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$62,505 for art from trash
Ferndale flood fighter
Fuel cell deal at HSU
County bus fares up
Budget, tobacco bucks
Good service awaits
Pride of ownership
New home for museum
Imagine taking someone on a tour of art projects in Eureka. Would you take them to the city dump? Someday soon you will.
The new solid waste transfer station and recycling center being built at Hawthorne and Broadway will be decorated by an elaborate work of art created by Trinidad metal artist Kris Patzlaff.
In January the Journal reported on plans by the Humboldt Waste Management Authority and the Waste Solutions Group to commission a design for a fence and a gate that would enhance the appearance of the new $3 million facility.
Waste Solutions Group President David Gavrich's vision was "a continuous flow of art weaving through the gates and the fence." Working with Gerald Kindsfather, general manager of the HWMA, Gavrich came up with a plan to commission an artist who would use recycled material for the project.
"There's a specific function that the art needs to achieve," said Kindsfather. "It has to glorify found objects in a way that has a classy sophisticated look."
He and Gavrich sat on a committee that included sculptor Mel Schuler, Sally Arnot of the Humboldt Arts Council, Jim Test owner of Bug Press, and Michael Lehrer, architect for the waste facility.
Patzlaff read about the project and was one of 10 artists who submitted a proposal.
"What was different about my approach was I looked at it from the point of view of an assemblage artist," said Patzlaff. "I really want to use the materials in a way that shows people that they came from the waste stream, letting the individual pieces retain some of their identity.
"The overall idea is to create rural and urban scenes of our county with people involved in different activities. For example, one part of the drawing had a sailboat -- I have this grate I found that had a patina from being in the weather -- so I'll use that as the water."
Patzlaff presented a series of drawings based on photographs of junk along with a detailed budget. She already had experience in putting together a large-scale art project: She coordinated the creation of a public sculpture while she was an instructor for a College of the Redwoods environmental art class.
Kindsfather said that the committee was impressed by her attention to detail in budgeting and with the touch of humor they saw in her plans. They also liked her "Scale House" lettering concept, a trash font that will be used in the logo for the Humboldt Waste Management Authority.
Patzlaff has already started the trash collection process. In fact she began even before she heard about the gate/fence project. Her yard is full of bumpers, bicycles, metal parts of furniture, lamp fixtures, grates, shelving, pots and pans.
"I had some, but I have a whole lot more now," she said. She has been hanging around the Samoa waste station and has asked those who work there to set aside material she might find interesting.
Now that she has been awarded the contract she is beginning the assemblage process. Plans are for the entire project -- the solid waste facility with its decorative fence and gate -- to be completed before the end of the year.
You can't change the weather, but the citizens of Ferndale are proving that with hard work you can change how it affects you.
Ground was broken in front of the Ferndale High School June 22 on the Francis Creek Hazard Mitigation Project, a $3 million public works project designed to prevent the flooding that has become a part of life in the town. The project consists of removing or widening bridges and widening the creek bed to allow for higher flow rates without flooding.
The impetus for the project came in the winter of 1995-96, when Francis Creek overflowed and spread silt over the city's streets and sidewalks.
"It was a mess," said Ferndale Mayor Jeff Farley. "The cleanup was so extensive, somebody started asking if this was going to happen every year."
While it may not be an annual occurrence -- flooding of that scale hasn't happened since -- chances are that the creek will overflow more frequently now than 50 years ago. Farley said that earthquakes have opened up a ravine in the watershed that drains into Francis Creek above town, exposing large amounts of silt to erosion. That silt has settled into the creek bed and made it shallower.
The project's high cost made it necessary for Ferndale to seek outside financing. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, Caltrans and the state Office of Emergency Services all pitched in. Ferndale's share of the project is a little more than $300,000 -- about a tenth of the total cost but still "a lot of money for us," said Farley.
"After all, we only have an annual budget of $500,000," he said.
The project, which is slated to be finished in two years, will begin to show benefits for the community this year but will not be fully effective until completed.
Being on a world-class team researching environmentally friendly technology has advantages: the pride of knowing you're on the cutting edge of science or the pride that comes from knowing your work helps humans tread more lightly on the earth, for instance.
And the significant monetary compensation doesn't hurt either, said Ron Reid, fuel cell engineer with Humboldt State University's Schatz Energy Research Center.
The center recently signed with Teledyne Energy Solutions, a manufacturing and distribution company for small energy-production systems, to produce, use and sell fuel cells designed by the center.
The SERC is unique in California, Reid said, because "the whole process takes place here, from design to manufacturing to testing." He said that such concentration "adds flexibility and saves time." He could be doing anything on a given day from "sitting in front of a computer designing to assembling parts." There is even a full-time machinist on staff.
Fuel cells function by allowing hydrogen and oxygen to combine, releasing energy and creating only water as waste.
Reid said that it was "not yet completely clear" what the cells would be used for, but that fuel cells are in general used as remote power sources. Much has been made of their potential as power sources for cars, but Schatz-designed cells are already operational for other uses, including power for a telecommunications station in Redwood Park.
"It is because of a combination of things beyond our control," said Humboldt County Transit Authority Director Roger Murphy. "We take no pleasure in fare increases."
Rising fuel prices, a new labor agreement and expanded service all add up to a fare increase for the bus service. The increase, which will take effect in August, will be the first in four years. It will amount to 17 percent for single-ride fares.
The good news, said Murphy, is that a plan to switch the buses to liquid natural gas fuel would not only reduce emissions but also help to slow fare increases in the future. That's because natural gas prices "have not fluctuated in the last five years."
And chances are good that the project will go forward. Federal funding has been secured and is only waiting for state matching funds. Murphy said the project could be completed in as little as two or three years.
The county budget may still be months away from finalization, but it is already gaining firm contours -- one of which is a $2.9 million shortage.
But it's not a deficit, said Humboldt County Auditor Neil Prince.
"The term deficit is misleading because they [the County Board of Supervisors] will be adopting a balanced budget." Prince said in all likelihood the budget would be balanced by using funds from the recent tobacco settlement.
That action occurs over the protests of some residents and groups who had hoped the tobacco settlement money would be directed toward health programs alone. By absorbing tobacco dollars into the general fund, the board will avoid across-the-board cuts and be able to budget for some maintenance work that has been deferred in recent years due to lack of funds.
The budget crunch comes as a disappointment to some.
"We were hoping that the state would help us out more than they have," Prince said, noting that Sacramento is pledging $200,000 in the latest version of the state budget, which had not been signed by Gov. Davis at press time. County officials had earlier hoped it would be around $600,000.
Prince said that while our representatives in Sacramento -- Sen. Wesley Chesbro and Assemblywoman Virginia Strom-Martin -- are more aware of the county's plight, "What we hear is that the state doesn't think we're in that bad of a financial condition. We need to educate them."
The Humboldt Bay Service Corps, an affiliate of the Americorps National Service Program, is recruiting members. Participants spend a year providing environmental education and other services to the community.
The pay isn't great -- minimum wage -- but the job is meaningful and participants are eligible for the Americorps scholarship, $4,725 toward student loans or future education. Call 445-0913 for details.
"Communities have found over the years that privately owned and operated properties tend to be better maintained than rental properties," said Kermit Thobaben, director of Planning for the Redwood Community Action Agency.
That's why the RCAA, the federal government, the city of Eureka and private businesses are sponsoring the addition of $625,000 to the already successful Eureka First Time Homebuyer Program. They hope that what Thobaben calls "the pride of ownership" will help to beautify some of the city's poorer neighborhoods.
The program gives financial assistance to residents who want to buy or make significant repairs to a home. The program pays at least 50 percent of the amount needed for purchase and rehabilitation, with the remainder of the purchase cost coming from a mortgage, usually through Humboldt Bank, which sponsors the program.
The money from the program is repaid in 20 years or when the home is sold, whichever comes first -- but homeowners do not have to face immediate payments on program funds, making it easier for them to financially survive.
The program is funded primarily by money from the federal Home Investment Partnership Program. It contributed $500,000, with $125,000 being made available by Eureka's Redevelopment Agency. More information is available by calling 269-2006.
The Redwood Discovery Museum has been homeless since late last year. After moving from space to space in the Bayshore Mall for four years everything was packed in boxes and put in storage while organizers searched for a new location. Now that search has ended.
On Tuesday the museum held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new location, the bottom floor of the Carson Block Building at 3rd and F streets in Eureka.
"For the last six months we've been going through a restructuring phase," said Carolyn Widner, president of the museum board. "We brought on five new board members and completed a five-year strategic plan."
The new board hired a business manager and strengthened its outreach program. It has been running after-school education programs in Eureka schools with the same hands-on science education concept that was the basis for the museum.
Displays have set up at events like the Oyster Festival and the Festival on the Bay and there will be an interactive display at Eureka's Fourth of July festival on 2nd Street near Hurricane Kate's.
"The museum has always used a hands-on experiential approach to learning. We use the theory that people remember what they do, not what they hear or what the read, or what they see. When people interact with our exhibits -- touch them, move them, feel them -- they internalize the lesson more than they would if it was static. It turns people on to learning."
The board stepped up its fund raising by seeking sponsorship from businesses and individuals in the community. The group has $70,000 in the bank, plus pledges for another $30,000.
Then there is the possibility of additional grants, Widner said.
"We have seven outstanding proposals that could bring us another $90,000."
While the initial long-range plan called for raising enough capital to open a new facility at the end of five years, the board realized that after being gone for that long the museum would basically have to start over.
"We didn't want to be out of the public eye for that long so we found this space in Old Town. We have signed a five-year lease with an option to renew," she said.
The space in the Carson Block Building, owned by the Indian Development Council, has 4,500 square feet, much more space than it ever had in the mall. Widner said the new museum will not just be for kids. "We recognize that there's a child in all of us."
The plan is to reopen the museum by the end of the year with new exhibits and a bookstore. In the meantime the fund raising continues. Tuesday was the opening of the Helping Hands Campaign.
"You can purchase a tile for $25. You put your hand print on it and your signature, glaze it and we'll fire them. The Fire Art Center in Arcata is helping us do it. We will have a whole wall that's the Hall of Hands with everyone's tiles. We want people to feel that this is their museum."
-- reported by Arno Holschuch and Bob Doran
COVER STORY | CALENDAR
Comments? E-mail the Journal: ncjour@northcoast.com
© Copyright 2000, North Coast Journal, Inc.


Tim has been a part of Strada Sport since it formed and was appointed the honorary president this year. Before Strada Sport formed Tim was a part of Renrad Club Norwich for many years. Tim raced as professional in the 1980's and 1990's. Tim turned professional with Elro Snacks in Holland, he then moved to Viditel, also in Holland. He spent two years with the British ANC team and then Raleigh. Tim then moved onto Festina and then ended his career with Maestro in Belgium. Tim won the British pro criterium champs in 1987 and the pro road race champs in 1989 against riders such as Robert Millar and Malcolm Elliott. He also raced in the GP E3 Harelbeke in 1989 and placed 13th.
Tim now helps junior riders by creating a pathway to a professional level outside of British Cycling.


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Anambra: A Story Of Crisis, Controversy And The Need For Immediate Change
Foul political mud slinging. Under the belt insults. Campaign and personal attacks Offensive media tirades. A dismal, disgraceful and disastrous performance from INEC yet again. For anyone who followed the activity within the Nigerian terrain last week, they would know that it describes the Gubernatorial election conducted in Anambra state on Saturday.
by Sahara Reporters Nov 22, 2013
It is indeed an infamy that in Nigeria after 53 years of independence and 14 years of uninterrupted democratic dispensation, we still cannot conduct free, fair and credible elections. Virtually every election results in Nigeria are always fiercely and vehemently disputed with some considerable amount of justification. While elections have been successfully held in other African countries such as in Ghana, devoid of violence and massive election fraud, Nigeria's election has habitually been fraught with irregularities. Even the 36-member body, the Governor's Forum, on 24 May 2013, could not conduct a credible and an acceptable election amongst themselves. Astoundingly, even though there were clear video evidence, accounts and media reports on how the voting was conducted, as the incumbent chairman of the forum, Rotimi Amaechi, governor of Rivers State defeated his lone challenger, Jonah Jang, governor of Plateau State by 19 votes to 16, hitherto there exists a parallel body of governors with the losing candidate, Jonah Jang, pronouncing himself as chairman with the support of the 16 governors who voted for him. One cannot discount the infamous "oga at the top" epithet, having an invincible but influential hand in its proceedings.
Despite the chairman of the INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega's prior reassurances that the gubernatorial election in Anambra state would be devoid of any violence, free, fair and credible, from all indications the elections in Anambra state was far below par when defining a free and fair election. According to press and media reports, voting did not take place in many of the voting centres. Voting materials arrived very late in many of the centres and in many places voting registers were either not available, or displayed. Where they were available, many of the voters could not find their names in the registers and could not vote, despite the time and money being giving for preparedness of the election. One wonders if this was indeed a deliberate ploy by INEC to rig the election in favor of the ruling party of the state, thus confirming the notorious power of incumbency phenomena in Nigerian politics. The chairman of INEC also concurred and admitted that the elections were badly flawed and that there would have to be fresh elections. He alleged sabotage on the part of some staff of the commission who he claimed derailed the commission's plans for a smooth delivery of election materials to some sections of Anambra Central Senatorial district. Specifically, a senior electoral officer has been apprehended and handed over to the police for suspected complicity in the massive electoral fraud. Further reports also showed that the police were complicit in proliferating the election façade in the state, as it is a well-known fact that the federal police are increasingly becoming partisan in supporting the ruling party or incumbent during elections.
While candidates of the opposition were all calling for the cancellation of the results, the leading and incumbent party's candidate was happy with the outcome of the election. This is basically the norm in Nigerian politics, where the supposed loser always cries foul and intending winner celebrates at a poorly conducted and massively fraught election. However, with the comments from eye witnesses, protests from disenfranchised individuals and live streaming of the elections via social media, it could indeed be said that the elections in the state wasn't credible, neither was it free and fair. Consequently, the Irregularities witnessed during the elections on the 16th of November, led to the extension of voting till the next day, so as to enable the commission conduct fresh elections in some wards in Idemili North and South LGAs of the state. After the 17th November fresh elections, INEC declared the election inconclusive due to the disparity in the number of cancelled votes and the difference between the purported winner and the runner-up, and also said it will conduct a supplementary election in the state, further spurring more controversies as legal practitioners across the country have begun examining the legality of that declaration.
As manifestly evident in Nigerian politics, the ostensible winner, i.e. the APGA candidate, Victor Umeh, laughably described the process of the election, as excellent and the best election ever conducted by INEC in the state. Curiously though, within the PDP, there is a discernible rift within its ranks in Anambra State over the outcome of the gubernatorial election, as the Chairman of the state chapter of the PDP, Ken Emeakayi, towing the declaration of APGA and its candidate, declared that the election had been credible and that the party would participate in the supplementary election called by INEC. But the camp of the candidate for the party condemned the conduct of the election, calling for the outright cancellation of the exercise, thus disassociating itself with the state chapter working committee of the party. This indeed confirms the pre-election day widespread rumor of the alliance of APGA and PDP, whereby PDP would concede to APGA in order to thwart the APCs ambition of achieving the governor's seat in Anambra State. However, the APC candidate, Chris Ngige, in the aftermath of the election, said that he was not in the contest as a do or die affair, but that he wanted the correct thing to be done by the electoral body. He alleged that the election was fraught with massive electoral irregularities whereby electoral officers worked in connivance with INEC to make sure that electoral materials were delivered late at polling units in areas of his strong hold. He also insisted that the poll was flawed ab-initio, when he claimed the Resident Electoral commissioner, Prof. Chukwuemeka Onokogu instead of taking the electoral materials for election from the airport straight to the Central Bank in Awka, he took them not accompanied by any of APCs agents, straight to the commission. He also stated that there were instances were some police officers were caught on video camera thumb printing for APGA, which he said showed the level of irresponsibility that attended the election.
Also, eminent Nigerians such as Prof. Pat Utomi, has described the election as a "show of shame" calling for an end to the recycling of political leaders in Nigeria on the grounds of incumbency and continuity and insisted that voters should be allowed to elect their candidates through free and fair elections.
Perhaps expectedly, especially due to the political significance of the Anambra State election, the strategic position the state occupies in the South East heartland and indeed Nigeria, the do or die attitude of politicians and the power of incumbency, and the ineptitude of INEC, the elections in Anambra state has generated several controversies, whereby some women in the state have protested against the electoral process, while many voters have also cried out that they were deliberately disenfranchised with their names missing in the voters register.
Admittedly, the political stakes involved in elections in Nigeria are very high, as political offices ensure instant access to huge amount of wealth and social preferences. Many politicians get into politics, not for public service or good, but for the accumulation of wealth and the desirability of position. Electoral fraud and rigging are largely practiced and improvised by these politicians; hence, alienating the electorate and disenfranchising them from performing totally in the electoral process, automatically renders that election in having credibility issues.
Credible, free and fair elections are indeed fundamental and crucial for the success of any democratic society in any part of the world. Where the integrity of elections is undermined, there would invariably be a direct challenge to the stable and democratic society we in Nigeria have been trying to develop since 1960. In 2015, Nigeria will hold its general elections. This election would be decisive for Nigeria's political future. From what has transpired in the Anambra elections over the weekend and the various political intrigues, sagas and permutations overheating the polity before now, one can't help but feel apprehensive about the conduct of the election, as we might have an election marred with violence, election fraud and inconclusive results. Apparently, INEC is still far away from conducting free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria.
In the crisis-ridden way INEC has just shown us what to expect come 2015, the many prevailing anxieties people are feeling are very likely to spontaneously combust. Nigerians may no longer be ready to accept such infamy in a blind rush. And of this, INEC and the ruling party must take note. Rather, the electoral commission must get its act together and negotiate between its past abysmal standards and the demands of the moment. And the majority demand for the moment in the interest of justice would be the suspension of the proposed supplementary election, the cancellation of the just concluded irregular Anambra Gubernatorial election and the conduct of a fresh election using justice, fair play and the rule of law. The nature of the conduct of our politics has got to change, one decision at a time. And for INEC that change must begin in Anambra… with immediate effect.
Written By Hannatu Musawa
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Was the states largest poaching case ever, as reported by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department a scandal? Six boys confessed, they were charged and the case was widely publicized. Yet only one was sentenced to prison. He was 17 and had no prior criminal history. The eldest who had criminal history was sentenced to probation on all charges.
Ironically after it was over, one of the group who had all charges dropped against him posted a picture posing with a shot deer entitled, my first deer. Well maybe his first legal deer.
James Hayden Dare Belknap was sentenced Thursday, March 1st, for a spree of poaching that took place in the summer of 2015. A sentencing hearing was held in the Centerville Courtroom where the Honorable District Judge Sam Bournias listened to evidence presented by Leon County District Attorney Hope Knight and Defense Attorney Kelly Weeks before pronouncing a sentence.
After hearing the evidence as presented by both attorney who called several witnesses each, Judge Bournias sentenced 20 year old Belknap to one year in the Texas Department of Corrections Jail to be followed by 5 years of probation. Belknap must also pay a fine of $2,500 and restitution fees to one property owner.
In May of 2017, Belknap entered a plea of guilty to 22 charges of Taking Wildlife Resources without Consent of the Landowner and 1 count of Burglary of a Habitation. At the time of the original indictments in March 2016, Belknap was charged with 29 counts of Taking Wildlife. The two Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens who worked this case testified that it was the largest case of poaching in the state of Texas for the number of animals taken by the same group of individuals.
some individuals had the charges against them dropped. The rest received a paltry sentence. That would seem rather odd being they confessed to the crimes. With the exception of Belknap they all were on a reality television show admitting guilt and expressing remorse. Is that why the others did not get sentenced to prison?
Sit back and let me tell you the story of 6 young men that broke the law. Two of the six were minors at the time, and let's get something straight, all 6 are guilty of breaking the law. They were young and stupid and made bad choices. But some members of the 6 committed far more illegal acts than the others. Yet one in particular was punished far greater than the others, and he didn't commit the same crimes as some of the others. Yet he was targeted by law enforcement and victimized by the very ones that are supposed to protect us.
In 2015, a three-month-long outlaw road hunting rampage came to an end in Leon County. The state game wardens are categorizing this case as one of the most egregious poaching cases on record in Texas. Clearly they are not counting the Bison slaughter of the late 1800s, in which said species was exterminated within the state.
Four adults and two juveniles were facing more than 175 state jail felony and Class A misdemeanor wildlife violations stemming from a surreal chain of poaching events between June 4 – August 29, 2015. While investigators suspect the toll on wildlife and property is likely greater, the suspects have been charged in the illegal killing of at least 68 white-tailed deer, numerous other wildlife species and livestock, and the indiscriminate and widespread destruction of public and private property.
Game Warden Oscar Henson wrote an article where Brian Stafford interviewed Jaden Kornegay. Jaden was one of the boys that had been causing mischief in town. According to the article, Kornegay (minor at the time) minimized his involvement in the poaching claim but openly gave the names of the others involved. At that time Kornegay was not arrested. Game Warden Henson decided to question the others involved but had prior dealings with Hayden Belknap and felt he was dishonest.
Hayden Belknaps parents find this very ironic, because 2 years prior they had just moved into a rental house. Their son had permission to hunt, mostly hogs they said, but he was not completely aware of the land boundaries nor was the entire property fenced. He accidentally crossed over onto another piece of property due to the odd shaped property boundaries and lack of fencing. After he was seen by the adjacent land owner the game warden came out and took him to jail to question him. A 16 year old boy with a hunting rifle who lives within a short walk and he was taken to jail for questioning?
The parents say authorities ended up questioning him, a minor, without his parents.
In the article Henson said he would question Daniel Pate because he thought he would be more forthcoming. To me this sounds very strange. They all know that Pate has recently served probation after a theft charge in Huntsville. He is the oldest out of the 6 boys, the only one out of school and the only one with a record. So, my question is how did he feel that in these cases that Pate was going to be the most honest? They stated Pate confessed to killing 12 deer and burglarizing two properties. Pate was only charged with 9 counts of taking wildlife without land owner's consent.
The game wardens stated they questioned Pate for over four hours, where he informed them of twelve deer that were shot, and two house burglaries. Pate also gave them another name. John Persaud. Again, Persaud was picked up and questioned. Persaud admitted to shooting two deer, and confessed that Hayden, Kornegay, and himself broke into two homes. The funny thing is that Persuad's charges do not match his confession. Persaud was charged with 3 counts of taking wildlife without consent of a landowner.
Meanwhile, several of the suspects mentioned Kornegay's involvement, so three warrants were issued. He was arrested as well. Kornegay spent an hour being questioned. Henson released Kornegay since he cooperated with them so well. So, although he had three warrants he would be released because he cooperated? Meanwhile my son is sitting in jail. How does that make any sense? Although the same evidence and charges occurred for both Kornegay and Hayden, Kornegay was able to be back in school for football practice, while Hayden Belknap stayed locked up.
The Belknaps say they were never contacted the way that the others boy's parents were contacted. The other boys were all sent home. Pate was interviewed for four hours and allowed to go home. So does that means that the Belknap's son was not even given the same treatment as all the other involved from the very beginning of the investigation. Rumor was that the police informed the family that since there so many boys involved that they would work Kornegay's case last, so he could finish the football season.
Hayden Belknap sat in jail for over three weeks before any other arrests were made. His mother told him on the phone to ask for a court appointed attorney which he did, and they gave him two. Leslie Walrath who represented him with the misdemeanor charges and Kelly Weeks represented him with the felonies. The family stated they heard from Walrath quickly but nothing from Weeks.
Poaching had been a problem in Leon County for years. From unknown killers of deer caught on camera to an caged exotic predator that was shot in the Leona area years ago. A former game warden Mike Clark who was later a JP there told us that he had his hands full in the early 1980s with deer poaching. Until now know one had actually been sent to prison for it.
Daniel Pate pled guilty and ended up with a 5 year probation for several poaching charges and a 10 year probation for burglary charges. He was the eldest of the group and sources say the ringleader. Already having a criminal history it is questionable why he was not sentenced to any prison time.
John Edward Persuad appears to have had all his charges dropped.
The 2 who were considered minors at the time have closed records but clearly neither went to prison.
Despite the atrocities committed over the course of the summer, investigators are baffled at how little attention the suspects' actions drew. Had it not been for a phone call on September 1 from a concerned citizen who reported a deer had been poached, the investigation might not ever have gotten off the ground.
And only a single prosecution for a prison sentence?
Allegedly Hayden Belknap was the ringleader who orchestrated these crimes. He was 17 at the time and a High School Junior. He owned no vehicle and lived with his parents until that summer when he was invited to stay with Daniel Pate who was 21. Reportedly all the boys involved in this article lived at Pate's trailer off and on during the Summer of 2015. It appears to have served as they're base of operations during the poaching rampage.
Hayden the alleged "ringleader" was sentenced to a year in TDCJ and five years probation for several cases.
Records indicate that Pate was already in the criminal justice system having been on probation before. Witnesses say Pate works at Center Ranch and likes to brag about how he set up Hayden Belknap to take the fall. Pate however was convicted of more felonies. He received 5 years for some and 10 for others. 10 years is the maximum time one can be sentenced on probation in the state of Texas. His cases are deferred adjudication also, which means if his probation is revoked the judge can send him to prison for up to 25 years.
Meanwhile what about those who had charges dismissed?
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How the Patek Philippe Nautilus became an iconic watch against all odds
Not even the brand's president can explain the watch's eight-year waitlist
By Cam Wolf
On the surface, the universe of Patek Philippe appears to be simple: everything the brand does is dictated by the most mechanically complicated and precious watches in existence. But one of the Swiss brand's most important pieces is the sporty stainless steel Nautilus, and that's where things get weird. For reasons that will soon become clear, the Nautilus is a watch best understood through a little numerology.
Gérald Genta, a legendary watch designer, claims it took him five minutes - in comparison to the night's worth of work it took him to design the Audemar Piguet's now-iconic Royal Oak - to fully sketch out what is now one of Patek Philippe's most important and recognisable watches. In 2009, Genta told Veryimportantwatches.com (an excellent name for a website) that while at a restaurant at the Basel watch fair in the early '70s, seated in a corner opposite Patek Philippe's executives, he beckoned a waiter to bring him a pen and paper. Inspired by the shape of portholes on luxury cruise liners, he drew the Nautilus in less time than it takes to eat an appetiser.
By the time Genta designed the Nautilus and brought it to Patek, he already had one transformational watch design on his resume, the aforementioned Royal Oak. The Royal Oak and the Nautilus share an octagonal shape, but the curves on the Nautilus are softer and rounder. The latter also has two "ears" on either side, like the hinges on those water-tight portholes.
The year was 1976: a guy named Steve Jobs launched a company called Apple, Bruce Jenner won the gold medal for the decathlon at the Olympics, more accurate and affordable quartz-powered timepieces were decimating the Swiss watch industry, and the Patek Philippe Nautilus was born.
During the height of quartz watches' popularity, the Nautilus was designed to be the revolutionary piece that would put mechanical Patek Philippe watches back on the map. Patek, at that point, was known for making delicate watches out of precious metals. This was the company's first "luxury sports watch," following in the footsteps of AP's Royal Oak. The watch was proudly, brazenly made out of stainless steel.
The Nautilus may have been a different breed of watch for Patek, but that doesn't mean the company priced it with that gap in mind. The Nautilus originally retailed for $3,100 - compared to the 18-carat gold Pateks from the same period that would've run you just under $4,000, according to Christie's auction house. Patek made quick use of the price in advertising with the tagline: "One of the World's Costliest Watches Is Made Out of Steel." Talking about how expensive something is doesn't usually equal advertising success, but Patek Philippe's message was clear: while other brands were retreating in the face of cheaply made quartz timepieces, it was doubling down on luxury. The tagline declared that even a sports watch from Patek was worth more than a luxury watch from another brand.
In the same advertisement that touted the cost of the watch, Patek compared the stainless steel watch to a sword made out of the same material. "Like the great swords of another age, Nautilus took shape between the skilled hands of master craftsmen," the copy reads. It goes on to list the watch's many uses: diving, formal or "festive" occasions, and "when you set out to slay dragons in the boardroom." You can see why the watch went on to become a classic.
The ultra-short design of the watch stands in contrast to the extremely long wait required to actually buy one. The New York Times reports that collectors will wait up to 840,960 times as long to get the watch as it took to design: if interested buyers can even get on the waitlist in the first place, they face a waiting period of up to eight years.
Not even the president of Patek Philippe, Thierry Stern, can explain why the watch is so beloved. "We make about 140 different models at Patek Philippe, and the basic Ref. 5711 [the number attached to the Nautilus] in steel is just one of them," he told the New York Times. "We have many other models that are more complicated and arguably more beautiful." It's a quote that seems to translates roughly to, The waiting list is so long - have you considered another piece? Of course, that no one can get their hands on the Nautilus and everyone wants one are two closely intertwined facts.
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My name is Stephen Burgess and I am an Interactive Developer from England, currently based in New York City working for Fi.
I have been running the blog for a few years now and use it as a dumping ground for my thoughts, code, experiments and some projects I'm proud of. It initially started out as a place just for me to keep stuff so I would have a nice record of all the work I'd done but after adding Google Analytics in mid-2009 I realised that people do actually visit the site and I've had some really positive emails from people.
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The Rev. Rob Schenck believes gun ownership should be decided by community leaders, not politicians As legislators fail to find solutions to mass shootings, evangelical minister Rob Schenck thinks religious groups have a part to play in educating people about guns and their relationships with them.
An Evangelical Leader's Changing Views On Gun Ownership
An Evangelical Leader's Changing Views On Gun Ownership 5:18
< An Evangelical Leader's Changing Views On Gun Ownership
October 10, 20159:44 AM ET
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The debate over guns after a shooting may seem to sound like the same old arguments. The Rev. Rob Schenck might be a different voice. He's an evangelical leader, an anti-abortion activist who is president of Faith in Action, a Christian outreach organization. And he's turned his attention to guns. He joins us in our studios. Rev. Schenck, thanks very much for being with us.
ROB SCHENCK: My pleasure.
SIMON: I don't want to characterize your views. I wouldn't call them on gun policy but something else.
SCHENCK: Yeah, for me, the whole question of gun use, ownership, for defensive purposes - and I make a distinction with that. I think when you're talking about hunting and sportsmanship, you have a different discussion. But, for me, when you talk about aiming a weapon at another human being, no matter what the circumstances are, that's a question of paramount moral and ethical dimensions. So it's something we should take very seriously, and I don't know that a lot of us are.
SIMON: So you're not necessarily calling for gun control at the legal level, but in a funny way, personal gun control.
SCHENCK: Well, yeah. I don't think of it so much as funny because, ultimately, we'll all make the decision what we will do, whether we'll own a lethal weapon and use it or not. You know, we've had a long discussion in this country - decades long now - on gun control - that is, government gun control. For me, this is a question of self-control, regardless of what the law may allow me to do, I appeal to a higher law.
And I've said publicly that in our respecting of the Second Amendment, we have to be very careful we don't break the second commandment, which is the commandment against idolatry. And we can set up our own idolatry when we declare ourselves the arbiters of right and wrong and especially of the value of a human life.
SIMON: Do you see your views on guns as being consistent with your pro-life views as well?
SCHENCK: Most certainly, I've been a pro-life advocate for 30 years. I see life as having value from the moment of conception. But there's a whole lot of life after conception. It's a pro-life question, and it's a deeply moral question, and it's even, for me, a theological question.
SIMON: Forgive me if this a personal question, but you kind of opened the door. Do you own a gun?
SCHENCK: I do not.
SIMON: On principle, or...
SCHENCK: On principle. I've made the decision not to own a weapon. There's a lot of reasons for that. One is I think it does create an ethical crisis for a Christian. Secondly, I don't necessarily trust myself. And maybe, more or less, would be better off to question what we will do in the heat of anger, fear or, God forbid, depression. My own family has a history of gun suicide due to depression. I know depression runs in families. I don't want to take that risk.
SIMON: And what might you say, and probably not a hypothetical, I bet you've had this question from people who say, look, I think - I feel the need to own a gun for the self-defense of me and my family. And I think, more or less, I ought to be able to walk in some place and walk out with a gun.
SCHENCK: Sure. And I understand that impulse, and I respect it. I don't impugn people's motives on that. I think an awful lot of those people are sincere and that that's a noble inclination that we have. Now whether the handgun, a lethal weapon, is the best way to manage that security for yourself and your family is another question because sometimes a handgun can be a shortcut in the equation.
SIMON: Do you think it's possible that religious leaders and ethical leaders might be able to reach some kind of breakthrough with each other - I don't even want to broach the word compromise - that political leaders have missed?
SCHENCK: Yes, I do. First of all, I don't want to sound too cynical, but I think politicians are, on the whole, imminently disqualified from really giving us good guidance on this question because, of course, they're in the business of politics. That means winning elections. They're going to do what's in their best electoral interests on the question.
I hope that religious leaders are, for the most part, in a pursuit of the truth. So I've decided I'm going to shift to where my people are most comfortable. And that's the law of the heart and of the mind and of the conscience. And after that, I think we can probably get to some consensus on policy and legislation.
SIMON: The Rev. Rob Schenck, president of Faith in Action. Thanks so much for being with us.
SCHENCK: Thank you.


It's back on for Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. Not only has the couple rekindled their romance after a brief split, they're also living together again.
"They are living together and have reconciled," an insider confirms to Us Weekly magazine.
Stewart moved out of Pattinson's L.A. home shortly after admitting to a fling with director Rupert Sanders in July. Insiders then claimed Pattinson planned to sell the house because there were "too many memories" attached to it.
Neither Pattinson, 26, nor Stewart, 22, has commented. The couple first began dating after meeting on the set of Twilight in 2008. News of Stewart's affair broke two months ago when Us Weekly published pictures of her kissing Sanders, 41, during a secret rendezvous in L.A. She issued a public apology to Pattinson.
"I'm deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I've caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected. This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I'm so sorry," she said in a statement.
Kristen Stewart will make her first official appearance since her cheating scandal at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada next month.
The 22-year-old has been lying low since confessing to cheating on her Twilight co-star and boyfriend Robert Pattinson with married director Rupert Sanders last month, but she will have to face the media and the public once again in September as she begins promoting her latest film, On the Road.
Stewart, who portrays Marylou in the big screen adaptation of Jack Kerouac's classic novel, has been confirmed to attend the annual Toronto event alongside castmates Viggo Mortensen, Amy Adams and Garrett Hedlund, reports People.com.
On the Road will premiere at the festival, which begins on September 6 and runs for 10 days.
Pattinson has already had to put his personal troubles aside and focus on work – he hit the red carpet for the New York premiere of his new movie Cosmopolis on Monday and has continued to fulfill all of his press commitments since.
He split from Stewart after news of her "indiscretion" broke last month and has refused to even mention her name in TVappearances this week.
After much speculation on whether the promotional tour for Twilight: Breaking Dawn 2 will be affected by the breakup of stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, Summit Entertainment says they are "moving full steam ahead" with promotional plans.
"While it is studio policy not to comment on the personal lives of actors, Summit is moving full steam ahead and looking forward to this November's opening of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2. We are confident that the film delivers amazing entertainment for our passionate fans and general audiences alike," Summit marketing president Nancy Kirkpatrick said in a statement Wednesday.
Pattinson is currently hiding out at the Ojai, California vacation home of his Water for Elephants costar Reese Witherpoon, according to People magazine. Stewart moved out of the Los Angeles home they shared over the weekend.
Edward Cullen and Bella Swan have a lot on their plate at the moment, not the least of which is making sure their newborn daughter Renesmee is kept safe from the incoming forces of the Volturi. (Can't someone just explain that she's not an immortal child? Feels like a simple, diplomatic exchange might spare everyone some bloodshed, no?) But even with a very busy schedule on their hands, your favorite vampires and their closest friends would never leave you hanging where Comic-Con is concerned.
Consider it official, then: Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are coming to Comic-Con! Summit Entertainment announced Tuesday (July 3) that the onscreen Edward and Bella will be at the San Diego show for a "Breaking Dawn" press conference held at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. July 12. Start lining up now, "Twilight" fans!
Kristen Stewart Talks About Acting… and Her Yes, Boyfriend!
Kristen Stewart graces the cover of a magazine to promote a movie other than the "Twilight" series.
For the June 2012 issue of Elle magazine, Stewart is featured on the cover looking sultry with smoky eyes and a black sequined dress to promote her new movie "Snow White and the Huntsman," out in theaters June 1.
The 22-year-old actress also dons some masculine wear for the photo shoot and plays two "characters" for the magazine.
Stewart talked candidly in with the interview about her "sheltered" upbringing and even discussed her rumored boyfriend Robert Pattinson.
Kristen Stewart picked up a lasting reminder of the hit vampire movies when she suffered a nasty puncture wound during last-minute re-shoots.
The actress flew back to Vancouver with boyfriend and co-star Robert Pattinson last month to shoot additional footage for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.
But production was brought to a halt after Stewart injured her foot while working on scenes in which her vampire character Bella Swan goes on her first hunt.
But the 22-year-old admits she was thrilled with the work she did on set.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is due to hit theaters in November.


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"If we know what signals are active in cells that become, let's say beta cells in the pancreas," said Slavov, who is an assistant professor of bioengineering, "we can provide those signals to other cells that we want to instruct to become beta cells."
"If you take those into account, then there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of proteins," Slavov said. "We haven't ever measured all of them."
Experts in the field of proteomics, the large-scale study of proteins, thought it would be impossible to measure thousands of proteins within a single cell, Slavov said. Existing techniques weren't specific enough or required a much larger sample size than the contents of an individual cell.
"People thought that we were very far away from having the sensitivity to analyze material from a single mammalian cell," Slavov said. "I did not even pitch this when I started my lab."
Slavov's method relies on mass spectrometry, a way of weighing molecules and their fragments. This has reliably been used to quantify proteins in the past, but typically requires a much larger sample size.
This makes the sample large enough to process and increases the likelihood that any peptides lost in preparing the sample will be from the unimportant filler material. It also makes it easier to identify the rarer peptides from the target cell. If the amount of a certain peptide is too low, the machine doesn't have enough information to tell what it is. Dumping in extra peptides, while still making them easy to separate by their barcodes, helps the more scarce molecules to register.
"This was the highest risk, highest reward idea that I had," Slavov said.
"I initially was reluctant to start this project with an undergraduate," he said, "But Ezra, a first- year undergraduate at the time, expressed very strong interest in the project and he certainly rose to the challenge."
"We are not interested in measuring just a single cell," Slavov said. "We want to measure tens of thousands of single cells."
"This was never about a single method that was going to stay static," Slavov said. "This paper is much more of a proof of principle that opens the door to a lot of further development."
"There is a whole community that is coalescing around those ideas," Slavov said. "Now that we have this proof of principle, I expect to see a lot of progress."
"This was an incredibly risky project that worked out great," he said.


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Susumu Shingu: An Ode to Nature
Sculptor, mechanical engineer and architect of a utopian village, the artist boasts a protean body of work based around nature.
WordsClémence Leleu
Wind Museum Susumu Shingu (Sanda Japon) 2014 © Jeanne Bucher Jaeger
The works of Japanese artist Susumu Shingu border on meditation. When looking at his installations, some parts of which come to life thanks to the force of the wind in a perpetual movement, but one which has been cleverly orchestrated by the creator, time seems to stand still. The viewer is therefore immersed in a sort of bubble, in which the only things that matter are nature and movement.
'My works are ways of translating the messages of nature into visible movements', explains Susumu Shingu in an interview with Pen. 'What I try to show is the beauty of our planet and how lucky we are to be born here as human beings. For me, there are no boundaries between art, mechanics, science and the production of picture books and artistic practice'.
Natural elements used as materials
The artist's playground is the outdoors. He uses parks and gardens and areas around rivers or ponds to install his moving sculptures, created from high-tech materials and using innovative technology, the movements of which Susumu Shingu regulates in fine detail. However, beyond the materials used to create his moving sculptures, the artist seeks to harness the natural forces of water, wind, waves, energies and gravity as if to breathe a life force into them to make them mobile.
'It's not just beautiful, it's scientifically adjusted', explains Bernard Vasseur, Director of the Centre de recherche et de création Elsa Triolet – Louis Aragon and author of Shingu, a book presenting the work of the Japanese artist, of whom he is now a close friend. While people might seem surprised by the artist's use of non-natural materials to create his sculptures, he sweeps this aside. 'It has to be solid. Susumu Shingu does not create land art, he does not take elements from the landscape to produce his works. His work is exposed to the outdoors, to the wind. And in Japan, wind can take the form of a typhoon'.
As well as being exposed to the four winds, Susumu Shingu's work travels across the world, like Wind Caravan, an installation of mobiles that has passed from Japan to New Zealand via Finland and even Mongolia. This is a good way to test the structures, and also to gauge how his work is received by diverse cultures. The most recent stop was the Château de Chambord, where the artist's work was exhibited until March 2020.
Wind Museum Susumu Shingu Sanda Japon 2015 © Jeanne Bucher Jaeger
An Italian connection
This stopover at Chambord is of particular importance to the artist. His exhibition, Susumu Shingu: A Utopia for Today, came a few months after another entitled Chambord, 1519-2019: Building Utopia, which featured the work of Leonardo da Vinci, among others. '2019 was the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci. It was a bit like Leonardo had called me himself to participate in the exhibition', explains Susumu Shingu. Because, as with nature, the artist has close links with Leonardo da Vinci. 'When I look back, Leonardo has always appeared in my life at the perfect moment. The first time was in 1956, when I started studying at the University of Fine Arts in Tokyo. My instinct told me that it was just a crossing point, even if getting into this university was a good opportunity for me. I think I heard Leonardo's voice calling me at that moment', he continues.
The young Shingu continued his university studies before heading to Rome thanks to a study bursary from the Italian government. This was a transitional point in the creation of his artistic identity. Thus, he abandoned figurative painting for abstract, 3D sculpture before taking up sculpture activated by the wind. 'After having started to focus on the creation of sculptures moved by the wind and water, Leonardo gave me some hints about different styles and techniques and sometimes gave me advice', declares the artist who, like the Italian master, fills his sketchbooks with ideas throughout the day so as not to forget a single idea.
Susumu Shingu, a utopia in Chambord © Susumu Shingu
Susumu Shingu's drawing © Susumu Shingu
A utopian village project
The artist, now in his eighties, is seeing one of his most ambitious projects become a reality: the creation of a utopian village entitled Breathing Earth. Situated in the city of Sanda, north-west of Osaka in Hyogo prefecture, Breathing Earth will encompass a museum, theatre, workshop and cafe, all linked in a circle. And, of course, it bears the mark of the artist, as there will be a coloured mobile sculpture at the top of each construction, some of which will be connected to mechanisms that make it possible to move objects in the room.
'I'm trying to create a workshop with people who share the same thoughts as me, without destroying nature further, as a place where we can take pleasure in thinking about a future way of life'. This utopia could be seen to resemble that of da Vinci, when he designed a concept of an ideal city for Francis I of France. For Susumu Shingu, the priority is still, as always, this ode to and respect for nature.
Atelier Earth dessin 2019 © Susumu Shingu
Susumu Shingu © Domaine national de Chambord - Olivier Marchant
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Susumu Shingu
Kohei Yoshiyuki, the Voyeur of Tokyo's Voyeurs
The reedition of the publication 'The Park' takes us on a night walk through the parks of Tokyo, out in full sight.
Pinku Eiga, the World of Erotic and Engaged Japanese Cinema
Pinku eiga (pink films), is a film genre that combines eroticism and violence and implicitly dissects the idiosyncrasies of Japanese society.
'Odo Yakuza Tokyo', Entering the Tokyo Mafia's Inner Circle
Belgian photographer Anton Kusters obtained exclusive access to the routine events of a yakuza clan headed by an individual named Souichirou.
A House from the Taisho Era Reveals Its Secrets
While visiting an abandoned building, Hamish Campbell discovered photographs the owner had taken of the place in the 1920s.
'Japandi', Combining Scandinavian Minimalism and Japanese Aesthetics
This interior design trend combines clean lines and natural Nordic materials with the neutral tones and sober style typical of Japan.


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Let's Check in on the KBO's De-Juiced Baseballs
by Sung Min Kim
(Photo: Sung Min Kim/FanGraphs)
Back in April, I wrote about how the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) had de-juiced their baseballs, and how the offensive environment in the league appeared to be reflecting that change. If you remember from the piece, in March, the KBO conducted a test on a batch of new baseballs to test their coefficient of restitution (COR). It was supposedly reduced from a range of .4123-.4374 to .4034-.4234, while the ball size was increased by 1 millimeter and 1 gram. However, the test brought out some interesting results, as they found several defective balls with a COR more in line with the 2018 baseballs mixed in with the new, less-lively ball.
It doesn't mean that this season has looked like 2018, though. In fact, the changes became clear in a month's worth of games, but now that it's mid-August, I thought I'd give you an update with a bigger sample size. I also thought it would be interesting to see how the de-juiced balls interact with Korea's warm summer weather. The 2019 KBO regular season is about two-thirds of the way through, and league-wide temperatures have risen enough to see if hotter temperatures have caused an uptick in power that might counteract the effects of the new ball.
Here is how the overall league offensive numbers look this year, compared to those of last year:
KBO League Offensive Stats
HR%
2018 .286 .352 .450 .802 .164 .349 3.03
SOURCE: Statiz
2018 stats are for March-August 12, 2018; 2019 stats are as of August 12.
The contrast is pretty stark. When I wrote about this subject back in April, the league's hitters were had a .733 OPS while slugging .391. Did warmer weather help? Let's look at last year's numbers from March to May, and June to August 12.
2018 KBO Offensive Stats
March to May .283 .348 .440 .788 .157 2.82
June to August 12 .289 .357 .459 .816 .170 3.24
There's a .280 boost in the OPS, with a .190 difference in SLG%, suggesting that warmer weather helps to boost offensive numbers. Here are this year's such splits:
Interesting! Instead of overall offensive production increasing as the weather in Korea got hotter and more humid, it actually dropped. One theory is that the league and its manufacturer managed to reduce the number of defective balls mixed among the batch of new baseballs produced by Skyline. In May, they carried out a second test of the balls. They still found a few defects but there were reportedly far fewer than there were during the first test. It is possible the league had played with a mix of 2018 and de-juiced baseballs, but the number of 2018 balls may have decreased over time, which could explain the power dropoff despite hotter weather. According to a study, the newer baseballs shaved off four to five meters (13 to 16 feet) worth of distance in flight. The appropriately-produced baseballs appear to have done what they set out to do – curb the power production.
But there are more statistics that tell the tale. Let's take a look.
In the 2018 season, 3.09% of all KBO plate appearances resulted in a home run. In 2019, the rate has decreased to 1.83%, a 40.8% decrease in balls leaving the yard. (Before the season, the SK Wyverns ran a simulation of batted balls with the new de-juiced baseballs and they came out with a 15% fewer home runs overall, which clearly lowballed the eventual effect.) Last year, the league produced 1756 home runs. As of August 12, they have 773 and are on pace for a measly 1041. That's about 700 fewer projected home runs.
There are, of course, other factors that may have contributed to the power reduction. One thing I've observed is that pitchers are throwing more sinkers/two-seamers this season. Back in 2014, the league's pitchers threw four-seamers 59.2% of the time while two-seamers were basically afterthoughts at 1.3%. By 2018, that had changed to 44.8% four-seamers and 7.1% two-seamers. In 2019, it's progressed to 40.8% four-seamers and 12.0% two-seamers, making it something of a trend. There's another interesting contrast to MLB, where four-seamers are much more in style than two-seamers because of the batted ball results, as our own Ben Clemens has written. With the amount of available KBO data (or lack thereof), it's hard to do a deep dive on how much of an impact the two-seamers have had in curbing hitters' power, but it's a plausible factor. But would a 4.9% pitch usage increase be a major reason why the home run rate is down 40.8% from the previous season? I'm not so sure. As we've seen with MLB's own commissioned study of the change in the home run rate, these sorts of factors have an effect at the margins, but ball remains the most significant factor in how many balls leave the yard.
In 2018, there were 28 qualified hitters in the league had slugging percentages of .500 or higher. Given that there are 10 teams in the league, that meant there were roughly three hitters per each team's lineup who could hit for hefty power production. This year? There are only nine.
As August 12, the top slugger in the league is Jerry Sands, who's hitting a healthy .311/.399/.555. A .555 SLG% is nothing to sneeze at, but that would have ranked in 14th last year. The top slugger in the 2018 season – ByungHo Park – hit for a massive .718 SLG%. His SLG% has dropped to .549 this season, which is second to his Kiwoom Heroes teammate Sands.
Of course, there are exceptions. For instance, the 23-year-old Kiwoom Heroes shortstop Kim Ha-Seong hit .288/.358/.474 last year with 20 home runs. This year, he's hit .309/.395/.498 with 15 home runs in 106 games. However, that may more be a testament to his maturation or a change in approach than the de-juiced baseballs not deterring his skillset. The last time the league saw such a dearth of power hitters was 2013, when there were only five hitters who slugged .500 or higher; the league hit .268/.350/.388, which looks pretty close to how 2019 has gone (.267/.340/.388). (It was also the season before the KBO instituted the three-foreigner rule, which allowed teams to add foreign-born positional players.)
It's not just home runs that have been affected, either. Because of slower batted balls, there are fewer base hits resulting from balls put in play as well. In 2018, the league had a .329 overall BABIP. That figure has been reduced to .312 this season.
As for the direction of batted balls, there's no significant difference. The hitters have shown roughly similar tendencies all around. They also have posted about the same fly ball-to-groundball rate in both seasons, as well (0.96 in 2018, 0.97 in 2019). To me, this is simple: even with different baseballs, they are sticking with their usual strengths. There hasn't been a mass exodus from their previous approaches. Power hitters will continue to aim for extra bases and singles hitters will likely hit grounders and slap line drives.
Eight Minutes
Through August 12, 542 total games had been played, with an average game length of three hours and 13 minutes, including all of the extra-inning games. If you exclude those, the length shaves down to three hours and 10 minutes.
In 2018, that average was three hours and 21 minutes (including the extra-inning games). If you go back to 2014, when the league collectively hit for a .807 OPS, the games went as long as three hours and 27 minutes on average. Three hours and 10 minutes would be the shortest average game time length since 2012 (three hours and 11 minutes, including the extra-inning games), when the league was just as pitcher-friendly as it seems to be right now. The depressed offensive environment throughout the league seems to correlates with a faster pace of play.
Let's contrast the KBO's situation to that of MLB. As has been covered extensively this season, researches have shown that the balls in use in the majors are wound tighter and have smoother leather, resulting in flyballs traveling farther than they have previously. The league is on pace to set records in home runs hit in a season. Is Major League Baseball going to take steps to remedy the current trend or are they going to just let things be? We don't know for now, but if MLB were to look to neutralize the current home run-happy environment by tweaking their baseball production, they could learn some lessons from the KBO, where it has been made clear that a careful and intentional manufacturing process is important, and changes to the ball, even small ones, can have a significant effect on the game.
All KBO statistics are from Statiz unless specified
In 2019, Team Payroll and Wins Are Closely Linked
We've Reached Peak Mike Trout, Again
Sung-Min Kim writes for River Ave. Blues, and has written for MLB.com, The Washington Post, Baseball America and VICE Sports. Besides baseball writing, he is also passionate about photojournalism and radio broadcasting. Follow him on Twitter @sung_minkim.
Manfred: "How you manipulate a human-dominated handmade manufacturing process in any consistent way, it's a smarter human being than I." Per the commish, there's nothing that can be done about the MLB ball in 2019! I hope he knows what a donkey he looks like with this stance.
BTW, another great piece on the KBO! Is there any developing perspective on how the fans are reacting to this new, de-juiced game? That's a lot less batflips per season!
OORR… a lot MORE bat flips on balls they thought were going out, but didn't… which is awesome…
HoratioSky
I always thought it would be funny watching the players complain about the strike calls AFTER they switch to an electronic strike zone. You know it's going to happen because some guys just can't help it.
Agreed. Based on his past penchant for dishonesty with this issue however, don't expect any changes. Manfred is trying to appeal to the drones. Even if he did de-juice the ball, as soon as some star hits a ball that he thinks should have been over the fence, that owner will move in the fences yet again to add 10 new seats to the stadium and pacify the complainer. Miami is considering doing this again. Multiple stadiums have already done this more than once. Half of my son's high school fields are larger than most MLB stadiums. It's a joke at this point.


text:
DHS Alumni 1955-1969
Early Desert
Early Football
Spirit of Desert
Outside of School
2011 Cheat Sheet
Carol – 2011
Frances – 2011
Mike – 2011
Sandi – 2011
Sue – 2011
Pam – 2011
LaVern
DHS – 2006
Boron Dinner
April 20, 1999 – Dinner
Assorted Photos
EAFB Photo
Larry Boyett
Michael Deaver
John Farley
Nikki Cullum Fisher
Linda Hanes Wisen
Sandra Illian Davis
Coach Jack Jones
Wardell Lazard
Howard Pohlman
Thomas Wheeler
Cynthia Statz Armstrong
Judy Strozzi
Mick Yeager
Desert Alumni
Vincent Morgan
Jim and Joyce Baker
EAFB Name Change
Mike Stoddard
Iris Buss Sasaki
DHS Does it Right
Bill Deaver
Jolane Owings Dickey
Michael Deaver – Class of '56
Michael K. Deaver, who arranged some of Ronald Reagan's most memorable photographic backdrops for public consumption and privately gave the president blunt, sometimes contrarian advice, died August 18, 2007 at his home in Bethesda, Md. He was 69.
More – article from New York Times
There is an especially nice tribute to Mike at: Edelman
Services will be held after Labor Day. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to Clean & Sober Streets (P.O. Box 77114 Washington, DC 20013), Community Hospices (3720 Upton Street, NW, Washington, DC 20016) and Father Martin's Ashley (www.fathermartinsashley.com)
from Connie McCarthy, Class of '56:
There will be a memorial at his home in Maryland earlier. He has lived there since the Reagan years. We went to Desert when it was just in trailers and Mojave High started with one class at a time to form the Mojave High School one year at a time. We were one year ahead of the class they chose to start the Mojave High School so we stayed at Desert High and finished. Our class, the class of 1956 and the class of 1955 stayed at Desert. All classes below us from Mojave went to form the new school at Mojave. Mike was a leader even in grade school and at Desert High we were involed in the planning of most things that happened on campus. also the yearbook, Music and Drama, Band etc. There was a good story on him in the Bakersfield Californian this week and there will be one this week in the Mojave Desert News.Mike and I and a few other Desert High Grads were friends since grade school. We had a great time growing up in a small town. The times we grew up in, we will never see again and so we were very fortunate to live in a time of peace and safety in this small town. He was aware of the reunion in 2006 but had previous commitments with his work. He attended previous reunions that we did in the past.
By ADAM CLYMER
Published: August 19, 2007Michael K. Deaver, who arranged some of Ronald Reagan's most memorable photographic backdrops for public consumption and privately gave the president blunt, sometimes contrarian advice, died yesterday at his home in Bethesda, Md. He was 69.The cause was pancreatic cancer, his family said.
Mr. Deaver was widely known for creating photo ops that showed Reagan atop the Great Wall of China, at the cliffs of Normandy and filling sandbags to show concern after a Louisiana flood. And he played a central role in planning Reagan's funeral in 2004; the last visual was burial as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.
Less well known was that he was "one of the people who would speak up to Reagan," said Lou Cannon, Reagan's biographer.
Richard Wirthlin, Reagan's pollster, agreed, saying, "Over the years, Reagan knew that Mike wouldn't counter him unless it was very important." That gave Mr. Deaver's advice special weight, Mr. Wirthlin said.
Mr. Deaver worked for Reagan in one capacity or another from 1967 to 1985, but after he left the White House in 1985, his income soared and then his reputation plummeted.
He formed a hugely successful lobbying firm, Michael K. Deaver & Associates, whose clients included Canada, South Korea, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, TWA and Philip Morris. He posed for the cover of Time in 1986, sitting in the back seat of a limousine with a telephone at his ear, the Capitol in the background.
But the accompanying story was headlined "Cashing In on Top Connections," and in 1987 he was convicted on three counts of perjury for lying to a House subcommittee and a federal grand jury about efforts to use the White House in his lobbying efforts.
Mr. Deaver, who blamed alcoholism for a faulty memory of events and bad judgment, was fined $100,000 and given a suspended three-year prison sentence and probation.
Reagan's diary, published this summer, made it clear that just before leaving office in 1989 he considered pardoning his old friend, "but Mike has passed the word that he won't accept a pardon."
The terms of Mr. Deaver's probation barred him from lobbying for three years. In 1992 he joined Edelman International, a global public relations firm, where he was a vice chairman.Mr. Deaver, a Republican official in Santa Clara County, joined Reagan's staff in the governor's office in Sacramento in 1967, after working for George Christopher's campaign against him in the 1966 Republican primary.
He served through two four-year terms, and remained close after Reagan left office by forming a public relations firm with Peter Hannaford that handled Reagan's appearances, columns and broadcasts. He then worked on Reagan's unsuccessful 1976 presidential campaign and its successful sequel in 1980. He was deputy chief of staff in the White House from 1981 to 1985.
In that position, he was nominally under James A. Baker III, the chief of staff. But his long friendship with both the president and Nancy Reagan gave him a unique place in the administration, as someone who could explain them to comparative newcomers — like Mr. Baker or George P. Shultz, the president's second secretary of state.
But as an ally of Mr. Baker, he was sometimes accused by conservatives of drawing Reagan away from his roots on the right. And in October 1983, when Mr. Baker sought to move from the chief of staff job to the position of national security adviser, with Mr. Deaver advancing to chief of staff, conservative opponents blocked the change, which some of them called a coup. "Jim took it well but Mike was pretty upset," Reagan's diary said. "It was an unhappy day all around."
An earlier entry in that diary, for New Year's Day 1983, reflected Mr. Deaver's familiar role. "Mike D. proposed and I agreed to go by the La. floods on the way home" from California, Reagan wrote. He added: "Set down at Monroe, La. It really is devastated by the floods but the people were out in droves and their spirits are high. I shoveled a few sandbags for the cameramen." Edwin Meese III, a Reagan ally from Sacramento who became his attorney general, told The Associated Press yesterday that "Mike had an amazing way to understand how people would respond, and he had a great way of helping Ronald Reagan get his message cross to the public." But on one occasion, Mr. Deaver's advice and advance work failed Reagan. That was a visit to a German military cemetery in Bitburg in 1985, where 49 of Hitler's elite SS troops were buried. Many Jewish leaders were furious, but Reagan would not alter the schedule, so Mr. Deaver added a stop at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Mr. Deaver said too much was made of his work in burnishing Reagan's image. "I've always said the only thing I did was light him well," he told The Los Angeles Times in 2001. "My job was filling up the space around the head. I didn't make Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan made me." Mr. Cannon, the biographer, who had known Mr. Deaver from his days in Sacramento, said: "There were a lot of people who could do backdrops. He was an important player." Next to Mrs. Reagan and Mr. Meese, Mr. Cannon said, Mr. Deaver "was as important as anybody" in aiding Reagan's political career.
Mr. Deaver, who was born in Bakersfield, Calif., on April 11, 1938, and graduated from San Jose State College, is survived by his wife, Carolyn; a daughter, Amanda Deaver of Washington; a son, Blair, of Bend, Ore.; three grandchildren; a sister, Susan Wiggins of Tehachapi, Calif.; and a brother, William, of Mojave, Calif.
Tributes came in from co-workers and from the White House. But a singular message came from Henry Pierce, executive director of Clean and Sober Streets, a substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation program in downtown Washington on whose board Mr. Deaver served as chairman for 16 years.
"Every Christmas Eve without fail, Mike would show up, serve dinner to the residents and their families, play the piano and lead the Christmas carol singing," Mr. Pierce said. "He would be on hand for every graduation ceremony, and helped place many of them in their first real jobs. He saw the potential in each one of us, and gave his heart to the individual as well as the program."
ALUMNI MEMBERSHIP REGISTRY
Desert High Reunion 2016
DHS 2006
+-Reunion 2006
Reunion 2006 - Cappy
Reunion 2006 - Jim
Reunion 2006 - LaVern
Reunion 2006 - Louise
Reunion 2006 - Pamela
Reunion 2006 - Robin
+-Cruise 2010
Cruise 2010 - Carol
Cruise 2010 - Frances
Cruise 2010 - Bill
Cruise2010 - Miles
Cruise 2010 - Susan
Cruise 2010 - Sandi
Cruise 2010 - Michele
Cruise 2010 - Tom
Cruise 2010 - Dorothy
Cruise 2010- Mike
Cruise 2010 - Patty
Cruise 2010 - Carleen
Cruise 2010 - Willa
Cruise 2010 - Jay
Cruise 2010 - Betty
Cruise 2011 - Sue
Cruise 2011 - Mike
Ken Oldfield
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Opinion | Immigration policy can't be dictated by emotional blackmail
Mass migration and attempts at integration have failed here in Europe. People have simply had enough.
Opinion | Immigration policy can't be dictated by emotional blackmail Mass migration and attempts at integration have failed here in Europe. People have simply had enough. Check out this story on knoxnews.com: https://knoxne.ws/2twelZK
Columnist Published 12:00 p.m. ET June 22, 2018
Rachel Marsden(Photo: File photo)
PARIS -- U.S. President Donald Trump is under fire for treating U.S.-Mexico border-hoppers like lawbreakers, even though they're literally breaking the law. As with any crime, when parents are detained in prison, children don't go with them. The resulting optics are not pretty.
It would be much better if the border were simply sealed, would-be hoppers turned back along with their children, and requests for asylum submitted from outside the United States. Instead, Trump's critics are using the optics as leverage to attack Trump's attempt to secure the border.
Mexico currently has the same U.S. State Department travel advisory level as France, so sending someone back to Mexico isn't exactly inhumane. Yet we've gotten to the point where it's considered inhumane and unacceptable not to let everyone in, particularly if there are kids involved.
Western immigration policy has long been vulnerable to emotional blackmail. Remember how the image of a Syrian migrant child washed ashore in Turkey became a pretext for demanding that the floodgates be opened in Europe and the United States?
If you don't have clear boundaries in life that you're willing to defend even when faced with mounting pressure, someone is bound to exploit them: a partner, a boss, a human trafficker. What do we call people without defined boundaries in life? Insecure. It's the same with countries.
Hey, America, I've seen your future if you go down this road. I can tell you exactly how it's going to turn out -- and it's the opposite of what leftists might be imagining.
Here in Europe, Matteo Salvini, the interior minister of Italy's new populist anti-immigration government, has closed the country's ports to nongovernmental organization rescue ships carrying migrants who were abandoned by human traffickers. A recent poll showed that 59 percent of Italians agree with the move.
"They should know that Italy no longer wants to be an accomplice in the business of illegal immigration," Salvini said.
Customs and Border Protection agents prepare move Efrain Rocha from one vehicle to another after he was detained as he entered the U.S. without proper documentation the U.S. at the Calexico/Mexicali international border wall on June 19, 2018. (Photo: Omar Ornelas, The Desert Sun-USA TODAY NETWORK)
Anything short of blocking all illegal immigration at the U.S. border only serves to fuel the same sort of trafficking activities. The bleeding hearts swayed by images of children are exacerbating the problem by defending the viability of the traffickers' business model.
Leftism is ultimately inhumane. Not only is it enabling human trafficking, but it's also at the crux of why mass migration exists in the first place: The left's war on poverty has been an abysmal failure.
Attempts to redistribute wealth from developed nations to underdeveloped nations have been a disaster. If anything, foreign aid has fomented more chaos inside underdeveloped countries than it has resolved.
For example, the U.S. Agency for International Development, which manages billions of dollars in U.S. humanitarian aid, launched a Twitter-like social network called ZunZuneo in Cuba in a veiled attempt to undermine the Cuban government and sow the seeds of democracy in a communist country. The service was shut down after just two years.
Border Patrol detains immigrant families crossing US-Mexico border
Border Patrol agents take a group of migrant families to a safer place to be transported after intercepting them near McAllen, Texas, on June 19, 2018. More than 2,300 children have been separated from their parents at the border as a result of the Trump administration's new "zero tolerance" policy, creating a deepening crisis for the government on how to care for the children. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
Lester Morales, 27, from Guatemala and his 3-year-old son, JosŽé Fernando wait to be transported to a processing center by U.S. Border Patrol after being found near McAllen, Texas. Hundreds of immigrant parents like Morales are crossing into the U.S. without proper authorization unaware that the process to seek asylum now also includes temporary loss of their children. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
Analisa Lopez, 20, and her son Jorge, 3, from Honduras walk to a bus that will bring them to a U.S. Border Patrol processing center after being found near McAllen, Texas. Agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection pick up the immigrants as they cross into the U.S. then bus them to a nearby processing center where parents are typically separated from their kids while the adults face federal misdemeanor charges for entering the U.S. improperly. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
Border Patrol agents take a group of migrant families to be transported for processing after intercepting them near McAllen, Texas. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
A U.S. Border Patrol agent talks to a migrant woman who was found with a group of families from Honduras and Guatemala near McAllen, Texas. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
A Border Patrol agent comes upon a group of over 30 migrants along a dirt road near McAllen, Texas. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
A group of migrant families walk down a dirt road after being intercepted by Border Patrol near McAllen, Texas. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
Migrant families from Honduras and Guatemala are taken in to custody by Border Patrol after being found near McAllen, Texas. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
A Border Patrol agent directs a group of migrants as they walk down a dirt road after being intercepted. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
A group of migrant families line up along a dirt road after being intercepted by Border Patrol near McAllen, Texas. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
A Border Patrol agent places a migrant in a van after being caught in a cornfield near McAllen, Texas. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
Migrant families from Honduras and Guatemala wait to be taken to a processing center by U.S. Border Patrol after being found near McAllen, Texas. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
Border Patrol Agent Marcelino Medina stands in a cornfield and is given direction from a helicopter above as he tries to cut off an unauthorized entrant in Mission, Texas. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
Migrant families from Honduras and Guatemala wait to be taken to a processing center by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
A migrant is patted down as families from Honduras and Guatemala wait to be taken to a processing center by U.S. Border Patrol after being found near McAllen, Texas. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
A Border Patrol agent checks a known crossing spot along the Rio Grande near McAllen, Texas. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
Border Patrol Agent Marcelino Medina stands in a field as agents look for a migrant in Mission, Texas. Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK
Throwing money at a problem and proclaiming that something is being accomplished doesn't make it so. But it's easier to go that route than to make hard but effective decisions that are portrayed in the media as cruel. The backlash against the Trump administration for its hardline border policy is something we've already lived through here in Europe.
Roughly a decade ago, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was criticized for tackling lax border security and ordering deportations. At that point, the French still had the luxury of criticism. Insecurity and social discord grew worse under Sarkozy's Socialist successor, Francois Hollande, whose term was marred by several major terrorist attacks. The result was inevitable: The National Front's anti-immigration platform scored it a spot in the runoff of last year's presidential election, despite incessant attacks in the media.
The far right is now surging across Europe -- in countries such as Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Poland, Austria, Hungary and France -- while the left is on the downswing. The discrepancy between the utopian, open-borders view of the world that is promoted by much of the European media is increasingly at odds with the viewpoint of average citizens, as evidenced by the results of recent elections.
Border Patrol Agent Marcelino Medina stands in a cornfield and is given direction from a helicopter above as he tries to cut off an unauthorized entrant in Mission, Texas. (Photo: Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK)
Mass migration and attempts at integration have failed here in Europe. People have simply had enough. They can no longer be manipulated by accusations of heartlessness in the interests of keeping the borders open.
As America and Canada now face an onslaught of foreign migrants attempting to enter illegally under humanitarian pretext, these governments still have the luxury of choosing to close the door before voters make that choice for them.
Rachel Marsden is a columnist, political strategist and former Fox News host based in Paris. She is the host of the syndicated talk show "UNREDACTED with Rachel Marsden" Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Eastern: http://www.unredactedshow.com. Her website can be found at www.rachelmarsden.com.
Read or Share this story: https://knoxne.ws/2twelZK
Impeachment didn't stop William Blount from being elected again


NEW YORK, NY, Feb. 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clinical stage biotechnology company PharmaCyte Biotech (OTCQB: PMCB) is now closer than ever to reaching what would be a monumental milestone in the company's history. Years of patience from PharmaCyte's shareholders has now likely been whittled down to what should now be just months, and with the condensed timeline, the company is this close to what will be a landmark event—an "open" or approved Investigational New Drug application (IND) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its development of a treatment for patients with locally advanced, non-metastatic, inoperable pancreatic cancer (LAPC).
PharmaCyte is a California-based biotechnology company focused on developing targeted treatments for cancer and diabetes using its signature live-cell encapsulation technology, Cell-in-a-Box®. When the company recently announced that it had successfully encapsulated the live cells used in its therapy for patients with locally advanced, non-metastatic, inoperable pancreatic cancer (LAPC), and that those cells are now growing and dividing inside the Cell-in-a-Box® capsules, the news seemed to suggest that all of the pieces necessary to complete and submit the long overdue IND application to the FDA are falling into place for the company's upcoming clinical trial in the treatment of LAPC.
After enduring what has been a lengthy and time-consuming checklist of FDA-required tests, reports, documents and meetings, PharmaCyte's shareholders should take comfort in knowing that the list of items they're waiting on has now been trimmed to (1) the encapsulated live cells fully filling the Cell-in-a-Box® capsules, (2) the fully-filled capsules being placed into syringes and frozen, (3) FDA-required testing of the capsules, and finally (4) the writing of the reports and submission of the IND application to the FDA.
Currently, PharmaCyte's submission of an IND application is what has its shareholder's attention, but it is what an FDA approval of that application would mean for PharmaCyte that will soon garner the most attention. Once the FDA has approved the company's IND application for Cell-in-a-Box® + low doses of ifosfamide to treat LAPC, the FDA's approval will officially permit PharmaCyte to open clinical activities throughout the country.
PharmaCyte can begin the formal arrangements required to conduct its clinical trial in LAPC.
PharmaCyte can begin working towards the major milestone of enrolling the first patient in its clinical trial.
PharmaCyte can publish that the technology behind its LAPC treatment has passed the incredibly difficult FDA screening process and met all of the FDA's regulatory requirements.
An open IND gives PharmaCyte credibility in terms of delivering on an FDA clinical trial and persevering through a number of setbacks and delays.
Having an open IND with the FDA will offer global exposure of PharmaCyte's Cell-in-a-Box® technology.
PharmaCyte could begin to credibly seek a joint venture/partner in developing its therapy for LAPC if it should choose to go that route.
And because the therapy is the same, it would also allow PharmaCyte to credibly pitch the Cell-in-a-Box® technology to joint venture/partners to develop its therapy for malignant ascites fluid.
PharmaCyte could also credibly pitch the Cell-in-a-Box® technology to joint venture/partners to develop its therapy to treat cancer using the constituents of the Cannabis plant (cannabinoids).
An open IND also signals that many of the major hurdles PharmaCyte faced to get the FDA to approve the initiation of a clinical trial using its unique encapsulation material will not have to be replicated again—meaning that the FDA's list of extensive requirements related to the capsules that contain live cells for the treatment of diseases will have been met—paving the way for the development of treatments for diabetes and a host of solid tumors.
PharmaCyte Biotech is a biotechnology company developing cellular therapies for cancer and diabetes based upon a proprietary cellulose-based live cell encapsulation technology known as "Cell-in-a-Box®." This technology will be used as a platform upon which therapies for several types of cancer and diabetes are being developed.
PharmaCyte's therapy for Type 1 diabetes and insulin-dependent Type 2 diabetes involves encapsulating a human cell line that has been genetically engineered to produce, store and release insulin in response to the levels of blood sugar in the human body. The cell lines being studied are human liver cells, stem cells and beta islet cells. The encapsulation will be done using the Cell-in-a-Box® technology. Once the encapsulated cells are implanted in a diabetic patient, they are designed to function as a "bio-artificial pancreas" for purposes of insulin production.
Stock Market Media Group is a Content Development IR firm offering a platform for corporate stories to unfold in the media with research reports, corporate videos, radio-style CEO interviews and feature news articles. This article was written based upon publicly available information. Stock Market Media Group may, from time to time, include our own opinions about the companies, their business, markets and opportunities in our articles. Any opinions we may offer about any of the companies we write about are solely our own, and are made in reliance upon our rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and are provided solely for the general opinionated discussion of our readers. Our opinions should not be considered to be complete, precise, accurate, or current investment advice, or construed or interpreted as research. Any investment decisions you may make concerning any of the securities we write about are solely your responsibility based on your own due diligence. Our publications are provided only as an informational aid, and as a starting point for doing additional independent research. We encourage you to invest carefully and read the investor information available at the web site of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at: www.sec.gov, where you can also find all of PMCB's filings and disclosures. We also recommend, as a general rule, that before investing in any securities, you consult with a professional financial planner or advisor, and you should conduct a complete and independent investigation before investing in any security after prudent consideration of all pertinent risks. We are not a registered broker, dealer, analyst, or advisor. We hold no investment licenses and may not sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. Our publications about PMCB are not a recommendation to buy or sell a security. Section 17(b) of the 1933 Securities and Exchange Act requires publishers who distribute information about publicly traded securities for compensation, to disclose who paid them, the amount, and the type of payment. In order to be in full compliance with the Securities Act of 1933, Section 17(b), we are disclosing that we were paid seven thousand dollars from a third party via bank wire to produce content related to PharmaCyte.