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Facebook Labels Trump Posts On Grounds That He's Inciting Violence
Some staff take issue with company decision to allow the posts about social unrest to remain on the platform. Facebook Labels Trump Posts On Grounds That He's Inciting Violence
Some Facebook Inc. employees staged a virtual walkout Monday to protest CEO Mark Zuckerberg's decision to leave up a post from President Trump about the recent social unrest, comments they believed violated the company's rules about inciting violence.
Petition: Ban Donald Trump From All Social Media Sites
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Over the weekend, more than a dozen employees spoke out on Twitter against Mr. Zuckerberg's decision to keep up a post from the president, which called the demonstrators thugs and warned: "When the looting starts, the shooting starts." Some employees set up their remote work stations to say they were not working Monday to voice their disagreement with Mr. Zuckerberg, according to people familiar with the matter and public tweets from Facebook employees. The walkout was confirmed by a company spokeswoman.
Facebook says it refrains from fact-checking or removing politicians' posts on the platform but will take down posts that glorify violence and spread voter misinformation. Some employees and outside academics who study Facebook's content rules said the looting post, along with an earlier one that contained inaccuracies about voting by mail, broke the company's rules.
"I'm a FB employee that completely disagrees with Mark's decision to do nothing about Trump's recent posts, which clearly incite violence," tweeted Jason Stirman, who lists himself as a design manager at Facebook on his LinkedIn page. "I'm not alone inside of FB. There isn't a neutral position on racism."
On Friday, Mr. Zuckerberg said those posts would remain, despite his own view that the looting post was "deeply offensive." He said that even though he knew many disagreed, he believed it was "better to have this discussion out in the open, especially when the stakes are so high."
Late on Sunday night, Mr. Zuckerberg said Facebook would commit $10 million to groups working on racial justice.
Mr. Trump's tweet was in the early stages of the protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man, while in police custody in Minneapolis. Those protests have spread nationwide in the days since.
Although employee activism has been common around Silicon Valley in recent years, the public outcry is unusual for Facebook employees, who have typically kept their disagreements in-house over the past several years of scandals. But the events of the last few days pushed these debates into public view, mirroring similar developments at rival tech companies like Alphabet Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.
"Mark is wrong, and I will endeavor in the loudest possible way to change his mind," said Ryan Freitas, director of product design on news feed at Facebook, in a tweet.
In a statement, the Facebook spokeswoman said, "We recognize the pain many of our people are feeling right now, especially our Black community. We encourage employees to speak openly when they disagree with leadership. As we face additional difficult decisions around content ahead, we'll continue seeking their honest feedback."
The spokeswoman declined to say how many employees were involved in the walkout Monday. The New York Times earlier reported the walkout.
The employee unrest adds to the difficulties confronting Facebook regarding the social-media habits of President Trump. Even though Facebook has taken a hands-off approach to the president, he has continued to include the company in his complaints about unfair treatment for conservatives, a beef that led him last week to issue an executive order that would strip some companies of one of their most important legal protections.
Twitter, by contrast, shielded from public view the looting tweet from Mr. Trump. It can now only be seen after users click a box with a notice saying it violated Twitter's rules against encouraging violence. Another tweet from the president, in which he said voting by mail would lead to rampant fraud, was affixed with a label encouraging users to "Get the facts about mail-in ballots" and referring them to other sources of information.
Mr. Trump and others, largely from the right, have argued that the moves are akin to censorship and that private companies shouldn't be in the business of regulating political speech.
The same messages were cross-posted to Mr. Trump's Facebook page, and no action has been taken against them.
One Facebook employee said part of the issue is that Facebook hasn't given itself the same options as Twitter when dealing with such posts.
"I will be participating in today's virtual walkout in solidarity with the black community inside and outside FB," tweeted Sara Zhang, a Facebook product designer. "@Facebook's recent decision to not act on posts that incite violence ignores other options to keep our community safe. The policy pigeon holes us into addressing harmful user-facing content in two ways: keep content up or take it down."
The angry tone within Facebook is a contrast to the last several weeks, when morale was generally high over the company's response to the new coronavirus. Many employees felt the company had regained purpose and supported Mr. Zuckerberg's steps to elevate accurate information about the virus and rely on world health experts.
One employee said the angst within the company is greater than when Joel Kaplan, a top global policy executive, appeared at a hearing to support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in the fall of 2018. At that time, hundreds of insiders expressed outrage over Mr. Kaplan's decision, arguing it was hypocritical that a senior executive would appear at such a highly politicized hearing when so many employees were discouraged from expressing their own political views externally.
Mr. Trump's tweet saying "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" was a line that some people took to refer to the former police chief of Miami when he cracked down on U.S. civil-rights protests, as well as the former governor of Alabama, known for his opposition to the U.S. civil-rights movement.
Mr. Trump later defended his message as being misunderstood. "It was spoken as a fact, not as a statement," he said in a subsequent tweet. "I didn't want this to happen, and that's what the expression put out last night means."
Updated: 6-2-2020
Facebook's Zuckerberg Defends Decision To Leave Trump Posts Alone
Civil rights leaders who met with Mr. Zuckerberg said they were 'disappointed and stunned'.
Facebook Inc. FB 0.35% Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, addressing employees in a highly charged town hall meeting Tuesday, defended his decision to preserve posts on the platform by President Trump despite mounting outrage from insiders and civil rights activists that one of his messages last week was tantamount to a call for violence and therefore a violation of the company's rules.
The employee meeting, initially scheduled for Thursday, came a day after hundreds of employees participated in a "virtual walkout" opposing the policy decision, with several airing their grievances with the company publicly on Twitter. Two software engineers publicly said on Monday they quit the company, in part due to Facebook's failure to enforce its own rules when it comes to Mr. Trump.
The meeting wasn't streamed publicly, as some internal Facebook events have been recently, but employees said Mr. Zuckerberg didn't give ground on the issue. He has said he doesn't believe private companies should regulate political speech and that while he personally found Mr. Trump's posts "deeply offensive," he thinks it is better for the debate over his comments to be held publicly than suppressed.
"It's crystal clear today that leadership refuses to stand with us," said Brandon Dail, a Facebook engineer, in a Twitter post.
In posts on Twitter and Facebook on Friday, Mr. Trump called demonstrators thugs and warned: "When the looting starts, the shooting starts." Twitter shielded the message from public view, while Facebook took no action.
The employee turmoil amounts to one of the toughest challenges to Mr. Zuckerberg's leadership in the past 16 years. Since late last week, Mr. Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg have discussed the policy decision with employees, especially black executives and employees within the company, as well as civil rights leaders. Those meetings, some of the participants said, were largely unsatisfying.
Three civil rights leaders—Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.; and Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change—issued a fiery statement after speaking with Mr. Zuckerberg and Ms. Sandberg late Monday.
"We are disappointed and stunned by Mark's incomprehensible explanations for allowing the Trump posts to remain up," they said. "He did not demonstrate understanding of historic or modern-day voter suppression and he refuses to acknowledge how Facebook is facilitating Trump's call for violence against protesters. Mark is setting a very dangerous precedent."
Facebook Looks to Contain Advertising Boycott Over Hate Speech
Social network tells advertisers it takes civil-rights groups' concerns seriously, but won't 'make policy changes tied to revenue pressure'.
Facebook Inc. is working to persuade its top advertisers not to pause spending on the social network, as it tries to keep a boycott from a handful of marketers from turning into a widespread revolt.
Facebook executives in emails and calls with advertisers and ad agencies over the past week have conveyed that they are taking seriously the concerns of civil-rights groups about the proliferation of hate speech and misinformation on its platform. But they are also maintaining that business interests won't dictate their policies, according to people familiar with the discussions.
"We do not make policy changes tied to revenue pressure," Carolyn Everson, vice president of Global Business Group at Facebook, said in an email to advertisers last weekend that was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. "We set our policies based on principles rather than business interests."
Facebook executives are also vowing to invest more to tackle hate on the platform including continuing the development of artificial-intelligence technology that can detect hate speech, according to the email.
Several advertisers such as ice-cream maker Ben & Jerry's, Patagonia Inc., VF Corp.'s North Face, Eddie Bauer and Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) have said they would halt advertising on the platform. Their decisions came after a call from civil-rights groups including the Anti-Defamation League and NAACP last week to pull ad spending from Facebook for the month of July.
The pullback extended to large advertisers Thursday, with telecommunications giant Verizon Communications Inc. announcing it was pausing its Facebook and Instagram advertising.
In a letter to advertisers Thursday, the Anti-Defamation League said Facebook has repeatedly refused to remove political ads that contained "blatant lies," and has been slow to respond to calls to take down conspiratorial content.
"Every day, we see ads from companies placed adjacent to hateful content, occupying the same space as extremist recruitment groups and harmful disinformation campaigns," the Anti-Defamation League said in its letter. "Your ad buying dollars are being used by the platform to increase its dominance in the industry at the expense of vulnerable and marginalized communities who are often targets of hate groups on Facebook."
Facebook declined to comment.
Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday joined a Facebook meeting with a group of big advertisers and ad agency-executives, according to people familiar with the conference call. Mr. Zuckerberg listened to advertisers' concerns and reiterated the company's principles of neutrality.
He said political content can be seen as egregious by one side and not by the other, the people said. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, also joined the client council meeting, which had been scheduled before the civil rights groups called for the boycott and was reported earlier by Business Insider.
So far, many of the biggest advertisers haven't joined the boycott, but several are seriously considering it, according to ad executives.
"Several of my clients are planning on sitting out in July," said Barry Lowenthal, the chief executive of the Media Kitchen agency, an ad-buying agency owned by MDC Partners Inc. Some marketers are pausing because "it's the right thing to do as a good corporate citizen," he said. The brands, which are midsize advertisers, are likely to pause quietly, he added.
Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble Co., a trendsetter in the ad world, said it is reviewing all platforms on which it advertises for objectionable content. Facebook is included in that review, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company's marketing chief, Marc Pritchard, on Wednesday vowed that it wouldn't advertise "on or near content that we determine is hateful, denigrating or discriminatory."
P&G met with civil-rights group Color of Change this week to discuss Facebook's track record of removing content that violates their standards, according to people familiar with the matter. Color of Change joined the ADL and NAACP in calling for a Facebook boycott.
A P&G spokesman said the company won't name publicly the platforms from which it might pull ads.
"We're going to work with our partners to make sure our standards are met."
Any pull back from Facebook—even a short one—isn't an easy decision. The platform has become a must-buy for many advertisers because of its huge audience and the vast amount of data the platform has, which enables brands to efficiently target customers. Moreover, after significantly pausing advertising in the early days of the pandemic, companies are now anxious to ramp up ad spending as cities across the country begin to allow businesses to open up.
Over the past few years, Facebook has invested in workers and technology to guard against election interference and to better police its platforms, resulting in improvements in the removal of hate speech and other objectionable content.
Some advertisers want Facebook to go further and have asked the social media giant for more transparency regarding where their ads appear and if their promotions appear adjacent to hate speech. They have also called for Facebook to improve its technology that it uses for detecting hate speech on its platform, according to people familiar with the discussions.
In her weekend email to advertisers, Facebook's Ms. Everson said 89% of the content Facebook removed for violating its hate-speech policies in the six months to March was detected by its systems before anyone reported it to the company. Three years ago, that was the case for only 23% of such content, she said.
Some ad buyers say they are busy making contingency plans in the event that clients decide to participate in the advertising boycott. They are working to figure out other digital platforms to use in order to cushion any business disruption for them that could be caused by pausing Facebook ad spending.
Facebook and other tech giants have been somewhat immune from past moves by big marketers to curb their spending because the platforms don't rely as heavily on large marketers, with the bulk of their revenue coming from small and midsize advertisers. Facebook's U.S. revenue from digital advertising is expected to rise about 5% this year to $31.43 billion, according to eMarketer.
Madison Avenue's relationship with Facebook has been filled with angst.
Tensions boiled over in 2016, when The Wall Street Journal reported Facebook had overstated its video-viewing statistics for more than two years. Facebook acknowledged it had inflated reported viewing times by as much as 80%, and agreed to undergo audits by the media industry's measurement watchdog.
In 2017, several companies—including P&G—pulled their spending from Alphabet Inc.'s YouTube after they found their ads running alongside extremist and racist content on the site.
The pullback didn't make a major dent in the company's finances. Still, advertisers believe that the YouTube boycott did cause Google to work more aggressively at policing its content, ad executives said.
The Google brand safety crisis "really changed Google. They put proper tools in place and have been super responsive," said one of the people. Google declined to comment.
Verizon Pauses Facebook Ads
Verizon became the biggest marketer yet to say it will pause its advertising on Facebook, even as the social network mounts a campaign to persuade its top advertisers to stay put.
Facebook executives have been emailing and calling advertisers and ad agencies over the past week to convey that they are taking seriously the concerns of civil-rights groups about the hate speech and misinformation on the platform.
Unilever To Halt U.S. Ads On Facebook And Twitter For Rest of 2020
Facebook to start labeling posts that violate its rules but are deemed newsworthy.
Consumer-goods giant Unilever PLC said it would halt U.S. advertising on Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. for at least the remainder of the year, citing hate speech and divisive content on the platforms, a significant escalation in Madison Avenue's efforts to force changes by the tech companies.
Within an hour of the move being announced, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a set of new policies designed to combat voter suppression and better protect minorities on the platform. He didn't mention Unilever's decision.
Unilever, whose many household brands include Dove soap, Hellmann's mayonnaise and Lipton tea, joins a growing list of companies that are boycotting Facebook for varying lengths of time, including Verizon Communications Inc., Patagonia Inc., VF Corp., North Face, Eddie Bauer and Recreational Equipment Inc.
"Based on the current polarization and the election that we are having in the U.S., there needs to be much more enforcement in the area of hate speech," said Luis Di Como, Unilever's executive vice president of global media, in an interview.
"Continuing to advertise on these platforms at this time would not add value to people and society," the company said. Its Facebook ban also will cover Instagram.
The Facebook advertising boycott came after civil-rights groups including the Anti-Defamation League and NAACP called on brands to pull ad spending from Facebook for July. The groups said the social-media giant hadn't made enough progress enforcing its policies on hate speech and misinformation.
Among the new policies Mr. Zuckerberg announced on Friday, the company will begin labeling posts that violate its policies but are deemed newsworthy—giving Facebook the option of labeling President Trump's posts, as Twitter has done recently.
Facebook will also put in additional safeguards to prevent voter suppression and shield immigrants from ads that depict them as inferior.
Mr. Zuckerberg said he would continue working with civil-rights groups and others to set effective policies as the election approaches.
"I'm optimistic that we can make progress on public health and racial justice while maintaining our democratic traditions around free expression and voting," he said.
After Mr. Zuckerberg's live-stream in which he announced the new policies, Rashad Robinson, president of the civil-rights group Color of Change tweeted that the remarks were "11 minutes of wasted opportunity to commit to change."
Twitter wasn't a target of the civil-rights group's boycott call, but it has also come under scrutiny on Madison Avenue.
In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, Facebook said it invests billions of dollars every year to keep its platform safe and has banned 250 white-supremacist organizations from Facebook and Instagram. It said artificial intelligence helps it find nearly 90% of hate speech before anyone flagged it.
"We know we have more work to do," the company said, adding that it would continue to work with Global Alliance for Responsible Media—an ad-industry group created to improve the digital ecosystem, and of which Unilever is a founding member—as well as other experts "to develop even more tools, technology and policies to continue this fight."
"We have developed policies and platform capabilities designed to protect and serve the public conversation, and as always, are committed to amplifying voices from underrepresented communities and marginalized groups," said Sarah Personette, Twitter's vice president of Global Client Solutions, in a statement. "We are respectful of our partners' decisions and will continue to work and communicate closely with them during this time."
Facebook has taken some steps in recent years to better police its platforms, adding workers and developing new technology. That has resulted in the removal of hate speech and other objectionable content.
"We acknowledge the efforts of our partners, but there is much more to be done, especially in the areas of divisiveness and hate speech during this polarized election period in the U.S.," Unilever said. "The complexities of the current cultural landscape have placed a renewed responsibility on brands to learn, respond and act to drive a trusted and safe digital ecosystem."
Mr. Di Como said Unilever would like to see a reduction in the level of hate speech on the platforms and wants independent companies to measure and confirm that progress has been made.
Unilever, which is one of the biggest ad spenders in the world, said it would shift its U.S. ad dollars that have been earmarked for Facebook and Twitter to other media. Unilever spent $42.3 million on Facebook ads in the U.S. last year, research company Pathmatics Inc. estimates. Unilever declined to comment on its ad spending.
The big tech platforms have been under increasing pressure—from politicians, outside groups, and their own users—to crack down harder on misinformation and hate speech. Facebook, in particular, has become a target because of its position that political speech, including comments by President Donald Trump, generally shouldn't be fact-checked and removed.
Tensions have been heightened since the widespread U.S. protests spurred by the killing of George Floyd, and the resulting national dialogue about race and police brutality. But many concerns about the platforms have been festering for years. The Anti-Defamation League, for example, has long pushed Facebook to view Holocaust denial as a form of hate speech.
Corporate advertisers, whose ad spending is the financial foundation for tech giants, have applied pressure as well—sometimes quietly, behind the scenes, sometimes in public. The latest boycott represents a substantial escalation, especially with the addition of bigger players like Unilever and Verizon. Verizon said it was pausing its advertising until Facebook can create a solution that makes the company comfortable.
Motives for joining such boycotts can be all over the map. Some companies see a chance to get positive attention for taking a stand on a social matter. Others are worried about their brand's association with controversial content—and, if history is a guide, they may return to advertising when the dust settles. Some see an opportunity to strike a blow at the powerful digital platforms.
And for others, ad boycotts are a moral fight that is worth having even if it hurts their business.
For many companies, pulling ads off Facebook is a difficult proposition, because it is such an efficient marketing vehicle and has so much data on consumers to help target ads. Unilever said it isn't removing Facebook and Twitter ads in non-U.S. markets because the divisive content is currently more pronounced in the U.S.
Unilever has been a leader in demanding that tech giants clean up the digital ad ecosystem. It has pushed them to police advertising fraud and has been outspoken about the lack of transparency in Facebook's and Google's metrics that show whether advertising is working.
Unilever also has taken stances on social issues: This week, it said it would discontinue the name "Fair & Lovely" for its international skin-lightening cream, acknowledging it reinforces the racist notion that light skin is better. The product will still be sold. The company has also been working to eliminate stereotypical portrayals of women in its advertising.
Procter & Gamble Co., another consumer products giant that is highly influential on Madison Avenue, said it is reviewing all platforms on which it advertises for objectionable content. Facebook is included in that review, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company's marketing chief, Marc Pritchard, on Wednesday vowed that the company wouldn't advertise "on or near content that we determine is hateful, denigrating or discriminatory."
Clorox To Halt Facebook Ads Through Year End, Joining Advertiser Push On Content
Company cited 'an increasingly unhealthy environment for people and our purpose-driven brands'.
Clorox Co. said it would pause advertising on both Facebook and Instagram.
Clorox Co. said it would temporarily stop advertising on Facebook Inc.,joining a parade of other companies that have moved to halt ad spending on the social-media giant over how it has handled speech on its platforms.
The company behind its namesake cleaning supplies, Kingsford charcoal and other consumer brands said Monday that it is pausing buying ads on Facebook through December to take action against what it said was hate speech, "which we believe will increase through the balance of the year."
"This creates an increasingly unhealthy environment for people and our purpose-driven brands," Clorox said in a statement about its decision.
A Clorox spokesperson said the pause in spending is global and covers the main Facebook platform as well as the company's Instagram unit.
A Facebook spokeswoman didn't have a comment regarding Clorox's decision, but said the social-media company invests billions each year to ensure safety and continuously works with outside experts to review and update its policies.
The company has banned 250 white supremacist organizations from Facebook and Instagram, she said, adding that artificial intelligence allows Facebook to find close to 90% of hate speech before users report it.
Last week, Unilever PLC, the consumer-products company behind Dove soap, Hellmann's mayonnaise and other items, said it would halt ad spending on Facebook and Twitter Inc. for at least the remainder of the year, pointing to hate speech and other divisive content.
Coca-Cola Co. announced a wider pause on Friday, saying it would temporarily halt spending on all social-media platforms for 30 days.
Other companies have also moved to boycott Facebook for varying lengths of time.
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has said the company was making further changes to its platform. Facebook will add labels to certain posts and forbid advertisements that claim specific groups of people pose threats to the physical safety, health or survival of others, according to a Facebook post from Mr. Zuckerberg on Friday.
Civil-rights groups had pushed advertisers to pull advertising spending on Facebook for July to protest what they said was the company's failure to halt hate speech and misinformation on its platform.
The Facebook Ad Boycott Gains Steam. Analysts Say Buy On The Weakness
Even as large brands such as Coca-Cola and Starbucks have joined the boycott of Facebook over civil rights issues, Wall Street has largely shrugged off the consequences for the stock.
By Monday, the number of Facebook's (Ticker: FB) eight million advertisers that have pledged to choke off spending on the social media company's platforms had climbed above 150, with Starbucks (SBUX), Procter & Gamble (PG), Coca-Cola (KO) and others adding their names. Still, Facebook's underlying business has shrugged off controversies in the past, leaving it churning out profit just months later.
Investors appeared to see Friday's 8% drop as a buying opportunity and Facebook shares advanced 2.1% to $220.64 on Monday, in line with the gain for the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Raymond James analyst Aaron Kessler wrote in a Monday note to clients that Friday's pullback was a buying opportunity, citing the minimal impact of past boycotts—specifically several that temporarily affected YouTube—the seasonally slow period for advertising, and the fact that Facebook has announced several policy changes to address the concerns that led to the boycott.
In a phone conversation, Pivotal Research analyst Michael Levine said he expected Monday's boycott total to be higher than it was. Part of the issue for some advertisers is that deploying an effective online marketing campaign that excludes Facebook is a significant challenge.
"Facebook is very tone deaf, and this isn't the first time they have been revealed as tone deaf," Levine said. "Companies don't like them. They just don't. But there's no way to buy around them. They're too big."
He said brands have an easier time cutting off spending when they aren't using Facebook for direct-response campaigns—those in which a Facebook advertisement is the beginning of a funnel that results in a sale to a customer if successful. The companies that run direct-response campaigns closely monitor the return on ad dollars spent and would be loath to cut off the revenue.
MKM Partners analyst Rohit Kulkarni wrote in a Monday note that his team views the rising number of companies joining the boycott as a near-term risk to the stock. Procter & Gamble alone accounts for roughly 0.5% of Facebook's ad revenue. The overall risk totals roughly 5% of the company's revenue. Kulkarni recommends buying the stock amid the weakness.
The boycott emanated from a coalition of more than five civil rights groups, including the NAACP and Anti-Defamation League. The groups started the campaign earlier in June with a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times, urging brands to pull their Facebook spending in July. The organizations say Facebook has failed to combat hate speech and voter-suppression efforts on its platform, among other things.
Facebook appeared to respond to some of the pressure on Friday, announcing a series of policy changes aimed at combating misinformation, hate speech and voter suppression. Facebook has previously defended its efforts to police hate speech on the platform, saying its internal efforts find and remove 90% of that sort of content before it is reported by members.
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Falling Real Yields (0.241% ) Signal Worry Over U.S. Economy (#GotBitcoin?)
Donald Trump's WH Projects $1 Trillion Deficit For 2019 (#GotBitcoin?)
U.S. Home Sales Stumble, As Pricey West Coast Markets Suffer Declines (#DumpTrump)
Lower Rates Have A Downside For Bank's Mortgage-Servicing Rights (#GotBitcoin?)
Central Banks Are In Sync On Need For Fresh Stimulus (#GotBitcoin?)
Weak Corporate Earnings Signal A Weak Economy (#GotBitcoin?)
Price of Gold, Indicator Of Inflation And Recession Surges (#GotBitcoin?)
Recession Set To Materialize In Approximately In (9) Months (#GotBitcoin?)
A Whiff Of U.S. Recession Is In The Air Again. Credit Trumponomics
Trumponomics Fails To Deliver As Truckers Cut Payrolls, Job Openings Fall & Tech Hiring Cools (#GotBitcoin?)
Trump Calls On Fed To Cut Interest Rates, Resume Bond-Buying To Stimulate Growth (#GotBitcoin?)
Fake News: A Perfectly Good Retail Sales Report (#GotBitcoin?)
Anticipating A Recession, Trump Points Fingers At Fed Chairman Powell (#GotBitcoin?)
Affordable Housing Crisis Spreads Throughout World (#GotBitcoin?) (#GotBitcoin?)
Los Angeles And Other Cities Stash Money To Prepare For A Recession (#GotBitcoin?)


Designed to be responsive and built to take a beating. Thick, micro shaped heat treated drop-outs are ultra-strong and allow for ample peg clearance. Taller head tube reduces the number of spacers needed. Laser cut top tube gusset for added strength. Modern street geometry works well on almost all terrains.


Electronic Shock Lockout: The Holy Grail of Suspension Technology?
Mountain bike suspension is a continually improving facet of bicycle technology. From the first two inch travel RockShox fork to all of the current four, five, six and eight inch suspension systems, improvement never stops. Many of the ideas, and consequently testing, come from sponsored racers. They are always looking for the most efficient way to the finish line. It is for this reason that bicycle suspension systems have developed "lockout".The purpose of the suspension lockout is to reduce or "lockout" the fork or rear shock travel to provide a platform for the most efficient transfer of the riders power. Anyone who has ridden a full suspension bike has experienced pedal "bob", the power sucking movement of the suspension, while either powering up a short steep hill or sprinting. Until recently, suspension lockout mechanisms have been a lever located either on the component itself, or mounted on the handlebar operated manually with a cable. However, mountain bike suspension is now being blended with another wonder of technology, electronics, to not only eliminate the cable, but also provide automatic adjustment between locked and open suspension. Could this combination be the best ever?
For several years now, suspension makers have offered a handlebar mounted, cable operated lockout lever for the fork or the rear shock. During the last couple years, Fox Racing Shox has offered a single lever system to control both the front and rear suspension. In 2013, Fox introduced their iCD electronic shock lockout system. The iCD, with one flick of a switch, locks or unlocks the front and rear suspension simultaneously. The advantage to using electronics over a mechanical cable is two-fold. First, the electronic system requires minimal physical and mental effort to complete the task. Second, the electronic action is much faster, essentially instantaneous. Thus, the lockout is used much more often during a race or ride.
The German fork manufacturer, Magura, has taken the electronic concept further. By using both a processor and a three dimensional accelerometer, they have developed a system that automatically senses when suspension or lockout is required. In order to function optimally, the fork is first calibrated on flat ground. The positioning sensor then locks or unlocks the fork based upon whether the rider is traveling up or downhill. It does not, however end there. The accelerometer portion of the sensor is used to sense upward impact, which will allow the fork to absorb the impact. The accelerometer will also sense if the fork is traveling downward, as in free fall from a jump in order to provide suspension for the landing. A wireless switch mounted on the handlebar provides toggling between automatic, locked and open modes.
Another concept in electronic suspension control is the "electronic intelligence (e:i)" suspension system available in North America on Lapierre bicycles. Developed in conjunction with RockShox, the e:i system, rather than provide control of the fork, adjusts the damping of the rear shock based upon what the fork is doing. The rear shock adjustments are made by a processor based upon information provided by an accelerometer on the fork and handlebar stem, and a cadence sensor inside the bottom bracket. The e:i system consists of five automatic modes, plus manual control for locked, open and medium modes.
In other words, when the rider is pedaling in automatic mode the shock is locked out until the fork contacts an obstacle. When the fork compresses, a signal is sent to the system and the rear shock unlocks. If the fork were locked out, however, it would not compress and therefore, the rear shock will remain locked.
Modern mountain bike suspension has allowed riders to travel farther and faster with more control than ever before. While the suspension absorbs shock from below, it can also absorb pedaling energy (real or perceived) from above. As suspension travel has grown component designers have worked hard to reduce any inefficiency. The solution was dials or levers to "lockout" the shock to keep it from compressing and therefore, absorbing energy. Having the shock locked out, however, does keep it from doing it's job of absorbing shock. For the recreational rider, it's no problem to slow down or stop when it's time to change modes. The racer though, does not have that luxury. For them, every split second counts. A handlebar mounted lever is more convenient but still takes time and energy to operate. Electronic control may be the answer. It is both faster and easier than a cable operated lever. Automatically controlled systems are in place and will only improve. Could the electronic "smart" shock system be the "Holy Grail" for suspension bicycles?


A customer with a strong maintenance department lost 90% of its experienced people in the last two years. They were now struggling to re-learn everything this team had already learned over the last 10 years. A reliability and maintenance consulting services company based in the United States told us that 80% of their clients indicate an attrition rate among their maintenance craft personnel of between 40% and 60% in the next five to seven years. Only 10% of these clients have a good apprentice program or plans for retaining skills.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of industrial mechanics and maintenance workers is projected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through 2014. Many mechanics are expected to retire in coming years, and employers have reported difficulty in recruiting young workers with the necessary skills to be industrial machinery mechanics. Most job openings will stem from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or who retire or leave the labor force for other reasons.
In addition, many people who have entered the job market in the past 10 to 20 years have focused on new technology markets, and left the older traditional industrial jobs to a much smaller group. The number of people entering the maintenance field as well as the operations field is smaller than the number of people retiring, resulting in a shrinking work force.
Due to the changing workforce, taking the next step in asset management is not going to be accomplished by working harder, but instead by working smarter. To retain and use the company's knowledge and experience, a new attitude will need to be fostered and the company culture will need to evolve to embrace new technology.
The most critical aspect of the improvement process is the culture change. Culture is something that cannot be simply mandated into the organization. The culture for change must be owned by the organization and believed in at the very top level of management %%MDASSML%% a new management attitude.
With the right attitude and culture, technology can be put in place. That begins with organizing the knowledge required to go to the next smart step in asset management. This knowledge organization begins by automating the decision process using asset knowledge science, or intellectual capital. An additional benefit of capturing the inherent shop floor knowledge is that the automation provides staff more time to spend on tasks that require a higher skill level and have the potential to bring a much larger return on investment.
With asset management knowledge organized, a Decision Support System is used to analyze maintenance and operational data and present it in a way that allows maintenance technicians to make business decisions more easily. A DSS is an interactive, flexible and adaptable computer-based information system developed to facilitate knowledge-based decision making.
By integrating data from multiple sources into one easy-to-use software application, a DDS applies a structured approach to facilitate consistent and reliable decision making, enabling personnel to act quickly based on meaningful data and a predetermined set of procedures and priorities. The system replaces labor-intensive data collection and analysis with automatic analysis, fault resolution and even work-order notification.
The DDS also includes the ability to add physical information about plant assets including lists of faults and symptoms, activity history and document management folders. The information is organized and readily accessible according to its criticality %%MDASSML%% specifically relative to production, safety or environment.
The DSS uses data, provides easy-to-use interfaces and allows for the decision maker's own insights. It is the confluences of intellectual capital with the capabilities of the computer to improve the quality of decisions and maximize workforce effectiveness.
A robust Decision Support System allows employees to document what they know about their operational and maintenance processes, and capture this knowledge for more effective asset management. This intellectual capital can then be placed online to diagnose plant issues as they occur in real-time.
Scott Brady is director of product marketing for SKF Reliability Systems. He began his career with Palomar Technology International in San Diego. Most recently, he was responsible for developing the SKF @ptitude decision support system that automates the reliability maintenance decision-making process. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering.


NICE has recommended the Intrabeam Radiotherapy System for people with early breast cancer in limited circumstances with additional data collection, but has rejected the use of breast cancer drug palbociclib (Ibrance) as its cost is too high in relation to its potential benefits.
Both announcements were made in draft guidance that is out for consultation now.
The recommendation regarding the Intrabeam Therapy System for further data collection was made as NICE is not yet certain whether Intrabeam, marketed by Carl Zeiss UK, is as effective as conventional radiotherapy in stopping the cancer coming back. However, the independent appraisal committee heard the risk of this happening is low in the patients who would receive Intrabeam and that people may be prepared to accept some uncertainty if it means they don't need radiotherapy after their surgery.
Regular radiotherapy typically requires numerous doses over a 3 week period, and is performed weeks after surgery when the wounds have healed.
However, NICE did not recommend the use of breast cancer drug palbociclib (Ibrance) because its cost is too high in relation to its potential benefits in draft guidance out for consultation.
Palbociclib is used to treat hormone receptor (HR) positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
A full course of treatment with palbociclib costs £79,650, with approximately 5,500 people in England would be eligible for treatment with palbociclib.


The April Forward Look is now online. You can view it here.
I spent some time preparing the print edition so that it looks better and that should be out tonight in the mill. The online edition this month is identical to the print edition, partly because I am out of time since I have to work night shift tonight and partly because we have several contributions this month. Since it is designed to be printed it will also look better if you want to print it out for your perusal.
I have stuck to the single column format since that does make it easier to read online (no scrolling back and forth).
As ever, your input is appreciated.
My wife just read it and noted a couple of mistakes (taking great glee in catching me in them) so they have been corrected in the online edition but not the print edition. My apologies.


Supports language maintenance and linguistic field work. The work most likely to be funded is that which serves both the native community and the field of linguistics. The language involved must be in danger of disappearing within a generation or two.


Not sure if anyone has noticed but the Office 365 Preview Service Descriptions are published here - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj819284.aspx. There is really good information in here to help you evaluate all the features and capabilities that are available in each type of Office 365 plan. Remember these are Preview and subject to change; however this will really help you with your planning!!!
If you read my blog at all, you will know that I constantly talk about Service Description updates and such. These are really the most important documents customers should be reviewing as part of their decision to the cloud.


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Our core programme of free evening
talks on diverse engineering aspects
of engineering culture. Open to all.
Fukushima: The Story of a Nuclear Disaster - Mark Whitby
Alan Baxter Limited at
Cowcross Street Gallery,
75 Cowcross Street,
EC1M 6EL
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On 11 March 2011 a Tsunami hit the Fukushima Daini Power Plant following a 9.0 magnitude earthquake 70 kilometres off the East Coast of Japan and the world watched as engineers battled to prevent a natural disaster becoming a nuclear catastrophe.
The immediate aftermath led to the cancellation of several nuclear programmes not only in Japan but also in Europe. In the UK major procedural changes were brought about in nuclear power plants in response to the event.
Mark Whitby is well-known as a successful Structural Engineer and designer of buildings and bridges. He was president of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 2001 -2002. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and takes a broad interest in Engineering and its history through groups such as the Engineering Club and Engineering Timelines. He has long taken an engaged but sceptical interest in power generation from renewables to nuclear power. He has been involved in a number of green energy companies and is a member of the Sizewell Stakeholders Group.
The talk will take us though the story that,as a result of a number of recently published investigations, can now be told of how the world came perilously close to an unprecedented nuclear disaster which was narrowly prevented by the incredible courage and ingenuity of the local engineers - a modern equivalent of the Apollo 13 rescue.
The event will include a discussion of the impact of this disaster for UK power generation.
Chaired by Dr Bill Bordass, Useable Buildings Trust

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Several experts predict that the city state will see moderate, if any, upward rent adjustments in the next 12 months.
Although a soft economy and weak fundamentals continue to affect Singapore, investors are now beginning to look for a turnaround in a market with an abundance of the type of core assets that are currently in demand across the region, according to Emerging Trends in Real Estate® Asia Pacific 2017, a real estate forecast jointly published by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PwC.
The beaten-down core space in Singapore has seen revived interest, although prices have yet to fall enough to attract serious buyers. As the only major market in Asia currently in a down cycle, funds are looking for reasons to invest there. A single big purchase has boosted transacted values from an otherwise low base, while Chinese investors were rumoured to be looking in Singapore and may be early buyers given their relatively low level of price sensitivity.
On a total-return basis, benchmarks are proving more resilient across the region, although they have registered significant declines in China, Hong Kong (where mainland capital is active), and Singapore. Several experts predict that the city state will see moderate, if any, upward rent adjustments in the next 12 months.
"Singapore's decline in ranking, largely due to over-capacity and decline in demand, is not unexpected. Focusing on the positive, we could be close to the bottom of the cycle and we are seeing opportunities to invest. I hope, given the uncertainties in local and global economy, there will be an increase in transactions across asset classes over the next 12 months," said Yeow Chee Keong, Real Estate and Hospitality Leader, PwC Singapore.
This year's Investment Prospects survey shows a strong shift away from last year's favorites, which featured core markets in Japan and Australia, in favor of emerging-market destinations, with two Indian cities topping a list, which also includes Vietnam and the Philippines and Shenzhen in 5th position. Other major survey findings include steep declines in the popularity of gateway cities with the exception of Shanghai, which has seen a resurgence in foreign investment over the last couple of years, despite high prices. This overarching shift reflects the difficulty in sourcing core assets in an environment where owners have few other places to invest their capital if they sell, together with the growing urgency of investors' 'quest for yield' as returns are squeezed ever lower.


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Local Education Trust to Host Inaugural Performing Arts Celebration
Alison Powell
Cambridge Meridian Academies Trust (CMAT) is bringing together eleven of its schools in a regional Performing Arts Festival, Evolve, showcase to celebrate the arts.
Over 360 pupils from eleven schools will be performing to friends, family and the community on Tuesday 2nd July at The Peterborough Theatre. Each school will perform a piece of their choice, showcasing singing, dancing and acting.
The secondary schools involved include Stamford Welland Academy, Nene Park Academy, Sawtry Village Academy, Ely College, North Cambridge Academy and Swavesey Village College. The primary schools involved are West Town Primary Academy, Sawtry Junior Academy, Downham Feoffees Primary Academy, Lantern Primary School and Bar Hill Primary.
Those interested in attending the event can book tickets online by visiting www.ticketsource.co.uk and searching for 'CMAT EVOLVE'.
The event will bring to life the vision of the Trust's founder, the late Martin Bacon. Martin aspired to bring all the schools in CMAT together each year to celebrate excellence and drive improvements in arts provisions across Cambridgeshire. His vision lives on through the Trust and the performance will become an annual event in his honour.
Julie Chong, Education Projects Director at CMAT, said: "We are all looking forward to CMAT's first ever trust-wide performance. EVOLVE will provide students from all our schools with a unique opportunity to showcase their talents on a large stage. It has been a privilege to work with so many talented staff and students and we are very much looking forward to the evening."
"We hope that lots of members of the community will come out to support our students. Tickets are only £1 and it would be fantastic to see as many faces there as possible. Our staff and students have worked extremely hard to put the production together and I'd like to thank everyone for their hard work and support so far."
For more information about CMAT, please visit: www.cmatrust.co.uk.
Press release from CMAT Education Trust


What's behind our wooden watch? Why did we chose to avoid the typical materials of watch making and instead decide to make a wooden watch? I'm so glad you asked! We have three core beliefs that led us to working with wood.
One: We have our roots in Patagonia and are proud to bring the wood of our mysterious and mystical homeland to you. These noble trees have borne witness to centuries of life. From the dinosaurs that once roamed this icy land, to the native nomadic tribes, to the European explorers of yore, history was made in the midst of these trees, legends were born under these trees and lives have been forever altered in the shade of these trees.
Two: We are great believers in the patient and passionate work of Patagonian artisans and consider it privilege to work with them to make your TTANTI. The traditions that have sustained Patagonians for centuries, working with the noble woods of Aromo Criollo, Patagonian Oak and Lenga, are respected and valued here at TTANTI to make your wooden watch. We believe in innovation, but are also keen to protect the traditions of the past for generations to come. Carefully hand chosen wood, laser cut for precision, hand sanded and polished and then put together by the gentle and caring hands of our Patagonian artisans.
Three: The icing on the cake is that here at TTANTI we are committed to sustainability, leaving Patagonia better than we found it, and doing our best to reduce our carbon footprint. There are countless ways we do this in our everyday operations, but to use our actual product for the betterment of Mother Earth? Bingo! Our method of harvesting previously fallen trees has been certified sustainable. We've committed to never cutting down trees and instead use what has fallen to not only bring you high quality, but also eco-friendly material.
So why did we decide to make a wooden watch? I suppose the answer is that we could not be true to our values without making a wooden watch.


Many people who are traveling to Belize come here for the astounding diving in the crystal clear tropical waters. Our resort is the only Ambergris Caye dive resort located within the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve.
Interested in Booking your vacation at Tranquility Bay Resort?
Tranquility Bay Resort: Where relaxation, location, and exploration combine.
Book your perfect Caribbean retreat now for the best in Belize travel – enjoy a private secluded beach, explore local Mayan ruins and dine on freshly grilled seafood as you watch the sun set over the ocean.
You may book or change your reservation by phone. We can also assist you with multiple or group bookings. Contact us at 1‐888‐THE‐CAYE (843‐2293).
If you would like to book a tour or make any specific arrangements prior to your stay with us, you may contact the resort directly at 011 (501) 220‐5880.
During our low season (May 1 ‐ Dec 13) we require a 3 night minimum stay.
During our high and peak seasons (Dec 14 ‐ Apr 30) we require a 5 night minimum stay.
45‐60 days prior to arrival ‐ 50% of your deposit is refundable, minus the 60USD processing fee 30‐45 days prior to arrival ‐ 25% of your deposit is refundable, minus the 60USD processing fee 30 days or less prior to arrival ‐ your deposit is non‐refundable.
Trip cancellation insurance is available and recommended.
We charge a 30% deposit upon booking your reservation. The remaining 70% is charged one month prior to your arrival at the resort.
We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. Visa and MasterCard charges will be in US dollars.
Discover and American Express charges will be in Belize dollars. Exchange rates may apply depending on your agreement with your credit card company.
Your reservation charges include the cost of your cabana, breakfast, free use of our kayaks, and a welcome drink upon arrival. If your stay is 5 nights or longer, our rate includes transfer (per cabana) upon arrival and departure between San Pedro and Tranquility Bay Resort. If your stay is less than 5 nights, we apply a round trip transfer charge of 80USD per cabana.


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315.765.6032Client Login
Emotional Bias Can Impact Investment Decision Making
We all remember March, 2020, when much of the world shut down. The markets were on a roller coaster ride to put it mildly, and investor emotions were off the charts.
The uncertainty that COVID-19 brought to the world was indeed next level. Face masks and social distancing were prevalent topics as maintaining our health became even more of a focus than normal.
Our minds wandered to the health of our portfolios as Q1 concluded with the S&P 500 down 20% in just the first 3 months of the year.
Emotional Bias. What is it and how does it affect me financially?
Wikipedia defines emotional bias as a distortion in cognition and decision making due to emotional factors. Translation — human beings often make bad decisions when emotions are the catalyst behind their choices.
According to a Vanguard study, investors who deviated from their initial retirement fund investment or didn't stay their course, trailed the target-date fund benchmark by 150 bps or 1.5%. That's a lot.
At CG Capital, an advisory firm which I co-founded in upstate New York, we were introduced to a fair number of people last year who placed trades in their portfolios largely in response to emotional bias. Some of the back testing showed significant losses as a result of these actions. Had they stayed the course, the S&P went from -20% at the end of Q1 to +16.26% by the end of 2020.
Read the full article below:
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Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network®, www.FINRA.org / www.SIPC.org, a Registered Investment Adviser. CG Capital, 139 Genesee Street, New Hartford, NY 13413, 315.765.6032. This communication is strictly intended for individuals residing in the states of AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, PA, SC, VA, WA. No offers may be made or accepted from any resident outside these states due to various state requirements and registration requirements regarding investment products and services. Investments are not FDIC- or NCUA-insured, are not guaranteed by a bank/financial institution, and are subject to risks, including possible loss of the principal invested.
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Congratulation WebKit for being the first to pass the Acid3 Test
Not happy to have the fastest JavaScript engine of any web browser thanks to SquirrelFish Extreme, Safari just hit the 100/100 bar of the Acid3 test. "Acid3 is a test page from the Web Standards Project that checks how well a web browser follows certain web standards, especially relating to the DOM and JavaScript" . Congratulations!
The (very funny) history of the browser user-agent string
If you haven't read it yet, here is the very funny history of browser user-agent string as narrated by Aaron Andersen of WebAIM. "In the beginning there was NCSA Mosaic, and Mosaic called itself NCSA_Mosaic/2.0 (Windows 3.1), and Mosaic displayed pictures along with text, and there was much rejoicing. And behold, then came a new web browser known as "Mozilla", being short for "Mosaic Killer", but Mosaic was not amused, so the public name was changed to Netscape, and Netscape called itself Mozilla/1.0 (Win3.1), and there was more rejoicing.
And Netscape supported frames, and frames became popular among the people, but Mosaic did not support frames, and so came "user agent sniffing" and to "Mozilla" webmasters sent frames, but to other browsers they sent not frames."
Google Chrome browser: a step further to the Google Operating System ?
Google just cleverly announced the imminent release of their first web browser named Google Chrome through a very well done comic book presenting its philosophy and major features. Based on the Webkit rendering engine (KHTML, Safari, Adobe Air...), the upcoming browser clearly focuses on speed and security with isolated browsing tabs and a virtual machine executing the JavaScript, amongst other interesting features which can be discovered in the comic book.


How do I use custom view and system view together?
I'd like to create a view for users to key in ID, password and 2 more information. Once the driver has these informations, I'd like to call the system Device List view to display the list of devices retrieved from API.
I tried both socket.showView('list_devices') and socket.emit('list_devices') but I'm still stuck on the connect view. How do I go to the list device view and pass the devices along?
Take a look at https://github.com/jjtbsomhorst/eu.jeroensomhorst.domoticz/tree/beta i'm doing something similar there.
Thanks! Have been combing the appstore to look for examples. Will try this out!


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Perfect Day at CocoCay
Cruise Compass
Royal Caribbean Blog
Royal Caribbean reports first quarter 2013 financial results
Royal Caribbean reported its first quarter 2013 financial results today with almost double net income this year compared to the same period in 2012.
Royal Caribbean chairman Richard Fain was excited to report the news, "It was a gratifying first quarter. Ticket revenues were better than expected, costs were well controlled and it was encouraging to see record guest satisfaction and noticeable improvements in onboard spending as a result of our revitalization efforts."
Royal Caribbean's first quarter 2013 net income was $76.2 million ($0.35 per share) compared to $47.0 million ($0.21 per share) in the first quarter of 2012.
Both onboard revenue and ticket pricing improved, contributing to a Net Yield increase of 3.6% on a Constant-Currency basis. NCC excluding fuel were also better than anticipated, primarily due to timing, and declined 0.5% on a Constant-Currency basis.
Bunker pricing net of hedging for the first quarter was $699 per metric ton and consumption was 5,000 metric tons lower than expected at 345,900 metric tons. Versus the first quarter of 2012, fuel consumption per APCD was 1.2% lower.
Look forward to the rest of 2013, Royal Caribbean's booking volumes are averaging 5% ahead of last year. Bookings from North America have remained strong since the beginning of the year, even with the company's expectations of "modest disruption" of demand for Caribbean cruises thanks to negative media coverage. Demand in Europe increased in early February and Royal Caribbean expects pricing improvement for the region this year. Demand from China has weakened somewhat due to itinerary changes related to the territorial dispute with Japan.
Read more about Royal Caribbean reports first quarter 2013 financial results
Royal Caribbean First Quarter 2013 Earnings Call Scheduled
Royal Caribbean will hold a conference call on April 25, 2013 at 10am to discuss its first quarter 2013 financial results.
The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations web site, www.rclinvestor.com. To listen to the call by phone, please dial (877) 663-9606 in the US and Canada. International phone calls should be made to (706) 758-4628. There is no passcode or meeting number. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for a month following the call.
Read more about Royal Caribbean First Quarter 2013 Earnings Call Scheduled
Royal Caribbean reports fourth quarter 2012 and full year 2012 financial results
Royal Caribbean has released its fourth quarter 2012 fiscal results as well as its full year 2012 results and provided an initial outlook for 2013.
In the fourth quarter of 2012, Royal Caribbean announced net income before impairment charges of $21.1 million, or $0.10 per share, versus income of $36.6 million, or $0.17 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2011. During the quarter the company recorded non-cash impairment charges totaling $413.9 million related to the company's Pullmantur brand.
The good news is close-in bookings and onboard spending in the fourth quarter were stronger than expected and that resulted in a Net Yield increase of 1.8% on a Constant-Currency basis versus prior guidance of just 1%.
For the full year of 2012, net income before impairment charges was $432.2 million, or $1.97 per share, versus income of $607.4 million, or $2.77 per share for full year 2011.
Looking forward to the fiscal year of 2013, booking activity in the fourth quarter 2012 was lower than the same time last year due to the aftermath of super-storm Sandy. However, Royal Caribbean has seen much stronger bookings since the beginning of the WAVE season in January, which shows demand to be at a healthy level.
In fact, Royal Caribbean is seeing booking volume running about 20% ahead of this same time last year. Booking volumes are exceeding those during the same period in 2011 and in the aggregate, forward booked load factors and pricing are higher than at this time in both 2011 and 2012.
Royal Caribbean Chairman Richard Fain commented that Royal Caribbean is doing well in North America but not as well in Europe, "Looking forward, we see a tale of two continents; North America is doing well, while parts of Europe continue to be a challenge. Nonetheless, we are encouraged that the former will countervail the latter allowing us to drive meaningful yield growth in 2013."
Read more about Royal Caribbean reports fourth quarter 2012 and full year 2012 financial results
Royal Caribbean Fourth Quarter 2012 Earnings Call Scheduled
Royal Caribbean will hold a conference call on February 4, 2013 at 10am to discuss its fourth quarter 2013 financial results.
Read more about Royal Caribbean Fourth Quarter 2012 Earnings Call Scheduled
Royal Caribbean Added To NASDAQ Global Sustainability Index
Royal Caribbean announced today that NASDAQ has added the cruise line giant's stock as one of the top 100 companies in the world for its sustainability practices by being added to the NASDAQ OMX CRD Global Sustainability Index.
The NASDAQ OMX CRD Global Sustainability Index tracks performance of companies that are taking a leadership role in sustainability performance reporting. These companies have voluntarily disclosed their carbon footprint, energy usage, water consumption, hazardous and non-hazardous waste, employee safety, workforce diversity, management composition and community investing.
Royal Caribbean Chairman Richard Fain commented on the news, "Royal Caribbean's addition to the NASDAQ OMX CRD Global Sustainability Index is recognition of our status as a global leader for its sustainability practices. Conserving the marine environment is an integral part of our economic success. Our goal and that of our industry in general is to protect the marine environment and sustain the well-being of the people and destinations we serve. We appreciate the efforts made by NASDAQ and CRD Analytics to genuinely measure the performance of listed companies, and this recognition encourages and affirms our sustainability efforts."
Read more about Royal Caribbean Added To NASDAQ Global Sustainability Index
Royal Caribbean reports better than expected third quarter results
Ahead of its conference call with investors, Royal Caribbean announced better than expected financial results for the third fiscal quarter and increased its earnings outlook for the full year 2012.
Royal Caribbean reported third quarter net income of $367.8 million, or $1.68 per share, versus income of $399.0 million, or $1.82 per share, in the third quarter of 2011.
Helping Royal Caribbean's financials for the quarter were stronger than expected close-in bookings, including Europe. NCC excluding fuel were also better than anticipated and increased 2.0% on a Constant-Currency basis (declined 0.2% As-Reported).
Royal Caribbean Richard Fain commented on the news, "The strong third quarter certainly validates our confidence in our business model.Strong close-in demand and our focus on costs drove substantially better results than expected. I am especially gratified that we are still seeing price increases in a year marked by so many external pressures."
Royal Caribbean also increased its guidance for full year earnings per share by $0.15 to a range of $1.85 to $1.95. This increase has been mainly driven by stronger than anticipated revenue (+$0.06 per share) and expense reduction (+$0.06 per share). The remaining $0.03 per share improvement is principally due to currency benefits net of oil price increases.
Read more about Royal Caribbean reports better than expected third quarter results
Royal Caribbean Third Quarter 2012 Earnings Report Scheduled
Royal Caribbean has scheduled a conference call for Thursday, October 25, 2012 at 10am Eastern time to announce the results of it's third quarter fiscal calendar earnings.
If you're interested in hearing the results live, you can listen on-line at Royal Caribbean's investor relations web site, www.rclinvestor.com. To listen to the call by phone, please dial (877) 663-9606 in the US and Canada. International phone calls should be made to (706) 758-4628. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for a month following the call.
Read more about Royal Caribbean Third Quarter 2012 Earnings Report Scheduled
Royal Caribbean struggles with financial forecasts
With the global economy still uncertain, Royal Caribbean is just one of many companies that struggle to provide financial forecasts for shareholders and analysts every quarter.
Royal Caribbean chief financial officer Brian Rice is in charge of this task and has taken an approach to widen the range of profit, revenue or other projections while spending more time and effort making sure investors have the information they really need.
"It would certainly make my life easier if we didn't give [financial] guidance."
Rice mentions that Royal Caribbean continues the practice because rival cruise provide Carnival Corp. provides them, so Royal Caribbean feels compelled to keep up.
When it comes to net yelds, a very important performance benchmark, the company has modified the way it provides forecasts for it. Early this year, it projected a four-percentage-point range for the change in its annual yield, wider than the three-percentage-point range of last year's prediction and the two-point range it has traditionally used, Mr. Rice says.
He says the wider range gives the company breathing room with analysts. With narrower ranges analysts would typically press for more information if the company deviated by even 0.1 percentage point from the midpoint of its projections, he adds.
Read more about Royal Caribbean struggles with financial forecasts
Royal Caribbean increases dividends to stockholders
Royal Caribbean's Board of Directors announced today that it will offer its shareholders a quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share payable on October 9, 2012, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 25, 2012.
Dividends from the cruise have been $0.10 since 2008 after it dropped from its highest $0.15. This new change in dividends is an increase of 20 percent.
Royal Caribbean chairman Richard Fain commented on the change, "I am pleased that our Board of Directors increased the quarterly dividend payment today. We have consistently communicated our desire to balance rational growth, leverage reduction and shareholder return improvement. I think today's actions are further evidence that these goals can coexist harmoniously."
Read more about Royal Caribbean increases dividends to stockholders
Royal Caribbean posts $3.6 million loss in second quarter results
Royal Caribbean reported its second quarter fiscal results for 2012 of a net loss of $3.6 million.
Larger than anticipated discounting in Europe has hurt Royal Caribbean's bottom line, despite solid demand in the Caribbean and Asia. The impact of the Costa Concordia disaster continues to affect Royal Caribbean, particularly in the second and third quarters.
"The steady drumbeat of negative news emanating out of Europe is certainly having an impact," said Richard D. Fain, chairman and chief executive officer. Fain continued, "As a result, we are seeing pluses and minuses in the different geographical markets - North America is holding up reasonably well; Asia is a big plus; but Europe is a pretty consistent minus. Overall we have seen about a 100 basis point drop in our yield projections, but we expect to offset over half of this decline with lower spending."
The outlook for the rest of 2012 is being reduced somewhat, due to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar. The dollar's gain has reduced the company's full year outlook by approximately $0.13 per share. This outlook reduction has been largely offset by the reduction in bunker pricing that occurred during this same time period. The net effect of these currency and fuel price changes is essentially neutral for the company's full year earnings outlook. However, the mark-to-market loss on the options is expected to cost the company a ($0.05) per share charge at current prices versus prior guidance.
You can view the full quarterly results.
Read more about Royal Caribbean posts $3.6 million loss in second quarter results
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text:
Photo Fiction
CRIME AUTHOR
Authors reveal the images that inspired 100,000 words
After taking early retirement Catherine Kullman was finally able to fulfil her life-long ambition to write. Her novels are set in England during the extended Regency— that fascinating period between the demise of hoops and the invention of crinolines- the end of the Georgian era but before the stultifying age of Victoria.
Her debut novel, The Murmur of Masks, was honoured with a Chill with a Book Readers Award. Perception & Illusion, was published in March 2017.
Catherine Kullmann is represented by A for Authors
One of the joys of writing historical novels is that you have an unimpeachable excuse to rummage in flea-markets, second-hand book shops, antique fairs and curiosity shops. My books are set in the extended Regency period from 1800 to 1830 and I was amazed to discover the wealth of coloured contemporary illustrations of the period over and above the portraits and architectural prints I had expected. Print shops selling cartoons and caricatures thrived and ladies' journals published fashion plates and engravings of eminent persons in each issued. In addition, publishers had progressed beyond the usual frontispiece to produce lavishly illustrated books that are the forerunners of today's graphic novels. I have chosen four of these illustrations to take you on a tour of London from the lowest dive to the Prince Regent's court.
Here we meet Bob Tallyho Esq. and his cousin the Hon. Tom Dashall blowing a cloud & taking their heavy wet at the Black diamond merchants free & easy King Charles's crib, Scotland Yard.
Blowing a cloud - Smoking
Heavy - wet Beer, especially porter and stout
Black Diamond - Merchant Coalman
Crib Here - a public house
Free & easy - A social gathering (gen. at a public house) where smoking, drinking and singing are allowed.
Bang-up - first-rate
While Tom and Bob were well-born young men about town, Dr Syntax, the hapless protagonist of at least four volumes by different authors was a not- so-young curate whose outings tended to end in disaster of some kind. We encounter him and his wife at Vauxhall
Gardens, holding up a slice of the ham that was famous, or infamous, for its thinness which inevitably led to a steep bill at the end of the night.
"Before them soon was laid a slice
which some might think was very nice,
But through whose thin, transparent fold,
You might the distant stars behold,
Was not much better than a jelly;
Another, and another still,
Must feed the craving ivory mill,
And still to every keen performer
"The last is welcome as the former".
We next visit a fashionable ball. You can just see the dancers in the background at the top left, but all attention is focussed on the pink sofa where a handsome officer woos his lady, ignoring the envious glances of others less favoured. I have not been able to discover the source of this wonderful print. The text beneath it reads:
The maiden listen'd, blush'd and look'd,
As she would have the words rebuk'd
But there was something in her eye.
Which seem'd to give the words the lie.
Finally we attend a levée at Carlton House, seat of the Prince Regent, where Johnny Newcome fresh from the Campaign in the Peninsula presents him with the Trophies of Battle. Although our hero is fictional, this scene alludes to the retrieval of the baton of the French Marshal Jourdan from the abandoned coach of Napoleon's elder brother Joseph Bonaparte whom Napoleon installed as King of Spain in 1808. Joseph made a desperate attempt to escape Wellington's advancing army in 1813, losing almost all his baggage in his headlong flight. The baton was given to Wellington, who sent it to the Prince Regent.
To me, these prints and their accompanying text open a window on the real Regency. Perhaps it is because they were created with no thought to posterity that they are so appealing two hundred years later. Their vitality and immediacy invite us to step into their world and I, for one, cannot resist.
Thank you, Catherine, for the insight into your writing world!


I was introduced to Britta in early 2009, since then I've had significant changes in my life that I believe have been greatly influenced by her energy work. Her warm presence and beautiful spirit create a lightness that is attractive and comforting. I consider her to be my spiritual tuning fork and after each session feel like I'm in harmony with the universe. I'm so grateful for the service she offers, the love and light she shares and the inspiration she infuses!
Ultimately we are all connected to the greater divine oneness. Though the earth school of humanness with all its beautiful trappings and illusions is a relentless distraction from one's true self, the soul. Britta is the divinely guided vehicle in which we are again able to hear our soul's voice, its loving intention to guide us consciously toward that divine oneness we soulfully seek and are.
Thank you for reminding me that I have wings. Now, I am free to fly again. I am forever grateful to you Britta.
Where do I begin, truly … One cold winter day I was working out in Sag Harbor. While this being the most challenging time of my life, I noticed a flyer with a beautiful woman's picture on it. I am not one who takes flyers or even notices them, but lo and behold this caught my attention. I called and made an appointment to meet with Britta. Little did I know at the time she was and still is my shining light! She is compassionate, smart, spiritual, loving, and very insightful. While I was dealing with major financial and life issues after having a very successful career, Britta taught me to trust and believe in myself and let the universe help out. What did all of this mean? Through the work with Britta I have finally found my true self and with all the challenges have never been happier. She guided me to continue with my dreams and to TRUST. She has become a trusted friend and truly her soul comes thru and thru. She is a gift to all that have the blessing to work with her. And let's not forget to mention the energy work she does...WOWOW WEE … the most incredible experiences I have ever had. And each time … so different. Britta is a gift from GOD and I honor her every day.
Britta has a unique way of working with people from a non-biased standpoint. She holds a sacred space where one can allow themselves to feel unconditionally all emotions, thoughts and feelings that surface and gently guides one to both allow them and work through them. This space of trust, acceptance and love allows one to really open up without judgement to let the wounds of the past truly be felt and ultimately healed. She has particularly helped me to distinguish between truth and ``mind or ego`` talk (usually in the form of negative thought patterns), which can be very gripping at times. She constantly brings me back around to understanding my truth rather than staying in the thoughts that are limiting. Her beautiful enthusiasm never fails to uplift even in a dark moment. The space she holds is gentle and loving yet firm and true. She never withholds the truth but always delivers it gracefully. Britta, ultimately, has helped me to recognize my own light and to readily accept complete responsibility for my thoughts, feelings and actions so I can Be my highest potential. As a person, Britta, has a deep strength about her and yet so gentle and loving. Her joy reminds me of child. She has unconditionally been there for me and i am deeply grateful to her.
To understand my emotions has changed my life. I do not live in fear anymore; instead I feel in control of myself! Thank you Britta.
Learning that I create my own energy and that I am 100% responsible for my energy bodies was an awakening for me. Britta, your easy ways of explaining the energy awareness of everything has shifted the way I operate in the world! It all makes sense now and nothing is personal any longer. I am forever grateful!
I just want to thank you again for another amazing experience! I can't to explain how balanced I feel after our sessions. I never imagined when first started working together, 2 years ago, how life changing it would out to be. Your intuitive gift and ability to help clear old patterns and has truly helped me to progress in leaps and bounds, not only in my life, but also in my career as a fellow spiritualist. You are wonderfully and I count my blessings regularly to have you as one of my guides on ever-increasingly joyful journey of mine. The innate brightness in your is a constant inspiration for me to work tirelessly to continue my self-process and be available for others as they work to evolve. can't wait to you again!
My name is Michael, I am 44. Over the past 10 years I developed, a condition that removed some or all of my body's natural protective layers, I couldn't leave my own home. As a result I have spent 10 years going from healer to healer, been upstate to ashrams doing yoga, receiving Reiki, etc. My family even tried to have me admitted to a psych ward. After all this and tens of thousands of dollars I met Britta Dubbels. Within several months I started functioning normally again, after 9 months I am a fully functioning owner of two small companies. My life is 95% restored to where I was and the credit has to go to BRITTA, her subtle hypnosis, combined with her Reiki, Channeling and Energy work expertise is unmatched, and like I said I had been to at least 10-12 healers, no one has come close to BRITTA'S achievements, She is a true healer, if she helped me comeback from where I was, there isn't anyone she can't help!
Working with Britta has been a wonderful and enlightening experience. She has helped me to identify thinking and ways of being that were no longer serving me, to, instead, find the courage inside to make changes and begin to realize more of my innate potential. I feel as though a veil has been lifted and I have a better sense of life, love, happiness, and my purpose in life. She is indeed a gifted soul.
Britta, your words and guidance are magical! Today I am leaving my old job for my dream job in my dream location (after staying present and taking many little steps over the last five years)! I know I would not be ready for this new opportunity if I did not have the tools that you taught me (breathe, feel, don't think). I am putting out a heartfelt thank you!
I had the immense good fortune to become Britta's client a little more than a year ago. After several months of real WORK ...at turns inspiring, exhausting, hilarious, profound, raw, silly, provocative, liberating and always, always TRUTHFUL, almost every aspect of my life has been enhanced. I called Britta a few days after being laid off for the second time in four years. In addition, I had been bracing myself for my only daughter's imminent departure for college, and becoming an empty nester. The old excuses had been stripped away, and I could no longer blame my failure to deal with worn-out behavior patterns on my job or family obligations. I had time to look inward, and wasn't a pretty sight ... I knew things had to change; but most of all, I wanted to change the way I felt about myself, find the confidence to address new challenges and to access a new sense of purpose. I had read dozens upon dozens of ``self-help`` books but never had the tools - the roadmap - necessary to create lasting, fundamental change. Britta taught me that it all starts with the foundation, the breath. Start there. ``Keep remembering to breathe.`` (Try it!). Britta took my hand, and became my trusted guide as we dismantled the old beliefs and limitations and climbed towards freedom and peace. With her help, I have been finally conquered lifelong fears and mental barriers that have in turn, opened doors to opportunities I had once only dreamed of. Working with Britta, I am finally comfortable within my own skin, free to be myself, to be of service and to create a compassionate life without limit. Britta's intelligence, empathy and innate intuitive skills are beyond measure. She is pure love and light. If you are prepared to commit to her process, you will never look back. I recommend Britta without reservation and am proud and truly blessed to call her my friend.
When I first came to see Britta Dubbels several years ago, I was an emotionally guarded man who trusted nothing about life except my own God-given instincts. What my instincts immediately revealed to me about Britta is that she loves the truth, she loves herself, she loves people, and she is incapable of judging anyone about anything.
Consequently, I felt comfortable confiding in Britta about my painful past. She helped me to feel my pain so I could heal it forever. As a result, I am now a totally positive person who is enthusiastic about life. This is how Britta lives her life. She teaches joy through the clarity of her joyful example. Everyone who comes into contact with Britta benefits from her sincere devotion to the healing of the human heart.
Many experts have an abundance of knowledge. Britta combines knowledge with compassion as well as anyone. She is a master because she values the Master inside of everyone more than whatever appearances to the contrary. Britta Dubbels listens with a quiet, intelligent mind and speaks from her pure heart. Although her big dream is the healing of the planet, she accomplishes her dream here and now by facilitating the healing of one heart at a time.
The chains of the world held me still and unchanged. Working with you Britta has freed my mind and allows me to now fly toward a love and light that is endless and forever changing.
I would like to start with how I met Britta … I was sitting in my car at the beach on a Sunday Morning. I had many things on my mind that day, Business things, Personal things, and just life in general. I had my radio on very low as I sat there and thought, and all of the sudden I heard her voice coming though the radio. I turned it up and listen to her talk. I was connected to her spiritually from that point. When she was done talking she gave her phone number. I called the number thinking that I would leave a message so that I could make an appointment to see her. She picked up and Hello!!! I felt a very powerfully connection as we spoke it got stronger and stronger. I went to see her the following week and my life has never been the same. My business got bigger and my clients got better. My finances got better, my thought got clearer, I became a much happier person and a very positive person. I could go on and on but I will stop here. All I can say , If you every get a chance you should go see her at least one time in your life. You won't regret it.
All of my life I have been searching. Everything I have ever been looking for, you have helped me to find within myself. Thank you.


text:
Q: Get max value within an inline view having a TOP clause I am trying to get the max value within an inline view , but it is returning me the maximum value within the inline view as if the inline view had no TOP clause.
The table dbo.Details in query below contains 650 records. I need to get the max value for top 200 records, but query below gets me the max value over all records in Details table for BatchNumber = 341.
Is there some subtle point that I am missing? My goal is to get the max value within TOP(200) records.  I am using SQL Server 2008 R2.
SELECT   MAX(a.DetailsRecordID)  FROM (SELECT TOP(200) npd.DetailsRecordID,
    npd.BatchNumber  FROM dbo.Details npd WHERE npd.BatchNumber = 341) a

A: Top 200 based on nothing. There is no order by.
Even a table with a clustered PK there is no guaranteed order without an order by.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange