The fiscal multiplier is a Keynesian idea first proposed by John Maynard Keynes' student Richard Kahn in a 1931 paper. It rests on the idea of marginal propensity to consume (MRC): the portion of an additional sum of income a person, household or society will spend rather than save. So long as a country's overall MRC is greater than zero, the theory goes, an initial infusion of government spending will lead to a larger increase in national income. The fiscal multiplier expresses how much greater – or, if stimulus turns out to be counterproductive, smaller – the overall gain in national income is than the amount of extra spending.
For example, say that a national government enacts a $1 billion fiscal stimulus and that its consumers' MRC is 0.75. Consumers who receive the initial $1 billion will save $250 million and spend $750 million, effectively initiating another, smaller round of stimulus. The recipients of that $750 million will spend $562.5 million, and so on.
In the example above, the marginal propensity to consume is 0.75, yielding a fiscal multiplier of 4. Keynesian theory would therefore predict an overall boost to national income of $4 billion as a result of the initial $1 billion fiscal stimulus.
Empirical evidence suggests that the actual relationship between spending and growth is messier than theory would suggest. Not all members of society have the same MPC: lower-income households tend to spend a much greater share of a windfall than higher-income ones, for example. MPC also depends on the form in which fiscal stimulus is received. Different policies can therefore have drastically different fiscal multipliers.
By far the most effective policy options, according to this analysis, are temporarily increasing food stamps (1.73) and extending unemployment insurance benefits (1.64). Both of these policies target groups with low incomes and, as a result, high marginal propensities to consume. Permanent tax cuts benefiting mostly higher-income households, by contrast, have fiscal multipliers below 1: for every dollar "spent" (given up in tax revenue), only a few cents are added to real GDP.
The idea of the fiscal multiplier has seen its influence on policy wax and wane. Keynesian theory was extremely influential into the 1960s, but a period of stagflation – which Keynesians were largely unable to explain – caused faith in fiscal stimulus to wane. Beginning in the 1970s many policymakers began to favor monetarist policies, believing that regulating the money supply was at least as effective as as government spending. Following the 2008 financial crisis, however, the fiscal multiplier has regained some of its lost popularity: the U.S., which invested heavily in fiscal stimulus, saw a quicker and sturdier recovery than Europe, where bailouts were preconditioned on fiscal austerity.
Fiscal capacity, in economics, is the ability of government, groups, institutions, etc. to generate revenue.


By registering for a photo tour/workshop [ tour ], you acknowledge that you have voluntarily applied to participate on this tour and that you have read the description of the tour as it appears in the current catalogue or website.
My tours are executed and solely sold by Impi Expeditions t/a Impi Safaris [ Impis Safaris ] a company owned by Daniel Jacobs, based in Johannesburg. The pace of each tour, the dedication to one or another theme and/or region, are designed and determined by Thomas Frömmel based on his experience in the region, research and/or accounts of other travelers, as well as relationships established over the years at various destinations. I, Thomas Frömmel does not own or operate any entity, which is to or does provide goods or services for your trip including, for example, lodging facilities, airline, vessel, minibus, or other transportation companies, guides or guide services, local ground operators, providers or organizers of optional excursions, food service providers, etc. All such persons and entities are independent contractors and/or Travel Agents.
As a result, Thomas Frömmel is not liable for any negligent or wilful act or failure to act of any such person or entity or of any third party.
Travel arrangements, logistics, bookings, support, insurance, and everything related to the activity of a Travel Agent is organized by Impi Safaris or an appointed and official Travel Agent.
The participant is responsible for understanding the conditions as described in the tour Itinerary and selecting a tour in consultation with us that is appropriate to his/her interests and abilities. In addition, the participant should prepare for the tour by reading the tour Itinerary and supplemental tour information in the pre-tour materials and for bringing the appropriate clothing and equipment as advised in those materials. The participant should also consult his or her physician to determine his or her suitability for the tour and to discuss any over the counter or prescription medicines he/she should consider taking relative to the demands of the tour (e.g. in the case of tours which travel to higher altitudes or with exposure to risk of malaria). Impi Safari and/or Thomas Frömmel reserve the right in our sole discretion to accept, decline to accept, or remove any participant on a tour at any time during the tour. In the event of removal from a tour, refunds are not given.
You are expected to travel with your own insurance. Also, please be advised that a CANCEL FOR ANY REASON INSURANCE is highly recommended. Travel and medical insurance is compulsory and is the responsibility of the passenger to purchase.
Travel insurance helps to minimize the risk of monetary losses you would incur in the event of a delay of your departure due to weather, airline strike, missed connection, etc., your inability to travel for reasons such as illness, injury, unforeseen financial complications and other personal circumstances, or if you were required to cut your trip short for medical or any other reason.
You should carry your own insurance when travelling with me. Learn what medical services your health insurance will cover overseas. Whether your insurance is valid overseas or not, you may be required to pay for care when you receive it. If your insurance policy does not cover you abroad, consider purchasing a short-term policy that does. Many travel agents and private companies offer insurance plans that will cover health care expenses incurred overseas including emergency services such as medical evacuations.
Also a trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended.
In the event the participant becomes sufficiently incapacitated as to be unable to direct his or her own care, there is no one on the trip who can direct participant's care, and Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Frömmel is unable or does not have time to contact participant's emergency contact, the participant, by registering and paying a deposit for a tour, authorizes any medical treatment deemed necessary in the event of any injury or illness while participating in the activity including, but not limited to, X-ray, examination, anaesthetics, medical or surgical diagnosis, or treatment and hospital care which is deemed advisable by, and is to be rendered by a duly licensed physician deemed competent to render the necessary care. In addition, the participant certifies that they have medical insurance which will cover personal accidents, medical expenses, medical evacuation, air ambulance, loss of effects, repatriation costs and all other expenses which might arise as a result of loss, damage, injury, delay or inconvenience occurring to the participant, or that in the absence of this medical insurance coverage, the participant agrees to pay all costs of rescue and/or medical services as may be incurred on the participant's behalf.
The participant further certifies that he/she does not have any mental, physical, or other condition or disability that would create a hazard for him/herself or other participants.
The participant must notify us of any medical issues well before departure. We reserve the right in our sole discretion to accept, decline to accept, or remove any participant on a trip at any time during the trip. In the event of removal from a Trip, refunds are not given.
You are expected to be in reasonable shape and fitness and being able to walk for several hours at a normal pace as well as to take care of your own equipment. You could have to transport your own luggage and bags in airports and hotels. By registering in my tours you attest that you have no physical limitation or incapacity that could create risk to or impact in the rhythm of the rest of the group. We reserve the right to refuse the participation of any participant not considered suitable due to his fitness level.
The majority of my tours are not strenuous and anyone who is reasonably fit should be able to take part in most of the activities. You may experience general fatigue due to the long flights and the change in time zones. You will need to be sufficiently agile to climb in and out of the tour van and be able to carry and manage your own equipment. We will frequently hike trails ranging from easy to moderate. Some hotels do not have elevators or air conditioners.
By registering for one of my tours, the participant acknowledges that he/she is aware that travel such as the tour he/she is undertaking involves potentially dangerous activities, some in remote areas of the world, with a risk of illness, injury or death which may be caused by forces of nature, illness, or by willful or criminal conduct of third parties or by terrorism.
You acknowledge that travel to foreign countries entails unanticipated risks which could result in physical or emotional injury, paralysis, death, or damage to yourself, to property, or to third parties. You understand that such risks simply cannot be eliminated without jeopardizing the essential qualities of the activity. The risks include, among other things: the hazards of walking on uneven terrain (cobblestones) and slips and falls, street muggings, hijacking, your own physical condition, eventually death.
The participant further acknowledges that weather conditions may be severe, adverse and/or unpleasant and that medical services or facilities may not be readily available or accessible or consistent with standards in the United States or Europe during some or all of the time during which he/she is participating on the trip and that when available may not be of the quality which exists in the United States or Europe.
Hospital facilities or appropriate medical facilities or doctors are often unavailable and evacuation can be prolonged, difficult, and expensive. We assume no liability regarding provision of medical care.
Itineraries have been carefully constructed to assure participants the best each destination has to offer, however, should events arise that are beyond our control, activities and hotel arrangements are subject to change without notice. The itineraries summarize typical areas you will explore. Since there is no possible way to visit all of them, your guides will plan each day considering the interests of the group and the weather at hand. Be assured that we will make substitutions that are as similar in quality and interest as possible.
Thomas Frömmel and/or Impi Safaris assumes and incurs no liability as a result of any weather event, war, unrest, political confrontation or other act of God which may occur anywhere in the world that may impact this tour.
Thomas Frömmel and/or Impi Safaris has no liability for any events over which they do not have direct control and may alter or influence. Thomas Frömmel and/or Impi Safaris reserves the right to substitute hotels or accommodations with a similar category for those previously indicated and make any changes in the itinerary with respect to location, transportation or other trip details.
Thomas Frömmel and/or Impi Safaris is not responsible for any issues due allergic reactions to foods or related illnesses.
Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography reserve the right to cancel any trip because of inadequate enrolment that makes the trip economically infeasible to operate or because of our concerns with respect to the safety, health, or welfare of the participants. If an expedition is cancelled by us prior to departure, Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography will provide the participant with a full refund of monies paid to them; except in the event cancellation is due to a significant event that makes it infeasible to operate the tour as planned, in which case Impi Safaris will provide the participant with a refund and/or credit toward a future Impi Safaris trip equivalent to monies paid to them.
The applicant acknowledges that travel on an Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography tour requires a degree of flexibility, and understands that the trip's route, accommodation and modes of transport are subject to change without prior notice due to local circumstances. Should Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography deem it advisable to amend an itinerary for any reason, it may do so by shortening, varying or rerouting any trip. These changes are binding and additional expenses will be charged to the applicant if the reason for any major alteration is outside Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography control.
If Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography cancel the tour in progress, the participant will receive a prorated refund and/or a credit based on the number of days not completed on the tour. We will not be responsible for any additional expenses incurred by participant in his/her preparation for the trip (e.g., non-refundable airline tickets visa fees, if applicable clothing, equipment and medical expenses, etc.).
The itineraries and staff presented are subject to modification and change by Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography. We reserve the right, without penalty, to make changes in the published itinerary whenever, in our judgment, conditions warrant, or if we deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of participants.
While travelling with Impi Safaris the applicant agrees to accept the authority of the leader or local operator at all times. The applicant is aware that travel within a group may involve compromise to accommodate the diverse desires and physical abilities of group members. The applicant understands that Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography reserves the right to decline, accept, or retain any person as a member of the group at any time.
Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography may cancel any tour prior to departure if they feel it is in the best interest of the tour and the participants to do so. Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography is charged with insuring the best interest of its clients and does everything reasonably expected to ensure their safety and well-being. However, Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography is not responsible for any costs or expenses and will not refund any trip payments nor is Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography further liable for any other trip preparation expenses, including air tickets, visas, medical expenses or any other costs incurred in preparing for said trip. Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography reserves the right to substitute trip leaders from those originally specified and to accept or retain any person as a member of any trip.
Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography and/or their agents are acting only as agents for the passenger with respect to travel, including, but not limited to sightseeing, meals, lodge transportation and all other services whether by railroad, motorcar, motor coach, boat, ship, aircraft or any other form of transportation and Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography assumes no liability for any loss, damage, injury, death, accident, delay or other event which may be occasioned either by reason of defect in any vehicle or conveyance, or for any other reason whatsoever or through the acts or omissions of any company or persons engaged in conveying the passenger in conjunction with the tour.
Additionally, Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography assumes no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delays or changes in travel schedules, sickness, weather, strike, war or other causes. All such losses or expenses will be borne by the participant. Baggage and equipment is at the owners risk entirely, and it is the owners responsibility to make arrangements to convey said baggage and have it at the proper destination.
Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography has the right to add up to 2 guests over maximum to a tour. This is sometimes needed to fill a vehicle, accommodate a couple or find a room mate for a guest.
In accordance with the EEC directive. 90/314 all passengers booking with Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography are fully insured for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all monies paid, including repatriation if required, arising from the cancellation or curtailment of the travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Impi Safaris.
Impi Safaris and/or Thomas Froemmel Photography reserves the right and permission to use photographs of individuals on tour for use in promotional and publicity purposes. We also reserve the right to use clients photographs for promotional and publicity purposes should they be submitted by the clients.
In addition to this Terms and Conditions, the General Terms and Conditions of Impi Expeditions t/a Impi Safaris are relevant. The General Terms and Conditions of Impi Expeditions t/a Impi Safaris can be found on their website http://www.impisafaris.com and are send to the participant prior to the request of the initial deposit.


According to data from comScore nearly all (87%) of time consumers spend on mobile is via mobile apps. AppsFlyer's new State of App Marketing sheds further insight into the app space.
First, Sundays are go-to days for mobile apps according to AppsFlyer. For both Android and iOS, downloads skew higher on Sundays; for iOS apps, there is a 25% increase is app downloads on the weekends. Android also shows more downloads over the weekend, but where iOS downloads sharply drop starting Monday, Androids decrease is more gradual.
As for engagement, Android users are more likely to engage during the weekdays while iOS uses are most likely to engage over the weekend.
"Put most of your focus on improving retention; use data and analytics to pinpoint which source delivers which kind of users so you know where to focus your spend; make sure your app offers a perfect user experience as disruptions will drive your users to the many alternatives apps just waiting for them," write the experts at AppsFlyer. "If you have a cross platform version of your app, try to pinpoint exactly what's working in the version with the higher retention score - whether in your marketing or the app itself."


ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. (June 19) – A new I.M.C.A. sponsor brings a unique contingency award program to the Deery Brothers Summer Series this season.
Petersen Aluminum of Elk Grove Village, Ill., will award 10 sheets of aluminum to the champion and to the rookie of the year in the series for I.M.C.A. Sunoco Late Models.
Both awards will be redeemable through Petersen.
Founded in 1965, the Chicago-based company manufactures and sells painted aluminum and mill finish aluminum sheets, extrusions and stainless steel.
Queries about products available from Petersen Aluminum can be made by calling (800) 323-1960 or at the www.pac-racing.com website.


text:
Director RAS Interview for CorD magazine - Vitality In Confronting Challenges
Director of the Development Agency of Serbia (RAS), Mr. Rados Gazdic gave an interview with the new issue of CorD magazine. The interview focuses on the current economic challenges, Government prompt response to it, and opportunities that might arise from these challenging times for certain companies and business entities, especially Serbian companies which might find their niche in the global supply chains. Moreover, the interview gives an overview of the impressive results Serbia has made until today when it comes to attracting foreign direct investments, especially the tendency to implement projects based on sophisticated technology.
Photo: CorD magazine
The experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic could prompt major companies to opt for geographically closer suppliers and logistically simpler processes in the future. This is an opportunity for Serbia to attract new foreign investors, but also for domestic companies to become parts of large, global supply chains. Under the circumstances of the pandemic, there was almost no delay in constructing capacities for contracted investments, which reached record levels in 2019 – A total of 3,825 billion euros FDI which is the largest inflow of FDI in our country to date, as stated Gazdic for CorD.
When it comes to the SME sector, RAS is in constant communication with enterprises, but in a survey conducted with representatives of this sector has also seen that some of the challenges include maintaining the level of operations that they had prior to the crisis. However, they agree that the measures taken by the government proved to be an effective intervention without which it would not have been possible to return to regular business flows.
He added that large companies and multinational corporations had a situation globally, and also here, which saw the interruption or aggravated functioning of supply chains. And that will probably influence the future reorientation of these companies towards suppliers that are geographically closer and towards processes that are logistically simpler.
"In such potential changes, we hope that companies from Serbia will join the supply chains of major world players – that they will take advantage of the opportunity that has imposed itself as a positive in this period," stressed director RAS.
The complete interview is available online HERE.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


What's wrong with 'secret shoppers'?
When I was first coming up in the hospitality industry, I was a dedicated operations guy with a passion for great service. I was measured by the same service metrics that you find in most hotel companies today: guest satisfaction survey results, TripAdvisor comments AND the dreaded secret shop report. I say dreaded because, even when it was a good score, each report was given the weight of 1000 TripAdvisor reviews. Like clockwork, every six months, my team would study the guest arrival list trying to find out who the shopper was, attempting to stack the deck in their favor to get a great report. Once that report came in, we would scramble to see the scores, where we lost points, what standards were missed, who messed up, etc. Sound familiar?
It was an exhausting process that all too many hospitality companies employ today. I'll stop here and say, I think secret shop reports can be an amazing tool to help you measure against your standards. Very rarely can you find such a detailed account, a true storyline, of a guest's experience. But it should be taken at that: one person's story. Organizations today feed off that frenetic energy every shop season and kick off this process of action planning and goal setting, based on that one person's experience. This usually comes from the top down - a group of executives that like to feel as though they're making a difference without understanding the effects at the property level. The companies that do it right make sure these goals are also informed by the other metrics I mentioned before to get a truly holistic view of the service experience.
Where I find that secret shop companies fall short today is not in frequency though (that's up to the client and their budget). It's that they leave you with a score, some comments and then what? No suggestions or industry trends; no though-provoking questions to help guide the operations team to improve. The hoteliers are left to draw upon only their past experiences to come up with new and creative ways to improve service.
Some of the most important work I've done with clients is giving them more than just a shop report. Whenever Urchin Workshop engages with a new hospitality group, we like to get a taste their service and product, not just to give a score, but to give ideas. We can draw upon our experience working with different hotels in various markets to share best practices, what's worked and what's hasn't. This helps get the conversation going in the right direction, engaging all levels of leadership and stoking their creativity with stories from the field. Next time your organization dives into action planning based on secret shops and other metrics, get creative! Have your teams do research on what the competition is doing. Encourage them to study industry blogs to learn about new trends, so that when they do sit down to brainstorm service improvement, they have more than just a number to go by.


c.1300, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of blemish. Originally in moral sense; material sense is attested from mid-15c.
Despite the tenderness of her poetry and her character, her reputation was unblemished.
He was an old man, but he had always maintained an unblemished character.
Bender was the pink of propriety and a dog of unblemished reputation.
Did not Hector burn you thigh-bones of heifers and of unblemished goats?
He was a man of unblemished character, and was not too haughty to have fun sometimes.
They appear to confide to us the charge of their unblemished names.
His abilities, courage, and unblemished character have never been denied.
He belonged to an old family, and had an unblemished reputation.
His unblemished record was referred to in an occasional editorial.
The reputation of an officer on the Staff must be unblemished.


Most of you know that we enjoy traveling. We've been very fortunate to travel so many places in the United States and we really enjoy spending time in our National Parks. When we asked Cameron where he wanted to go after graduation his first thought was Niagra Falls but then he saw a special on the travel channel about Glacier National Park. He knew immediately it was someplace he wanted to see. So, we switched gears and started planning for that. We decided to fly into Seattle so that we could enjoy and revisit some of our favorite places in Washington and then drive over to Montana and to Glacier. We arrived and were greated with clouds and very cool temperatures but we weren't complaining. We drove up to Packwood and started up to Mt. Rainier the next day only to find the road closed due to a freak snow storm two days before. One that stranded hikers up on the mountain and killed one. We were able to get up later in the day but it was so cloudy that we couldn't see a thing and it was snowing on us to top it off. We decided to pack it in that day and went back to our cabi n and enjoyed the scenery. The next day Ron decided that even though there were clouds down low he thought if we drove up we could get above the clouds and see the mountain. Sure enough, we rounded a corner and there she was in all her snowy glory, Mt. Rainier. I can't tell you how beautiful this place is in person, it's just something you have to see for yourself. What scares me so is that it's an active volcano and could one day turn into another Mt. St. Helen's it's sister just a short way over. We didn't get to Mt. St. Helen's on this trip, the weather just didn't cooperate, but we hope to get back soon to see it again. It's always interesting to see how the reforesting is going since it blasted it's top back in 1980.
That afternoon we headed over to the town of Antacortes. I just love Anacortes, it's a small town located just on the water. Our hotel had a porch that overlooked the ferry terminal so we got to watch the ferry's coming in and out all evening. For those Grey's Anatomy's fans, you know how Derek feels about the ferry's well so do I! I don't know what it is but I love to watch and to ride the ferry's in the Washington area. The next morning we were up early to take the ferry over to Friday Harbor, one of the San Juan Islands. We had a whale watching tour scheduled that afternoon. After we arrived in Friday Harbor, we checked in for our tour and then walked around town before having some lunch. Our tour left at 1 p.m. and we were greeted with the fact that the whales were really active and we were heading out to where two pods were converging! We did a tour back when Cameron was 3 and he slept through it, so this was a big deal. We were not disappointed! The first time we did this tour, we saw about 5 maybe 6 whales. This time there were probably 15-20! They were everywhere. The natualists on board said that they thought there might have been three pods instead of just the two. I think it was mating season because there was a lot of showing off going on. It was just such a miraculous sight! Once you see them out in the wild, you never view Sea World the same way. Now, don't get me wrong I appreciate all the Sea World does and the research accomplished there but these whales belong out in the ocean. I hope you enjoy these photos, they are some of my favorites from the day!
Ok, so I know the picture on the right isn't an Orca but we got to see several bald eagles while out in the area. Ron took this one, and I think he looks so regal!
The last part of our trip was spent at Glacier National Park. WOW is all I can say! It truly is a beautiful place and one I'll visit again although you really have to want to go there as it's not an easy place to visit. The freak June storm that hit Washington also hit Montana and had dumped 12 FEET of snow the weekend before we arrived. Unfortunately, this delayed the opening of the Going to the Sun road and we were only able to get 12 miles up one way and then we had to drive around to the other side and we were able to go 14 miles up that side. While that was disappointing we didn't let it get us down. We enjoyed hiking many trails and seeing this wonderful place. I hope you enjoy these photos and maybe they'll even inspire you to plan a trip to visit one of our great National Parks!
What a beautiful place!! One of these days. . . What great photos you took. Love the whales!!


This is a test picture to get som exposure experience with long shutter times.
The same landscape taken at two different times in one day.
At 6 a clock (sunset).
At one a clock in the middle of the day.
The Koster islands, consisting of North and South Koster, are Sweden's most westerly inhabited islands and are mostly covered by nature reserve. Since the islands are virtually car-free, they attract large numbers of cyclists and hikers. South Koster is a perfect island for cycling, and bikes can be hired at every pier on the island. The best way to get around North Koster is by foot, as the road network consists mainly of paths. Both islands have a variety of nature types, with lovely swimming beaches, moors, small forests, orchids and rocky landscapes with clear traces of the Ice Age.


Powerful, natural insect repellent spray for 10 hour protection, recommended for adults and children from 3 months.
Mosi-guard Natural is made from a natural a renewable resource and is kind to your skin. Powerful, natural insect repellent recommended for adults and children from 3 months. For use in high and low risk areas where malaria and other insect transmitted diseases are present. Trials have shown effective protection for 10 hours after a single application. Protects against biting insects, ticks and leeches.
Apply mosi-guard evenly to exposed skin when necessary. For application to face and lower limbs it is easier to spray onto hands and then apply to areas requiring protection. Then wash your hands.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace JessTheseusMinotaur
{
    class Theseus : Character
    {
        public Theseus(int aColumn, int aRow) : base (aColumn, aRow)
        {

        }

        public Boolean IsAtExit()
        {
            //if ((aGame.GetTheseus().column == aGame.GetExit().column) && (aGame.GetTheseus().row == aGame.GetExit().row))
            if ((myGame.GetTheseus().column == myGame.GetExit().column) && (myGame.GetTheseus().row == myGame.GetExit().row))
            {
                return true;
            }
            else
            {
                return false;
            }
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Roth: the outtakes
The Los Angeles Times ran my interview with Philip Roth on September 14. After the piece was published, though, I realized that I had plenty of unused material. What follows, then, is the stuff from the cutting-room floor, much of it quite interesting. We begin by discussing the diminutive scale of Indignation, Roth's latest novel, and proceed to touch on memoirs, inspiration, and the "dreadful state" of the nation.
James Marcus: You've now done three smaller, less panoptic books in a row. Is that a reaction to the previous books, or does the form simply feel congenial to you?
Philip Roth: I'd say the latter. About four or five years ago, I wondered if I could something about 125 to 150 pages long.
JM: As a formal challenge?
PR: As a formal challenge, yes. I don't write short stories, I don't know how to write them.
JM: Not anymore, anyway.
PR: Well, I did at the very beginning, but very few--maybe a half a dozen. This length is something I've done before, in The Breast, Goodbye, Columbus, and The Ghost Writer. I like it. It's a marriage, really, of the novel and short story. You have some of the depth of the novel, but you can use the effects, the means, of the short story.
JM: Meaning the compression?
PR: The compression, yes. The events are more telling. You have to pick the right event, of course--if you pick the wrong one, you're diminishing the power.
JM: Do you feel the itch now to write another big-canvas novel?
PR: Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. You're guessing very well. I've been thinking about it, I have to find the subject. I'm interested in finding a moment in twentieth-century American history that I haven't used either as background or something essential to the book.
JM: During this period of your career, you're inspired by historical moments, while your earlier books seemed to emerge from a personal urgency of one kind or another. Aside from that shift, how has writing changed for you?
PR: As I've gotten older?
JM: Yes.
PR: Well, it's given me a new subject, which is getting older. I couldn't have begun to write about that earlier. Otherwise, I seem to have the same writing patterns.
JM: You still write seven days a week?
PR: Yes, unless I'm between books, as I am now. Then it's just a lot of reading, and a lot of struggling to come up with something, which is often fruitless.
JM: But it's not easier?
PR: I've always found it difficult, and it's just as difficult.
JM: Any major distractions? For example, do you watch much television?
PR: No, I don't. I watch the news, occasionally. I read the paper every day. In the summertime, I watch more innings of baseball than I should.
JM: That's a minor vice--if you must have one.
PR: There's a pleasure in that. I've been watching a few nights of the Olympics. But otherwise, the television set is off.
JM: Let's turn to Indignation. It seemed to me that the first fifty pages or so of the book were written in a more subdued style--
PR: More subdued than the remaining pages?
JM: Yes, exactly. Well, let me put it this way. Joseph Brodsky once said: "The real history of consciousness starts with one's first lie." Your protagonist's history of consciousness seems to start with his first blowjob.
PR: [Laughs] Brodsky would have liked that!
JM: But I wondered whether there was a deliberate effort to tamp down the prose until the book came alive in this way.
PR: There was no conscious attempt to do one thing or the other--just to tell the story.
JM: It's right after his first encounter with Olivia that we discover that Marcus is dead. In a certain way this unites him with, say, the postmortem protagonist of Everyman, as well as Zuckerman in Exit Ghost.
PR: My intention is that he dies twice, as it were. When he's under the morphine, he imagines he's dead: he's conscious of nothing around him, only his memory is active.
JM: And he feels like he's in the afterlife.
PR: That's right. He imagines he's in the afterlife. Then he actually does die, and the memory shuts down. That was just my conceit.
JM: And did that conceit precede the rest of the book, or did you discover it as you went along?
PR: Oh, I think I discovered a lot of it as I was writing drafts of the book. I had no plan. It just dawned on me as I was going along.
JM: So what did you start with?
PR: What did I start with? I started with the Korean War, and somebody coming of age during that period. And then I started with this place--the college--and rather quickly I thought of the butcher shop. I had those things, like pegs on a board, and then I came up with the character and the family.
JM: You've spoken of your interest in the catastrophic. Obviously Marcus Messner's fate in Indignation falls into that category. Is there a catastrophe in a book like Everyman?
PR: For the guy in Everyman, there's the long ordeal of illness, sporadic but continuous. I suppose the catastrophe for him is his isolation. It's very common with the elderly to be subjected to great solitude.
JM: Is Zuckerman's voluntary isolation any less catastrophic?
PR: That's a whole different story.
JM: In a way, it seems that coming back to other people is the catastrophic event of Exit Ghost.
PR: That's right, yes.
JM: Will we ever see Zuckerman again, or has he truly made his exit in that book?
PR: I think so.
JM: Have you been following the recent fuss about the veracity of memoirs such as James Frey's A Million Little Pieces?
PR: I wasn't aware of it. I have published two memoirs, The Facts and Patrimony, and tried to be as accurate as possible. So I don't really know about this controversy.
JM: Have you thought about writing another memoir?
PR: No, that doesn't seem in the cards. But who knows?
JM: It must have been a profoundly different impulse that led you to write those books.
PR: Yeah, different ones in each case. With The Facts, I was between books, wasn't in a novel mode, and decided to pursue that. Patrimony really grew out of the incident itself. I was taking notes while my father was ill, and when he died, I thought, let's see if I can make this into a book.
JM: I recently reviewed David Rieff's Swimming in a Sea of Death. Have you read that?
PR: Yes.
JM: He makes it clear from the beginning that he did not take notes on his mother's ordeal. He didn't want to report on it. That's an entirely honorable decision. But it left him very little to put in the book, which seemed more like an prolonged expression of guilt for not doing the right thing toward his mother--which was basically impossible to begin with.
PR: I agree with you. David is a friend of mine, and he was going through hell, and I could never quite get to the bottom of this guilt that he had. Because it seems to me that he did everything he possibly could. And as you say, there wasn't anything to do, except make decisions. You can always make the wrong decision, but he didn't make any of those. Why he was so plagued with guilt is, in a way, the uninvestigated subject of the book. It's declared repeatedly, but not investigated.
JM: One last question. Do you feel pressure to grapple with the political here-and-now? It seems to me that you're more interested in the civic uproars of the past at this point.
PR: I took a little swipe at it in Exit Ghost, with Bush's reelection--but no, I follow it as a citizen. I don't follow it as a novelist.
JM: And as a citizen, how does the state of the nation strike you?
PR: These last eight years have been dreadful. And I hope it changes.


Firm set of 2QFY18 numbers.
Fair Value estimate of S$2.64.
Wing Tai's 2QFY18 revenue rose by 113% y-o-y to S$130.0m, aided by the contribution from additional units sold in Le Nouvel Ardmore in Singapore, Le Nouvel KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, as well as contribution from BM Mahkota in Penang.
Revenue from the units sold in the latter has now been fully recognized, given that TOP has been obtained in November 2017. About S$8.8m of other losses were recorded, due mainly to the write-off of development costs that were incurred.
All-in, PATMI for 2QFY18 came in at S$12.6m (as compared to S$2.1m in the corresponding quarter last year), representing 23.0% of our full-year forecast. We deem this set of results to be broadly within expectations.
In our opinion, the tide continues to be in the favour of local property developers like Wing Tai.
The URA's private residential property price index increased by 0.8% y-o-y for 4Q17, while on a full year basis, 2017 clocked an increase of 1.1%. This is in comparison to the 3.1% decline that was seen in 2016.
Looking forward, we believe that Singapore home prices in 2018 should appreciate between 3% to 8%. In our view, Wing Tai should be suitably positioned to ride on this upturn, given that the group's balance sheet remains robust, as it continues to be in a net cash position, with S$840.0m in cash and cash equivalents.
The group has also increased its exposure to the domestic housing sector previously through the acquisition, with Keppel Land Limited, of a 99-year leasehold residential site in Serangoon North Avenue 1.
Wing Tai currently trades at a consensus blended forward P/B of 0.50x, which is 0.4 S.D. below the 10-year mean. We believe that the recent market correction has resulted in attractive valuations for Wing Tai, given the current stage of the property cycle.
With a change in covering analyst, we adjust our assumptions, and bring our fair value down from S$2.77 to S$2.64.


text:
IP Services
WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center
ADMINISTRATIVE PANEL DECISION
Minerva S.A. v. TT Host
Case No. D2016-0384
1. The Parties
The Complainant is Minerva S.A. of São Paulo, Brazil, represented by Salusse Marangoni Advogados, Brazil.
The Respondent is TT Host of Houston, Texas, United States of America.
2. The Domain Name and Registrar
The disputed domain name <minerva-food.com> ("the Disputed Domain Name") is registered with PDR Ltd. d/b/a PublicDomainRegistry.com (the "Registrar").
3. Procedural History
The Complaint was filed with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (the "Center") on February 25, 2016. On February 26, 2016, the Center transmitted by email to the Registrar a request for registrar verification in connection with the Disputed Domain Name. On February 27, 2016, the Registrar transmitted by email to the Center its verification response confirming that the Respondent is listed as the registrant and providing the contact details. The Center sent an email communication to the Parties on March 7, 2016 informing of the updated Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy. The Complainant submitted an Amended Complaint on March 7, 2016
The Center verified that the Complaint together with the amended Complaint (both hereinafter referred to as the "Complaint") satisfied the formal requirements of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Policy" or "UDRP"), the Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Rules"), and the WIPO Supplemental Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the "Supplemental Rules").
In accordance with the Rules, paragraphs 2 and 4, the Center formally notified the Respondent of the Complaint, and the proceedings commenced on March 11, 2016. In accordance with the Rules, paragraph 5, the due date for Response was March 31, 2016. The Respondent did not submit any response. Accordingly, the Center notified the Respondent's default on April 1, 2016.
The Center appointed Isabel Davies as the sole panelist in this matter on April 19, 2016. The Panel finds that it was properly constituted. The Panel has submitted the Statement of Acceptance and Declaration of Impartiality and Independence, as required by the Center to ensure compliance with the Rules, paragraph 7.
4. Factual Background
The Complainant has been using the MINERVA trademark since 1992.
The Complainant is the owner of registered trademarks in Brazil (registration No. 901436941) and Switzerland (registration No. 628254), registered in 2013 and 2012, respectively, and owns several domain names incorporating the registered trademarks MINERVA and MINERVA FOODS including <minervafoods.com> registered on June 20, 2012 and <minervafoods.com.br> registered on June 19, 2012.
The Respondent registered the Disputed Domain Name on May 27, 2015.
5. Parties' Contentions
A. Complainant
The Disputed Domain Name is identical or confusingly similar to the trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights (Policy, paragraph 4(a)(i); Rules, Paragraphs 3(b)(viii), (b)(ix)(1))
The Complainant states that Minerva S.A. was acquired in 1992 by the Vilela de Queiroz family which started commercializing the raising of cattle and related activities in 1957 in Brazil.
Currently, it states the Complainant operates seventeen slaughtering and boning plants, eleven of which are located in Brazil, three in Paraguay, two in Uruguay and one in Colombia. The Complainant's slaughtering capacity is of 17,330 heads of cattle per day, and boning capacity is of 20,300 heads per day, employing more than 14,000 people around the world. It is today the second largest Brazilian exporter of beef.
Additionally, the Complainant states it has a protein processing plant (beef, pork and poultry) named Minerva Fine Foods which operates thirteen distribution centers, eleven of which are located in Brazil and two in Paraguay. In addition, the Complainant has international trading offices in Algeria, China, Chile, Colombia, United States, Italy, Iran, Lebanon and Russia.
The Complainant has won several awards including the "Chico Mendes Award" which the Complainant has been awarded four times in a row in 2014, highlighting its Sustainable Livestock Program and it is considered one of the leading companies in the industry in South America, exporting to more than 100 countries in five continents.
The Complainant states that it is the owner of trademark registrations for MINERVA in Brazil and Switzerland and has several domain names incorporating "Minerva" and "Minerva Foods" including the domain names <minervafoods.com> registered on June 20, 2012, and <minervafoods.com.br> registered on June 19, 2012.
The Complainant states that the Respondent registered the Disputed Domain Name on May 27, 2015 and has been using it to impersonate the Complainant, causing irreparable losses and consumer confusion.
The Complainant states that apart from registering the Disputed Domain Name, the Respondent has used it as a means to attack the Complainant's goodwill, business and image.
The Complainant states that the Disputed Domain Name reproduces in fullthe MINERVA trademark registered in Brazil and in Switzerland over which the Complainant has prior rights and is very similar to the Complainant's domain names <minervafoods.com> and <minervafoods.com.br> registered prior to the Disputed Domain Name.
The Complainant states that the addition of the generic term "food" in the Disputed Domain Name does not add sufficient distinctiveness in relation to the Complainant's mark and merely adds likelihood of confusion in view of the Complainant's business.
The Complainant states that the possibility of confusion is evident given that Internet users will immediately identify the Disputed Domain Name with the Complainant's trademarks and domain names, believing, incorrectly, that both registrations identify the Complainant.
The Complainant therefore submits that the Disputed Domain Name is identical or confusingly similar to the trademark in which the Complainant has rights.
Respondent lacks rights and legitimate interests in the Disputed Domain Name (Policy, paragraph 4(a)(ii); Rules, Paragraph 3(b)(ix)(2))
The Complainant states that the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the Disputed Domain Name.
The Respondent is not entitled to any trademark, trade name or any other right in the name "Minerva".
The Respondent has not been authorized by the Complainant to use the MINERVA trademark and there is no business relationship between the Complainant and the Respondent.
The Respondent does not have any relationship with MINERVA. It is not included in its name, nor is it its name, surname or nickname. It is not known by this name, nor has it sought an authorization or license to use the MINERVA trademark, and does not own any trademark be it a registration or application in connection with MINERVA or any other application or registration whatsoever in Brazil.
The Complainant contends that it is therefore incontestable that the Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the Disputed Domain Name.
The Disputed Domain Name was registered and is being used in bad faith (Policy, paragraphs 4(a)(iii), 4(b); Rules, paragraph 3(b)(ix)(3))
The Complainant states that the registration of the Disputed Domain Name was made with full knowledge of the MINERVA trade mark and the Disputed Domain Name was intentionally registered with the purpose of profiting from the fame and renown of the MINERVA trademark and trade name, creating a likelihood of confusion amongst Internet users and indicating that the Disputed Domain Name belongs to the Complainant.
It states that knowledge of the Complainant's rights may be presumed because it is a registered mark. In addition to that and in view of the use of the Complainant's trademark and impersonation of the Complainant perpetrated by the Respondent (who used the Complainant's logo, name of one of the Complainant's directors, addresses, stationery and so on) as well as aiming precisely at the Complainant's clientele, there is no doubt about the Respondent's knowledge of the Complainant's mark.
It states that bad faith is demonstrated when the Respondent registered it with the purpose of using it for unlawful purposes, profiting from the attempts to solicit business transactions with third parties, thus creating a likelihood of confusion and possibly taking undue advantage of the Complainant's reputation and goodwill.
The Complainant states that the Respondent made use of the Disputed Domain Name by sending fraudulent emails in an attempt to create a likelihood of confusion between it and the Complainant.
The Complainant has annexed emails to the Complaint evidencing that the Respondent tried (and sometimes succeeded) in impersonating the Complainant, sending emails with quotations for the sale of Complainant's typical products using the name of one of Complainant's board members, reproducing the Complainant's logo and address, as well as stationery.
The Complainant contends that the Respondent increased the likelihood of confusion by redirecting the Disputed Domain Name to the Complainant's website while mentioning it in the signature of the several emails sent by him to the Complainant's customers and business partners. In impersonating the Complainant, the Respondent sent emails with quotations for the sale of the type of products sold by the Complainant products, signing as one of Complainant's board members, reproducing the Complainant's logo and address.
This scheme perpetrated by the Respondent attempted to mislead the Complainant's customers so that they transmitted payment to the Respondent's bank account. It included the remittance by the Respondent of model contracts, invoices, all of which included the Complainant's logo, addresses, materials, etc., taking undue advantage of the Complainant's reputation and goodwill.
The use made of the Disputed Domain Name in an attempt to solicit business transactions with third parties, creating a likelihood of confusion and taking undue advantage of the Complainant's reputation cannot, submits the Complainant, be considered a good faith offering of goods and services.
The Complainant submits that all of the aforementioned facts, analyzed separately or in their entirety, lead to the conclusion that the bad faith of the Respondent is incontestable.
The Complainant therefore submits that the Disputed Domain Name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.
B. Respondent
The Respondent did not reply to the Complainant's contentions.
6. Discussion and Findings
The Policy establishes three elements, specified in paragraph 4(a) that must be established by the Complainant to obtain relief. These elements are:
(i) the Disputed Domain Name is identical or confusingly similar to the trademark or service mark in which the Complainant has rights;
(ii) the Respondent has no rights or legitimate interest in respect of the Disputed Domain Name; and
(iii) the Disputed Domain Name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.
Each of these elements will be addressed below.
The Complainant must establish these elements even if the Respondent does not reply (see The Vanguard Group, Inc. v. Lorna Kang, WIPO Case No. D2002-1064). However, under paragraph 14(b) of the Rules, the Panel is entitled to draw such inferences as it considers appropriate from a party's failure to comply with any provision of or requirement under, the Rules, including the Respondent's failure to file a response.
In the absence of a response, the Panel may also accept as true the factual allegations in the Complaint (see ThyssenKrupp USA, Inc. v. Richard Giardini, WIPO Case No. D2001-1425 (citing Talk City, Inc. v. Michael Robertson, WIPO Case No. D2000-0009)).
Paragraph 15 of the Rules provides that the Panel is to decide the Complaint on the basis of the statements and documents submitted. The Complainant bears the onus of proving its case on the balance of probabilities. The Complainant must therefore establish all three of the elements specified in paragraph 4(a) of the Policy on the balance of probabilities before a decision can be made to cancel or transfer the Disputed Domain Name.
A. Identical or Confusingly Similar
The Panel accepts that the Complainant is a major company internationally specializing in commercializing the raising of cattle and related activities, that it is the owner of trademark registrations for MINERVA in Brazil and Switzerland and has several domain names incorporating "Minerva" and "Minerva Foods", including the domain names <minervafoods.com> registered on June 20, 2012 and <minervafoods.com.br> registered on June 19, 2012
The Panel accepts that the Disputed Domain Name reproduces in totalitythe MINERVA trademark registered in Brazil under No. 901436941 and in Switzerland under No. 628254 over which the Complainant has prior rights and is very similar to the Complainant's prior domain name registrations for <minervafoods.com> and <minervafoods.com.br>.
The Panel accepts that the addition of the generic term "food" in the Disputed Domain Name does not add sufficient distinctiveness in relation to the Complainant's mark and merely adds likelihood of confusion in view of the Complainant's business(Compagnie Générale des Etablissements Michelin v. Llantas Supremas S.A., WIPO Case No. D2013-1211 (citing "The addition of the generic term "llantas" which means "tires" in Spanish only makes the disputed domain name even more similar to the Complainant's trademark, creating a high risk of association by Internet users.").
In addition, the Panel notes that the only difference between the Complainant's domain name <minervafoods.com> and the Disputed Domain Name is the addition of the hyphen and an extra "s", which in no significant way differentiates it.
The Panel accepts that there is a likelihood of confusion given that Internet users will identify the Disputed Domain Name with the Complainant's trademarks and domain names, believing, incorrectly, that both registrations identify the Complainant.
The Panel finds that the Disputed Domain Name is confusingly similar to the trademarks in which the Complainant has rights.
B. Rights or Legitimate Interests
The Panel accepts that the Respondent has not been authorized by the Complainant to use the MINERVA trademark and there is no business relationship between the Complainant and the Respondent.
The Panel also accepts that the Respondent does not have "Minerva" in its name, nor is it its name, surname or nickname. It is not known by this name, nor has it sought an authorization or license to use the MINERVA trademark.
Absent any reply form the Respondent, the Panel finds that the Respondent does not have any rights or legitimate interests in the Disputed Domain Name.
C. Registered and Used in Bad Faith
The Panel accepts that the registration of the Disputed Domain Name was made with full knowledge of the MINERVA trademark and the Disputed Domain Name was intentionally registered with the purpose of profiting from the MINERVA trademark and trade name, creating a likelihood of confusion amongst Internet users by giving the impression that the Disputed Domain Name is associated with the Complainant.
As MINERVA is a registered trademark belonging to the Complainant and the Disputed Domain Name is nearly identical to one of the Complainant's domain names (apart from the addition of a hyphen and the lack of "s"), the Panel considers that it was inconceivable that the Respondent was unaware of the Complainant's business, trademarks and domain names when the Disputed Domain Name was registered.
As was stated in Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin, Maison Fondée en 1772 v. The Polygenix Group Co., WIPO Case No. D2000-0163: "Distilled to their essence, the cases suggest that a domain name that essentially copies or trades on another's mark will be ordered transferred to the complaining party unless the registrant can provide a credible reason for having adopted the name. As noted by the one panel, bad faith will be found where a domain name is so obviously connected with complainant or its product that its use by anyone other than complainant suggests 'opportunistic bad faith'".
In addition, in view of the use of the Complainant's trademark, the Complainant's logo, name of one of the Complainant's directors, addresses, stationery, as well as the targeting of the Complainant's clientele, the Panel is in no doubt about Respondent's knowledge of Complainant's mark.
Bad faith is demonstrated when the Respondent registered it with the purpose of using it for unlawful purposes, profiting from the attempts to solicit business transactions with third parties while impersonating the Complainant, creating a likelihood of confusion and aiming to take undue advantage of the Complainant's reputation and goodwill.
The Panel accepts that the Respondent made use of the Disputed Domain Name by sending fraudulent emails in an attempt to create a likelihood of confusion between it and the Complainant. The Complainant has annexed emails to the Complaint evidencing that the Respondent tried (and sometimes succeeded) in impersonating the Complainant, sending emails with quotations for the sale of the same type of products as those of the Complainant, as mentioned above.
The Panel accepts that the Respondent attempted to mislead the Complainant's customers so that they would make payment to the Respondent's bank account by including model contracts, invoices, which included the Complainant's logo, addresses, materials, etc. taking undue advantage of the Complainant's reputation and goodwill. This cannot be considered to be use in good faith as has been previously recognized in Groupe Lactalis v. John Kleedofer / Privacy Protection Service INC d/b/a Privacy Protect.org, WIPO Case No. D2014-0133 ("In this case, the use of the disputed domain name in connection with fraudulent emails sent to third parties in an attempt to solicit and attempt to engage in business transactions mimicking the Complainant can indeed mislead Internet users for commercial gain by profiting from the similarity between the disputed domain name and the Complainant's mark" and "According to the emails attached to the Complaint (Annexes 3 and 3bis) the Respondent has indeed used the disputed domain name in a manner to solicit and attempt to engage in business transactions with third parties creating a likelihood of confusion with the Complainant and attempting to profit unduly from the Complainant's reputation and goodwill. The Panel finds that such use does not constitute a bona fide offering of goods or services, or a legitimate noncommercial fair use of the disputed domain name").
The Panel finds that the Disputed Domain Name has been registered and is being used in bad faith.
For the foregoing reasons, in accordance with paragraphs 4(i) of the Policy and 15 of the Rules, the Panel orders that the Disputed Domain Name, <minerva-food.com>, be transferred to the Complainant.
Isabel Davies
Sole Panelist


text:
Languages discourses in Australian middle-class schools: parent and student perspectives
Jan Wright, University of WollongongFollow
Kenneth E. Cruickshank, University of SydneyFollow
Stephen Black, University of Technology Sydney
Wright, J., Cruickshank, K. & Black, S. (2018). Languages discourses in Australian middle-class schools: parent and student perspectives. Discourse, 39 (1), 98-112.
Much of the literature on social class and language study in schools argues that for middle-class parents and their children, languages are chosen for their capacity to offer forms of distinction that provide an edge in the global labour market. In this paper, we draw on data collected from interviews with parents and children in middle-class schools in Australia to demonstrate how a complex amalgam of elite, cultural identity and/or trade language discourses came into play to explain the choice (or not) to study a language and the choice of specific languages. For many of the parents languages provided a limited form of 'civic multiculturalism', as a means of better understanding and respecting the 'other'. We argue that the value attributed to high status languages via this discourse, means their continued presence in schools hoping to attract middle-class parents, but their relative absence in schools with largely working-class populations, where more 'practical' concerns dominate.


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text:
Kris Medlen is the Royals Biggest X-Factor
Joshua Sadlock
Features, Kansas City Royals, Opinions & Predictions
As the Kansas City Royals continue taking fliers on former Atlanta Braves starting pitchers, one signed last December, Kris Medlen, has the potential to be the deciding factor in the pursuit of a third straight trip to the World Series. Medlen entered the 2015 season rehabbing from a second Tommy John surgery, and did not debut for Kansas City until July 20. Medlen was shelled in his first appearance, giving up four runs in 3.1 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
That inauspicious debut was followed by 11.0 scoreless innings spanning six appearances. The Royals stretched Medlen out to prepare for a return to a starting role, and he made his first start on August 24, roughly a month after his return to the big leagues. The 30-year-old right-hander would wrap up the season having made eight starts, winning five of seven decisions, and posting a respectable 4.50 ERA. Most of the damage done against him came in two very rough starts in which the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians totaled 13 runs off Medlen in only 9.1 innings.
In the six starts that Medlen pitched well, he gave the Royals 34.2 innings of solid pitching with a 2.33 ERA. Overall, he pitched to a WHIP of 1.269 — very similar to the 1.223 WHIP he posted in his final year with the Braves. He did not pitch deep into games, but the Royals did not ask that of him. The bullpen is good enough.
Last season, Medlen actually threw his fastball and sinker faster than he did in 2013, his only full season of starting in the big leagues. His changeup is still virtually unhittable, and his curveball generated more whiffs than in 2013. Judging by Medlen's performance, albeit in very limited duty, last season, very little has changed from the pitcher who went 25-13 with a 2.47 ERA and low, low WHIP of 1.096 in 335.0 innings for the Braves in 2012 and 2013. He is still the same pitcher who was destined for stardom before the injury bug hit a second time.
Medlen will enter the 2016 season locked in as the number-four starter behind Edinson Volquez, Yordano Ventura, and Ian Kennedy. The Royals face uncertainties with all three of those names. Volquez was pumping heat faster than ever, deep into the postseason, on the heels of the first 200-plus inning season of his career. Will there be lasting effects from the increased workload. Ventura was destined for Triple-A to work through command and maturity issues before a Jason Vargas injury saved him from the minor leagues. Ventura's sophomore season was not a good follow-up to his dominant debut, and he did not pitch well in the postseason. Ventura was the star of the 2014 postseason, but was knocked around to a 6.43 ERA in five playoff starts last year. Kennedy comes over from the National League after allowing 31 home runs in only 168.1 innings. The free-agent acquisition has not come close to duplicating his 21-win season of 2011. Kennedy appears to be decidedly league-average as a starting pitcher, but will eat innings. The quality of those innings remains to be seen.
Medlen is not without his own questions. His turn in the starting rotation was brief last year, and he has only ever pitched one full year as a starting pitcher. The Royals will not be asking him to throw more than six innings on a consistent basis. He may be allowed to go deeper, but with the bullpen still strong, getting 18 outs should be enough. As a number-four starter, Medlen should be matched up against pitchers who do not measure up to him talent-wise. The Royals should find themselves with a chance to win every time he starts, but he must stay healthy enough to make those starts.
The Royals are no one's top World Series pick entering 2016, mostly due to serious questions in the starting rotation. Volquez and Kennedy are mostly known quantities at this point of their career, while Ventura remains an enigma who may never put all of his raw tools together again. Medlen is the biggest unknown. Had he and Mike Minor stayed healthy, it's quite possible there would have been no reason for the Braves to trigger a massive rebuild. With a full, healthy offseason under his belt, Medlen will take another stab at starting for a full season. How his body handles the increased workload in 2016 may be one of the deciding factors in whether or not the Royals' run of American League domination continues.
Edinson VolquezIan KennedyKansas City RoyalsKris MedlenYordano Ventura
Chicago Cubs add Lefty Manny Parra on Minor League Deal
Report: Jimmy Rollins to White Sox on Minor League Deal
Josh is a lifelong baseball and Orioles fan. He grew up in Harrisburg, PA, home to the Senators, the AA affiliate of the Montreal Expos and now Washington Nationals. Josh's highest aspiration in life is to one day retire from his civil engineering career and become a beer vendor in Camden Yards. In one career varsity baseball at-bat, he went 0-1 with one strikeout. Follow @JoshSadlock on Twitter, or email [email protected]
Kansas City Royals: Vibrant Offense Has Distracted Starting Pitching Shortcomings
The Best and Worst Trade of the Decade for the Kansas City Royals
American League Central X factors for 2020
Kansas City Royals Slugger Jorge Soler is Enjoying A Big Year At The Plate


The 60 sqm apartment is located in the heart of Naples, in Via San Gregorio Armeno, inside one of the oldest buildings in the historic center, the "Palazzo Mormando" from which it takes its name. The apartment is located on the third floor of the building and consists of a separate entrance, a kitchen, living room, bathroom and two bedrooms. Recently renovated and equipped with all comforts (TV, air conditioning, heating, free WI-FI connection).
My stay was short and flight complications made a late arrival even later. It helped so much to have Francesca make this all easier. The apartment is super cute and located in a great spot for exploring on foot. Will recommend and would stay again.
My friend and I had the lucky opportunity to stay in this apartment for 10 days this March. Wow, were we lucky! First of all, Francesca was a delightfully helpful and accessible owner, whether it be to suggest local activities and sites, the use of transportation, info about the apartment or best yet, keeping us supplied with coffee. Every question we had was answered within a short time, even before we arrived in Italy. One can imagine how delighted we were to be located in the heart of the historical district. We were able to walk to most places we wanted to see, including the train station. Our accommodations were comfortable, clean and functional. Start-up breakfast items were available so we didn't have to go right out upon arrival. We also loved looking out over our balcony at daily, vibrant life. Lovely. We would choose these accommodations again, should we return.
Beautiful apartment in the historic centre of Napoli.
Well maintained and comfortable apartment with all anyone could need and in a perfect setting. Francesca was extremely welcoming and helpful. Would definitely recommend and we would stay there again if we were visiting Naples.
Thank you very much Stuart!
Francesca was great from the very start. On top of communication via the website and extremely helpful even before we got there. On arrival she continued how helpful she was with some extra touches like the coffee machine and drinks stocked in the fridge. This made life easier for us and was much appreciated.
Francesca offered more help on the front of taxi's and personal recommendations. The apartment was in a secure building and in a great location for everywhere we needed to get to. I'd recommend this place to others who are looking for a good central location, with a clean and comfortable setting.
Great apartment and the manager is the best! Francesca is very attentive, available for any questions and is very friendly and helpful. Couldn't ask for a better rental experience. The apartment had everything we needed, beds were comfortable, including the sleeper sofa. If we ever go back to Napoli this is definitely the place we will return to. Very safe location, easy to get to other places from here, we loved it. 5 Star service and Apartment!
Thank you very much Jim and Wendy!
A stylish, modern apartment, in a beautiful old building and a great location. Right in the heart of the old city, very lively and lots to do especially at night.
Francesca is wonderful too, so helpful and friendly, made the whole experience very easy. Provides coffee, tea. cereal and other bits for breakfast and even fills the fridge with a selection of drinks, like a mini bar but very reasonable, virtually no shopping needed. Very worthy of 5 stars.
Thank you very much Alyson!


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Home / News & Articles / Summer Budget Statement 2015
Summer Budget Statement 2015
The first conservative budget for 19 years seems to have been broadly welcomed.
In his speech the chancellor said 'This is a Budget that puts security first, and recognises the hard-working British people. It sets out a plan for Britain for the next five years to keep moving us from a low wage, high tax, high welfare economy; to the higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare country we intend to create'
Welfare cuts and rises to the minimum wage have made the headlines, but for owner managed and entrepreneurial business there were many changes lurking.
Below we give our detailed summary of the measures most likely to affect our clients.
The chancellor announced the following changes in the personal allowance, the basic rate limit and the higher rate limit as follows;
Basic rate threshold
Higher rate threshold
The government wants to increase the personal allowance to £12,500 by the end of the current Parliament, and to ensure that individuals working 30 hours at the national minimum wage will not pay income tax. They have therefore committed to keep the personal allowance above this level.
National Living Wage/Employment Allowance
A new National Living Wage is to be brought in. Starting at £7.20 from April 2016 it will rise to £9 by 2020.
Smaller firms will also benefit from the increase in the Employment Allowance to £3,000 from April 2016.
Tax relief on pension contributions further
Tax relief on pension contributions is to be restricted. From April 2016 the £40,000 annual exemption is to be reduced by £1 for every £2 by which your income exceeds £150,000 until (at income of £210,000 or above) the exemption has been restricted to £10,000.
Changes are also made to align the pension input periods 'PIPs' with the tax year and remove scope for doubling up of annual allowances by selection of PIP dates.
Currently the most tax efficient method of extracting funds from a company is through dividends. There is no additional tax to pay if you are a basic rate taxpayer. This has made incorporation an obvious choice for many small businesses, and led to what the HMRC call 'tax motivated incorporation'.
Mr Osborne announced new dividend tax levels which comes into effect from 6 April 2016.
The first £5,000 of dividend income is tax free. Dividends above this amount will be taxed at either 7.5%, 32.5% or 38.1% depending upon whether you are a basic rate, higher rate or additional rate taxpayer.
The table below shows the effective marginal tax rates under this new regime compared to the current tax year. These rates reflect the combined corporate tax and dividend tax rates.
Basic rate taxpayer
Higher rate taxpayer
Additional rate taxpayer
Many business people who has been living off dividends from their company will pay substantially more tax under this new regime going forward.
Given the increased costs of running a limited company, incorporation will no longer be the default choice, as through tax rates are broadly comparable with income tax rates for sole traders and partnerships. Business structures may need to be re-examined and it will probably make sense to accelerate dividend payments in the current year.
Corporation Tax reduction
Corporation tax will reduce by 1% on 1 April 2017, reducing the rate to 19% for Financial Years 2017, 2018 and 2019.
The rate will drop again, by a further 1% on 1 April 2020, reducing the corporation tax rate to 18% for the Financial Year 2020.
Annual investment allowances
Annual Investment Allowance give a 100% First Year Allowance for businesses in respect of capital expenditure on qualifying plant and machinery, fixtures and fittings.
The current annual limit is £500,000, this will drop to £200,000 from 1 January 2016.
The further 2% reduction in Corporation Tax rates sends a clear message that the UK Government is keen to attract overseas businesses to the UK.
The new AIA limit is welcome news (given that the government had previously said that the limit would drop to £25,000.
Given the drop from £500,000 to £200,000 businesses planning large capex may wish to accelerate expenditure to before 31 December 2015.
Increasing tax for buy-to-let landlords
There was very bad news for buy-to-let landlords. Currently finance costs (e.g. mortgages) are fully tax deductible from rental profits but in the future this is going to be severely limited. Between 2017/2018 and 2020/2021 higher rate tax relief for financing costs will be phased out.
The upshot of this is that by 2020/2021 a landlord could be running a break-even rental business and still paying tax.
This change will not apply to 'furnished holiday lettings', which operate under different rules and require a number of short lets during the year.
This is a major blow for buy to let landlords, especially if/when mortgage rates rise. Highly geared landlords will have particular issues. This may favour the incorporation of property businesses as the rules appear frames to capture only income tax relief.
Non UK domiciled individuals
Up until now individuals who are UK resident but not UK domiciled have had access to a privileged tax treatment - the remittance basis. Latterly this has become less attractive by means of the imposition of a charge of up to £90,000 per annum to access most of these tax benefits (there are some benefits that can still be accessed without charge, generally for the lower amounts of unremitted income, or for people who have not been resident in the UK for too long).
From 6 April 2017 any individual who has spent 15 out of the last 20 years as a UK resident will automatically be treated as UK domiciled for all tax purposes, meaning that they will be subject to UK tax on worldwide income irrespective of whether it is remitted to the UK or not.
This 15 out of 20 rule will also apply to Inheritance Tax (IHT), so an individual will always be fully within the scope of UK IHT on worldwide assets after 15 years of residence (and will not be able to escape the IHT net until 6 years of non-residence).
UK residential property held in non-resident companies
The recent ATED (Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings) has already imposed an annual tax on expensive properties held in companies.
Carrying on with this theme, UK properties held in foreign companies will no longer be outside the UK IHT net for non-domiciled individuals.
Tax relief on depreciation of goodwill abolished
Following on from changes in the treatment of 'related' goodwill a wider change now means that acquisitions of all goodwill from 8 July 2015 will no longer receive tax relief. Previously, of a company purchased goodwill this could be amortised with the amortisation charge being tax deductible for the purposes of corporation tax.
Tax relief for goodwill purchased before 8 July 2015 will continue to be available.
This will tend to encourage share sales rather than asset sales.
Inheritance tax – new nil rate band for main residence
In a move that will please many traditional Conservative voters living mainly in the South of England, the Inheritance Tax (IHT) threshold will be increased to £500,000 each (i.e. £1 million per married couple) only as regards the main family home
This is being phased in for deaths after 6 April 2017 starting at £100,000 and increasing to £175,000 for deaths after 6 April 2020.
The mechanism for this is very complicated; it only applies on the second death where the house passes to a descendant, and is transferred to the survivor on death of the first spouse. The relief is tapered away at £1 for every £2 for estates over £2 million.
Multiple trusts
Long expected changes have been announced to prevent use of multiple trusts where property is added to a number of existing trusts on the same day ( usually on death ), when assets are added to a number of 'pilot' trusts previously created. This was a widespread piece of tax planning for pension pots for wealthy individuals. The new rules will apply to trusts created after 10 December 2014 and also where additions are made on the same day to trusts created before.
The upshot is that trusts which are affected will be aggregated together and treated as one for the purpose of calculating the 10-year inheritance tax charge.
Offshore tax evasion – a new disclosure facility
As well as an announcement of increased funding for HMRC to tackle tax evasion and fraud, a new disclosure facility was also announced.
This will be similar to the Liechtenstein Disclosure Facility, but less generous.
From 2017 HMRC will automatically receive information from more other countries about offshore accounts owned by UK residents.
The Chancellor also announced extra investment for HMRC to help them tackle tax fraud and full investigations into offshore trusts which they hope will recover £7.2 billion in extra revenue.
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Icy, snow-covered sidewalks, stairs and walkways can make a simple trip out to the car or to get the mail a potentially dangerous event, especially for seniors.
Using caution during winter weather conditions is not something to be taken lightly. For example, more than 30 people age 60 or over have sought treatment for head injuries and/or broken hips at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital during the most recent icy cold snap so far.
Eight Henry Ford Macomb Hospital patients broke hips in early January due to a fall. Head injuries plagued 18 patients who fell. Five others broke arms or another bone. Just from early to mid-January, the number of people injured from falls and treated at the hospital increased 50 percent, according to Henry Ford Macomb Hospital's Trauma Services.
National studies have shown that's a tip of the iceberg: more than one out of four older people falls each year, but less than half tell their doctor, particularly if they're not seriously injured.
Weaker bones, physical limitations and medications, such as blood thinners, can make matters worse, said Jonathan Beaulac, D.O., who specializes in geriatrics at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital. Hip fractures are most commonly caused by people falling sideways. But patients fall every which way – backwards, sideways and forward – depending on the activity they're doing or movement they're making when they fall. The outcome is the same: closed head injuries and fractured hips.
Walk like a duck. Take small, slow steps with your feet pointed outward and weight evenly distributed. A wider gait creates more stability.
Use any assistive devices (walkers, canes) that have been prescribed.
Walk with someone. Hold the arm of a friend or family member.
Take it slow and pay attention. Many falls are triggered by rushing or being distracted. Slick surfaces make that even worse.
Ask for help. If you have problems with mobility, be sure to ask for assistance, especially with chores like shoveling snow.
In the case of a fall, be sure to seek medical care as soon as possible. (In an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest ER.) Not sure where to go? Visit henryford.com/sameday for answers.
Dr. Jonathan Beaulac is the Medical Director for Geriatric and Palliative Medicine at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital and sees patients at Henry Ford Macomb Primary and Specialty Care in Sterling Heights.


Hit the streets and find the Taste of Target Field Food Truck near you! We feature delicious ballpark fare including Kramarczuk's sausages, Schwiegert Hot Dogs, cheese curds, and food truck only specials such as Beer Braised Bacon.
Food truck aficionados can find information about the location of the truck by following @TastyTwinsTruck.
Book the Tasty Truck for your next event! Fill out the inquiry form below, and a representative will get back to you about your event in 3-5 business days.


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Newsletter_2020-01
Disco Dezy Book
Blue & Orange Ball
Dezy Gear
Matthew "dezy" distefano
As a former Sachem student, Matthew "Dezy" DiStefano is proud to now be a teacher in the same district that he was brought up in. While attending Sachem, Dezy excelled in athletics as he was a varsity athlete on both the Volleyball and Basketball teams. He led both teams to county championships and was named Suffolk County "Player of the Year" in two consecutive years for volleyball.
Dezy continued his athletic excellence at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, where he starred for the Men's Volleyball Team all four year he was there. He was named Team MVP from 1997 to 2000, first team All-Conference three times, NEVCA Tournament MVP in 1998, was inducted to the NEVCA Hall of Fame in 2011 and had his number 2 jersey retired by the college back in 2004.
Dezy was inducted into the Sachem High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017, the College of Mount Saint Vincent Athletics Hall of fame in 2018, and will soon be inducted to the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame in May 2021.
In February 2018, Dezy was diagnosed with Stage 4 Kidney Cancer. Since that time, he dedicated himself to conquering the disease, while at the same time, creating the DezyStrong Foundation to help support others affected by cancer. Learn more about his diagnosis and motivation for launching the DezyStrong Foundation in the short documentary below.
Dezy passed away in January 2020, but his message lives on. In the face of his own mortality, he taught us how to live. Every day is a great day. Every day is a day we get to...
Watch the video below for an inspiring way to look at how to approach life.


CUPE 402 gained 206 new members through a Labour Relations Board (LRB) vote held on Friday, January 25. The vote to join CUPE was successful: fitness professionals will now be members of CUPE 402.
The new members work for the City of Surrey as Group Fitness Instructors (including Aquafit), Personal Trainers, and Wellness Instructors (including Meditation, Pilates, and Yoga).
The work of fitness professionals is highly certified, and instructors must be registered with their professional associations. They help seniors stay in their homes longer, provide social connection for people who may not have a large circle of friends, and help people with injuries heal safely.
CUPE 402 represents more than 3,500 part- and full-time members including workers at the City of White Rock (CUPE 402-01), Surrey Public Library (CUPE 402-02), and Cloverdale Rodeo (CUPE Local 402-03).


When Kreuzberg Bar and Events Manager Mitchell Shira began planning the lounge's first open mic night in 2013, he was overtaken with a sudden pang of anxiety.
OPEN SESSION: A mix of nerves, heart, and creative expression come together to make Kreuzberg Lounge's weekly open mic night special. From left, local musicians Sam Flynn, Christiana Newcomb, and Kevin Finnesey of Beyond the Bridge spill their guts during the two-year anniversary show held on Sept. 30.
Anyone who has spent time playing open mic nights understands Shira's reluctance wholeheartedly. These are often fresh, fragile performers—some of whom have never strummed a chord in front of another soul as long as they've lived. Bombing is part of the deal, and everyone—including Shira—has crashed and burned at some time or another. It's an open mic rite of passage.
For audience members, witnessing these moments can be like listening in on an AA meeting or therapy session. There is a lot of vulnerability involved, and with vulnerability comes truth. Striking, can't-look-away, life-affirming truth.
Shira found his own musical footing in 2009. The UCSB graduate had just moved back to his old stomping grounds of SLO (he grew up in Los Osos) and began his creative journey in earnest.
Like the start of any romance, there are always a few awkward first dates. Open mic night is that first, blind date for so many musicians looking to hone their skills, share their feelings, and connect with other artists. Over the past two years of hosting Kreuzberg's weekly Wednesday open mic, Shira has seen bands form, careers take off, and talents surge.
YOU'RE UP NEXT!: Shira's open mic night goes off with a bang each Wednesday evening at Kreuzberg Lounge from 9 to 11 p.m. To procure your 10-minute slice of stardom, sign up in person and ask for the list at Kreuzberg Coffee, 685 Higuera St. in downtown SLO. New sign-ups begin each Monday morning and are first come, first served.
Pushing through that fear and uncertainty allows local comedians and singers a chance to make that first, shaky step toward confidence. Along with institutions like Toan's Open Jam at Frog and Peach, the Poetry Church in Morro Bay, and Comedy Night at Atascadero's Tent City Brewing Co., the open mic is about inclusion.
Popular touring bands, street poets, and even comedy heavy hitters have all grasped the mic at one time or another. Each open mic night features eight slots. Each slot gets the same 10-minute set.
"One time we had a professional comedy writer in LA come in, and he showed up one night and read passages from books he had picked up at Phoenix Books, and made it funny," Shira said. "We had a lot of comedians signing up every week, which was great, but we only have a few slots, so we are now doing a weekly comedy night every Friday." Local comedians Evan Fox and Michael Zalusky have helped bring laughs to the lounge's dimly lit chamber.
ROCK THE MIC: Kreuzberg Lounge's weekly open mic night turned two years old late last month and continues to unfold each Wednesday from 9 to 11 p.m. hosted by Mitchell Shira (pictured).
"Sometimes it's a little hard to sit through because it's uncomfortable for the performer and that makes it uncomfortable for the audience, but I really try to lighten the mood and make the room really easy," Shira said, adding that he's working on an open mic "theme song" to play before each show. Interested in giving it a try but too chicken to sign up? Remember: There is beer and wine available from the Kreuzberg Lounge bar. A little liquid courage never hurt.
Hayley Thomas is shaking in her boots but is going to get up there anyway at hthomas@newtimesslo.com.


Why do I need to protect my tires from flat spotting during the Summer Months?
High performance, low profile tires are fabulous for your sports cars' overall performance. The soft rubber of theses types of tires adheres to road- gripping to the asphalt while your automobile corners, turns, and drives through curves. It is a speedster's dream.
During the warm months of the year and in the hotter regions of our world, these high performance tires will quickly warm up during driving time. This warmth lends to a quick softening of the tires which will lead to an even better driving experience with your sports car.
However, there is one issue with high performance, low profile tires during times of warm weather: an acceleration of tire flat spotting. You take your car for a nice drive. The tires become hot and soft. After you have driven for awhile, your return your car to the garage. Your hot tires are then parked on a cooler garage floor. Well, right here is the issue. This temperature variance of a hot, low profile tire making contact and being stored on a cooler garage floor great accelerates tire flat spotting. Tire flat spots can occur within a few hours. Your car does not need to be in storage for days or weeks to develop tire flat spots.
In the Winter months, many sports cars and collector cars develop tire flat spots simply due to being stored for long periods of time. Because of this, many automobile enthusiasts focus on protecting their collector cars' tires during Winter storage. However, because of temperature variation leading to the acceleration of tire flat spots in hot weather- it is just as important if not more important to protect your car's tires in the Summer. Even if your sports car is driven daily, your tires should still be protected.
TireCradles are the perfect and easy solution to protect your tires from flat spotting during the Summer months. TireCradles are constructed with memory cells. These memory cells are made up of a highly, durable polymer. This product design lends to the effective absorption of this tire/garage floor temperature variation. TireCradles are NOT curved. Because of this, they are very easy for parking and storing your car. Drive into the garage. Park on TireCradles. Never worry about tire flat spotting- no matter if it is for Winter or Summer storage.


Golf might be taking Kyle Wille to Iowa Central Community College, but the Edgerton senior maintains that the education he receives in Fort Dodge, Iowa, will take him where he really wants to go.
"Wherever Iowa Central leads me, I will always be focused on getting the education I want and need to pursue my dreams as an adult," Wille wrote in an email interview with Wisconsin.Golf after orally committing to Iowa Central coach Kris Graewin, a Prairie du Chien native, and study exercise science/kinesiology with an eye toward becoming a chiropractor.
While he's there, though, Wille figures he might as well do his part to boost the Triton's profile in men's golf. He's the latest piece of the puzzle to get it done and the second from Edgerton, joining current teammate Joe Forsting.
Wille said he narrowed his options to NCAA Division II UW-Parkside, NAIA Viterbo and Bethany College (Kansas) and NCAA Division III UW-Stout before choosing Iowa Central. Wille tied for 18th at last year's WIAA Division 2 state boys golf tournament for the Crimson Tide, who finished second to Madison Edgewood.
"Initially, I didn't see myself going to a community college because I wanted to go to a four-year program and have an impact," Wille wrote. "As the (recruiting) process continued and I wasn't really getting the attention from the larger schools, I started to realize how Iowa Central would give me a great opportunity to get to the (NCAA) Division I level and have an impact."
Wille said Forsting's commitment to the Tritons in December didn't have an impact on his decision to follow him to the National Junior College Athletic Association school.
"We both have different plans for our future as to what it will lead to, but we both obviously had the goal of Division I golf," Wille said. "Personally, I hope to have an immediate impact on the program. Coach Kris is really working hard to get the program back to being elite. With the competition of Joe and others, including (Onalaska's) Cody Dirks, I believe the future for Iowa Central is very bright. I know all of us have no intentions of going to Iowa Central and being average, so I'm excited to compete with my future teammates to have a very successful fall season."