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Messages from Brussels: More Biofuels for Transport Are Badly Needed and Can Be Produced Sustainably
Agriculture/Food Processing Residues nonfield crop, Aviation Fuel (Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)), BioRefineries/Renewable Fuel Production, European Union (EU), Feedstocks, Field/Orchard/Plantation Crops/Residues, Forestry/Wood/Residues/Waste, Funding/Financing/Investing, Not Agriculture, Opinions, Other Conferences/Events, Policy, Presentations, Sustainability
(BioFuture Platform) Several international initiatives and organizations met in Brussels to discuss the need and the ways to scale up low carbon fuels in transport. The international conference, titled "The role of low carbon fuels in decarbonising transport: the emerging consensus from international initiatives", was a collaboration between the Biofuture Platform, the European Comission, IRENA, below50 and ART Fuels Forum, with the participation of IEA and FAO. It took place in Brussels, Belgium, April 10 to 11. While global in nature, the conference in Brussels focused on the European context and upcoming biofuels policy framework. It comes at a moment when European legislators and national representatives are debating the contours of the new targets and policies for the transportation sector and renewable energy – to be approved as part of the Renewable Energy Directive for the post 2020 period, RED II.
The Conference produced key messages about the vital role of sustainable biofuels and ways to promote them. Among these are that massive scaleup of bioenergy is needed to help combat climate change, feedstocks are available to meet the bioenergy need sustainably, conversion technologies are also available to meet the need, policy support and international collaboration will be required to ensure investment in bioenergy scaleup, and an evidence-based approach is needed to ensure sustainability.
The need for a sustainable scaling-up of bioenergy to combat climate change was a vital point of the conference. For this to happen, policy support and investments will be required, including evidence-based ways to reward the positive externalities offered by low carbon fuels, as well as specific support to reduce the costs of innovative conversion technologies at industrial scale, such as second generation plants.
Regulatory issues were also stressed in the discussion. An evidence based, feedstock neutral approach which objectively assesses sustainability and environmental performance (as adopted in California´s Low Carbon Fuel Standard and Brazil´s RenovaBio) was recommended above arbitrary regulatory distinctions, such as the division between conventional (food crop based) and advanced (non-food crop based) biofuels, as such a division could impede innovation and the development of both, and may not produce the best outcome. In the same vein, an active policy approach to minimize the risk of emissions from indirect land use change resulting from biofuels production (a concept know as "ILUC") was deemed preferable to a more pessimistic approach based on modeling long term scenarios.
See the full extent of the key messages out of the outcome document of the conference (PDF version):
Massive scaleup of bioenergy is needed to help combat climate change.
Bioenergy is a vital component of our efforts to decarbonise energy production and limit global temperature rise. It is the largest renewable energy form in Europe and globally. Despite expected electrification of light vehicle fleets over the next several decades, large numbers of vehicles will still rely on petroleum fuels which biofuels and other low carbon transport fuels could displace. Aviation, marine and heavy freight transport ares difficult to electrify and will require the energy density that low carbon fuels can provide.
Feedstocks are available to meet the bioenergy need sustainably.
Large volumes of feedstock for biofuels can be provided sustainably, without impeding food production or releasing carbon through land-use change. A combination of smart agricultural practices, waste and residue policies, high-yield energy crops and the reclamation of degraded or fallow land can provide both the volumes and the high-quality carbon emissions reductions that the world needs.
Conversion technologies are also available to meet the bioenergy need.
Various new conversion pathways for low carbon transport fuels are under development within Europe and abroad. Second generation technologies have achieved large-scale demonstration or early commercialization, with a few first-of-a-kind industrial scale plants operational. To scale up capacity, further investment is needed at levels beyond current trends. The policy framework needs to provide a market incentive for those technologies to overcome the "valley of death" and achieve full commercial operation, realize efficiencies of scale and help close the price gap between low carbon and fossil fuels.
Predictable, long-term policy support will be required to ensure bioenergy scaleup.
Regulatory and policy support is required to ensure the reliable supply of low carbon transport fuels. This support can take the form of a relevant market price for carbon emissions reductions, volumetric targets, or a combination of the two. Support is also required to reduce the costs of innovative conversion technologies and bring them to industrial scale, as the capital costs of such technologies can be cut in half once several pilots are built. To be effective in eliciting investment, in view of the long period required for commercial operation, support frameworks should be reliable and predictable.
An evidence-based approach is needed to ensure biofuel sustainability.
The most effective way to reduce the costs and carbon emissions of biofuels is to reward reductions in carbon emissions per unit of energy produced. The preferred approach is to assess and stimulate those feedstocks that have higher yields and those processes that are most cost, energy, and carbon-efficient. Aside from specific support to promote new technologies (see items above), regulatory distinctions between conventional and advanced biofuels, or between food and fuel crops, may not produce the best outcomes as low-emission, cost-effective approaches to low carbon fuel production often involve a mix of feedstocks and conversion processes.
Some sustainable low carbon fuels combine advanced and conventional elements.
Regulatory distinctions between conventional (food crop based) and advanced (non-food crop based) biofuels may impede the development of high-performance biofuels which are both. For example, Brazilian energy cane doubles sugar cane biomass yields, so it has very low risk of inducing carbon emissions through land-use change and can provide biomass feedstock at low cost. Its processing to ethanol combines "first generation" processing of the sugar component and "second generation" processing of the cellulosic portion.
Regulations should adopt a transformative approach to Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC).
Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC), while an important environmental concern and a key driver in European regulatory deliberations, is impossible to measure and hard to model. Thus, regulations should attempt to steer investors towards options with low risk of ILUC, such as biofuels made from farm or forest residues, feedstocks grown on degraded land, or feedstocks with very high yields. Such options are abundant in Europe and globally. Good policies can drive positive change and prevent ILUC, instead of assuming it.
International collaboration can accelerate sustainable bioenergy uptake.
Countries should cooperate to share knowledge on sustainable bioenergy options and effective policy approaches to putting these options in place. They should also work together to build consensus on the environmental, social and economic sustainability of bioenergy and the contribution they can make to Sustainable Development Goals such as sustainable energy for all, adequate nutrition for all, and combatting climate change. Based on such consensus, they should encourage financing of projects and programmes in developed and developing countries to jointly boost food yields and sustainable low carbon fuel production. READ MORE
advanced biofuel pricesAgricultural waste/residueAviation Fuel (Sustainable Alternative Fuel)Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV)BioRefineries/Renewable Fuel ProductionBrazilCaliforniacarbon-efficient fuelsconversion technologyElectric Car/Electric Vehicle (EV)energy policyenvironmental policyEuropean Union (EU)FeedstocksFinancingfood and fuelfood securityfood vs fuelforest residue/wastefuel pricesgasoline priceGHG (Greenhouse Gas Emissions)ILUC (Indirect Land Use Change)InvestingJetfuel (Sustainable Alternative Fuel (SAF))LCFS (Low Carbon Fuel Standard)low carbon emissionsregulationsRenewable Energy Directive (RED and RED II)RenovaBioSustainabilityTransportation Fuels Policywastewaste-to-fuel


GEORGE TOWN (April 15): The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Penang's proposed Pan Island Link 1 (PIL1) has been okayed by the Environment Department (DOE), reported The Star today.
"With this approval in place, the state considers it a major milestone towards enabling the project to move on the ground," Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (pictured) said in a media conference at Komtar today.
He said the "next phase" will be the "detailed design phase and appointing the best work package contractors through open tender".
Chow added that the state government was "still pursuing the relevant approvals for the Bayan Lepas LRT and Penang South Reclamation projects".
The chief minister revealed that the "approval was conveyed to the state via a letter from DOE dated April 10, 2019", reported the daily.


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The Capital (also known as Capital Gazette as its online nameplate and informally), the Sunday edition is called The Sunday Capital,  is a daily newspaper published by Capital Gazette Communications in Annapolis, Maryland, to serve the city of Annapolis, much of Anne Arundel County, and neighboring Kent Island in Queen Anne's County. First published as the Evening Capital on May 12, 1884, the newspaper switched to mornings on March 9, 2015.

The company has moved headquarters seven times, including from 3 Church Circle to 213 West Street in 1948, to 2000 Capital Drive in 1987, to Gibralter Road after that, and to 888 Bestgate Road in 2014.

The Capital was acquired by The Baltimore Sun Media Group in 2014.

History

The newspaper was founded in 1884 as the Evening Capital and operated under this name until June 20, 1981, when it was shortened to just The Capital. Its founder was William M. Abbott, a former compositor for The Baltimore Sun, who employed his daughter Emma Abbott Gage as the newspaper's editor and his son Charles B. Abbott as business manager. In 1910, Abbott purchased the weekly Maryland Gazette from Col. Phillip E. Porter and merged the paper with his Capital, creating the Evening Capital and Maryland Gazette.

In the years following the Civil War, Annapolis faded economically, and the pages of the Evening Capital mostly reflected the local happenings of a sleepy, provincial town. During the early twentieth century, the expansion of the nearby United States Naval Academy was recorded in the paper as a source of both optimism and concern for local citizens. Abbott and his family handed over ownership of the paper to Ridgely P. Melvin in 1919, and it reverted to its original name of Evening Capital in 1922. Melvin subsequently sold the Capital to the Capital-Gazette Press Company in 1926.

For much of the twentieth century, the Capital was edited by Elmer Jackson, Jr., who had been appointed in 1931. In 1959, it added a Saturday morning edition.

In 1967, the newspaper and its sisters were sold to Philip Merrill and Landmark Communications, who shared ownership. Jackson was replaced as editor. Under this ownership, which lasted until 2007, the Capital saw great success, with its circulation nearly tripling. After Merrill's death in 2006, Landmark obtained full ownership of the paper; it kept this ownership until 2014, when the Capital and its related holdings were sold to the Baltimore Sun Media Group, a tronc company.

Its change to a seven-day-a-week morning paper was announced on February 8, 2015, and implemented on March 9.

As of 2018, The Capital had a daily circulation of about 33,000. The papers are printed on a computerized high-speed Goss International Headliner press.

Shooting

On June 28, 2018, a man killed five employees at the Capital Gazette offices in Annapolis, Maryland: journalists Rob Hiaasen, Wendi Winters, Gerald Fischman, and John McNamara, and sales assistant Rebecca Smith.

The staff of The Capital and its parent company were subsequently chosen by Time as Person of the Year 2018, as one of "The Guardians," a collection of journalists from around the world in their fight against the "War on Truth." On April 15, 2019, The Capital received a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation to "...honor the journalists, staff and editorial board of the Capital Gazette, Annapolis, Maryland, for their courageous response to the largest killing of journalists in U.S. history in their newsroom on June 28, 2018, and for demonstrating unflagging commitment to covering the news and serving their community at a time of unspeakable grief."

References

External links

Maryland Gazette Collection - 1728-1839. Retrieved February 23, 2010

Newspapers published in Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Tribune Publishing
Pulitzer Prize-winning newspapers

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Beginners Chest Workout 4 Exercises For Building Bigger Pecs. Myprotein . Writer and expert / Posted on . Share this page Share this Variation: Mix it up by performing decline pushups to target your lower chest muscles and ensure you get a complete chest workout. Sets: 3 Reps: Until failure. Take home message . Use this workout routine when beginning to train chest to build a strong... Beats me, but one thing's for sure: all guys want a big chest, and all women want a guy with impressively powerful pecs. It's hard-wired into our DNA. It's hard-wired into our DNA. Research shows that women are more sexually attracted to men who have who a low waist-to-chest ratio.
If you're a skinny guy who's looking to gain muscle mass, adding bulk to your chest can really make a huge difference. Discover the secrets of how a skinny guy can add pounds of muscle mass quickly ==> How To Get Bigger Pecs... If you follow these basics and watch out not to compromise with your form, you will build bigger chest at home without weights or supplements. Workout plans for building muscle at home without equipment are available in the Madbarz Premium .
Exercises for the trapezius muscles without weights are designed to build and strengthen your traps without using dumbbells or barbells. The trapezius muscle breaks down into three separate regions. how to get a loan without a job in canada how to build bigger arms without lifting weights For those who regularly go to the gym, the want for bigger arms is almost a certainty. Quiz any gym bro – bursting sleeves or not – and they'll admit, as with their calves, they want thicker arms.
"Home chest workout without weights for mass gain (Push ups workouts) workout exercises: Normal Push up Wide Push up Clapping Push up Close Push up Incline Push up Decline Push up #chest_workout #fitness #chest_workout_for_mass #bodyweight_chest_workout"
For instance, while doing push ups, do decline push ups, incline push ups and dive bomber push ups to build a bigger sculpted chest than doing one push up variation. Rest And Recover Looking at the tips above, one may think he should be on beast mode 7 days a week.


These Denim Bow Tie Belt Shorts gives all denim shorts a run for their money! They are so cute with top tucked in. They are the perfect addition to your summer wardrobe! Check them out in Light Denim!
Care: Hand Wash Cold. Do not Bleach. Lay Flat to Dry. Cool Iron if needed.


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NewsWorldEurope
Chechen PM in sauna sex scandal
Monday 03 April 2006 00:00
His public image as a devout Muslim warrior who frets about the morals of Chechnya's peoplehas been carefully constructed by spin doctors. But Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya's pro-Moscow Prime Minister, has become ensnared in an embarrassing sex scandal that has made his loud moral preaching appear rather hollow.
The scandalis potentially embarrassing for President Vladimir Putin since the Kremlin has chosen Mr Kadyrov as its point man in the strife-torn republic. Mr Kadyrov's aides have laughed off the grainy video of a man identical in appearance and voice to him in a sauna with two prostitutes, as a "provocation".
True or not, the footage is damaging for the 29-year-old Prime Minister, since he is married with children and has made a name for himself by criticising the media for broadcasting "immoral programmes" and by urging Chechen women to wear headscarves. In recent months he has outlawed gambling, clamped down on alcohol sales and partially introduced Shariah law. He was also recently reported to have issued an order for women's mobile phones to be monitored to ensure that wives are not in contact with ex-boyfriends.
The sauna footage was shot on a mobile phone and first appeared on a Chechen rebel website. The rebels regard Mr Kadyrov as a "phoney Muslim" who is trying to hijack Islam to quell separatist sentiment.
Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian reporter who specialises in Chechnya, has added credibility to the clip's authenticity by claiming that she too has been sent footage of a man identical in appearance to Ramzan.
Her claims go beyond debauched infidelity. She told a website: "On them [the clips] were the murders of federal servicemen by Kadyrovtsy [his private army], and also kidnappings directed by Kadyrov ... On the basis of them, a criminal case and investigation should follow."
But Mr Kadyrov has become too powerful for the Kremlin to remove easily and is expected in time to become the republic's President, a job his father did before he was assassinated. Yesterday he was back on state television - ironically he was talking about a beauty contest he is organising for Chechen girls.
1/0Chechen PM in sauna sex scandal
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Get 25% off Qatar Airways packages with this Booking.com promo code
Only £2 for delivery with this Debenhams discount code

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Piping plover pair renests at Gordons Pond
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | Division of Fish and Wildlife | Division of Parks and Recreation | Date Posted: Thursday, June 30, 2016
Three chicks take flight on the Point at Cape Henlopen
LEWES – A pair of piping plovers that lost their nest at Gordons Pond in Cape Henlopen State Park has regrouped and nested again within the park, with three eggs observed so far, DNREC's Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today. Another nest is still being incubated on the Point, with hatching expected over the next few days.
Three broods of piping plover chicks are continuing to forage on the Point, with one of the broods having fledged three chicks earlier this week, according to Division of Fish & Wildlife Biologist Matthew Bailey.
In other beachnesting bird news, the American oystercatcher nest on the Point is due to hatch this week, and least terns continue to defend their colony at Gordons Pond, Bailey added.
For more information about beachnesting birds and monitoring efforts, please contact Matthew Bailey at 302-382-4151 or email matthew.bailey@delaware.gov.
About the piping plover
The piping plover was listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1986, and the Division of Fish & Wildlife is responsible for its protection in Delaware. Under a binding agreement and species management plan that DNREC made in 1990 with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) – the federal agency with oversight of this ESA-protected species – piping plover nesting areas at Cape Henlopen State Park are closed annually to the public to protect the shorebirds from disturbance during their nesting season from March into September. The closure, which includes the Point and smaller areas around Gordons Pond and with both feeding habitat and nesting areas protected, has been successful, increasing the number of piping plover nesting pairs from a low of two pairs to a high of nine pairs. Piping plovers feed on small invertebrates that inhabit the intertidal zone near their nesting territories. Chicks are not fed by their parents, but rather are led to the shoreline to forage while the adults keep watch for potential threats. Allowing pedestrian traffic in the intertidal zone adjoining nesting areas would disturb the vital link between nesting and foraging habitat, and risks adverse stress or mortality to the chicks.
Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902
Vol. 46, No. 237
Related Topics: beach nester, birds, park, piping plover, wildlife


The Padl-R HF RFID reader provides a smart combination of Bluetooth and USB interfaces. It is readily integrated with a wide variety of wireless handheld PDAs or smart phones using Bluetooth which makes it a perfect retrofit option for businesses wanting to add value to their existing investments in handheld technology. Alternatively the USB interface allows for static mounting on a wall or counter for tagged items to be read in close proximity.
The reader features a highly configurable user interface with a variety of use modes such as push to read, remote triggering or 'always on' operation. Up to 1,000 tag values can be stored using the data logging mode and downloaded to a PC or laptop at a later time. Integration with other products such as Bluetooth GPS receivers is easy using Tracient's Sens-R Blue™ technology.
The unit is ideal for the mobile workforce to track and monitor mobile assets and for assisting with simultaneous asset position and identification in the field. Lightweight portability makes it excellent for use in security or logistics operations. It operates with industry standard tags at 13.56 MHz so is also ideal for Near Field Communications (NFC) type applications (ISO14443A, Mifare, Ultralight). Other applications inlude indoor asset management, condition monitoring, security, vending and ticketing.
The Padl-R HF is available in our RFID Discovery kit which includes a reader, tags in various styles, software for easy application development plus access to our consultancy services for business process engineering and aftermarket support services.
Designed for handheld, countertop or wall mounted use.
Full read/write functionality for compatible tags.
Powered by rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery with long life between charges.
Wireless Bluetooth connection to PDAs or Smartphones running Windows Mobile 6.x , Android (read only).
Comes with Tracient's RFIDWedge software interface which permits easy use with office applications such as word processing, spreadsheets or database programs.
USB connection for configuration, power supply and battery recharge, plus 'always on' operation.
Read confirmation via audio tones and multi-colour LED indicators.
1m to plywood on all faces and corners.
Single button for RFID reading, Multi-colour Leds, Audio beeper (multi tone). Configurable use case scenarios via USB or Bluetooth.
ISO 14443, Mifare Type A, Philips ICODE I, ISO15693, ISO18000-3M1, -13.56 Mhz.
Class 2 (typically 10m operation).
Field upgradeable via USB. Some configuration settings also available via Bluetooth interface.
Download a quick reference of whats shipped with our products.
Simple Asset Management Thin client applications, web or wlan based access to SQLServer Databases.


In my last blog, we started the discussion of the organization of learning management systems (LMS). The analysis started with defining what we are managing. In this particular entry, we delve into required descriptions and definitions for your LMS.
There are a variety of things you will either need to know or which you will need to systematize before you start looking for an LMS. While saying, "we need to manage what we teach or train" may seem very obvious, the different modes of instructions may interact with various LMS functions in different ways.
Shortly after starting to look into any LMS related project, you will begin to encounter a series of acronyms that detail the development of learning management systems. Probably the two most common are AICC (Airline Industry CBT Committee) and SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model). You may also see references to the Tin Can or Experience API (Application Programming Interface). All of these represent various standards that have evolved over time.
The first two, AICC and SCORM, are focused on the idea that vendors should build (and should be able to build) learning applications that work in multiple locations without having to worry about which particular LMS you have implemented. The underlying concept here is that if multiple vendors adhere to the same standard, anyone can sell anything to anyone. This is useful for those courses that have universal appeal, thereby allowing the training department to create courses specific to your industry or requirements.
The third, the Tin Can API, addresses the idea that "training" may not be limited to formal classes. Independent study (including courses that may not be part of your LMS), mentoring, eLearning or mobile learning, and other non-traditional learning experiences should be able to be tracked and to become part of an associate's learning record.
It is important to understand that none of these standards actually address the quality of instruction. They are standards that address how courses can be assembled, loaded, and report results. This is an important distinction.
There is a great deal of LMS literature that seems to link the concept of a learning management system with the concept of eLearning. All that is needed to expose the limitations of this is to start to enumerate the various types of training that might be in place in your organization. The broad categories of on-line, on-site and hybrid immediately start to subdivide. Without actual examples of the courses you will need to manage, both live and online, making any kind of decision about an LMS is a shot in the dark.
When you start your research into learning management systems, you will need to consider the architecture. There are two broad categories that define the boundaries of what you need to think about: the physical architecture and the logical architecture.
Physically, an LMS must live on a computer somewhere. You can put it on a machine that you keep in a closet down the hall, or you can subscribe to a cloud based service that moves all those nuts and bolts and power cords to a machine somewhere "out there." Each has a variety of related issues that arise based on the selection of where you put it. Examples would be the broad categories of security and support. If it is in the closet, who, when and how is it backed up? If it is in the cloud, who answers the phone at 8 P.M. on Saturday when one of your employees has a problem with a training class after hours? In either case, you need to ask who is responsible for the security of the LMS. If the theory is that intruders will go after the low hanging fruit, your LMS may be the target for hackers looking to get inside your firewall.
Logically, there are a number of different ways to view the LMS. The broadest distinction would be between "school based" and "business based". For example, a school based system is built around the concept of semesters and classes. Business systems would be more interested in organizing around job families and compliance requirements. An additional concern of a business system might be eLearning. In business settings, how classes are loaded, delivered, and reported will become critical. Additional concerns of business would be whether the LMS included links to talent management, succession planning, or the annual review process.
In the case of eLearning, you should build sample applications that test all the technology needed in your eLearning training suite. These should be available to be loaded on any LMS you wish to test. Do you have video or audio as part of the course? Does the LMS have a bandwidth limitation that may make video hosted on the vendor's server too expensive? Where are your users? If you work for a multinational this may be a more important question than you realize at first.
This part of the selection is often skipped as being too much work. It isn't. If you are thinking about an LMS, one thing you can start immediately is a list of the different types of courses you will need to offer, and a set of questions that can address whether what you need to do will work on a given LMS. Having a sample suite of your courses will prove invaluable as you move through the selection process.


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Q: Save log on database vs save logo on a local file Hy All
I have a question about saving some logs. I so that there are 2 ways usually used: Save each log in a database table or save logs on a local file.
My question is: which is less resource consuming and faster?
Thanks!

A: It's depends on what do you want from logs
If you are working on Linux. So log to file is better than anything else.
If you plan to manage your log to find out bugs or anything else, databases is good.
Keep in mind, using database to logs have some prof and cons, and all of them are not good enough for this purpose, exactly RDBMS databases. I suggest you consider using NoSQL databases like redis, mongodb and ...
Also before starting to save logs to database you should know for what kind of output and how long , do you want to save logs to database

A: both of ways are using now in applications. but saving logs in database is more secure than saving on disk as file.
if you want to log errors of your code, so you need to log file too. because sometimes you want to save logs in database and database has problem(i mean errors like too has many connections and ...)
Also,reading and writing in files are slower than database.
So saving logs in database is better than saving logs on file but you can have logs for database error as file.
I hope it helps you.

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text:
Your Premier Site for the Transformers Trading Card Game competitive Strategy!
Decklists and Deck Techs
Press the Advantage Banned!
by Team VectorSigma.info
Whenever large events happen in the Transformers TCG we try and swarm as a group and address them..so you are in for a treat of various opinions on the recent banning of Press the Advantage.
See the Wizards of the Coast article for full explanation here:
https://transformerstcg-support.wizards.com/hc/en-us/articles/360034885772-Banning-Press-the-Advantage
Avoid a Cold War
Scott Landis:
Break ups are never easy, but some are simply best for all involved…Press the Advantage, sorry, not sorry, you've stunted growth long enough. I am going to attempt to keep from simply echoing Ken's amazing thoughts on this difficult decision and give you some hot takes, sure to be echoed in other media.
I have seen players attempt to defend PTA, saying there were "ways around it" or "allow the format to adapt to it" but what they are not understanding is that the Orange-Green nature of a basic +2 attack at worst, and at best a Reckless Charge with no downside (actually better than Reckless Charge if you are attacking the same Decepticon multiple times in a turn) is not a balanced card.
It was doing more than simply "keeping the Decepticon decks down," you are actively hurting the playability of other very fine cards. How many Heavy Handeds do you see nowadays? How many off-color Leap into Battles? How many Steady Shots? The Transformers TCG is a game of limited action phases, and every Green card that exists needs to have a downside to it because you are shortcutting the need to actually draw into something to play during that action step: Press specifically had NO downside as a ubiquitous +2 (with an Orange Icon tagged onto the problem Green), but had tremendous upside as well. That is simply too much consistency in a card for a game intentionally built on the nature of managing inconsistency.
I guess a lot of players against the banning and putting up a cry wanting a Decepticon equivalent did not ever watch "The Day After" or "Red Dawn" because an arms race such as this can only result in mutually assured destruction. I for one prefer to TEAR THIS WALL DOWN and have a solution that removes the problems instead of escalating them, with the help of Rocky defeating Drago of course. Again, PTA was keeping down its own brethren as much as the opposition.
There's an old adage in TCGs, "There are no wrong questions only wrong answers" seems to be the case when trying to address PTA. Do games have powerful cards? Of course. Do those powerful cards oftentimes close off competitive access to an entire factions worth of starting characters? No.
I am far from some Decepticon loyalist from an outside the game perspective, but the undercurrent reason why a lot of new fun Decepticon strategies are non-existent is PTA. Decepticon combiners? Shockwave? General Megatron? Skywarp? Soundwave (either version)? Trypicon? All arguably competitively unplayable simply due to PTA.
Banning was the only prudent option, one I applaud.
Vince DeGulis:
Most of my articles are written quite honestly as a gigantic stream of consciousness in about 45 minutes to an hour. That's not a #humbleBrag it's more just a general boon in situations like this. At the time of writing this we had one of the larger bombshells dropped on the competitive community in the history of the game. The idea here is a relatively quick "hot take", given the short time frame of course I'd like to reserve the right to change my opinion.
Allow that to percolate for a moment. Press the Advantage, which has been one of the premier battle cards since its release is going to be officially banned from competitive play when Siege 2 releases. As I sit here and contemplate it is a little strange. I actually had an article sent over to Scott back in September talking about this exact topic. Coming out of GenCon and looking forward to the EIQ season I anticipated that we would be seeing a ton of Press the Advantage (PtA). As we now have concluded the store qualifiers and having born witness to the decks that thrived in the Siege 1 meta, I am kind of anticipating that if I open a window and listen intently that I can hear the faint sounds of the entire Transformers TCG community collectively cheering DING DONG THE PRESS IS DEAD! As WotC dropped a proverbial house on the wicked with of the Autobots. My feelings are mostly the same then as they are now.
I'm honestly not sure.
I will openly state my own affection for the Decepticons. They were my favorite when I sat in front of the TV in my pj's as a kid, they were my favorite as I collected toys, when I played the video games, when I read the comics, when I watched the movies, and when I played the card game. As you might imagine, when Wave 2 introduced PtA and Bad Attitude I truly thought they were NOT part of the same "cycle". There was just no comparing the power level of the 2 cards. I was convinced that the "Decepticon Press" was coming in a later set, even if it was a wildly different effect. Just something that was a comparable power level. Based on the article today from the Wizards team I was incorrect and Bad Attitude was in fact intended to be the counterpart to PtA.
Shocking as that revelation may be, the purple badge wearing part of me is rejoicing alongside everyone else in the community. It's stated in the announcement but ultimately every single blue focused Decepticon deck had to content with twice as many copies of "Reckless Charge", 3 of which had green pips so they will pretty much always have it. Orange based Decepticons always were playing with a disadvantage not really because of PtA played against them, although that isn't irrelevant, but instead they didn't get a comparable battle card to help climb the aggro vs. control mountain.
When viewed under that microscope the verdict seems obvious. Press the Advantage had to go! It heavily skewed the meta towards a "red" focus rather than a red/purple balance. It presented unreasonable hurdles for half the character cast and trivialized a significant portion of games. I won't rehash the explanations from the WotC article but I have always agreed that banning and not the various alternatives is the healthiest option. If it weren't for the fact that this won't go into effect until November 8thyou'd probably be seeing a whole lot of fringe Decepticon lists swarming into local events right now. Granted many of them would still struggle due to other issues, but the mere fact that they wouldn't need to contend with as many threats would provide them a much-needed breath of life.
Remember how I said earlier I wasn't sure? I wasn't joking and I am of two minds about this ban. Now before anyone breaks out torches and pitchforks allow me to elaborate. For those who have been around card games for a while this won't be anything earthshattering, but for those who haven't: sets are designed in advance, way in advance. How far in advance we obviously aren't precisely sure of, but decisions are made based on information that the WotC team has had for much longer than the general populace has.
One needs only to look at the ever-growing stat pool on characters. We have seen Decepticon health totals grow over time to where we now have multiple characters sporting 16+ health! You may be seeing where I am going with this. Press was likely created with the Shockwaves, Megatrons, Soundblasters, and other characters already in the pipeline. We've seen that despite PtA being omnipresent Shockwave has made uh…waves in a number of high profile events. Think back to a time where you played an aggressive deck into say ranged Shockwave and didn't see a Press the Advantage. I'm going to venture a guess and say that it didn't end well for the aggro deck. In conjunction with the additional tools that the next wave is presenting for control decks, we may be in for a very blue winter, but that's just hypothesizing when we don't even have the entire 4th set available to us just yet. Point is if the characters were designed with PtA in mind, and the threat of PtA is now gone it could have just as much of a negative effect in the other direction.
If we go a step further and remove the earlier emotional argument from the equation we encounter another hurdle. I mentioned that I am a Decepticon fan, which in the context of actually playing the game competitively is meaningless. If we are talking "kitchen table" games then problems like Press get solved with a social contract. Basically: "Hey, mind not playing that #&^$#^& card?" In competitive play that isn't really a reasonable ask hence the ban. Instead for competitive play we need to look at the meta as a whole. Were there competitive wide aggro decks? Tall aggro? Wide control? Tall Control? Etc etc. While the official statement called out that we did have a distinct lack of variety in competitive Decepticon decks, if the spectrum of archtypes is accounted for from hellscreaming aggro to watching-paint-dry control then does it actually matter whether the team wears a red or purple badge?
No Crystal Ball
I've said it on many occasions before that the WotC team has earned my trust. At this point in time I am not entirely sure whether this will end up being a positive change for me as a player or the general playerbase for that matter. I am sure that I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt with this change. The justifications have been clearly outlined and I can get behind the reasoning. One other thing is for certain this changes the entire battlefield going into the Energon Invitational. Time to get to work!
Scott "REALLY plays with Word Art!"
Dan Arnold:
Yowie wowie to my fellow wrestling fans out there,
Press the Advantage simply pressed one to many buttons apparently in the design team and most certainly in the meta game since the time it was spoiled. The numbers are in the article and I'm sure they went over them internally even deeper over the course of the six months it's been legal. Yes, decks like Shockwave found creative ways to fend off PTA (mostly through the discard that does not allow you to use the "Green") but the one glaring truth was simple, the answers had to be cleanly drawn and shaped together. You needed to draw your Infiltrate, you needed to remove all of your opponent's cards from their hand, and hope they didn't draw PTA anyway, or you had to pray to draw the bolster and the Forcefield. Press the Advantage being green was easily picked up when needed by players who didn't over-extend their hand, which was not even an issue outside of Shockwave to begin with. The card was completely over the top and "Bad Attitude" being the mirror to PTA is incredibly mistaken, even in the best-case scenario of Aerialbots VS Prediconsits still incredibly laughable.
To put it better the only chance this card has at seeing play would have been as a blank. That's the type of power level it truly had. For a long while I thought maybe if it were just Green it would have been fine, but that's just not true. The Green pip is the most powerful pip in the game, as being able to always have access to a card with any type of power level is very strong. Enigmas, Espionage, Enforcement Baton, Bashing Shield all see play in all sorts of decks and are all good cards, however none of those cards come close to the power level of even just a green pip Press the Advantage.
Finally, characters that have been hindered due to the accessibility of PTA will be able to shine, so many new Deceptions in Siege 2 will not have to worry about just being one PTA away from death. Lord Megatron, Sargant Barricade, Sargant Soundwave, all are very happy to live in a world where Press the Advantage wont be around to shred them to pieces. Saying goodbye to Press the Advantage is saying hello to a brand new light of deck building. And I for one couldn't be more existed to take advantage of that!
Adam Bixler:
I've been saying since the card came out that Press the Advantage was extremely good, if not too good. It was a 2 to 4 damage buff that also had a Green pip. What could go wrong? It literally made Autobots the playable faction while pushing comparable Decepticons out of the meta. The fact that you could find it because it was green meant dead cards in your hand became PTA. Useless Improvised shield? You mean a pitchable card for you next PTA. It started as a 1 or 2 of main board and I knew it quickly would just be a 3 of in every aggressive Autobot deck.
Am I glad it's gone? Yes and no. I think they just should have had an equivalent Decepticon PTA from the beginning. No not you bad attitude or whatever secret action was proposed in the banning article. I get wanting diversity among cards so its not like nobles and scoundrels blaster where they just swap the faction text. But when you have a powerhouse card that you can regularly get its best to balance it with an equally powerful card for the other faction. Even it forces you to make basically the same card. So in that regard if they do not want to do that then I believe they should remove the card from play.
"Scott continues to play with Word Art"
Jon Palmer:
When it comes to Press the Advantage, one quote stands out in my mind - "Every [card] dies, but not every card really lives." Press the Advantage certainly made the most of its short life.
Design's explanation of how the card came to be (and how its partner, Bad Attitude, came to be terrible) makes sense. I think they may have underestimated the power of on-color green pipped cards in general when testing Wave 2. Press was intended to be a sideboard card, but simply being an orange/green with a +2 attack was good enough - the rest was gravy. And we can see from the GenCon results that for the most part, Decepticon decks simply weren't able to overcome the power it gave Autobots, even in decks that may have been mixed faction.
So the question is, where does that leave the metagame? In Siege 1, Major Shockwave was the only Decepticon blue deck that was able to thrive, but we also saw Autobot blue mainstays like Optimus Prime, Battlefield Legend fall off in power and popularity. So is the issue simply Press, or a combination of Press and a weakness of blue decks? It's likely a bit of both, as again, Press was a power engine even when it didn't get the defense adjustment against Decepticons.
I love the change as I think it's going to open more options in deckbuilding. Decepticon decks built around one large character no longer have to worry about being hit with Press every wheel turn by wide Autobot decks. Tanks, a deck I keep wanting to be good, will be able to defend that much better, especially in concert with the new Reactive Armor. Major Shockwave, who was already "good enough", may get even more of a boost. And Insecticons, who were good even without Press, now have a leg up in an environment where essentially every competitive aggro deck other than them lost at least a great sideboard card, and often a maindeck card. Plus now you can splash Barrage again without worrying about him being an easy target.
This change was great for the game, and in conjunction with Siege 2's release should allow a full exploration of deckbuilding options. Kudos to the design team for seeing a problem and fixing it.
Remember, decisions like these are never easy. At VectorSigma.info we are always ready to admit mistakes we make in our thought process..and it is refreshing to support a game run by professionals that occasionally have to admit their own as well..thank you for that bravery ~ Scott
'Till all are one
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"Till All Are One!"
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Vereen Playmakers Camp a Golden Experience (Video)
How many parents would love to have their children train with an NFL Super Bowl champion? That became a reality for many families participating in the Vereen Playmakers Camp. "Each year the excitement has grown more and more. Just to have all the kids out really enjoying football, the fun part,"...
Brock Vereen Chosen by Bears in NFL Draft
Former Valencia High School star Brock Vereen was drafted by the Chicago Bears after four years with the Minnesota Gophers. Former Valencia Vikings football player Brock Vereen was drafted by the Chicago Bears Saturday in the 4th round of the 2014 NFL Draft. The 131st pick overall, Vereen was a four-year...
2003 - Actress & big cat rescuer Tippi Hedren of Acton inducted into Hollywood Walk of Fame [story]


"From here [in the book] on we shift into hope. Hope that logical, uplifting, and a far superior place in which to live than that town called despair. Hope is not a question of personal philosophy. In the face of uncertainty, operating from a stance of hope is a strategic and practical response. It is a way of approaching the world. As environmental writer Professor David Orr said of it, 'Hope is a verb with its sleeves rolled up.'"
Again, worried about climate change? Grab some hope, take action, and let's get going to mitigate climate change.
Photo source: United Way of King County.
"Action is the antidote for despair.—"American folk singer Joan Baez.
Yes, action is the antidote to despair.
Seth Klein has a interesting piece on overcoming climate despair. He discusses the situation of Canadians who are appalled by their Fed Govt policies.
"We are the U-turn Generation." The concept is this: all of us who have the courage to look the science of global warming full-on wrestle with despair.


at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes by 2020.
Regionally, the Micronesia Challenge aims to effectively conserve at least 30% of near-shore marine resources and 20% of terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020. An example of a country-based target is Fiji that aims to have 30% of reefs protected by 2015 and 30% of waters managed as a marine protected area network by 2020.
Below are various efforts that have been carried out to assess progress (global and regional) towards Aichi protected area targets. The paper by Govan (2009) is the most comprehensive assessment of marine protected areas (MPAs), including all LMAs in the Pacific Islands. Govan's data has now been incorporated into the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). Several of the papers below attempt to assess progress towards targets which relate to factors such as management effectiveness, biodiversity coverage, governance and finance etc.
National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) were always seen as a key instrument for national implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). This role was reinforced by the adoption, at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2010, of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, including the Aichi 5 Biodiversity Targets.1 Aichi Target 17 reads "By 2015 each Party has developed, adopted as a policy instrument, and has commenced implementing an effective, participatory and updated national biodiversity strategy and action plan".
The CBD-mandated Biodiversity Indicators Partnership is the global initiative to promote and coordinate development and delivery of biodiversity indicators in support of the CBD, Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA), IPBES, national and regional governments and a range of other sectors.
The Partnership brings together over forty organizations working internationally on indicator development to provide the most comprehensive information on biodiversity trends.
Track the progress of GEF funded projects by country under Aichi targets 11 and 12 by registering for the "Project Mgt Information System" at the bottom of the GEF splash page.
IBAT compares the current distribution of protected areas with the distribution of Key Biodiversity Areas, displaying the extent to which Aichi Target 11 (Convention on Biological Diversity) is being delivered strategically. By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes.
Lubchenco, Jane, and Kirsten Grorud-Colvert. 2015. Making waves: The science and politics of ocean protection. Science Vol. 350 No. 6259: 382-383.
Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdictions - What to do?
Marine protected areas (MPAs) that effectively protect critical habitats, species and ecological functions are an essential tool for recovering, protecting and enhancing biodiversity, productivity and resilience, and for securing these benefits for current and future generations.
Oonzaier, L. B. and D. Pauly. 2016. Marine protection targets: an updated assessment of global progress. Oryx 50(1), 27–35.
United National Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. 2008. National and Regional Networks of Marine Protected Areas: A Review of Progress. Cambridge, U.K.
Toropova, C., Meliane, I., Laffoley, D., Matthews, E. and Spalding, M. (eds.) 2010. Ocean Protection: Present Status and Future Possibilities. Brest, France: Agence des aires marines protégées, Gland, Switzerland, Washington, DC and New York, USA: IUCN WCPA, Cambridge, UK : UNEP-WCMC, Arlington, USA: TNC, Tokyo, Japan: UNU, New York, USA: WCS.
The Pacific Islands Marine Portal provides various information on the status of marine protected areas and much more.
The authors used data from the IUCN Protected Areas Management Effectiveness database (PAME) combined with the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) to assess current progress towards the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) 2010 and 2015 targets for PAME, which call for at least 30 percent and 60 percent of the total area of protected areas to have been assessed in terms of management effectiveness, respectively.
We think of national parks and protected areas as permanent fixtures on the landscape, but recent research points to the widespread (but largely overlooked) protected area downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD). In response, PADDDtracker.org is documenting the patterns, trends, causes, and consequences of PADDD.
Runge, C. A., J. E. M. Watson, S. H. M. Butchart, J. O. Hanson, H. P. Possingham, and R. A. Fuller. 2015 . Protected Areas and the Global Conservation of Migratory Birds. Science 350: 1255-1258.
Just 9% of 1451 migratory birds are adequately covered by protected areas across all stages of their annual cycle, in comparison with 45% of nonmigratory birds. Read the full paper published in Science.
Bastian Bertzky, B., Corrigan, C., Kemsey, J., Kenney, S., Ravilious, C., Besançon, C. and Burgess, N. 2012. Protected Planet Report 2012 Tracking Progress Towards Global Targets for Protected Areas. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge, UK.
This new initiative tracks global progress towards Target 11 of the CBD Aichi Biodiversity Target which calls for at least 17% of the world's terrestrial areas and 10% of marine areas to be equitably managed and conserved by 2020.
It reports that 12.7% of the world's terrestrial and inland water and 1.6% of the global ocean area, 4% of all marine area under national jurisdiction and 7.2% of all coastal waters were protected by 2010.
What Pacific Island Countries are Members of Ramsar?
To formally launch the second phase of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) programme, a regional inception workshop for the Pacific was held at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, Apia, Samoa from 11th to 15th June 2018. The aim of the inception workshop was to ensure that all 15 countries in the Pacific ACP Group of States were engaged for the second phase of BIOPAMA. The working title of the workshop was 'Regional Workshop on Improving Information and Capacity for More Effective Protected Area Management and Governance in the Pacific'.


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You are here: Home / Local / Community Support Seen for Bel Air Teen Accused of Killing Father
Community Support Seen for Bel Air Teen Accused of Killing Father
January 23, 2012 By Cindy Mumby
Why did 16-year-old Robert Richardson shoot his father at their Bel Air home and drive the body to a pond on property belonging to a relative in Aberdeen? Having admitted to police that he killed his father, what defense might there be for a boy whose age makes him a minor but who now faces murder charges as an adult?
These are among the questions that have sparked a groundswell of community support since Richardson's arrest on Jan. 10, including the creation of a Facebook page with nearly 700 fans, a YouTube video, and a fundraising website where donations for Richardson's defense total more than $2,700.
The Facebook page "Free Robert (Bob) Richardson III" has attracted people who know the C. Milton Wright High School student and who said that he lost his mother to cancer years ago and allege that he was abused both physically and emotionally by his father, Robert C. Richardson, Jr. Others say they don't know Bob Richardson but are haunted by his case and want to ensure he has the best possible defense. Richardson has been represented thus far by a public defender.
Richardson is charged in connection with the shooting death of his father with first- and second-degree murder and the use of a handgun in the commission of a felony. He was denied bail on January 11 and is currently being held in the Harford County Detention Center.
The following information is from the "Free Robert (Bob) Richardson III" Facebook page, including the link to the fundraising web site: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Free-Robert-Bob-Richardson-III/275963722462829?sk=info
About: On Jan 9 2012, Robert killed his father, and was caught by police the next day. Robert was driven to desperation by years of alleged abuse and neglect, witnessed by many friends and family.
Description: Robert was constantly seen with bruises, or in clothes that didnt fit. He lived with his father, Robert Richardson Jr. (58) who allegedly abused him, verbally, mentally, and physically. Bob is a great friend and was driven to desperation from the 16 years of alleged abuse by his father. When he believed he had no other choice, he shot and killed his father. Many friends, and some family are coming forward with stories that they witnessed abuse, or unusual, unexplained marks, etc. We believe that Robert is innocent of murder, and that his case should be remanded to the juvenile courts, where he is more likely to get the help he needs. We have set up this page as a show of our support for Bob.
if you're wondering how to help, please visit this website to make a donation
https://www.wepay.com/donations/attorney_fees?utm_campaign=donations&utm_medium=link&utm_source=facebook&ref_uid=4188851
or mail bob at
Robert Richardson
Harford County Detention Center
Bel Air MD 21014
Website https://www.wepay.com/donations/attorney…
A YouTube video about Bob Richardson can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KxILjOa2hY
About Cindy Mumby
Education Editor
cindy@daggerpress.com
hc says
i dont understand how friends and family new of bruises and abuse but did not contact the police. why r people coming out of the woodwork now to help him? where was the help through the yrs of abuse?
hmmmmm says
Great Question! And apparently the neighbor that was interviewed on the news said that she knew this was going on as well. Why when people know that a child's life is in DANGER, do they NOT do anything to help that child. In my opinion, those that stood by to do NOTHING are just as guilty for the abuse. I don't condone the shooting/death of this boy's father. But this boy will also need some intensive counseling.
Hannah Siple says
Hi. i'm actually the creator of the facebook page. Bob and i were friends, but he never really opened up about his home life. it was something he kept secret. i guess we each had a little sliver of information, but none of us were able to put it all together until after the fact. its a sad situation for all involved. ive been beating myself up like crazy for not figuring it out. i guess i never thought about it, or had a reason to think about it. thats a huge reason i started the page. not only to get people who saw something to come forward and speak to the defense team, but also to educate people of the signs.
tickle says
While what you are doing to help your friend is commendable, I don't get it. After speaking to local law enforcement close to the case, they knew as well that the boy's father was a sorry ass role model. However they also went on to say that your friend was no angel either. Drug use (including partying with his father), truancy from school, drug dealing, theft to name a few.
Wearing non conforming or dirty clothes is not a reason to MURDER your father. No one can PROVE physical abuse, at this point in time it is nothing more than hear say.
This case has so many issues with it, and I am not the one responsible for judging him, but for you to think this boy needs to be freed and not held accountable for what he has done sickens me! Did his father deserve to be shot and killed execution style? Did he deserve to be driven around in the trunk of a car until being dumped like trash in a pond? He is not here to defend his name or accusations against him, however every time your friend decided to run away, he was calling the police out of parental concern to bring him back.
I was under the impression, possibly incorrectly, that a neighbor had made phone calls to the police (possibly Sheriff's Office), reporting yelling and arguing coming from the Richardson home. Whatever the case, this is a familial tragedy. No judgements should be passed on anyone involved.
you heard correctly. the police were called a dozen times in the past 6 months. as i said in response to the comment above, im the creator of the page, and ive done lots of research on this. everyone knew a tiny little bit of what went on, but nobody knew the whole case.
Cdev says
Hannah for future reference (hopefully you will never need it) for you or anyone out there. You do not need to KNOW abuse is going on just SUSPECT it. You can call social Services and you will remain anonymous to the suspect. Usually they blame the school. They will investigate the complaint. SO for anyone out there who suspects a child is being abused….make the call!
they had been called.
David A. Porter says
I'm with Hannah on this. I approached Social Services about something that looked like the parents were engaged in their own selfish, abusive, and otherwise criminal activities and I was simply told there was nothing they could do. It was clear to me that the kids were living in a home where neglect was rampant.
By the way I am a firm believer that the words "Nothing they could do" are a euphemism for "Nothing they will do"
Today's quote from my Franklin Planner reads:
"Some people fold after one timid request… Keep asking until you find the answers…."
This doesn't always work of course, but if you keep trying and they still refuse to act on their responsibilities, it wasn't because of a lack of resolve from you.
noble says
You also have to be talking to the right person. DSS can be a large and confusing place (even for the people who work there), and if you aren't calling the right number (not always obvious) and the right person doesn't answer the phone (if anyone answers it), you will have problems.
When you call CPS/APS (child/adult) they will typically ask you a standard battery of questions. If certain criteria aren't met based on your responses, they aren't going to do anything other than file the "complaint". If they have actionable information, they will investigate, but at that point if certain criteria aren't met, they may not do anything.
These are protections. There are quite often people/cases that fall into a gray area where they clearly need some kind of help, but there's not clear agency/policy/solutions to implement until the situation changes.
Porter says
Yes without question.
Karen Green says
I don't know the circumstances of this case. I do know that people are afraid that the abuser, who apparently had been reported, was still free. Although reports of abuse are supposed to be confidential,some were probably afraid of retaliation. Imagine living next door to someone who is already out of control and him finding out that you turned him in – not a pretty thought. Something was very wrong here but let's not rush to judgement until evidence is gathered and presented. Perhaps family, friends and neighbors had done all that they could legally and a desperate child took a desperate action in an attempt to be free.
karen, thats a great point! i created the page and i never thought of that. thank you!
shelley chrystal says
Please make a donation so this young man can have a good attorney to represent him,he deserves that right! He has had enough pain in his young life lets show him that people do care!
thank you shelley! i made the facebook page, and let me tell you, the response is phenomenal! we're almost at 3000 (75 away at the moment) in donations for bob, and many people have sent money orders to him directly at the jail, who knows how much that adds up to?
I pray that something good will come out of this tradegy of abuse and murder. I am so warmed by the outcry to help this young man Robert Richardson. I pray we will all take it one step further and use this tradegy to spread awareness. Child abuse can last well into high school. We cannot assume someone else is helping. Let's also keep the pressure on our politicians not to allow public health services to be cut. In these times we need more mental Heath support, health care for thoses truly in need and social services for the abused and neglected. Please let's work together to keep this kind of tradegy from happening again. Reach out, be aware, offer help, not judgement. Give Roberts story a purpose and a meaningful ending. God bless.
Valerie, your comment says it all. thats half the reason i created the page. thank you!
King of Common Sense says
It is really a shame that this level of support is rarely seen for victims of horrific crimes and this murderer is going to receive donations and possibly an attorney for his actions. There are so many worthy causes and charities that this money could go to. Myself and inmates around this young man have been absolutely disgusted at how he has told and retold the entire story of the murder to anyone that will listen. The entire time laughing and talking about how exciting it was when he was fleeing from the police and how much damage he did to the church wall. There have been life long criminals that have seen his lack of remorse and general amusement at the fact that he killed his father and even they were sickened by him. If you are a friend of this kid, by all means you can stand by him but anyone who has no personal connection to this situation should move on with their lives and not jump on every emotional bandwagon that passes you by.
"King of Common Sense"? King of Lies, more like. How sad that you're so desperate for attention in your life that you need to post absurdities. Why don't you take up a hobby; you might make some friends that way.
San says
The neighbor that lived on his street you saw never saw the father or son. She did call the police on the father because of things she would hear while in her yard a few hundred feet away. She also has children. I think she has expressed how bad she has felt for not going over there herself. Would you confront a man that you know nothing about and could be under the influence or armed or would you call the police? Having never seen the child I dont know how she could of alone gotten him removed from the home. I think the whole community feels bad enough thanks for your kind words.
Dan says
What people also don't understand is that if you are 16 and you do go through with having charges pressed against your father when you are living with him how it will completely ruin your living situation. Obviously he had no other family to stay with otherwise i'm sure he would have went out of his way to go do that and possibly report it to the police. The Bel Air police department and the State Troopers at the Bel Air barracks are also not shining examples of law abiding citizens anyway and most of them only care a certain amount. Not to say that every officer within those departments wouldn't care and are not decent humans it's just how it is. Humanity only cares when it typically benefits them. Honestly it seems like they are more excited about the fact that there was a murder in their district and not the facts based around it. If you were 16 years old; had no one in your life other than your friends that you have met through school, or your neighborhood would you really want to risk giving the only release you have up just to press the charges? He would surely be thrown into Harford County's system and then probably bounced around from home to home till he is 18 then off to do whatever. Where would he go then? I know what it is like to feel trapped. It's not a great feeling, and I probably would of done the same thing if I were in his shoes. All the self righteous people who like to claim their morals would prevail in a situation like this have clearly never been to that point. You act out of desperation not intelligence. I never knew the kid but I wish him the best of luck especially since the public pretender will certainly not be the best option but the only one he has. Hannah, maybe you should attempt to contact lawyers throughout Harford County and possibly Baltimore County to see if they will take up his case pro bono? It's worth a shot. Good luck.
Blame the next guy says
Dan… what does the Bel Air Police department or the Maryland State Police have to do with this kids troubled past or actions? If anything you should be thanking the Troopers that located this kid and took him off the street. I'm sure you would be singing a much different tune if your family was involved. Get over the fact that a Bel Air Town cop wrote you a seat belt ticket when you were 16 and that you deep down always wanted to be a Trooper but couldn't make the cut. If people took me responsibility for their actions and stopped blaming others maybe the world would be a different place.
UGH!!! says
It is rather the same with abused women. You know the hell that you are living in, the Hell that the abuser convinced you is outside is an unknown and therefore frightening, as an adult abused woman, I can only feel pain for this child and wish someone would have cared sooner. I am sure that he will suffer for this for the rest of his life no matter what happens, he is still a scared child sho is now totally alone. Pray that he gets the help that he needs for as long as is needed and that he may one day have a life!!
Just Saying says
Most of these comments just make me laugh…. I feel for this kid BUT at 16 you know right from wrong I mean that is just the way it is. He knew murder was wrong he knew riding around and discarding the body was wrong, from what I have read this kid had been in trouble before so this is no excuse Im sorry but wrong is wrong and he is wrong. As for this comment you might be right he might not have had anywhere else to go and would have ended up in foster care but what does he have now. At least if authorities got involved his dad could have gotten help and had case workers in once a week but he would still have a home now he doesnt have anything or anywhere to go. Im sure if he gets off someone bleeding heart will take him in and then he could possibly get mad at them for telling him he couldnt do something and do the same thing to them. Sorry I just do not agree with all this bleeding heart, he knew what he was doing or he wouldnt have tried to discard the body like he did. I have no pity for this kid and I wouldnt waste my money.
I dont think that is true at all because he is on watch and in isolation away from the adults. Not sure who would be in his isolation cell chatting it up with him. Your full of it.
First of all, the isolation cells are in a group of four isolation cells. Second, the shower that isolation uses is attached to a cell block that houses up to 16 inmates on lock down. Lastly, this kid goes to court with everyone else so he has plenty of opportunity to "chat it up" with others and to be observed doing so.
Lol I must have struck a nerve. Keep attempting to personally attack me it might make you feel better and it might make it seem like you have half a clue of what is going on.
Dan I know much more then you I can assure you that. You just remember to keep that seat belt on buddy.
KING OF COMMON SENSE
Retiredawhile says
SAN,
And you don't know very much about the configuration of the jail. Who would he be chatting up? Well Officers of course, they are the ones "constantly watching" him. This young man wouldn't be the first one to day in and day out spill it all to one or more of the officers.
He would be wise to keep his mouth shut.
"Retired" yet another know-it-all who acts like he's right in the thick of things.
Hope says
I believe that you are right about Retired, this person needs to get a hobby, I've seen some of the other posts and my thought is if you have nothing to say but tear others down, you must not have much to say…..
Trish and Hope,
If you do not agree with my advice, so be it. I am only recommending he not say anything around or to the officers about his situation. I also don't know if he has already done that. He would not be the first one to have talked to the officers and told them in detail how a crime was committed.
I always thought that isolation watch was done by closed circuit tv to a single officer, not a personal (tell-a-buddy) situation. I am thinking that "someone" is just a frightened little mouse who pats themselves on the back when they are such a big toughie and beating up people online (under a fake name of course)!!
UGH,
Yes, sometimes the watch is accomplished by CCTV, but not always. My point has to do with inmates talking to officers about the alleged crime, and my recommendation is "Don't do it". If you don't feel that is sound advice, so be it.
Your correct I dont know or ever will know about the inside of jail. You do I guess . So you were and inmate there or employed by the HCDC??? It sounds to me like you are someone that was close to his father perhaps. If so I am sorry for your loss.
I have talked to an attorney who is not working his case but she does know the layout of where he is being kept and he is under watch and in isolation. The attorney I know have said he is scared to death and definitley not bragging.
You said he was telling other inmates..remember ^^^…hardened criminals that had their tummys upset by his stories and lack of remorse..You now say he was telling the officers that were in charge of watching him so he doesnt kill himself because he is so confused and upset. You said that… after I stated he didnt have contact with the other inmates. He is not in contact with other inmates to tell this story to …let alone sit around and laugh with them. I understand you dont agree with what he has done. I dont think anyone does. If you have witnessed what you have stated than I guess we will be seeing you up on the winess stand after the prosecutor calls you and I will personally apologize to you because I will be there.
jt badazz says
hanna is a bit immature and self-obsessed to see the issues and ramifications of such a heinous crime. not surprising. the question here isnt who is innocent, bel air residents certainly are not. neither is the issue who is guilty. no one, not even the father has been proven guilty. this one is beyond public opinion or posing immature little girls like hanna.
the REAL question here IS NOT whether it is OK to murder your father if he doesnt buy you stylish clothes. the REAL issue here isnt whether bob was abused verbally, because even in the wealthiest houses, children are abused and NO ONE is MURDERED. the REAL question may involve whether the father was guilty of unimaginable crimes. there is no question bob killed his father.
the MOST IMPORTANT question here is will the DA take heart and abuse into consideration and allow bob to plead guilty with intense-support and counseling services being part of the sentencing, or will bob do hard time when NO ONE wants that.