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Farmer Brothers (FARM) Q4 2019 Earnings Call Transcript
FARM earnings call for the period ending June 30, 2019.
Motley Fool Transcribing
(MFTranscribing)
Sep 10, 2019 at 11:23PM
Farmer Brothers (NASDAQ:FARM)
Sep 10, 2019, 5:00 p.m. ET
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Farmer Brothers fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2019 earnings conference call. [Operator instructions] As a reminder, this call is being recorded. I would now like to turn the call over to your host, Rachel Goldman. Please go ahead.
Rachel Goldman -- Investor Relations
Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining Farmer Brothers fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2019 earnings conference call. Participating on today's call are Chris Mottern, interim CEO; and David Robson, treasurer and CFO.
Earlier today, the company issued its earnings press release, which is available on the Investor Relations section of Farmer Brothers' website at www.farmerbros.com. The press release is also included as an exhibit to the company's Form 8-K available on the company's website, and on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov. A replay of this audio-only webcast will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of this call. A link to the audio replay will also be available on the company's website.
Before we begin the call, please note that all of the financial information presented is unaudited and that various remarks made by management during this call about the company's future expectations, plans and prospects may constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the federal securities laws and regulations. These forward-looking statements represent the company's views only as of today, and should not be relied upon as representing the company's views as of any subsequent date. Results could differ materially from those forward-looking statements. Additional information on factors that could cause actual results and other events to differ materially from those forward-looking statements is available in the company's press release and public filings.
On today's call, management will also use certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin, in assessing the company's operating performance. Reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures is also included in the company's press release. I will now turn the call over to Chris. Chris, please go ahead.
Chris Mottern -- Interim Chief Executive Officer
Thank you, Rachel. Good afternoon, everyone, and thanks for joining us. On today's call, my intention is to update you on the company's progress in addressing the fundamental issues in the business and the steps we have taken in the last 120 days to drive improvement in execution and financial results. In addition to providing a progress report, I will also share with you what's ahead for the company.
To do this, I'll speak about events in the fourth quarter of 2019, as well as, the first quarter of fiscal 2020. David will review our financial results for the fourth-quarter and full year of fiscal 2019 in detail. Before I discuss the recent work that has been accomplished by the team, as you may have seen, we announced the appointment of a new CEO, Deverl Maserang, this afternoon, in addition to reporting our financial results. We are very pleased that Deverl has agreed to lead the Farmer Brothers team.
I'll speak more about his background and why we think he is an ideal fit later in the call. As I stepped into the Interim CEO role in May, it was clear to me that fundamental changes were required to get the company back on track. In the last 120 days, I completed a thorough review of our business and saw siloed thinking and fragmenting decision-making across the organization, which at times was leading to resources, both human and financial, not being allocated appropriately. The good news is that many great employees stepped forward and assisted in a significant fashion to develop five key priorities.
These were created with strategic intent. Success in execution of these priorities is forming a strong foundation on which the company will be able to stabilize, move forward with momentum, and be positioned for long-term success. These five priorities include: effective cash management and debt reduction; customer retention and acquisition; efficiently managing coffee brewing equipment, installation and service; enhancing our processes and systems; and reducing our SKU count and achieving 100% product availability. Most of these priorities are connected and require teams to break out of their silos and work together and make decisions quickly to achieving the common goal of success.
I am pleased and proud of those employees who have embraced change, and are instrumental to the successes achieved to date. I will comment on major improvements, but many, many great things are happening at Farmer Brothers. First, in terms of cash management and debt reduction. Our debt had reached a peak of $140 million on January 10th, 2019.
By August 31st, 2019, we have reduced debt to $100 million, an improvement of $40 million. We also improved accounts receivable from a month-end peak of $79.5 million on December 31st, 2018, to $56.7 million on July 31st, 2019, a reduction of $22.8 million. We reduced inventory from a month-end peak of $123 million on November 30th, 2018, to $90.4 million on July 31st, 2019, a reduction of $32.6 million. Over the past 120 days, we completed the sale of certain assets that brought proceeds of $17.8 million, which were used to improve liquidity and pay down debt.
This included: the sale of a parcel of company-owned land in June for $1.3 million; the sale of our office coffee business in July to a large office coffee supplier, generating proceeds of $9.2 million. We expect to record an estimated gain of $7.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 with an additional potential earn-out of up to $2.2 million. Our office coffee business is not a core part of our overall business. And as part of the sale, we also entered into a significant three-year coffee supply contract with the purchaser.
We sold our Seattle branch for $7.3 million. We expect to record an estimated gain of $6.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. We have recently signed an agreement to sell our Houston plant for $10 million with a leaseback term of up to 36 months. We expect this transaction to close in the second quarter of fiscal 2020 and are currently transferring volume to our other roasting facilities.
Regarding customer retention and acquisition. The company has been working for some time to improve DSD sales productivity and taken steps earlier in fiscal 2019 to further refine the balance between our channel and street account-based business. We have now taken an additional step by organizing the DSD business into nine regions and integrating our channel, and street businesses under the structure. As we evaluated our DSD accounts, it became clear that many of our channel accounts are regional in nature.
Additionally, we connected the coffee brewing equipment control, installation and service with regional sales management. The team's ability to be effective and control expenses has been aided enormously by our business intelligence tool. This tool allows sales team members the flexibility to use this key asset along with service to build our business at the local level. As we have begun the new fiscal year, this team is executing with the budget reduced by $14 million compared to fiscal '19.
For June, July and August, we are running favorable to the plan. In addition, this group is charged with developing revenue streams associated with equipment sales and service. We are already seeing results from this initiative. Long term, we see this as a strategic opportunity.
We've also reduced the span of each of our regions to focus on major metropolitan markets and their surrounds. In addition, we've added a developing market region for less dense markets that will require different forms of sales attention mostly direct services being one. These sales efforts are being supported by trade marketing reporting to the Senior VP and GM of direct-store delivery. Further, we have updated our DSD sales incentive program for regional sales representatives, providing significant upside for improved performance with added incentive when the branch team exceeds their goal as a unit.
We believe we have established the right structure, the right team, and have given our people the necessary tools to see greater success in retaining customers and winning new business. Our direct ship business performed in line with expectations in Q4 in terms of pounds sold to large national accounts. With that said, this business continues to be impacted by a highly competitive pricing environment. As we look to the future, we see growth opportunities with mid-tier and smaller customers that are more of a hybrid between direct ship and DSD.
These are customers who don't require significant investment of capital and people. They are coming to us for product development, equipment expertise, and additional services, allowing us to achieve fair margins. While we are working to improve and grow our DSD business, we are making changes within direct ship to increase our focus on these mid-tier and smaller hybrid accounts. We're also looking beyond this to additional growth opportunities.
As I mentioned earlier, we are seeing good traction with our roastery direct services, and see opportunity to continue building our e-commerce business, where the services we provide are a differentiator with customers. Our systems and processes objective is to develop critical reports needed to better manage and control our business. First, for DSD, the new business intelligence tool that I briefly mentioned earlier is proving to be transformational. It provides key details about our customers, including profitability, service events, sales, drop size, and equipment installs.
The tool allows the user to drill down from total to branch to route to customer, by product sold or information on any element of our business proposition. We've already put this tool to use, and it's providing the basis for setting our sales objectives and how we are working toward achievement of those objectives. Second, we're continuing to move ahead with the upgrade of our legacy JDE enterprise system. This is a fundamental tool which hasn't been updated for a number of years.
The significant improvement of this system will allow us to manage our business more effectively and efficiently. Third, we have piloted a 24/7 customer call center, which provides customers with immediate assistance. The initial results of the pilot have been excellent, and a plan for the national roll-out is currently under way. And finally, we have made progress as it relates to the technology our employees are using in the field.
While we have made necessary improvements to our handheld technology, we are also adding an all-hours field employee call center for employees with product supply issues to directly reach an employee with the authority to fix the issue immediately. For SKU rationalization and our 100% product availability commitment, we are seeing progress in reducing our SKU count. But we still need to work through existing raw materials inventory for eliminated SKUs. This process for coffee entails rationalization from coffee blending to grind consolidations to standardization of films to case packs along with reduction of SKUs for allied products.
We anticipate the result will be longer runs and fewer changes while providing for more focused selling, and ultimately reducing scrap. Product availability at 100% involves better forecasting at the SKU level and visibility of inventories of coffee and allied products all the way to our branches. The IT team is nearing completion of a branch tool that will improve ordering capabilities and provide better visibility into inventory. Within this priority is a reduction of scrap.
In 2019, our scrap was unacceptable. It was caused by overproduction, Houston's inability to produce without creating production scrap, and other field issues associated with obsolete product. More efficient manufacturing operations and improved product availability, coupled with a vibrant supply chain, is important for our success now, as well as, in the long term. As our team has focused on these five priorities since May, and as we have entered fiscal 2020, we've also made a number of other leadership changes and adjustments to the organizational structure that we believe will foster improved execution and enable more nimble decision-making.
In concert with the leadership changes, we rightsized the organization and eliminated approximately 60 positions, mostly at our corporate headquarters, in July to help us operate more efficiently. This will generate estimated savings of $7.6 million in fiscal 2020. We recorded a severance charge of $1.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. Having provided this update on progress made to improve execution and put the company on the right path to improve financial performance, I'd like to turn next to our outlook for fiscal 2020.
With the new permanent CEO coming on board and the business in the midst of a turnaround, we are not providing an expected range for adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2020. With that said, I'd like to give some qualitative guidance for the fiscal year. We currently anticipate that adjusted EBITDA will be down somewhat compared to fiscal '19, factoring in the following assumptions. First, we expect direct ship to remain steady.
Second, our outlook also factors a turnaround we expect to see in DSD in the third quarter, with its new regional structure in place and more refined balance between our channel and street account-based business. Additionally, this assumes we pay our incentive plan this year, whereas we did not in fiscal 2019. David will provide some additional metrics in a moment that may also be helpful for your financial models. Before I turn the call over to him, I'd like to speak a few moments about the company's incoming CEO.
We are thrilled to have Deverl Maserang joining Farmer Brothers, and are confident he is the ideal executive to lead Farmer Brothers into its next stage of growth. Deverl brings over three decades of innovative leadership in turnarounds, supply chain management expertise, as well as, deep experience in the food and beverage industry. He most recently served as President and CEO of Earthbound Farm Organic, where he led the company to deliver record operational execution metrics. Prior to that, Deverl held multiple senior positions at food and beverage companies, including Starbucks, Chiquita Brands, and Pepsi Bottling Group.
He will officially begin in the role on September 13th, and we look forward to benefiting from his experience, insights and strong leadership capabilities. My time as Interim CEO has been short but productive. I'm confident Deverl will hit the ground running and continue the great execution already demonstrated by this talented team. Deverl and I have already had in-depth discussions about Farmer Brothers business.
The actions we have taken in the past quarter and our five priorities are designed to better position the company for the future. With this foundation and Deverl stepping in as CEO, we believe the company is well-positioned to execute our strategy on a stand-alone basis and also pursue M&A opportunities in parallel to drive maximum value for our shareholders. As it relates to our broader strategy going forward, we recognize that we operate in a consolidating industry, and we want to be part of that consolidation. We believe that there will be potential opportunities on a regular basis, and we plan to evaluate them as they come.
It's been an honor serving as Farmer Brothers' Interim CEO, and I look forward to working with Deverl as the company continues to improve and evolve. With that, I'll now turn the call over to David for a more detailed review of our financial results.
David Robson -- Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
Thanks, Chris. I'll now review our fourth-quarter and fiscal year results beginning with coffee volumes. Green coffee processed and sold in the quarter was flat at 27.4 million pounds compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018. The mix of coffee volumes processed and sold during the quarter was approximately 8.9 million pounds or 32.4% of the total volume through our DSD network, while direct ship customers represented approximately 18.2 million pounds of green coffee processed and sold or 66.5% of total volume, 0.3 million pounds or 1.1% of total volume was through distributors.
The flat coffee volumes reflects incremental new volume from the ramping of our new large global convenience store retailer who began shipping earlier at fiscal 2019, offset by the impact of two brands that we serviced in the prior year that were brought in-house by the owners of those brands, and reduced coffee volumes from one of our largest customers, as well as, declining volume within our DSD network. Turning to the income statement. Net sales for the quarter were $142.1 million, a decrease of $7.5 million or 5% from $149.5 million recorded in the same period of the prior year. The decline in net sales was driven primarily by lower sales of coffee and allied products sold through our DSD network, offset by slightly positive growth within our direct sales channel net of the impact of lower coffee prices for our cost plus customers.
Net sales for our direct ship channel continue to improve as we ramp volume of the new large global convenience store retailer and trends improved from one of our largest customers. Sales through our DSD network was negatively impacted by higher customer attrition related to the Boyd's business integration, route optimization, and lower inventory fill rates associated with downtime at our Houston plant. Gross profit in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 was $37.7 million, a decrease of $15 million from the prior-year period, and gross margin decreased to 26.6% from 35.3%. The decrease in gross profit was primarily driven by lower year-over-year net sales of $7.5 million and higher cost of goods sold.
The higher cost of goods sold is attributed to higher inventory markdowns and slow-moving inventory, higher manufacturing costs driven by downtimes associated with the aging production infrastructure at our Houston facility, higher coffee brewing equipment and labor costs, and unfavorable shift in customer mix. However, the margin impact was partially offset by lower green coffee prices. I'd like to discuss a few of these items now in more detail. First, excess slow-moving inventories remained a challenge in the fourth quarter, resulting in higher inventory markdowns and scrap expense as we worked through the excess product associated with the Boyd's acquisition.
We also saw elevated scrap generated from production challenges at our Houston plant. As of year end, our inventory levels have declined and are now back in line with historical levels. The higher manufacturing costs we reported in the third quarter at our Houston plant continued into the fourth quarter, negatively impacting gross profit. This month, we entered into a sale and leaseback of our Houston facility, which Chris discussed earlier, that will unlock additional capital, enabling us to transfer volume away from our Houston production facilities to our other roasting facilities, which in turn should reduce future manufacturing downtime and scrap expense.
We have worked through the higher coffee brewing equipment cost throughout the quarter, declining over the third quarter but remain higher than the fourth quarter of last year. The reduction in costs is a result of increased cost controls we have put in place late in the fourth quarter. We expect to see further improvements in fiscal '20 as the cost reductions and process changes fully take hold. Turning to operating expenses.
Our operating expenses for the quarter decreased $6 million to $44.7 million from $50.7 million and as a percentage of net sales declined to 31.5% compared to 33.9% of net sales in the fourth quarter of the prior year. The decrease in operating expenses was primarily due to synergies achieved through the Boyd's business acquisition, head count reductions and other efficiencies from DSD route optimization, lower acquisition and integration costs and a reduction in bonus expense. Interest expense in the quarter increased $0.3 million over the prior year period to $2.8 million principally due to higher outstanding borrowings on our revolving credit facility primarily related to the Boyd's acquisition. Other expense increased by $0.2 million to $2.1 million in the quarter compared to the prior-year period primarily due to increased mark-to-market losses on coffee-related derivative instruments not designated as accounting hedges.
Turning to income taxes. We reported an income tax expense of $1 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 as compared to $1.3 million in the prior year period. The lower tax expense in the current year is primarily due to losses from operations in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 as compared to income from operations in the same period in 2018. As a result of these factors, net loss was $8.8 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 as compared to net income of $0.1 million in the prior year period.
Net loss available to common stockholders was $8.9 million or $0.52 per diluted share available to common stockholders in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 compared to breakeven net income available to common stockholders in the prior-year period. Adjusted EBITDA was $3.9 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 as compared to $14 million in the prior-year period. And adjusted EBITDA margin declined 2.8% for the quarter compared to 9.3% for the same period last year. Our full-year adjusted EBITDA was $31.9 million, which fell $2 million below the lower end of the revised guidance range we provided last quarter.
Now turning to the balance sheet. Overall, we've been strengthening our financial flexibility by reducing debt levels and managing our working capital more efficiently. These efforts have led to improved free cash flow. At the end of the quarter, we had $7 million in cash, and we had $92 million borrowed on our revolving credit facility or $85 million in debt net of cash.
This compares to debt net of cash at March 31, 2019, of $110.8 million, a decline of $25.8 million. As of June 30th, availability under our credit facility was $56 million compared to $25 million in bank availability as of March 31st, 2019. During the quarter, our collections of accounts receivables improved and our accounts receivable balance declined by $10.7 million to $55.1 million compared to $65.8 million at the end of the third quarter and down $3.4 million from the prior year of $58.5 million. Our inventory levels also declined during the quarter by $12.5 million to $87.9 million compared to $100.4 million at the end of the third quarter, and down $16.5 million from the prior year of $104.4 million.
Accounts payable increased during the quarter by $10 million to $72.8 million compared to $62.8 million at the end of the third quarter, and up $16.2 million from the prior year of $56.6 million. During fiscal '19, we were able to negotiate extended vendor terms, which supported the higher payable balance at the end of the quarter. Turning to capital expenditures. Capital expenditures and cash for the fourth quarter were $4.4 million, with $4.1 million related to maintenance capital.
Total capital expenditures for the year were $34.8 million, in line with our expectations. Depreciation and amortization expense was $7.8 million in the fourth quarter versus $7.7 million in the same period of the prior year. Looking out to fiscal '20. We expect maintenance capital to range between $17 million to $20 million, a decrease over fiscal '19 maintenance capital of $21 million.
The reduction in fiscal '20 maintenance capital over fiscal '19 is due to lower planned spending on new coffee brewing equipment and an increase in our use of refurbished coffee brewing equipment, which has a lower cost per unit. We expect depreciation expense in fiscal '20 to range between $7.7 million to $7.9 million for the next several quarters. We expect minimal cash and accrued tax expense in fiscal '20. We expect our debt net of cash to decline during the first quarter from $85 million at the end of the year to $78 million to $82 million by September 30th, 2019.
We remain focused on the five operating priorities Chris outlined earlier on the call, and the entire organization is committed to returning Farmer Brothers to growth and profitability. And with that, I'd like to open the call up for questions. Operator?
[Operator instructions] Our first question comes from the line of Gerry Sweeney with ROTH Capital. Your line is now open.
Gerry Sweeney -- ROTH Capital Partners -- Analyst
Good afternoon Chris and David. Thanks for taking my call.
Hi, Gerry.
A lot presented in the -- in your opening remarks here. So a couple of things that jumped out at me that I wanted to highlight and get a little bit more detail. And one of them was on the direct ship business. It sounds like you're going to shift a little bit of focus to mid-tier and hybrid potential customers because of maybe some pricing in the markets.
I mean is this a little bit of concern that you're not well-positioned to go after some of these larger direct ship customers? Or is the market changing substantially? This is the first we've really heard about this and just want to get a little bit more detail because it's an important component.
I think possibly the answer is both. But what is happening is the large national accounts, there's a lot of competition for the business. They usually have three or four suppliers, and we're in a time where our yields are spiraling down in an unfavorable direction. So that's occurring.
And you begin to lose your ability to supply it and make a reasonable amount of money. That being said, the other piece that we're realizing is we have lots of opportunity to add value to sort of the mid-tier and hybrid accounts that actually uses our expertise. And it gives us a chance to impact their business favorably and make a fair margin. So that's sort of our take on the industry right now.
We continue to look at national accounts, and we evaluate it when they come up for bid. And we'll make our determinations when that happens.
You know, and does Houston play a part into this? I'm assuming Houston is going away, and this three-year leaseback is your time to fully transfer production, get SKUs qualified at the other facilities. So is it correct to think that this facility is no longer going to be part of the portfolio at some point in the future?
We haven't made that decision yet, but I do think it is our most expensive plant due to its age and its production cost.
I would say, Gerry, what we are finding, the plant is not necessarily connected to our strategy. If you look at the profitability we're making on these mid-tier customers as they're coming out for bid, it just is a lot more opportunistic for us to seek those out. And we're seeing the opposite happening on the larger accounts that we're taking out for bid. So we're shifting toward more of the hybrid and the middle-sized account where the opportunities are very good, and that's where we have a good competitive advantage on the things that we offer that they want.
No, I mean the second part of that would be, right, so Houston, I mean, actually, it's a decent-sized plant. And you have Northlake, which is we'll say state-of-the-art or at least new and much more efficient. What's the calculus of not shutting Houston down and just moving that all to Northlake and better positioning your current assets?
You know, we're not commenting on -- much more on Houston than we've said. But we'll be doing a lot of analysis over the next three-or-so months to determine exactly what to do with our capacities.
Understood. I know you're limited, but I appreciate that. And then one more question, and I don't want to -- then I'll jump back in queue. And if there's none, get some more in.
But attrition at DSD clients, you know this has been ongoing. Any of the new initiatives showing any signs of rectifying some of this attrition?
We're -- You know this is a long haul. I've been doing this about 130 days, and I think we are much better organized and we have a much improved team along with better systems and processes to begin to move the needle. And that's what we're seeing. We're seeing a slight turn but not enough to sit down and say we've turned the corner.
This is going to take some time.
You know, high-level question, very qualitative. But I mean at some point, with some of these new DSD clients, especially the small ones, was the transfer maybe some of them to drop ship, less visits by -- or drop-offs of coffee, I mean was there just a disconnect in potential customer service? Or getting to know that driver who was delivering some of it, did that play into it potentially?
I think one of the things you're saying is the driver, the person who delivers the product, really important to the customer relationship, and that is true. So as turnover occurs, it takes a while to train drivers and for them to understand the customer dynamics and what their needs are. So that's part of it. Also, there's a part of it of smaller accounts.
Actually, we're achieving some success with our roastery direct services, which put that into a different form of distribution, which some customers, especially small operators, like because they receive the coffee in a different fashion than delivery. So some of that is occurring, and we're happy with that. In addition, we have customer profitability from the BI tool by customer, and it allows us to investigate what makes that customer unprofitable and fix it. And sometimes, we find they're buying coffee at -- outside our system and using our service and equipment.
In some cases, we recover that account and make it more profitable. In others, we take our equipment back. So there's lots of moving pieces, but we're achieving the discipline, I think, that's necessary to make this -- make DSD very successful.
Got it. I appreciate it, Chris and David. I'll jump back in line. Thank you.
[Operator instructions] Our next question comes from the line of Kara Anderson with B. Riley FBR. Your line is now open.
Kara Anderson -- B. Riley FBR -- Analyst
Hi, good afternoon.
Hi, Kara.
I just wanted to kind of follow-up on the customer attrition issue. Can you speak at all to where you think those customers might be going? Are they going to your competitors? Are they going to club stores? Just curious as to where that business is being lost.
Well, I think the first thing is -- and I think the -- we have a lot of people who've come from other DSD networks and -- that service similar customers. And they expect a churn of about 30% a year between going out of business, new business bankruptcies, just sort of -- just a normal situation that you would find in businesses. Beyond that, I think what we have experienced is that we kind of lost our way in terms of customer service as we made some changes in DSD, and that prompted customers to move elsewhere. And that, we're in the process of changing.
But also people are moving to, we suspect, Internet businesses and getting their product in a different form. But we think we can interrupt that with our roastery direct, and we are. And we think the BI tool is giving us much more ability to go back and have conversations with customers about the benefit of having quality service, having coffee brewing equipment that is serviced on a regular basis that is provided to them as long as they purchase acceptable minimums of product. So I think we're working at having the churn be exceeded by achieving new customers, and basically building our business within the customers we have.
Because a lot of our customers don't buy the full line of product, and customer profitability brings that right to the front and enables us to act on that. So we have lots of things going on that, I think, are going to make the attrition be additions.
And, Kara, to add to that, I mean, we did note at our call that our fill rates were not where we wanted them to be. And so although it's an existing customer and they buy from us, when we're unable to fully deliver their order, of course, they're going to buy from someone else, and they should. So that's on us, and that's why we called out we're addressing that and some of the things we're doing with respect to Houston so we can raise our fill rates up higher, as well as, some SKU optimization we're going through to make it easier to make our fill rates. So it's just not customer churn, it's also existing customers that bought less in the quarter.
And kind of on that point, I was going to ask about sort of the fill rates. So you know what I'm hearing is that it was primarily a DSD thing. Or were you unable to fill inventory for some of your larger customers?
No. I think it's principally DSD that was impacted by that.
OK. And then you've also called out an unfavorable mix of customers, I think, last quarter, this quarter again. Can you kind of, I guess, expand on that and give a little bit more color?
Well, the first call-out is our DS -- our direct ship business grew at a faster rate than our DSD business so that will drive an unfavorable mix by itself. And I think that's the principal driver impacting our margins.
Got it. And then I wanted to clarify, I guess, on the directional outlook for fiscal 2020. I think you said you're expecting adjusted EBITDA to be down somewhat from 2019. But it sounds like you are also expecting a flat direct ship and maybe some improvement in DSD in Q3, if I heard correctly, and as well as, I think $7 million in sort of cost savings from head count reductions.
I guess can you reconcile all that for me? It just doesn't quite, I guess, add up to sort of what you would expect or what you're expecting to be a down adjusted EBITDA outlook.
Sure. Sure. A couple of things. One, the run rate of our DSD business has been declining.
So in the near term, we expect that trend to hold. As Chris mentioned, some of our direct ship business, not all of it, is facing more competitive pricing. So that will impact us. And then last year, we did not fund our incentive plan, and so that will cost us somewhat more.
And then the offset going the other way is we did announce some cost savings, principally at headquarters that will drive savings that you alluded to. So if you net all those out in total, you get to about very close to where we were last year, slightly down.
I'm showing no further questions in queue. At this time, I would like to turn the call back to Mr. Mottern for closing remarks.
Thank you very much, and again, we really appreciate all of you on the call. We have a dedicated employee team working to turn this business around. And so we appreciate, appreciate you listening, and we believe we have an opportunity to be a market leader. Thank you for joining us today and for your continued support and interest in Farmer Brothers.
[Operator signoff]
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Outstanding efforts by athletes with disabilities lauded
Despite their physical challenges, Vietnamese athletes with disabilities have striven with outstanding efforts and gained remarkable results at regional and international arenas over the years, bringing glory to the nation.
VNA Monday, February 11, 2019 15:15
Bright prospects for Vietnamese sports in 2019
Saturday, February 09, 2019 09:21
Vietnam wins 40 medals, ranking 12th at Asian Para Games
Sunday, October 14, 2018 18:21
VN's swimmer honoured at Asian Para Games closing ceremony
Paralympic delegation returns home from Rio
Wednesday, September 21, 2016 21:08
Prime Minister commends Paralympics 2016 athletes
Friday, September 09, 2016 19:39
Vietnamese powerlifter Le Van Cong after winning a gold medal at the Rio Paralympics (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Despite their physical challenges, Vietnamese athletes with disabilities have striven with outstanding efforts and gained remarkable results at regional and international arenas over the years, bringing glory to the nation.
At the Rio Paralympics in 2016, powerlifter Le Van Cong secured the first gold medal for Vietnam at the 49-kg category. Furthermore, the Vietnamese team won eight gold, eight silver and 24 bronze medals at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Indonesia, ranking 12th in the tally.
Lauding the achievements, General Secretary of the Vietnam Paralympic Association Vu The Phiet underlined that the Rio Paralympics marked Vietnam's fifth appearance at the international event, where athletes overcame their challenges and proved an extraordinary fortitude of Vietnamese people.
World champion Cong served as a brilliant example, as he earned remarkable achievements during 10 years, Phiet noted. He bagged a gold at the 48-kg category at the 2007 ASEAN Para Games and broke three records at the regional sport competition in 2014, and the Powerlifting Asian Championship in 2015.
In 2017, he triumphed the World Para Powerlifting Championships in Mexico, following his first ever Paralympics gold medal.
Meanwhile, swimmer Vo Thanh Tung is other prominent athlete of Vietnam. He brought home three gold medals and broke several records at the 2018 Asian Para Games.
Vietnamese athletes have been busily preparing for the 10th ASEAN Para Games in the Philippines later this year, the 2020 Paralympics in Japan, and especially the 2021 ASEAN Para Games which Vietnam will be the host.
Phiet said that the Vietnam Paralympic Association has worked to create chances for athletes to compete at international tournaments to sharpen their skills and mentalities, particularly in key sports including track and field, swimming, chess and powerlifting.
In the coming time, the association will focus on developing sport clubs at the grass-root level and education establishments for people with disabilities, thereby scouting and training young talents.
It will also bolster international cooperation and call for resources for training activities ahead of the 10th ASEAN Para Games and the Tokyo Paralympics, Phiet added.-VNA
Vietnamese athletes with disabilities powerlifter Le Van Cong Rio Paralympics in 2016 2018 Asian Para Games swimmer Vo Thanh Tung 2020 Paralympics ASEAN Para Games
Vietnamese female football team to play with high resolve in Asian Cup final
The women's football team of Vietnam will compete in the 2022 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup with strong determination and effort, head coach Mai Duc Chung said on January 20.
Head coach Park Hang-seo on January 20 announced the 24-man squad for Vietnam's upcoming away match against Australia in the final round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, according to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).
Exhibition on traditional Tet opens to public
An exhibition, which recreates the Vietnamese traditional Tết (Lunar New Year) is being at the display space of the National Archives Centre 1 in Hanoi.
Calendar distribution ceremony enacted
The Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre has recently reenacted the Ngu Lich ceremony, which originated from the Le Dynasty to distribute calendars to royal mandarins.
The Hoan Kiem District People's Committee opened Hang Luoc street traditional flower market and diverse activities at Phung Hung street mural space on January 19 in celebration of the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home The Martial Arts Kid Cast Don The Dragon Wilson Is Still Roaring
Don The Dragon Wilson Is Still Roaring
With The Martial Arts Kid and The Reel Deal, It's Clear Don The Dragon Wilson Is Still Roaring
Jerome Maida
With a role confirmed in the new "The Martial Arts Kid" film and a role on the reality TV show "The Reel Deal', it is clear that Don "The Dragon" Wilson is as hot as ever.
"The Martial Arts Kid" will be the latest film for Wilson in which he is the lead – he is co-headliner with fellow action-movie legend Cynthia Rothrock – and brings the total of films in which he has been the star or co-star to over 30.
As a lead, Wilson is best known for the eight films in the "Bloodfist" series, the first of which hit shelves in 1989 and in which Wilson plays a retired kickboxer.
Which – regardless of anyone's opinion on his acting ability, wasn't that much of a stretch for Wilson, of course. He is a world-renowned kickboxing champion, with his athletic career spanning four decades and earning him an astounding 11 world championships. He is considered by many to be the greatest kickboxing champion in the sport's history and no worse than third by virtually anyone.
He has also produced 20 films – and it is that experience that "The Reel Deal" thought would make him the ideal mentor for an aspiring entertainment team, which also includes Judy Norton, Tim Russ, David Chokachi, Eric Roberts, Holly Fields and Dustin Diamond.
"The Reel Deal" is a multi-platform new media reality show where celebrity led teams attempt to make an Academy Award quality short film in just four days. Contestants may audition for either actor, director, composer or writer roles on the teams.
In "The Martial Arts Kid", the focus is on Rothrock and Wilson, who take an unruly and troubled young relative to their Florida beach town after the death of his mother. Soon, in an effort to channel his anger and rage, they begin to teach him martial arts.
"The Martial Arts Kid" is scheduled to hit theaters in 2015.
Previous articleTara Cardinal Cast In The Martial Arts Kid
Next articleEric Kovaleski Cast in The Martial Arts Kid (2015)
http://moviepilot.com/users/574929?lt_source=external,manual
Jerome Maida is a martial artist and a freelance writer at the Philadelphia Daily News.
The Martial Arts Kid (2015) DVD
Why You Should See The Martial Arts Kid
The Martial Arts Kid Wins at Sunscreen Film Festival


Located in East Maitland, The Old Victoria is a 2-minute drive from Maitland Gaol and 5 minutes from Maitland Regional Art Gallery. This bed & breakfast is 19.3 mi (31 km) from Lake Macquarie and 15.2 mi (24.5 km) from University of Newcastle.
Make yourself at home in one of the 5 individually decorated guestrooms. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available to keep you connected. Bathrooms feature shower/tub combinations, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers. Conveniences include desks and portable fans, and housekeeping is provided daily.
Enjoy a satisfying meal at The Old Victoria serving guests of The Old Victoria. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the bar/lounge. A complimentary continental breakfast is included.


The benefits of REALice go way beyond simply turning off the hot water for ice making and saving money.
Håkan Grönlund from H2O Vortex / Watreco, the manufacturer, speaks about the benefits of the REALice technology. Håkan has instrumental in converting over 500 arenas world wide to REALice 3-D printed technology.
Håkan shares a bit of the history of REALice.
He also provides valuable pointers on best practices such as: why it is important not to trickle fill the ice resurfacer when using the system; and how impurities that move to the top of the ice sheet can easily be removed by incorporating a daily dry-shave routine.
For those of you who already have REALice installed this video is a valuable reminder.
For those of you contemplating making the switch, well what are you waiting for?
Make 2019 the year you deliver better quality ice and electricity and gas savings to your arena.


When writing tutorials for programmers it is helpful to display code snippets in the HTML. This lesson will show you how to do that.
1) Surround the code in

 tags.
If you export as HTML you should now see something similar to this (I used the Black BG template). Notice how the text is centered and does not stand out.
You can make your code snippets look much nicer using a little CSS. I added some CSS to the black.css file in the template and now the code snippet look like this. I've included the CSS I used below.
That is great, if you are exporting to HTML.
For those of use forced to export to PDF due to company policies, what can we do to get the same results?
As of version 2.6 there isn't a great solution for PDF output. If you have a text editor that colorizes your scripts for you then you can copy/paste the colorized text into the step instructions. You won't get control over the font but you will get nicer looking code.
Finally got round to 'adapting' the embedded video code to try and embed AWeber webforms in lessons. Then I discovered this lesson and that made it way easier.
Tip: don't use the raw code of the webform, it will add loads of white space above the actual 'form' due to the hidden code.
Another box ticked off my to do list and another benefit I've found in using/combining ScreenSteps and ScreensSteps Live with other of my favourite programs to market our business. Thanks!
Hopefully this feature will be added in a future version. This is very useful software, but the text formatting leaves a lot to be desired, as well as easily highlighting important areas in a manual.
@Bruce: We do have plans to add more powerful and flexible formatting options in a future version so that formatting blocks of text with styles that you define will be much easier.
Yes, it would be nice to have different formatted options (colored box, relevant graphic image next to the text, etc.) for things like "Tip", "Note", "Important", etc. points that should stand out in the flow of the articles.
This has been a problem for 2 years - are there any plans to address this? We just signed up, and love the software, but this is kind of a tough sell to our customers who demand PDF.
@George - the next major upgrade will support code formatting within the text. This means code will look nice in PDF output. I can't give you a release date but the next major upgrade isn't terribly far off.


text:
PM's Pet Bullet Train Project May Fail to Meet 2023 Deadline
Apart from pandemic and land acquisition, another major cause for delay could be cost escalation owing to a fall in the rupee against the Japanese yen.
Representational Image. Image Courtesy: Business Standard
New Delhi: The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, which is scheduled to be completed by December 2023, may fail to meet its deadline due to the coronavirus pandemic that has led to delays in opening tenders and land acquisition, officials said.
The National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) has already acquired 63% of the land for the project -- about 77% land in Gujarat, 80% in Dadar Nagar Haveli and 22% in Maharashtra. Officials said there are still issues in acquiring land in areas like Palghar in Maharashtra and Navsari in Gujarat.
Last year, the company had floated nine civil work tenders which could not be opened because of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.
"Because of COVID we had to postpone the opening of a few of the tenders. It is difficult to assess the impact of the pandemic on the project as it is still continuing. We cannot say how the pandemic will affect the project as I don't know how long it will last," NHSRCL MD Achal Khare said.
Officially, the NHSRCL spokesperson maintained that the deadline for the project remained 2023.
One of the civil work contracts for construction of stations, bridges, viaducts, maintenance depots, and tunnels across the network is to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore.
Tenders for civil works for 345 km out of 508 km alignment, or 68% of civil works, have already been floated. This includes six MAHSR stations (including one underground station in Mumbai). The works related to utility diversion are progressing well and the construction of Sabarmati passenger hub (a multi modal hub) in Sabarmati, Gujarat has also started.
The hostel building of High Speed Training Institute (which is presently being used for COVID-19 patients) and training tracks in Vadodara are also completed.
The 508.17-kilometre long network will pass through three districts in Maharashtra (Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar) and eight districts in Gujarat (Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Kheda, and Ahmedabad).
Apart from land acquisition, another major cause for delay could be cost escalation owing to a fall in the rupee against the Japanese yen.
While the extent of the cost escalation has yet not been confirmed by the railways, sources said it is estimated that it will rise from the present Rs 1.08 lakh crore to 1.70 lakh crore.
The total cost of the project is pegged at Rs 1.08 lakh crore and as per the shareholding pattern, the Government of India is to pay Rs 10,000 crore to the NHSRCL, while the two states involved, Gujarat and Maharashtra, are to pay Rs 5,000 crore each. The rest is to be paid by Japan through a loan at 0.1 per cent interest.
One section of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed rail corridor is likely to be tendered out within three months after nearly 90 per cent of the land acquisition for the project is completed, an official said.
Officials said that to complete the project, the NHSRCL has divided the work in 26 packages, each has to provide a minimum of 30 months' time for the contractors to finish their work.
"So, even if the land acquisition is completed and tenders are opened, NHSRCL will be unable to finish the work within the deadline. Also, the Japanese who have been allotted land here have not been able to begin any of their works, which is sure to delay the project further," said the official.
Modi Pet Project
Japanese Investment
'Looting Our Land': Farmers Intensify Protest Against NHAI's Land Acquisition in Punjab
Is Centre Violating Peoples' Rights for Acquiring Coal-Bearing Land in Chhattisgarh?
How Long Must Poorer Nations Wait for Access to Covid Vaccine?
Beijing: China's economy, which was the first to be hit by the coronavirus pandemic and early to recover from its impact, grew 2.3% in 2020, regist


Incredible food, great service and fantastic facilities! The deluxe Mountain or Gondola view rooms are highly recommended for a fantastic view of the slopes and spectacular pine clad Pirin Mountains! Unwind in the beautiful spa after a hard day on the slopes, the facilities here are truly Five Star.
For the ultimate in luxury accommodation, you needn't look further. Being a member of the 'Leading Hotels of the World' Kempinski offers the highest standard of accommodation' impeccable service' exquisite food, excellent facilities with a superb spa and wellness area. Conveniently located opposite the high–speed gondola, it's possible (snow permitting) to ski all the way back from the top of the mountain.
Free children's club for all hotel guests with children from 2 to 12 years of age. Open every day from 9.00am to 9.00pm with a variety of amusing activities.
A babysitting service is available on request at an extra charge.
† Some facilities may incur a local charge.
(2–3 people): Deluxe twin or double rooms are approx. 35m2 with satellite TV' minibar' mini–safe' balcony' Wi–Fi' bath' separate shower' wc' bathrobes' slippers and hairdryer. Some rooms can take an extra bed suitable for a child only. Double rooms for sole use available. Deluxe rooms with mountain & gondola views also available.
Included board basis varies by supplier.
& New Year Gala dinners included.
February 2011 was our second time at the Kempinski in Bansko. We went in February 2010 as beginners and were really impressed by the resort in general. The ski road is an excellent way to return to the hotel due to the ski-in ski-out boot room which is just off the ski road. The hotel is absolutely fantastic. Rooms are lovely and big, well equiped and the food is excellent. I have seen reviews that say the food is strange and not good which I cannot understand anyone writing. Okay, so they don't serve chips but hey, this is a posh hotel, not a fast food restaurant. Seriously, the food is excellent as is the service. The only shame on my second year at the Kempinski was the withdrawal of the free priorty pass for the gondola which allowed Kempinski guests to jump the queue in the morning - this was free in 2010 but there was a c. £400 charge per person for this in 2011. That said, if you start queuing before 9am, it only takes 10-15 minutes before you are on your way so it is not so bad. Bansko is an excellent resort for beginners and intermediates and very good value for money.
Excellent hotel, with fantastic facilities. Stayed there Dec 07 it was the first time I had been skiing, the fact you could ski right to the hotel door was brilliant and I would not want to stay anywhere else. The service was excellent even if some of the meals were slightly strange, but just go and enjoy it and make the most of the apres ski!
The price shown includes 7 nights accommodation, with flights from Belfast International.


100sareepact | My moods painted in Kalamkari!
My moods painted in Kalamkari!
Sarees depict our moods n mysteries so well, don't they! Here's an example of one that embodies mine.
I had put this pic up on Facebook a week ago to showcase my new designs. But there's quite a dreamy inspiration to it.
The saree is half blue and half brown. As a proud Gemini who enjoys the airy misty seas as much as the grounded n rooted earth; I wanted a saree with the combination of both. So I selected the light n breezy silk Kota & got my artist to paint busy and intricate flowers for the lower heavier earthy half & pure vivacious blue for the upper dreamy half! I've extended the half & half concept & designed the pallu to start earlier. This showcases the playfulness of the blue in the pleats below.
For me…every saree I design is a canvas…a place to shower my passion n love n moods!
The intriguing backlight adds to the element of mystery too doesn't it!
Part of a Fashion Show!!!


"Change in Dietary Patterns and Change in Waist Circumference and DXA T" by Elizabeth M. Cespedes Feliciano, Lesley Tinker et al.
OBJECTIVE: To examine whether changes in diet quality predict changes in central adiposity among postmenopausal women.
METHODS: At baseline and 3-year follow-up, Women's Health Initiative Observational Study participants completed food frequency questionnaires, and waist circumference was measured (WC, n = 67,175). In a subset, trunk fat was measured via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA, n = 4,254). Using multivariable linear regression, 3-year changes in dietary patterns (Healthy Eating Index-2010, Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010, Alternate Mediterranean Diet, and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) were examined as predictors of concurrent changes in WC and, secondarily, DXA.
RESULTS: Mean (SD) age and 3-year changes in weight and WC were 63 (7) years, 0.52 (4.26) kg, and 0.94 (6.65) cm. A 10% increase in any dietary pattern score, representing improved diet quality, was associated with 0.07 to 0.43 cm smaller increase in WC over 3 years (all P < 0.05). After adjusting for weight change, associations attenuated to 0.02 to 0.10 cm but remained statistically significant for all patterns except Alternate Mediterranean Diet. Results were similar for DXA trunk fat.
CONCLUSIONS: Three-year improvements in diet quality are modestly protective against gain in WC and partially explained by lesser weight gain. Achieving and maintaining a healthful diet after menopause may protect against gains in central adiposity.
Cespedes Feliciano, Elizabeth M.; Tinker, Lesley; Manson, JoAnn E.; Allison, Matthew; Rohan, Thomas; Zaslavsky, Oleg; Waring, Molly E.; Asao, Keiko; Garcia, Lorena; Rosal, Milagros C.; and Neuhouser, Marian L., "Change in Dietary Patterns and Change in Waist Circumference and DXA Trunk Fat Among Postmenopausal Women" (2016). UMass Center for Clinical and Translational Science Supported Publications. 90.


Since my pharmacy switched to Solco as the supplier of my Wellbutrin I have had all the symptoms, for which I was taking Wellbutrin, return. Has anyone else experienced this problem?
Hello, Deb0724! How are you?
As set forth in the Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984, there can be fluctuations in the amount of active ingredients in generic medications, they are allowed to differ from the name brands by as much as plus or minus 20% and they only have to measure against the name brand, not other generics. Thus, it is highly possible that one may have a little more of the active ingredient, while a different one may be slightly lower.
Can anyone else that's taken the one from Solco chime in with their experience?
The FDA lists the typical side effects of this medication as possibly including nausea, dizziness, dry mouth and nervousness.
It sounds like this one might be low in the active ingredient.
My Solco generic Wellbutrin buproprion 150 mg pills are either ineffective or worse - how would I know? In either case I feel bad enough that I must now start the awful process of going off them completely. I live in WA state. If I felt up to fighting my insurance company to get the brand name approved even with the doctor writing "DAW" and going thru the whole prior authorization, I wouldn't need an antidepressant in the first place.
I have also experienced a reduced effectiveness of the medication since my pharmacy switched to the Solco generic form of Wellbutrin. I called the pharmacy and asked them to switch back to Mylan. And if you research Solco, you will see they are only a distributor, even their parent company doesn't seem to be a manufacturer, so there is no way to tell who/where the drug was really manufactured. All the key players in the company and the parent company appear to possibly be Chinese so I suspect it is manufactured in China, but I can't find that information.
So glad to finally see other's reviews/concerns over the Solco generic. Walgreen's has switched my manufacturer for buproprion SR 150 mg four times now, never once notifying me. This last time they switched to Solco, and it didn't take long for me to notice how ineffective, and at times detrimental, it was for my health. No energy, extreme mood swings, and less motivation on a daily basis than when not taking it. These negative effects were only compounded by my inability to find any information on the manufacturer or other people's experiences online. Needless to say, I asked Walgreen's to order Mylan for me and went off the Solco pills completely; I'd rather not take anything than take those. Currently going through the pulling teeth process of getting the actual Wellbutrin brand after trying all the generics, because while Mylan isn't causing obvious harmful side effects, it's not clear to me that it's improving any symptons either.
So good to know I'm not crazy. I had trouble years ago and finally found a pharmacy that used Watson and have had no trouble for 8 years. A month ago they switched to Solco. They told me it was the same. I noticed a difference almost right away but didn't want to be seen as a nut case so just told myself to chill and everything would level out. It has been almost a month now and I am more depressed and irratable than ever! Today I can't stop crying so I will be calling my dr Monday.
I've been taking bupropion (blue pill) for almost 5 years now. Two months ago I was given a prescription for Solco SR200mg. After I lost my insurance my pharmacist said not to worry but the color of my Bupropion had changed from blue to pink. In the past two months I have noticed my behavior change so radically. Crying spells anger outbursts, sadness and major irritability plus nausea and body aches. After reading this information posted by so many of you I've decided to call my doctor in the morning first thing, tell him about this change and look at what other options might be. I think this change in my prescription has made a huge difference in my well-being for the worse.
From their web page "Our products are manufactured in state-of-the-art GMP facilities in China using the highest quality assurance standards that meet the FDA regulatory requirements. Solco is an award-winning supplier in the generic industry for its supply excellence. Solco is a fully owned subsidiary of Prinston Pharmaceutical Inc. Together we strive to offer greater access to affordable medications that you can trust."
Glad I found this thread! I take wellbutrin sr 150mg for nerve pain, and I know what it feels like without it! About a week after the pharmacy switched to Solco, ALL the pain was back! I was actually reconsidering a refill and thought I'd look for people with the same problem. Now, I'm calling the pharmacy to switch it back and possibly my doctor for a dispense as written order!
I have taken wellbutrin for 15 years. Walgreens switched to Solco wellbutrin recently. I too have felt foggy, tired, "out of it" and unmotivated. I need to find out how to make a complaint regarding this generic. In the past Mylan worked well, so I will be asking for it instead. Anything but Solco.
Absolutely and my Dr refuses to listen to what I'm saying and I am a nurse of 17 years. Since when does the govt or anyone have the right to tell me what to take..not give people options or tell me whats right for me? I as a nurse have always been taught "if a patient is feeling something who are you to say whether it's true or not?" Not to mention paying unbelievably high costs for health insurance which now insures what .....death... illness..paying and keeping these companies open. We should all unite and stop this madness, put these hitler companies out of business.
The exact same thing happened to me. Walgreens switched my Wellbutrin for Solco and after a few weeks I thought I was losing my mind. I finally woke up in the middle of the night and realized: It's as if I'm not taking anything for my depression! It's my prescription. I called Walgreens and sure enough, Solco was the prescription that wasn't a prescription. Felt utterly betrayed by Walgreens. There really should be some medically sound standard to follow that doesn't jeopardize patients' health and well being to make a profit!
I just started Bupropion sr on 08/30/2017 (mfg: Solco). It makes me sick. My stomach is very upset. I will talk with my doctor as soon as I can. I was talking 300 xl once a day. The doctor said this might be better. I hate generics!!
I just started mine today. Manufacturer solco. All these bad reviews scares me I had been on Actavis 300mg Xl my doctor switched me to this because I've been super tired, unmotivated and foggy on the 300.
THIS IS THE SAME EXACT SITUATION I have experienced recently. I am flabbergasted. Livid. Dumbfounded, I mean good God almighty great mother of pearl this 527 S pink round generic is garbage. A sugar pill. I had been great taking sandoz for a year or two. Publix randomly switched to this horrid s***. I didn't even think about the change up. So I didn't go into this biased. I just took it as usual. Well the difference is night and day. There is absolutely NO DOUBT that this "bupropion" is nothing but pure nothing. Nothing but a pink circle filled with zero inactives, just 100 percent composed of pointless fillers. This is unacceptable. This is disgusting and to insult the people's intelligence by pretending that this is the same? Okay no. And again, I didnt even think twice about the generic manufacturer of the Wellbutrin I was talking untill I took a closer look, as I wondered why did everything come back? Why are the intended effects no longer working?!
Sorry for my grammar mistakes, this tablet is still different than I'm used to typing on. I need to include one more fact to this: I had some of the previous ones I'd been taking leftover from some time ago. After I started wondering why my depression came crashing back down on me, I figured I'd take the sandoz pill instead. Although the outcome wasn't healthy - I stayed up ALL NIGHT by accident. Each time I took the leftover sandoz pills, I actually had a little insomnia for the first time in years. That is a blessing to me because I'm always tired. I never have any problems going to sleep.
So although I shouldn't have taken the leftover sandoz pills in the evening, I was able to truly test the differences. When I had to go back to the junk pill, I fell asleep, and have not had ANY true bupropion relief of symptoms I had prior.
Again, I don't normally write this sloppy. I just am in a hurry but also I'm ANGRY! All of the previously mentioned differences has solidified my worry into a fact that is undeniable. I know everyone is different. I also acknowledge that this is strictly anecdotal evidence of this tragedy. But best believe I'm reporting to the FDA. My little voice will not be heard, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REPORT THIS OR ANYTHING SIMILAR to the FDA when you just know there is an issue regarding the lack of equivalency for any type of medication changes.
I'm stuck with a 90 day supply of this pure garbage, and I am hoping my doctor will write a slightly different MG of it in order to be able to fill it- with actual bupropion.
I desperately wish I did not have to take medicine. But the reality is that I do. And for these greedy *****s to literally put some people in danger is deplorable. What happens if someone who has suicidal thoughts surface because they basically have stopped taking true real bupropion? What if that causes someone suffering enough as it is to think their Wellbutrin has simply stopped working? That could absolutely cause someone to lose ALL HOPE that they will ever find a medication that can help them consistently - what if they lose all hope and take their life?
Of course this horrid fake medication has the black box warning, so this manufacturer will continue to put out basically fake bupropion, UNLESS EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT IS EXPERIENCING the same thing speaks out!!! I mean no offense towards China, but the manufacturing company is based in China and the actual name of the company is a Chinese name I cannot pronounce. I don't mean anything negative bc it's from China, I simply can't imagine how much quality inspection is occurring in this China-based manufacturer. Solco is the distributor.
Please reply if you have experienced similar!
I had been taking Sandoz Bupropion SR 100mg. My last refill was manufactured by Solco. The pill was also round and blue, but a lighter blue than the Sandoz. I noticed an immediate difference. I was leaving for an out of town trip and the pharmacy only had a few of the Sandoz pills in stock. I paid out of pocket for enough to cover my time away. When I returned I gave the Solco brand another try and again noticed an immediate difference. Brain fog, fatigue, depressed mood, none of which I was experiencing while taking the Sandoz brand. I won't take the Solco brand again.
I took the solco sr 100. Palpitatons like skipped heartbeats, brain fog, ruminating and insomnia. JUNK!
Hey people.. Wake up smell the coffee. It's your doctor or insurance checking to see if you are really taking the pills or if you still need to take the pills.
Walgreens switched my generic wellbutrin to solco 4 the past 3 months. I saw my psych nurse practitioner and I had completely reversed my stability to depression. She said there have been numerous complaints about Solco. Mylan will be gone from Walgreens as all are using only Solco now. What a disgrace! Walgreens, another big conglomerate, can get away with this...giving cheaper brands although there have numerous complaints & setbacks 4 depression.
If sustained release is it 80 or 240mg ?
wellbutrin extended or instant release?
Why is my Wellbutrin suddenly making me feel out of it? Could something be wrong with the release mechanism?


Made his collegiate debut with two offensive rebounds in the win at North Carolina A&T (Nov. 6)... Scored his first collegiate points with four in the win at UNCW (Nov. 13)... Recorded his first collegiate double-digit scoring output with 12 points along with three rebounds and two steals in the win over Greensboro College (Nov. 27)... Made two three-pointers along with four boards in the win over Radford (Dec. 18)... Scored eight points in 12 minutes in the win against Chattanooga (Dec. 29)... Had six points, three rebounds and an assists in the win at Western Carolina (Jan. 17)... Scored 15 points on 5-6 shooting from three along with two steals in 16 minutes in the win at ETSU (Jan. 19)... Had seven points and five rebounds in 13 minutes in the win versus The Citadel (Jan. 24) .. emerged with eight points, after hitting 3-of-6 from the floor and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, and a pair of rebounds at Mercer (Jan. 26) … closed out the meeting with VMI (Jan. 31) with two points and one rebound … saw 11 minutes of action, scoring two points and snagging one rebound, at Wofford (Feb. 16) … ended the meeting against Western Carolina (Feb. 21) with two rebounds … capped off an 11-minute performance against East Tennessee State (Feb. 24) with two offensive rebounds … closed out February by eclipsing double figure points (10) as he finished 3-of-4 from the floor and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc against The Citadel (Feb. 28) … opened the SoCon Tournament with five points, one rebound and one assist against Samford (March 9) … logged 10 minutes in the in the SoCon Semifinals against Furman (March 10), ending the game with five points on 2-of-2 shooting from the field … ended the run at the SoCon Championship with two points and a rebound, in 11 minutes of play, against Wofford (March 11).
Spent his senior season at Link Prep in Branson, Missouri … Coached by Roberto Bergersen … Spent two years at St. Thomas Aquinas for coach John Rost … Collected first-team All-State and first-team All-Eastern Kansas honors as a junior … Averaged 20 points and seven rounds per game as a junior … Was a Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year nominee … Helped lead St. Thomas Aquinas to a league championship along with a school-best 24-4 record … tied the scoring record with 34 points … Was a member of KC Run GMC/Team KC in AAU … Made Under Armour Association Finals.
Born April 28, 1999 … Son of Karen Marie Allegri … Prefers to be called Gelo.


All of the security licences in Queensland are valid for a period of three years. After every three years a security licence expires and needs to be renewed if one wants to maintain a security position. Security licence qld renewal process consists of a series of steps. It basically involves a revalidation training which ensures that the security workers are competent and up to date in knowledge and skill required for their job. The licensing authority usually reminds the licence holder through a renewal notice a few weeks before the licence's expiry date.
Unlike in other countries where one can practice in various security sectors with just one security licence, in Australia you cannot function like that. A security licence qld makes you eligible to work only in the sector in which you have obtained your training in. You cannot work as a bodyguard if you have got a security licence on the basis of a security officer training, and similarly you cannot work as a dog patrol security officer if you have got a crowd controller security licence. Each security sector requires separate training and a separate award. However, the more security courses you have done in various security sectors, the more multifunctional your security licence becomes. If you want to become eligible to practice in more than one security areas, then you need to get training in the areas of your interest. It is a good decision to get security training in more than one area because this would increase the job opportunities. If you want to get a multifunctional security licence qld then check out our security course packages which include training in various areas.


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Moderator makes history by addressing the House of Lords
Lord Wallace has made history by becoming the first serving Moderator of the General Assembly to address the House of Lords.
He spoke in a debate led by the Archbishop of Canterbury on contemporary challenges to freedom of speech, and the role of public, private and civil society sectors in its upholding.
A member of the House of Lords, Lord Wallace is sitting on the non-affiliated benches during his year in office.
The Palace of Westminster in London serves as the meeting place for the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
The Moderator said:
"I am delighted to be able to participate in this important and timely debate initiated by the most Reverend Primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
I am also pleased to speak, not only as a member of your Lordships' House, but also from the perspective of Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
It is a privilege which I cherish.
We do well here to reflect on the privilege which we have as noble Lords to speak here but as with all privileges, it comes with a responsibility to exercise it wisely.
From a Christian perspective as we approach Christmas, we should recall that when Jesus came to live among us he was not born to a position of privilege nor did he have a platform of contemporary power and influence. He came alongside those at the edges of power.
Lord Wallace
So, when exercising our freedom of speech, do we not also need to feel a moral or spiritual obligation to listen and walk in the shoes of others; to understand better the fear and anxiety and impact of words and behaviours on those without power?
And should that not make all of us more careful in our own choice of words?
It was 38 years last June when I was first elected to the House of Commons.
Over my years as an MP, and then as a Member of the Scottish Parliament, I engaged in debates with other MPs and MSPs of different political hues.
These debates could be very robust.
We often differed but with very, very few exceptions, I always felt that my opponents, by their own lights, were expressing views which they thought best served their country and their constituents.
But I also note that during my time in front line politics, I was spared much of today's vituperation and abusive language; a trend today towards ever greater bitterness, anger, slander, and malice, which, I fear, risks being normalised on social media.
In his book published last year, Let Us Dream, Pope Francis despaired that at times our politics, society and media seem like one long shouting match.
And I do sometimes think that our female politicians are more often the victims of unacceptable targeted abuse. But it is not just politicians who are on the receiving end.
Whilst I profoundly disagree with anti-vaccination campaigners, I acknowledge that they hold that view, often passionately.
But let us recall during the summer that a former nurse attacked those in the medical profession who are administering vaccines with the words, 'at the Nuremberg trials doctors and nurses stood trial and they hung'.
Recently, I spotted a tweet from Scotrail which reproduced a Twitter message received – with many words necessarily redacted, and certainly not repeatable in your Lordship's house – and the comment,
"This is your periodic reminder that a real human being reads every tweet and direct message sent to this account. This kind of behaviour isn't acceptable in person or online."
I very much doubt whether doctors and nurses being compared to Nazi war criminals or Scotrail employees reading vicious bile in Twitter messages can possibly be an experience at all uplifting or encouraging for them.
When the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, addressed the Kirk's General Assembly in 2019, she said,
'..perhaps these days we can be too quick to retreat into political tribes, with a focus on areas of conflict rather than agreement.
'So, all of us - and political leaders especially - have a responsibility to resist the momentum for division and polarisation…
'And when politicians forget or fall short of that responsibility - as all of us sometimes do - the Church is, I think, well placed to remind us of it.'
As people here engage in the political process, I believe that we have a leadership role in setting an example.
So, if those in positions of political responsibility are ever tempted or apt to 'forget or fall short', I think the Church does have a role remind them of the responsibility so well-articulated by the First Minister.
But that should not in any way make politicians any less passionate about what they believe in.
If they are prepared to put their name on a ballot paper, it is to be hoped that they are fired up with commitment to do rather than to be.
Inevitably when dealing with issues such as this, the question arises as to whether the government should strengthen legislation to tackle online abuse.
The Convener of the Church of Scotland's Faith Impact Forum, Very Rev Dr Susan Brown called on the Government as long ago as summer 2020 to bring forward what even then was thought to be overdue Online Safety legislation.
Joined by faith leaders from the Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu communities among others, she said: 'Words always have consequences and we would encourage people to use them to break down barriers, not build them'.
The House of Lords.
We have heard today that the committee report on the draft legislation will shortly be published and in replying to the debate it would be helpful if the noble Lord the minister could tell us when the actual legislation might well be brought forward.
One important lesson which I have learned from years of engagement in law and politics is that both have their limitations.
I realised that laws don't necessarily change hearts.
So, we should not kid ourselves that legislation can or will fully solve the many manifest problems associated with online abuse.
And picking up on the quote from Dr Martin Luther King, who said 'Morality cannot be legislated for, but behaviour can be regulated.
'Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless'.
Yes, some laws are worthwhile where they can provide welcome and necessary protection, particularly for vulnerable groups or individuals, including ethnic and religious minorities.
And in the sphere of social media, some of the big tech giants do need some prodding to ensure customers comply with user agreements which include rules on standards and codes of conduct.
But from a Christian perspective, I would claim that changing hearts requires something more than laws.
It requires love.
Arguably the message of the parable of the Good Samaritan would be far more effective in bringing about a society more at ease with itself than any number of Acts of Parliament.
I believe that there is a role for churches to play in trying to bring about a much-improved public debate on a host of issues.
In the very contentious Scottish independence referendum in 2014, the Kirk, and not least through the offices of the then Moderator, Very Rev Dr John Chalmers, created a space for respectful dialogue between the two sides.
I dare say that some of the voters who attended these perhaps found it beneficial to have a discussion which provided more light than heat.
And surely a host of contemporary contentious issues which would readily lend themselves to such a respectful dialogue and responsible exercise of free speech today which our churches and others might be facilitators.
My Lords, it has been a privilege to take part in this debate.
I think it augers well when your Lordships consider the online safety bill, not only in showing the value we place in exercise of freedom of speech but also giving us an opportunity to speak up for those who are on the margins and do not have the privilege of a voice in parliament."
Lord Wallace "honoured and humbled" to be inducted as Moderator
House of Commons recognition for climate change activism as Moderator meets political and faith leaders in London
Advent Day 1: Lord Wallace introduces Advent


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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp makes title admission...
The people we've lost to coronavirus
Books | By admin
Game of Thrones books: REAL reason Lady Stoneheart cut from TV shared by showrunners | Books | Entertainment
In George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, the revived corpse of Lady Catelyn Stark is one of the most intriguing characters. Introduced in the epilogue of A Storm of Swords, following the Red Wedding, the murdered wife of Ned is on a quest for revenge. But in the Game of Thrones TV show, when Catelyn Stark died, she really died
And now the Game of Thrones showrunners have revealed the real reason why they left Lady Stoneheart out.
According to Entertainment Weekly, David Benioff and D B Weiss are quoted in the upcoming Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon, a behind-the-scenes making of Game of Thrones.
They revealed that there were three main reasons despite her incredible entrance in the books.
On the first, they: "Part of the reason we didn't want to put it in had to do with things coming up in George's books that we don't want to spoil [by discussing them]."
READ MORE: Winds of Winter: George RR Martin teases BIG role for Lady Stoneheart
While secondly they knew they had Jon Snow's resurrection coming up and they felt that having too many corpse revivals would "diminish the impact of characters dying."
And thirdly, the showrunners felt that the Red Wedding was just so impactful in Game of Thrones, that it didn't need it.
They added: "Catelyn's last moment was so fantastic, and Michelle is such a great actress, to bring her back as a zombie who doesn't speak felt like diminishing returns."
Martin said he pushed for Lady Stoneheart's inclusion in the show, but still has plans for her in The Winds of Winter and beyond.
Martin said: "Lady Stoneheart. Certainly, in the book I'm writing now that's an important thread. But as you say, there's so much there.
"Even with a novel of ordinary size when you adapt it for television or film, it usually involves cutting and simplifying.
"And my books are not books of ordinary length. I mean even A Game of Thrones, which is the smallest of them, is like four regular novels.
"So, there was a lot to do. If we'd included everything in the books, we'd still be on season 1; would have been an eight-year-long season 1."
During the lockdown, Martin has spent much of 2020 in his remote mountain cabin.
There, he's been busy working on The Winds of Winter, as he gives regular updates to fans on his blog.
The 72-year-old says how he has one assistant stay with him at a time.
And how he hopes to publish the new book in 2021 if he can.
Bridgerton season 2: Is Bridgerton based on a book series? | Books | Entertainment
WandaVision ending clues: What Marvel Comics' House of M may tease for Scarlet Witch | Books | Entertainment
Harry Potter theory: JK Rowling originally intended for Harry to end up with Luna Lovegood | Books | Entertainment
Game of Thrones book ending 'Even Lady Stoneheart could take the Iron Throne' says insider | Books | Entertainment


We realize how bothersome producing a novel document are generally. 1st, you must study the arrange, proceed through varied places, produce an outline, and then finally prepare the newspaper alone. In some cases it's just about impossible to seek out the required time, especially if you have numerous other activities and commitments to think about.


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Q: How to use selenium to open a chrome browser with my main profile already logged in Im trying to open a new Chrome browser that is already logged into my main Chrome account on Python using Selenium.
However, I can only seem to open a browser that is on a guest account.
from selenium import webdriver
#object of ChromeOptions class
o = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
#adding Chrome Profile Path
o.add_argument = {'user-data-dir':'/Users/jamessstuff/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default'}
#set chromedriver.exe path
driver = webdriver.Chrome(executable_path="/Users/jamessstuff/Desktop/chromedriver", options=o)

A: I don't think it is possible to start a page through selenium that has already been logged in. The only way is to automate the login process.
To do that you need create a script that can login with your credentials.
Make sure to leave a 5s delay after each action [like typing your password] to workaround the fact that you are using automated software.
However, if you are logging into a website like StackOverflow.com, then you can use Pickle to save cookies as a text file and load it each time you run the script. This way, you won't have to login each time!
Here's the reference to Pickle:
https://docs.python.org/3/library/pickle.html

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Changes at SIX Executive Board
Marion Leslie will join SIX as Head of the Financial Information Business Unit as of 1 January 2020. Marion Leslie has many years of experience and a proven track record in the international financial information business. Robert Jeanbart, Business Unit Head Financial Information, has decided to take retirement and will be leaving SIX at the end of December 2019.
Robert Jeanbart joined the Executive Board of SIX in May 2014, since which time he has been responsible for the Financial Information Business Unit. Robert Jeanbart successfully restructured the Financial Information Business Unit of SIX, focusing the Unit on its core business, streamlining its Swiss and international operations and developing new business areas, hence putting the Unit on a sustainable profit path. In particular, Financial Information significantly expanded its business in the regulatory data and services while strengthening its reference data and corporate actions business, and in doing so strengthened the market position of SIX in this highly competitive landscape.
Marion Leslie will take over the leadership of Financial Information as of 1 January 2020 and will thus become a member of the SIX Executive Board. She began her career at Refinitiv (formerly Thomson Reuters) in 1994. After holding various management roles within the company, she became Managing Director in 2013 with responsibility for the data business in the areas of regulation, pricing and reference data. In her last role at Refinitiv, Marion was the Managing Director, Enterprise, with responsibility for delivering market data, platforms and services to the global financial markets. Leading global businesses and operations at scale, with a strong emphasis on data and technology, are the hallmarks of her career. Marion Leslie will move with her family from the UK to Switzerland.
Jos Dijsselhof, CEO SIX: "I am very pleased to welcome Marion Leslie to SIX. I am proud to have been able to attract such an experienced professional and internationally active leader for SIX. Marion knows the financial information business very well and with her at the helm we will drive our financial data business to the next level. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Executive Board of SIX, I would like to thank Robert Jeanbart for his enormous and tireless dedication to SIX, his leadership in driving a very successful transformation of Financial Information."
Please feel free to contact Alain Bichsel.
Dr. Alain Bichsel
Head Marketing & Communications


FINDRA's relaxed fit women's mountain bike shorts are sure to become a firm favourite in your cycling wardrobe. Relaxed and stylish enough to wear whatever your day throws at you, these shorts can be paired just as easily with flip-flops as with cycling shoes.
The soft two-way stretch weave fabric means the shorts fit and flatter while also providing high performance to meet your needs. The fabric is both breathable and water repellent so you stay comfortable whatever the weather throws at you and you can keep on adventuring.
A concealed pocket in the side seam keep your valuables safe and the 2 front and 2 rear pockets mean you'll keep everything you need close at hand.
These shorts are cut for ease of movement with plenty of room for knee pads, shaped around the hips and waist and tapering into a wide leg shape, both flattering and practical for the active cyclist.


UNI-G is a Hungarian manufacturer of innovative ornamental and laboratory glassware. Their team of glass makers have elevated their work to a form of art, and their glassware offers both decorative beauty and intriguing function. They utilize heat resistant borosilicate glass in all their products, allowing for superior durability and construction in elegant designs that will wow any future house guests.


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Download IO in HD for FREE
As a young scientist searches for a way to save a dying Earth, she finds a connection with a man who's racing to catch the last shuttle off the planet.
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Romance, Science Fiction
Director: Delphine Bertrand, Eugenie Lavieille, Jonathan Helpert
Actors: Anthony Mackie, Danny Huston, Justin Andrew Jamieson, Margaret Qualley, Teagan Johnson, Tom Payne
Keywords:123Movies Anthony Mackie Danny Huston Fmovies full Movie IO Gomovies IO Online Justin Andrew Jamieson Margaret Qualley Movie25 Movie4k Primewire Putlockers Solarmovie Teagan Johnson Tom Payne Xmovies8 Yesmovies
The King of Far Far Away has died and Shrek and Fiona are to become King & Queen. However, Shrek wants to return to his cozy swamp and live in…
Billy is a boy who is trying to save a baby kangaroo called Joey when it is caught and taken to Sydney. Linda, the young daughter of the U.S. Ambassador…
A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher who became their benefactor. But when Billy takes their authority too…
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Western
Agent 007 is back in the second installment of the James Bond series, this time battling a secret crime organization known as SPECTRE. Russians Rosa Klebb and Kronsteen are out…
The Black Stallion
While traveling with his father, young Alec becomes fascinated by a mysterious Arabian stallion that is brought on board and stabled in the ship he is sailing on. When it…
In the 22nd century, a paraplegic Marine is dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission, but becomes torn between following orders and protecting an alien civilization.
Country: UK,USA
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Road House 2: Last Call
Shane Tanner, the son of a legendary cooler named Dalton, learns that his uncle Nate got beat up by a group of men because he doesn't want to sell his…
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Thriller
Lovable and friendly, the trolls love to play around. But one day, a mysterious giant shows up to end the party. Poppy, the optimistic leader of the Trolls, and her…
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Music
A British spy ship has sunk and on board was a hi-tech encryption device. James Bond is sent to find the device that holds British launching instructions before the enemy…
The Adventures of Petey and Friends
Desert Sky Air Force Base is instructed to carry out an urgent mission. Petey, a new fighter plane, arrives by forced landing. Petey is determined to carry out the most…
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
Legends (and myths) from the life of famed American frontiersman Davey Crockett are depicted in this feature film edited from television episodes. Crockett and his friend George Russell fight in…
Genre: Action, Adventure, Family, Western
The Borg, a relentless race of cyborgs, are on a direct course for Earth. Violating orders to stay away from the battle, Captain Picard and the crew of the newly-commissioned…
Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Thriller
Trailer: IO


Perpetually on the verge of joining the circus, Ricky recently moved to the TriBeCa neighborhood of New York City from Brisbane, Australia. He shares his life with his wife, Karen, his son, Xander, his daughter, Claire. Ricky is CEO of Shorthand, makers of a most excellent storytelling editor used by the likes of the BBC, the Telegraph, Refinery29, FT, Dow Jones, LinkedIn, Médecins Sans Frontières, Save the Children, WWF, Red Cross, a few major investment banks and many others.
His roles as a parent of young children and an author of scientific publications means he is in the habit of speaking about himself in the third person. Sometimes Ricky sports a scruffy beard, sometimes he doesn't. Now that he's living in New York, he will probably find occasion to wear his rex walking hat more often. When he visits the dentist, he enters a zen-like state approaching total relaxation, which is the only reason he bothers going for a regular check-up.
Ricky holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Queensland, and previously worked at NICTA, Australia's ICT Centre of Excellence, where he performed a mix of research, customer development, government and industry liaison and, of course, software engineering. He loves learning through experimentation which has resulted in injuries and failed businesses, as well as a moderately successful one. He is fond of the news, so he once started a tiny tech news site for Brisbane and Queensland called The Tech Street Journal; although he is no longer involved, it is still running today.
Likes: football (the round ball kind, in case clarification is needed), Devonshire tea, Australian style lattés, The Beatles, The Cat Empire, travelling, fast food, slow food, all food, the news.
Dislikes: political correctness, irrational fear, green eggs and ham.
Ricky is @rickyrobinson on Twitter.


A Navajo turquoise ring makes for a great gift for anyone. It is pretty, has a color that goes along with almost everything, and has a certain level of cultural significance as well. Anyone can wear a Navajo turquoise ring, and it is a welcome gift from anyone. Better yet, a Navajo turquoise ring works well carved or plain, making a Navajo turquoise ring one of the few gems that works well in its simplicity rather than forcing its seller to make it as decorative as possible. This makes a Navajo turquoise ring an ideal gift without requiring much a premise and can be given as a present between friends or lovers.
The Navajo turquoise ring has a long history. Turquoise itself is seen as a bringer of good fortune, a talisman that will bring good luck to its wearer. It can change color, due to dust, cosmetics, or even a trick of the light, however slightly, and this was seen as an omen of impending danger. Wearing a Navajo turquoise ring allows you to see that change easily as the ring is carried in plain view, but this is merely superstition but nonetheless highlights that a Navajo turquoise ring should be seen as the caring gift the Navajo turquoise ring was meant to be.
There are a number of ways to create an imitation Navajo turquoise ring. There are in fact so many ways to fake turquoise that often a gemologist has to be called in; the current "most popular" stone or substance for creating fake turquoise changes every few decades even though it does cycle through some of them, such as ceramics, as well as dyed howlite and magnesite. However, most of these are easily detectable through a basic inspection; a fake Navajo turquoise ring made of plastic o r glass, for example has a wrong translucence while some of the other substances have spiderweb coloring or simply don't have the same color a Navajo turquoise ring should have. Damaging tests may be called for in some cases, however, to determine the real substance.
A Navajo turquoise ring makes for a great gift. It demonstrates a friendship, and the cementing of that friendship. A Navajo turquoise ring may seem somewhat minor, but friendships are based on more fragile things than a simple ring, and the good fortune that a Navajo turquoise ring represents is always a welcome thing. A Navajo turquoise ring is a simple thing but it can mean so much.