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National media outlets told the story of David Briscoe surviving the Santa Fe shooting. He wasn't there.
A man who claimed he was a substitute teacher at Santa Fe High during the 2018 shooting told a harrowing story of survival. But the school district says he never worked there.
by Alex Samuels July 1, 2019 12 AM Central
A middle school served as a reunion point for parents and students after a gunman killed 10 people at Santa Fe High School in 2018. Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune
In the immediate aftermath of the May 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School, a man who said he witnessed the carnage seemed to turn up everywhere.
The man calling himself David Briscoe appeared in Time as a substitute teacher seemingly in the wrong place at the wrong time; CNN described his heroism as he ordered his students to "get down" and kept them protected until police came; The Wall Street Journal relayed the blood-curdling screams he heard from students in the hallway.
In April, nearly a year after the shooting, he told a strikingly similar story to The Texas Tribune. But after investigating some of his claims, the Tribune did not publish his account of the shooting — because it appears his entire story was an elaborate hoax.
In a roughly 31-minute interview with the Tribune, David Briscoe told his tale: When the first shots rang out — "it was very, very loud" — he said he directed his classroom of nearly a dozen students in the remedial English course he was teaching to muffle their screams with their hands.
He barricaded the doors. Turned off the lights.
He said he could never return to the Houston-area school where 10 died and another 13 were injured last spring. "Just knowing that there's blood on the walls where you walk at ... I don't think I could go back," he said, so after he and his students were rescued by law enforcement, he said he quit teaching altogether and moved to Florida, three months after he took the job at Santa Fe High.
But according to the school district, he was never there.
Lindsey Campbell, a spokeswoman for Santa Fe Independent School District, said it had no record of anyone named David Briscoe being employed by the district in any capacity and that the district is confident no one by that name was on campus the day of the shooting last year.
"We are extremely disappointed that an individual that has never been a part of our school community would represent themselves as a survivor of the mass violence tragedy that our community endured," said Santa Fe ISD Superintendent Leigh Wall. "This situation illustrates how easily misinformation can be created and circulated, especially when the amount of detailed information available is limited due to the still ongoing investigation."
James Roy, a lieutenant for the Galveston County Sheriff's Office — which helped investigate the massacre — said the shooting was contained to the art rooms and there were no English classes on that side of the school.
"The best I can tell, we have no record of [Briscoe]," Roy said. He added that the man's claim that the shots were "very, very loud," didn't sound right.
"If he was anywhere other than that hallway [where the shooting took place], I don't think he could've heard anything but the fire alarm," he said, referring to the alarm a teacher pulled as a warning to get people out of the school.
Public records show that Briscoe had a home address in Florida at the time of the shooting; there's no record of him living in Texas at any time.
All four news organizations that quoted him removed any reference of David Briscoe from their stories after being contacted by the Tribune.
"I don't know what motivates people to try to take advantage of a tragedy like this," said John Bridges, the executive editor for the Austin American-Statesman, which also quoted Briscoe in an article shortly after the shooting. "It's sick and it's sad.
"Reporters can face significant reporting hurdles in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy," he said, "and some people unfortunately attempt to take advantage of those situations and try to dupe reporters."
It's not uncommon for people to emerge after a high-profile disaster pretending to be a victim — often for financial gain, but sometimes simply for attention. Years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it was revealed that a Spanish woman who claimed to be a survivor of the attack was never there.
"Social media makes it easier for everybody to be fooled by people — regular people, journalists and politicians," said Gina Chen, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin's School of Journalism. "People pretend to be other people for various reasons, sometimes nefarious and sometimes not."
The man calling himself David Briscoe used social media to initiate contact with some reporters, including a Tribune reporter. When the Tribune asked to interview him again in early May, he initially claimed a rogue former employee for the social media company he said he started — whom he refused to name — had stolen his identity.
Then he stopped responding to requests for comment.
"I have never lived in Texas"
The man using Twitter handle @daviddbriscoe reached out to the Tribune in April, hoping to discuss his role as a survivor of the Texas tragedy as news reports circulated of survivors of a school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. taking their own lives.
After the shooting at Santa Fe High, the man told the Tribune by phone, he became isolated and depressed and began drinking heavily. He said he never tried to contact any of the other survivors. At one point, he said, he contemplated suicide, and he told a reporter he was still struggling with depression. He said he spent a couple of months at his parents' home in New Orleans immediately after the tragedy, then returned to the Houston area for a while to live with a friend before moving to Orlando, Florida — where he said he founded his social media company.
Credit: Twitter DM screenshot
He said he recently gave a speech at Colonial High School in Orlando, where the principal honored him and he talked to students and faculty about what he thought lawmakers could do to prevent another tragedy.
A spokeswoman for Colonial High School said no one named David Briscoe came to the school to speak.
Half a dozen Santa Fe survivors contacted by the Tribune also said they had never heard of someone named David Briscoe, and many wondered how he managed to snooker the media and grief-stricken survivors into believing his tale.
"Who knows how many other tragedies he's put himself in around the country?" said Flo Rice, a former Santa Fe High substitute teacher who was shot in both legs last May. "No one wants to have been there, and no one wants to have been in this club that we're all in now."
After the initial April 25 phone interview with the Tribune, the man calling himself David Briscoe went quiet until mid-May, when he responded to a direct message on Twitter.
He claimed he had never talked to the Tribune.
When he was shown the email account and phone number of the person who first contacted the Tribune, as well as screenshots of the initial direct messages, he claimed one of his employees impersonated him and had likely been the person who gave interviews with other media outlets. He added that someone — likely that same employee — stole his identity nearly a year before. He wouldn't disclose the name of the employee in question "due to company policy" but said the person had been arrested.
During a subsequent exchange through Twitter in early June, he would only say that he was hesitant about giving a statement for this story.
"We do not want [to] be in the middle of all of this. Again, my identity was already stolen, I do not want to be potentially targeted again," he said.
"I have never lived in Texas," he said. "I have only lived in Florida. I've been living here practically my whole life."
After that conversation, his direct messages were disabled and phone calls went to voicemail.
The media response
Some of the publications that quoted him say they are taking steps to avoid a similar incident.
"We have removed him from the piece, and we apologize to our readers for the misinformation," said Steve Severinghaus, a spokesman for The Wall Street Journal. "We are reviewing how this error was made and will take steps to safeguard against this in the future."
Bridges, the Statesman executive editor, said that a reporter from his publication first initiated contact with David Briscoe last year after seeing his social media posts — made from the same account through which he first made contact with the Tribune — about the shooting. Those posts have since been deleted, Bridges said.
"The school obviously was in no position to verify employment in those moments immediately after the shooting," Bridges said.
"Reporters in breaking news situations attempt to verify sources and information as much as they can — and we made reasonable attempts as we were reporting in the minutes after the shooting," Bridges said.
In recent days, Bridges added, a reporter from the Statesman attempted to initiate contact with David Briscoe to verify his initial claims.
But the man had blocked the reporter from his account and denied that he ever portrayed himself as a shooting witness.
Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.


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Issue: Winter 2019
Of Ice Walls, Gruesome Murders and Soaring Dragons
Craft Beer Revolutionist
Visualizing Superdiversity in Vancouver
A Patient's Perspective
UBC Connects with Isabel Allende
My Financial Life
Daenerys lands at Dragonstone, Game of Thrones (HBO).
Gregory Middleton, BA'89, creates magic through the lens.
By Chris Petty, MFA'86
There are two ways to watch a show like Game of Thrones. One is to immerse yourself in the experience and accept a world of giants, lopped-off heads, massive ice walls, exploding citadels and flying dragons as reality. The other is to sit back in awe at those same effects, wondering "how on earth do they do that?"
Gregory Middleton (L) on set with Game of Thrones director Jeremy Podeswa
"How they do that" is the bailiwick of Gregory Middleton, cinematographer. As one of the directors of photography on Game of Thrones, his job is to make the unreal real, which is largely a technical challenge. After consulting with the director and production designer of the particular episode he's shooting, he determines lighting colour intensity, camera angles, light levels and all aspects of the visual interpretation of the script. He directs the efforts of camera operators – as well as occasionally running cameras himself – and makes sure that the levels he determines are maintained over the entire episode, even though he may film in locations all over the world.
Then, he has to make sure it all works when the dragons fly over.
It's demanding work, and Middleton, now 51, has a long list of credits (see sidebar) that indicate he is at the top of an extremely competitive craft. He was aware of the competitive nature of the movie business when he started out, but when he graduated from UBC's film studies program in 1989, he found himself presented with some unique opportunities. The film industry in BC had begun to boom.
"It was pure good fortune for me how the industry advanced during the five or ten years after graduation," he says. "I had more opportunities here than some of my friends who went to USC."
The UBC program was still more or less in its fledgling stage when Middleton attended in the mid-1980s. He grew up in Montreal and went to John Abbott College there. As editor of the student newspaper, Bandersnatch, he came to Vancouver to attend an editors' conference. He knew he wanted to pursue film studies and took the opportunity to look at both SFU and UBC as potential schools for film production. UBC won.
He was aware of the competitive nature of the movie business when he started out, but when he graduated from UBC's film studies program in 1989, he found himself presented with some unique opportunities. The film industry in BC had begun to boom.
He chose cinematography as his focus because most students wanted to be directors. "I learned the basics of just about every aspect of technical film-making in the program," he says. "And because it was such a small program, and I was one of just a few cinematographers, I had the opportunity to try everything."
One of the outstanding parts of the program for Middleton was the lectures given by visiting professionals. "I learned a lot about the industry from just listening to some of these pros," he says. "And visiting programs to give talks is something I do now."
Middleton gave himself five years after graduation to see if he could make a living as a cinematographer, and found he could. He worked as a camera operator and second-unit cinematographer on a number of movies, and as main cinematographer on a series of short films. But his big break came in 1994 when his friend and fellow UBC grad Lynne Stopkewich, MFA'96, tapped him to be director of photography for her film, Kissed, based on a short story by Barbara Gowdy. It traced the evolving infatuation with necrophilia of the star, played by Molly Parker.
Selected Cinematography Credits
Game of Thrones (2015-2017)
Rememory (starring Peter Dinklage) (2017)
The Killing (28 episodes, 1 as director)
Passchendaele (starring and directed by Paul Gross)
Fugitive Pieces (directed by Jeremy Podeswa)
Moving Malcolm
Suspicious River (with Molly Parker, written and directed by Lynne Stopkewich)
Mr. Rice's Secret (with David Bowie)
The Five Senses (directed by Jeremy Podeswa)
Kissed (with Molly Parker, written and directed by Lynne Stopkewich)
Primetime Emmy Award (2 nominations)
American Society of Cinematographers Award (1 nomination)
Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award (5 nominations, 3 wins)
Gemini Awards (2 nominations)
Genie Awards (7 nominations 1 win)
Leo Awards (4 nominations, 3 wins)
Newport Beach Film Festival (1 nomination, 1 win)
Kissed became an indie hit and caught the attention of Canadian director Jeremy Podeswa. He invited Middleton to come on board to shoot The Five Senses, also starring Parker. That movie was a success, winning Genies for best picture and best direction, and Gregory Middleton was on his way.
That early experience set a pattern for how his career would develop. As in most areas in life, it's the people you know and how you get on with them that makes the difference. "You have to be good enough to get the job, obviously, but you also have to be the kind of person the producer and director want to work with," says Middleton." Being a warm body with skills isn't good enough to get you hired."
After The Five Senses he did a series of small but successful films, then worked with Jeremy Podeswa again on Fugitive Pieces, and with Paul Gross on Passchendaele. That in turn led to the opportunity to work as the main cinematographer for the hit show, The Killing. Then he was called by Podeswa, who had been tapped to direct two episodes of Game of Thrones' fifth season, to join him as cinematographer. The call, he said, made him jump up and down like he'd won the lottery. He and Podeswa collaborated on two more episodes in each of seasons six and seven, and he shot the dragon visual effects for episodes in season eight.
Similarly, his recent work on Watchmen came about because of the work he did with director Nicole Kassell on The Killing.
Gregory Middleton impresses as quintessentially Canadian: polite, upbeat, seemingly happy, friendly and approachable. He's also infatuated with the work he does. How does that easy-going quality hold up when he has to deal, day to day, with some of today's biggest stars? Are they sometimes hard to work with?
"David Bowie wasn't just a star, he was one of the world's megastars. He had the kind of magnetic personality that drew the room when he walked in. But he was the most generous, lovely guy." ~ Gregory Middleton
He tells the story of filming Mr. Rice's Secret in 1999. It was a small Canadian film that caught the interest of none other than David Bowie. "He wasn't just a star," Middleton says. "He was one of the world's megastars. He had the kind of magnetic personality that drew the room when he walked in. But he was the most generous, lovely guy. At the end of the day, these stars just want to do the best job they can. They're nervous like anyone else. And the bigger the star the more nervous they are sometimes. They have a reputation to maintain, and they don't want to mess up. You help them bring out their best."
As cinematographer, Middleton is responsible for every shot in the Game of Thrones episode he's hired to shoot. Production crews travel to all the locations, producing all the required scenes for the entire season in each location (Northern Ireland, Spain and the Balkans).
For example, in the scene at the beginning of season seven, when Daenerys lands at Dragonstone, the beach is located outside the town of Zumaia in Northern Spain. The actual landing, with the boats in the background, was filmed in Northern Ireland, but the walk up the beach was filmed in Spain. As the gates open off the beach leading up to the castle (which was added in post-production) we see a long walkway up a hill. This was filmed on location at a monastery in San Juan, while the scenes in Dragonstone castle and the map room were filmed in a studio. His job is to make it all look seamless.
"The exciting part of my work is how I contribute to telling a really great story. It's all about illusion, anyway, but the better the technical stuff is, the more convincing the story is."
Whichever way you chose to watch shows like Game of Thrones, it takes a force of will to think about technique instead of being swept up in the pure magic of the huge castles, the gruesome beheadings, the gorgeous landscapes, and the majestic, soaring dragons. Still, it's nice to know that someone has it all in hand – the technical stuff – so that we can dream in peace.
Learn more at Gregory Middleton's Internet Movie Database profile or middletondp.com
With Rick Hansen, BPE'86, LLD'87
Q: If you could invent something, what would it be?
A: Something that would put the wheelchair in a museum.
The Lucky One by Chris Cannon
Fort McMurray resident Seville Kwan, BMgt'09, recalls her experiences during the Alberta Wildfire.
Portrait of the Artist as an Old Woman By Diane Haynes, BA'89
Photos by Martin Dee
Hinda Avery, PhD'93, makes a case for elderhood, activism, and comics.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Cape ArgusNews
Experts have warned that Black Friday and traditional end-of-year functions could serve as Covid-19 "superspreaders" as the number of infections spiked. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/ANA
Black Friday, festive season shopping sprees could serve as Covid-19 'superspreaders'
By Mwangi Githathu, Marvin Charles Nov 23, 2020
Cape Town - Experts have warned that Black Friday and traditional end-of-year functions could serve as Covid-19 "superspreaders" as the number of infections spiked.
With retailers preparing for a flood of shoppers hoping to bag Black Friday deals this week, and the Christmas special deals and discounts to follow, fears of a second wave of Covid-19 infections have spurred the provincial government to warn about the creation of super-spreader events if shoppers and retailers do not strictly adhere to Covid-19 safety protocols.
On Friday, in a notification sent to its staff, City manager Lungelo Mbandazayo said: "No year-end functions will be permitted for safety reasons and to reduce the spread of the virus. Accordingly, the customary time off given to employees to attend year-end functions will not apply this year and no City manager-approved time off will be granted in lieu thereof."
This was as the cumulative total of confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa stood at 765 409, with 2 646 new cases identified since the previous day's report, according to Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize.
Premier Alan Winde said: "In the next week we will see a number of Black Friday sales, which have the potential to attract large crowds or become a super-spreader event unless carefully handled and managed.
"We know that many residents face extreme economic pressure at the moment, and the prospect of large savings is compelling. We also know that many retailers and businesses have had a tough year and will be looking to maximise their sales," said Winde.
"We therefore call on retailers to put in place measures that assist in managing crowds – either by extending the number of days that the discounts are available and trading hours, and by conducting sales online."
Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC David Maynier said: "To support retailers and other businesses, we will be meeting with major retailers and the property management companies for the major shopping centres this week to discuss risk management strategies, as well as the consequences of non-compliance of the Covid-19 safety measures.
"The engagement will include relevant law-enforcement agencies who will assist to manage Covid-19 safety compliance," said Maynier.
Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets spokesperson Angelique Wagner said: "Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets will offer early Black Friday deals and discounts of up to 50% on everyday essentials as customers are increasingly looking for value, given the pressure many households are under.
"In response to Covid-19, both Shoprite and Checkers supermarkets will for the first time offer early Black Friday deals and keep the deals valid for longer, to allow customers more time to plan and shop, and to prevent overcrowding."
Department of Health spokesperson Shimoney Regter said: "Gathering indoors in crowded places with poor ventilation where social distancing cannot be maintained can lead to rapid infection through super-spreader events. It is thus very important that we socialise safely."
Meanwhile, the South African e-commerce industry has experienced a massive boom in 2020 accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The spokesperson for e-tailer OneDayOnly.co.za, Matthew Leighton, said the firm had conducted a survey among 5 806 of their shoppers.
"According to the survey, around 62% of online shoppers are in the 25-44 year age bracket, which tells us that millennials and Gen Z are driving online spending. The majority (61%) of respondents said they shop online due to the convenience, while 15% believe online shopping provides a greater selection of items to choose from, and another 15% reckon things are generally cheaper online. Black Friday, which is just around the corner, is the biggest opportunity for the e-commerce industry to contribute towards economic reinvigoration," said Leighton.
The head of product and customer value proposition at African Bank, Neil Thompson, said: "It is an exciting time but also an opportunity for criminals to strike. Black Friday and Cyber Monday is the time of the year that phishing grounds are the most lucrative for cyber criminals. While retailers should go to great lengths to protect your data, as consumers it still remains your responsibility."
Consumers who will be at shopping centres during the sales should be vigilant. The spokesperson for security firm Fidelity Services Group, Charnel Hattingh, said: "Remain on guard at all times while shopping, be aware of who is around you and especially keep your children and valuables safe."
Western Cape GovernmentCovid-19Lockdown


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Russia summit: Dealing with the reality of a slow recovery
By Marcus Williams2017-07-11T15:51:00+01:00
Confidence is gradually returning to the Russian automotive market with sales and production showing definite signs of life after a tough period of retrenching and divestment. Sanctions remain but many at this year's Automotive Logistics Russia conference in Moscow felt that this was the time to invest in the market again, while also looking for new export opportunities
After four straight years of production and sales decline in Russia, the automotive sector is seeing some signs of recovery. That is good news for the automotive supply chain in the country, however, many challenges remain to do with the economy, the country's infrastructure, government policy and bureaucracy.
Manufacturers and logistics providers are starting to explore ways to work together to bring forward investments, including to avoid potential capacity constraints in some segments that could start to bite as early as this autumn. Meanwhile, companies across the automotive logistics sector are looking to the Russian government for support and clarity on a number of customs, regulatory and subsidy programmes. Without such dialogue and cooperation, it will be difficult for all companies to make the most of the recovery.
Production this year is expected to hit 1.4m units, according to figures from business analyst IHS Markit – a healthy increase on the 1.2m nadir seen in 2016.
Production is running at an average of between 30%-40% of capacity, according to separate figures from financial analyst, Gazprombank, though some more popular brands are back to 70% and over. Car production grew by more than 20% in the first five months of the year, though light vehicle sales are lagging slightly and are expected to end up at around 1.6m units this year, up around 400,000 compared to last year.
The recovery will be slower than expected because of reduced incomes and savings amongst the buying public and the previous high of around 3m light vehicle sales per year in Russia is now unlikely to be realised before the end of the next decade.
According to Kirill Nikoda, analyst at Gazprombank's Economic Forecasting Centre, buying a car is one of the most expensive things for a Russian citizen, while fuel costs and spare parts are also pretty near the top of the list. Regardless of the financial constraints on the majority of Russians at the moment, the population still spends a total of some 9 trillion roubles ($150 billion) on buying, maintaining, fuelling and insuring new and used passenger cars each year, he said. A the same time prices for new cars have slowed down to target levels of inflation, which is positive for consumers.It is also positive for the automotive logistics sector, which according to Nikoda, is currently worth 150 billion roubles.
Meanwhile, although the market for imported cars in Russia has dropped by 15% on last year, and continues to fall, there is a strong focus on Russian-built vehicles. Some manufacturers are even expanding or updating plants and supply footprint; Mercedes-Benz is building a new plant for passenger vehicles in the Moscow region, for example; Volkswagen Group and commercial and contract manufacturer Gaz Group have signed an engine supply and cooperation agreement.
Tatiana Hristova, manager of central and east European light vehicle forecast, at IHS Markit, said that the gradual recovery in the Russian automotive market would in part depend on convincing investors that had not left the country to stay. That challenge was complicated by the ongoing economic sanctions imposed by the US and EU, which look like they are going to stay in place longer than expected, she said. While not worsening the Russian economy, these sanctions are impeding financial liquidity and Russia is looking further afield for investors from China, India and the Middle East.
Slow the market recovery may be (at least in the passenger car sector), however a number of companies are hopeful for the future while others note that the downturn has forced them to adapt new more efficient processes, which now means they are more prepared for change.
According to Elizaveta Korshunova, head of outbound logistics and deputy director for planning and distribution at Gaz Group's commercial vehicles division, if major logistics providers understand that the market needs to be developed by any means and that they can work with OEMs to share investment in new assets, the industry should find a solution to any problem, no matter what happens. Korshunova pointed out that the commercial vehicle sector is recovering faster than the passenger car market.
Downsizing for the upturn
The downturn has led OEMs and logistics providers alike to restructure their businesses and that in turn has led to contraction and consolidation.
Gefco, majority owned by Russian Railways (though its stake may soon be reduced), has seen a lot change over the last four years, according to Kamil Mezynski, managing director of Gefco in Russia.
In 2013, 97% of Gefco's business in the country was related to inbound and outbound automotive, but the figure is now below 70%, as it has expanded in other industries such as heavy equipment, railway and the energy sector. The company has also reduced its assets and footprint in Russia.
"We have prepared for the new reality and have compressed assets," said Mezynski. "We had seven sites in 2008; now we only have two. And in the good times, Gefco had a fleet of 300 vehicle carriers; it is now significantly lower. We had to consolidate."
Gefco has also incorporated its former Algai offshoot back into the main business. This was set up to handle General Motors distribution but with the OEM pulling out of the country in 2015, the volumes were not there any more.
At the same time, however, Gefco, has been making investments – including in railcars to move vehicles as well as storage facilities, such as the one at Doskino, in Nizhny Novgorod.
"Now it is only Gefco and we are ready for the reality," said Mezynski. "We still believe Russia is one of the most interesting markets to be in."
Korshunova also pointed to consolidation efforts at Gaz, which is primarily a manufacturer of light commercial vehicles, while also carrying out contract manufacturing for brands including Volkswagen, Skoda and Daimler.
"We have similar [reductions] in the number of warehouses and [the use of] different space and internal processes; we are ready for any further changes. After all the experience gained from living through the crisis, we have established a platform for future development," she said.
Investment in capacity
While under-used plant capacity remains a real problem, the gradual return to growth is causing issues on the outbound side of the business after years of under-investment.
That constraint is not showing too dramatically at the moment but by autumn there could be some real problems.
Alberto Picco, director of sales at car transporter manufacturer Rolfo, said there had been no new carrier purchases in Russia since 2015 and the size of the fleet in the country currently stood at around 3,000. Of that, 1,800 were 4-9 years old and in reasonable condition but the rest were not: around 600 were 10 years old or more while the other 600 were in poor technical condition and close to being scrapped.
"The companies are trying to keep them alive but they are tired assets," said Picco, suggesting that the sector would need 400-500 additional rigs by September and October this year to get cars from the factories to the dealers.
Elena Lukanova, president of vehicle carrier Adampol – which owns the Vectura car carrier brand in Russia – concurred and said that of the 3,000 car carriers running in Russia, there were only 2,200 in good working condition.
Elena Divakova, head of the logistics department at Mercedes-Benz in Russia, said everyone was worried by the deficit issue on good quality vehicle carrying equipment, because very few expected companies to be able to buy new stock at the high prices demanded. Even repairs to existing stock was seen as a heavy burden, she added.
"Nevertheless, I am obliged to call on you all to invest now, because it is the proper step now and will be really appreciated by the manufacturers," said Divakova, going on to suggest that such investment would be an investment in the future.
Mercedes-Benz dealers had received multiple complaints from customers about damage caused by rusting and out-of-date car transporters in the delivery of their new cars, Divakova said, adding that unfortunately, that was just what the market was now offering through the tender process.
"The market is king in Russia and has the final say. What you [put forward] is what we have to work with," she commented.
This is something both OEMs and the logistics providers need to think about, according to Picco.
"Vehicle transport is not a simple commodity," he said. "It is highly specialised and the equipment requires large investment." At the same time, however, he recognised that logistics providers were more exposed to economic cycles and the high volatility of the vehicle sector.
"The number of LSPs in Russia has decreased dramatically and just a few large ones remain that are able to renew their fleets," he noted.
Russia is a country where the market decides everything, said Mezynski of Gefco, and the market needs to adjust before further investment can take place.
"We have carried out a simple calculation on renewing the vehicle carrier fleet and the prices on the market have to be at the level of 80 roubles per kilometre," he said. "At the moment they are a bit lower than 60 roubles/km, so the market has to shift for companies to be able to invest."
Lukanova said that while it was true that the market dictated terms and conditions, that same market was underpaying Adampol by 15% and customers would have to support the investment in fleets to avoid the deficit. She called into question any transport provider that could undercut Adampol's rates on a long-term basis.
Logistics providers were also challenged by the changes to the vehicles they were expected to carry, said Picco. Fleet renewal in Russia is being affected by greater demands on performance, quality and safety, driven by what Picco identified as certain 'megatrends' including the general widening of vehicles thanks to more SUV and crossover models, and the rise in hybrid and electric vehicles, which typically adds 300-500kg to the weight of a vehicle, compared to a conventional one, because of heavier batteries.
Asked whether the bigger car carrying rigs seen in Europe could be an answer, Picco said the configuration of so-called 'megatrucks' meant that, despite being double the price of a conventional car carrying trailer, it was still only possible to load one or two extra cars at best.
That saving was good enough in the current economic situation for Gaz's Korshunova, as long as quality could be maintained in loading and transit.
Two major problems that typify logistics in Russia are sudden fluctuations in demand and the massive distances that have to be covered. Investment, whether shared or not, to deal with these factors is often difficult because of a third factor identified by Rico Lange, logistics lead at parts maker Robert Bosch Automotive Steering: investment signals can be misleading.
One of the things Bosch is doing to cope with short notice demands across big distances is to increase plant flexibility across its global production network.
"The idea is: 'ok we want to deliver all the products fast at the same price'," he said. "So all the plants need to be able to make the parts we make." This approach is being rolled out in Russia as well as Brazil, China and India, among other countries.
The company is also forging greater communication between sales and logistics with a view to better demand planning. Lange explained that Bosch was aligning the logistics view based on the planners' experience with sales data that included communication with OEMs on a number of levels. The company made sales worth €1 billion in Russia last year ($1.14 billion, or 69.6 billion roubles).
Realistic innovations
Juergen Oleson, now managing partner at business consultant Boxcom but a Mazda veteran of 17 years, pointed out that there was a large amount of subsidy in Russia being channelled into rail and asked whether OEMs would look at pushing that instead into investment in road carrying equipment.
Oleson did not get a straight answer to this but his question did prompt a wider discussion about multimodal investment more generally because, as Mezynski reminded delegates, last-mile delivery still had to be carried out by road.
It also led to the question of whether trucks no longer used elsewhere might be moved to Russia. For example, Ekaterina Tomilovskaya, deputy head of service parts logistics at Renault Group in Russia, in particular, was keen to know whether the promise of autonomous cars moving themselves from compound to dealer by 2025 would free up trucks that could then be moved to Russia.
Elena Divakova, at Mercedes-Benz, shot the whole prospect of self-delivering cars down, however. While Mercedes-Benz has experimented with using autonomous driving features to move vehicles from assembly to loading areas at plants, she suggested that customers would not want excessive mileage being put on new cars before they had had a chance to drive them.
Instead, the OEMs and LSPs at the event pointed to more realistic innovations, such as those at ports. Lukanova highlighted Adampol's development of services at the Polish port of Gdansk, for instance, based on contracts signed earlier this year with Hyundai and Nissan. This, she said, had solved a bottleneck affecting big volumes sent via Bremerhaven.
Self-sufficient in Russia
Despite the need for investment in car carriers, Lukanova told foreign companies not to feel obliged to invest in fleets for domestic distribution in Russia; if they didn't invest, domestic companies themselves would do so to meet the needs of the market. Lukanova considers Adampol – majority owned by Hyundai Glovis – as a 'local' company in Russia thanks to its Vectura operations.
"If you do not want to invest in Russia, don't do it," she said. "We will cope ourselves."
Although subsidies exist to support logistics and transport providers, Lukanova said LSPs may not need these if they could find the money for investment by making their operations more efficient, for example by moving to paperless documentation (as Daimler had done).
Dialogue with manufacturers could also help with investment, said Lukanova, pointing to a joint investment Vectura had made with Ford Sollers in Russia as part of a five-year contract for transport of Ford vehicles made in the country.
"We have started investing in new fleet assets and we are not going to stop," said Lukanova. "It means we'll be a real transport company that will deliver the vehicles the OEMs have made on road, not rail – even if the roads are not of the best quality."
Exporting is an uphill struggle
The export of parts and vehicles from Russia is a complicated picture of opportunity and constraint for domestic producers looking to bolster sales in these difficult times. On the outbound side, Russia only exported 70,000 vehicles last year and was ranked just 34th as a global exporter by IHS Markit. That export figure is only expected to reach 75,000 this year. Normally, annual exports come to around 100,000 but the norm was dented by the loss of export trade to Ukraine, which fell 57% in 2015 to just 1,800 because of geopolitical tensions and has yet to recover.
Exports to neighbouring countries have also been hit, since Kazakhstan imposed its own utilisation fee against Russian-made imports last year. The fee ostensibly covers end-of-life recycling charges on foreign imported vehicles. That has affected export sales for carmakers based in Russia. Avtovaz, for instance, is now looking to export Lada 4x4s to China as a compensatory move. Chief executive Nicholas Maure recently said the company had revised down its export forecast because of the fee.
More generally, Russian brands are not popular abroad, added Tatiana Hristova, with consumer expectations on quality issues a sticking point. There is an extremely high level of saturation and competition in export markets, especially in Europe but also in North America, Australia and South Asia.
However, there have been notable savings in production costs because of Russia's currency depreciation and that has meant a cost advantage for those making vehicles for export in Russia (although recovery in the rouble this year has eroded some of those savings).
IHS Markit's Relative Production Advantage (RPA) index is based on an evaluation of the advantages of making cars in Russia compared to western Europe. It includes such factors as the depreciation of the rouble, the evolution of salaries in Russia, the share of manual labour in the final product and energy resources. The index shows that during the latest economic crisis, the cost-saving of making in a vehicle in Russia increased to a high of €350 per vehicle around mid-2015. Savings will continue over the next four years but Hristova said that by 2021, that effect would have disappeared.
"The main idea here is that we have to deal with exports now and actively invest in this, because there will soon be no advantage from a cost point of view," she said.
The Russian government has also been encouraging exports, including a recent programme to subside some conversion and logistics costs for vehicle exports, as well as some initiatives for parts suppliers (see below).
Planning ahead to improve logistics links and make the most of a widespread locally assembled product portfolio promises benefits from increased export trade, she said. Moving further ahead, former CIS states are expected to buy big from production in Russia and an optimistic scenario from Hristova's IHS data showed a 24% increase in exports from local production thanks to new vehicle export trade to the Middle East, South America and Africa, in particular.
She said historical contacts, as well as similar consumer preferences, made Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia high interest markets, as well as countries in the Sub-Saharan region.
"In South America we recommend paying special attention not to biggest markets in the region, but more to Chile, Peru and Ecuador," added Hristova.
Parts exports to stay alive
For parts makers, by comparison, there have been some notable successes in terms of exports thanks to the weakened rouble.
For Skad, which supplies cast wheels, for example, an export strategy has helped ensure survival and led to permanent, long-term business. Skad opened up links to Europe in 2014 when it started supplying to Ford in Germany, following a production deficit at its established suppliers.
Alexander Golovanets, Skad's deputy director of OEM cooperation and new projects, explained that from supplying technical support at a time of need, Skad established long-term contracts for a more comprehensive service, including the establishment of a regional warehouse in Germany and a customs contract for logistics. "Exports enabled us to live through two tough years," he said.
Golovanets said the company moved cargo to a bonded warehouse and then distributed it over several months, based on the orders from Ford.
"The contract took a lot of time for us but we turned from the remotest to the nearest supplier, able to supply quickly when needed," he said.
He added that the company's logistics had had to go through several stages of adjustment, including establishing a buffer warehouse in Moscow because there were more transport services going between Moscow and Europe than to its Divnogorsk facility in Siberia.
"The delivery to the warehouse in Moscow was in roubles, not euros, and this made it cheaper and saved costs," said Golovanets. Skad also saved time by moving to a temporary customs declaration. "Back in 2014 we spent 24 hours on one declaration because the truck had to take paper to the customs location 100km away; but now, we can do it in an hour."
Compensation for high tech exports
Following the difficulties that many companies had moving goods between Russia and Europe when Poland's conflict with Russia over freight permit quotas flared up – a situation further complicated by troubles in Ukraine – Skad started to track and trace every truck moving to Germany from Russia.
Golovanets said it was a precarious situation but following a decree from the Russian government (decree 4096) suppliers were eventually able to apply for compensation on costs incurred for exports abroad, amounting to €3-4 per delivery. "That reduces [costs] and means we are more able to supply more efficiently," he said.
Ksenia Sizova, an associate at global law firm DLA Piper, had more to say about compensation for automotive manufacturers shipping abroad. She highlighted that from this year, those making high-tech parts could get reimbursed for up to 80% of their transport costs via the Russian Export Center, part of Vnesheconombank and mandated by the Russian government to give financial (and non-financial) support for exporters.
To qualify for the maximum 80%, a company must have an agreement drawn up to fully assemble products in Russia and conform with the 'made-in-Russia' status. However, she said, given that it was drawn from an allocated budget, it was very much a 'first-come, first-served' basis.
Thinking of the applications for vehicle production, Renault-Nissan's manager of Alliance Logistics Russia outbound engineering, Dmitry Panshin, called for longer forecasts of such benefits from the government, suggesting that without them, any manufacturer wanting to plan for new export models was stuck in a vicious circle.
Panshin said that for foreign OEMs with production plants in Russia, localisation of new models was very important. The decision to do so, however, was made with a four or five year planning horizon. That decision-making included accounting for the logistics costs of final exports.
"Taking into account that the government proposes to compensate some of this cost, which we plan to use in the future, we want to include it in our calculations to show our parent company there are better conditions, and so encourage new models to the plants [in Russia]," he continued.
Currently, said Panshin, government forecasts only went to 2019 with no indication of what would happen after that, something that scuppered the guarantees Renault-Nissan needed to plan and take advantage of the subsidies on offer.
"We would like to hear more words from this sector addressed to the government so they can give us the future in terms of subsidies for a minimum five-year forecast," said Panshin. "This will help a lot in terms of placement of models at Russian plants that may be exported."
Sizova said it was very much about uniting as a sector to deliver the message as currently, the scope of the budget did not cover a 10-year period. "The Russian Export Center does not make this decision," she said. "You have to collect and address the government together."
Nevertheless, there was no doubt that the export of high-tech goods was important for the Russian economy: between 2006 and 2016, it was worth $9 billion. Export volumes are increasing in this sector and Sizova said subsidies to support that increase would be trebled in 2020. While finite, those subsidies will amount to 12 billion roubles over the next two years.
Customs hurdles
Russian logistics providers have been dealing with a number of other problems affecting the movement of goods, including a continued lack of clarity on customs procedures related to utility tax payments, EAC labelling for the movements of goods in the Euasian Customs Union, EAEU certificates and electronic passports.
Alexander Kovalenko, national customs manager at Gefco, outlined some the most recent challenges facing the automotive industry from a customs perspective over the last two years.
Tax legislation on the movement of construction equipment, for example, states that it should be paid according to the maximum weight but according to Kovalenko, there was confusion over the definitive calculation of that weight.
The construction equipment makers Gefco deals with used to provide guarantee letters that satisfied customs on the issue, but at the beginning of 2016 that calculation changed significantly, he said. Central excise customs finally implemented it another way (now under RF Government Decree #81), declaring the calculation to be based on the maximum weight of the equipment plus the maximal loading capacity.
"That increases the payment significantly," said Kovalenko. "At present, the utility tax payment is implemented through all the customs authorities and unfortunately the fiscal payments on top have increased significantly for the importers of the equipment."
EAC labelling, which started in 2014, certifies products moving in the Customs Union (made up of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan). However, it too has been made problematic by the obscurity of customs and standards legislation.
Customs states that EAC labelling has to be implemented before the goods enter the Russian market. However, it is not clearly stated where the customs clearance and import procedure should take place and for some time products have been sold to customers before the labelling has been applied. The north-west customs administration in St Petersburg is now penalising companies that have no EAC labelling at the point of entry and blocking those imports.
Most recently, a lack of clarity on the introduction of 'electronic passports', which were brought in this month, has also left users in the dark.
For Russian-made vehicles or those imported from abroad, the system means owners should no longer have their transport documents issued on paper. Confirmation on vehicle transit and ownership is sent by state register electronically, and the system also allows insurers to check the history of the car.
The cost of an electronic passport is now anything between 250-600 roubles, however, and that fee can be charged every time a car is registered, which can be anything up to three times in the delivery process.
According to Kovolenko, the system is not fully covered by Russian legislation. "For the time being, when you clear a vehicle through customs you will receive a document that is an official customs declaration and a transport passport that allows you to move and sell the vehicle," he said.
Hedging the bets
This year's conference certainly made clear that carmakers, suppliers and logistics providers have weathered the downturn in Russia using a variety of approaches, including retrenching, consolidation, seeking out new export markets and exploiting the subsidies offered by the Russian government as it works in conjunction with the private sector.
A number of them have also looked to other sectors outside automotive, with a poll at the conference indicating that more than 70% of companies had found new business by doing so and a third of the LSPs present revealing that they saw that as the main opportunity for growth going forward.
For now, however, the focus remains very much on cooperation on investment, with more than 80% of delegates committed to either maintaining or increasing this and a majority aiming to do so in the domestic market. That looks like a safe bet with consumers who have saved during the credit crunch now ready to spend with greater confidence based on more stable planning.
Videos from all conference sessions can be viewed here.
Automotive Logistics Russia is part of the global Automotive Logistics series of conferences
The next conference is Finished Vehicle Logistics Import Export on August 9th at the Marriott Camden Yards in Baltimore
Equipment makers
Govt policy/regulation
Integrated LSPs
Shipping - vehicles
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VW Group Components supply network supports ID.3 assembly
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Seat begins drone deliveries to assembly lines at Martorell plant
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Floating Above London, This Invisible Pool Lets You Swim Laps In The Sky
The Embassy Gardens' sky pool is made of aquarium glass to look like an overpass of water that stretches between two towers.
By John Brownlee 1 minute Read
Infinity pools are lame. Sky pools that stretch between buildings like transparent overpasses of water? Infinitely cooler.
The developers at the Embassy Gardens, a new luxury apartment complex opening in London, have just announced what they claim is the world's first sky pool. It's 82 feet long, and its killer feature is that it stretches between the complex's two towers, allowing residents to swim between the rooftop bar, spa, and orangery. Meanwhile, pedestrians below will actually be able to look up through the bottom of the pool to see people swimming above them.
"My vision for the sky pool stemmed from a desire to push the boundaries in the capability of construction and engineering. I wanted to do something that had never been done before," Sean Mulryan, chairman and CEO of the Ballymore Group, the project's developers, told the Verge. "The experience of the pool will be truly unique, it will feel like floating through the air in central London."
To make a sky pool like this, some resilient engineering is needed. The sky pool was created with the help of aquarium designers. The sky pool is around 10 feet deep, about four feet of which is made up of swimmable water. The water is held in the air by 8-inch thick aquarium glass.
Living in a building with a sky pool won't come cheap. Embassy Gardens is part of a $23 billion development project for in south-east London which has been highly criticized for turning the city's Battersea district into a "mini Manhattan" for wealthy foreigners from Asia and the Middle East. Consequently, if you want to move into the Embassy Gardens, it'll cost you: apartments in the complex start at around $950,000.
If you've got a cool million burning a hole in your pocket and an itching desire to do laps in the sky, you can learn more about Embassy Gardens here. If you get in, maybe get me a day pass, huh?
John Brownlee is a design writer who lives in Somerville, Massachusetts. You can email him at john.brownlee+fastco@gmail.com.
3 reasons why people don't take your advice


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Industry anticipates tourism in Goa
The tourism players from Goa pin their hope on the festival season for tourists
Himadri Dobhal
The festive season has been augured as the harbinger of some impetus to the tourism sector. The stakeholders all over continue to accentuate the importance of the season. And the tourism players from Goa pin their hope along the similar lines. Akash Gaonkar, travel agent from Goa said that the crowd is building up eventually. However, the weather condition right now has also inducted a minor hiatus to the inflow. A considerable proportion is being registered from Bengaluru and it is expected to fare decently around the Dussehra and Diwali as well. Although, the peak could be registered around the similar time until last year but the pattern is definitely going to vary this time.
Speaking of the current state of tourism, president for Travel and Tourism Association Goa, Nilesh Shah said that the percentage of the registered hotels that Goa tourism supports reached around 3,870 out of which almost 770 have been granted the permission to commence their services, technically only 20% remains functional. Gradually, the aviation services have also restarted and currently employs more than 20 flights into operation. The month of August observed only 4-5% bookings, around 15% for the month of September and it is definitely going to be better for the month of October, he added. "Prospect wise the pooja, navaratri holidays are round the corner and Diwali too is not very far. Moreover, if the trend of the overall cases further witnesses some decline, it may induce more holiday planning," he said. Stating ahead Nilesh Shah underlined the need for survival as the tourism activity picks up and the inability to return to a stage as had been delivered earlier, until a vaccine was discovered.
On Goa tourism Policy
According to the reports, the recently approved Goa tourism policy by the government of Goa consists of forming a new "tourism board" for governing all the tourism related activities. Broadly, it may imply towards a coequal participation by the industry stakeholders and the government but all is lost to the bureaucratic dominance, and the purpose of involving the stakeholders for better working lay inconsequential, said Nilesh Shah.
Interpreting the tourism turn out, another travel agent from Goa, Ropesh Mehani says that people have, it seems like, forgotten the existence of the pandemic. The tourists are approaching and it will continue to be so but there is clearly a lack of rhythm between the state and its policy. Moreover, no assured stance comes forward as far as refund from the airlines is concerned. "However, the budget level street tourism is what will formulate and there is still time until the big players restarted to gain any considerable share out of it," he added.
The pandemic plagues the world, and nothing certain or definite can be formulated. The services now aim little at the business prospect but serve more due the survival instinct and the necessity.
travel and tourism association goa
Tourism policy


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


"Start-up Guide: Benefits Plans In The Co-Employment World Of PEOs"
Among the many value-added benefits PEOs offer to their clients are retirement plans and health and welfare plans. If you have worked at other employers in the past, you have no doubt participated in such plans, but working in the PEO context creates a new twist on such programs.
The 401(k) plan is a key component of a PEO's service package. However, the 401(k) plan offered by a PEO is different from other 401(k) plans because the co-employer relationship creates unique issues. For many years, the IRS did not know quite how to deal with such plans. Was the 401(k) one big plan sponsored by the PEO covering all the co-employees from all the co-employers? Or, was it a collection of individual plans sponsored by the individual co-employers and only sharing a document and investments?
Click here to read the entire article in the PEO Insider Issue.


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NHL Rumors: Pietrangelo, Hall, Holtby, More
By Kyle Gipe October 3rd, 2019
In today's NHL Rumors rundown, we look at some of the rumors brought up in Elliotte Friedman's latest 31 Thoughts post, including Taylor Hall's potential contract extension and what the Washington Capitals plan to do with Nicklas Backstrom and Braden Holtby.
Related: NHL Rumors: Ristolainen, Turris, Kreider, More
Can the Blues Re-Sign Pietrangelo?
In Tuesday's 31 Thoughts, Friedman provided information on a number of notable topics. One of the biggest names included in the post is St. Louis Blues captain and top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, an unrestricted free agent at season's end.
Jay Bouwmeester #19 and Alex Pietrangelo #27 of the St. Louis Blues celebrate after winning the Stanley Cup. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
As I've discussed in previous Rumors posts, it'd be hard to believe that the team and player don't come to an agreement before free agency starts. According to Friedman, this couldn't be more true. He cites an executive who believes that a Pietrangelo extension is a foregone conclusion unless either side doesn't want it to happen.
It is hard to believe things won't work out between St. Louis and Alex Pietrangelo, unless, for whatever reason, one side doesn't want to make it work.
Plus, with the Blues in Toronto to face the Maple Leafs early in the season, general manager Doug Armstrong will have the opportunity to meet with Pietrangelo's agent. Granted, the league may be moving in a younger direction, and extending a 30-year-old Pietrangelo to an extension may be risky, but he is a vital part of the team and was key to the Blues winning the franchise's first Stanley Cup in 2019. Acquiring Justin Faulk shouldn't be viewed as an omen that the team is looking to move on from Pietrangelo either, just a protection against potentially losing him.
Will the Islanders Trade Ho-Sang?
Since the New York Islanders drafted him 28th overall in 2014, Josh Ho-Sang has failed to develop into a regular NHLer. In three seasons, he's appeared in 53 NHL games with 24 points. The Islanders have had four head coaches and two front office regimes in Ho-Sang's tenure and he's failed to stick through it all. Friedman quoted GM Lou Lamoriello to speculate that the Islanders may be looking to move on from the player:
He came in and did everything that you could ask of a player to try and win a spot. In my opinion, he was given every opportunity and it just did not work out.
Lou Lamoriello
If the Islanders feel that they provided Ho-Sang with every chance to make the NHL roster this season and he still didn't cut it, perhaps there is reason to believe a trade may be coming. The question is, which team will have interest in him? He was recently placed on waivers and went unclaimed, so a team parting with assets to acquire him seems difficult to believe.
Josh Ho-Sang, New York Islanders, September 17, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
That being said, Ho-Sang is still only 23 and is talented, so perhaps a new setting will help him reach his potential. According to Friedman, one possible landing spot is the Edmonton Oilers as he and Connor McDavid had chemistry as teammates with the Toronto Marlboros in 2011-12. Whether that chemistry, now eight years ago, is still present remains to be seen.
Are the Oilers Receiving Interest in Puljujarvi?
Speaking of the Oilers, Friedman reports that, according to Oilers GM Ken Holland, there hasn't been noise regarding restricted free agent Jesse Puljujarvi. He remains unsigned after he requested a trade out of Edmonton and is currently playing in his native Finland with Karpat where he has six points in seven games.
Related: Two Trade Fits for Jesse Puljujarvi
The 2016 fourth-overall pick was disgruntled with his lack of playing time and has no interest in remaining an Oiler. Although there was reportedly traction regarding a Puljujarvi trade this summer, those discussions have simmered as Holland is hoping that Puljujarvi's trade value increases with his play in Finland. It should be noted that in order for him to play in the NHL this season, he must be signed before the Dec. 1 deadline.
How Does Kuemper Contract Impact Coyotes' Goaltending?
The Arizona Coyotes acquired Antti Raanta in June 2017 to be their starting netminder. They believed in him enough to sign him to a contract that has a $4.25-million cap hit and expires after the 2020-21 season. He has been excellent in his Coyotes tenure, with a .925 save percentage (SV%), 2.37 goals-against average (GAA), and 3 shutouts in 58 starts across two seasons. His only problem has been injuries that kept him to just 12 appearances last season. In his absence, Darcy Kuemper has been incredible, with a .921 SV%, 2.46 GAA, and 6 shutouts in 65 starts in parts of two seasons with the Coyotes.
Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports)
Kuemper was so good last season that he finished fifth in Vezina Trophy voting and the Coyotes like him enough that they recently gave him a two-year contract extension worth $4.5 million per year. That duo, plus prospect Adin Hill and recent waiver claim Eric Comrie, give the Coyotes an excess of goaltending talent, something Friedman believes the team could use to their advantage.
Related: THW's Goalie News: Kuemper, Fact or Fiction, History
With the Coyotes pushing for a playoff spot this season, could GM John Chayka, who's never afraid to make a trade, use his surplus of netminders to add talent elsewhere on the roster? A lot of that will depend on Raanta's health as he missed the preseason with injury. If Raanta doesn't appear 100 percent healthy, it's likely the Coyotes hold onto their goalies.
Taylor Hall to Negotiate Mid-Season?
According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, New Jersey Devils winger Taylor Hall has given his agent, Dan Ferris, the go-ahead to work on a contract extension mid-season. Appearing on TSN 1050's OverDrive program, McKenzie stated that he believes Hall has interest in re-signing with the Devils and likes the direction the team has taken by drafting Jack Hughes and acquiring P.K. Subban this offseason.
Taylor Hall #9, New Jersey Devils, October 20, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
After mixed reports got out last week regarding the progress made in recent discussions, news that Hall wants to negotiate an extension during the season is great news for the Devils and their fans. Hall has one year remaining on his contract at a $6-million cap hit. The 2018 Hart Trophy winner as league MVP has 511 points in 562 career games, including 183 points in 181 games with the Devils.
Can Capitals Re-Sign Both Backstrom and Holtby?
Although the Washington Capitals are still in their Stanley Cup window, it's obvious that the roster is aging and that an era could be coming to its conclusion. According to The Washington Post's Samantha Pell, Capitals GM Brian MacLellan has every intention of keeping the team's core together by re-signing center Nicklas Backstrom and goaltender Braden Holtby, both free agents at season's end.
I am not ruling anything out. I mean, obviously it will be tough to do, especially if they both have good years. It is going to be hard to do, but I wouldn't rule it out.
Brian MacLellan (from 'With Nicklas Backstrom and Braden Holtby in contract years, Capitals could be facing an era's end,' The Washington Post, 10/01/2019)
Backstrom and Holtby both played key roles in helping the Capitals capture the 2018 Stanley Cup and losing either would be a tough pill to swallow. Backstrom is in the last year of a 10-year, $67-million contract, while Holtby is in the final year of his five-year, $30.5-million deal he signed in 2015. Given the cost of top-tier netminders, including Sergei Bobrovsky's seven-year, $70-million contract he signed this offseason, it may be difficult to retain Holtby unless he takes a significant hometown discount. Plus, with Ilya Samsonov the likely heir apparent to the Capitals net, retaining a 30-year-old netminder may not be in the team's best interest. Furthermore, with just over $17.1 million in cap space for next season, extending both Backstrom and Holtby will be a very tight squeeze.
Alex Pietrangelo
Josh Ho-Sang


South by Southwest Interactive 2015 was one for the books. Keynotes were given, start-ups were buzzed about (Meerkat for the win), lines were waited in (we're looking at you, MashBash), and SXSW staff members sported Levi's Trucker Jackets with pride.
Our favorite sound bites: You may have your impressions about what fashion designers are like. We think of designers as making these "things." It's time to reimagine what it means to be a designer. So, instead of saying, "I'm a designer and I design jeans" the narrative will be "I'm a designer and I design 33.4 kg of carbon dioxide." Or "I'm a designer and I designed 3,781 liters of water consumption." This way of thinking shines a light on designers' opportunity to change the world and puts the onus on the designer to consider that when they design products.
Read more about Paul's talk on Huffington Post.
Retail Tech: What Does the Future Have In Store?
Our favorite sound bites: Men and women shop differently, so it's important to know whom you're targeting with your new tools. Oftentimes guys are looking for replenishment — an in-and-out solution — whereas women want to have more of an experience and engage with the brand. We need to account for both because women are often shopping for men, too. It's all about knowing what they want and being able to provide that experience, whatever it may be.
Our favorite sound bites: The Pioneers in Justice program feels like innovation on steroids. We saw the opportunity to look to new tools of the day (social media) and new forms of collaboration with unlikely bedfellows. By making big bets we can make history. It's about making failure count and taking a bias toward action.


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Q: Internet explorer not displaying page properly! Okay. I bought a website template a few weeks back. It worked perfectly on all browsers.
I use Flock (based on Chromium) all the time.
And just now, my friend informed me that when viewing my site on Internet Explorer, everything is displayed to the left of the browser window.
He also viewed my site yesterday. And yesterday it worked perfectly for him, with the same browser. But the thing is, I haven't change any styles, or anything else on this particular page.
And what's more weird is that it only affects one page (the home page).
I would greatly appreciate it if any one could find the time to check it out and post back saying if it displays correctly or not, and to lead me off in the right direction so I can fix it?
Thank you
Edit:
I have tried the following:
I've gone over the stylesheet code to make sure I didn't screw it up somewhere.
I've since restored the original stylesheet file (and has not helped.)
The whole site still displays perfectly on every browser OTHER THAN IE.

A: 1) Set 'text-align: center' to <body>
2) Limit #main width to your page width (1000px)
3) Set 'margin: 0 auto' and 'text-align: left' to #main
With this, your page should be centered in all browsers.

A:
He also viewed my site yesterday. And yesterday it worked perfectly for him, with the same browser. But the thing is, I haven't change any styles, or anything else on this particular page.

That seems strange!  It works fine on Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Chrome on the Mac.
I assume that this code (in the body) is not part of the template?
<style>
    div#commentForm
    {
        margin: 0px 20px 0px 20px;
        display: none;
    }
</style>

Doesn't look like it could cause the alignment to change though.

A: Okay, I've still been having the same problem. So, after experimenting a little, here's what I figured out:
I recently read a tutorial on PHP. It said that when using $_REQUEST, I need to place the PHP <?php //... ?> code ABOVE everything on the PHP/HTML page, like this:
<?php // php code here .. ?>
<html>
... page content here
</html>
... As it turns out, having the PHP code above the standard HTML Declaration causes the page's content to align to the far-left of the page. Strange. And it only happens in Internet Explorer (AFAIK). It doesn't seem to happen in Flock, Chrome, Safari, or Opera.
Anyway, after placing the PHP code inside the <head> section, which I always thought was the right way, the page is now properly aligned, in every browser.
Thanks to all of you who tought me a few things about CSS that I didn't already know, and for helping me sort this out. Your help was much appreciated. :-)
Jason


Medical research has shown that re-heating some foods can turn them into dangerous foods for health, especially if they are cooked or stored incorrectly beforehand.
We show examples of foods that should not be reheated, as they may cause poisoning when heated or stored incorrectly.
Heat Nitrates in these vegetables can be turned into toxic substances, making them carcinogenic when they are heated for the second time, so it is best not to prepare a large amount of them to reheat them again.
In general, it is preferable to eat fresh mushrooms as soon as it is used in food, as re-heating affects the proteins that contain them and may cause stomach pain.
Reheating this protein, whether boiled or fried, turns it into rotten food and may be poisonous, and can hurt your digestive system.
If you leave the potatoes to cool as soon as they are cooked and then reheated, this promotes the growth of harmful substances and some toxic bacteria. So it is best to cool them slowly after cooking or frying, this will reduce the damage when reheated.
Non-cooked rice can contain bacteria that can cause food poisoning. When the rice is cooked and left to cool at room temperature, bacteria multiply and may produce toxins that cause vomiting or diarrhea. Therefore, prefer to prepare rice on your daily meal so you do not have to store it and reheat it.
The chicken protein changes when the chilled chicken is heated for a second time, which can cause gastrointestinal problems. So if you prefer to heat the meat make sure it is completely cooked.


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Home » President of National Association of Wheat Growers resigns
President of National Association of Wheat Growers resigns
David Schemm
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S. — The National Association of Wheat Growers on Oct. 30 announced that David Schemm, president, has resigned to pursue other professional opportunities in Kansas. Schemm is a farmer in Sharon Springs, Kansas, U.S. Gordon Stoner, a past president of NAWG and Montana farmer, will assume the duties and role of president until the next officer election in 2018.
Schemm, a third-generation wheat farmer, was elected president in March.
"During his time as president of NAWG, David helped move the wheat industry forward, grew its presence on Capitol Hill and improved its relationship with the media and other farm organizations," said Chandler Goule, chief executive officer of NAWG. "As president, Schemm wanted to ensure voices from all wheat farmers were heard. So he made monthly visits to wheat states to get a better understanding of what is and isn't working for growers."
Companies Associations/Agencies NAWG
Wheat growers applaud committee passage of 2012 Farm Bill
Jaap Oskam elected president of soy association
Wheat growers elect new president
Grain Growers calls for audit of Wheat Export Australia
Wheat promoted to president of 4B Components
International Association of Operative Millers Conference & Expo


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Archive | Action RSS for this section
in Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Trailer
Well, well, well, look who's come out to play. About time they showed something. Had no pictures, no footage, not even any official concept art. If I wasn't such a massive nerd I wouldn't even know this was coming out. Anyway it's here now so let's review. The film is definitely a far more serious affair than its predecessor, that can't be a bad thing. The first half of this trailer is Interstellar, shockingly so. The cast looks good, visuals look okay but too little footage to really judge. Hated that voice over! So generic, could have been for anything. Enjoy the review and please tell me your initial reactions to this new trailer, more so if you disagree.
in Action, Drama, Thriller, Trailer
John Wick won't be winning any awards anytime soon but it is a lot fun in 100 mins. Should be on DVD in most places so check it out. Kick ass action. Good visuals. And Keanu Reeves does a lot and says very little, just how I like him. Keep it up Keanu.
I'll go into more detail below but give it a try, got trailers and images below. Check it all out and give me a like and a comment at the end.
in Action, Thriller, Worst of Film
First review of 2015!!! Tak3n haha that title. Ah January a time of year where good films do not tread. Taken 3 is awful. It's really, really bad. Serious stinking mass of crap. These films have taken (ah!) a real dive since the first. Taken 1 great. Taken 2 alright but ludicrous. Taken 3 is lazy garbage, there is no excuse.
I'll go into more detail below, got trailers and images below. Check it all out and give me a like and a comment at the end.
This was fun, I really like watching Wes Anderson films because they take you to another world. He does that with all his films. The Grand Budapest Hotel should be out on DVD and VOD at the moment, it's a fantastically quirky story about the hotels devoted concierge and his young apprentice lobby boy. The film is really fun and the all-star cast is stellar especially Ralph Fiennes, well done that man.
in Action, Comedy, Drama, Predictions, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Trailer
FIRST TRAILER REVIEW OF 2015! I wasn't really into the first trailer because it seemed to show pretty generic stuff for a first trailer and am a bit sore from Elysium (So disappointing) so I didn't review it. Also no time. This I liked though, the idea of AI is fascinating and it's always a good sci fi concept. The idea of replacing police with robots is giving me very vivid RoboCop flash backs. But I'll wait and see. Enjoy the review and please tell me your initial reactions to this new trailer, more so if you disagree.
"I am consciousness. I am alive. I am Chappie"
in Action, Best of Films, Comedy, Drama, Thriller, Trailer
The Guest (2014) Mini Review
Here comes my mini review, much easier doing these. The Guest is currently out on VOD, it's a really good 80's thriller film but was made this year, and I love it. Adam Wingard the director of this film is definitely on a roll. I am two for two on his films. You're Next and now this little gem. I will be looking out for your future films.
in Action, Best of Films, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Predictions, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Trailer
This is my list of the most anticipated films released in the year 2015, wow this year, crept up quick. I have a skewed view towards the genres of Sci-fi and Action, so don't expect indie or drama, I will watch them but at the moment I just don't care. If you notice any films that you want to see more than anything then this could mean one of two things, either I disagree or I simply forgot it was coming out. If so I would love to know if I am missing any. Also there will be a box office prediction for each film; you guys know how much I like predictions. Upcoming reviews are all 2014 film, first The Guest then The Interview, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Nightcrawler and The Babadook. Also still need to see The Hobbit Battle of The Five Armies and Hunger Games Mocking Jay Part 1.
Boy those last few months are shameful 😦
The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 80,000 times in 2014. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 3 days for that many people to see it.


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UK's Johnson says no reason to change Covid-19 unlocking plans
Coronavirus chronicle
27 March, 2021, 06:05 pm
Last modified: 27 March, 2021, 06:15 pm
Covid-19: What will it take to vaccinate the world?
Covid-19: Is it time to upgrade from cloth and surgical masks to respirators?
Decision on schools today
Govt to increase OMS as Covid situation worsens
2 divisional, 5 deputy commissioners test Covid positive
Johnson said he looked forward to getting his hair cut and having a pint of beer in the garden of a pub
People walk along London Bridge following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), in London, Britain May 11, 2020. REUTERS/Simon Dawson
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday said he saw nothing in the Covid-19 data to change his plans for a piecemeal easing of lockdown in England, with the next major steps due to take place next month.
Johnson said he looked forward to getting his hair cut and having a pint of beer in the garden of a pub, among the activities permitted if stage two of his unlocking plan proceeds on April 12. All non-essential shops are also due to reopen from that date.
On Monday, there will be a smaller change, allowing groups of 6 to meet up outside. Foreign travel will be banned until at least May 17, which is also the earliest date indoor hospitality and performance venues might re-open.
Although Johnson has outlined dates at which he plans to ease restrictions, he has been clear that it is "data, not dates" which will determine whether the unlocking can proceed to schedule.
"As things stand, I can see absolutely nothing in the data to dissuade me from continuing along our roadmap to freedom, unlocking our economy and getting back to the life we love," Johnson said in a speech to the Conservative spring conference.
His comments came after data showed a recent steep fall in infections were starting to level off.
Britain's Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday said the prevalence of Covid-19 infections in England is no longer falling and has levelled off at an estimated 1 in 340 people.
England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said earlier this week that a slowdown in steep drops in infection rates was to be expected after schools reopened on March 8.
UK PM Boris Johnson / COVID-19 / unlocking / plans / lockdown / Coronavirus