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Agrarian Ecology
From garynabhan.com
One might wonder whether any 21st century preoccupation with agrarian values, agrarian ecology and agrarian ideals comes as too little, too late. Less than two percent of the North American public lives in rural areas outside towns, cities and suburbs, and less than half of the world's population now lives outside cities. But the New Agrarianism which is emerging globally is not restricted to the rural domain, nor is it necessarily a romantic desire to re-enact social behaviors and morays associated with rural populaces in by-gone eras. Instead, a New Agrarianism is emerging within urban as well as rural communities, and may indeed be the set of values and operating principles which can obliterate the rural-urban divide which in many ways characterized and crippled North American and European cultures during the second half of the Twentieth century. But what exactly does agrarian mean? Why are the concepts associated with it being used once more as rallying cries, decades after most global citizens have become disenfranchised from the land? Finally, why has "agrarian ecology" become a useful focus for anthropologists, biologists, demographers, geographers, historian and land tenure lawyers that has been applied to solving problems in at least a dozen countries on four continents?
If we return to its entomological roots, agri- can be traced as far back as the proto-Indo-European noun *h₂éǵros, which has cognates not only in Old English, but in Ancient Greek, Latin and Sanskrit as well. As used over the centuries in Europe and England, this term refers to a constellation of activities, values and premises regarding human relationships to cultivated soil or to the land in general. As a prefix in Latin, and then Old, Middle and Modern English, ager- and agri- relates to soil, fields, farms, land, terrain, landscape, territory, and country. In the related term agriculture, based on the Latin ager + colere, we see the relationship between humans and the land circumscribed by the activities and values of cultivating, tilling, stewarding, tending and safeguarding.Agrarian ecology, as articulated by agricultural anthropologist Robert McC. Netting in 1974, is the study of both the social and legal frameworks with guide tenure to and the human uses of cultural "working" landscapes, and the interactions between human communities and their agricultural and ecological resources in the landscapes.
Agrarianism, of late, has come to embody a nuanced set of social, political and ecological values which see rural activities, behaviors and ethics as functioning on a higher order than urban or suburban-derived comparables. However, for well over a century, the phrase agrarian reform has had broader recognition in Latin America, Europe and Asia as a movement to keep peasant societies from becoming increasingly landless and in greater servitude to capitalistic institutions by enacting the redistribution of land and other wealth. Agrarian ecologists such as Netting and Ostrum have paid particular attention to how peasant societies resist such extractive institutions and organize themselves to protect, sustain and efficiently use the natural resource base and traditional knowledge upon which their members' livelihoods depend.
In a very real sense, agrarian values place heightened importance on the daily human commitment to and privilege daily involvement in rural lifeways as God-given responsibilities. Accordingly, Thomas Jefferson is often attributed as the best early articulator of American agrarian values, while Henry Wise Wood, Louis Bromfield, Ralph Borsodi, Robert Swann, Wendell Berry, Wes Jackson, Helen Nearing and Will Allen are granted status as the most elegant contemporary North American defenders of agrarian values in the face of agricultural industrialization and ex-urban growth. However, agrarian values are not exclusively Euro-American or even Christian, for Marxist materialists around the world have come to embrace spome of the same principles and strategies for valuing the work done by peasant farmers. As eloquent as Jefferson and Berry European voices such as Jean Giono and John Berger, Japanese farmer Masanobu Fukouoka and Austrailian permaculturist Bill Mollison.
Because Twentieth Century agrarian proponents such as Canadian Henry Wise Wood, Japanese Masanobu Fukuoka and American Wendell Berryhave often been diagnosed by urban critics as being afflicted with a nostalgia-emitting dysfunction that has symptoms of being "anti-urban," "luddite," or "retro," some proponents such as Eric Freyfogle and David Walbert call their philosophies Neo-Agrarian. On his populist website, www.newagrarian.com, Walbert offers a brilliant articulation of the how new agrarianism can be distinguished from other forms of agrarianism that may be flawed by romanticism or nostalgia:
"New Agrarianism, most importantly, is not about preserving a way of life or recreating the past; it is about building the future. [Its] principles draw heavily on past expressions of agrarian thought, from ancient Greece to twentieth-century America, but they are not bound by them. Agrarians have few models but the past, and the past is valuable for the lessons it teaches, but each of us must live in the present and plan for the future."
"New Agrarianism is about creating a new kind of rural community, one that is genuinely rural but that is fully a part of twenty-first century American society. The old ways don't work any longer, as mid-size farmers and residents of dying towns have been slowly recognizing for decades. Large-scale commercial farms apply an industrial model to agriculture that is destructive to rural culture and community."
"Sustainable agriculture is a beginning, but New Agrarianism is about more than agriculture. It is about a search for sustainable community, sustainable culture, sustainable life. A New Agrarian may not be a "family farmer" nor a full-time farmer, or even a farmer at all. Agriculture is not the only possible expression of agrarian values; many forms of craft or community building could be thought of as agrarian."
"No philosophy can succeed if it applies only to a small minority within a society, and New Agrarianism is about deep, broad, long-term change. We live in a society that is majority urban, and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. New Agrarianism, creatively interpreted, could apply equally well to life in the city — to any life, in fact, that values connections with nature, with place, and with community."
And yet, David Walbert, David Orr, Will Allen and others concur that "an agrarian believes in, if not the primacy, then at least the uniqueness of agriculture among human endeavors." Activists David Hanson and Eric Marty, co-authors of Breaking Ground: Building an Urban Farm Revival, believes that agrarian values and practices should and can be expressed in urban, suburban and ex-urban settings as well as in rural landscapes. Youth groups such as FarmFolk/CityFolk, the National Young Farmer's Coalition and Greenhorns are moving such agenda forward as a social movement that now crosses international boundaries. In their view, a foodscape is no longer (and has actually never been) a place beyond the city's limits, and the quest for just, equitable and sustainable food systems and environmentally healthy foodsheds must engage both rural and urban dwellers of all races, classes and languages with equal strength. The fact that over 2500 acres of Metro Detroit's 6500 acres of formerly built-upon and abandoned urban lots are once again producing food is testament to the survival of agrarian values in an urban setting.
Finally, it is worth noting that agrarian and neo-agrarian advocates link themselves to an unbroken chain of prophetic voices which have critiqued excessively urban, inward-looking and narcissisitic values of those who have become indifferent to the plight of farmers, fishers, ranchers, and foragers and to the land itself. In theologian Ellen Davis's finely-researched book, Scripture, Culture and Agriculture: An Agraroan Reading of the Bible, it becomes historically clear that agrarian voices have risen up as prophets, dissidents and agents of change whenever urban hierarchical or industrial societies have become too excessive in their consumption, waste and hegemony over others. Davis deftly links the messages and methods of the Old Testament Prophets with modern-day agrarian voices from many countries.
On the academic or scholarly level, it is surprising that biologically-trained ecologists are among the least engaged in the documentation and application of agrarian ecology (sensu Netting) compared to geographers, anthropologists, agro-ecologists and rural sociologists. There are, of course, exceptions among broad-based natural scientists such as Mexican Victor Toledo, Chilean Miguel Altieri, and Indian Vandana Shiva, who have trained hundreds of students to apply a broader perspective to ecological issues in food producing landscapes. Anyone who still believes that Agrarianism is something of the past should spend a day with "greenhorns," some of them who are now associated with Via Campesina, Slow Food International, or various young farmers' coalitions and permaculture guilds. Be assured that you will be both tired and fulfilled at the end of one long but fruitful day with them.
Gary Paul Nabhan is an Ecumenical Franciscan brother and orchard-keeper of Spanish heirloom fruit and nut varieties on five acres at his home in Patagonia, Arizona. He also serves as the Endowed Chair for Borderlands Food and Water Security of the University of Arizona's Southwest Center, which recently co-hosted the first-ever Border Food Summit. He is the author of one book of poems (Creatures of Habitat, Tangram Press) and twenty-five books of creative non-fiction, largely about sustainable food and agriculture. His newest book of essays, Desert Terroir, links natural history, agricultural history and food history in the Southwest borderlands. It is available from the University of Texas Press. See www.garynabhan.com for more of his writing.
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$38.13 for first Singles. $28.00 for additional Singles. $28.00 for first Doubles. $28.00 for additional Doubles.
PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR TIMES. PLAYERS ARE TO REPORT 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THEIR FIRST MATCH TO CHECK IN AND REGISTER. UNFORTUNATELY WE CANNOT CHANGE TIMES DUE TO PERSONAL CONFLICTS.
Must be received by Monday, March 18 at 11:59pm. To register on-line go to tournaments.usta.com. The tournament ID # is 700040419.
If you are substituting a player/partner, the substitute must not affect seeding and may not be in any other draw. Please call the Kroc Tennis Center at 864-241-2116 ASAP to ask if the substitution can be approved by the tournament referee.
Please be prepared to play when your time dictates. Some matches may also be played at alternate sites. Matches will be played on both hard and soft courts. The tournament referee will have discretion at all times. Please report at least 15 minutes before your scheduled match time.
Awards will be presented for all winners and finalists. Each player will receive a T-Shirt. A lunch will be provided to players on Saturday, March 23, from 11:30am to 2:00pm.
The Kroc Tennis Center is located in downtown Greenville (half-a-mile from Main Street).
Take 123/Academy into Greenville. Make left on W. Washington Street. At the second traffic light make a left on Hudson Street. Drive two blocks and make a left on Gibbs Street. The tennis center will be on your right.
Take Poinsett Highway south into Greenville. Make a left on Buncombe Street. Make a right on Academy. Make a right on W. Washington Street. At the second traffic light, make a left on Hudson Street. Drive two blocks and make a left on Gibbs Street. The tennis center will be on your right.
Take I- 85 North to I-185 North toward downtown Greenville. It becomes Mills Avenue. Make a left on Augusta Street. Cross Main Street. Augusta becomes River Street. Make a left on Camperdown Way. Make a left on Academy Street. Make an immediate right on Westfield Street. Make a left in 2/10 mi on Gibbs Street.
In the future, you can jump straight to this tournament by entering the tournament identification number: 700040419 from the searchable schedule homepage.


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The number of shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share, outstanding as of the close of business on August 8, 2012 was 100 shares, all of which were held by Momentive Performance Materials Holdings Inc.
Our condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and July 3, 2011, as discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements included in Item 1 of this 10-Q/A.
Our management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and July 3, 2011 as discussed in Item 2 of this Form 10-Q/A.
Comprehensive (loss) income attributable to Momentive Performance Materials Inc.
The Company is comprised of two businesses, Silicones and Quartz. Silicones is a global business engaged in the manufacture, sale and distribution of silanes, specialty silicones and urethane additives. Quartz, also a global business, is engaged in the manufacture, sale and distribution of high-purity fused quartz and ceramic materials. The Company is headquartered in AlbanyWaterford New York.
The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, and for the fiscal three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and July 3, 2011. Noncontrolling interests represent the noncontrolling shareholder's proportionate share of the equity in a consolidated joint venture affiliate. During the fiscal three-month period ended July 3, 2011, the Company disposed of its interest in this affiliate. All significant intercompany balances and transactions, including profit and loss as a result of those transactions, have been eliminated in the consolidation.
The Company's provision for income taxes during interim reporting periods has historically been calculated by applying an estimate of the annual effective tax rate for the full fiscal year to "ordinary" income or loss (pre-tax income or loss excluding unusual or infrequently occurring discrete items) for the reporting period. The Company has utilized a discrete effective tax rate method, as allowed by ASC 740-270 "Income Taxes, Interim Reporting," to calculate taxes for the fiscal three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012. The Company determined that as small changes in estimated "ordinary" income would result in significant changes in the estimated annual effective tax rate, the historical method would not provide a reliable estimate for the fiscal three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012.
amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carry forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment dates. A valuation allowance is established, as needed, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
Assets and liabilities of non-U.S. operations have been translated into United States dollars at the applicable rates of exchange in effect at the end of each period and any resulting translation gains and losses are included as a separate component of shareholder's equity in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Revenues, expenses and cash flows have been translated at the applicable weighted average rates of exchanges in effect during the applicable period. Certain non-U.S. operations use the United States dollar as their functional currency since a majority of their activities are transacted in United States dollars. Aggregate realized and unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency transactions for the fiscal six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 were ($9) and $14, respectively. These amounts are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. An additional $2 of realized losses on foreign currency transactions was recorded in conjunction with the loss on the extinguishment and exchange of debt and is recorded in other income (expense).
There were no newly issued accounting standards in the second quarter of 2012 applicable to the Company's unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
In the second quarter of 2012, in response to the uncertain economic outlook, the Company initiated significant restructuring programs with the intent to optimize its cost structure. Prior to the second quarter of 2012, the Company had recognized significant restructuring costs primarily related to the Momentive Combination. At June 30, 2012, the Company had $33 of in-process cost reduction programs savings expected to be achieved over the remaining life of the projects. The Company estimates that these restructuring cost activities will occur over the next 12 to 18 months. As of June 30, 2012, the costs expected to be incurred on restructuring activities are estimated at $18, consisting mainly of workforce reduction.
Workforce reduction costs primarily relate to non-voluntary employee termination benefits and are accounted for under the guidance for nonretirement postemployment benefits or as exit and disposal costs, as applicable. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2012, charges of $12 and $16, respectively, were recorded in "Restructuring and other costs" in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. At June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the Company had accrued $21 and $8, respectively, for restructuring liabilities in "Accrued expenses and other liabilities" in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. All of the restructuring activity related to the Silicones reporting segment.
For the fiscal three-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and July 3, 2011, the Company recognized other costs of $3 and $8, respectively. For the fiscal six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and July 3, 2011, the Company recognized other costs of $8 and $11, respectively. These costs are primarily comprised of one-time payments for services and integration expenses.
Company provides to MSC, and MSC provides to the Company, certain services, including, but not limited to, executive and senior management, administrative support, human resources, information technology support, accounting, finance, technology development, legal and procurement services. The Shared Services Agreement establishes certain criteria upon which the costs of such services are allocated between MSC and the Company. Pursuant to this agreement, during the fiscal six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and July 3, 2011, the Company incurred approximately $75 and $86, respectively, of net costs for shared services and MSC incurred approximately $79 and $90, respectively, of net costs for shared services. Included in the net costs incurred for shared services under the Shared Services Agreement during the fiscal six-months periods ended June 30, 2012 and July 3, 2011, were net billings from MSC to MPM of $9 and $3 respectively, to bring the percentage of total net incurred costs for shared services under the Shared Services agreement to 49% for the Company and 51% for MSC, as well as to reflect costs allocated 100% to one party. During the six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and July 3, 2011, the Company realized approximately $13 and $9, respectively, in cost savings as a result of the Shared Services Agreement. The Company had accounts receivable of $1 and $3 as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively, and accounts payable to MSC of $7 and $15 at June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively.
Momentive Holdings purchases insurance policies which also cover the Company and MSC. Amounts are billed to the Company based on the Company's relative share of the insurance premiums. The Company had accounts payable to Momentive Holdings of approximately $1 and $1 under these arrangements at June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively.
The Company sells products to various affiliated businesses (affiliates). For the fiscal three-month period ended June 30, 2012, sales to affiliates amounted to $5. Receivables from affiliates were $2 at June 30, 2012.
The Company purchases products and services from various affiliates. Purchases under these agreements amounted to $7 for the fiscal three-month period ended June 30, 2012. Payables to affiliates as of June 30, 2012, resulting from procurement activity and services was $1.
The Company is presently a party to an off-take agreement that provides for Asia Silicones Monomer Limited ("ASM"), which is owned 50% by GE Monomer (Holdings) Pte Ltd. and its affiliates to supply siloxane and certain related products to the Company through 2014 (or until certain ASM financing obligations are satisfied). At the closing of the GE Advanced Materials Acquisition, the Company entered into a long-term supply agreement with GE and GE Monomer (Holdings)Pte. Ltd. regarding the supply of siloxane and certain related products. Pursuant to the long-term siloxane supply agreement for the period through December 2026, GE and GE Monomer (Holdings) Pte. Ltd. will ensure the Company a minimum annual supply of siloxane and certain related products at least equal to the amount purchased by GE Toshiba Silicones (Thailand) Limited during the twelve month period ending November 30, 2006, subject to customary force majeure provisions and certain other limited exceptions. Under the current arrangement, the Company is committed to purchase approximately $113 for 2012 and $113 each year thereafter of off-take product, assuming total ASM production is equal to current volumes, without taking into account inflation and changes in foreign exchange rates. The Company purchased approximately $24 and $45 of supply from ASM for the fiscal three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012. Pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption Agreement, GE Monomer (Holdings) Pte. Ltd. also assigned its interest as licensor under a certain Technology License Agreement with ASM to the Company. Under this Technology License Agreement, the Company received royalties from ASM of less than $1 and $1 for the fiscal three and six month periods ended June 30, 2012.
At June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the Company had less than $1 of natural gas derivative contracts included in level 2. The fair value of the natural gas derivative contracts generally reflects the estimated amounts that the Company would receive or pay, on a pre-tax basis, to terminate the contracts at the reporting date based on broker quotes for the same or similar instruments. Counterparties to these contracts are highly rated financial institutions, none of which experienced any significant downgrades in the fiscal three-month period ended June 30, 2012 that would reduce the fair value receivable amount owed, if any, to the Company.
In addition, the fair values of the $3 outstanding medium term loan, the $30 outstanding fixed asset loan, the $16 of outstanding working capital loans and the $35 of borrowings under the revolving credit facility were approximately the same as their outstanding balances. Fair values of debt classified as Level 2 are determined based on other similar financial instruments, or based upon interest rates that are currently available to the Company for the issuance of debt with similar terms and maturities. The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, short term investments, accounts receivable, trade payables and accrued expenses and other liabilities are considered reasonable estimates of their fair values due to the short-term maturity of these financial instruments.
At June 30, 2012, the Company's short-term borrowings consisted of bank borrowings of $4 with a weighted average interest rate of 10.50%. At December 31, 2011, the Company's short-term borrowings consisted of bank borrowings of $3 with a weighted average interest rate of 9.90%.
As of June 30, 2012, the Company had $35 of outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility. The outstanding letters of credit under the revolving credit facility at June 30, 2012 were $41, leaving an unused borrowing capacity of $224. Outstanding letters of credit issued under the synthetic letter of credit facility at June 30, 2012 were $32, leaving an unused capacity of $1.
At June 30, 2012, the Company was in compliance with the covenants of all long-term debt agreements.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. $300,000 revolving credit facility. Matures December 3, 2012. Interest varies at LIBOR plus 3.75%. The interest rate as of June 30, 2012 was 4.0%.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. term loan tranche B-1-A. Matures December 4, 2013. Interest is payable monthly and 1% per annum principal payments are payable quarterly. Interest varies at LIBOR plus 2.25%. The interest rate as of December 31, 2011 was 2.563%.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. term loan tranche B-1-B. Matures May 5, 2015. Interest is payable monthly and 1% per annum principal payments are payable quarterly. Interest varies at LIBOR plus 3.50%. The interest rate as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 was 3.75% and 3.813%, respectively.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. term loan tranche B-2-A denominated in Euros. Matures December 4, 2013. Interest is payable monthly and 1% per annum principal payments are payable quarterly. Interest varies at Euro LIBOR plus 2.25%. The interest rate as of December 31, 2011 was 3.447%.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. term loan tranche B-2-B denominated in Euros. Matures May 5, 2015. Interest is payable monthly and 1% per annum principal payments are payable quarterly. Interest varies at Euro LIBOR plus 3.50%. The interest rate as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 was 3.88% and 4.697%, respectively.
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. term loan tranche B-3 . Matures May 5, 2015. Interest is payable monthly and 1% per annum principal payments are payable quarterly. Interest varies at LIBOR plus 3.50%. The interest rate as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 was 3.75% and 3.813%, respectively..
9.0% Springing Lien Dollar Notes. Matures on January 15, 2021. Interest is payable semi-annually at 9.0%.
Springing Lien Euro Notes. Matures January 15, 2021. Interest is payable semi-annually at 9.5%.
Senior Subordinated Notes. Matures December 1, 2016. Interest is payable semi-annually at a coupon rate of 11.5%, with a yield-to-maturity of 11.68% as the notes were issued at a discount of $7.
Second-Lien Senior Secured Notes. Matures June 15, 2014. Interest is payable semi-annually in cash at 12.5%.
Agricultural Bank of China Fixed Asset Loan denominated in RMB.
Matures June 30, 2015. Interest on borrowings is based on 101% of the People's Bank of China reference rate.
The weighted average interest rate at June 30, 2012 and December 31 ,2011 was 6.51%. Interest is payable quarterly.
Agricultural Bank of China Revolving Working Capital Loan denominated in RMB.
Matures June 30, 2012. Interest on borrowings is based on 105% of the People's Bank of China reference rate.
The weighted average interest rate at June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 was 6.88%. Interest is payable quarterly.
India Bank Medium Term Loan denominated in INR. Matures June 20, 2015. Interest on borrowings is set annually and is based on 99.5% of India Bank's Benchmark Prime Lending Rate plus a Tenor Fee of 0.5%. The interest rate at June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 was 14.75% and 15.00%, respectively. Interest is payable monthly.
The effective tax rate was (5)% and 300% for the fiscal three-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and July 3, 2011, respectively. The effective tax rate was (3)% and 193% for the fiscal six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and July 3, 2011, respectively. The change in the effective tax rate was primarily due to the maintenance of a full valuation allowance against a substantial amount of the Company's net deferred tax assets and a valuation allowance release in certain non-U.S. jurisdictions in 2011, in addition to a change in the amount of income (loss) before income taxes and changes in the tax rates applied in the various jurisdictions in which the Company operates. The valuation allowance, which relates principally to the U.S. deferred tax assets, was established and maintained based on the Company's assessment that the net deferred tax assets will likely not be realized.
For the fiscal three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012, income taxes include discrete tax adjustments of $0 and $0, respectively. For the fiscal three and six-month periods ended July 3, 2011, income taxes include unfavorable discrete tax adjustments of $6 and $14, respectively, pertaining to foreign currency exchange gains in certain jurisdictions that generated tax expense and hedged currency exchange losses in other jurisdictions for which no net tax benefit is recognized due to a full valuation allowance in those jurisdictions, partially offset by the resolution of certain tax matters in the U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions.
The Company is recognizing the earnings of non-U.S. operations currently in its U.S. consolidated income tax return as of December 31, 2011 and is expecting, with the exception of certain operations in China, that all earnings not required to service debt of the Company's operations in non-U.S. jurisdictions will be repatriated to the U.S. The Company has accrued the incremental tax expense expected to be incurred upon the repatriation of these earnings. In addition, the Company has certain intercompany arrangements that if settled may trigger taxable gains or losses based on currency exchange rates in place at the time of settlement. Since the currency translation impact is considered indefinite, the Company has not provided deferred taxes on gains of $374, which could result in a tax obligation of $132, based on currency exchange rates as of June 30, 2012. Should the intercompany arrangement be settled or the Company change its assertion, the actual tax impact will depend on the currency exchange rate at the time of settlement or change in assertion.
The Company is involved in certain remediation actions to clean up hazardous wastes as required by federal and state laws. Liabilities for remediation costs at each site are based on the Company's best estimate of discounted future costs. As of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the Company had recognized obligations of $6 and $8, respectively, for remediation costs at the Company's manufacturing facilities and offsite landfills. These amounts are included in "Other liabilities" in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
In 2012, the Company expects to contribute approximately $16 and $3 to the Company's Domestic and Foreign plans, respectively. The Company contributed $4 and $8 to its Domestic plans during both the fiscal three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012.
provisions are subject to collective bargaining agreements with U.S. labor unions. In June 2012, the Company announced that benefits under the U.S. defined benefit plan will be frozen effective as of August 31, 2012 for all U.S. employees except those subject to such collective bargaining agreements. As a result of this action, the Company remeasured its pension plan obligations for the U.S. defined benefit plan based on actuarially determined estimates, using a June 30, 2012 measurement date. This remeasurement resulted in the Company recognizing a curtailment gain of $1 on domestic pension benefits during the fiscal three-month period ended June 30, 2012.
There were no intersegment sales during the fiscal three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 or July 3, 2011.
Materials Inc. (Parent); (ii) the guarantor subsidiaries; (iii) the non-guarantor subsidiaries; and (iv) the Company on a consolidated basis.
The Company revised its condensed consolidating balance sheets as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 to correctly reflect the Investment in affiliates line item. The revisions were made to appropriately classify the balance sheet credit arising from recognition of losses in excess of investment as a liability balance. These amounts were previously classified as a credit to the asset in the Guarantor Subsidiaries column. In the Guarantor column, as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the correction resulted in an increase of $169 and $85, respectively, to "Investment in affiliates", with a corresponding increase to "Accumulated losses from unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment".
The Company also revised its condensed consolidating balance sheets as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 to correctly present intercompany borrowings. The revisions were made to present all intercompany borrowings on a gross basis. In the Parent column, as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the revisions resulted in an increase of $107 and $20, respectively, to the "Intercompany borrowings" asset with a corresponding increase to the "Intercompany borrowings" liability. In the Guarantor Subsidiaries column, as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the revisions resulted in an increase of $20 and a decrease of $12, respectively, to the "Intercompany borrowings" asset with a corresponding increase and decrease to the "Intercompany borrowings" liability. In the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries column, as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the revisions resulted in an increase of $83 and $196, respectively, to the "Intercompany borrowings" asset with a corresponding increase to the "Intercompany borrowings" liability. These corrections, which the Company determined are not material, had no impact on any financial statements or footnotes, except for the columns of the condensed consolidating balance sheet.


The DurbanGeek ~ IT Solutions: What is a POTS Filter and why do i need them?
What is a POTS Filter and why do i need them?
service, It allows you to connect an ADSL modem and telephone device to the same ADSL port.
the cleanest network performance with fast, error-free data transfers.
be connected to the router. A POTS splitter would be used in this case.
connect your ADSL modem as well as a telephone device at a single location.


Click an image to learn more about each project.
Two Appreciative Inquiry Summits with national, & cross functional staff.
Teaming to Create a Superb Customer Experience.
Improve access to interdisciplinary palliative care at Canada's largest hopsital.
Engineering - Culture Change. Building and fostering a culture of 'we'.
4th Global Forum: 300 attended; 31 countries; business, academia, & nonprofit.
Connect, Communication, Collaborate - Exploring Your Passion for a Great City. .
"Leopards Can Change their Spots"
"Don't change me, without me."
Joyful to have Jane Magruder Watkins speak a the conference.
Intergenerational mentors contributing to my growth.
It is a blessing to be part of the global AI community of practitioners.
Creating a Community Action Employment Plan for Adults with Developmental Disabilities.
Our team of experienced management consultants worked for more than eight months with the Advisory and Planning Teams to conduct a community engagement that led to the development of a Provincial Community Action Employment Plan. More than 30 people, including self-advocates, were trained to conduct more than 700 interviews in 30 communities across British Columbia. In addition more than 100 employers were interviewed to gather their input into how BC communities could create Community Action Employment Plans for adults with developmental disabilities. Upon the completion of the wide spread community engagements, 160 stakeholders including self-advocates, parents, employers, funders and agency staff came together to create what became the CBLC Community-Action-Employment-Plan.
To access the final report: click on: CLBC Community-Action-Employment-Plan-FINAL – learn about the plan that was created as a result of this initiative to achieve the vision: "B.C. having the highest rate of participation in employment among people with developmental disabilities in North America." The first three years have been very successful and they are now working on the next three years.
Click to access: Getting Down to Work on Employment go to page 14 to read about the 160 person two-day summit that took place after more than 700 interviews (including 100 with employers) were conducted in 30 communities across BC. A number of self-advocates facilitated the interviews.
Graphic facilitation by Aaron Johannes.
We consulted with the Service Excellence team to create, design and implement a system-wide Service Excellence Initiative. Over 160 students were engaged, and almost 300 (10%) of the staff were interviewed. In addition, the process invited many administrators, parents, community agencies and other stakeholders to provide input into what became their six qualities of Service Excellence.
After conducting the interviews and focus groups, a two-day strategic convening, appreciative inquiry summit was held with almost 100 of the stakeholders. Working with the stakeholder interviews and focus group data, along with the outputs from the two-day summit, the core planning team created these six qualities of Service Excellence.
The school board created online training on these qualities and 100% of staff completed the sessions within six months of the program being launched. Six years later the board continues to build upon the original Service Excellence program, working to provide students with a great school experience.
The wonder of working with clients who truly want to learn and embed their learning into their work and lives. After working for almost a year with Upper Canada District School Board to develop their Six Qualities of Service Excellence, staff wanted to learn more about Appreciative Inquiry. Over the next two years, more than 300 leaders and staff attended a 2-day workshop.
Stories of success: Small changes can yield a big impact.
"Yesterday I was involved in a crucial meeting for a female student in crisis at one of our high schools. A large group was present, the student, her Mom, her Grandma, a Special Services counselor, a behaviorist, administration and myself. Usually, at a meeting such as this, I try to address the academic piece. Often discussing how we can better program for a student, to meet their needs. However, I tried something out of my comfort zone yesterday and incorporated the A.I. model into the meeting. When it was my turn to contribute I turned to the student and asked her questions….
What was her favourite thing about school, What was her favourite book? ( A James Patterson novel for those interested) Who were her favourite staff?
Who was her favourite teacher in elementary school?
If she had three wishes to make school better what would they be?
"Approaching people/circumstances/ideas/challenges etc. from a positive angle. Instead of focusing on what doesn't work or what we don't like, focus on what does work and what we do like and build from there.


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Shraddha Kapoor Starrer Saina Nehwal Biopic To Go On Floors This September
by Kajol Mathur | February 1, 2018, 8:04 PM IST
It's quite clearly raining biopics in Bollywood currently. A lot of young Bollywood actors are seen doing biopics and it sure has got the audiences super excited. This time its Shraddha Kapoor who will be seen in a biopic based on badminton star Saina Nehwal. Surprisingly, not too long ago rumours of the biopic being shelved were doing rounds on the internet but now film's director Amole Gupte has finally denied them all. As per him, the film is all set to go on floors this September and Shraddha has already been training with Saina's mentor Pullela Gopichand since December last year.
Rubbishing all rumours surrounding the film, Amole told a leading daily, "We start shooting in September. In December, Shraddha had travelled to Hyderabad to train at Saina's mentor Pullela Gopichand's badminton academy and continued with her training in Mumbai. I've been working on this film for over two years and it's important to me. I'm looking forward to September,"
Amole also mentioned that he plans to start the shooting for the film in Saina's hometown Hyderabad. He further added, "That's the plan for now. But it also depends on my actors' dates. We will be shooting in studios and real locations, including several stadiums as we are chronicling Saina's life story as authentically as possible,"
Responding to all the rumours of Shraddha having difficulty in her badminton training, the director said it's eventually about performing well. He closed it by saying, "We aren't paying heed to what people say. Shraddha, especially her facial structure, has a striking resemblance to Saina's. All my life, I've remained silent in the face of detractors and adversities. The best thing to do is to do your job well."
Well, with the news of film going on floors, Shraddha fans sure have reasons to celebrate.
More on: Shraddha Kapoor, Saina Nehwal, Saina Nehwal biopic

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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CWD Celebrates 10 Years of Real Estate in Grand Rapids
CWD Real Estate Investment is celebrating its 10-year-anniversary with a series of videos that document the past, present, and future of Grand Rapids.
The videos highlight different buildings within CWD's diverse portfolio of West Michigan properties, while also sharing details about some of the company's most ambitious redevelopment projects. Each video features interviews from businesses like mLive, Mighty in the Midwest, and the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as CWD employees and residential tenants. CWD's strategic investments over time have all been made with the future of real estate in Grand Rapids in mind. The goal for the videos is not only to celebrate the company's accomplishments over the past decade, but to also celebrate the city and its growth in this time.
CWD has become one of the most prominent figures of real estate in Grand Rapids. CWD's portfolio consists of a combination of retail spaces, residential suites, and office spaces in Grand Rapids. CWD's passionate team of real estate professionals work together to manage the 3.2 million square feet in the company's portfolio while helping to revitalize the voice and character of the city.
The first video features managing partner Sam Cummings as he describes the changes he's seen (and led) in Grand Rapids since the company's formation. With the help of Scott Wierds and Dan DeVos, Cummings and co. have revived some of the city's most historic buildings.
Stay connected with CWD on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates on the video series, as well as progress reports on their on-going projects throughout the Greater Grand Rapids area. Watch the video below, and be on the look out for more videos from CWD.


Car rentals from Goldcar rental in Taormina were reviewed by 10000+ customers with a rating of 5.8/10. The cheapest car from Goldcar rental in Taormina is Ford Focus Estate of Standard car rental class. Its price is just $19.40 per day.
Most of our customers usually book vehicles of Economy car rental class in Italy. The cheapest Economy car from Goldcar rental in Taormina is presented by Volkswagen Polo for $24.33 per day.


Directions: To reach Christopher Morley Park, take the Long Island Expressway to Exit 36/Searingtown Road exit (from east or west). Take Searingtown Road North and look for the park entrance on right (about 200 yards from the LIE).
Once you park, take the sidewalk between the rink and the swimming pool, past the basketball/tennis area. We play on the grassy lawn of softball field #3, on the right. The red marker on the map points to FIELD 3.


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Vulnerable Australians are increasingly being sold smartphones and accessories they can't possibly afford, according to a new report.
UNSCRUPULOUS smartphone sellers are taking advantage of vulnerable Australians, including pensioners and retirees, loading them up with thousands of dollars of debt for phones, gadgets, and services they cannot possibly afford, a new report revealed today.
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman made the findings after receiving more than 7400 complaints about financial hardship in just six months, and will today launch a raft of recommendations to prevent harmful sales practices.
In one case, a telco allowed a relative to add nine new phones to an elderly man's account in 10 days and then threatened him with a $15,000 bill to cancel the services, and in another case the company sent debt collectors after a woman on a disability pension couldn't meet even her first smartphone payment.
But consumer groups argue that voluntary regulations won't go far enough to stop some phone providers exploiting poor consumers "in a race to the bottom," and are calling for mandatory regulations to protect customers.
Ombudsman Judi Jones said her office launched an investigation into telco sales practices after discovering one in 10 complaints between January and June last year centred on debt problems.
Ms Jones said some providers were only conducting minimal credit checks before adding multiple devices to customers' accounts, including smartwatches, fitness trackers, drones, accessories, and additional handsets. In some cases, proof of paying past bills was enough to take out loans for several thousands of dollars.
"It can be for significant amounts of money," Ms Jones said. "In one case, the amount involved was $15,000 and we regularly see bills for $1000 and above. It's a big issue for the consumers who are affected."
In that case, the daughter of an elderly pensioner was able to add nine postpaid smartphones to his account over 10 days before he was alerted to the behaviour.
Ms Jones said in another case, a woman with an existing debt of $3500 was talked into signing a contract for an additional two smartphones at a cost of $4500.
"She went into a store to top up her prepaid plan and came out with two phone plans, even though she already had a pre-existing debt," Ms Jones said.
"It doesn't really pass the pub test as something that should have happened to an elderly person on a disability pension with very limited English."
Some providers are only conducting minimal credit checks before adding multiple devices to customers' accounts.
Australian Communications Consumers Action Network chief executive Teresa Corbin said she had also heard of cases in which "people with mental illnesses and Alzheimer's disease have wandered into a phone store and been signed up for products".
She said the TIO complaints were "just the tip of the iceberg," as problems created by "commission-driven sales" were widespread and mandatory regulation was urgently needed.
"There need to be minimum standards that must be adhered to by the whole industry," Ms Corbin said.
"There should be proper regulation, otherwise it's just a race to the bottom rather than setting what the community expects as adequate safeguards."
The TIO report recommended telcos prevent account representatives from signing up for additional devices, introduce safeguards around selling multiple devices at once, conduct further inquiries about customers' financial situations, and train sales staff in ethical selling.
John Stanton, chief executive of the Communications Alliance that represents telecommunication providers, said complaints to the TIO about poor service had fallen, but the new recommendations could form part of a new industry code due later this year.


I had never before attempted to make homemade pizza dough, but figured it couldn't be too hard. I thought it would taste better than a pre-baked pizza shell or refrigerated pizza dough, so I decided to give it a whirl. Seeing as though this recipe was the highest rated pizza dough on Allrecipes.com, I went with it.
But it is not good.
Don't make this pizza dough.
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, then add oil and warm water. Mix and roll out. Top with your favorite sauce and toppings and then bake for 20-25 minutes.
No good. Actually pretty bad. It was edible because the sauce and toppings I used were really tasty, but the crust never fully cooked. I even rolled it out into thin crust, and baked it for about 35 minutes. When we removed it from the pizza pan, the crust was really soggy, so we put it back in the oven directly on the rack to let the bottom crisp up. We even broiled it! And it never fully cooked or got crispy.
Either I screwed something up, or it's just a bad recipe. I'm figuring I didn't screw anything up, because the directions just said to throw everything in a bowl, mix and roll. It's supposed to be "convenient" that you don't let it rise. And while yes it was convenient, it did not rise, nor did it fully cook all the way through. So "convenience" does not win out over flavor or texture in my books. I won't add this recipe to my archives and it will be my first post tagged "flop". Yep...no good.
So since this was such a terrible recipe, anybody have a really great homemade pizza dough recipe they want to share with me? Preferably not a bread machine recipe (since I don't have one). I need to redeem homemade pizza in my husbands eye's.
So Mrs. MP, you have inspired me...I have set up my very first two week meal plan (I bought all of my groceries today because it is payday. Plus, I wanted to do two weeks to see if I could squeeze my budget out until the end of the month! We shall see). I am going to try out your Dad's perogies too!
Hey Kindra. I always pop just the dough in the oven at 400F for 5-8min to set the dough. Then I put on the toppings and put it back in to bake. You want the dough to have a crispy top, but not be browned when you pull it out of the oven to put on your toppings. I think doing this would solve your problem of soggy dough.
This process also means you can make a bunch of dough in advance, set them at 400F and then freeze them for a future meal. (I wrap them in tinfoil and then plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn). It's handy to have a bunch of pizza crusts ready for toppings in the freezer!
Semi homemade - satisfies my husband's wishes for homemade pizza - I just use the walmart brand mix that you mix warm water into. Easy, cheap, and crispy!
I think we are definitely due for some homemade pizza this weekend!
Thanks for the suggestion Laura. I've never tried pizza crust from a mix before.
I have a great and tasty and easy pizza dough recipe passed on to me from my parents that we use all the time - I'll have to send it to you!
I don't know how I got to your site, but I'm reading over some old posts and thought I might suggest something that worked for me.
I resently went to an Italian market that i've been trying to find and i finally stumbled on it the other day and as I was walking around the place I picked up a bag of pizza dough (wow pizza dough I thought hmmm we love pizza we usually doctor up some frozen thing) so that night we made pizza from scratch wow wonderful.
Then about 4 days later we went to visit my son 500 miles away and low and behold they were planning on homemade pizza so I drove around to all the pizza places no one would sell me dough (staffed by teenagers ugh)and this was a saturday around noon.
Fifty Finally - Great suggestion! In the past couple years I've FINALLY come across my favorite homemade pizza dough, so I'll have to post it and redeem my homemade pizza fiasco :) We also love to make individual pizza's on pitas for quick and easy suppers. If you like thin crust pizza it's a great alternative.


Hey, hey—that's me! See my hand waving in the wind? I'm one of 8.6 million single American moms. I don't feel so alone now.
The Expedia television ad highlights a mom and her 10-year-old son reading a bedtime story and then books a European vacation to Venice, Italy and Great Britain to live the story of the child's fairy tale.
The answer is, very few. With women still earning only 77 cents for each dollar a man earns, the likelihood of booking a European trip is well, highly unlikely. And even though your "mom" in the ad is white and probably has college diplomas hanging on her office wall, which stereotypes her into a higher income bracket, Expedia still misses it.
Did Expedia's agency use their summer interns to develop this ad concept?
I can just see it: The creative director pulls his interns and junior account managers into a conference room with white boards, flip charts and colored markers.
Now, I'll bet my (empty) savings account that these Millennials have no idea the plight of the single mom. Now, it's likely a few of these "wet behind the ears" marketing graduates were raised by a single mom, but they still can't conceptualize the day-in and day-out difficulties of supporting and raising a child or children on your own.
I'm a single mom with the college degrees. I was fortunate to backpack across Europe before marriage and a child. Now add in divorce, home foreclosure, job loss and a depleted retirement account and you have another single mom statistic.
Maybe one day, I'll be able to squeeze out some coin and show my son the wonders of traveling to far off lands. We might even stay overnight in a castle or take a gondola ride through the watered streets of Venice. Or maybe, we'll just open a book and read about our dream destinations. That's what fairy tales are for, right?


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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the European Union (EU) have agreed to a new Strategic Engagement Plan to build a strong partnership in diverse fields.
The Pakistani delegation was led by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi while the EU by its Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini.
Later, addressing a joint news conference along with Federica Mogherini, FM Qureshi was confident that the engagement plan, which will be formally signed in Brussels, will lay the foundation for a bright future between Pakistan and the European Union.
He said trade between Pakistan and the European Union has doubled after the grant of GSP Plus status to Pakistan in 2013.
Qureshi said he also apprised the EU delegation about the steps taken by Pakistan to fulfil the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as well as the steps taken to cleanse the tribal belt.
The foreign minister said both the sides also held discussions the INGOs. He pointed out that seventy-five INGOs are registered and working in Pakistan.
FM Qureshi said he also informed the EU delegation that Pakistan is open in engaging with India to resolve all out outstanding disputes through a sustained dialogue as it is the only sensible way to go forward.
He said both the sides are also convinced on it that solution lies only in the dialogue process. He questioned whether atomic neighbours can even think to go to war, declaring that "this will only be madness".
The foreign minister said Pakistan has demonstrated restraint and gave a measured response.
He said we took various steps to deescalate the tension including the immediate release of captured Indian pilot.
He said the world is not oblivious to the steps that we took including that of sending back our high commissioner to India and restoring the hotline between the military directorates.
On Afghanistan, he said the European Union delegation shared Pakistan's concern for peace and stability in the country.
He said that there is no military solution to the issue of Afghanistan. He said the EU delegation appreciated Pakistan's role in the Afghan reconciliation process.
About Iran, Qureshi said that the Pakistani side informed the EU that being a nieghboring country, Iran is very important for Pakistan.
In reply, Mogherini said the new Strategic Partnership Plan will lay a strong foundationthe for partnership between Pakistan and the European Union and further boost their future cooperation.


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Applied Marketing Research
News from the Applied Marketing Research Group
Sharing research with Bristol's Marketing Meetup, 18 February 2020
Dr Mario Vafeas presented his research on maximising value from client-agency relationships at Tuesday evening's Marketing Meetup event in Bristol. Marketing Meetup is a community created for marketers with the purpose of providing opportunities to learn and to network. The Bristol branch of the nationwide organisation is run by Kim Mahoney. Mario opened the event by highlighting the key expectations of both relationship partners. Lauren Conen, Account Manager from Zone Digital (and ex-UWE Bristol), gave the agency perspective based on her personal experiences. This was followed by a lively question and answer session. Over 40 marketing and agency managers attended the event.
Strategic Marketing Masterclass in the Highlands and Islands, 4-5 November 2019
Dr Mario Vafeas, Zach Thompson, Tracy Hunt-Fraisse, and Tom Bowden-Green delivered a second strategic marketing masterclass in Inverness on 4 and 5 November as part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise Entrepreneurship Programme. Over 30 delegates attended the two-day masterclass from a range of industries including food, drink, hospitality, energy, and engineering. The feedback from delegates was very positive, with all delegates saying they were very likely or quite likely to recommend the masterclass to other businesses.
Viper Innovations KTP rated as "Outstanding", October 2019
Professor Tim Hughes, Tracy Hunt-Fraisse and Kim Mahoney worked on the Viper Innovations Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), funded by Innovate UK. The project took a co-creative approach to user-led innovation by working with new partners in establishing how the company's new CableGuardian™ technology could create value in different sectors and markets. The KTP involved working within Network Rail's supply chain in establishing Viper Innovation's brand and technology in the UK rail sector. The project continues to be strategically critical to Viper Innovation's future ability to enter new markets with millions of pounds' worth of potential. Innovate UK rated the KTP as "Outstanding", the highest rating available.
Academia meets Industry: Engaging for impact, 5 June 2019
The Applied Marketing Research Group, in association with the DMA and BAM, hosted an event at Bristol Business School to address the extent to which there is a gap between academia and practice and how to bridge it.
The event, attended by more than 40 delegates, began with presentations from Tracy Hunt-Fraisse and Dr Ed Little (Associate Heads of Department, UWE Bristol), Graham Edwards (Marketing Director of Element Materials Technology), Ian Bates (Creative Director of Firehaus), Ian Atkinson (Marketing Director of SunLife), and three recent graduates from UWE Bristol (Samuel Johnstone, Yasmin Orchard, and Jack Blake).
The second half consisted of a discussion about the nature and extent of the gap and ways in which academia and industry could collaborate more closely in the future to ensure marketing graduates are equipped with the skills employers need.
Presentation to Professional Marketers' Forum, 30 April 2019
Dr Mario Vafeas and Professor Tim Hughes were invited to present their latest research findings to the South-West Branch of the Professional Marketers' Forum on 30 April at the BDO in Bristol.
The audience was a mix of senior marketers from professional service firms and agency client services personnel. After the presentation, Tim and Mario, together with a panel (Paul Seymour, Marketing Director, Bishop Fleming; Hannah Lee, Account Director, Mytton Williams; Dan Hodges, Account Director, Conscious Solutions), answered questions from the audience on 'best practice' in client-agency relationship management.
Strategic Marketing masterclass in Highlands and Islands, 5-6 November 2018
Dr Mario Vafeas, Professor Tim Hughes, Tracy Hunt-Fraisse, and Tom Bowden-Green delivered a strategic marketing masterclass in Inverness on 5 and 6 November as part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise Entrepreneurship Programme. Over 30 delegates attended the two-day masterclass from a range of industries including food, drink, hospitality, energy, and engineering.
The feedback from delegates was very positive, with 85% saying they were very likely, and 15% saying they were quite likely, to recommend to other businesses. As a result of the positive evaluation, a second run of the masterclass is planned for 2019.
Podcast on "Six keys to a great client/agency relationship", 22 October 2018
Dr Mario Vafeas was interviewed by Drew McLellan from the Agency Management Institute (AMI) in the USA about Professor Tim Hughes and Mario's research into client-agency relationship. The interview is now available as a podcast.
Find out more and listen to the podcast.
Practitioner workshop on client-agency relationships, 2 May 2018
Dr Mario Vafeas and Professor Tim Hughes ran a practitioner workshop at the Bristol Business School on 2 May 2018. The purpose was to share their research on relationships between marketing agencies and their clients and to stimulate useful discussion on the implications for practice. Delegates included marketing managers from international blue-chip companies, executives from agencies, and representatives from Bristol Media and the Direct Marketing Association. Two external speakers were included: Robin Lewis, Head of Marketing at the National Trust, and Lisa Killbourn, Board Director from Bristol Media.
The agency/client world has been, and continues to be, reshaped by developments in digital technology. There was general agreement about the importance of understanding how organisations successfully incorporate agencies into their marketing, and how they balance in-house versus out-house provision. The day involved some lively debate and provided plenty of "food for thought" for both the delegates and for Tim and Mario on the future direction of their research.
Direct Marketing Association event, 19 September 2017
Professor Tim Hughes and Dr Mario Vafeas presented the latest findings from their research into client-agency relationships at a DMA event. Chaired by Dwain Thomas, Strategy and Innovation Director at Bray Leino Yucca, and with a panel that included Kevin Mason, Planning Director at Proctor and Stevenson, and Nick Moir, Head of Marketing at Andrews Property Group, the evening was a big success with lots of interesting and lively debate.
Professor Tim Hughes and Dr Mario Vafeas interviewed by Jake Shaw (Nudge Digital), September 2017
This video was produced and provided courtesy of Nudge Digital.
Professor Tim Hughes and Dr Mario Vafeas interview
Jake Shaw from Nudge Digital speaks to Professor Tim Hughes and Dr Mario Vafeas to uncover some of the key findings from their research on client-agency relationships.
Bristol Media event, 13 June 2017
Professor Tim Hughes and Dr Mario Vafeas presented the latest findings from their client-agency relationship research. 55 delegates attended the Bristol Media event held at Paintworks on Monday 13 June 2017. The half-day workshop, entitled 'Client-agency relationships: Winning client commitment', focused on client expectations of their creative and digital agencies.
Bristol Media/Business West event, 27 April 2017
Professor Tim Hughes and Dr Mario Vafeas were invited to give an introduction to the Bristol Media/Business West breakfast seminar on managing clients, at Bordeaux Quay, Bristol.
Tim and Mario provided an outline of the research they conducted over the last four years and gave delegates a flavour of the key findings. They then participated in round table discussions on strategies for growing the agency and nurturing client relationships. 30 delegates from a variety of agency types attended.
Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing, 27 March 2017
Tom Bowden-Green and Tracy Hunt-Fraisse started teaching the first 12-week run of the Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing. This CPD (continuing professional development) course is designed for professionals, of all types, who now find they need to develop digital marketing skills.
Working with BBEC and UWE Bristol Marketing, the target of attracting 20 people from the Bristol business community for this initial run was achieved. There are already nine enquiries for the next run of the course due to start in September 2017.
Design Business Association event, 7 February 2017
Dr Mario Vafeas presented the latest research findings from the client-agency relationship study that he and Professor Tim Hughes started in 2013 to members of the Design Business Association in London.
The breakfast seminar, entitled 'Winning Client Commitment', covered client expectations in a changing environment, and how agencies can achieve and maintain client commitment. The event sold out and feedback was very positive, with delegates describing it as insightful and inspiring.
Read about Applied Marketing Research Groups expertise and what they can do for your business or organisation.
View the research interests and further details of the Applied Marketing Research Group members.
Projects and partners of the Applied Marketing Research Group, including Blue Sheep, Flexifoil, Motivation and more.
Contacts for the Applied Marketing Research Group.


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Home>Your Preserves
Cuba Marsh
24205 W Cuba Rd
6:30 am–sunset, daily.
It would be hard to find a prettier blend of marsh, woodland and grassland in Lake County than that found here.
Three miles of trails for hiking, bicycling and cross-country skiing take visitors through open areas of gently rolling hills that feature views of the marsh and scattered groves. Please keep dogs leashed and on trails at all times, and pick up after them. Learn about our off-leash Dog Parks (permit required).
A 0.9-mile gravel trail winds from the southern loop of the main trail through the southwest corner of the preserve to Barrington's Citizens Park. This trail segment includes a boardwalk and a 50-foot-long timber bridge. An anonymous donor contributed $100,000 toward the cost of the bridge as a memorial to Keith Peterson, a former Lake County Forest Preserve Board member (District 5; 1972–76), and devoted naturalist and outdoorsman.
When settlers first came to this land, it was prairie and marsh with a grove of oaks. They drained the marsh, plowed the prairie and planted crops. In the 1950s and 60s, most of the farmers sold their land to investors who planned to develop homes. Local residents wanted the area preserved as open space. They banded together to form "Citizens for Conservation" and helped the Lake County Forest Preserves preserve the property.
A mansion overlooking a mosaic of canals and forested islands once stood on the northwest side of the preserve. Cuba Marsh received its name from its location on Cuba Road, which traverses Cuba and Ela Townships. Cuba Township was originally named Troy Township, but changed in 1850 to show support for an insurrection at that time on the island nation of Cuba.
The Natural Scene
One of the best things about Cuba Marsh is its diversity, combining marsh and prairie with woodland and savanna. As a result, a wide range of plants and animals make their homes here. The wetland supports many species and is a great spot to view waterfowl such as pied-billed grebes and American coots. It also provides flood relief to nearby homes and cleanses the water that flows into Flint Creek and eventually the Fox River.
A unique dry-hill prairie on the preserve's southeast side is supports rare plants. Though the rest of Cuba Marsh was farmed at one time, plows luckily never reached this prairie. Much work has gone into restoring this preserve, including the removal of drainage tiles and non-native invasive species, and replanting of more than 80,000 trees.
The entrance is on Cuba Road, west of Ela Road and east of Route 59.
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January 20, 2020 (01:00 PM - 02:30 PM)
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Time:01:00 PM - 02:30 PM
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Still choiring to the young-eyed cherubins.
Werckmeister Harmonies is based on the 1989 Hungarian novel "Az ellenállás melankóliája" ("The Melancholy of Resistance") , by László Krasznahorkai, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Bela Tarr.
Those who have counted say that this 145-minute film has only 39 shots (some more generous sources say 45 shots).
Werckmeister Harmonies ranked #56 on the BBC's 2016 critic's poll of the greatest films of the 21st century.
INDELIBLE IMAGE: The Whale's massive dead eye, juxtaposed with tiny humans.
WHAT MAKES IT WEIRD: Werckmeister Harmonies is a bleak and obliquely allegorical parable in which a Whale and a Prince bring a local apocalypse to a poor but peaceful Hungarian town. A political horror movie that creeps over you slowly, wrapping you in a fog of mysterious dread.
PLOT: A slaughterhouse manager and the new quality assurance inspector, a functional autistic savant woman, pursue a relationship after realizing they share the same dream (literally).
WHY IT WON'T MAKE THE LIST: The "shared dream" conceit, the film's only truly weird feature, serves little more than as a plot device to bring the unlikely lovers together.
COMMENTS: On Body and Soul begins with intimate footage of two deer tromping through a snowy woods by a lake. The buck tries to nuzzle the doe, but gets little response, as she meanders away searching for a tuft of grass. This opening segues into scenes of unsuspecting cattle at an abattoir being led to the killing floor. We then meet the new temporary meat quality inspector, Maria, a stand-offish but pretty blonde. She soon causes trouble by grading every side of beef a "B," because they are two to three millimeters fattier than regulations—technically correct, by the book, but also not what financial manager Endre wants to hear. Maria also has great difficulty choosing a place to sit in the cafeteria for lunch, searching out the loneliest corner, and when Endre tries to talk to her, their conversation is awkward and strange. At home at night, Maria arranges salt and pepper shakers on her kitchen counter and recreates the day's conversations, puzzling out their social significance. She's definitely not neurotypical.
The true plot is set in motion when, through an absurd contrivance (the theft of bull aphrodisiacs from the slaughterhouse), an outside psychiatrist is brought in, analyzes the workers' dreams as part of her profiling, and discovers, to her disbelief, that Endre and Maria share the exact same dream night after night, of two deer in a snowy glade. Other than the romantic notion of two souls linked by fate and the thematic connection to the apparently thin line between bodied beasts and soulful people, the happenings in the dream glade don't intrude on the rest of the story, and are soon laid aside. Instead, Maria, conflicted by feelings for Endre she doesn't understand, sets out on an often-humorous journey to expand her experience of life beyond the narrow focus of her own mind. She observes lovers spooning at the park as if she were studying mating rituals at a zoo. She tries to understand the appeal of music (eventually finding a single song she likes) before connecting with her own body by discovering the pleasure of lying in the grass while a sprinkler waters her. Simple Endrem, who has a womanizing past, can't figure this strange woman out, and tries several times to end the burgeoning relationship, despite their uncanny dream connection.
The attraction here is Alexandra Borbély's fascinating portrayal of Maria. She makes expressionlessness an art form while portraying a character type who is seldom, if ever, seen on screen—and if so, never in the role of a romantic lead. The philosophical implications never get too deep, and the film may overlong for its slim storyline, but those looking for an offbeat (if not weird) arthouse romance should find this a tasty cup of meat.
The producers of On Body and Soul signed an exclusive contract to stream the film on Netflix, so it won't be available on home video or other platforms for the foreseeable future.
PLOT: A young girl is separated from her beloved mutt after her father refuses to pay a new tax on mixed breeds; the dog is thrown into the streets of Budapest and becomes the leader of a wild pack that terrorizes the city.
WHY IT WON'T MAKE THE LIST: It's not weird enough. It's only the bookend opening and closing scenes that really approach the lunatic.
COMMENTS: White God begins with a scene of a young girl pedaling her bicycle through the streets of Budapest, which is depopulated as though in a dream; suddenly, a pack of two-hundred fifty dogs appears from around a corner, loping behind her in slow motion. It's a startling, half-surreal image, but the movie takes some time to get back to anything approaching its power. Post-credits, we flash back to the beginning of the story to get our narrative bearings: Lili, a young musician just embarking on womanhood, and her mutt Hagen are inseparable pals, but trouble arises when the girl has to spend the summer with her dog-hating father in his Budapest apartment. Hagen is a hassle, and to make things worse the city has enacted a blatantly allegorical tax on half-breed dogs. After Hagen makes a nuisance of himself, the father kicks the cur to the curb in a fit of pique.
So far the film has been a drama, but with this development it begins shifting genres. For a while as we follow Hagen's adventures in the alone in the big city, meeting other strays and evading dogcatchers, it seems like this will be a live action lost pet family flick a la Benji. Things turn far darker and distinctly un-Disney, however, as Hagen finds his instinctual trust in the beneficence of humans is unwarranted. The scenes of animal cruelty that follow, while clearly simulated and intended as social criticism, will make this film all but unwatchable for some animal lovers. Interspersed with Hagen's journeys are the parallel adventures of Lili, who continues to search for her beloved pet but also starts to take an interest in boys. Things take a stranger turn when Hagen escapes captivity and organizes a pack of feral strays into a force for vengeance against his human oppressors; the movie becomes a canine version of The Birds, with dogs running through the streets, slamming themselves into car windows as women scream, trapped in their vehicles.
To its credit, White God handles these multiple shifts in tone and genre well, and wears its absurd premise lightly. And yet, the movie is not entirely successful, mainly because its human characters aren't as interesting or impressive as its animals. Although the core story of a girl's love for her dog is inherently moving, the scenes of Lili alone are not warranted as anything other than a break from the tension of poor Hagen's abuse at human hands. White God spends too much time with its people; but what you will remember about it is the hundreds of dogs rampaging through the streets of Budapest, a feat of practical animal choreography that has never been attempted on this scale before. It's no wonder that the DVD's extra features treat chief animal trainer Teresa Ann Miller with almost as much reverence as director Mundruczó; if there were an Academy Award for best animal stunts, White God would be a shoo-in.
The title "White God" is somewhat mysterious. It evokes Samuel Fuller's 1982 flop White Dog, a moral allegory about the deprogramming of an albino German Shepherd trained by white supremacists to attack blacks. Just as the letters in the two title nouns are transposed, the plot arc here is the mirror image of Fuller's film: God's canine progresses from domesticated to vicious. The title also refers to the way dogs look at humans as godlike beings, and, furthermore, to the old European ideal of "whiteness" as representing genetic purity and perfection. I have no idea whether these meanings come across in the Hungarian title "Fehér isten," or whether that title includes its own untranslated puns or wordplay, although this information is as unnecessary to appreciating the film as is understanding the specific Hungarian political references Mundruczó may be making here.
White God won the "Un Certain Regard" prize (given to "original and different" movies) at Cannes.
PLOT: When all the rare books in a bookstore are mysteriously replaced by an anonymous book titled "1," the "Reality Defense Council" steps in to investigate.
WHY IT MIGHT MAKE THE LIST: 1 aggressively aligns itself with the irrational by making a fascistic institution dedicated to the defense of reality into its chief villain. It's a professionally made little sleeper of a movie with some outrageously bold and inventive ideas; it would fit comfortably alongside other candidates on the List. Better visibility would help its case.
COMMENTS: 1 is a partial adaptation of the short story "One Human Minute" by the Polish science fiction author Stanislaw Lem (who also wrote the novel on which Solaris was based). The story was a fictional review of a fictional book that purported to describe, in voluminous statistical tables, all of human activity that occurs on Earth during one minute's time (including, for example, the suicide totals, subdivided into the number of hangings, gunshots, and so forth, reports on gallons of blood spilled and sperm ejaculated, etc.). The original story may seem like an insanely ambitious project, but, although 1 quotes extensively from "One Human Minute" and illustrates Lem's sardonic prose with extensive stock footage montages, the film takes the idea merely as its launching pad. 1, the movie, posits that "1," the book described by Lem, has been published by some godlike force, and that it has a mystical power to drive men mad. The book appears in a rare bookstore one day, replacing every other volume on the shelf. The store is locked down by a detective and the four people who were present during the event—the wealthy owner, the beautiful clerk, a mute janitor, and an elderly customer who is a "citizen of the Vatican"—are sequestered for questioning. Eventually a copy of "1" finds its way into the streets and is uploaded to the Internet. Those who read the book riot. Meanwhile, the quartet of suspects is whisked away to a government installation/dolphin habitat run by the Reality Defense Institute, where they are drugged and interrogated. Then pears start showing up everywhere. Then things get a little weird. 1 covers a lot of ground: formally, it's a dark and dystopian parody of a police procedural with surrealist touches, and the original novella's warning about humanity being swallowed up by statistics is still there. But more than anything 1 seems to be about the notion that reality is subjective, taking the idea that we can do whatever we can imagine to literal extremes. To me, that's not that inspiring or original of a philosophical concept; then again, so few movies have any ideas at all that it hardly seems fair to criticize 1 for having a weak one. What really matters isn't the novelty of the idea but of the execution, and here 1 is a winner: it's constantly fresh, surprising and amusing. It's clever to see reality grilling imagination in an interrogation room. It's bizarre when a government agent tears down a poster of a pear, but doesn't notice that by doing so he has just revealed a real pear hidden in a recess of the wall. The entire notion of a government-sponsored "Reality Defense Institute" dedicated to investigating and prosecuting offenses against reality is a beautiful mockery. 1 is baffling, but its surprises are almost always rewarding. It's 1, weird movie.
Perhaps ironically, 1 is not available on DVD (or any other format) in Region 1. There is a Spanish Region 2 DVD out there somewhere. According to director Sparrow, "…the main production house, Honeymood Films, for reasons unfamiliar to me stayed aloof from the dvd release… since the distributional rights belong to them, the only thing that I can do is to accept the fact that my first feature will not be officially released on dvd." This being the digital age, 1 can still be seen by those with rudimentary Google skills (with the director's blessing). Sparrow has moved on and is currently working on a second feature, Heartsnatcher, an adaptation of a Boris Vian novel.
Bela Tarr's Satantango (1994) is a seven and half hour long, glacially paced, acerbic adaptation of László Krasznahorkai's novel. It is the second of four films in which Tarr has collaborated with Krasznahraki as writer, beginning with Damnation (1988) and most recently The Turin Horse (2011).
Tarr is frequently and aptly compared to Andrei Tarkovsky. Like Tarkovsky, Tarr's films require intelligence and patience. At this length, Tarkovsky may seem hyperkinetic, particularly to Western viewers. Yet, patience reaps a rich spiritual reward. Indeed, Tarr may be the most spiritually intuitive filmmaker since Tarkvosky, Bresson, and Dreyer.
In certain ways Satantango is comparable to composer Morton Feldman's six-hour string quartet. Dissonance, pauses, and silence, mixed with humor and desolation cast a shimmering, hypnotic spell. The monochromatic humor of Satantango lingers on in the consciousness, demanding viewer concentration. Despite, and because of, its challenges, it is best viewed in a single setting.
The opening is akin to a prolonged overture: a ten minute, continuous tracking shot of cows wandering aimlessly through a barren village, setting the bleak, avant tone. The film is broken down into twelve episodic movements: the twelve steps of a tango. Savage canines, unrelenting rain, wretched peasants and magnetic charlatans are the town's muddy occupants. Never has mud seemed so simultaneously visceral and ethereal. Never has a tango been presented as so relentlessly static.
In one of most unsettling moments in the entirety of cinema, a young girl (Eirka Bok) torments and poisons her cat (yes, it was staged) before she samples the poison herself. Architectural facades and soaked, dilapidated concrete slabs adorn the film like mildew from relics of Christmases past.
Much of Satantango is filmed in long, continuous takes in real-time. A five-minute tracking shot follows two characters besmirched with trash from a blowing wind. Tarr's camera envelops seven sleeping characters while the narrator describes their dreams. The devil's tango is "plodding, plodding, plodding" like a hysterical, whimsical apocalypse homing in on the dying breaths of Hungarian communism. Its denizens face their slide into oblivion with an inebriated stupor, moving like the overture's lethargic herd. Tarr's camera details "the logic of life" with gorgeous precision, memorializing the villagers' moribund aimlessness. They will go down scheming, defiantly mocking western capitalism's attention deficit disorder.
There is tension aplenty in the arrival of a resurrected messiah, and so the film is indeed as much about its duration as it is about narration. Thankfully, Tarr keeps his narrative structure diaphanous. Opacity would have rendered it lifeless. Everything is caught in Tarr's courageously mundane odyssey: buzzing flies, raspy coughs, and repetitively ticking clocks are beautifully preserved in celluloid amber. The Jonah-like prophet (Mihaly Vig) proves to be as dubious a hope as the political systems Tarr so mercilessly parodies.
The final shot, of the doctor boarding up a window, methodically removing every vestige of light, is replete with multifarious meanings. Satantango has an innovative texture. It is experiential rather than narrative. It is also startlingly visionary and postmodern, reminding us that the medium of film is a relatively young one with boundless potential.
PLOT: Bulcsú, a Budapest metro transit cop, copes with eccentric passengers and incompetent coworkers as he pursues a veiled serial killer. Living and sleeping in the tunnels, Bulcsú is bullied by tormentors, chases gang members, dodges trains and follows a mysterious girl as he tracks a murderer who pushes passengers under speeding engines. As the killings continue unabated, suspicion eventually turns toward Bulcsú himself.
Director Nimród Antal was born in Los Angeles (of Hungarian ancestry) and moved to Hungary to study filmmaking at the Hungarian Academy of Drama and Film. He made his first feature film, Kontroll, then returned to the U.S. to direct conventional Hollywood products, most recently Predators (2010).
The city of Budapest allowed Antal access to the subway system to shoot the film during the five hours per night the trains did not run. A man claiming to be the Director of the Budapest Metro appears in a prologue to the film to stress that Kontroll is a work of fiction and that real Metro employees do not behave in the ways depicted.
Kontroll won the Prix de la Jeunesse (Prize of the Young) at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It was the first Hungarian film to screen at Cannes in twenty years.
Antal cited Andrei Tarkovsky, Stanley Kubrick, Terry Gilliam, Martin Scorsese, and Beat Takeshi as influences on Kontroll.
INDELIBLE IMAGE: The most enduring image is a metaphor for the troubled Bulcsúis's transcendence. The kontroller hides in the underground sanctuary from the real world above. But the outside is only a symbol. Bulcsúis is really seeking refuge from himself and his feelings. Uncertain about his own emotions, and lacking in confidence, avoiding the world above is his way of postponing self-confrontation. What then, can be more symbolic of his waiting deliverance than the symmetrical image of the great, silvery, central escalator leading to the bright lights and certain reality of the surface? Bulcsú knows he must eventually ascend it but he has not yet the courage to face that eventuality. Will his love for the mysterious, bear-costumed Szofi become the key to unlocking his emotions and freeing himself?
WHAT MAKES IT WEIRD: Kontroll is a fantasy that stands alone in its enigmatic singularity. The film craftily assimilates drama, suspense and social satire into a multifaceted story in the unusual setting of an Old World subway. Director Antal surprisingly succeeds at combining an unlikely set of plot elements. He decants the chaos of social rambunctiousness, the absurdity that entails when authority dictates regulation at the simplest levels of its jurisdiction, and a survey of attitudes and life's daily ironies into an imaginative story. The resulting integration creates a unique, alternative viewing experience.


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text:
Q: Minimization of norms How do I minimize the following?
$ min_{z>0} - zt + 1/2\ z\ ||\ Y + X_k\ /\ z\ ||_2^2 $
Also, $X_k^TX_k = 1 \  \ \forall k $
I am given that the answer should be :
$
\sqrt{Y^T - 2t}  + Y^TX$
But I don't understand how to get this.
Here are my steps so far:
Taking the derivative and setting to $ 0$
$ X_k/z  - Y^TX_k /z - 1/(z^2) = Y^TY - 2t $
But if I were to take the roots of this equation the solution does not come out to be : $
\sqrt{Y^T - 2t}  + Y^TX$
Suggestions?

A: You are on the right track; you've made some mistake in your derivative calculation, and notice also that the question is asking you for the minimum and not the minimizer.
Might as well expand out that inner product:
$$\min_{z>0}\ -zt + \frac{1}{2} z\left(Y^T Y + Y^TX/z + X^TY/z + X^TX/z^2\right)$$
$$\min_{z>0}\ -zt + \frac{1}{2} \left(Y^T Yz + 2 X^TY + 1/z\right).$$
Differentiating I get
$$0 = -t + \frac{1}{2}Y^TY -\frac{1}{2}z^{-2}$$
so
$$z = (Y^T Y -2t)^{-1/2}.$$
Plugging this minimizer into the objective gives me
$$\frac{1}{2}(Y^TY-2t)(Y^TY-2t)^{-1/2} + X^TY + \frac{1}{2}(Y^TY-2t)^{1/2}$$
$$\frac{1}{2}(Y^TY-2t)^{1/2} + X^TY + \frac{1}{2}(Y^TY-2t)^{1/2}$$
$$\sqrt{(Y^TY-2t)} + X^TY$$
I leave it to you to check that the above critical point is indeed a local minimum, and that this local minimum is global.

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