text:
Category Archives: Indoor Football League
IFL Commissioner Michael Allshouse Resigns, Todd Tryon to be next up
Category : Football (US/Canada) , IFL , Indoor Football , Indoor Football League , Michael Allshouse , Sioux Falls Storm , Todd Tryon
The Indoor Football League formally announced on Thursday that league commissioner Michael Allshouse has put in his official resignation after 10 years of service with the group.
The IFL released a statement on the matter saying that their search for a new commissioner had started, but according to our sources that search has already conclude.
The league is expected to announce soon that former owner of the Sioux Falls Storm, Todd Tryon, will be named the league's next commissioner.
It was first reported by "The IFL Network."
The full statement sent out by the league can be viewed in full below:
The Indoor Football League (IFL) announced today that Commissioner Michael Allshouse has resigned to pursue other professional opportunities, effective immediately. The Board has begun a search for Allshouse's successor.
"After ten years of service to the IFL it is the right time for me to step away from the organization," said Allshouse. "I will look back fondly on my experience with the league, but it is time for me to explore other opportunities and challenges as I continue to grow professionally and personally."
IFL Chairwoman Kathy Treankler stated, "The IFL Board of Directors is grateful for Mike's years of service and leadership. Although we are sad to see him go, we fully support his decision and are thankful for his many accomplishments at the IFL. We wish him nothing but the best as he continues his professional career."
Allshouse joined the IFL as an intern in 2009. He went on to serve in the roles of Director of Communications, Director of Football Operations, and Assistant Commissioner before being promoted to Commissioner in 2013.
"I have always prided myself on leaving a situation in a better position than when I arrived, and I believe we achieved that goal," stated Allshouse.
The IFL is not yet finished announcing each of their expansion teams, so until that happens, the release of the 2020 schedule will be delayed. The schedule was announced last season in November.The post IFL Commissioner Michael Allshouse Resigns, Todd Tryon to be next up appeared first on Last Word on Sports.
Connor Hollenbeck becomes first signing for Barnstormers 2020 Roster
Category : Ameer Ismail , Connor Hollenbeck , Football (US/Canada) , IFL , Indoor Football , Indoor Football League , Iowa Barnstormers
The Iowa Barnstormers have consistently had one of the best receiving corps' in the Indoor Football League over the past few seasons.
With the imminent coaching change that became official on Thursday with the hiring of Ameer Ismail, it's wondered on if the Barnstormers will elect to maintain the focus on pass catchers.
They already took a big step towards it when they signed their first player on Friday.
Connor Hollenbeck, a standout from the team's 2019 roster became the first player to sign for 2020 as well as the first to announce he was returning to Des Moines.
For him, the process was easy.
After he found out former head coach Dixie Wooten would be leaving the franchise, he wanted to see who Iowa hired next before he signed to play for the Barnstormers for a second season.
"[Barnstormers Vice President and Chief Operating Executive] John [Pettit] called me a told me who it was," Hollenbeck said. "We talked and I signed an hour later."
Hollenbeck said he's heard and seen nothing but good things about Coach Ismail and that it made his decision easy.
The returning standout was looking for another high energy coach to lead the Barnstormers and he got exactly that in Ismail.
"I wanted to see [Iowa hire] a coach with the same energy as [Wooten]," Hollenbeck said. "As long as he can keep us motivated and keep that energy and practice like it's a game, we'll [be good]."
Hollenbeck finished in the top 10 category in a number of receiving stats for the IFL in 2019.
The Edinsboro graduate finished eighth in total yards with 627, tied for seventh in touchdowns with 14, and was fourth in the league with 58 receptions in 13 games played.
Wide receiver Connor Hollenbeck tosses a ball to a ref following a first down. Hollenbeck is already making an impact at the position just two weeks into his career in Iowa. Photo by Connor Ferguson
"Obviously I'd like to increase my catches and yards," Hollenbeck said. "That'd be awesome. I mean, like last year, I had better stats than I did any other year and our record was good. You know, I think you kind of look at your role on the team and know what you're going to get no matter the situation, so maybe [I'd want to look at] consistency I guess."
Though Hollenbeck's goals lie within the team he's playing on.
After playing two seasons with the Cedar Rapids Titans and only seeing four combined wins in his time on the east side of the state, the move to the Des Moines squad that was trending upward was easy.
"I'm going to keep just playing my game," Hollenbeck said. "I'm all about the team. As long as we have a record like we did last year, I could really care less about how many catches I get."
One thing that Hollenbeck is trying to improve on this year is playing at an even lighter weight than he did a season ago.
That's what scouts have given Hollenbeck for feedback as he works, like the rest of the league, to reach the next level.
"I want to get quicker and faster," Hollenbeck said. "That means playing at a lower weight and get a little leaner. See if I can get a little faster and develop some break-away speed; stuff like that."
Hollenbeck came into camp last season weighing 240 pounds, which was a little on the heavy side for him, but he planned to cut weight during the two-week period.
That meant he was playing last season around 230 pounds.
"I felt better with the way I was playing on the field like that, so maybe if I lost five or ten more, I might feel even better," Hollenbeck said.
He wants to take his range from 220-240 pounds during the year and shift it to around 215-230 pounds.
"I want to maybe come into camp a little bit lighter this year," Hollenbeck said. "And bulk up a bit before, still so I can lose it."
The team is slated to begin the 2020 Indoor Football League season in February, but the official schedule won't be released for at least a couple of weeks.
Look for more news and profiles on Last Word On Sports' Indoor Football department and make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more offseason news.The post Connor Hollenbeck becomes first signing for Barnstormers 2020 Roster appeared first on Last Word on Sports.
Spokane to return with 'Shock' name, Billy Back to HC
Category : AFL , Billy Back , Football (US/Canada) , IFL , Indoor Football , Indoor Football League , Spokane Empire , Spokane Shock
The Indoor Football League is expanding once again, and this time will be adding a familiar face to it's lineup for the 2020 season.
The league is expanding with to the city of Spokane, who spent both 2016 and 2017 in the IFL under as the Spokane Empire before folding after a two-year stint with the league.
Now, the city will once again have an IFL team and this time with the 'Shock' nickname that was used in years prior when they were in the Arena Football League (AFL).
The name comes with a plethora of success, as the city won the AF2's (development league for the AFL at the time) ArenaCup in 2006 and 2009 as well as the AFL's Arena Bowl in 2010.
Sources have told Last Word On Sports that former NAL Coach of the Year and 2018 NAL Championship winner Billy Back will be named the head coach of the Shock.
The Carolina Cobras, the team Back coached for the past two seasons, announced that the two had parted ways earlier this week.
Meanwhile, the franchise has resurrected its Facebook page and appears to be using the same logo and word marks as it had in the past. The page can be viewed here.
Spokane will become the 12th team set to play in the Indoor Football League for the 2020 season. Do note that this includes the Nebraska Danger who may not be playing in Grand Island again next season.
The Shock are expected to make an announcement regarding the team's 2020 plans on October 1. For more Indoor Football League off-season news, follow LWOS on twitter here.
2020 Indoor Football League teams
Duke City Gladiators
Nebraska Danger*
Oakland Panthers
Tucson Sugar SkullsThe post Spokane to return with 'Shock' name, Billy Back to HC appeared first on Last Word on Sports.
Ameer Ismail hired as newest Iowa Barnstormers Coach
Category : Ameer Ismail , Bloomington Edge , CIF , Dixie Wooten , Football (US/Canada) , IFL , Indoor Football , Indoor Football League , Iowa Barnstormers , John Pettit , Massachusetts Pirates , NAL
The search for the Iowa Barnstormers newest head coach is over, the team announced on Thursday, as they have hired Ameer Ismail to take the reins in Des Moines.
Ismail becomes the eighth head coach in Iowa Barnstormers history and will follow the most successful coaching stint the team has seen in Dixie Wooten.
The former NFL and arena league player brings experience from all over the place, including stints with the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars as well as the AFL's Jacksonville Sharks (Pre-NAL) and a plethora of IFL teams.
"It is such an amazing honor to be named the new Head Coach of the Iowa Barnstormers, the most prestigious and historic team in all of indoor or arena football," Ismail said in a press release from the team. "[Barnstormers Vice President and COO] John Pettit and I have known each other and maintained a great relationship over the years despite being on different teams or even in different leagues."
Ismail started off his coaching career with assistant roles in the IFL in 2014. He spent time with the Cedar Rapids Titans, Tri-Cities Fever, and Spokane Empire.
In 2017, Ismail took his first head coaching job with the Champion Indoor Football league's Bloomington Edge, where he would lead his team to a 7-6 record and a berth in the CIF Playoffs.
The next year, Ismail packed up shop and accepted the head coaching position for the newly formed Massachusetts Pirates in the east coast's National Arena League.
There, Ismail led his team to an 11-6 record and another berth in the playoffs. He was also named NAL Coach of the Year during that time.
In 2019 Ismail took a break from head coaching in the arena league to take a spot coaching the outside linebackers at Albion College.
Now, he'll return to the indoor ranks carrying an 18-12 record as a head coach and a resume that includes two playoff appearances in as many seasons.
"To be able to work with someone of his expertise and experience is another major reason why I wanted to be here," Ismail said in the release. "We will continue the winning ways with tremendous positive culture for our community and fans. I am very grateful for the opportunity and can't wait to bring another championship to Des Moines."
Expect the Barnstormers as well as other teams in the Indoor Football League to start announcing player signings soon as well as an announcement regarding Iowa's assistant coaching staff.The post Ameer Ismail hired as newest Iowa Barnstormers Coach appeared first on Last Word on Sports.
Carolina Cobras, Billy Back part ways
Category : Billy Back , Carolina Cobras , Football (US/Canada) , IFL , Indoor Football , Indoor Football League , Iowa Barnstormers , NAL , National Arena League
The National Arena League has been home to the Carolina Cobras and head coach Billy Back for each of the past two indoor football seasons – one of which that saw the expansion team go from rags to riches and win a title in their first year.
Today, the Cobras announced that Back has submitted his resignation from the head coaching position in Carolina, making him available as one of the top available coaches in an off-season that has been filled with moves.
Team owner Rob Storm released a statement that has been posted on the team's website. The full release can be found here.
"On behalf of the entire Cobras organization, we thank Billy Back for everything he has done for us over our first two seasons, and know that wherever he lands, that team will be getting one heck of a good coach. He will definitely be missed by many," Storm said in the release. "We wish Billy, Stacie and the entire Back family the best of luck! We know he will be successful wherever his path may lead. You will always be part of the Cobras family."
Now, Back will take his championship experience to a new home so long as he continues coaching football, and the Indoor Football League could be a spot for a reunion.
Back got his big break coaching for the Wichita Falls Nighthawks when the team was in the IFL and was even originally signed to lead the Cedar Rapids Titans in 2018 before being bought out by Carolina.
I mentioned his name in my column a week ago on where the Iowa Barnstormers – a championship program that just lost their coach as well – will look to next.
Back could be a great fit for the franchise, and no matter where he goes, he'll bring a barrage of talented players with him.The post Carolina Cobras, Billy Back part ways appeared first on Last Word on Sports.
FERGUSON: Where Iowa will go Following Dixie Wooten Era
Category : Dixie Wooten , Football (US/Canada) , IFL , Indoor Football , Indoor Football League , Iowa Barnstormers , Tucson Sugar Skulls
The Iowa Barnstormers went 10-20 in their first two seasons in the Indoor Football League. After that stretch, Iowa had gone seven straight years without a winning season.
Dixie Wooten entered. He went 36-8 in his three seasons at the helm in Des Moines, winning IFL Coach of the Year twice and also the franchise's first championship.
The Barnstormers announced last week that the pair had parted ways and on Wednesday, the Tucson Sugar Skulls announced that Wooten would be their next head coach.
The full press release from the IFL can be found here.
So. Where does Iowa go now?
Well, the right candidate will likely have a strength in recruiting. That's how the Barnstormers were successful under Wooten.
Even with rosters that only included five to eight players returning each season, Wooten rounded up talented teams in each of his three seasons.
Iowa's front office as well as its fans are going to be looking for the same quality in their next leader.
Now, with Wooten's departure, it's expected that some of the stars from Iowa's roster will not be returning to the team in the upcoming season.
The most obvious is 2019 LWOS IFL MVP Ryan Balentine, who has played under Wooten since their days in Billings.
Rocky Hayes was another standout during this past season in the heartland. When asked if he was coming back after Iowa's last game he said it would depend on what Wooten would do.
And what's to make of standout quarterback Daquan Neal? Wooten brought him to Iowa and he shined. Will he follow to Tucson?
October 1 is the first day that returning players from 2019 can sign with teams for 2020, so we won't know much of anything in concrete until then.
As for coaching candidates for the team, it's not likely that a former player of recent years will be taking over the ship. It didn't work for Joe Brannen and of the players that have gone on to coach, most headed to the college ranks in position coaching spots.
Although, there is one exception to that in Jason Simpson.
Simpson was an stand out defensive back and has been involved with Iowa for a number of years. Last season, he was the team's defensive back coach and I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the 2020 staff in some capacity.
Another pair of names to look at are those that were assistant coaches when Wooten was in Iowa.
Hurtiss Chin and Marcus Coleman both have experience with Wooten, were on the Iowa staff during the United Bowl season, and coached in Tucson this past season.
Now, there's still a chance the two stay in Tucson for 2020, but the Sugar Skulls did not announce any plans for their assistant coach when Wooten's hire was announced.
The last time Iowa was staffed with hiring a new coach, Mark Stoute's name was thrown around as the next potential coach instead of Wooten.
Stoute ended up taking the job in Jacksonville and most recently finished off the 2019 season with the Cedar Rapids River Kings. The team finished 1-13 last season.
If you're looking for Iowa to get what some would consider a home run hire, I'd pick one out of left field in current Carolina Cobras (NAL) head coach Billy Back.
Back has plenty of experience and has proved his worth in Carolina, earning back-to-back trips to the east coast league's championship game and winning the whole thing back in 2018.
Not to mention, Back has history with the IFL and was at one point signed to coach in Iowa with Cedar Rapids right before accepting the Carolina job.
No matter who Iowa hires as its franchise's next head coach, fans in the stands are going to expect wins – rightfully so. That's what they should expect after the Dixie Wooten era.
The thing that's important to remember is that in a sport filled with uncertainty year after year, Iowa is still here in Des Moines at Wells Fargo Arena, and come February, we'll all be sitting back, watching some good, old Barnstormers football.The post FERGUSON: Where Iowa will go Following Dixie Wooten Era appeared first on Last Word on Sports.
San Diego Strike Force reveal Re-design
Category : Football (US/Canada) , IFL , Indoor Football , Indoor Football League , San Diego Strike Force
The San Diego Strike Force are moving from the blue-and-white.
It was announced a short time ago that the team would be re-designing it's look after the end of their 1-13 initial season in the Indoor Football League.
The jerseys were revealed a short time later and, on Wednesday afternoon, the full look was released to the public.
The team revealed new primary and secondary logos as well, that work amazingly with the jerseys and are themed around fighter pilots.
The full slate of logos can be found below, with the primary logo being on the left side.
The team also put out some new helmets that resemble the World War ll air crafts.
These were originally planned for the team's first year in the IFL, however were never used on the field during the 2019 season.
The new look features three different helmets with the home and alternate lids resembling the planes and the away ones containing the team's secondary 'SD' logo.
The jerseys that the team will be using can be seen below, with Flight Suit home uniform, the interceptor white road uniform, and the stealth look for the alternates.
Strike Force general manager Ryan Eucker also revealed that San Diego would be hosting the IFL's annual league meetings as well.
The meetings are usually held in Las Vegas, and while it doesn't really have much barring on what goes on there, a change is still being made.
The 2020 IFL season will kick off in February, but the schedule will likely not be out until November.
You can keep up with all of our indoor football coverage by following LWOS Indoor Football on social media. All of the links to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can be reached by clicking on the respective sites here.The post San Diego Strike Force reveal Re-design appeared first on Last Word on Sports.
Neal, Chapman, Thomas named 2019 LWOS IFL Players of the Year
Category : Allen Chapman , Arizona Rattlers , Daquan Neal , Eric Thomas , Football (US/Canada) , IFL , Indoor Football , Indoor Football League , Iowa Barnstomers , LWOS IFL Awards , Nebraska Danger
As part of the 2019 LWOS Indoor Football League Awards, we gave out an overall MVP as well as our players of the year on each side of the ball on top of special teams.
This season, Iowa's Daquan Neal, Arizona's Allen Chapman, and Nebraska's Eric Thomas were each honored.
LWOS IFL Offensive Player of the Year: Daquan Neal, QB – Iowa Barnstormers
Daquan Neal secured our Offensive Player of the Year spot with his superb play in his rookie season with the Iowa Barnstormers.
Neal led Iowa to a 12-3 record while leading the IFL in passing touchdowns (59) and finishing second in the league in rushing scores (24).
If it hadn't been for an injury that he suffered with just under 11 minutes to play in the United Conference championship game, Neal might have led the Barnstormers to a second straight United Bowl.
LWOS IFL Defensive Player of the Year: Allen Chapman, DB – Arizona Rattlers
Allen Chapman earned his spot as our Defensive Player of the Year as the top, lock-down defensive back in lead.
With six interceptions, Chapman tied two others at the top of the charts for the most in the IFL this season. On top of it, he added 41 solo tackles and a plethora of pass break-ups.
Chapman also helped lead the Rattlers to their first undefeated season in franchise history, as well as their second United Bowl in three seasons – coming up on July 13.
LWOS IFL Special Teams Player of the Year: Eric Thomas, KR – Nebraska Danger
Earning the Special Teams Player of the Year award was Eric Thomas, despite not being the only kick returner that the Danger have used in a majority of games this season.
Despite not getting a ton of returns, Thomas led the IFL in yards per return, running 21.4 yards during each chance.
Thomas was the only player in the league to earn three returns for touchdowns and helped Nebraska to get back to the IFL semi-finals as well as a winning record.
Click below for a full list of all of the LWOS IFL Awards:
Coach of the Year: Corey Roberson
Most Valuable Player: Ryan Balentine
Players of the Year: Daquan Neal, Allen Chapman, & Eric Thomas
Honorable Mentions: Lorenzo Brown Jr., Marques Rodgers, & E.J. Hilliard
LWOS First and Second All-IFL TeamsThe post Neal, Chapman, Thomas named 2019 LWOS IFL Players of the Year appeared first on Last Word on Sports.
Green Bay's Corey Roberson named LWOS IFL Coach of the Year
Category : Corey Roberson , Football (US/Canada) , Green Bay Blizzard , IFL , Indoor Football , Indoor Football League , LWOS IFL Awards
With the Indoor Football League's (IFL) semifinal playoff games wrapped up and in the books, it's time again for Last Word On Sports annual awards announcement.
Our department is proud to be celebrating our third annual selection announcement for the IFL.
We kept it simple for this week and put out our All-IFL teams on Tuesday before releasing our Individual Awards such as MVP, Coach of the Year, etc. this morning.
As always, thanks for following along to our coverage this season.
This season in the IFL, a certain head coach led his team to a 15-0, undefeated season and never failed to score more than 50 points in each game his squad played in.
Another led his squad to its 10th straight championship game in the league.
We could even throw in a third that helped his team to the league semifinals for a third season in a row – a first in the franchise's history.
However, accross the board, nothing was more impressive than the turnaround job that Corey Roberson has done for the Green Bay Blizzard.
Before Roberson was permanently named head coach of the team last August, the Blizzard had not been to the Indoor Football League playoffs since the 2012 season. It was the longest drought among any active team coming into the 2019 season.
The Blizzard started off the year losing two of their first three games, including a 41-3 wallop against Iowa.
That's when Roberson and co. kicked it into high gear.
Green Bay finished the season with an 8-3 record in their final 11 games, winning their final three to streak into the playoffs and nearly take down Nebraska.
In fact, if it hadn't been for a fluke fumble, it would have been the Blizzard traveling to Arizona in the semifinal round of the playoffs.
That's a spot that has been largely filled by Nebraska over the past few seasons.
No matter if Green Bay can keep this going – and they certainly can – in the future, 2019 was the year of Corey Roberson and the Blizzard, and it was spectacular to finally see it.
LWOS First and Second All-IFL TeamsThe post Green Bay's Corey Roberson named LWOS IFL Coach of the Year appeared first on Last Word on Sports.
Ryan Balentine named 2019 LWOS IFL MVP
Category : Brady Roland , Daquan Neal , Dixie Wooten , Football (US/Canada) , IFL , Indoor Football , Indoor Football League , Iowa Barnstomers , LWOS IFL Awards , Ryan Balentine
Ryan Balentine ended his 2018 Indoor Football League season with a three-touchdown game in the United Bowl, winning the MVP for the championship game.
He picked up right where he left off in 2019.
With the departure of fellow veteran wideout Brady Roland and a new quarterback in Daquan Neal for this season, the pressure was heating up for Balentine to step up.
Coach Dixie Wooten chose to roll with a young squad for the 2019 campaign, meaning the few players returning from last season's roster would be vastly important to Iowa's success this year.
Balentine did more than come through.
The former Southern Mississippi star averaged two touchdowns per game, this year. Including his all-purpose scores, Balentine ended the year with 30 trips to the end zone.
Not only was his 28 receiving touchdowns the best mark in the IFL, Balentine also recorded a league high 1,084 yards through receptions, beating the next highest wideout by 159 yards.
His 89 receptions were more than anyone else in the league had by 19.
Balentine's play helped the Barnstormers advance to the league semifinals for the third straight season – a first in the franchise's history that dates back to 1995.
Iowa finished the season with a 12-3 record, and were an injury to Neal away from heading to a second-straight championship game.
The No. 1 dominated play no matter where he went whether it was Sioux Falls, Green Bay, or in Des Moines – a place he has called home longer than any other in his long career in the IFL.
All of this helped us select Balentine as our 2019 Last Word On Sports IFL Most Valuable Player as well as an All-IFL First Team selection at wide receiver.
LWOS announced its 2019 All-IFL teams yesterday and has also announced its 2019 Players of the Year as well as honorable mentions.
LWOS First and Second All-IFL TeamsThe post Ryan Balentine named 2019 LWOS IFL MVP appeared first on Last Word on Sports.


text:
Q: Perl: can't locate object method bar via package I am new to this site, so bear with me, If this question has already been answered somewhere else already. I am trying to call a subroutine "bar" from a module "codons1.pm" , and I encounter the error:
Can't locate object method "bar" via package "codons1.pm" (perhaps you forgot to load "codons1.pm"?). The main script looks like:
use strict;
use warnings;
my $i = 1;
my $pack = "codons$i\.pm";
require $pack;
(my %temp) = $pack->bar();
print keys %INC ;

Thanks to  (Perl objects error: Can't locate object method via package) ,  I was able to verify using %INC, that the module is loaded.
The module looks like:
package codons1;
sub bar{ #some code;
return (%some_hash);}
1;

I am using $i so that I can load multiple similar modules via a loop. Any suggestions is welcome and thanks a lot, in advance.

A: Your package is codons1, and you're trying to call codons1.pm->bar. Either of the following will work correctly:
my $pack = "codons$i";
require "$pack.pm";
$pack->bar();

or
my $pack = "codons$i";
eval "require $pack";
$pack->bar();

A: A better way to do what you're trying to achieve
#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;
package codons1;
sub new {
    my $class = shift;
    return bless {}, $class;
}
sub bar {
    my %some_hash = (temperature=>"35");
    return %some_hash;
}
1;
package main;
my $object = codons1->new(); #creates the object of codons1
my %temp = $object->bar(); #call the bar method from codons1's object
print keys %temp;

Demo
You need to learn basic object oriented programming in Perl. Start with perlootut, and then perlobj. Read the Object Oriented Perl chapter from freely available Beginning Perl book.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Is pyruvate helpful in improving cardiac function after surgery?
Rafael Jaimes, Ph.D., staff scientist at the Children's National Heart Institute is conducting a study to find out how pyruvate can help improve cardiovascular function in children who undergo cardiopulmonary bypass surgery and suffer from low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS)? American Heart Association is funding the research in question.
The objective of the compound is to stimulate the metabolic function, now treated by inotropic agents, such as dobutamine and milrinone. These agents ensure the optimal supply of oxygen from the heart to the brain, as well as to other organs in the body, after heart surgery. While these agents help patients with cardiac dysfunction, there is still a critical need for safe and effective therapies.
This is where the study of pyruvate and the subsidy will be applied. : Can pyruvate target the essential muscle of the heart and reverse this cardiac destabilization, and as soon as possible?
The best recovery could be measured by how quickly a child recovers from cardiac surgery and by the time they spend in the hospital, which is clinically known as performance. A faster recovery could also influence a child's quality of life and reduce the overall costs of medical care.
According to preliminary data showing that pyruvate improves cardiac function in experimental models after ischemic injury, which is what happens when pediatric patients undergo cardiac surgery, Dr Jaimes believes that the results are likely to be will replicate in their preclinical models.
To begin with, you will test pyruvate with 100 samples of blood and tissue discarded from patients. Blood samples will be analyzed to detect metabolic markers, including measured pyruvate levels.
As part of a discussion with cardiologists at a medical conference in Washington, Dr Jaimes raised the idea of using pyruvate for pediatric cardiac surgeries and received positive comments.
"Once everyone's eyes lit up, I knew I was in something," says Dr Jaimes about the encouragement he received to continue with this study.
In addition to funding this study, which could support future research on how metabolic manufacturers in the blood can be stimulated for accelerated recovery after cardiac surgery, the American Heart Association grant is specific to pediatric health outcomes.
Dr. Jaimes explains that children they are different anatomically and physiologically, their cells even look and function differently, compared to adult cells, because they have not yet matured.
While congenital heart defects are rare, they affect 1 percent, or 40,000 births worldwide, often requiring multiple surgeries throughout a child's life LCOS affects 25 percent of patients after cardiopulmonary bypass and the time of treatment is important. Insufficient cardiac output after surgery could affect a child's long-term development, from reasoning, learning, attention and executive function to the development of a child. age-appropriate social and language skills.
Dr. Jaimes will work with his research mentor Nikki Posnack, Ph.D., assistant professor of the Children's National Heart Institute, in this preclinical study throughout the life cycle of the grant, which begins at the beginning of January 2019 and ends at the end of December 2020.


The guy on the right just spent 5 minutes telling the linesman about himself because said linesman didn't call a mugging that resulted in NY Cosmos scoring their second goal.
The NASL's recap of the game.
1. Nice stadium that looks like it might seat 10k+ and probably had somewhere near 4k in attendance.
2. If you go, spend the extra money for the on the field seating. It is a great way to watch a match (and they bring your concessions to you - always a plus).
3. Yet another soccer game I went to or watched ended in a tie (I'm American; we say tie not draw). No matter how good the game is this is one of the flaws that only a soccer fanatic can claim to love.
4. I will say, however, that scoring the tying goal at 90 minutes made this most exciting tie I've seen.
5. What does it say about soccer in the USA when the kids outside tailgating with their parents were throwing footballs around and nary a soccer ball was in sight? This is North Carlina. They aren't even good enough to get into the SEC, so you wouldn't expect as many football zombies. And, for those of you who would point to the Panthers, I stand by my statement.
6. The worst part was getting out. For some reason the local police directing traffic would not let me turn right coming out of the stadium. It got me lost because I didn't know where that led to, my phone app kept calming repeating that I needed to do a U-turn, and the idiot kids behind me screamed and honked because I was driving slow while I tried to figure out things like the speed limit and where the heck I was. I eventually got far enough away that my phone app gave up trying to turn me around and sent me through back roads to get to my hotel. There was no obvious reason for forcing cars leaving to take a left turn other than arbitrary choice and convenience for the guy directing traffic. I watched traffic get waved past going from my left to my right in a lane that was clearly open for traffic before being forced to drive across that lane to go left. It left a slightly bitter taste at the end of an otherwise excellent experience.
7. Okay, now that I've got that off my chest, I have to admit that if NCFC was closer than 6 hours away they'd probably be getting a fair amount of my money. I recommend the experience to anyone who even slightly enjoys the sport. Friendly staff, a good stadium, and a fun game is a hard combination to beat.
Baseball fans know what fish feel like.
You want me to throw what?
The bang you hear is the Princeton left fielder running out of field and into the fence (at full speed) as the ball hit it over his head.
Rounding third and heading for home.
Good game. Good stadium. Friendly people everywhere. May be my favorite of all the Appalachian League experiences. Which, of course, is why it's five hours from my doorstep to the stadium.
Maybe, but the pews look a little empty.
I think the runner aspires to be an ump.
Shortstop: Uniform Not So Clean.
What do the umps do between every inning?
1. The day after the Yankees played a wonderful game, the Rays stomped them 10-2.
2. Nice older stadium, but I think the bleachers might actually be better than the elevated reserved seats behind the plate.
3. How do I get seated in the area underneath the reserved seats with picnic tables? It's probably the best place to watch the game in the stadium.
4. Before you buy the typical stadium fare, ask about the special because they have actual real food meals for decent prices (too late for me, I'd already bought a hot dog and fries before I learned better).
5. They have kids walking the entire stadium taking your specific order (even in the bleachers).
6. Strikes were sponsored by the local bowling alley.
7. It was enjoyable, but I doubt there were 300 people in the stadium and that's a shame.
Not sure what the Jays coach is selling, but the Yankees coach ain't buying.
Yankees score the go ahead run.
1. Pulaski is one of my favorite fields. It's hard to describe, but the owner took an old municipal field where people brought their own lawn chairs to sit in into a really nice little stadium and had to get pretty dang creative to get there.
2. The Yankees and Jays were tied for first in the East when this game began and both teams played like they knew it.
3. I want to see a home run over that right field fence.
4. The Blue Jays' catcher has a cannon for an arm and an accurate one at that. If he can bat we'll be seeing more of this guy at higher levels.
5. The game went down to the wire and when the top of the 9th ended the Jays had men on second and third.
6. This was the fastest game I've been to this year and I'm not sure why. It was well played, hard fought, and ended at about 2:20.
7. The Yankees won 3-1.
The U-12 WBSC tournament is taking place and this morning the most exciting game I've seen this year took place. The kids were fired up on both sides and played their hearts out. The Mexican team was better defensively (their shortstop may already be too good for the White Sox, Phillies, or Reds) and the USA had big bats.


text:
What I learned from getting scammed by 12-year-olds
Jagex/RuneScape
Best MMO ever?
From our Special Project
Net Positive
These are the stories of the people who have shaped the world wide web, and those who are defining its future.
By Matthew De Silva
Tech reporter
Published October 22, 2019 This article is more than 2 years old.
"Selling Rune Scimmy 15K."
I punched away at my keyboard, hoping somebody would bite. I'd just acquired the scimitar sword for 13,000 gold pieces. Instantly, I was ready to sell—and seeking a profit. I tried again.
The letters danced across the screen. But as my character paced outside the bank, my sales pitch was lost in the crowd. Hundreds of players in an assortment of outfits also announced what they were trading: shields, feathers, gold bars, swordfish. Others wanted maple logs, magical stones, and party hats. My voice was one in the chorus of commerce.
Around 2004, when I was 10 years old, I, like millions of others, had my first online experience with RuneScape. With 3D graphics and an extensive map, the game was advanced for the early 2000s. The medieval fantasy world was (and is) a MMORPG, or a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. It's full of quests to complete, monsters to kill, and best of all, other players to befriend.
Through MMORPGs, a generation of gamers explored the opportunities—and dangers—of a life spent mostly online.
In generations past, children entertained themselves exclusively through real-world play. Kids—especially boys—would read comic books, shoot marbles, and trade sports cards. Then, in the 1970s and 1980s, arcades offered a step into digital life, usually outside the home. But the rise of personal computing in the 1990s and 2000s provided a new and more intimate diversion: online gaming. My generation lived at the dawn of this change.
Young millennials, children of the aughts, were the first to spend their formative years on the internet, and our experiences in online games prepared us for the hyperconnected world we inhabit now. Millions played games like RuneScape, World of Warcraft, and other MMORPGs, many of which remain popular. Today, many of our interactions on social media and in mobile gaming are colored by their legacy.
Through MMORPGs, a generation of gamers explored the opportunities—and dangers—of a life spent mostly online. These experiences, had within the relatively safe space of a less sophisticated internet, foreshadowed the types of online decisions people must make today.
When a person joins RuneScape, they create a character, selecting their name and appearance before a brief training session on "Tutorial Island." New players can customize various traits such as gender, skin tone, hairstyle, and clothing. For example, I am Slayer201100, a man with spiky turquoise hair.
Jagex/RuneScape Slayer201100
That's my character, in the blue armor, hanging out at the Grand Exchange.
RuneScape is boundless. You can become a warrior, a priest, a farmer, a fisherman, a blacksmith, a chef—the list goes on. You don't have to pick just one specialty though; with 27 skills to train, you can build your character however you'd like. You can even resort to petty crime, if your heart desires. I've always considered myself—er, Slayer201100—a merchant and part-time mercenary.
Unlike many video games, in RuneScape, there isn't a specific "goal," like killing a final boss. Instead, the game presents players with an entire realm. How you amuse yourself is entirely up to you.
The narratives players explore in RuneScape can be silly, like baking a cheesecake, or honorable, like slaying an evil vampire. Some of the game's most passionate fans have painstakingly written guides for virtually every quest. But players aren't limited to structured gameplay. They can freely wander around wherever they please, creating their own stories along the way.
My MMORPG, my self
Online games usually feel welcoming to a wide audience because they have something that appeals to everybody. "MMORPGs allow people to play in lots of ways," explains T.L. Taylor, an MIT professor and ethnographer who has focused on internet and game studies for more than two decades. Some participants may prefer one aspect of the game, like casting spells or mining for ore, while others are drawn in by mini-games, like player versus player (PvP) duels.
MMORPGs grew out of text-based gaming predecessors, like multi-user dungeons, says Taylor. These "MUDs," created in the late 1970s, had their own roots in tabletop games such as Dungeons & Dragons.
RuneScape's audience—its players—are people who love fantasy and adventure. They're the kinds of people who might hang out at Renaissance fairs or particularly enjoy Medieval Times, the jousting and horsemanship show. Kids, in particular, seem to enjoy this creativity. It's an accessible and non-judgmental environment, where you can be as nerdy as you please.
The MMORPGs of the early 2000s were extra special to young players because they provided a digital canvas. It meant so much to us to customize our characters with a colorful "team cape" and armor of our choosing. These games were something we kids could control, and they felt completely natural. Our characters were like virtual action figures, reflections of ourselves and who we aspired to be. They granted us a sense of personhood.
"MMORPGs allow people to play in lots of ways."
Every evening, my schoolmates and I would gather online to kill goblins and fire giants while chatting aimlessly. Through RuneScape we enjoyed playing together for hours on end, sometimes teaching one another how to optimize skills. The digital world gave us an opportunity for sustained, collaborative, and consistent playtime. In our collective fantasy, we dedicated hour after hour to our virtual pursuits.
Hunched over clunky computer monitors, we crafted rich digital lives, forged alliances, vanquished enemies, and even pursued professions. Online, there was real action (however simplistic) and it was invigorating because the game could connect you to people across the world.
Digital friendship
MMORPGs gave young players one of the first tools to stay in touch with childhood companions during the early 2000s. Those were the days of dial-up internet connections and landline telephones. Those lucky few who had flip phones faced onerous text messaging limits. We weren't on Facebook yet, but through online games, children of the internet could circumvent those limits. These nascent social networks gave us license to chat freely and at length, regardless of distance or time—well, at least until we were ordered to go to bed.
For some, games complemented real-life relationships. But for others, it afforded the comfort of anonymity—participants could adopt an online persona different from their real-life one, if they chose to do so. (Of course, this abundant social opportunity comes with significant risks as well. More on that later.)
For some, games complemented real-life relationships; for others, it afforded the comfort of anonymity.
For adolescents, the chance to test boundaries was invaluable. Moderators appointed by Jagex, RuneScape's development team, could rein in abusive behavior, like offensive language or harassment. But for the most part, MMORPG communities policed themselves. There was a kinship in playing the game, and while there were competitive elements, being a RuneScape player was a chance to bond with others. At public libraries on the weekend, clusters of 12-year-olds could be found sitting side by side, clicking away for hours on end—usually in dereliction of homework.
Online games extended social opportunities beyond school or scheduled playdates. They allowed people to be part of one another's world, even at home. Just as we've seen the digital erosion of barriers between work and home, online games made friends available at all hours of day or night. Simultaneously, they highlighted the digital divide. Kids who didn't have computers, or who weren't allowed to play games, would sometimes feel left out from these online communities.
Some players also took gaming to an extreme, prioritizing computer time over other people or activities.
Taylor noted that connections formed online could be ephemeral or lasting. If a player joined a guild, a semi-formal group of players focused on one skill or activity—or in the case of RuneScape, a "clan"—they might get to know other members over time. Gradually, players may share more intimate details of their personal lives. Taylor refers to this interplay between online and offline culture as "Play Between Worlds," a phenomenon she studied in Everquest, another popular MMORPG.
A frightful "Lesser Demon."
Online games also make the boundaries between digital and analog life blurry, Taylor observes—on some servers, players truly "assumed character," but for many, play became an extension of their real world. One moment, a player could be fighting one of RuneScape's "Lesser Demons." The next, they might be asking a friend about the math homework through private chat. (As gaming scholars realized the "role-playing" component of MMORPGs wasn't as dominant as they once believed, they shortened the term to just "MMO," Taylor explains.)
Computer games fostered sedentary and physically isolated play, and may have foreshadowed the environment we occupy today, where scores of people live with their noses in their phones, communing with friends and family at a distance rather than interacting with their immediate surroundings. Daily life becomes an interlude to online life, and there's an ever-present risk that we'll miss something in the "real world" because we're preoccupied with our digital selves.
Online games can be exceptionally compelling because they give players the opportunity to advance incrementally. That constant feedback—and the leveling up—is exhilarating.
Jagex/RuneScape Gribbz
Leveling up.
Playing requires patience and persistence, and that can border on addiction. I still remember desperately wanting to achieve level-55 attack and level-55 strength, so I could wield a granite maul. (It's only a bit embarrassing that those numbers are still engrained in my memory today.) I was overjoyed—and I still am—that I got there! It's so cool to swing a massive hammer, crushing my enemies, and I look like such a badass carrying it around in the game.
By encouraging players to become invested in the game and rewarding players with small carrots (i.e., higher levels) along the way, RuneScape effectively keeps its fanbase engaged, always striving for more. Although arcade games, such as PacMan, also feature various levels, RuneScape was one of the earliest games to make measurement so explicit—every action helped you acquire experience points. (Fireworks even explode to celebrate each minor achievement.) Later, games like Call of Duty fine-tuned and amplified that feedback mechanism, enticing gamers to dedicate years of their lives to digital achievements. Driven by in-game social status, many players pour thousands of hours—and dollars—into their characters. As long as they enjoy and derive meaning from it, I think gamers, like others, should be able to do what they like (within reason, of course).
Online dangers
MMORPGs indirectly taught players about online safety at an early age. To avoid getting scammed, you had to pay close attention to trading interfaces. Sometimes, a deceitful player would initiate and cancel an exchange. When they restarted the swap, they might offer substantially less gold, or another item altogether. If you agreed to the new deal, you could lose a lot of money—well, gold pieces. Other RuneScape players have said the game spurred their interests in personal finance and accounting.
Bones and shrimp are chump change in the RuneScape world.
More perniciously, games could also expose young players to online threats. Anonymity and private messaging could facilitate self-exploration, but they could also be weaponized by online predators—parents of gamers rightly worry. Today, such abuses have spread to more modern games and apps, like Fortnite and Snapchat.
Like the illegal drug trade, online games also spawned massive shadow economies, with bot accounts generating and selling gold pieces for millions of dollars.
Really, how different is social media from a role-playing game?
Today, as I write about digital currencies like bitcoin for a living, the connection to my childhood passion seems obvious. And though the links might not be as explicit for other former players, MMORPGs played a critical role in how we learned to interact online. Really, how different is social media from a role-playing game? We continuously curate ourselves online for friends (Facebook, Instagram) and employers (LinkedIn). And how different are swindles on RuneScape from scams on Twitter? "Send me $5 and I'll send you $50 back." (Please, don't fall for that.) For many of us raised in the early 2000s, our identities and skills as digital natives stem from the games we played as children.
Of course, as gamers have grown older, MMOs have taken a backseat to responsibilities of adulthood—after all, it's tough to kill dragons while changing diapers. Since many gamers can no longer play for hours uninterrupted, companies have created titles like Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battleground, which allow players to drop in and out as necessary Taylor says. Mobile games in particular have become a dominant part of modern culture, she adds.
Indeed, as a genre of gaming, MMOs have waned in the popular conscience, but they remain a cultural touchstone. They evoke a time when private and public life were not so deeply interwoven, when online gaming was still in its infancy. Games like RuneScape gave children a personalized arcade, a chance to experiment and engage with the internet on their own terms.
As commonplace as online games are today, the lessons from their beginnings should help us be conscious users, aware of the risks and joys of digital life.
So, this is Slayer201100 logging on once more. Anybody want a Rune Scimmy?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Madi Hilly
Follow @MadiHilly
Jul 21, 2022 • 19 tweets • 5 min read
MYTH: We don't have a solution to nuclear's "waste problem"
REALITY: Nuclear waste isn't a problem. In fact, it's the best solution we have to meeting our energy needs while protecting the natural environment!
Nuclear waste concerns are overwhelmingly focused on "high-level waste", which is almost entirely spent nuclear fuel.
Nuclear fuel is made up of metal tubes containing small pellets of uranium. These tubes are gathered into bundles for loading and unloading into the reactor.
After nuclear fuel has spent about five years in a reactor making energy, it's placed into a pool of water to cool off for another five years.
(Storage pool at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station)
After that, several bundles are placed inside concrete and steel "casks" and placed in rows next to the reactor.
(Dry cask storage at Palo Verde)
https://twitter.com/ParisOrtizWines/status/1195184970613936129?s=20&t=Thy5COMONgzKyTcNyDKijw
Because uranium is very energy dense, the amount of waste is relatively small.
All of the fuel rods ever used by the commercial nuclear industry since the late 1950s could fit on a single football field stacked about 50 feet high.
The best part: when the fuel rods are done in the reactor, over 90% of the potential energy from the uranium is still left in them!
That means we can recycle the spent fuel and turn it into new fuel, which is already routinely done in Europe, Russia, and Japan.
In summary, nuclear waste:
- is solid (not glowing green goo)
- is tiny compared to the waste from all other energy technologies
- is easily contained
- has a perfect safety record
Nuclear waste does have a problem, however...
...which is that policymakers and the public think that nuclear waste has a problem!
The prevailing belief is that nuclear waste is uniquely dangerous and that the industry doesn't know what to do with it.
Let's start with uniquely dangerous.
The main concern associated with spent nuclear fuel – radioactivity – diminishes with time.
About 40 years after it's done making power, the heat and radioactivity of the fuel bundle will have fallen by over 99%.
Most of the industrial waste we manage never gets less toxic over time.
Not in a million years. Not even in a billion.
Mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, etc. are all dangerous and remain so forever.
In rich countries, this waste is gathered up and stored without fanfare.
There's nothing special about radiation that would prevent us from doing this with high-level waste.
The only difference is that high-level waste is much easier to detect and thus easier to monitor.
Rather than being honest and explaining that 1) radiation does not make nuclear waste uniquely dangerous and 2) dry cask storage at the plant is safe, cheap, and has a flawless record, the industry has attempted to offer technical solutions to what is a political problem.
Yucca Mountain is an anti-scientific dumpster fire, eating up public wealth.
It would save 0 lives, protect against 0 injuries, avoid 0 cancer, and give the false impression that nuclear waste is the most dangerous waste.
$15 billion flushed for no benefit.
Scientists and engineers abuse public trust when they pretend we must bury nuclear waste deep underground or put it in the middle of a desert.
Any "expert" who believes this is, at best, confused about the role of science and engineering in advising public policy.
So what to do about the true nuclear waste problem?
The Netherlands offers a compelling solution: encourage people to visit!
Their facility is open to the public, contains an educational museum, and is decorated with large-scale art installations.
https://twitter.com/energybants/status/1463972510115024897?s=20&t=Thy5COMONgzKyTcNyDKijw
The U.S industry gives off creepy vibes when it comes to waste.
People should be allowed to check it out for themselves! At worst, they'll be bored. At best, we can find a way to make it more interesting like the Dutch do.
I love getting asked about the waste. I never get tired of seeing people relax when they hear me explain it.
I think the impatience with the question is what has led the industry and advocates to support ill-advised, "technical" fixes for problems of trust and openness.
Glad to be hearing from so many of you in response to this thread!
If you like what you read here, there's a lot more coming and I would definitely appreciate your support.
patreon.com/greennuclearde…
Decided to do a follow-up on the physics and culture of nuclear waste 👇🏼
https://twitter.com/MadiHilly/status/1552655867589173249
Keep Current with Madi Hilly
People who liked this thread also liked...
More from @MadiHilly
@MadiHilly
France's nuclear fleet is failing at a time when Europe most desperately needs reliable power.
Some point to this as evidence that nuclear in France is old and unreliable.
The truth is, France worked very hard to achieve this collapse 🧵
madihilly.substack.com/p/why-is-frenc…
Police clashes with activists have put a light on Germany's coal addiction. In 2022:
- More fossil fuels were used for electricity than any year since 2018
- Hard coal consumption for electricity was up 16% from 2021
- €500 billion was set aside to secure coal, oil, & gas
Germany has been lionized as a climate leader for investing €500 billion through 2025 in its energy transition.
Yet its neighbor France has had electricity roughly 10x cleaner at nearly half the cost, thanks to the nuclear fleet it built in response to the 70s energy crises.
It's disappointing to see @PeterZeihan pull the same old 'I'm pro-nuclear BUT' schtick on Joe Rogan.
Let's put these anti-nuclear myths to bed and clear the record:
Myth #1: Nuclear is too slow
"We don't have that kind of time, honestly"
On the contrary: nuclear power is proven to be one of the fastest ways to scale up clean energy for deep decarbonization.
Hydro and geothermal are constrained by geography & geology — not many places have the hydro resources (or low pops.) of the Nordic countries.
Zeihan acknowledges this in his latest book: "Hydropower has already used all available appropriate geographies globally."
"plus batteries" is doing a lot of work here
Here's a rough, back-of-the-envelope calculation of storage for the EU's energy needs met by "solar plus batteries"👇
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1607966994640392192
In 2021, EU electricity consumption was 2,865 TWh.
Solar generation in Europe varies greatly throughout the year.
If solar provided all EU electricity, the winter deficit (worst 6 months of solar generation) would have been about 590 TWh, or just above 20% of yearly demand.
So *at minimum* 20% of yearly demand would need to be stored in the summer for use in the winter.
That's $277 trillion USD based on the DOE's estimates for lithium ion battery facility costs ($469/kWh)
If you use the DOE's estimate for 2025 costs ($362/kWh), it's $213 trillion.
WHAT ABOUT CHERNOBYL?
Chernobyl the accident shows that, even in a worst-case scenario, the health and environmental risks of nuclear are small.
Chernobyl the cultural phenomenon shows how dangerous nuclear can be.
Late at night on April 25, 1986, the reactor crew at Chernobyl 4 disabled the system's automatic safety mechanisms and simulated an emergency to see what would happen to the plant's safety in an emergency.
An hour after midnight, about 1 AM on April 26, things went wrong.
The test resulted in a massive surge of power, followed almost immediately by a steam explosion and, a few seconds later, a second explosion caused by what experts now believe was the ignition of flammable hydrogen gas.
My thread on nuclear waste seems to have touched a nerve!
Interestingly, most pushback has come from INSIDE the nuclear industry, not outside.
A follow-up on the physics & culture of nuclear waste, & why the industry has gotten it wrong for so long:
When people want to talk about the waste, they want answers to two questions:
1. Is the waste safe today?
2. Is the waste safe after the apocalypse?
Let's start with the first.
The rule of thumb for radiation is as follows:
Short half-life means higher radioactivity (think spicier) but for a shorter time.
Long half-life means lower radioactivity (less spicy) but for a longer time.
Which way, western man?
It's not too late to learn from past mistakes.
There's a growing movement of labor unions, climate scientists, and pro-nuclear environmentalists championing a new path towards a reliable, carbon-free future for New York 👇🏼
https://twitter.com/nuclearny/status/1543744480624291841
Thank you to @TomZambito for taking the time to talk to us and covering this important issue. He's doing readers a great service.
Check out the full article here: lohud.com/story/news/202…
Don't want to be a Premium member but still want to support us?
Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)
Or Donate anonymously using crypto!
0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy
3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy
Email the whole thread instead of just a link!
Separate emails with commas Message
Here's a great thread you should read right now!
Send Thread As Email!
Email Successfully Sent!


text:
Six of Manipur extremist group killed in Myanmar, say officials
They had tried to avoid fighting on behalf of junta in neighbouring country
August 12, 2021 02:47 pm | Updated 02:47 pm IST - GUWAHATI:
At least six members of a Manipur extremist group have been killed in a factional fight in Myanmar, officials said.
The decision of some cadre to desert with weapons led to the infighting in which "six to eight" members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) were killed and three others injured, a spokesperson of a security agency confirmed.
The incident happened on August 10 near the Nanyang Wakathan camp of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang-Yung Aung) in the Sagaing region of Myanmar. The camp is across Pangsau Pass in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
"We confirmed the deaths with the family members of three of the cadre killed in the factional fight. The three were from Kakching and Thoubal districts of Manipur," the spokesperson said.
According to intelligence officials keeping tabs on the northeast extremist groups, trouble had been brewing within the PLA for some time because of pressure from the Myanmar Army to either pay for lying low in the country or join the soldiers in fighting the pro-democracy forces.
The PLA cadre, short of money because of their inability to extort in India, were being pressured to fight the People's Defence Force, the armed wing of Myanmar's National Unity Government in exile.
"The PLA launched a manhunt to bring back the deserters, which led to the gunfight. The bodies of the slain extremists were buried in Myanmar," an intelligence official said.
The extremists killed were identified as self-styled Major Boycha, Leimba, Angamba, Tanthouba, Tomcha and Suresh.
Members of the PLA and other extremist outfits of the northeast have been paying the NSCN (K-YA) a hefty sum annually for accommodation at its camps.
Myanmar / Manipur


text:
Leonardo is a leading UK engineering company, one of the biggest suppliers of UK defence and security equipment, making a £2bn contribution to the UK economy around 50% of which is in export. The company employs more than 7,500 highly-skilled people across 7 major UK sites. These sites and capabilities are described in more detail below.
Committed to the UK's future prosperity, Leonardo has some 500 young people at any one time developing in-demand skills through their placements, apprenticeships and graduate schemes. Leonardo UK's annual R&D spend is nearly £200M. Two thirds of Leonardo's 2,100 UK suppliers are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Leonardo's workers are 80% more productive than the average UK worker, and contributed £103,000 a year to GDP in 2018 on average, compared to a UK average of £57,000 that year. This economic activity directly supports 26,600 UK jobs.
Most recently Leonardo UK has been recognised by the British Chambers of Commerce as a UK Business Hero for supporting local communities during the Coronavirus outbreak.
Site: Basildon
Capabilities: Optronics; Tactical data and information systems; Acoustics; Counter-drone systems; Vehicle architectures; Land Electronic Counter Measures; Seekers
Site: Bristol
Capabilities: Cyber and information assurance; Critical infrastructure; Training & simulation; Border protection; Radio Frequency modelling; Data analytics
Site: Edinburgh
Capabilities: Radar; Lasers; Infra-red Counter Measures; Electro-Optic Targeting; Lasers; Data science and analytics
Site: Lincoln
Capabilities: Mission data systems; data analytics; cyber analytics; electronic warfare operational support; training
Site: Luton
Capabilities: Defensive Aid Suites, Radar Warning Receivers, Jammers, Mission Systems Integration, Electronic Warfare Cyber, Satellite services, Geo-information and ground systems, Electro-magnetic exploitation
Site: Southampton
Capabilities: Infra-red detection; Special Projects; Defence communications systems; High grade messaging; Identification Friend or Foe systems
Site: Yeovil
Capabilities: UK's only end-to-end helicopter capability in design, development, manufacture, support and training; Rotary Wing aerospace systems; Sense & Detect; Logistics; Unmanned aerial systems; Synthetic environments; Test & Evaluation
For latest of Leonardo UK's wide range of STEM and early careers programmes, as well as our work with customers in UK and around the world, see @Leonardo_UK


Police investigating the Manchester Arena bomb attack have stopped sharing information with the US after leaks to the media, the BBC understands.
It came after the name of bomber Salman Abedi was leaked to US media just hours after the attack, which left 22 dead.
Meanwhile, the Queen has been to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital visiting some of the injured as well as members of the emergency services.
While there she paid tribute to Manchester and the "extraordinary" way the city had responded to Monday's attack at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena, in which 116 people were also injured.
In total eight men are now in custody following the bombing carried out by Manchester-born Abedi, a 22-year-old from a family of Libyan origin.
The arrests have been "significant" while searches of premises have also yielded items "important to the investigation", Greater Manchester Police said.
It has also emerged two people who had known Abedi at college made separate calls to a hotline to warn the police about his extremist views.
A Whitehall source said Abedi was one of a "pool" of former subjects of interest whose risk remained "subject to review" by the security service and its partners.
Its chief constable Ian Hopkins said the recent leak had caused "much distress for families that are already suffering terribly with their loss.".
The force - which is leading the investigation on the ground - gives its information to National Counter-Terrorism, which then shares it across government and - because of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing agreement - with the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
All other US-UK intelligence is still being shared, while five terrorist plots have been disrupted in the UK since the 22 March Westminster attack, the BBC has learned.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said she is "confident" the leaks will now end, after having voiced her irritation following the leak of the attacker's name.
However, the pictures of debris - which appear to show bloodstained fragments from the bomb and the backpack used to conceal it - were subsequently leaked to the New York Times, prompting an angry response from within Whitehall and from UK police chiefs.
The police decision to stop sharing information specifically about the Manchester attack with their security counterparts in the US is a hugely significant move and shows how angry British authorities are.
The information from the crime scene wasn't shared on a whim: the British and Americans have a lot of shared world-leading expertise in improvised explosive devices and scientists would be discussing whether the Manchester device tells them something new that could, ultimately, track down a bomb-maker.
Other sharing will continue. The UK and US share a vast amount of information about terror and espionage threats - its a tight-knit network that also encompasses Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
That system is based on trust and the "control principle": if a piece of intelligence is shared, the receiving nation has no right to further disseminate it without permission.
Counter-terrorism detectives have spoken in the past about how a delay of about 36 hours before the public know who is being investigated can allow known associates of the suspect to be arrested without being tipped off.
Lord Blair, who was the head of the Metropolitan Police at the time of the bombings in London on 7 July 2005 said a similar leak had happened then.
"It's a different world in which the US operate in terms of how they publish things and this is a very grievous breach but I'm afraid it's the same as before," he said.
Eight men and one woman have been arrested in the UK since Monday night, including Abedi's older brother Ismail, 23. The woman has since been released.
Abedi's younger brother Hashem, 20, was held by special forces linked to the interior ministry in the Libyan capital Tripoli, as was their father.
Speaking on Wednesday, Greater Manchester Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: "It's very clear that this is a network that we are investigating.
"And as I've said, it continues at a pace. There's extensive investigations going on and activity taking place across Greater Manchester."
As part of their investigation, police raided a block of flats near Manchester Piccadilly station in the city centre, requiring them to carry out a controlled explosion and briefly close the railway line.
Police carried out another controlled explosion in the early hours of Thursday morning at an address in the Moss Side area of Manchester.
Anyone with information can call the anti-terror hotline on 0800 789321.
They include children and teenagers and others who had been waiting in the foyer to pick up concert-goers.
The youngest so far known to have died is eight-year-old Saffie Roussos, while an off-duty Cheshire police officer Elaine McIver was also among the dead.
Among the latest victims to be named are Wendy Fawell, aged 50 from Otley, west Yorkshire and Eilidh MacLeod, a 14-year-old from Barra in the Outer Hebrides, and 19-year-old Courtney Boyle.
Of the 116 injured, 75 remain in hospital. Of those 23 are in critical care, five of them children.
Salman Abedi was a 22-year-old born in Manchester to Libyan parents, and a former University of Salford student.
He attended Burnage Academy for Boys in Manchester between 2009 and 2011, and The Manchester College until 2013.
A former classmate told the BBC that Abedi was a "very jokey lad" but also "very short tempered" and would get angry at "the littlest thing".
The man, who did not want to be identified, said Abedi had hung around "the wrong crowd and was very, very gullible".


Don't let rhinos be the next dinos! Arrive at the Zoo before the public to enjoy a special conservation talk about extinction and how we can all work to save rhinos in the wild. Click HERE for more information.


text:
UFO + Reds'cool @ Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton – Saturday 18th April 2015
Review by Rich Ward, photos by Lisa Billingham
Support act Reds'cool will be no surprise to the UFO fans tonight as the Russian outfit were on the bill for UFO's previous tour. A hard rock band whose image and songs seem hewn in the '90s, they put in a tight and enthusiastic performance with tracks culled from their debut album Bad Story. Their sound makes them a good choice for support, and they go down well. However, the songs didn't really make enough of an impression on me to visit their merch stall afterwards.
Reds'cool
On to the main reason why the Wulfrun is packed out again; UFO are here promoting their 22nd studio album Conspiracy Of Stars. An album that shows that UFO are one of the classic rock bands who continue to produce quality new music rather than just rely on the nostalgia value alone to draw in the crowd. This approach is also reflected in the setlist. For the past few years the band have been dropping in unexpected gems into the set rather than rely on a dozen tracks from Strangers In The Night and a couple of new ones. This is immediately apparent tonight with the Chapman era opener of 'We Belong To The Night'; a superb song which probably hasn't been in their live set since the 1982 Mechanix tour.
I'm pleased to see that they are still including a couple of songs from Seven Deadly, particularly 'Burn Your House Down' which for me is a stand out track from recent years which matches the bluesier side of Vinnie Moore with Mogg's vocals perfectly. In terms of promoting the new album, 'Run Boy Run' and 'The Killing Kind' are played with the fervour of a band proud to show off their new material, before returning to familiar territory with a full on 'Lights Out' and the latter era Schenker delight of 'Venus'.
We get spoiled again with a second Chapman era song in 'Makin' Moves' which is truly appreciated by the UFO faithful. The band are to be applauded by the variety of the main set, and as it reaches it's conclusion it becomes a little more obvious, but no less entertaining. 'Rock Bottom' sees Vinnie Moore making it his own on the lengthy workout, yet by the time the encore of 'Doctor Doctor' and 'Shoot Shoot' arrive it seems too soon and it seems that there should have been at least a couple of more tracks in there somewhere. Lacklustre lighting aside, there was a downside to the evening and that was the sound; it was dreadful. Far too bass heavy and littered with feedback throughout the whole set it did a disservice to the band and stopped me enjoying the night as much as I normally would. Having said that, the band left the stage to a rapturous applause having received a reception that they have become accustomed to by the Wolves crowd.
UFO hit the Midlands again with a date at Nottingham Rock City on 28th April and Oxford O2 Academy on 6th May.
See more of Lisa's photos from the show here


Father Gary is from Cleveland's east-side and was ordained a priest on June 7, 1986. After ordination he served as Co-Pastor and Member of the Pastoral Team at Our Lady Help of Christians in Litchfield. Next, he was Associate Pastor and Administrator at St. Mary in Elyria for ten years. Before coming to St Joan of Arc he was Associate Pastor at St. Gabriel in Concord Township and St. Francis of Assisi in Gates Mills. Father Gary has a doctoral degree in Biblical Theology and Homiletics and is an adjunct professor at St Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology. In his spare time, he enjoys music, traveling, reading, exercise, and relaxing with friends. Father Gary joined St. Joan of Arc in 2011 and was named pastor in June 2013.
Jeff spent most of his formative years in the Chagrin area. Growing up, his family were members of St Joan's Parish where he was active in the Boy Scouts and as an altar server. He attended St. Rita's school and Gilmour Academy. He received a Bachelors Degree in Business from Georgetown University and is a CPA. Currently Jeff is employed as the Chief Financial Officer for Frantz Medical Development, Ltd and Subsidiaries in Mentor, Ohio. He was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in the Cleveland Diocese in May, 2000. As a deacon, Jeff assists at Masses, presides at baptisms, performs marriages and officiates at burial services. He is also the RCIA Coordinator. In his free time, he enjoys reading, walking/hiking, the theater and cooking.
Denny Guritza was ordained as a permanent Deacon in 2005 and serves his diaconal ministry St. Joan of Arc. Deacon Denny and his wife Diana (bride of 50 years) have 3 children and 6 grandchildren. Members of the St. Joan family since 1984, Deacon Denny & Diana lead the Pre-Baptismal Preparation Program at St. Joan's for the local region. His was educated at Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Aquatic Biology along with an MBA from Xavier University in Cincinnati. Currently project work in developing Aquaculture opportunities, "ocean farming for families", keeps Deacon Denny traveling to project sites. His favorite pastime, after centering prayer, is fly fishing on a quiet trout stream.
Ann Marie was born into an American Slovak, Catholic family in Lakewood, Ohio who instilled a deep respect for priests, sisters, the Mass & Catholic education. She took her first vows in 1960 as a SND and in 2010 celebrated 50 years! Sister has studied at St. John College, Kent State University & the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Studies. Sr. Ann Marie is a Certified Youth Minister and Lay Ecclesial Minister. Her ministry has included being a teacher and a principal in the diocese before coming to SJA over 20 years ago. At SJA she has been the Director of Religious Education & Pastoral Associate for Sacramental Programs and RCIA. She also ministers in nursing facilities, is involved in weddings & funerals and is a staff advisor for many organizations at SJA. – IT IS A WONDERFUL LIFE!
Judy has been in Religious Education for 14 years, the last 12 at SJA. Before beginning this ministry, it had been her privilege to teach primary children for many years in the Youngstown and Cleveland Dioceses. Being raised with an older sister and younger brother in an Italian-American home, and part of a large extended family, has given her a deep love for family, family traditions and wonderful memories! Some of her SND opportunities were to give religion workshops and be part of a Review Team for Loyola Press, to give in-services to new teachers in the diocese, and to be a director for young women who are beginning their discernment for religious life. Sr. Judy feels she is especially blessed to witness to God's Goodness within the many ministry opportunities she has at SJA!
Shelley is the principal of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Day School and she has a deep commitment to Catholic education. This year she is completing her 19th year here as principal, but she also taught at St. Joan's 40 years ago. Shelley began her teaching career here at SJA in 1974 and she taught for four years before retiring to raise her own children. Upon returning to the classroom she taught at St. Rita's in Solon for 10 years and at St. Gregory the Great for 3 years. While teaching, Shelley went back to Ursuline College and earned her Masters Degree in Educational Administration. She is married and has 3 children and 4 grandchildren. In her spare time Shelley loves beach vacations, reading and working out.
Patrick is the Director of Music for St. Joan of Arc Parish. He has been a member of the staff since January of 2011. At SJA, Patrick is responsible for coordinating a music ministry within the Catholic tradition. This includes maintaining several musical ensembles and a cantors guild, as well as playing piano and organ and cantoring among many other things. Patrick graduated with a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin College Conservatory in 2005 and earned a Master of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2007. Originally from Omaha, NE, Patrick has been a resident of Cleveland for the past twelve years, studying and working in his field. In his spare time Patrick enjoys reading and exercising out of doors in warm seasons.
Allie is the Coordinator of Youth Ministry at St. Joan of Arc Parish. A Cleveland native, she grew up in Solon and recently moved to Bainbridge. She is a graduate of John Carroll University, where she is also completing her master's degree in nonprofit administration. While this is her first full-time ministry position, Allie has many years of experience volunteering in many youth ministry roles at Church of the Resurrection. Allie's vision for youth ministry at SJA includes helping teens be able to use and express their faith in real-life situations and teaching them how to live a prayerful, spiritual life and how to understand events in their life through the lens of their faith. In her spare time, Allie enjoys playing violin, singing, crocheting, and art projects. She also enjoys spending time with her dog Ricky and doing yoga.


Aborted the mission and RTB due to too many LA7s in the target vacinity.
Called for Assistance, yada yada.
Ok. So, I'm safe at base, got some time, and wanted to watch what my "team" was doing.
Have you guys watched two AI fight it out?
Amazing slow flight handling characteristics.
I mean, it's funny to watch... yet frustrating at the same time.


2. Describe the physiology of bilirubin metabolism and excretion.
3. Discuss the difference between physiologic and non-physiologic jaundice.
4. Identify 5 risk factors for jaundice.
5. Define kernicterus and bilirubin encephalopathy.
6. Discuss appropriate lactation treatment modalities for the late preterm and full term infant.
7.Discuss the IBCLC's role in the management of jaundice of the newborn 35 weeks and more.


You may kiss the bride….
Lovely!! That cake is impressive, and look at that shawl she's wearing! I hope you have a very literal day of rest today.
Everything looks lovely! The shawl is perfect!!
Oh, beautiful! And look at that shawl on her, too! Well done! Congratulations to the new happy couple and a good life forever to them.
Oh, how happy they look! As who wouldn't be, with such a gorgeous wedding shawl. Congratulations to both the happy couple and the proud knitter!
gorgeous shawl and wedding!!! hope you are all recovered from the festivities!!!


An on the first view easy question, however the answer seems to be more complicated than it is on the first view. Of course Sildenafil Citrate is known for Viagra or Generic Viagra so you would say there are only 2 options: Viagra Brand or Generic Viagra, however this is not so easy because as the patent of Pfizer for Viagra expired, there came more generic viagra products on the market all with the same amount of Sildenafil Citrate. So for a proper answer on this question we need to analyze and discuss all the other sildenafil pills. Let's sum them up first.
Eriacta, Caverta, Womenra, Female Viagra, Kamagra, Zenegra, Penegra, Sildenafil, Silagra, Suhagra, Aurochem and probably we could continue for some time with other well known sildenafil variants as well.
However the point is with all those generic viagra variants, they are not really mater as most important it that they contain Sildenafil Citrate which makes you to get a long hard erection. And while Generic Viagra is still the cheapest viagra pill on the market, the other generic variants are actually not worth even comparing or discussing as they work exactly the same. Of course if you for some reason prefer for example Viagra – Aurochem then please use it as it works perfect, however Generic Viagra works exactly the same and for a lower price.
While any ed pill like viagra is dependent from its active ingredient "Sildenafil Citrate"in the amount of 50mg or 100mg every sildenafil pill is more or less the same, so price should be decisive. Generic Viagra gives in this respect the most value for money and is therefore preferred over any other Sildenafil tablet out there on the market as they are exactly the same, no worse but also no better.
Sildenafil Citrate is the active ingredient in the all the above sildenafil pills and available both for men and women. In both cases it is the sildenafil citrate which increases the sexual pleasure. With men it treats erectile dysfunction / impotency and with women it increases the female labia which makes women more exciting! Buy Sildenafil Pills online at THIS online pharmacy and get 70% discount on retail prices + free shipping.
Sildenafil Citrate is the active ingredient in the above pills and available both for men and women and in both cases increase the sexual pleasure. With men it treats erectile dysfunction / impotence and with women it makes them more exciting! Buy Sildenafil Pills online at THIS online pharmacy and get 70% discount on retail prices + free shipping.


text:
Q: Ruby method_added callback not trigger including Modules I wanted to write a little "Deprecate-It" lib and used the "method_added" callback a lot.
But now I noticed that this callback is not triggered, when including a module.
Are there any callbacks or workarounds, to get class "Foobar" informed when somewhing is included to itself?
Small Demo to demonstrate:
# Including Moduls won't trigger method_added callback

module InvisibleMethod
  def invisible
    "You won't get a callback from me"
  end
end

class Foobar
  def self.method_added(m)
    puts "InstanceMethod: '#{m}' added to '#{self}'"
  end

  def visible
    "You will get a callback from me"
  end

  include InvisibleMethod
end

[:invisible, :visible, :wont_exist].each do |meth|
  puts "#{meth}: #{Foobar.public_method_defined? meth}"
end

That's the result:
InstanceMethod: 'visible' added to 'Foobar'
invisible: true
visible: true
wont_exist: false

Additional Information:
I really need to use a hook like method_added.
ActiveModel is adding public_instance_methods to Class during runtime though anonymous Modules.

A: The problem is that including modules doesn't add methods to the classes - it only changes the method call chain. This chain defines which classes/module will be searched for a method, that is not defined for the class in question. What happens when you include a module is an addition of an entry in that chain.
This is exactly the same as when you add a method in a superclass - this doesn't call method_added since it is not defined in the superclass. It would be very strange if a subclass could change the behavior of a superclass.
You could fix that by manually calling method added for an included module, by redefining include for your class:
class Foobar
  def self.include(included_module)
    included_module.instance_methods.each{|m| self.method_added(m)}
    super
  end
end

And it is much safer than redefining the included method in Module - the change is narrowed only to the classes, that you have defined yourself.

A: As suggested by one of the comments, you could use some other hook to get the behavior you want. For example, try to add this at the beginning of your code:
class Module
  def included(klass)
    if klass.respond_to?(:method_added)
      self.instance_methods.each do |method|
        klass.method_added(method)
      end
    end
  end
end

Whenever a module is included in a class, all instance methods of that module will be notified to the class, as long as it defines the method method_added. By running your code with the change above I get this result:
InstanceMethod: 'visible' added to 'Foobar'
InstanceMethod: 'invisible' added to 'Foobar'
invisible: true
visible: true
wont_exist: false

Which I think is the behavior you want.

A: I think deprecation is not big isue to require a library. it is implemented like this in datamapper. About method_added hook; it is working as expected because methods already added to module not class. Only you can get your expected result monkey patching included hook.
# got from https://github.com/datamapper/dm-core/blob/master/lib/dm-core/support/deprecate.rb
module Deprecate
  def deprecate(old_method, new_method)
    class_eval <<-RUBY, __FILE__, __LINE__ + 1
      def #{old_method}(*args, &block)
        warn "\#{self.class}##{old_method} is deprecated, use \#{self.class}##{new_method} instead (\#{caller.first})"
        send(#{new_method.inspect}, *args, &block)
      end
    RUBY
  end
end # module Deprecate

class MyClass
  extend Deprecate

  def old_method
    p "I am old"
  end
  deprecate :old_method, :new_method

  def new_method
    p "I am new"
  end
end

m = MyClass.new
m.old_method

# MyClass#old_method is deprecated, use MyClass#new_method instead (pinger.rb:27:in `<main>')
# "I am new"


Rock the retro look with this cute denim newsboy cap! 100% cotton, soft, breathable and fully lined so it's a great hat for chemo patients and women with hair loss.
Our denim Newsboy Hat for women is makes a cute hat for chemo patients and women with medical hair loss. 100% cotton. Fully lined with full coverage over the ears and neckline.
Weighing just 2.8 ounces, this lightweight cotton summer hat for women is cool, comfortable and breathable. A great choice in chemo headwear for women and teen girls.
This classic newsboy hat or cabbie cap has 8 pie-shaped sections on top for shape and fullness and a short 2 inch curved bill that frames your face without being overpowering.
Covered elastic at the neckline for a secure fit as a chemo cap for women with small to medium heads, 21.5" to 22.5" as measured around the hair line. Will not slip on a bald head..
A cute, fashionable women's hat. Great for indoors or out; ideal for school, work or a walk in the park. 100% cotton denim. Soft 100% cotton lining.


Contact Cary Pearce with Provident Business Bank, has represented many of my clients and can assist you getting pre-qualified so you can begin your home search today.
This is not an offer for an extension of credit or a commitment to lend. All applications are subject to borrower and property underwriting approval. Not all applicants will qualify. All loan products and terms are subject to change without notice.


VN340 is a international flight operated by Vietnam Airlines. VN340 is departing from Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), Vietnam and arriving at Nagoya (NGO), Japan. The flight distance is about 4,051 km or 2,517 miles and flight time is 5 hours 25 minutes. Get the latest status of VN340 / HVN340 here.
Update on April 24, 2019, 9 p.m.
Distance: 4,051 km / 2,517 miles or 2,188 nautical miles.


text:
Threats on horizon for logistics superpower?
Last week's BVL Congress in Berlin celebrated a German logistics market that is on pace for another record year in 2012, buoyed largely by strong exports and manufacturing, including automotive. The leader of the opposition Social Democratic party proclaimed the country a "logistics superpower". But with further slowdowns in global markets potentially on the horizon, and the Eurozone crisis standing at the gates of the German economy, there are clear risks to the industry's health.
Furthermore, while Germany's transport infrastructure was credited as a competitive advantage for the country's supply chain efficiency, there was concern voiced that investment in infrastructure is currently insufficient, with the BVL, Germany's membership network of logistics and supply chain experts, calling for an outright doubling in current investment levels over the next 15 years.
After growing 6% in 2011 to reach an all time high of €223 billion ($290 billion), the German logistics market is on pace to grow another 3% this year to €228 billion, according to Dr Raimund Klinkner, president of BVL International, who moderated the conference. Employment is also estimated to be up by around 100,000 workers to 2.8m.
In a nod to the importance of logistics and manufacturing to the German economy, the BVL – a non-profit, federally funded logistics association – saw a number of high-ranking politicians in attendance. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, chairman of the parliamentary party of the Social Democrats in the German Bundestag, the current opposition leader and a former foreign minister and vice-chancellor, told delegates that the strength of Germany was as much about logistics as it was the more prominent standard bearers, such as cars, chemicals and engineering.
"I have a different image of the German economy from when I was foreign minister. I remember seeing DHL and Schenker logos in every country that I went," he said. "Only a few people know that Germany has become a logistics superpower."
Germany's global automotive logistics links
The global growth of the German automotive industry obviously indicates the rise of Germany's logistics and supply chain powerhouse. Matthias Wissmann, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), and a former Transport Minister, pointed out that Germany was not only the sole European country to increase its automotive production in the past two decades – with passenger car levels on pace to remain stable at a record 5.5m units this year – but its brands now also produce 8.5m units outside of Germany.
Even with more 'German' cars produced outside of Germany than in it, a large share of the "value creation" of these vehicles remains in Germany, with small-and-medium sized suppliers – the famous German Mittelstand – playing a critical role in exports. Wissmann pointed out that Germany has twice as many such companies that export than does France, for example.
The conference had no shortage of evidence in this direction. One example came from Dinora Guerreiro, material handling and transport manager for Volkswagen Autoeuropa in Portugal. She revealed that out of the 678 suppliers providing material for the four models built at the plant, 478 were from Germany and Central Europe. Around 175 suppliers were based in Spain or Portugal, and just 14 in France. VW Autoeuropa makes uses of consolidation centres in Kornwestheim and Baunatal in Germany to arrange truck transport to Portugal, while the company has also recently shifted 10% of its land transport from Germany to long-distance rail.
Automotive's export focus, in both material and vehicles, therefore puts more emphasis on the quality of logistics across all modes of transport. Peter Ramsauer, Germany's Transport Minister (pictured), pointed to the use of the railways to connect BMW's plant in Leipzig to China overland via Russia, which moves material between sites in 23 days, about half the length of a ship. "I recently met with Russian ministers to discuss how to cut that time further to 12 days," he said.
The economic and operational importance of logistics providers for the German automotive industry was also emphasised. "The automotive industry needs a highly qualified logistics chain, as 70% of the costs for building a car comes from suppliers," said Wissmann. "The organisation of transport is decisive; [logistics providers] are the oil in the gears of [the automotive] supply chain."
The threat of infrastructure decline
But Germany is facing a number of risks that could impact its logistics prowess and economic growth. Dr Klinkner pointed out that German GDP growth is now forecasted at less than 1% for both 2012 and 2013, while the BVL's logistics indicators are at their lowest level in more than two years and point to declining outlooks.
The wave of decline in the European market for new vehicle sales appears to have also hit Germany, with sales declining 11% last month. While production and exports have been relatively stable, German-based producers are also facing severe headwinds, with Opel mulling the first German car plant closure since the Second World War.
But aside from the risks in the global economy, speakers pointed to the further economic and competitive risks that stem from a failure to maintain and upgrade German infrastructure. While normally considered one of the country's strong points, Germany slipped to 4th place in the 2012 World Bank's Logistics Performance Index, after coming top in 2010.
Klinkner pointed to recent studies that suggest Germany might be underinvesting in infrastructure by as much as €7 billion per year. He warned that at this rate Germany would not be able to keep up with rising freight and passenger levels. "Traffic is predicted to grow by 74% in freight and 18% in passengers by 2025. At that rate, we would require a clear doubling in infrastructure investment at current levels," said Klinkner, which the BVL officially supports.
The German annual infrastructure budget, which is currently around €12 billion, has already seen about €1 billion increased last year, according to the Transport Minister Ramsauer. "We are now negotiating in Parliament to unblock another €1 billion, which will allow us to move on with current construction projects," he said.
But Ramsauer acknowledged that Germany needed more financing across all modes of transport, in particular more sustainable channels such as inland waterways. He suggested that 'public-private partnerships' (PPP) would continue to be a helpful tool for unlocking more financing.
"PPP can help launch projects that would otherwise be last on the priority list," he said, pointed to certain river port projects as an example. He acknowledged criticism that such partnerships meant that government could lose money on revenue generated from such projects over the long term, but maintained that they were the best way to generate more investment in the face of shrinking public budgets and austerity.
The VDA's Weissmann said that infrastructure investment would be vital to Germany's automotive and economic success. "Without infrastructure investment, we will not have economic power," he said. However, he was encouraged by the government's move to expand its budget. "If this €2 billion were approved between last year and this year's budget, it would be a bit step in the right direction," he said.
Steinmeier, who will lead his party against the Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats and current coalition government in a general election in 2013, was more critical. Calling current government policy inadequate, he made it clear that, in some ways, logistics and infrastructure would fall within the political battle lines for next year. He warned that Germany risked losing its ranking as an export champion and growing logistics superpower without investment across all transport modes.
"Our modal connections will be decisive as to whether Germany stays as the top exporter or slips to number two," said Steinmeier.