragon was sought, one in which manhood, national vigour, and summit seeking became inextricably linked. While the expeditions of the 1920s were pitched as scientific pursuits, including botanists and geologists in their ranks, those of the 1930s largely limited themselves to climbers. With Everest inaccessible, English contenders turned their attention to other summits over 8,000 metres.
The men who now aspired to the highest Himalayan peaks were no longer Luftmenschen, men with their heads in the clouds and perhaps a death wish in their hearts, but Ubermenschen – thrusters. Climbing was no longer a search for the sublime but a means to assert the power of a nation over the power of nature to raise an obstacle beyond its reach. Germany led the way in this attitude, but England duly followed suit, albeit in the less bombastic register befitting an Empire that had prevailed in the Great War.
This was perhaps why the 1932 report of an American plane flying in the vicinity of Everest in the Madras Weekly so incensed Arthur Hinks, the secretary of the Royal Geographical Society. The upstart Yanks had already been the first to fly over the poles but the idea of them anywhere near Everest was unacceptable. To curb America's presumption, Hinks proposed that henceforth Germany's mountaineering permit applications take precedence over any American ones.
He also pressed for permission from Nepal for a British flight and that Tibet be approached once more. Word came back: Nothing had changed. He persisted. If delicate reference were made to the still-missing bodies of Mallory and Irvine, might the Dalai Lama reconsider? A long silence followed.
Then, suddenly, not long after Nepal granted permission for an Everest flight, the wind shifted, the clouds opened, and the long hoped for vision of the mountaintop appeared.
'Almost every nation on the face of the Earth is desirous of ascending the high mountains in the world,' the Dalai Lama's letter began. '[T]he British are also very anxious to ascend Mount Everest,' he continued, before adding, undiplomatically: 'They have tried twice, but so far they have failed.' As the expected conquest of Everest was pitched as a means of overawing a restive India, another failure risked unmanning the Empire, rendering the King Emperor naked. But Hinks was certain the stars were now aligned. A meeting of the nearly moribund Mount Everest Committee was hastily assembled.
John Auden, the elder brother of the poet WH Auden, was immersed in a study of Himalayan tectonics when the new expedition was announced. Ever since he'd heard Mallory give a lecture about Everest at school, this had been his dream. He had hoped his work for the Geological Survey of India would secure him a spot. But when Bill Wager arrived in Calcutta in March 1933, Auden learned he hadn't made the first cut. Not only did Wager, whom he had known at Cambridge, know nothing of Himalayan stratigraphy but it was his first trip to India. When Auden asked if there would be a geological survey, Wager replied with an unmistakable swagger that the talk was all about taking the summit. Apart from the RGS's insistence that all Everest aspirants be Englishmen, Auden had wondered how the rest were chosen.
From the dozen assembled in London, three two-man parties would be picked. During the long trek from Darjeeling every climber was heavily scrutinised by the expedition leader, a retired district officer named Hugh Ruttledge. Eying their competition warily, each contestant did their best to appear hale and hearty. The final cut was announced at Base Camp. To console those who hadn't made it, Ruttledge pointed out that if altitude sickness or, god forbid, accident took someone out, they might be called upon. Eric Shipton, a puckish 25-year-old assigned to the lead party, thought this tactless. It was typical of the war generation's thinking to have an excess of young men on hand to throw at the battlements, while staying well to the rear themselves.
But for his triumphant summiting of Kamet, the highest peak ever climbed, Shipton's climbing partner, Frank Smythe, might never have been considered. From an obscure public school Smythe went neither into the military, university, nor colonial service. Bill Wager, however, fit Hinks' manly template to a T: a first-rate English public school, membership in the Cambridge Mountaineering Club, geological adventures in the Arctic, and a thruster's keen hunger for the top.
Ruttledge had devised a strategy that divided the route to Everest's summit into three stages. For the final stage, which included the siege of the summit, the chosen six carefully husbanded their energies, curling up in their sleeping bags and fanatically checking their basal pulses. Shipton joked that they would soon be getting bedsores. As they set off from Base Camp, however, Bill Wager was left behind. He had just made the third team and was keen to prove he was of the same stamp as the rest, but a case of the hill trots had waylaid him.
'The mountain is not a slag heap as I had heard,' Wager wrote from Base Camp on Expedition stationery, rubbing yet more salt in John Auden's wounds. After trashing Ruttledge's leadership, he went on to note that Auden shared one of Ruttledge's mannerisms. It wasn't anything deplorable, he said, just some tic he'd had ever since he'd known him. This was Wager's idea of fun. He knew Auden would worry himself endlessly over what this tic was. He would eventually catch up with the rest at the final camp before the summit. He got as far as anyone did that year, but not far enough.
The Dalai Lama would ascribe the failure of the 1933 expedition to the rage of the mountain's guardian deities. Bill Wager would blame the overly cautious Ruttledge. But Eric Shipton felt the entire vision of the expedition was suspect. The trip across the Tibetan plateau had involved thousands of pack animals. There was a contingent of signal corps officers, armed guards, and 72 porters to ferry supplies to and from the high camps. These supplies famously included tins of herring, smoked salmon, lobster, crab, salmon, asparagus, caviar, and foie gras. Dozens of cases had been left behind, a colossal waste of money and of the porters who brought them there. Did every climber require a tent and personal servant? It was a measure of how untethered the entire project of the expedition, much like the empire itself, had become from the reality on the ground.
Meanwhile the Air Commodore who piloted the successful flight over Everest that April was comparing his triumph to Alexander's conquest of India. He quoted Napoleon's 'he who holds India, holds the world' to underscore the tortured conceit that Everest, a mountain that wasn't even in India, was a proxy for Great Britain's global dominion. He didn't hesitate to declare the failure of the mountaineers' expedition 'a splendid achievement,' as if the magnetic field surrounding Mount Everest could bend a logic that prevailed elsewhere.
The Last Englishmen: Love, War and the End of Empire by Deborah Baker is out now in hardback (Chatto & Windus). Click here to purchase via Amazon.


See preview caslon open face font and download this cool font for free. The font is classified as regular fonts. This font viewed 3390 times and downloaded 581 times. You can also downloads other fonts: Caslon Graphique EF, Cathedral Open Regular, Fish Face, Facet Heavy Regular, Caslon Two Twenty Four Book, Caslon 540 for Windows and Mac at FreakFonts.com. If you like this font don't forget share them with you friends!


text:
Donnell Library Center records
New York Public Library. Donnell Library Center.
9 linear feet (18 boxes)
Donnell Library Center Records, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.
New York Public Library Archives
The Donnell Library Center of The New York Public Library, located on West 53rd Street in Manhattan, opened in 1955. It was built with funds left to NYPL by Ezekiel J. Donnell, an Irish-born cotton merchant who died in 1896. The Donnell Library Center houses The New York Public Library branch system's largest circulating collection of materials in languages other than English, films and videotapes, and materials for children and teenagers. As a unit of the Central Libraries serving a sizable Midtown area, the Donnell Library Center also has a large general reference collection and a widely used circulating collection of fiction and non-fiction for adults. Donnell presents free cultural events and exhibits throughout the year. Reports, administrative files and publicity material documenting operations of the Donnell Library Center of The New York Public Library.
The Donnell Library Center records are arranged in two series:
Series 1. General Files
Series 2. Children's Room
Transferred from Donnell Library Center.
Compiled by Jim Moske; machine readable finding aid created by Jim Moske.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


sociologist must be having a field day with this one.
I wonder how many different applications of this same concept they are working on?
Seems John and Yoko had it right. The whole getting shot at the end though isn't a very happy ending though.
how about passion? can there be a game for passion? can it be taught? can morals be taught through gaming?


Images below document my returning PPP presentation.
After finishing the presentation I received some feedback from the class regarding the presentations success and areas I could look into to help me progress from my current stage.
Aspects of my practice are relevant in both the briefs, context of practice and placement plans.
Look at design related festivals and events & start attending.
Headingly - Print & Binding workshops - review.
Manchester print fare - 25th October.
Ornamental Conifer - hand painted typography - inspiration.
Review briefs and define timescales - Organisation & Time management.
First of all, I felt that I delivered the presentation in a clear and confident manner which I was really content with. When presenting in previous years I felt that my confidence was lacking while speaking in front of the class which consequently effected the delivery of information. After success of the presentation I hope to continue building upon this confidence until I am no longer apprehensive of public speaking.
Additionally, definitive aspects of my practice such as my focus on sustainability are relevant and well established cross all level six modules. I believe this is a direct consequence of the PPP module completed at level 5 that allowed me to assess my core interests and apply them to my practice.
An area for improvement lies with my interaction with various aspects of the design industry. At this moment in time I have yet to collect any research into up-and-coming design festivals and events. Therefore, I need to start collecting research to define the events that have relevance to my personal and professional interests and organise time to attend. Moreover, while attending such events I need to immerse myself in the culture, start networking, talking to other designers and making industry contacts.
Finally, now I have defined a set of Leeds based studios I would like to complete an internship at I need to start composing and emails to try and arrange a placement. It is imperative that I do this as soon as possible as I will stand a better chance of securing a placement.
Moreover, I also need to start emailing studios that have relevance to my practice outside of Leeds. Although I may not be able to attend a placement at such studios forming industry links is important and will allow me to make connections.


DETAILS: Our Personalized Family First Canvas Signs with the Family Name have been designed in a variety of fonts to offer something for every personality. MEASUREMENTS: 8" x 24". PERSONALIZATION: 1 line up to 15 characters (done as shown).


text:
Gillian Anderson Has Given Up On Bras: "I Don't Care If My Breasts Reach My Belly Button"
Gillian Anderson has stopped wearing bras because she finds them too uncomfortable.
1.5-min read
Gillian Anderson won't wear bras anymore.
The 52-year-old actress "doesn't care" if her breasts start to droop because of a lack of support because she finds the undergarments too "uncomfortable" to bear any longer.
Gillian — who just scored a 'Best Supporting Actress in a Drama' Emmy nomination for her portrayal of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Crown — was answering a question in an Instagram Q&A session from a fan about what outfits she wore during lockdown.
She replied, "I'm so lazy and I don't wear a bra anymore. I can't wear a bra. I'm sorry. I don't care if my breasts reach my belly button. I'm not wearing a bra, it's just too f****** uncomfortable."
A post shared by Gillian Anderson (@gilliana)
,Gillian recently admitted in a Hollywood Reporter roundtable that she took time out from working in front of the camera to get back on stage after experiencing a "couple of mini breakdowns".
She said: "I had a good couple of mini breakdowns during that, and at the end, could not talk about it, could not see it, could not see pictures, could not. I needed to immerse myself immediately in theatre in another country, and then after a while, I was able to embrace it again, but when I started to embrace it, it was almost like I separated myself so much that I was looking at the image as if it was another person. When you immerse yourself so entirely as we can, and we do for such long periods of time, there's not going to be any consequence to that. Of course, there's going to be consequences to that."
When Gillian finished her run in A Streetcar Named Desire, she admits it was like a "grieving" process because the role was so "profound" for her.
She said: "I felt like I'd lost my best friend. I was grieving. Some friends of mine in New York had brunch for me the weekend after [I wrapped my run], and I arrived like a complete wreck. It was so profound. I also knew it was unlikely I was going to do it again because I knew that I'd probably lose my mind. I got really close. Like, I'd survived by the skin of my teeth, and if I did it again out of ego or attachment or not wanting to let her go, there would be consequences. So I knew it was the end, and it was so sad."
Gillian will return in Season 3 of Netflix's Sex Education, premiering on Sept 17. She has been cast as Eleanor Roosevelt in The First Lady, the upcoming Showtime anthology series about the various first ladies of the United States of America. — BANG SHOWBIZ
Photo: TPG News/Click Photos
Mad Men's Christina Hendricks Reveals The Annoying Question She Was Asked During Her Time On The Show
Fashion Designer Vera Wang Opens Up On Her Sports Bra Photo Going Viral: "I Was Totally Shocked"
Simon Pegg Says Voicing Age Ice Character Buck Wild Is Tougher Than Making Mission: Impossible With Tom Cruise
Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner's Widow Destroyed "Thousands" Of Revenge Porn Pictures Taken By Her Late Husband
Aziz Ansari Claims He Hasn't Been On The Internet For 4 Years, Says He's On A "Mental Diet"
Javier Bardem Once Dressed As Bond Girl For Daniel Craig's Birthday Surprise


Hello there audience, Thank you for ones time to learn a write-up in most photo that individuals offer. What you are usually looking at nows a picture Beautiful Bed Rooms With Interior Design. Through here you can know this creation regarding exactly what do you share with create the house and also the room special. In this article we all will demonstrate yet another impression simply by simply clicking a option Next/Prev IMAGE. Beautiful Bed Rooms With Interior Design The author stacking them neatly to be able to recognize the actual purpose in the prior write-up, so that you can generate through thinking about the image Beautiful Bed Rooms With Interior Design. Beautiful Bed Rooms With Interior Design actually nicely through the gallery previously mentioned, so as to let you do the job to create a house or possibly a room more lovely. We furthermore show Beautiful Bed Rooms With Interior Design possess went to any people friends.
You might use Beautiful Bed Rooms With Interior Design, while using the proviso of which the application of the article or even image every single publish just tied to folks, certainly not intended for industrial reasons. As well as the publisher additionally offers overall flexibility to help every single photograph, offering ORIGINAL Link this great site. As we have explained previous to, if at any time you want a image, it is possible to spend less this photograph Beautiful Bed Rooms With Interior Design in cellphones, notebook or maybe personal computer merely by right-clicking the impression and choose "SAVE AS IMAGE" or even you are able to download underneath this short article. Along with find various other photos in just about every article, its also possible to look in this column SEARCH best correct of this site. From the info granted article writer hopefully, you can consider something useful by much of our posts.
Etonnant A Gorgeous Master Bedroom With A Unique Bed.


Islands are often tagged as metaphors for the heart. But Tasmania's isolation is all the more reason to rejoice: here, the island's remoteness has become its biggest asset, gifting the land with an unmatched uniqueness, from the wilderness to the art to the culinary scene. At Hobart, the Tasmanian capital, catch a ferry to the Musuem of Old & New Art, a truly world-class art institution that'll leave you gasping. For golfers, of course, the island's highlight would be the well-entrenched, snoozy holiday town of Bridport, home to the world-class, and world-famous, golf courses of Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm.


text:
Q: Can't launch application through Android Studio (logcat [DEAD]) For the last two days the app I'm working on is showing up as [DEAD] in logcat and when I try to launch the app through the run button in Android Studio all seems fine, except the app never start and leaves no error message in Android Studio, except for [DEAD]. Any idea what this is?

Update:
I have been able to remove the [DEAD] thing from the logcat by:

*

*Removing the app from the device

*Restarting the device (Should not have been this because it was just started befor it happened, but just in case)

*Invalidate caches and restart in Android Studio

*Re-run the app from the toolbar in Android Studio

This might help to get you going again, but my question stays.
What is this?
Why does it happen?
And whats the correct way of solving it?

A: The above error is due to

java.io.IOException

which causes the current adb-connection to disconnect and connect to the new adb-connection request made by another software .
java.io.IOException: An established connection was aborted by the software in your host machine

When you start an adb client, the client first checks whether there is an adb server process already running. If there isn't, it starts the server process. When the server starts, it binds to local TCP port 5037 and listens for commands sent from adb clients—all adb clients use port 5037 to communicate with the adb server.
The server then sets up connections to all running emulator/device instances. It locates emulator/device instances by scanning odd-numbered ports in the range 5555 to 5585, the range used by emulators/devices. Where the server finds an adb daemon, it sets up a connection to that port.
Note that each emulator/device instance acquires a pair of sequential ports — an even-numbered port for console connections and an odd-numbered port for adb connections.
Above information can also be seen from its documentation
http://developer.android.com/tools/help/adb.html
When a new application uses the same connection,your Android studio app reports DEAD in logcat.
To resolve the issue,use the adb kill-server command
adb kill-server  //Terminates the adb server process.

and then rerun your application.

A: It shows that you fully stopped your application from your device or May you are getting some errors and Unfortunately Stopping Application.
Just try to unplug device or close emulator and Connect again.

A: My solution: replace the debugging equipment.
I've had this problem recently, and I've been struggling with it for a long time.
I use as 3.0, the computer i7+16G+ SSD, the configuration will not be a problem.
During the period, I tried to restart as, the computer, have no effect.The online method tried some, but it didn't work.
I always thought it was the as problem, and then I was able to debug the machine.
The debug phone is a 7.0 system. After root, it enters the adb shell and finds that the command line does not respond. The phone shell has been stuck and the card dies and the card dies.
The as run is going to be directly stuck there.
The key as interface is not clickable, and the bug should be given to as.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Sara Ali Khan Opens Up on Her Social Media Responsibility Kim Sharma Attends Yuvraj Singh's Retirement Bash in Mumbai Zaira Wasim: Dangal Star Quits Bollywood, Cites Religious Reasons Karan Oberoi Shares His Ordeal in Jail: Had to Use and Clean a Toilet with 92 Other Inmates Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie Do Not Receive the Love They Deserve Katrina Kaif Wants to Head to Hollywood, Deets Inside!
Bollywood's Beautiful Mums Club
By Nazia Khan Thursday, 04 August 2011
From Aishwarya to Lara, motherhood is the buzzword in T'town!
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is expecting her baby in November 2011
Read more about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Some are busy changing nappies, others are preparing to welcome their first child: motherhood is the buzzword in tinseltown! Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Lara Dutta are both pregnant, while Konkona Sen Sharma, Mandira Bedi and Preeti Jhangiani are relishing playing hands-on moms to their newborns.
The much-awaited news of Aishwarya's pregnancy was broken to fans and the film world by her father-in-law, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, in June. The Bachchan household was overjoyed with the news - with papa-to-be Abhishek thanking everyone for their "love, support and blessings".
In a recent interview, Abhishek said: "I want a daughter who will look like Aishwarya".
Meanwhile, work has taken a backseat for Ash, who was been replaced by Kareena Kapoor in Madhur Bhandarkar's ambitious project 'Heroine'.
Lara, who married tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi in February, is the latest to confirm her pregnancy.
"We are excited about the baby," tweeted Lara, who had tied the knot in a church wedding in Goa amid close family and friends.
In the meantime, it's celebrity mothers like actress-turned-TV host Mandira, Preeti and Konkona, who are making the most of the joys of motherhood.
Married to filmmaker Raj Kaushal, Mandira had a son on July 17, after 12 years of marriage. They are proud parents of a baby boy, whom they have named Vir.
The excited father had taken to Twitter to share his joy. He posted: "Ladies and gentlemen..the czar of our lives Mr Vir Kaushal has arrived," while Mandira wrote: "And here starts an exciting new chapter of my life! "
Preeti and her husband, Parveen Dabbas, who are gearing up for the release of their debut production and direction venture 'Sahi Dhandhe Galat Bande', respectively, also joined the list of new celebrity parents with the birth of their son in April.
Another celebrity couple sharing parental responsibilities these days are Konkona and Ranvir Shorey. Konkona gave birth to baby boy Haroon in March. The couple were in a relationship for over three years, and solemnised their wedding in a low-key, private ceremony.
The stork also visited other Bollywood celebrities in the first half of this year!
Actor Manoj Bajpayee's wife, Neha (real name Shabana Raza) had a daughter in February. They named her Ava Nayla.
"It is the most memorable day for me and my wife. First time, I am getting the happiness of fatherhood and also the feeling of responsibility. First time, I am getting emotional about how life will turn put," Manoj had posted on his blog.
Salman Khan's brother Sohail became a father for the second time with wife Seema giving birth to a second son on June 16. Their older son Nirvaan is 10 years old.
Sitarist and composer Anoushka Shankar also became mother this year. Anoushka, married to British director Joe Wright, gave birth to Zubin Shankar Wright in February.
Already Bollywood has had a string of yummy mummies like Karisma Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Sonali Bendre, Kajol, Twinkle Khanna and "Munni" girl Malaika Arora Khan. Hope the new bandwagon of mothers in tinseltown keep the trend going!
Shammi Kapoor's unforgettable af...
More Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Related Articles & Photos
More Konkona Sen Sharma Related Articles & Photos
More Lara Dutta Related Articles & Photos
More Mandira Bedi Related Articles & Photos
More Manoj Bajpai Related Articles & Photos
More Preeti Jhangiani Related Articles & Photos
Sara Ali Khan Opens Up on Her Social Media Responsibility
Kim Sharma Attends Yuvraj Singh's Retirement Bash in Mumbai
Zaira Wasim: Dangal Star Quits Bollywood, Cites Religious Reasons
Karan Oberoi Shares His Ordeal in Jail: Had to Use and Clean a Toilet with 92 Other Inmates
Alia Bhatt's Confessions About Ranbir Kapoor: 'I Knew Ranbir Was the One When We Met For the First Time'
Puppy Dog Eyes: The Science Behind Why They Are The Masters of Manipulation
10 Top Highest-Grossing Films of Bollywood
Alia Bhatt's Resemblance to Soni Razdan - Fan's Can't Keep Calm
Pakistani Cricket Fan Wants Shah Rukh Khan to Watch This Interview
Closing date: Sunday, 30 June 2019


Mike Walsh helps prepare global business leaders for what's next. He is a leading authority on the intersection of emerging technologies, consumer behaviour and fast growth markets. In his current role as CEO of innovation research lab Tomorrow, he helps some of the world's leading brands and companies shape the future of their industries.
Constantly traveling the world for the best ideas, he distils the most relevant insights into tailored keynotes that allow any audience to not only understand, but also start to influence the future direction of their industry. Rather than focusing on the distant future, Mike focuses on the next five years - scanning the near horizon for disruptive technologies and consumer innovations on the verge of hitting critical mass, and then translating these into usable business strategies.
Author of the best selling book 'Futuretainment' and publisher of the 'Disruptive Future' newsletter read by thousands of professionals in the media and entertainment space, Mike's unique insights and operating experience in emerging markets makes him an expert on the growing influence of consumers in BRIC countries on breakthrough innovation and business transformation. Mike's new book, 'The Divergence' charts the rise of online consumers in these emerging markets, and shows that tomorrow's Web will be radically different to conventional Western models and will require entirely new engagement strategies. Mike's views have appeared in a wide range of international publications including Business Week, Forbes and Wallpaper Magazine.
Mike has been a pioneer in the digital space since the 90s, running both successful start-up ventures as well as holding senior leadership positions in established media organisations. With a background in corporate law and management consulting, Mike began his career at XT3, a spin out from McKinsey and one of the first digital consulting firms created to help major companies embrace the embroynic Web. During the first dotcom boom, Mike launched a technology publishing group in Australia, which went on to become the leading local technology news and events platform in the country. He also founded and ran Jupiter Research in the Asia Pacific, one of the first research agencies to track the early adoption of e-commerce and digital business models by online consumers. During this period, he was recognised as one of Australia's 'Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30' by the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age Newspaper.
While in Hong Kong and inspired by the dramatic changes taking place in China and India, Mike founded his latest venture, Tomorrow - an innovation research lab focused on emerging technology and disruptive consumer behaviour. Always in demand for his fresh insights and practical future focused strategies - Mike has advised the CEOs and senior management teams at multinational companies include the BBC, Fujifilm, Richemont, MSN, Star TV, Televisa, Philips, and HSBC.
Mike is a dynamic and high energy presenter, blending a multimedia feast of video, high impact visuals and mind blowing case studies of innovation from his personal experiences in cutting edge global markets. Whether a conference, strategy offsite or an intimate boardroom discussion - Mike's presentations act as a powerful catalyst for innovation, strategic planning and brand inspiration.
You can experience these topics as either a high impact 50 minute keynote or a half day workshop with interactive exercises and facilitated discussion.
Supported by a global network of analysts and researchers - Mike takes the time to work with you and your team to tailor his presentations to directly address the issues directly relevant to your company and industry.
Welcome to the Revolution. The balance of power has shifted and consumers have taken control. How we buy, sell and engage customers with our brands is being transformed by powerful new forces - both technological and anthropological.
Based on Mike Walsh's best selling book, FUTURETAINMENT is a fast paced tour of the latest technologies, global trends, and case studies that will forever change the way you think about your relationship with your customers.
What does it take to lead a 21st century company? New technology is not only an opportunity to improve productivity, it invites us to ask a much bigger question - can we re-imagine the way we do business?
Forces of change surround us. Whether it be generational turnover, the Cloud, mobile work, or the rise of the social enterprise - the companies that thrive in the near future will be the ones that not only embrace change but are the first to break the rules.
With original consumer market research, practical evaluations of next generational enterprise tools and case studies from some of the world?s most innovative firms - you will have everything you need to start thinking like a FLEX firm.
Social unrest, economic turmoil, rapid technological change - we live in a world seemingly dominated by crisis. And yet if you look more closely, you may also see a different set of patterns giving rise to new markets, new consumers and new ways to do business.
The future is already here, you just need to know where to look. From disruptive mobile technology from China to India's low cost business models, next generation mobile banking in Africa and social consumerism in South America - innovation is shifting to a new geography.
How we interact, transact and entertain ourselves in the future will be shaped by a billion new consumers from emerging markets. THE FUGUE is your roadmap to understanding and accessing the growth potential of tomorrow's world.
VERY engaging slides, style and presentation. Great to get some fresh new information!
Great session. To be perfectly honest, Im sort of lost between being very excited and very frightened.
Thank YOU for contributing to Foxtels success.
The audience loved Mike and we had particularly good feedback from the Minister and our direct client, which was great news to us. He had the audience laughing and even the crew were hanging on his every word, which is extremely unusual. He was polished, sophisticated and perfect for the event, so thank you Ovations for putting him forward in the first place.


View all Dime Box land for sale in Lee County. The small Texas town of Dime Box is rich in history and offers fantastic community for land and ranch owners. Contact a Dime Box Farm Ranch Realtor about Lee County ranches for sale in Dime Box, TX. Also view our Featured Counties with land and ranch properties for sale.
Selling your Dime Box land or ranch? Start that process here.
Contact a Dime Box Farm Ranch Broker!
Dime Box Land for Sale in Texas.


text:
BEING MORE @54
54 years of existence of Servicio Filipino, Inc. (SFI) is never an accident and so its people who have been in the service for many years and have been given the opportunity to be one of SFI's leaders. It is truly an honor because of the dedication and commitment of the employees, as well as the company to give the most it can give back.
For this year's anniversary celebration and with the theme, "Being More @ 54", SFI has shown its heart for its people. Last March 6, 2015, a remarkable people engagement activity was held. This was facilitated by our very own President & COO, Mr. Luis Alberto Anastacio. The "Leadership Training and Strategic Alignment" was well-attended by over seventy three Project Supervisors and Team Leaders and supported by SFI's Management Committee and Executive Committee. The activity turned out fruitful and successful in its goal to instill to everyone that each one of them is what makes the company distinctive from others.
As a challenge and motivation to the Project Supervisors and Team Leaders' commitment, the Management announced that Special Awards namely; Best Project, Best Supervisor and Best Employee, will be given to acknowledge and honor their contribution to achieve the company's goal towards the Culture of Excellence. With this on the roll, everyone is looking forward to bigger, bolder and great leaders on field.


Obtaining or making use of property without the authorization of the owner. The term is often used in connection with the unauthorized uses of easements. Water authorities also use the term to refer to the use of water rights by someone other than the appropriator to whom they were decreed by court order. For example, a homeowner adjacent to a vacant lot cultivates a vegetable garden on the lot without the permission of the lot's owner.


We recently wrote an article about the differences between an orangery and a conservatory, if you haven't read it then we believe it's definitely worth a look. However, we wanted to produce this post for people who already have an orangery, or someone who is thinking about getting one, and wondering what to do with it in the winter.
People often think of Orangery's as being the sole province of summer, but in reality nothing is further from the truth. With a bit of tweaking your orangery can be used year-round.
Add heat – this may seem obvious, but by adding a little extra heat to your orangery it becomes all that more bearable. There are a few ways of doing this. Mobile heaters are an easy way to get your orangery warm, and can be bought easily from shops, however they use a lot of power and can cost a lot to run. Some more permanent methods include installing more thermally efficient glass, or even underfloor heating.
Add cosiness – the above methods, while undoubtedly effective, can be quite costly. But, blankets, quilts and throws are usually cheap, or already in plentiful supply in your home. Pile them onto a sofa and get cosy with loved ones while enjoying the starry sky.
Plug drafts – a lot of orangeries are quite old, as are the doors built into them. Over time they may have developed drafts which will rob your orangery of heat. Simple draft excluders or door seals, may help. But if you want something more permanent then you might be amazed by how much of a difference new aluminium framed doors and windows help.
If you just put a couple of the above methods in place then there is no reason why your orangery can't be used all year round.
Clear View Aluminium Doors are one of the North's premier suppliers of aluminium framed doors and windows. To find out more about our products and services just call us on 0800 1357167.


Hello, this page of our torrent is made specially for Drama movie directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and named "Monsters and Men". This movie began to broadcast in 2018, size of it is N/A with N/A Quality and 6.5 points on IMDb.
"Monsters and Men" is one of the movies that you can download or magnet on our torrent. This Drama movie is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and it was published in 2018 with duration of 1h 35min. Scroll down for more information about Monsters and Men torrent.
Reinaldo Marcus Green's unprecedented element film make a big appearance Monsters and Men looks at being a minority in these unsafe occasions and how profoundly spooky and influenced we as a whole are by demonstrations of savagery and police fierceness. Recounted in a triptych of stories that are associated however don't really cover, Green catches the complexities of New York City and Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn in a way that is reminiscent to Spike Lee's adoration letters to the place where he grew up. Notwithstanding, Green isn't endeavoring to pay reverence; he's determined to standing firm.
The initial segment of the film takes after Manny, a youthful dad with significant life changes not too far off. Getting back home one night, he records the passing of his great companion Darius Larson on his mobile phone. It's a tore from-the-features situation, almost indistinguishable to the 2014 passing of Eric Garner. Enormous D, as he was known around the way, was a staple in the network. He was known for offering free squares outside of the bodega and giving the children who rode by a dollar all over. Damaged by Big D's passing and tormented by the NYPD who undermine him to stay silent, Manny must choose what to do, a choice that could enormously adjust not simply his life but rather the life of his pregnant sweetheart and youthful little girl.
In spite of the fact that we're driven into Manny's life first, Monsters and Men opens with Dennis, a Black cop who appears to be progressively awkward with his occupation. Continuously tense, Dennis has removed himself from his individual officers and his feelings, he just enables himself to be delicate within the sight of his significant other, Michelle played by Nicole Beharie. Dennis' unease yet unwillingness to step far from his activity is something that neither he nor the gathering of people can explain. From one viewpoint he appears to be resolved to be a positive impact in the network, and then again, he appears to be relatively embarrassed. It's a problem that numerous cops of shading must wind up in.
The last story in Monsters and Men takes after a youthful baseball phenom on the cusp of getting through to the real associations. Raised by a stoic however exhibit father, Mudbound's Rob Morgan, Zee's predetermination is right in front him. Be that as it may, the video recording of Big D's demise and an alarming stop and search by the police influences him to move center in the last minute. Zee's story is maybe the most powerful. The most youthful of the men, clearly police dread and regulated prejudice has leaked down into our childhood, impelling them to act somehow, regardless of whether they don't know precisely what to do or how to verbalize their emotions. A standout amongst the most significant minutes in the film is when Manny and Dennis' ways cross.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is one of Action movies released in 2019 and directed by Chad Stahelski. On our website you can download this movie with N/A quality. Also this movie scored 8.0 points on IMDb website.
God Friended Me Season 1 is one of Comedy TV Shows released in 2018 and directed by Steven Lilien. On our website you can download this season with WEB quality. Also this series scored 6.8 points on IMDb website.


If you are currently residing in Shanghai, chances are that you've heard about the absolutely enormous slide that they erected inside a mall. Clocking in at an impressive five-stories tall, this slide is a most welcome addition to the always interesting malls of Shanghai. It officially opened on February 22nd, 2016 and of course, many eyebrows were raised in speculation about its safety. Just to look at the slide alone brings about feelings of unease……just a little though!
However, the speculative public had some real basis for being wary of this new snaking beast! According to what the Pudong New Area Market Supervision and Management Bureau have told media outlets, the slide does not fall into any special equipment category and therefore does not require a compulsory inspection. The management of the mall had of course realized that this would potentially raise concerns, and made sure they would test it thoroughly before opening the slide for public use. With that knowledge, all systems were go!
I've always wanted to check out this delightful slide and decided that a chilly Tuesday afternoon would be a great time to do it! Three of us set off on our journey to the 'mall with a slide' as it is affectionately known. We were all giddy with excitement both knowing and having absolutely no idea what to expect.
To get to the magnificent slide you need to take the metro to Tangqiao Station on line 4 which is the pretty purple circle line. Here is a Gif of the station for your viewing pleasure!
Shout-out to lejavbasolutions.com for the amazing gif!
Once you arrive at Tangqiao Station you need to take exit 2 and outside of the exit on your immediate right is the Printemps mall or 巴黎春天 in Chinese where the snaking slide lies.
The slide itself is located on the fifth floor but the view of the slide from the first floor is super striking. It actually doesn't look that scary when you first see it. It actually looks like quite a tame ride, which internally I was so thankful for! Alas, as you ascend the levels of the mall to reach the slide on the fifth floor, the way down starts looking, shall we say, terrifying! The sign on the exit door is however, without a doubt the most awesome piece of text I have ever seen!
It reads: WARNING! High-Energy Ahead! There Are No Brakes!
With that statement and the fact that it's called Happy Slide, it was time to ride this thing. The slide takes a total time of 16 seconds to ride from the fifth floor to the first floor. Up we escalated our way on the escalators to the top and made our way to the slide entrance. We were the only three riders at the time which meant it was now or never! We each donned our slide sack and one by one slid down the gigantic slide with our arms crossed. One word to describe this slide?
It was so unbelievably cool going down. The twists and turns were really awesome. The speedy sections were so much fun too, speedy enough even for a cheeky 'Woooooh!', if you feel so inclined. It really is fantastic! The best part of all? it's completely free! That's right! You can ride this super slide as many times as you want all for free! I highly recommend giving it a go!
Thank you so much for reading my new venture! It's greatly appreciated!


With end-of-year festivities just two weeks away, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in Berlin has announced that tests on new firework products determined almost one-third to be dangerous.
Some 28 percent of fireworks widely available to consumers didn't pass BAM's safety test, the organization announced on Thursday. Retailers aren't allowed to sell fireworks for the Silvester celebrations without BAM approval, but they are still available illegally at street stands or under the counter. But party animals should not underestimate the number of serious injuries that occur each year from faulty fireworks, BAM said.
"They are more powerful and that can lead to really nasty injuries and even dismemberment," Lutz Kurth, a BAM pyrotechnics expert told The Local on Friday, adding that possession of pyrotechnics from outside the country is illegal.
While most of the dangerous fireworks come from China and Poland, imports from Austria and Switzerland can also easily maim a New Year's celebration, he said.
"If one of those stand-up fountains fell over into a crowd gathered around in a circle and the thing continued to shoot across the street, it will be 'a memorable evening' for everyone," Kurth mused.
Fear of faulty fireworks shouldn't mar Silvester celebrations, though. "If you buy your fireworks from big supermarkets, common chains or trustworthy distributors, you'll be fine," Kurth said.
German law divides fireworks into two categories. Pyrotechnics without sound effects are legal year round, meanwhile loud display fireworks are legal from December 31 at 6 pm to January 1 at 7 am.