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CFAO'S websites
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Our mission at CFAO FMCG & AGRI is to take part in developing consumer goods throughout Africa.
The CFAO Group plans to strengthen its position as a leader in beverages and plastics.
In order to tap into this major growth potential, Brasseries du Congo continually strives to improve the performance of its production lines and its distribution networks (16,000 sales locations), and meet customer demand with an expanded range of beverages. CFAO FMCG & AGRI is also well positioned to take advantage of opportunities to expand its beverages business throughout other countries.
In plastics manufacturing, our goal is to promote growth through the quality of our products, a diversified product range and an effective distribution policy. We plan to step up the development of products for the food and oil industries, and seize new opportunities to expand our geographic presence.
2017 milestone
236 million euros in revenue
1810 employees
3.05 million hectoliters beer and
soft drinks sold
245.8 million pens and razors
4 million cosmetics units sold
3.7million food products sold
With Brassivoire, HEINEKEN and CFAO open one of west Africa's most modern breweries in Abidjan, Côte d'ivoire
New brewery will have a production capacity of 1.6 million hectolitres a year...
HEINEKEN and CFAO announce the formation of their new joint venture "BRASSIVOIRE" in Côte d'Ivoire and lay the foundation stone for their brewery
HEINEKEN and CFAO today announce the formation of a joint venture in Côte d'Ivoire under the name of "BRASSIVOIRE" to produce and market beer in the country...
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A division of CFAO Group, leader in specialized distribution in Africa and French overseas collectivities
© CFAO Group 2019


With WordStream Advisor for Ecommerce, you can simply upload your product data from your online store into our data feed platform. We'll optimize it and sync it to Google Merchant Center, making sure the data that powers your Shopping campaigns is clean, up-to-date, and ready to meet your prospects' needs.
This isn't a one-and-done situation, either. As you build your feed and import new products, we'll proactively map your file columns to the correct Google Merchant Center fields and scan the information to suggest the correct product category or product type.
And as far as those minor, potentially crippling mistakes go, we'll clean up any stray characters that aren't supported in Google Shopping and preemptively keep those products from getting disapproved.
Even the most robust product data feed is worthless if it's not complemented by optimally structured Shopping campaigns. Unfortunately, there's no universal formula for the perfect campaign structure. It depends on what you sell.
Sure—you can try to figure it out on your own in the native Google Ads interface. But that's almost guaranteed to be a bumpy ride, punctuated by time wasted on tedious processes and money wasted on shot-in-the-dark A/B tests.
Alternatively, with the streamlined Advisor for Ecommerce interface, you get access to our renowned 20-Minute Work Week feature. Here, we'll let you know which optimizations you should make—whether it's adding negative keywords or implementing device-specific bid adjustments—so you can save time and feel confident that your decisions will drive returns.
And if you want to dive deeper, that's cool with us. Head over to QueryStream to see which terms shoppers are searching before seeing your Shopping ads. With a couple clicks, you can eliminate wasted spend by turning irrelevant queries into negatives and expand your reach by turning relevant queries into keywords.
Eager to show colleagues or clients how phenomenally you're performing? No problem. Across the Dashboard, Client Center, and Success Reports, you'll always have easy access to the data that clearly lay out all the awesome results you're driving.
Alright—you've got a flawless product data feed and some beautifully structured Shopping campaigns. Your SERP visibility has never been better and you're driving clicks from relevant shoppers like never before.
But what about revenue? What about return on investment? Unless you're converting those clicks into customers, nothing we've talked about thus far matters.
That's where our CRO Toolkit comes into play. Available as an inexpensive add-on to Advisor for Ecommerce customers, the CRO Toolkit enables you to create sleek landing pages and engaging pop-ups that convince online shoppers that your products are the ones they need to solve their problems and satisfy their desires.
Equipped with a library of gorgeous, fully customizable landing page and pop-up templates, you'll have everything you need to deliver the right messages to the right people at the right time. And it's easy to do, too: the CRO Toolkit's drag-and-drop user interface enables you to quickly create compelling, mobile-responsive assets that turn your investments of time, energy, and money into sales.
If you're ready for shorter work weeks, fewer headaches, and greater revenue, you can start your free trial of WordStream Advisor for Ecommerce here. Make sure to come back to the blog for plenty of tips and tricks to help you get even more out of your online advertising campaigns.


Residential Cleaning can be done mannerly but Commercial Cleaning where the people visit time by time is such a hectic task to do. No doubt, for this, there are several ways but apart from this, no way can be work mannerly if the staff and the cleaner's services are not professional. To consider this, Menage total cleaning services company are offering the superstore cleaning services in Montréal, Laval, and Longueuil as well.
During the time of superstore, Retail store cleaning our cleaners focus to use the healthy, friendly and productive cleaning products. Rest before going to utilize these products our cleaners also verified and tested these products just for the sake to maintain a sanitized and hygienic surrounding.
Rest of this, during the time of cleaning our skilled and trained cleaners also use the advanced techniques and ways to give you the effective and quick Cleaning Services Montreal. So if you are looking for any kind of domestic level cleaning services then you are at right place.
We, in short, ensure you all to provide you the flexible, reliable, and affordable cleaning services. Our main vision is to provide you with all the qualitative services and to make this easy for you we offer the time by time services facilities.
So whether you are looking for any deep professional cleaning or urgent professional cleaning feel free to call us. Except this, to know about our services credentials you can also get free quote estimation from our official site.
We ensure our customers to provide them the best and healthy cleaning services.


Nifra has in a vast couple of years gone from being a local talent in central Europe to one of the most popular figures in the Markus Schulz "Coldharbour" entourage. With releases such as Dark Harbour, Ransvik and more she has taken the throne as the "Queen of Coldharbour". She kicked of her DJ career back in 2008 and learnt her trade playing alongside and supporting such acts as Armin van Buuren and Tiesto in her home country of Slovakia which lead to her becoming quickly recognized as a massive potential future talent. We fast forward a few years to the present and now an accomplished producer and world renowned DJ in her own right, Nifra has now played countless shows around the world including Armin Van Buurens massive annual, "A State of Trance" party, Ultra Music Festival in Miami as well as multiple appearances all over Europe, North America and Asia.
Rebel Radio – tune in live every 4th monday on di.fm's trance channel!


Stonewall Memory Gardens stands as a generations-old cemetery in Manassas, Virginia. Here, the history of Bull Run meets the modern and sophisticated taste of Northern Virginia, with green lawns and elegant monuments to create the perfect place for reflection.
As you walk into our 85-acre cemetery in the foothills of the Bull Run Mountains, the tranquil Lake of Time welcomes guests with the majestic Fountain of Life at its center. Stroll our verdant grounds lined by antique trees, and you'll notice well-manicured gardens dotted by bright flowers.
In addition to traditional ground burials, we feature distinctive options for those seeking to leave a lasting legacy. Six community mausoleums offer the timeless strength of stone in an above-ground burial. Columbarium niches provide dedicated space, with available adjacent areas for family. In our gardens, private estates offer families the unique reassurance of one central gathering place for future generations to reflect.
We proudly serve families of all faiths, beliefs, cultures and backgrounds, with an expanded area dedicated to those of the Islamic faith. Bull Run Mausoleum was constructed as a living memorial to the gallant men who gave their lives on this hallowed land.
At Stonewall Memory Gardens, we understand the unique needs of America's veterans and their families. As a Level One Founding Community Partner with We Honor Veterans, our staff is knowledgeable in the benefits available to veterans and their families. With respect, integrity and dignity, we will walk you through the steps of creating a veteran's memorial service that truly honors the life and sacrifice of your loved one.
We consider it an honor to serve families from Sudley Springs to Canova. Please reach out to us if you need immediate assistance with burial arrangements in Manassas, or if we can arrange a personal tour of our cemetery grounds.
W. Franklin Hibbs established Stonewall Memory Gardens in 1951. Located on the former Henry Dogan plantation known as Peach Grove Plantation, the Manassas National Battlefield Park surrounds us on all 4 sides. Portions of the cemetery were used in the opening of the Second Battle of Manassas, Bull Run, on the evening of August 28, 1862. Two other historic properties, Dogan Cemetery and M.E. Dogan House, stand in the park.
Today, Stonewall Memory Gardens continues to expand and provide distinctive options for those seeking burial in Manassas. Please know we'll be here with a supportive and compassionate approach whenever you need us.
"We could have used a few more chairs, but i dont think that was their fault. They set out 20 chairs as agreed."
"All was handled professionally & completely there was prearranged plans in place so everything was very stream lined & timely."
"My family & I were so gratefull to the staff who helped us & ease our way in the hardiest moment in our lives. Thank you very much!"


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The Largest Rock in our Solar System
Image Credit: NASA, Voyager 1 spacecraft
Explanation: There, that dot on the right, that's the largest rock known in our Solar System. It is larger than every known asteroid, moon, and comet nucleus. It is larger than any other local rocky planet. This rock is so large its gravity makes it into a large ball that holds heavy gases near its surface. (It used to be the largest known rock of any type until the recent discoveries of large dense planets orbiting other stars.) The Voyager 1 spacecraft took the featured picture -- famously called Pale Blue Dot -- of this giant space rock in 1990 from the outer Solar System. Today, this rock starts another orbit around its parent star, for roughly the 5 billionth time, spinning over 350 times during each trip. Happy Gregorian Calendar New Year to all inhabitants of this rock we call Earth.
Tomorrow's picture: planets align < | Archive | Submissions | Index | Search | Calendar | RSS | Education | About APOD | Discuss | >
Messier 45: The Daughters of Atlas and Pleione
Mars and the Star Clusters

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Get your GMC Truck in the air with a lift kit from Suspension Connection. We offer suspension lift kits, body lift kits, leveling kits, add-a-leafs and more to lift your GMC Truck. By great manufactures like Tuff Country Suspension, Daystar, Performance Accessories & more.


The education we provide is personalised and inclusive of everyone.
Our unique North Ridge Curriculum frequently provides innovative opportunities and inspiring experiences, and encourages our children to be learners. This is underpinned by both the Foundation Curriculum and the National Curriculum including wider opportunities such as Forest School and Duke of Edinburgh.
We also view it as our responsibility to work in partnership with parents to ensure our children and young people develop skills for life. We are here to ensure that each and every one of our pupils have the best opportunities to flourish through personalised learning.
I am very proud of North Ridge Community School and to be working with wonderful children, young people, their parents and carers and a dedicated team of incredibly committed and hardworking professionals who all work relentlessly hard to attain the best possible outcomes for all our children and young people.
Should you require paper copies of any policies or other documentation on this website please contact the school Administration Team using the 'Contact Us' page on our website and these will be posted out as soon as possible. All copies requested will be free of charge.
I'm so glad we chose North Ridge Community School for my two sons. Every single member of staff that has worked with the boys from the moment they are picked up, to the time they come home, are dedicated professionals that are aware of their individual needs and have therefore enabled both boys to progress their learning in a comfortable, caring and positive environment.
The open days that are available for our family to attend provide great opportunities to chat informally about the boys progress and to see them so happy in their settings.
It was wonderful to see part of Riley's day with Riley and everyone else at the Sun Class 'Stay & Play' session.
It was great to see, great staff. I am one happy Mummy.


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Battered by drop in oil prices and Jindal's fiscal policies, Louisiana falls into budget crisis
Neoliberalism News Republicans USA: Domestic Issues 3 Comments
Washington Post, By Chico Harlan, March 4
Baton Rouge, LA — Already, the state of Louisiana had gutted university spending and depleted its rainy-day funds. It had cut 30,000 employees and furloughed others. It had slashed the number of child services staffers, including those devoted to foster family recruitment, and young abuse victims for the first time were spending nights at government offices.
And then, the state's new governor, John Bel Edwards (D), came on TV and said the worst was yet to come.
Edwards, in a prime-time address on Feb. 11, said he'd learned of "devastating facts" about the extent of the state's budget shortfall and said that Louisiana was plunging into a "historic fiscal crisis." Despite all the cuts of the previous years, the nation's second-poorest state still needed nearly $3 billion — almost $650 per person — just to maintain its regular services over the next 16 months. Edwards gave the state's lawmakers three weeks to figure out a solution, a period that expires March 9 with no clear answer in reach.
Louisiana stands at the brink of economic disaster. Without sharp and painful tax increases in the coming weeks, the government will cease to offer many of its vital services, including education opportunities and certain programs for the needy. A few universities will shut down and declare bankruptcy. Graduations will be canceled. Students will lose scholarships. Select hospitals will close. Patients will lose funding for treatment of disabilities. Some reports of child abuse will go uninvestigated.
"Doomsday," said Marketa Garner Walters, the head of Louisiana's Department of Children and Family Services. If the state can't raise any new revenue, her agency's budget, like several others, will be slashed 60 percent.
3 Replies to "Battered by drop in oil prices and Jindal's fiscal policies, Louisiana falls into budget crisis"
The last time I posted about cheap oil I said it was good for consumers. Someone pointed out American industry would eventually suffer. I've meant to swing back and correct my flippancy. It's definitely a serious issue. Stressful times for folks in Louisiana.
Thanks for posting, Raja.
quax says:
A template for what the Republicans want to do to America. It's not a bug but a feature.
Synoia says:
Louisiana = Greece.
And the solution is? Austerity (plus we are all in this together, which is untrue), and, of course, Clinton as President, because Hilary will fix everything.
DLC to the rescue.
Daily Kos transitions to General Election footing, The Agonist agrees
Hilarity Clinton's Latest Message


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Ugo Bassi
UGO BASSI (1800-18L9), Italian patriot, was born at Cento, and received his early education at Bologna. An unhappy love affair induced him to become a novice in the Barnabite order when eighteen years old. He repaired to Rome, where he led a life of study and devotion, and entered on his ministry in 1833. It was as a preacher that he became famous, his sermons attracting large crowds owing to their eloquence and genuine enthusiasm. He lived chiefly at Bologna, but travelled all over Italy preaching and tending the poor, so poor himself as to be sometimes almost starving. On the outbreak of the revolutionary movements in 1848, when Pope Pius IX. still appeared to be a Liberal and an Italian patriot, Bassi, filled with national enthusiasm, joined General Durando's papal force to protect the frontiers as army chaplain. His eloquence drew fresh recruits to the ranks, and he exercised great influence over the soldiers and people. When the pope discarded all connexion with the national movement, it was only Bassi who could restrain the Bolognese in their indignation. At Treviso, where he had followed Guidotti's volunteers against the Austrians, he received three wounds, delighted to shed his blood for Italy (12th of May, 1848). He was taken to Venice, and on his recovery he marched unarmed at the head of the volunteers in the fight at Mestre. After the pope's flight from Rome and the proclamation of the Roman republic, Bassi took part with Garibaldi's forces against the French troops sent to re-establish the temporal power. He exposed his life many times while tending the wounded under fire, and when Garibaldi was forced to leave Rome with his volunteers the faithful monk followed him in his wanderings to San Marino. When the legion broke up Garibaldi escaped, but Bassi and a fellow-Garibaldian, Count Livraghi, after endless hardships, were captured near Comacchio. On being brought before the papal governor, Bassi said: "I am guilty of no crime save that of being an Italian like yourself. I have risked my life for Italy, and your duty is to do good to those who have suffered for her." The governor would have freed the prisoners; but he did not dare, and gave them over to an Austrian officer. They were escorted to Bologna, falsely charged before a court martial with having been found with arms in their hands (Bassi had never borne arms at all), and shot on the 8th of August, 1849. Bassi is one of the most beautiful figures of the Italian revolution, a gentle unselfish soul, who, although unusually gifted and accomplished, had an almost childlike nature. His execution excited a feeling of horror all over Italy.
Countess Martinengo gives a charming sketch of his life in her Italian Characters (2nd ed., London, 1901); see also Zironi, Vita del Padre Ugo Bassi (Bologna, 1879); F. Venosta, "Ugo Bassi, Martire di Bologna," in the Pantheon dei Martini Italiani (Milan, 1863). (L. V.*)
Chisholm, Hugh, General Editor. Entry for 'Ugo Bassi'. 1911 Encyclopedia Britanica. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/bri/u/ugo-bassi.html. 1910.
Uglich


Metro Community Housing is a community-based housing association based in the Inner West area of Sydney. The team at Metro housing have a strong reputation in the Not-For-Profit sector as a tier two provider working to strengthen the community through the provision of safe and secure housing for those in need.
Due to an internal promotion, Metro Housing is currently seeking an enthusiastic Receptionist / Administration Officer to join their close-knit team on a part-time basis of up to 30 hours per week. The Receptionist is responsible for the provision of professional, timely and accurate service delivery to internal and external stakeholders.
Accurate and prompt data entry.
Prior experience in a Receptionist / Administration Officer role.
The successful candidate will enjoy a range of benefits including a commencing circa salary of $48,000.00 (pro rated on full time equivalent), salary packaging options, flexible working conditions and ongoing learning and development, in addition to being part of a dedicated tier two provider.


Now that you know your needs and you have set the approximate price of the house, now is the time to search the desired house. www.propriosolo.com offers its services to quickly and successfully find homes for sale by owner in the city or region you have chosen. A photo of each house and a full description will allow you to choose according to your tastes and requirements. It is often very profitable to buy directly from the owner without a realtor because the owner knows the benefits and shortcomings of the his house. Thus, it is easier to negotiate the price of the house because there is no commission payable to an agent and it is usually easier to arrange meetings at convenient times , which promotes understanding between seller and buyer.
water pressure by opening the taps.
A second visit is important when a property is interesting. At this second visit, if the owner agrees, to take some pictures of places can be interesting.


Michael spent an uncomfortable night sleeping outside with only cardboard to protect him from the elements. It was to raise money for the Poole charity Routes to Roots, and was with the church youth group in Lytchett Minster.
Remembrance day is always a special day in the year to remember those who have died serving this country. This year was of course extra special, as the centenary year of the end of the First World War.
Michael attend several Acts of Remembrance across the constituency on Sunday.
Michael was delighted to meet up with the Solicitor General this week. It was Justice Week which is a new initiative setup by the three legal professional bodies; the Law Society, the Bar Council and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.


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Sky to fully fund Fortitude series after Starz drops out
By Stewart Clarke
13th December 2013 @ 11:30
UK pay TV operator BSkyB will foot the full bill for upcoming drama series Fortitude after US cable network Starz pulled out of the project.
The series is in pre-production with shooting scheduled to start in the UK and Iceland in January. It follows a close-knit Arctic community that is ripped apart by a gruesome murder of a British researcher. It is written by Simon Donald (Low Winter Sun).
The 13-part show was announced by Sophie Turner Laing at MIP TV in April and marked the first time Sky and Starz had worked together on such a high-profile project.
US trade paper The Hollywood Reporter broke the news yesterday that Starz was pulling out of the series.
"Due to changes in the Sky Atlantic production of Fortitude, Starz will not be licensing the series in the U.S.," Starz told The Reporter in a statement. It added: "Starz will fast-track several projects that have been in development for its 2014 programing slate."
Sky confirmed the news to TBI this morning and issued the following statement: "Fortitude is going to be drama of a world-class scale, and is the next huge step in Sky's original drama plans. The drama will now be a fully funded Sky project for Sky Atlantic. Starz and Sky continue to discuss other projects and look forward to collaborating in the future."
Sky Vision will sell the series internationally. It is being produced by Fifty Fathoms and Tiger Aspect, which is part of Endemol.
Tags: Fortitude, Sky, Starz
Exclusive: Endemol Shine's sales rejig revealed, new Asia 'MasterChef' deal
Endemol Shine Group's global sales division has rejigged the remits of its senior management team following the departure of long-serving CEO Cathy Payne. Endemol Shine International chief Payne confirmed plans to step down late last year, as revealed by TBI, with her remit now taken up by three existing senior execs. TBI understands ESI's LA-based […]
Asian streamer ZEE5 opens up on Bangladeshi expansion
Asian streamer ZEE5 has unveiled plans for its expansion into Bangladesh. The focus will be on original content, with the launch of ZEE5's first Bangladeshi originals to be released in 2020. Both romantic film Jodi… Kintu… Tobuo and crime series Contract will be produced with local production house Asiatic's Good Company, with a local cast. […]
US round-up: AMC to end 'Better Call Saul'; ID explores Jeffrey Epstein death; Acorn TV visits 'Deadwater Fell'
AMC breaks away from Better Call Saul US network AMC is ending its Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul, making a sixth and final 13-episode order. The show, which is also available around the world on services including Netflix, will go into production later this year and air in 2021. The renewal comes just ahead […]
ITVS-owned The Garden appoints Channel 4 commissioning editor
ITV Studios-owned UK producer The Garden has appointed Channel 4 commissioning editor Nicola Brown as its director of programmes. Brown, who previously worked at The Garden almost a decade ago, takes up her new role in March and will help to expand the company's slate, which includes Channel 4 shows 24 Hours In A&E and […]
Apple TV's 'Servant' at centre of plagiarism lawsuit
Deals round-up: CJENM lands DRG's 'Small Fortune'; BBC orders from Plimsoll; Blue Ant sales
Turkey's Calinos Entertainment hires 20th Century Fox alum for global sales
BBC confirms plans to move thousands of staff out of London


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Josh Dibb, mer känd under artistnamnet Deakin, född 6 januari, 1978 i Orange, Kalifornien, är en amerikansk musiker och en av grundarna till musikgruppen Animal Collective. Han är den medlem som medverkat på minst antal album, fem stycken, varav första gången på Campfire Songs; men var innan det involverad i gruppen på andra sätt.

Han började turnera som soloartist 2010, och släppte 2016 sitt debutalbum Sleep Cycle.

Se även
Animal Collective

Referenser
Noter

Män
Levande personer
Amerikanska musiker
Mononymt kända personer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Swage Lining with Static Bursting Equipment in Berlin
September 1, 2006 /in General Job Stories /by TT Technologies
The swage line project took place in Berlin, Germany. Limited working space required a trenchless application.
Contractor Ludwig Pfeiffer Hoch-und Tiefbau GmbH & Co. KG was recently contracted by the Berlin Waterworks, Berlin, Germany, to rehabilitate a sanitary sewer pressure pipe, in the city of Berlin, using the swage line-method. The goal of the project was to renew the ND 1000 (39-in.) steel sanitary sewer pressure pipe a total length of approximately 600 m (2000 ft.) in order to accommodate higher pressure levels.
The host pipe ran under a street in a residential area. Numerous restaurants and shops are located in the neighborhood, so an open trench method would have been extremely disruptive. In order to avoid the disruption and wide range closures, the Berlin Waterworks intend to pull in a PE-liner in two sections into the old pipe without any annular space using the cold swage line application. This process is in accordance with the local water regulations.
The Pfeiffer Company often uses the cold swage line-method for projects like this. During this process a PE-Inliner is pulled into the old pipe within the diameter of the existing host pipe without the use of any heat and in a reduced size. This way the pipes from ND 100 up to ND 1200 (4 to 50 in.) with installation lengths of up to 1000 m (3300 ft.) can be restored utilizing this method.
The Pfeiffer Company has a good deal of experience with static pipe bursting, specifically with the Grundoburst static pipe bursting system from trenchless equipment manufacturer TT Technologies, Aurora, Ill, USA (a subsidiary of Tracto-Technik, Lennestadt, Germany). According to TT Technologies product specialist Collins Orton, while the Grundoburst unit is designed for static pipe bursting, it is also very effective for other trenchless applications. He said, "Static bursting systems can be used for these types of applications. In essence, the processes are very similar. In a swage line or even a slipline situation, however, there is no need to burst the host pipe. But each method does require the pulling in of a new product pipe and that's where the similarities lie. And that's why static bursting units can be used in all three scenarios."
The Pfeiffer Company utilized a Grundoburst 2500G static bursting
unit to complete the swage line. The Grundoburst unit provided the power needed for the project and took up less space than a comparable winch system.
At the jobsite in Berlin the Pfeiffer Company used the largest static pipe bursting unit available, the Grundoburst 2500G from TT Technologies.
Static Bursting & Swage Lining
During a typical static bursting process, a hydraulically powered bursting unit pulls specially designed bladed rollers are pulled through an existing line. As the bladed rollers are pulled through, they split the host pipe. An expander attached to the rollers forces the fragmented pipe into the surround soil while simultaneously pulling in the new pipe. For the swage line project in Berlin, the hydraulic bursting unit would be used to pull the swaged pipe into place. A very large bursting unit would be needed.
Orton said, "In this particular case the contractor chose to use the bursting unit instead of a winch because of the space limitations of the project. The Grundoburst 2500G provides up to 2550 kN (650,000 lbs) of pullback, enough to meet the requirements of the cold swage line method and still take up less space than a comparable winch system. Looking at it logistically, it is easier to move the bursting machine than a comparable winch."
The construction work in Berlin was divided into two sections. Crews dug a launch pit near the middle of the run, creating a run of 322 meters (1050 ft.) in on direction and a run of 216 meters (700 ft.) in the other. After a high-pressure cleaning process of the existing pipe, where all loose particles are removed, a camera inspection was performed. Build up within the pipe was removed mechanically with a scratching tool. For swage-lining a metallic smooth surface is not necessary, but any possible obstacles within the old pipe should be removed.
During the swage lining process, the oversized pipe is reduced in diameter to about 10% less than the inside diameter of the host pipe. The swaged down pipe is pulled in to the host pipe and allowed to return to its original diameter. Because the pipe cannot actually reach its original diameter, it becomes tight against the wall of the host pipe. In this case the new pipe was 3% bigger. As soon as the pulling force is relieved, the pipe tries to return to its original diameter again. But the inner diameter of the existing pipe limits it.
According to Orton, as crews fused together the necessary lengths of HDPE, the inner and the outer welding beads were removed from the pipe. He said, "The exterior and interior weld beads are removed to allow the PE pipe to pass through the reduction die without getting stuck. Removal of the exterior bead is done with a special skiving knife that removes the bead in a matter of seconds. The internal bead is removed with a tool similar to the bead trimmer commonly found in the US. This tool reaches back into the pipe just after the fusion weld is cooled and deploys a cutter and spacing gauge that then are rotated from the end of the pipe. The rotation carves the bead off. This procedure takes a few minutes per joint."
The existing ND 1000 (39-in.) steel line with ND 1030 (40.5-inch) HDPE 100. During the swage line process, the HDPE product pipe is pulled through a reducing dye to enable it to fit inside of the host pipe. Once inside, the HDPE attempts to return to its original size forming a tight fit within the host pipe.
A pulling head was welded to the front the first section of pipe to be installed. Crews positioned the Grundoburst in the launch pit and rodded the first section of pipe with the Quicklock bursting rods. Once at the launch pit, the connection was made between the Quicklock rods and the product pipe. Once established, crews began the swage lining process. The static bursting unit pulled the HDPE through the reduction tool and the swage lining die, in order to reduce the pipe's diameter. Crews monitored the pulling force constantly to make sure it stayed within the permissible limits for the PE-pipe. To keep the friction losses as low as possible, environmental friendly anti-seize fluids are applied. The pipe then continued on into the host pipe until fully installed.
Once the first section was in place, the bursting unit was rotated 180 degrees and crews set to work on the next section, utilizing the same launch pit.
Orton said, "A strong steady pulling force is exerted to pull the entire length of pipe to be replaced through a reducing die setup. The die is tapered and will accept the O.D. of the new PE pipe, it then continues through a funnel shaped die that continues to reduce the diameter of the PE pipe to a predetermined diameter, approximately 10 percent smaller than the I.D. of the host pipe. The process can be interrupted at any time, for example to butt-weld pre-fabricated pipe lengths together. The deformation and installation speed with this dimension is between 50 and 100 m (170 to 330 ft.) per hour, therefore pipe lengths from 300 to 600 m (1000 to 2000 ft.) lengths can be pulled in, without any problem, in one day's work."
For the project in Berlin, HDPE 100 with dimensions 1030 x 60,6 (40.5 in., SDR 17, PN 10) was chosen. Due to the large diameter, which in a typical swage line is generally about 3 percent greater than the host pipe, a 100 percent tight and durable fit of the PE-liner inside the old pipe is created.
After both pipe sections were successfully pulled in, pre-welded sockets with flanges were welded to each end of each pipe length to complete the installation. After assembly of the end flange a pressure check was carried out, as well as a final camera inspection.
The new PE-liner has the quality of a new pipe after the installation and can carry all loads from the ground and traffic, as well as the internal pressure without effects by the old pipe. Due to the very good hydraulic characteristics of the HDPE-pipe further flow reduction is not expected.
Trenchless Technology International Sept/Oct 2006
Tags: Quicklock Bursting Rods, Static Pipe Bursting, Swage Lining
https://www.tttechnologies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/swage-lining-01.jpg 225 150 TT Technologies http://www.tttechnologies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/tt-technologies-logo-white.png TT Technologies2006-09-01 16:52:072016-09-19 14:16:09Swage Lining with Static Bursting Equipment in Berlin
Product Pipe Material Options For Pipe Bursting
WaterOne Getting it Done: Pipe Bursting Program Flourishes In-House
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Ulysses at 100
Rick O'Shea's Best Books Of 2019
Updated / Tuesday, 17 Dec 2019 16:50
By Rick O'Shea
It's December and I have a list of books you absolutely, definitely should read when you get the chance, or slip into the metaphorical stockings of the ones you love. Sorry that there are 30 of them but sure you can never have too much choice, can you?
I always make the recommendations deliberately only a couple of lines because we're all swamped with these at this time of year so throw yourself in and enjoy.
John Lanchester – The Wall
More super post-apocalyptic lit-fic this time set in a UK now entirely surrounded by a coastal wall in the aftermath of a climate disaster that is only described as The Change. You know the way they say that reading fiction helps you build empathy? Read this.
Ronán Hession – Leonard And Hungry Paul
One of my favourite books of the year. His writing is just beautiful in places (you know the sort of stuff that shows you something completely everyday but at a slight tilt so you see it in a completely new light? That.) It's also funny as all hell – in places I was reminded of A Confederacy Of Dunces.
Sarah Davis-Goff
Sarah Davis-Goff – Last Ones Left Alive
A fantastic debut that's bleak, unforgiving, dark and bloody fantastic; both a cracking story evoking The Road and a story of faith in human resilience even in the worst possible circumstances.
Anne Griffin – When All Is Said
I read it on holiday in Summer 2018 sitting in a house in the sunshine by a river in France and it hypnotised me for the day and a half it took to finish it. One man raises a series of toasts in a hotel bar in a small town on one night to the people most influential in his life. It unfolds gorgeously.
Sinead Gleeson – Constellations
Constellations is a thing of honesty, clarity, beauty and, if you're anything like me, may make you cry more than once. It's a series of essays on her and her body, her health (and lack of it at times), motherhood, reproductive rights, and what it's like to experience all of these things as a woman growing up in the Ireland of the last couple of decades. Genuinely, an absolute must-read.
Oyinkan Braithwaite – My Sister The Serial Killer
A girl working in a hospital in Nigeria has to clean up after her sister starts offing her boyfriends. Immense fun.
Jan Carson – The Fire Starters
It's one part kitchen-sink drama, one part magical realism and all about how a long-buried past can easily resurface in a time of pressure as well as being one of the most beautifully written books of the year. There are entire chapters I re-read and that just blew me away, she has a way with language that borders on sorcery. I felt like re-reading it again immediately.
Sarah Crossan – Toffee
You know the way you see people saying that they read a book in a single setting? Well, I'm not that person, usually. Toffee was one of those rare books for me. Sarah writes verse novels – there are entire pages that could be read as poems in and of themselves and it makes for a swift and beautiful read. Definitely one for teenagers in your life but, like so much YA these days, definitely one for the adults too.
Nicole Flattery
Nicole Flattery – Show Them A Good Time
A young Irish woman dates a famous comedian in New York, two college students put on a play, a series of online dates in a bizarre restaurant. Death, flirtation, a petrol station that's not really a petrol station Don't expect dullness or normality in any of these stories, they all have a gorgeous tilt of the viewing frame in all of them to make them stand out even before you read just how sharp, smart and funny they are.
Caroline Criado Perez – Invisible Women
A book on the gender gaps in data science over the decades (and centuries) between men and women might not immediately strike you as being compelling. You're wrong. If I were a woman it would make me want to set upon half the civilised world with a flaming pitchfork. Even as a man it does too.
Hugo Hamilton – Dublin Palms
Dublin Palms is an impressive novel on the idea of, amongst many other things, being lost in three languages (Irish, English and German) and feeling at home in none of them. It demands your undivided attention, and that's a good thing. The language is gorgeous but not full of fireworks, bells and whistles – here there's more a cumulative effect of artistry in the small, wonderful observances of life.
Joseph O'Connor – Shadowplay
One of the books of the year as well – briskly paced, a plot elegantly clockworked, full of razor sharp insights on what it means just to be human, atmosphere spilling off the pages like early morning fog and full of gorgeous sentences that pulled me up short.
Ian Maleney – Minor Monuments
Beautifully understated non-fiction essays stranded together as a sort of long form narrative around his family home in a remote part of Offaly and the gradual descent into Alzheimer's of his grandfather John Joe. It's full of things that are beautiful, intelligent, insightful and brave on subjects like dementia, death, memory, silence and how you can never really go home.
Kevin Barry – Night Boat To Tangier
Night Boat To Tangier slowly unfurls like an exquisite and exotic flower blooming in the early light that, as he has done before, Kevin Barry then allows to spit poison at you. Probably the best novel I've read this year.
Emma Dabiri – Don't Touch My Hair
All about the unique care of her hair, but then a gateway to black history around the world, pre-colonial African civilisations, slavery, the influence of capitalist work practices and even the origins of fractal maths in African hair patterns!
Edna O'Brien – Girl
A book about Boko Haram and Nigeria, but, of course, it's a book that can be read all too easily as a parable of history and home. Edna O'Brien is still at the top of her game and has put a face on the horrific reality of a global story that we all were aware of, but probably found hard to imagine in reality.
E.M. Reapy – Skin
A novel criminally overlooked this year so far. A young woman escapes from both a bad relationship and a job she doesn't belong in. As so many before her have, she chooses to try and get lost on the far side of the world on a circuitous route to, well, we're not sure where or what.
Niall Williams – This Is Happiness
The book of the year for so many people (including those at the New York Times!) Set in a small Irish village as rural electrification arrives it's immaculate, beautiful, very funny and packed with exquisite, unique imagery and incredible writing.
Cecelia Watson – Semicolon
The history of the most maligned and misused of all punctuation marks told with humour and style. I could not have liked it more.
Nicola Barker – I Am Sovereign
Gobbled all of this down all of this 209 page gem on a single long-haul flight. Set in a single 20-minute house viewing in Llandudno with a bafflingly diverse cast of characters. It shouldn't work but I thought it was super.
Elif Shafak – 10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World
Shortlisted for the Booker (it should have done better) Turkey from the 40s to the 90s told through the life of one woman in the last ten minutes after her murder. Brilliant.
Megan Phelps Roper – Unfollow
The inside story of "The Most Hated Family In America" told by a woman who was a teenager inside it at the time Louis Theroux first arrived, through the notorious years when Fred Phelps was still the head of the church, to the point where she and her sister finally escape.
Emma Donohue
Emma Donoghue – Akin
This is a hugely enjoyable warm, human odd couple adventure. Part detective story, part coming together of two lonely people at the opposite ends of their lives who are, ultimately to each other, the only family they have left.
Bill Bryson – The Body
Everything you ever wanted to know about the human body but were afraid to ask as well as fascinating snippets of information and forgotten names from the essential past of medicine. Loved it.
Colson Whitehead – The Nickel Boys
The excavation of a decades-old graveyard behind a Florida reform school as seen through the eyes of one man who was a child there and the terrible things that happened to him. An immensely tight, cracking narrative. Colson Whitehead is brilliant at this.
David Wallace Wells – The Uninhabitable Earth
If you only read one book on the climate emergency then this needs to be it – just don't expect to come out the far side to be optimistic about anything. Still, forewarned is forearmed.
Blindboy Boatclub – Boulevard Wren And Other Stories
His second collection set everywhere from famine Ireland to post-apocalyptic Limerick. Beautiful, brutal and, in parts, baffling.
*breathes out*
Rick O'Shea is the host of the RTÉ Book Show on RTÉ Radio 1 - download the essential Book Show podcast here.
Rick OShea
Sinéad Gleeson
Joseph O'Connor
E.M. Reapy
Declan Burke's Best Crime Novels of 2019


An international fin-tech company is recruiting a Growth Team Manager in Hanoi to lead customer insight and BI operations in Fin-tech driven business. You mission is to translate data into key customer experience strategy and product development road-map. To succeed in the role, you will need experience working in large-scaled customer businesses and knowledge of big data analysis. You will be working closely with regional Headquarter in Bangkok, Thailand.


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Home>People and Company Profiles
The Food Corridor is a tech company that emphasizes community as much as software
With the rise of kitchen incubators, this online marketplace emerged to help them connect with and manage clients.
Rachel Cernansky | Feb 10, 2018
When The Food Corridor first started, the goal was to fill the gap in what services were available for food entrepreneurs, and the commissary and incubator kitchens trying to serve them. The team worked with people and kitchens in various sectors of the food startup economy, but it didn't take long to figure out that their specialty would really lie in shared-use kitchens and providing software as a service. Today, The Food Corridor has its sights set on being the leading SaaS and thought leader for shared-use kitchens.
"Early on, we were doing the two-pronged approach," focusing on both food entrepreneurs and shared-use kitchens, said spokeswoman Rachael Miller. The team realized they couldn't do everything at once, though, and decided to really focus on the kitchens. "We understand that there's this massive pain point of lack of support for these shared-use kitchens, and that's the hole that we're trying to fill," she said.
Related: Bringing the sharing economy to specialty foods
The Food Corridor now has more than 55 kitchens in 28 states on its platform, and through those kitchens, it's working with more than 900 food businesses. The company has focused on developing tools for shared-use kitchens to become more efficient, such as automated invoicing, scheduling, calendar management, and space or equipment rental management. While software options exist for versions of these needs in other industries—calendar management software for yoga studios, for example—Miller said there were kitchen-specific needs going unaddressed.
Each kitchen is different: Some rent out blenders or meat slicers or shelf space, and most offer a unique combination of these or other assets—and those services each create unique revenue streams. The Food Corridor has created software that can accommodate kitchen-specific goods and services while serving the varying needs of each kitchen. As a result of its software, Miller said, some kitchens have gained an efficiency boost that then enabled them to take on additional clients. The Food Corridor is now partnering with Purdue University to put out a shared-use kitchen toolkit, which it plans to roll out in March.
While The Food Corridor has shifted to focus more on helping the people who run shared-use kitchens rather than the food entrepreneurs directly, it does still try to provide support for both—like connecting food entrepreneurs with shared-use kitchens that could be a good match, for example.
The Food Corridor provides food entrepreneurs with access to "ecosystem services" such as discounts on some types of insurance through the Food Liability Insurance Program, and it's currently building community features to be able to engage with shared-use kitchen members. For now, Miller said, entrepreneurs are encouraged to join The Network for Food Business Entrepreneurs.
For kitchens, programming is proving to be a valuable source of revenue. Miller said kitchens are increasingly offering copacking services, food safety and sanitation classes, and other types of programming that can generate revenue but also support and benefit the businesses using their spaces.
"For a food entrepreneur trying to figure out how to scale their business, the more programming that shared-use kitchens can offer to entrepreneurs, the more successful they're going to be," she said. And the more efficient a kitchen is in using its space, the more services or clients it can offer or accommodate. Some kitchens have even started marketing the products that their client companies are making, said Miller, who cited one shared-use kitchen that put together beautifully arranged gift boxes featuring food products from its client businesses during the holiday shopping season.
Ultimately, The Food Corridor is striving to be "a community-focused business"—Miller noted that, "it's hard to build a business without soul these days"—that supports the various players in this space. Because, as she sees time and again, things that benefit a shared-use kitchen often benefit the entrepreneurs using the kitchen, and vice versa.
"We have our SaaS and that's our core product," she said. But the driving question is always, she added, "How do we cultivate community?"
TAGS: Manufacturer and Brand
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When they wanted to quit—but kept going


Estate sale vintage beaded stretch dog charm bracelet. Circa 70/80's.
This unique piece is estate jewelry, which by definition means previously owned. Jewelry in this vintage genre reflects the period from 100 years ago to the 1970's. Most were not mass-produced or mass-marketed and some are one-of-a-kind items.


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March Xbox Games with Gold Announced
Ryan Bloom / Feb 22nd, 2017 No Comments
The lineup of free Xbox Games with Gold for March will include Evolve and Borderlands 2, Microsoft announced.
Beginning March 1 and throughout the entire month of March, Xbox One owners will be able to download horror title Layers of Fear. On March 16 until April 15, the team-based first-person shooter Evolve will be available.
Xbox 360 offerings include Borderlands 2, which will be available March 1 through March 15, and Heavy Weapon, which is free from March 16 until the end of the month.
The free version of Evolve will be the Ultimate Edition. However, developer Turtle Rock Studios has ended support for the game. Servers are currently online, but the game never reached the commercial success publisher 2K Games was hoping for.
Related: Borderlands 2 Review
The most notable game may be Borderlands 2. The game released way back in 2012 and was named Gaming Illustrated's Game of the Year. If you have not played it yet, we highly recommend you download it while it's free.
Ryan Bloom
Chief Editor at Gaming Illustrated
Ryan Bloom is a writer and avid gamer from Orange County. He received a B.A. in Communications with a minor in American Studies from California State University, Fullerton in 2010. Follow him on Twitter @BloomsTweets.
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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 Review: Building on Perfection - October 5, 2020
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tags: borderlands 2 , games with gold , Games with Gold March , March Games with Gold , news , xbox
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Profile: Ivan Ng's non-linear path to becoming a CTO
Having held the roles of consultant, entrepreneur, business executive and technology leader, Ivan Ng recalls key career learnings as CTO of Singapore-based property giant CDL.
By James Henderson
Editorial Director, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, CIO	 May 6, 2020 3:00 pm PDT
Ask Ivan Ng to outline his path to becoming chief technology officer of Singapore-based property giant City Developments Limited (CDL), and chances are, he'll recall some early mentorship advice. "You only begin your career in your forties; before that, you're just learning", said Ng, who leads group technology strategy and operations for a real estate conglomerate spanning 29 countries.
"I'm now better able to appreciate the wisdom that while it's natural to focus on the destination, it's important to keep our minds open and focus on learning opportunities."
[ Don't get caught in a dead end: Avoid these IT jobs bound for extinction and learn the 16 most-wanted traits of indispensable IT pros. | Get the latest career insights by signing up for our newsletters. ]
The non-linear path to CDL
"My career is certainly non-linear," observed Ng, who now resides in the city-state. "I am often encouraged that learnings that I had through starting a company and being a business leader has greatly helped to provide additional perspectives. It has enabled me to better evaluate technology initiatives via the lens of a business leader and to understand how technology can relate to other stakeholders."
Before joining CDL in 2016, Ng was a consultant, entrepreneur, business executive and technology leader, residing and working in China, Japan, the US and Indonesia.
After starting out advising large regional banks on optimising corporate and retail loan processes, the call came to help design highly scalable systems in the build-up to the 1998 Winter Olympics in Japan, as part of a select IBM team.
In working with some of the best technical minds in the industry, Ng then started his first business during his late twenties in the form of LifeContacts, a software company specialising in personal and corporate relationship management systems.
Alongside IT services and vendor experience leading business units across Asia Pacific, Ng returned to frontline technology to drive wide-scale transformation initiatives at Pactera in Beijing, before switching to regional roles at Hewlett-Packard and ServiceNow ahead of joining CDL.
In his current role at CDL, Ng is tasked with driving the innovative use of digital technologies across an organisation housing more than 10,000 employees, with a group portfolio spanning residential, office, hotels, serviced apartments, integrated developments and shopping malls, in addition to a separate fund management business. "My role has not changed but the skills required to be successful are now very different," said Ng, recently honoured during the inaugural CIO50 ASEAN Awards. "While IT strategy and operations remain core responsibilities, I see my key role as enabling our businesses to achieve better results using technology, transforming business models or expanding internationally. This means strategically working with the business to identify opportunities for change, jointly creating a digital roadmap and delivering on those initiatives. Not everything needs to be large scale digital transformation."
To measure success, Ng established a charter for IT, which is co-developed with the businesses to help prioritise investments. "IT is meant to make an impact on four value pillars," he outlined. "These include enabling businesses through the use of digital and data, product innovations, driving cost-effectiveness and improving productivity through better collaboration and automation. We then implement key measures specific to innovation, customer impact, productivity and cost savings."
Why CTOs should 'stay hungry, stay foolish' — and 'stay curious'
For Ng, the role of CTO represents a challenging undertaking, operating in a profession where the landscape changes fast and hard-earned experience can be quickly eroded.
Former Apple CEO "Steve Jobs advised us to 'stay hungry, stay foolish', to which I would add 'stay curious'," he added.
"We need to be curious about how new technologies are disrupting the industry and to see first-hand for ourselves how customers are using such technology. Being curious can also mean reflecting on 'why' certain things are done and often 'why not'. I am often surprised how much insights can come from these two simple questions."
As new technologies become more disruptive, Ng said business leaders are challenged to react to dynamic changes in expectations. "They may not know what they need or understand what is possible," he acknowledged. "Technology leaders thus need to be involved at the frontline with the business to collaborate more proactively."
As a result, Ng advised IT executives to view themselves as part of the business, rather than operating as a separate function. "Another key attribute is around communication," he explained. "To be successful in any digital transformation, we need to bring our people along the journey. However, it is difficult as we now need to communicate beyond technical teams and across businesses. We are expected to provide direct answers to the 'why' and 'so what' questions behind the technology initiatives we are embarking on, with less technical jargon."
A few years ago, CDL embarked on strategy to assess how to better engage with customers through developing specific digital products to augment current approaches.
For office and retail tenants, the business launched CityNexus for Republic Plaza in 2019, one of the tallest commercial buildings in Singapore, housing more than 4,000 occupants.
"CityNexus is a proprietary digital platform we built to redefine user experience, aiming to transform buildings into smart workplaces by leveraging the internet of things [IoT] and artificial intelligence [AI]," Ng said. "For CDL tenants, the platform provides seamless and secure building access, alongside an intelligent parking system, smart retail and community newsfeed, plus a building feedback and messaging system and digital form submission during this phase."
To further streamline visitor registration while providing maximum privacy, CDL also engaged with Singapore GovTech to become the first commercial building to work with the nationwide SG-Verify platform. "This provides a digital alternative for easy visitor registration and access to our property without the collection of physical ID cards and storing ID information," Ng added.
AI will be the defining technology of this IT generation
In looking ahead, Ng cited AI as the defining technology of the generation due to its profound impact on business, government, society and personal lives.
"Why is AI disruptive?" Ng asked. "First, the applicability of AI is very broad, ranging from chatbots, autonomous vehicles, computer vision, robotics, neural networks and so on, across many sectors and industries. Second and more importantly, AI is a strong catalytic technology and can be combined with existing technologies to be truly impactful. For example, AI with robotic process automation doesn't just reduce repetitive work but can greatly help businesses provide better quality and experience for stakeholders. In real estate, the use of machine learning, IoT and computer vision allows for predictive maintenance and maintenance of complex equipment. Furthermore, AI combined with cyber security defence solutions provides a much better way of responding to threats."
The challenge of IT hiring and education in an era of market uncertainty
Despite a wave of innovation emerging over the horizon, Ng accepted that hiring technologists comfortable enough to deal with market uncertainty, while understanding business processes, remains an ongoing challenge within the office of the CTO. The core reason is that the value of IT is always in the practical application of technology to business problems and often, this may mean business and IT are learning in real-time and collaborating rapidly to deliver what stakeholders want," he outlined.
Traditionally however, Ng said computing is typically studied as a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) discipline through a specialised curriculum.
Speaking as a board advisor to the National University of Singapore, Ng said one discussion that came up focused on how graduates can benefit from a broader breadth of skills, otherwise known as 'T-shaped skills'. "For IT, this may mean a combination of analytical skills, business knowledge and technical grounding," he added. "These are usually seen only in more senior technologists but clearly, these are in short supply and are the hardest to fill. We can do better by equipping graduates with some of these broader skills at the university level."
James Henderson is Editorial Director, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, with a responsibility for developing the content, audience, and partnership strategy for IDG's channel and enterprise brands across ASEAN, Australia, India, the Middle East, and New Zealand. In his writing work, James specialises in converting global technology trends into local insights, with a specific focus on ASEAN markets.


Corneal Topography also called as video-keratography or photo-keratoscopy is a method for obtaining three dimensional mapping of the surface of your cornea (the clear front surface of your eye)like creating a contour map of land.
How is Corneal Topography done?
Corneal Topography is a non-invasive method of investigation meaning that it does not require your eye surface to be penetrated. There is no pain and it does not take very long either.
You will be asked to sit in front of a lighted bowl which has a pattern of concentric rings.
The pattern is focused on your eye's front surface and is reflected back to a camera in the middle of the bowl. These rings of light that are reflected back, are analysed by a computer which then generates a map of the shape of your cornea.
Why is Corneal Topography done?
• Keratoconus, a condition in which there is thinning and bulging of your cornea.


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Argument: The Guns of October The Guns of October...
An expert's point of view on a current event.
The Guns of October
I played every game about the Yom Kippur War, so you don't have to. Here's what I learned.
By Michael Peck, a defense writer.
GABRIEL DUVAL/AFP/Getty Images
It was at 2 p.m. on the sixth day of October 1973 -- the afternoon of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement -- when a barrage from 2,000 artillery pieces along the Suez Canal signaled the start of an epic war. It was epic as a chapter of history, when an overconfident Israel saw its vaunted army and air force battered by an Arab surprise attack, only to reverse the fortunes of war in a week with a counteroffensive that left the Egyptian armies surrounded and Damascus in range of Israeli artillery. It was epic in its military implications, as the Yom Kippur War shaped the way that the U.S. military would fight for decades. And, it was epic in its what-ifs: What if Israel had mobilized its reserve troops sooner? What if the Syrian tanks had not paused on the Golan Heights after breaking through the thin Israeli defenses, and had clanked down toward Haifa and Tel Aviv? What if the Egyptians had pressed their initial advantage and drove on southern Israel?
This month marks the 40th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War (or the Ramadan War, as the Arabs called it, in an ironic simultaneity of dueling religious holidays). Not surprisingly, such a dramatic conflict has spawned numerous wargames that allow armchair generals to simulate the conflict. Like an array of spotlights, each game illuminates different facets of the struggle.
For example, the most pressing question for Israel in 1973 wasn't how to fight, but where to fight. Vastly outnumbered by the Egyptians in the south and the Syrians in the north, Israel confronted its ultimate nightmare; fighting simultaneously on widely separated fronts, creating a strategic dilemma of where to send its hastily mobilized reserves. "Bar-Lev," a board game first published in 1974 and later updated in 1977, is probably the best simulation of the Yom Kippur War. The game begins with the Israeli defenders badly outnumbered, but each turn the Israelis get new reserve troops which must be sent to either the Sinai or Golan fronts. The dilemma for the Israeli player is that once a unit is allocated to a front, it is committed; it takes at least a whole turn to transfer it to the other front, and a tank battalion in transit from Golan to Sinai is one less desperately needed battalion on either battlefield. Thus the Israeli player must anticipate his needs. If the war is going well in Sinai, it is easy for an Israeli player to send all his reinforcements to the Golan, only to be caught flat-footed by a lucky Egyptian attack. To play Bar-Lev is to understand why Israel has always feared fighting the combined Arab armies on its borders.
It was at 2 p.m. on the sixth day of October 1973 — the afternoon of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement — when a barrage from 2,000 artillery pieces along the Suez Canal signaled the start of an epic war. It was epic as a chapter of history, when an overconfident Israel saw its vaunted army and air force battered by an Arab surprise attack, only to reverse the fortunes of war in a week with a counteroffensive that left the Egyptian armies surrounded and Damascus in range of Israeli artillery. It was epic in its military implications, as the Yom Kippur War shaped the way that the U.S. military would fight for decades. And, it was epic in its what-ifs: What if Israel had mobilized its reserve troops sooner? What if the Syrian tanks had not paused on the Golan Heights after breaking through the thin Israeli defenses, and had clanked down toward Haifa and Tel Aviv? What if the Egyptians had pressed their initial advantage and drove on southern Israel?
For example, the most pressing question for Israel in 1973 wasn't how to fight, but where to fight. Vastly outnumbered by the Egyptians in the south and the Syrians in the north, Israel confronted its ultimate nightmare; fighting simultaneously on widely separated fronts, creating a strategic dilemma of where to send its hastily mobilized reserves. "Bar-Lev," a board game first published in 1974 and later updated in 1977, is probably the best simulation of the Yom Kippur War. The game begins with the Israeli defenders badly outnumbered, but each turn the Israelis get new reserve troops which must be sent to either the Sinai or Golan fronts. The dilemma for the Israeli player is that once a unit is allocated to a front, it is committed; it takes at least a whole turn to transfer it to the other front, and a tank battalion in transit from Golan to Sinai is one less desperately needed battalion on either battlefield. Thus the Israeli player must anticipate his needs. If the war is going well in Sinai, it is easy for an Israeli player to send all his reinforcements to the Golan, only to be caught flat-footed by a lucky Egyptian attack. To play Bar-Lev is to understand why Israel has always feared fighting the combined Arab armies on its borders.
Any Yom Kippur wargame must also simulate a contradiction: the ability of Israeli units to outfight their Arab counterparts, and yet at the same time, show how the Arabs were able to nullify those advantages so much that Israel could only achieve a tactical victory by war's end (some might even argue a draw). In Bar-Lev, Israeli units are often stronger and move faster than their Arab counterparts, especially the Israeli tank formations. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) can decimate the Arab air forces in aerial combat at virtually no loss, and then go on to pound Arab ground troops. But the game also gives the Arabs certain advantages, such as a combat bonus for their infantry when fighting Israeli tanks (reflecting their huge quantities of Soviet-made anti-tank weapons). More important is their huge number of surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft gun batteries, creating an air defense system denser than those faced by U.S. pilots over North Vietnam. The Israeli player can choose to preserve his air force by staying at high altitude and dogfighting the Arab air forces; the Israeli Air Force will be toasting plenty of new fighter aces, but that will be cold comfort to the hard-pressed troops on the ground. Or (as was historically the case), Israeli jets can come in low and support the ground troops, but will take heavy losses from flak. The Israelis relied on the IAF to be the "flying artillery" that saved the ground troops, but instead in Bar-Lev, it is the tanks and infantry who have to knock out the Arab air defense network before the Phantoms and Skyhawks can do their work.
"You can ask me for anything you like, except time," Napoleon told his generals, an admonition that the Israelis have always appreciated. The longer the conflict goes on, the more the Israeli economy grinds to a halt, the greater the expenditure in blood and munitions (the latter of which must be resupplied by the United States), and the higher the risk that the superpowers and the U.N. will impose a cease-fire that will favor the Arabs. Thus time is a crucial feature in Multi-Man Publishing's two October War games: "Heights of Courage," which covers the Golan front, and "Yom Kippur," which covers the Sinai battles. In "Heights of Courage," the game is played over 17 turns. But after Turn 8 (Oct. 12), dice are rolled to see whether the international community imposes a cease-fire. Because the Syrians make their gains during their initial assault, they can grab the Golan and then dig in, placing the burden on Israel to race the clock to recapture lost territory before the war ends.
Time is both an Israeli enemy and ally in 1981's "Suez '73," perhaps the most insightful Yom Kippur wargame besides Bar-Lev. The game simulates the vicious Battle of the Chinese Farm on Oct. 15-19, when an Israeli counteroffensive found a weak spot in the Egyptian defenses that allowed the IDF to cross to the Egyptian side of the Suez Canal, tear a hole in the Egyptian air defense network, and surround the Egyptian armies on the Israeli side of the canal. Each 12-hour game turn can be divvied up into 10 "impulses" or mini-turns where each player can move his units and conduct combat. While the Egyptians can only get a maximum of three mini-turns, the Israelis can get up to 10, allowing the IDF to accomplish much more over those 12 hours than its enemies.
However, time is also as dangerous a foe as the Egyptian Sagger anti-tank missiles. In Suez '73, the Israelis have only eight turns to accomplish the following: carve a corridor through two fortified Egyptian infantry divisions, heavily reinforced by additional tank and anti-tank units; move slow and bulky mobile bridges down a single road already clogged with tank columns needed to penetrate those Egyptian defenses; erect a bridge over the Suez Canal under Egyptian artillery fire; send tank and infantry units to form a bridgehead on the western bank; and send out raiding columns to destroy Egyptian air defense sites. Egyptians don't need to defeat the IDF on the battlefield, just delay it. To play Suez '73 is to understand why Israeli commanders always seem to be in a hurry, even if it means taking risks.
Ultimately, and in real life, Israel's narrow victory rested on its battlefield performance. It was not that the Arabs couldn't or wouldn't fight — the Yom Kippur War disproved that unfortunate myth of 1967 — but that superior training, tactics, and initiative allowed an Israeli unit to accomplish more than its Arab counterpart. In Suez '73, every unit has a numerical rating for "proficiency" that affects everything from how well it shoots to how well it rallies under fire. Israeli units, especially elite formations such as paratroopers and commandos, have higher proficiencies that give them an edge in combat. In 1977's "Arab-Israeli Wars," Israeli superiority is shown through mechanisms such as morale, which means that an Israeli Centurion tank platoon disrupted by enemy fire will rally and return to the fight sooner than a Syrian platoon of T-62 tanks. But the Arabs usually have numbers on their sides, and quality versus quantity can be a tough fight.
These are essential facets that shaped the Yom Kippur War. But part of the fascination of wargaming is discovering the small historical details. In Suez '73, the Israeli Ha Sinai reconnaissance unit, equipped with captured Arab vehicles, can slip past the Egyptian defenders guarding the road to the Suez Canal. And in Heights of Courage, the Israelis have the "Force Zvika" piece to inflict extra losses on the Syrians; this reflects the exploits of Lt. Zvi "Zvika" Greengold, who with one or two tanks managed to seriously disrupt the Syrian offensive (dice are rolled each time to see whether he survives).
Fascinating and compelling as these October War games are, there is a touch of ancient history about them. Thousands of tanks churning dust storms through the Sinai desert seem almost as anachronistic as Napoleon's Old Guard at Waterloo. Warfare today is ballistic missiles, laser-guided bombs, chemical weapons, and cyberviruses like Stuxnet. A nation's strength is now reckoned more by its quantity of hackers than infantry battalions. The year 1973 was the mid-point — chronologically and militarily — between the mass warfare of the Battle of the Bulge, and the high-tech combat of Desert Storm and the Second Iraq War.
Since 1973, Israel has never faced such a dire military situation. And perhaps not coincidentally, the quality of its military — or at least of its regular tank and infantry troops — has never appeared quite so brilliant, especially in the 2006 Lebanon War. Perhaps necessity is the mother of battlefield prowess, but that's a bargain that most Israelis and Arabs would rather not make.
Michael Peck is a defense writer. He is a contributor to Forbes Defense, editor of Uncommon Defense, and senior analyst for Wikistrat. Twitter: @Mipeck1
Tags: Economics, Israel, Middle East and North Africa, Military, National Security Agency, Palestine, Strategic Intelligence
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What in the World?
Vladimir Putin meets with workers at a missile manufacturing plant in St. Petersburg.
With alternative sources in place, Putin's attempt at blackmailing Europe on energy has failed.
An image of Alexander the Great on horseback fighting the Battle of Issus.
What China Can Learn From Japan—and Alexander the Great
It's time for Beijing to reexamine its long-standing sense of purpose.


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Home » News » Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society Donates C$200,000 to Villa Cathay Care Home in Vancouver
Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society Donates C$200,000 to Villa Cathay Care Home in Vancouver
By Press office
Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society
Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society will donate C$200,000 (US$158,000) to Villa Cathay Care Home to expand elderly-wellness and experience-enhancement programs in the inaugural year. Both parties will further explore programs to enhance the physical and mental wellness of the elderly for five years.
Villa Cathay Care Home specializes in delivering person-centered, culturally sensitive long-term care for seniors who have complex care needs. The gift from Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society will enable Villa Cathay Care Home to deliver the Resident Wellness Program by providing residents with more health discipline choices on-site, such as traditional Chinese acupuncture and registered massage therapy to promote positive physical and mental wellbeing. The program will also provide increased dedicated one-on-one activity time for residents, enhancing their level of engagement and sense of purpose.
Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society will further support the Resident Experience Enhancement Program by assisting care staff to embody the person-centered philosophy in every aspect of care so that residents' autonomy and personal choices can be honored as much as possible. Villa Cathay Care Home will also use a portion of the gift from Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society to purchase 10 tilt wheelchairs for residents who have compromised trunk control.
Robert Y. C. Ho, chair of the board of Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society stated: "Since its establishment by my father, Robert H. N. Ho, in 1994, Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society has been committed to serving the community with our core values of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity through various charitable religious and educational programs. We aspire to work closely with Villa Cathay to raise public awareness of elderly well-being through our donation programs. With Villa Cathay's experience serving the community over the past 40 years, our collaboration will explore impactful strategic care initiatives in the next five years to provide comprehensive physical and mental care to the seniors."
"Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society's generous donation is a shining example of how the community can make a significant impact for our seniors," said Lisa Donovan, chair of the board of Villa Cathay Care Home. "We are deeply grateful to Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society and Dr. H. N. Ho for enhancing and transforming senior care for generations to come!"
Villa Cathay Care Home
About Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society
Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society was established in 1994 by Robert H. N. Ho, C.M., O.B.C., grandson of Lady Clara Ho Tung. Through its physical establishment in Vancouver and internet portals, Robert H. N. Ho realizes Lady Clara's grand visions to promote the Buddhist teachings globally. In addition to traditional religious rituals and assemblies, the society also promotes the teachings and practices of Buddhist wisdom and values through various public lectures, classes, and workshops, as well as other pioneering online initiatives. Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Canada Society and the Robert H. N. Ho family generously contribute to education, medical care, disaster relief, and other philanthropy, which adhere to the Robert Ho Tung family's motto: "Before you can receive, you must learn how to give." Robert H. N. Ho becomes the honorary chairman and Robert Y. C. Ho succeeded as chairman in 2020. For more information, please visit our website: tlkycs.buddhistdoor.com
About Villa Cathay Care Home
Established in 1973, Villa Cathay Care Home is the first non-profit care home that provides culturally focused care for Chinese seniors in the Strathcona neighbourhood near Chinatown in Vancouver. We strive to create a home-like environment where elderly residents can find comfort, love, respect, and dignity. To meet the growing demand for culturally focused long-term care, Villa Cathay Rejuvenation Project was launched in 2016 to build a 224-bed complex care home on the same site. The new Villa Cathay Care Home aims to promote residents' privacy, sense of autonomy, and self-efficacy, while implementing care enhancement programs to elevate residents' holistic wellness and quality of life. For more information, please visit our website: VillaCathay.ca
Tags: buddhism in canada, buddhism in north america, Canada, north america, Tung Lin Kok Yuen, Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Society, Vancouver
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As usual, I have a recap today of the final prices of the guns I filmed from the most recent Morphy's auction (Fall 2018). One of the things I noticed here is an opportunity for people interested in some of the big tripod-mounted early heavy machine guns. They aren't cheap my most standards, but compared to other NFA registered machine guns, they are a tremendous value for the money. Many of these guns – things like the Maxim, Vicker, Schwarloze, Hotchkiss – are magnificently engineered guns that were true queens of the battlefield in their day. But they are old, heavy, and cumbersome (not to mention typically not highlighted in movioes and video games), and not so popular these days. Definitely an opportunity for the machine gun connoisseur, in my opinion.


Russia needs active social groups to push ideas of modernization, said the first deputy head of the presidential administration, Vladislav Surkov.
Speaking at the international forum "Social Dimension of Modernization," Surkov noted that government cannot "switch on the process of social change" if this process is not supported by social groups.
"There is positive development in this direction and we hope that soon we will have those who are interested in modernization, which includes technical re-equipment of industry," he said.
He stressed that in order for these groups to be formed, society first needs to understand what practical benefits modernization brings.


Many people have been requesting our Anti Mercury Retrograde spells, so we�decided to triple cast our guarded spells onto this gorgeous unisex amulet.
If you have problems during Mercury retrograde, don't feel alone!
Many people complain that everything seems to turn to s**t when Mercury is in retrograde. �Fights erupt, misunderstandings happen, cars die, phones and computers crash and money seems to fly out the window.
Wear during Mercury Retrograde periods. No ritual necessary.


Hello! I'm Tory, Mum of two girls, founder and practitioner of Shift Natural Medicine. I'm trained in health, love what I do and practice what I preach (most of the time) and excited to inspire and support you on your health journey.
From a young age, my passion has been about exercising, feeling good, staying motivated to reach my true potential, and having a healthy body and mind. As I got older, this passion grew into educating and guiding others to feel the same.
After two years of studying a bachelor of Health Science (Exercise Science) degree and then completing a 5-year bachelor of Heath Science (Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine) degree at Melbourne's leading natural therapies university, I brainstormed the initial foundations of Shift Natural Medicine whilst running along the beaches of Port Phillip Bay.
I wanted to create a space where eastern and natural medicine could be delivered in a modern, fresh and integrative way, whilst being up to date and working alongside leading western medicine research and care.
Shift is an inviting, relaxing, nurturing, empowering space, and leaves people inspired to live the healthiest life they can.
Since university, I have completed a personal training and Pilates instructor training, and attended many seminars and workshops, further educating myself in women's health, fertility, pregnancy, stress and anxiety, and body movement. This is where my treatment passions lie; supporting couples through a healthy pre-conception, pregnancy and post-partum period, educating women (and getting them excited) about their menstrual flow and the importance of hormone balance, and the strong connections of your body, mind and emotions. I am a Mumma to my beautiful girls Evelyn and Savanna. I love working with Mums to achieve their health/mum/work/play/life balance.
In this day and age, Mindfulness is more important now then it ever has been, and we have to integrate and practice it in our daily routines. I find acupuncture (and meditation) a great tool for this integration. Our health is ultimately the foundation of our happiness.
But enough about me, lets talk about you! Come by and visit our clinic, or drop us a line. I would love to work with and inspire you.


Wow everyone, it's Thanksgiving Day! I'm enjoying my extra day off, and I am planning to make something fun that will probably involve a moto trip and seeing something new in Darien I haven't seen yet.
The Dayton Triangles? I would ask the good author, in his next article, to give background on what lies behind naming a pro football team after a geometric shape.


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178th Wing
Search www.178wing.ang.af.mil: Search
Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SAPR)
124 IS Cyber ISR
125 IS GEOINT
126 IS Space ISR
127 IS ELINT and FME
Wing Safety
Base access
178th CES chief honored at retirement ceremony
178th Wing / Published December 05, 2017
Chief Master Sgt. James Baker, the facility manager with the 178th Wing Civil Engineer Squadron (CES), celebrated his retirement at Springfield Air National Guard Base in Springfield, Ohio, Dec. 2. Baker served for 34 years in the Ohio Air National Guard. (Ohio Air National Guard photo by Airman Amber Mullen)
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio --
Chief Master Sgt. James Baker, the facility manager with the 178th Wing Civil Engineer Squadron (CES), celebrated his retirement at Springfield Air National Guard Base in Springfield, Ohio, Dec. 2.
Baker served for 34 years in the Ohio Air National Guard. He enlisted in 1983 as a member of the 178th Civil Engineer Squadron. Baker served in a variety of roles within the squadron, ranging from a metal fabrication specialist to an operations superintendent.
Some of the civil engineering deployments Baker participated in allowed him to experience 45 states and 17 countries. During his deployment in 2012 to Afghanistan he was promoted to his final position of Civil Engineer Chief. Throughout his deployment he completed 25 projects totaling 5 million dollars.
Baker's dedication to the civil engineering career field and mentoring his fellow service members did not go unnoticed.
"He's been a really good mentor for me," said Senior Airman Tyler Bostick, a member with the 178th Wing CES. "He was always the go-to person when you needed something done, or needed to know something."
Maj. Michel Weitz, the 178th CES commander, reflected on her time working with Baker. Baker advised her on problems and concerns affecting the health, welfare and morale for all CES personnel.
"Anything I need, he takes care of it," said Weitz. "Chief Baker was professional across the board."
Several other members of the 178th CES gave testament to Baker's positive impact on the squadron.
"He's really good at his job, and he's always got the answer," said Staff Sgt. Brady Burns, an electrical power production specialist with the 178th CES.
"He has unlimited, vast amounts of knowledge," said Capt. Daniel Worden, the operations officer with the 178th Logistics Readiness Squadron.
Baker discussed his time in the Ohio Air National Guard and advised young Airmen on how to be successful.
"The most valuable thing has been the people," said Baker. "They're the most important asset in the Air Guard."
"Have a passion for what you do," said Baker. "But balance that passion with family time."
Baker's next career step is a civilian position at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. His more than three decades of service will be missed by his coworkers who relied on him as a knowledgeable resource, mentor, and friend.
chief civil engineer retire retired Retired Chief
AF Executive Fleet


Send a Letter to Muammar Gaddafi!
Enjoy...or cry...either response is appropriate.
This is a little bit different than what I normally put up here but it's pretty funny (which I think we could all use after this week).
Bob Uecker's Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech.
"I bought a box of flame-treated bats and they sent me a box of ashes."
Could Bob Kerrey, the Kerrey who should have run for President, make a run for Senate in Nebraska again?
I would guess no. Plus, having lived in NYC for the last several years probably wouldn't sit real well with most Nebraskans. If Chuck Hagel decides not to run again, this seat could be up for grabs IF Democrats can put up someone like Kerrey.
Unfortunately, there really isn't anyone like Kerrey.
Author Chris Mooney and Professor Matt Nesbit of American University have an op-ed piece in the Sunday Washington Post calling on scientists to do a better job of communicating the facts they learn in the lab to the public.
They touch on evolution, climate change, and stem cell research.
I don't necessarily agree with everything they say, but their main point is dead-on.
In an op-ed in today's Washington Post, Congressmen Charlie Rangel (D-NY) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) take on the idiotic, entirely political, failed American policy toward Cuba. They call for opening up political and economic co-operation with Cuba to help support positive change on the island for the Cuban people. I agree.
I like Flake. I'd feel a lot better if I thought people like him (i.e., sensible people) were the future of the Republican party.
This episode of Foreign Exchange features an interview on Iran, a report on how the violence in Darfur is spilling over into neighboring Chad, and a very good interview with an author who has spent the last several years in Iraq. Also, one of the best Fareed Zakaria monologues I've every seen.
Plus, here is Fareed's latest Newsweek column on a Global Carbon Tax.
The Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie Is Out!
Remember the giant freak-out in Boston a couple of weeks ago over a couple of Lite-Brites?
Watch the trailer, the go see the movie (if you can find it).
Even more terrifying, the head of the Turkish Army asked for permission to move into Northern Iraq (Iraqi Kurdistan).
So long, mostly stable Northern Iraq.
The writer of my favorite book, "Cat's Cradle", died yesterday at 84.
DoD announced today that Army troops in Iraq and Afghanistan will have their tours extended by three months to a total of fifteen months.
So, this is the latest manifestation of the failed policies of this administration. Once again, the only people being asked to sacrifice during this time of war are the people in our military.
That is all...please continue shopping.
The Senate passed a bill tonight that overturns the President's almost six-year-old stem cell ban.
Of course, he will veto it but I still say Congress should make him veto it a hundred times.
This veto needs to be overturned. Enough (six...#@&%ing...years) is enough.
I just wanted to put up this article about renewed tensions between Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey.
There are some pretty strong threats being thrown around.
My little automatic ad generator at the bottom of the page showed me this yesterday. It is supposed to show you items that relate to your content. I have been on Hagel lately; so, I guess it works. But one time it listed "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science" (which would be accurate if they dropped "Politically" from the title); so, it ain't exactly batting 1.000.
I had a busy night last Wednesday because, in addition to seeing the Chinese Ambassador to the US speak, I also went to a talk by Maya MacGuineas of the New America Foundation.
She is a budget wonk (in a good way) and her talk was very interesting. One of the points that really struck a chord with me was about entitlement reform. [Disclaimer: The following views are mine and not Ms. MacGuineas'.] This is probably the area of the budget most in need of reform as the imminent increase in the cost of entitlement programs (and the interest on the foreign [hint: foreign = China - it always comes back to the Chinese, although Ms. MacGuineas was dubious as to whether or not the Chinese owning so much of our debt is actually dangerous. I vote yes.] owned debt that is used to fund them) will increase rapidly in the coming decades.
Social security was designed to be a safety net for individuals who were past the point where they could reasonably be expected to earn a wage to support themselves. At that time, that age was determined to be 65. In 1930, five years before social security was signed into law by FDR, the average US life expectancy was 58 for men and 62 for women and 5.5% of the population was 65 or older. Today, average US life expectancy is 78 and 11.5% of the population is over 65. In addition, the impending retirement of the "Baby Boomers" (or as I like to call them, "the Worstest Generation") is going to swell the percentage of individuals receiving social security even more. Furthermore, social security was meant to help those who could not help themselves. It was not meant as a way for everyone to plan their retirement around.
So, one of the most sensible (from looking at those numbers) and "politically poisonous" ideas (as Ms. MacGuineas termed them) would be a two-fold approach of, first, raising the age at which people can receive social security benefits and, second, to institute means testing as a way to ensure that people only get out of the system what they need. Social security was designed as a safety net, not a forced 401k.
While social security is a pressing problem, the larger issue is the Medicare/Medicaid monster that is waiting to consume the budget. Oddly, Medicaid is often a sacrificial lamb when it comes to budget cutting, particularly on the state level. (Apparently, taking money away from poor children who need it to see a doctor is more palatable than taking money away from senior citizens who may not necessarily need it.) One of the best ways to remedy the skyrocketing cost of this entitlement would be to spend more money on preventive care for all Americans. This would decrease the burden on the US medical system and should help keep costs down.
All in all, both the Congress and the President need to move quickly to keep entitlement programs from wrecking the budget and burying future generations in the debt because this generation was too complacent and comfortable with the status quo to take action.
"What is so mysterious about China? There are 900 million of us and it is not mysterious to us."
This is weird (it was recommended by a commenter in my previous post).
Last Wednesday I went and listened to the Chinese Ambassador to the US, Zhou Wenzhong, speak at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
I didn't get my question about China's intentions towards Africa answered but there were still many interesting points.
Ambassador Zhou touched on several major points during his speech but the overarching theme concerned the idea that China is building a "Harmonious society". "Harmonious society" is the name of the ideological campaign that was developed in response to the impression among the Chinese that their government was over emphasizing economic development and ignoring the importance of social justice. The ambassador re-iterated the stated goals of the "Harmonious society", which were initially proposed by Chinese President Hu Jintau, that China is committed to the development of "democracy, the rule of law, justice, sincerity, amity, and vitality".
The Ambassador stated that China is at the "primary stage" of socialism and that it will remain there for a long time to come. He characterized the "primary stage" as one of underdevelopment and said that China recognizes that its system of socialism is not perfect and that it needs and will receive improvement. He called improving economic development and achieving social justice the two historical tasks for China.
Since instituting market reforms, the quality of life of Chinese citizens has improved greatly but China still has significant challenges to overcome. Challenges include increased economic gaps between urban and rural Chinese as well as increased corruption. The government had overemphasized economic growth without enough of a focus on increasing social justice. "Social fairness and justice lack sufficient safeguards."
The Ambassador listed major tasks for the government to complete by 2020: to build a comprehensive socialist democracy, legal system, and rule of law. To provide better protection for the people's rights and interests, to gradually reverse the trend of widening disparity between urban and rural areas, to build an income distribution structure and social security network to cover both urban and rural residents, to improve basic public health services and education, to increase the efficient use of natural resources and to noticeably improve the environment. The overall goal is to allow all Chinese to enjoy the benefits of reform and economic growth.
The Ambassador also made the case that building a harmonious society in China will have implications on the world stage, with positive impact on world peace and prosperity. "When reflected in China's foreign policy, the concept of 'Harmonious society' point to an inevitable choice of firm adherence to the role of peaceful development, a choice that is based on our judgments of the current situation in the world and our historical heritage and the realistic national conditions." It is the Chinese view that peace and development are the trend of the times. They believe it is unlikely that a major war could breakout in the near future and that they can use their economic development to help promote world peace.
The Ambassador stated that China builds relationships with all the countries of the world based on the five principles of peaceful coexistence (mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence). China treats all countries as equals regardless of size and strength.
The talk was mostly cordial but there is an unmistakable air that China believes their ascension is inevitable and, while they try to not say too many inflammatory things and try to portray themselves in a good international light, they will pretty much do as they damn well please.
"Daily Show" correspondent Rob Riggle explores the issue of cloning animals.
Just one note: Everything the anti-genetic engineering hippie guys says is bull$#!#.
"Blades of Glory" Tops Box Office!
I attribute the success to Ben Wilson's riveting performance as "Gary the Fox" in the Grublet's Ice show!
Actually, we went and saw it this weekend and it was damn funny. Now I have "My Humps" stuck in my head, though.
"You smell like aftershave and taco meat."
"You still look like a 15-year old girl, but not hot."