text:
5 unexpected money lessons I learned from binge-watching TLC's Extreme Cheapskates
Most of the cheapskates featured on the show have six to seven figures in their bank account. The show's subjects are not pictured.
Willie B. Thomas/Getty Images
Most of the people featured on TLC's Extreme Cheapskates have six to seven figures in their bank account.
They may take budgeting to the extreme, but we can learn a thing or two from their awareness of every penny spent and earned.
If a millionaire cheapskate can haggle and ask for free stuff, why can't you?
Read more stories from Personal Finance Insider.
I was today years old when I found out that most people featured on TLC's Extreme Cheapskates have six to seven figures worth of savings in their bank account.
We may laugh at their extreme dumpster-diving, haggling, couponing, stockpiling, cost-cutting ways, but these cheapskates are laughing all the way to the bank.
Their extreme saving techniques include only using one lightbulb at a time in a four-bedroom house, peeing in a jar to save money on the water bill, and biking to a friends' house 70 miles away to save on gas.
After binge-watching Extreme Cheapskates on YouTube, I gathered five saving tips from the show that, when used in small doses, can make a big difference in your everyday life. To be clear, I'm not encouraging anyone to pinch pennies like they do. However, some of the money-saving concepts could apply to all of our lives.
1. Knowing where your money goes make a huge difference
One thing all of the cheapskates have in common? They have detailed accounts of every penny that flows into and out of their lives.
Millionaire cheapskate Victoria Hunt checks her electric meter every day, calculates her upcoming bill, then brainstorms different ways to cut energy costs to make her millions last a lifetime. She dreamed that she would live to be 116 years old, and she has budgeted every penny of her fortune to be able to live comfortably until she dies.
Hunt's story shows us that awareness leads to solutions. Checking your electric meter everyday might get obsessive, but spending five minutes at the end of the day (or week) checking your expenses, taking time to reflect on how you're spending your money, can go a long way.
Binge-watching the show motivated me to use a budgeting app again, keep a spreadsheet to track my debt repayment progress, and use a bullet journal to cultivate my awareness around spending.
2. There's no shame in asking for free stuff
Fifty-year-old Aimee Elizabeth from Las Vegas earned $5.3 million from real estate and stock market investments, but refuses to spend a dime. She had a business trip scheduled in Los Angeles, and planned on driving her beat-up 1996 Mustang all the way there, until a mechanic repossessed her car for safety reasons.
Instead of forking over the cash for a flight, she asked her ex-husband to drive her to the airport. Elizabeth proceeded to ask the pilots flying small planes if any of them were going to Los Angeles that day, using her charm and good looks to convince them. Eventually, one pilot agreed to take her there and back at absolutely zero cost.
Watching people haggle on Extreme Cheapskates had me thinking: If a millionaire can ask for a free flight, why can't I find the courage to ask for a ride to the airport? Or ask a friend to pick up a dinner tab when I'm in between checks? Or, to take it a step further, ask Whole Foods if they have any freebies or discounts on food they're about to throw out at the end of the night?
3. People will still date or marry you even if you're cheap
Holding off on dating or committing to a partner because you're short on funds? Let these cheapskates embolden you.
Bachelor Greg Insco, 29, starred in a 2012 episode called "The World's Cheapest Date," where he ordered one single rib and a free cup of water. His date, Brandy, ordered a pulled pork sandwich, and when the food arrived, Insco immediately took half of the sandwich and fries from her plate to save cash. At the end of the date, Brandy admitted that it was the cheapest date she'd ever been on, but that she would go on a second date with him.
Additionally, cheapskate couple Karissa and Rick Parrans share everything — a toothbrush, a stick of deodorant, Q-Tips, showers. They even went shopping for a shared casket on their Extreme Cheapskate episode. Each week, the couple sits down to track their spending, even competing to see who spent the least.
If two people can talk so openly about sharing a casket, I can be bold enough to be honest about my money boundaries early in the dating game. I'm learning that it's more than okay to ask a date to go dutch, or to pick a place that won't break the bank. As Insco said in his Cheapskates episode, "I want someone to love me for me, not my money."
4. Haggling can work
Some people on this show get extreme pleasure from haggling with small business owners and thrift shop clerks, even if it only knocks the price down by 25 cents.
On the show, Jeff Yeager says his haggling has a 10% success rate, "but I always, always ask." Yeager stopped by a mom-and-pop natural grocery store for some coconut oil to use in his homemade deodorant recipe. Christina, the store owner, was surprised by his haggling efforts but eventually caved and agreed to lower the price of coconut oil by $1.
As someone who supports small businesses, I can't endorse haggling with small business owners who are already struggling during the pandemic. But watching this show reminded me that I can always haggle with my phone, cable, or internet provider and check if there are deals that I'm leaving on the table each month.
5. Being a cheapskate is good for the environment, too
Are extreme savings not enough of a motivation to get you to cut back on everyday costs? Maybe doing good for the environment can give you extra kick to start saving.
A common theme among self-identified cheapskates is timing their showers and limiting their electricity usage to save money. Some people even wash the clothes in the shower with them to save money on laundry, and cut their water bill in half at the same time. Hunt, the aforementioned woman who tracks her electric usage, even pees in a jar to limit the number of times she flushes the toilet and save water. She then uses her collected pee as compost for her vegetable garden.
Ok, I'm probably never going to pee in a jar. But aligning money-saving tactics with sustainability is a great motivator for me to shop at thrift stores, take care of my belongings so that I don't need to buy new things as often, and make natural cleaning solutions with ingredients from my pantry in a pinch.
Wall Street is pumped about the metaverse. But critics say it's massively overhyped and will be a regulatory minefield.
I spoke to financial advisors about how to catch spending mistakes and create a foolproof budget for 2022


At 7:25, Marcia drove the additional 35 miles south to the charming city of Kuopio. Kuopio is in the province of Savo and has a population of 87,000 people. It was founded in 1782 by King Gustav III of Sweden but only prospered after the Saimaa Waterway (connecting all the lakes here) was opened in 1856. They are a very industrious people and this is a big University town.
We stumbled into this large place called Albatrossi (above right) for a beer and wine and it seems this place is an example of the Finnish penchant for dancing. It had several separate bars with large areas set aside for dancing and many Finns were drinking and dancing. While I went to the men's room, Marcia told me several gentlemen asked her to dance. She told me she refused all their requests.
Since it was getting late, we headed to a place across the parking lot called the Vanha Satama Pub [, +358-1-719-7304] which was fairly casual and looked interesting. We each had two house beers and wines during dinner and we started with a goat cheese salad. I had penne pasta with salmon and scampi and Marcia tried the fried venaces (fish.) For dessert, I had the berry cake with ice cream and Marcia had the cheese with cloudberry jam. We finished up with an espresso and a caffe latte.
It was only 11:50 when we left the restaurant, so we headed back to the Albatrossi for an after dinner drink and we danced the night away until closing time. We had one hellava good time. We are enjoying Finland. We walked back to the hotel on a balmy evening looking at the lake while it is still daylight. Back at the room I finally finished the Oslo photos and got to sleep at 3 AM.


Yesterday, Smith's Food & Drug held a holiday party in all of their stores. Smith's is our go to store, it's right down the street from us and I love their prices! We have been shopping there for over four years and come to know many of the cashiers and managers. My favorite thing about Smith's Food & Drug is their customer service. Not once have I received bad vibes. They are always willing to go that extra mile, and customer service is big in my book!
So we decided to swing by and "join" in on the fun! The table above was set up right when you walk into the store. They were offering cake and juice, as well as raffle tickets that they called out every 15 minutes where you would get to come and spin and win! Many samples and coupons throughout the store kind of made us not want to leave lol! We def took our time strolling and just having a good time. They do have events quite often, so watch for the next one and we will def keep you posted as well. Also a great time to interact with store associates, try new products and stock up on coupons!


People often ask what power tools I use. Below are details of some of them along with links to an example of where you can buy them.
You don't need all these tools to make the furniture shown in the plans you can download for free. You can start with a cheap drill, the Kreg pocket hole tool and a budget end miter saw for most of the projects. A sander helps but is not essential if you don't mind sanding by hand.
I started with one just drill. To speed up the build process though I added another drill and a driver to save keep changing bits over during a build.
With a few basic tools and the downloaded plans you can save yourself a lot of money building your own furniture.


9 out of 10 based on 516 ratings. 3,165 user reviews.
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2001 Accord Sedan Online Reference Owner's Manual Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference. For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to wwwinc.
wwwd››Repair Manuals›Honda›AccordAt CARiD you will find the widest choice of premium 2001 Honda Accord Auto Repair Manuals from world-renowned brands.


text:
// ---------------------------------------------------------
//
// s3-streaming.js - test for streaming uploads to s3
//
// Copyright (c) 2012 Nathan Friedly - http://nfriedly.com
//
// License: http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
//
// ---------------------------------------------------------

var http = require('http'),
    https = require('https'),
    fs = require('fs');

var test = require("tap").test;

var amazonS3 = require('../awssum-amazon-s3.js')
var S3 = amazonS3.S3;

test("AwsSum.prototype.send tests", function(t) {
    t.plan(4);

    var FAKE_READABLE_STREAM = {on: function(){}, pipe: function(){}, readable: true};
    var FAKE_CONTENT_LENGTH = "12345";
    var FAKE_MD5 = "ASDF1234";

    var options = {
        BucketName: "asdf",
        ObjectName: "asdf",
        ContentLength: FAKE_CONTENT_LENGTH,
        Body:  FAKE_READABLE_STREAM
    };

    var s3 = new S3({
        accessKeyId     : 'key',
        secretAccessKey : 'secret',
        awsAccountId    : '1111-2222-3333',
        region          : amazonS3.US_EAST_1
    });
    s3.request = function(options) {
        t.equal(FAKE_READABLE_STREAM, options.body, "AweSum.prototype.request called with a ReadableStream body");
        t.equal(FAKE_CONTENT_LENGTH, options.headers['Content-Length'], "Content-length header remained intact");
        t.ok(typeof options.headers['Content-MD5'] === "undefined", "No Content-MD5 header was added");
    };
    s3.PutObject(options, function(err, data) {
        t.notOk(err, "putObject callback fired with error: " + JSON.stringify(err));
    });

    options.ContentMD5 = FAKE_MD5;
    s3.request = function(options) {
        t.equal(options.headers['Content-MD5'], FAKE_MD5, "Existing Content-MD5 header was kept");
    };
    s3.PutObject(options, function(err, data) {
        t.notOk(err, "putObject callback fired with error: " + JSON.stringify(err));
    });

    t.end();
});

// fake self-signed cert and private key
var SSL_CERT = "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\n" +
"MIIBfDCCASYCCQDQ1TLT4mhJWDANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQUFADBFMQswCQYDVQQGEwJV\n" +
"UzETMBEGA1UECBMKU29tZS1TdGF0ZTEhMB8GA1UEChMYSW50ZXJuZXQgV2lkZ2l0\n" +
"cyBQdHkgTHRkMB4XDTEyMDMyMjA0NTAyN1oXDTEyMDQyMTA0NTAyN1owRTELMAkG\n" +
"A1UEBhMCVVMxEzARBgNVBAgTClNvbWUtU3RhdGUxITAfBgNVBAoTGEludGVybmV0\n" +
"IFdpZGdpdHMgUHR5IEx0ZDBcMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA0sAMEgCQQDGdrVT6h1o\n" +
"gK5de1D/Ef391nlu10EO1WOw58N3HJnyrE0D4/q1AoFww0YV5pvRdiJSyxZeD2cl\n" +
"+m9dfBnE2leDAgMBAAEwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEFBQADQQBsaWZVQY2D/0jcRA7eZBA1\n" +
"JUU/jVasS7RraRKE3VeSsxL8P4WCCk0jDeIcFzZsSYgqfG7wCwwMZGG315qE5m1S\n" +
"-----END CERTIFICATE-----\n";

var SSL_KEY = "-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----\n" +
"MIIBOwIBAAJBAMZ2tVPqHWiArl17UP8R/f3WeW7XQQ7VY7Dnw3ccmfKsTQPj+rUC\n" +
"gXDDRhXmm9F2IlLLFl4PZyX6b118GcTaV4MCAwEAAQJAfxZfMVg28seMYMJp8Jyl\n" +
"6Bmic08WExikmREgwzKmhpWbKK0Gx8xn3ZWjXPpdcKyA8J6p1rns0IQyDCZi+oZN\n" +
"IQIhAPlXD5x7DEpa9bL1FItTstWQ2s4bS8luuT0aDAVNdYfxAiEAy8PDuXKFJzTz\n" +
"63owC4gdb63zgzJpUGOfiTYOy74K6rMCIQCExpK+nlvOIJ/kG1REWV7LEWcjCDAU\n" +
"ZQzpd7xc+oGS0QIgYKHuaDwPOZC7PKktr8pVa2krWsTFfQJB3mhsi+MMelECIQCi\n" +
"YmwpCQIFgQeiZ4RBksM4BXwpqvKKKpwlLG7Ae9Sdrw==\n" +
"-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----\n";

var FAKE_APP_PORT = 3100;
var FAKE_S3_PORT = 3101;

/**
 * In order to test with a "real" stream, we're creating a fake client and server. The client
 * uploads some data to the server, and the node "req" object passed to the server is a
 * ReadableStream containing that data. This ReadableStream is passed directly to
 * AwsSum.prototype.request as the body.
 * This test then sets up a fake s3 server to verify that the request() method properly copied the
 * streaming data to the s3 request. Because AweSum only allows for https requests, we've generated
 * a fake SSL key pair.
 */
test("AwsSum.prototype.request properly streams body contents", function(t) {
    t.plan(3);

    // some "random" data
    var REQUEST_BODY = "adsf " + SSL_CERT + "asdf2 " + SSL_KEY + "asdf3";
    var REQUEST_CONTENT_LENGTH = Buffer.byteLength(REQUEST_BODY).toString();

    // This portion represents an app that might use node-awssum
    // (except that we're bypassing the s3 methods here to call AwsSum.prototype.request directly)
    var s3 = new S3({
        accessKeyId     : 'key',
        secretAccessKey : 'secret',
        awsAccountId    : '111122223333',
        region          : amazonS3.US_EAST_1
    });
    var fakeServer = http.createServer(function(req, res) {
        s3.request({
            protocol : 'https',
            host: "localhost",
            port: FAKE_S3_PORT,
            path: "/",
            headers: {
                "Content-Length": req.headers["content-length"] // required by s3 (and AwsSum's S3.PutObject)
            },
            body: req, // http.ServerRequest is a Readable Stream
            params: []
        }, function(err, data){
            if(err) {
                t.notOk(true, "AwsSum.prototype.request reported an error: " + JSON.stringify(err));
                t.end();
            }
        });
        res.end();
    });
    fakeServer.listen(FAKE_APP_PORT);

    // this is a mocked s3 service - it receives requests over https and compares them to the expected result
    var fakeS3 = https.createServer({key: SSL_KEY, cert: SSL_CERT}, function(req, res) {
        t.ok(true, "fake s3 server called");
        t.equal(req.headers['content-length'], REQUEST_CONTENT_LENGTH, "Request had a correct content-length header");
        var data = '';
        req.on('data', function (chunk) {
            data += chunk.toString();
        });
        req.on('end', function() {
            t.equal(data, REQUEST_BODY, "Body was uploaded successfully");
            res.end();
            fakeServer.close();
            fakeS3.close();
            t.end();
        });
    });
    fakeS3.listen(FAKE_S3_PORT);

    // This is a fake user request that might hit the app
    var fakeClient = http.request({
        host: "localhost",
        port: FAKE_APP_PORT,
        path: "/test",
        method: "PUT",
        headers: {
            "Content-Length": REQUEST_CONTENT_LENGTH
        }
    });
    fakeClient.write(REQUEST_BODY);
    fakeClient.end();
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


4 Cylinder Inline 16 Valve Turbocharged, 156Bhp, 7G-DCT 7 Speed Automatic, 8" Monitor Display, Rear Aircon, LED Headlights, Panoramic Roof.
19" AMG Multi Spoke Light Alloy Wheels, Panoramic Sliding Roof, Keyless Go Comfort Package, Reversing Camera, Memory Package, Dual Tailpipes.
1 Owner, 3 Years Warranty, In House Loan, Highest Trade In Call Now. Price Inclusive Of GST.


The acute scarcity of dollars which hit the Bureaux De Change segment of the foreign exchange market, following the new policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not to sell forex to BDC operators, worsened yesterday as the naira hit an all-time low of N189 to the dollar.
The economy of a country is a highly fluctuating factor. People should always have an eye on it to take advantage of the opportunities whenever they present themselves. Yes, this is very much important when you are a very regular and ardent player in the trading market. It is all about money here wherein you deposit some money to have it back in doubles or triples. And it is for this reason that we have the various different trading software made available to us. It is the responsibility of the traders to get hitched with the right one for them. It is very important that they do this step very carefully because there are all possibilities for a trader to fall prey to a fraudulent application. But the good news is we also have some really good ones who only focus on helping the traders with a fortune like the HB swiss. Read more at this website to know more about the software.
The online market is a space that provides all opportunities for a happy living but it is not so always with all that is advertised because some of them do not deliver what they actually tell their customers. So in such a market, there are all possibilities for people to get cheated. And one such very deceitful field is the trading market. but if you are with some reliable ones like the HB Swiss, be assured that you are into the safe hands and that you will be able to play as you wanted and as expected.
This is a very promising and glorious time for the traders when they have a favorable decrease in the exchange rates. Yes, traders trading on the platforms of the genuine applications can actually take advantage of the price fluctuations, both in the currency value and the asset prices and try to make the most out of this. Such situations are very rare and they are not long-lived too. So it is important that all traders take advantage of such golden moments and try to make the maximum out of it. This is an opportunity for both the regular and the novice traders. Actually, trading is a field that requires no special knowledge or experience. With the able guidance and support of the brokers online, traders will be able to make the best out of a trade winning it successfully.
There are no specific reasons apart from the fluctuations in the rates of the assets and currencies that makes things possible and easier online.
The Nigerian currency's value has been depreciating on a daily basis, sometimes collapsing twice or more a day.
The dollar sold for N186 in the morning yesterday, but by the time LEADERSHIP went to press last night, the American currency was selling at N189.
Despite the massive depreciation of the naira in the forex market, majority of the BDC operators were not selling dollars to end-users yesterday because they were afraid that the CBN would revoke their licences if they were caught.
A source in the forex market in Lagos attributed the scarcity and consequent massive depreciation of the naira to hoarding by BDC operators, who were suspicious of strangers and would only sell to familiar faces.
The CBN allows the BDCs a maximum spread of two per cent of the official rate. The apex bank currently sells forex to banks at N146.28 to the US dollar.
It could be recalled that the CBN recently came up with a new directive which divided BDCs into categories, stating that each existing BDC could remain in operation as category B operator while only operators who meet the requirement to operate in category A would be allowed to access foreign exchange by the apex bank.
It said that the operators who want to upgrade to category A must meet a minimum paid-up capital of N500 million verifiable at all times, mandatory deposit with the CBN of $200,000- non interest bearing and non-refundable application fee of N100,000.
Other requirements include licensing fee of N1 million, annual renewal fee of N250,000 (subject to satisfactory reporting requirements and performance and minimum information technology infrastructure that enables the BDCs to make daily returns to CBN.
However, as a result of the directive, the naira, which exchanged at N172 to the US dollar on Tuesday depreciated further to N185 at the close of business transactions on Wednesday.
The BDC operators who confirmed the development said that the free fall in the value of the naira was due to shortages in the supply of the foreign exchange market.
They stated that the demand pressure, which outweighed supply, intensified immediately CBN stopped supplying forex to BDCs.
They explained that the fall in oil prices due to global financial crisis which reduced the Federal Government's earnings, has made it more difficult for the apex bank to meet the forex demand that is rising on daily basis.
Financial analysts said that with the current situation the naira would depreciate further next week as BDCs resorting to autonomous market would provide an opportunity for banks to continue engaging in round-tripping since they are the only group allowed to bid in the twice weekly foreign exchange market.
They pointed out that officially banks are the only group that determined the rate the BDCs will sell their own forex.
Analysts said that with the global financial crisis it would be difficult for BDCs under category B to remain in business through autonomous sources because majority of Nigerians abroad who boost forex inflow to the sector by sending money to their relatives home are finding it difficult to do so.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, who called for the full deregulation of the oil sector, said that the high demand for foreign exchange was because a substantial amount of dollars are used for importing fuel instead of developing the infrastructural facilities.
He said that the report on the CBN sales of the foreign exchange has shown that majority of the forex users are fuel importers.
The NESG chairman said that deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry will give the government an avenue to invest in other sectors of the economy instead of importing fuel.
Some parallel market operators who spoken to our correspondent in Abuja on the condition of anonymity said that the exchange rate hovers around N187/N189 to one US dollar, depending on some factors.
These factors, they said, include the total value of sale to each buyer and the availability of forex at the time of sale.
At the Hamdala Hotel area, many of the Bureaux De Change staff refused to talk to LEADERSHIP, insisting that it was only their chairman, Alhaji Shuaibu Abdullahi Shanono, that was in a position to comment on the matter regarding the price and reasons that could be adduced for the rising price of the US dollar along with other foreign currencies like euro and pound sterling.
But another business man who operates in the exchange transaction said, "The way and manner the price of the American dollar is rising is a serious concern to any sensible Nigerian.
"Global financial crisis or not, we need robust and genuine effective strategies by the apex bank in checking the repression of such trends aside the normal challenges in protecting the financial security of the country. Now we are selling the US dollar at N188 to N189. To answer your question, the answer is simply the failure of our regulatory agencies to fashion out reliable strategies".
However, the Special Assistant (Media) to the CBN Governor, Mr. Isaac Okoroafor, told LEADERSHIP that the official exchange rate has ranged from N144 – N150 to US$1 since mid-January 2009.
His position has not changed from the statement he issued last Monday which stated that this is the exchange rate for about 95% of legitimate foreign exchange consumption in Nigeria.
According to him, the objective of the current foreign exchange rate policy is to conserve foreign reserves and ensure stability of the exchange rate. He also reiterated that the CBN's measure is succeeding and that the outflow of foreign exchange has reduced by more than 50 per cent.
The bank had also disclosed that the policy will ensure that even if the global crisis lasts for the next three years, Nigeria will continue to meet all legitimate foreign exchange demand at a stable exchange rate.
"Other complementary on-going reforms will significantly affect the parallel/black market exchange rate soon. Once the global crisis abates, the Naira is expected to strengthen", the statement added.


Recent news is littered with stories of new allegations of sexual harassment followed by dismissals (like those of Kevin Spacey and Matt Lauer) or resignations (like those of Al Franken and John Conyers) and I'm glad to see action being taken. You don't think that the halls of our government and corporate offices are places where sexual harassment goes down, but I think some people don't understand what sexual harassment is. Others simple think that they have some unspoken license and our society covers it up; unfortunately, Al Franken even cited the fact that another man accused of sexual harassment was elected President of the United States of America.
Just like racism, sexism is a tough sickness to rid a society of. I find it liberating that these people finally feel that they can come forward and hold these people accountable to the degradation that sexual harassment causes. When I walk down the street, a guy might think that saying "hey beautiful" to me, for no reason, is ok... but I don't want to be spoken to; especially if only for you to compliment my physical appearance. I think it's about time we get back to teaching each other how to respect one another -- even in private.
Just days after Donald Trump insisted he turned down the offer to be Time Magazine 2017 Person of the Year, we found out that the Silence Breakers (leaders of the #MeToo sexual harassment and assault movement) were given the honor. Feel free to read the entire Times Magazine article here are your leisure, but you can scroll down and preview the stories from the women who decided to come forward. Honestly, as I gathered the photos, I just couldn't wait for the images to finish. As a #MeToo member myself, as much as you find support in knowing that you are not alone, it's hurtful to know that so many people are going through the same thing.


text:
Archive for the 'Latest News' Category
What Harley-Davidson Exec's Want For Christmas
Posted in 2020 Models, Adventure (ADV), Brand, Brand Loyalty, Dealer News, Harley, Harley Engines, Harley-Davidson, Latest News, Living Life, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Sales, Organizations, tagged "Gone Girl", 'Harley Harley' Drink, 2020 Layoffs, AMY GIUFFRE, Bill Davidson, BLM, Bryan Niketh, CEO Jochen Zeitz, Chief Communications Officer, Chief Digital Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Resources Officer, Chimney Trespassing, Christmas, COVID-19 Pandemic, footwear industry expertise, General Manager Brand Marketing, GINA GOETTER, H-D, H-D Museum, Harley, Harley-Davidson, HD, IBM, Indian Motorcycles, JAGDISH "J.A.G." KRISHNAN, JAGDISH KRISHNAN, Jon Bekefy, Jonathan Root, JULIE ANDING, Legal, LUKE MANSFIELD, Mask, Merry Christmas, Michelle Kumbier, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, Open. Click. Buy., Pabst Brewing Company, Parody, PAUL J. KRAUSE, Six Sigma, The Enthusiast, The Pabst Mansion, TN Dealer, Walk-Backs, William G. Davidson, Willie G, Wish List on December 17, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Santa Wish List
Santa wasn't good to the motorcycle industry in 2020. It was the sort of year at Harley-Davidson where every week, you'd say "what just happened?" Soft sales and even negative growth along with company shutdowns then longer term layoffs followed by strategic plan "walk-backs" and then the high profile dumping of a Tennessee motorcycle dealer over racist Black Lives Matter posts followed by an ever discriminating consumer to boot.
Speaking of feet, did you hear that having footwear industry expertise is the new turnaround skill set for executives at the motor company?
As the motor company executives sit virtually in the Zoom conference room and wonder what happened to the year, I can't help but believe there are some major things on their Santa wish lists.
So, I've followed the science (parody alert!) and highlighted below what I think a few of the top executives want for Christmas:
JOCHEN ZEITZ, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Harley-Davidson: Santa, I "charged" up and shorted out ex-CEO Matt Levatich on that EV motorcycle, but I got the head honcho job with the industry's most iconic motorcycle manufacturer. Did you know they have a cult-like following similar to my favorite thing — a Scottish Bailey guitar? And to think that I've never even been photographed riding a motorcycle. I can't think of anything more to ask for. Oh wait – listen up Santa, please help that Pan American be our rock star and displace BMW R 1250 GS Adventure bike sales. Santa, I need your help to move the company from The Rewire, to The Hardwire and now with marijuana being legal in Madison, my new strategic plan will be called The Higher Wire. Santa, I've never been to the White House for dinner and I wrote a book about my transcendental awakening with a Benedictine monk. It's my turn! Please let the spinner land on my name. Lastly, can you help people forget about that botched "Gone Girl" firing of Michelle Kumbier and the $660K departure gift?
JULIE ANDING, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer: Santa baby, it's cold outside. It's not a Christmas party. It's a non-denominational Zoom holiday mixer. More inclusive. With my team of over 200 HR professionals ("I say H, and you say R") streaming video around the world, I posted a fun memo about the decisions made at the company Zoom holiday party will have consequences that will haunt them for the rest of their professional lives. I've got doughnuts. I've got jelly and sprinkles, but not cronuts because they're a bastard pastry.
AMY GIUFFRE, Vice President and Chief Communications Officer: Santa, please let 2021 be "If the dream is big enough, the facts don't matter" — a.k.a. the Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf school of bubbling optimism to distract the media and bloggers with superfluous BS so they ignore our fundamental problems. As the motor company leader of the world's foremost authority on brand marketing please let my cutting edge hoo-ha marketers develop a comm's strategy that will last longer than Aquaman in theaters!
JON BEKEFY, General Manager Brand Marketing: What the font? Please Santa, I'm seeking stoke so, let the famously irreverent Enthusiast magazine right a wrong, while I write a song on the largest number of variable text sizes and drawing types ever used in a print magazine. We commissioned a student that designed a flyer for the H.S. prom to perform the magazine eye test. I'm a huge fan of Gliko Modern and Gliko Modern Condensed with Body copy set in Freight Text. Oooh, so many fonts and so little time. I'm rather preoccupied with condensing the regular widths of every page and reducing The Enthusiast page count to a total of three on the next spread. Is Santa seeking stoke?
BILL DAVIDSON, Vice President of the Harley-Davidson Museum: Hey Santa, I'm still working here and I bleed black and orange. Did you know I'm the son of William G. "Willie G." Davidson? Just because the pandemic has closed the museum, I remain busy creating ways to bring light and meaningful impact to motorcycle enthusiasts. In fact, I sketched a new color book that has cryptic clues, puzzles to solve, and you can uncover a mystery through an interactive story adventure in the museum gallery. We're doing this in collaboration with The Pabst Mansion and the Pabst Brewing Company. Pass me a cold one!
GINA GOETTER, Chief Financial Officer: Santa it's not my fault. The prepared foods at Tyson Foods taught me a lot. Please let me milk this "new in my job" for just a while longer. What do they expect? Miracles on Juneau Avenue! Doesn't it matter that I've been here less time than ZEITZ? I do have a motorcycle endorsement. And, my calculator is newer than Jonathan's!
JAGDISH "J.A.G." KRISHNAN, Chief Digital Officer: Santa, it's all hands on deck. Open. Click. Buy. At Bose, I helped close 119 retail stores after digitization and all I want for Christmas is to be that invincible-gungho digital hero and repeat the success for Harley customers. I'm calling it The Wired Buyer plan. It's no longer about taking care of every person who walks through our doors – whether that's helping with a problem, giving expert advice, or just letting someone take a break and listen to a great rumble. We're going all in online and will digitize the entire customer experience. Now where are those IBM server rooms on Juneau Avenue.
JONATHAN ROOT, Senior Vice President, Harley-Davidson Financial Services: Santa, I've been busy creating forecasting models, assessing risk in investments and ensuring all accounting activities comply with regulations, but I need a new platinum edition HP 12C calculator. The minus button on my current Texas Instruments model quit working.
PAUL J. KRAUSE, Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Compliance Officer: Santa, I'll make this short and sweet. Please tell us who is behind that NWHOG.com blog?! We have an important legal document gift we wish to serve send over to the Northwest Harley Blog editor. By the way Santa, trespassing involves entering a chimney without consent, but by wishing for presents and sending letters we're good to go on the legal front!
LUKE MANSFIELD, Vice President Motorcycle Management: I'm dreaming electric Santa. Think Serial Number 1! It's a simple process that leads to a complex outcome, but I think I can optimize your gift delivery experience so you'll be home for Christmas. Sure you have the reindeer and elf idiosyncrasies, but consumer tastes are changing fast and they want those gifts immediately after they Open. Click. Buy. Santa you need to adapt & disrupt. By the way, we're developing a new delicious lemon flavored drink for our motorcycle enthusiasts. It's called 'Harley Harley' and will be a standalone new brand in the U.S.
BRYAN NIKETH, Senior Vice President, Product Development and Operations: Please make Indian Motorcycles go away like "Gone Girl" Michelle Kumbier. We are tired of being embarrassed in our own backyard when it comes to American cruisers and we don't want that company bragging about their superior performance anymore. Santa, save the gifts for the laid off 70 employees in India because I'm flying over when the pandemic ends to discuss Harley's continuing restructuring of the region. It's the largest motorcycle market and the exit was hastily announced. Lastly Santa, can you find that blogger at the 105th Anniversary trying to take a photo during our plant tour. We ran his butt right out the building before he was able to take pictures of the lunch room, but the Six Sigma manufacturing team learned later we're missing a crankshaft bolt.
I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to the time when I can throw away my mask. Visiting all my family and sitting around the table sharing stories, eating good food and laughing together again. And of course, getting on the motorcycle and riding across the U.S. at pandemic-free events!
Thank you for your readership during this past year. Merry Christmas, happy holidays and best wishes to you and yours in 2021.
The Harley-Davidson Winter Of Our Discontent
Posted in Clothing, Harley-Davidson, Latest News, Life Lessons, Living Life, Motorcycle, tagged Asia Pacific, Boots, CEO Jochen Zeitz, Confusing, Contradictory Advice, COVID, COVID-19 Pandemic, Director of Marketing, Discontent, Glacier National Park, Gut Punch, H-D, Harley, Harley-Davidson, HD, Head-scratching, Mandates, Motorcycle Back Rider Barrier, Motorcycle Barrier, ReWire, Rules, Serena Di Sarra, Shoe Expertise, Shoes, Thinking about feet, Walk-Backs, Winter on December 16, 2020| 1 Comment »
The COVID-19 Motorcycle Back Rider Barrier
Like most of us, I'm thoroughly sick and tired of the pandemic at this point!
The confusing and contradictory advice along with the arbitrary changes with mandates and shutdowns by government "experts" has created a lack of trust. Are the decisions really based on evidence and rigorous analysis?
In a crisis like the pandemic, predictability and consistency in government policies are not only ideal, they're a lifeline.
And, just as there was some semblance of normalcy returning in late August/September, after an impromptu ride to Glacier National Park and a few Starbucks coffee runs with the option of actually sitting INSIDE to enjoy a dark-roast brew…the long-predicted fall surge hits.
This time around it felt different.
Some people I know became sick, and as I write this post some are just now recovering from COVID, which is good news and very fortunate.
In the meantime, consideration of your feet is now a key requirement for Harley-Davidson. Especially for who's in, who's out, who's promoted and who's been hired at the motor company.
I'll be the first to admit that I didn't see this coming.
Harley-Davidson executives with footwear industry expertise — being the new turnaround vehicle of brand insight into what Harley's customers truly need — and how to deliver it without previous motorcycle and/or riding experience.
So, what does Clarks, Croc's and the world's leading footwear manufacturer, Bata Group, have in common with Harley-Davidson motorcycles?
I'm referring to Serena Di Sarra, who recently joined Harley-Davidson as Director of Marketing, Asia Pacific and Latin America. It's likely coincident, surely not cronyism, that Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz, who previously ran PUMA, a company that designs and manufactures athletic and casual footwear, awarded an executive marketing position to Di Sarra.
Given the various 2020 "x-Wire" strategic "walk-backs" at Harley-Davidson it leaves the impression that decision making is (has been?) wishy-washy. Similar to some of the arbitrary government pandemic mandates, constant changes to strategic directions at the motor-company could be symptomatic of a flaw in the process. Some of the walk-back examples are almost as pointless as the head-scratching motorcycle back rider "protective shield" — a motorcycle barrier adopted by the Philippine government that was mandated to fight off the spread of the pandemic. Don't get any ideas Gov. Kate Brown!
But, I've digressed
Once again I'm writing this post from a virtual lockdown situation, missing my family, friends, colleagues, and the events that didn't or won't happen this year.
We can all absorb the gut punch of a one-year interruption in our riding passion if it means coming out stronger on the other side — and I believe that will be the case. When riding events and rallies come back, they'll return with an "unprecedented" sense of what had been lost and a greater appreciation of our riding relationships.
What gets a motorcyclist through a mask-wearing northwest pandemic winter? Reading technical manuals, making a bucket ride list, repairing, upgrading and waxing your way out of discontent.
Photo courtesy of RAPPLER.com
The Cost of Employee Tension At Harley-Davidson
Posted in Brand, Dealer News, Earnings, Events, Harley, Harley-Davidson, Latest News, Legal, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Sales, tagged $660000, 10-Q Filing Section 10.2, 22 Year Employee, Allegations, CEO Jochen Zeitz, Charges, Chief Operating Officer, Claims, conflict calculator, COO, Dispute, environmental profit-and-loss, Form 10-Q, Harley, Harley-Davidson, HD, Liabilities, Litigation, Michelle Kumbier, noncompete clause, ReWire, Scarcity Strategy, SEC, Sr VP, US SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION on November 13, 2020| 1 Comment »
Michelle Kumbier
When handled well, conflict resolution can save a company time and money and help maintain a healthy work environment. Unfortunately, conflict management at Harley-Davidson in the executive staff is imperfect, as they have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars due to workplace disputes.
The latest example is Michelle Kumbier.
In October 2017, Michelle Kumbier was appointed senior vice president and chief operating officer (COO) of Harley-Davidson Motor Co. with responsibility for overseeing the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer's U.S. and international markets in addition to her current responsibilities leading product and operations. Previously, Kumbier served as senior vice president, Motor Company product and operations. In that role, she led a team of more than 4,500 employees worldwide to bring Harley-Davidson motorcycles, parts and accessories and general merchandise to market.
$HOG 10-Q Filing
Obviously she was a failure… for the new Chief Executive Jochen Zeitz, and wouldn't be part of getting the company on "a path to winning" — the 'scarcity strategy' called ReWire — so, Kumbier departed Harley-Davidson on April 3, 2020. In the filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Harley-Davidson did not disclose a reason for her departure.
However, earlier his week, Harley-Davidson Inc. paid the former high-profile executive a settlement of $660,000 after she threatened litigation connected to unspecified events related to her departure, the company stated in a regulatory filing. I'm not a workplace dispute solutionist, but the reason people sue is often not rooted in money as much as the person does not feel they are being treated fairly.
10-Q Filing Section 10.2
Kumbier, who had been a Harley-Davidson employee since 1997, and the company "have disputes over events that allegedly occurred relative to her resignation from the company," the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer said in exhibit 10.2 included in its 10-Q quarterly financial report filed Nov. 5 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Harley-Davidson said it "has denied and continues to deny Kumbier's allegations" and also denies that it has any liability to Kumbier on any of her "disputed claims."
But, went ahead and paid her $660,000 for the general denial of those allegations.
The company will make a lump-sum payment to Kumbier after she signed the settlement agreement that was dated Aug. 14, 2020. The document also states that Kumbier acknowledged the settlement amount is more than she would otherwise be entitled to under the company's normal policies and procedures and that Kumbier released the company, its executives and its board "from all claims, charges, demands, and liabilities of any kind." Kumbier also signed a noncompete clause that prohibits her from working for or consulting with a large list of Harley competitors or potential competitors.
It might be appropriate that Harley-Davidson devise a "conflict calculator" to augment their environmental profit-and-loss accounting method to put a figure on how much the company spends on conflict resolution and executive termination each year.
Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz Background
Photos courtesy of Harley-Davidson, Michelle Kumbier and US SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION — FORM 10-Q (November 5, 2020) Filing
Harley-Davidson Q3 2020 Financials
Posted in 2020 Models, Brand, Brand Loyalty, Dealer News, Earnings, Harley-Davidson, Latest News, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Sales, tagged African Art Collector, CEO Jochen Zeitz, COVID-19 Pandemic, Devoted Customers, Discounting, Financial Report, German Environmentalist, Growth, Harley, Harley-Davidson, HD, Jochen Zeitz, Low Sales, Motorcycle Volume, MSRP, Perspective, Reviving Optimism, ReWire, The Hardwire on October 27, 2020| 2 Comments »
Election Day is a week away. There's new evidence of water on the moon. Amy Coney Barrett is a Supreme Court justice, the fire hose of information continues to overwhelm even the most devout COVID-19 science junkies and Harley-Davidson shares soared 27% to $36.82 earlier in the day after reporting third-quarter net income of $120.2 million and post its best Q3 result since 2015.
A striking result after Harley-Davidson put a German environmentalist in charge and recorded a worldwide sales decline of 8%, which is the 15th consecutive quarterly decline.
Wall Street is reviving optimism about Harley's future at a time when motorcycle sales are in decline. Talk about exaggerating your perspective.
Jochen Zeitz's (CEO) "ReWire" (yes, a play on the LiveWire electric motorcycle) strategy cut 30% of the models in the lineup, exited 39 markets, eliminated 10% of its workforce including product teams developing new motorcycle models — were executed to manage down motorcycle volume and reduce its global presence due to low sales.
The actions helped to stop discounting and drive dealership prices higher to MSRP in Q3. It's also a tacit acknowledgement that the motor company's smaller scope and scale is the only way forward after multiple abandoned growth plans and over a decade long quest to appeal and reach new types of riders.
Abandoning affordable, youth-oriented motorcycles is a staggering reversal given Mr. Zeitz's experience at Puma in connecting with the youth culture and claiming ownership of that generation in Europe. Remember "Puma chic" streetwear fashion?
Harley-Davidson Inc. is back! Back, to making big, expensive motorcycles for its most devoted customers.
UPDATE: October 27 at 5:13PM Pacific — Full Disclosure: I don't currently own or have plans to purchase HOG stock.
Photos courtesy of Bloomberg and Harley-Davidson
All Rights Reserved (C) Northwest Harley Blog
LiveWire Safety Recall Campaign 0176
Posted in Electric, Harley Engines, Harley-Davidson, Latest News, Motorcycle, Project LiveWire, Recall, Safety, Safety-Conscious, tagged 2020 LiveWire (ELW) motorcycles, 20V624000, Electric, Electric Motorcycle, H-D, Harley, Harley-Davidson, HD, LiveWire (ELW), NHTSA, Onboard Charging (OBC) System, Service Bulletin M1519, Software, Unexpected loss of propulsion, Units Affected 1012 on October 21, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Harley-Davidson has learned that the software in the Onboard Charging (OBC) System of the LiveWire (ELW) model motorcycles built between 3/18/2019 and 8/20/2020 may initiate a shutdown of the electric vehicle powertrain, without providing reasonable indication to the rider that a shutdown sequence has been initiated.
In some cases, the vehicle may not be able to be restarted or, if restarted, may shortly thereafter shut down again. Unexpected loss of propulsion of the vehicle while in motion without the ability to restart or remain restarted may increase the risk of a crash.
In addition, prior to loss of propulsion indicator lamps may illuminate to include: the Traction Control (TC) lamp, the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) lamp, and the Failure Indicator Lamp (FIL).
Details of the recall are as follows:
NHTSA Campaign Number 20V624000 — Harley-Davidson Motor Company Components ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Loss of Propulsion: An unexpected loss of propulsion without the ability to restart may increase the risk of a crash.
Potential Number of Units Affected 1012
Harley-Davidson Motor Company (Harley-Davidson) is recalling certain 2020 LiveWire (ELW) motorcycles. The electric vehicle powertrain may unexpectedly shut down and not restart, due to a software issue in the Onboard Charging (OBC) system.
Harley-Davidson will notify owners, and dealers will update the OBC software, free of charge. The recall began October 19, 2020. Owners may contact Harley-Davidson customer service at 1-800-258-2464. Harley-Davidson's number for this recall is 0176.
The Service Bulletin is: M1519: RECALL 0176 – LIVEWIRE – SOFTWARE UPDATES
Photo courtesy of Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson Avoids $3M Retrofit Of Wood-Burning Appliances
Posted in Dealer News, Earnings, Harley, Harley Engines, Harley-Davidson, Latest News, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Sales, Organizations, Politics, Products, tagged $12 million civil penalty, $3 million air pollution mitigation project, 340000, accepted regulatory approach, aftermarket tuning, chilling effect, Civil Fine, closed-course competition, competition-only parts, corporation's litigation culture, EPA, EPA Certified, Harley, Harley-Davidson, Harley-Davidson's Government Affairs Director, HD, Judge Emmet Sullivan, performance parts market, performance tuner, Pro Super Tuner, prolonged legal battle, Revised Settlement, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Wood-burning Stoves on September 15, 2020| Leave a Comment »
In August 2016, Harley-Davidson agreed to pay a $12 million civil fine and stop selling engine "Pro Super Tuners" deemed illegal after-market devices that caused its motorcycles to emit too much pollution. I previously posted about this topic HERE.
The motor company also agreed to spend about $3 million to retrofit or replace wood-burning appliances with cleaner stoves to offset excess emissions from the sale of "tuners."
It's important to note that the EPA legal action had a significant chilling effect on the performance parts market at Harley-Davidson dealers and many other after-market manufactures.
As previously disclosed, the settlement resolved allegations with the EPA, that the company sold about 340,000 "tuners" enabling motorcycles since 2008 to pollute the air at levels greater than what the company certified. Harley-Davidson did not admit liability and has always maintained that it disagreed with the government, arguing that the tuners were designed and sold to be used in "competition only."
Even though the settlement had not yet taken effect, a U.S. judge this week approved a revised settlement with Harley-Davidson and dropped the requirement that it spend $3 million to retrofit or replace wood-burning appliances with cleaner stoves to offset excess emissions.
Multiple environmental groups along with a group of 10 states sharply objected to the revised settlement by U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan.
Superspreader Event: The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Posted in Harley-Davidson, Latest News, Legislation, Living Life, Politics, Sturgis, Sturgis Rally, Sturgis SD, tagged $12.2B, 80th, Andrew I. Friedson, CDC, Chinese Coronavirus, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Dhaval Dave, Drew McNichols, Harley, IZA, IZA Institute of Labor Economics, Joseph J. Sabia, limit exposure, Mass Gathering, non-compliant events, Pandemic, restrictions on mass gatherings, SD, stricter mitigation policies, Sturgis, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Superspreader, Virus on September 8, 2020| Leave a Comment »
UPDATE September 10, 2020:
Scrutiny, then disagreement of methodology and then harsh criticism of the academic modelers from San Diego State University's Center for Health Economics & Policy Studies arrived quickly after they published their findings in a 63-page report. The researchers sought to quantify the Sturgis Rally COVID-19 impact in South Dakota and nationwide by analyzing the (anonymous) cell-phone data of attendees.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said the study was "fiction," and criticized journalists who reported on it. "Under the guise of academic research, this report is nothing short of an attack on those who exercised their personal freedom to attend Sturgis," Noem said in the statement. "Predictably, some in the media breathlessly report on this non-peer reviewed model, built on incredibly faulty assumptions that do not reflect the actual facts and data here in South Dakota."
Media References:
WSJ (paywall)
The Associated Press as of last week identified 290 cases from 12 states tied to the rally. Instead of looking at contact tracing and trying to identify specific people who had the disease and passed it onto others, the San Diego researchers looked at the areas that sent the most people to the rally and how case trends changed after the event.
A scientific "Discussion Paper" (dp13670) was recently released referencing preliminary work, which documents the spread of COVID-19 due to a mass gathering conducted during a pandemic against the guidance of the CDC.
The document explicitly refers to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and how a single superspreading event can be leveraged to impose restrictions on future mass gatherings.
Discussion Paper Highlights:
The per 1,000 case rate increased by 10.7 percent after 24 days following the onset of Sturgis Pre-Rally Events.
A total of 263,708 additional cases due to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
These cases represent a cost of over $12.2 billion, based on the statistical cost of a COVID-19 case of $46,000 estimated by Kniesner and Sullivan (2020).
The cost is enough to have paid each of the estimated 462,182 rally attendees $26,553.64 not to attend.
The document concludes that the spread of the virus due to the Sturgis Rally was large. The authors provide descriptive evidence and suggest stricter mitigation policies to limit exposure due to the behavior of non-compliant events and those who travel to them.
Photo courtesy of IZA Institute of Labor Economics Document.
The National Parks Bill And Meandering Motorcyclists
Posted in Harley-Davidson, Latest News, Legal, Legislation, Living Life, Montana, Motorcycle, Posse Ride, Routes & Maps, Travel, tagged Bill, Continental Divide, Deferred Maintenance, Fish and Wildlife Service, Glacier National Park, Glaciers, Great American Outdoors Act, H-D, Harley, Harley-Davidson, HD, Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), Legal, Legislation, Meandering Motorcyclists, Montana, Motorcycle, motorcycle enthusiasts, National Historic Sites, National Monuments, National Park, National Park System, National Recreation Areas, National Seashores, Theodore Roosevelt, Trump Administration on August 11, 2020| 2 Comments »
Riding the Going To The Sun Road – Glacier National Park
From Acadia to Zion our country's most spectacular landscape treasures are protected inside the parks.
No map or brochure can prepare you for that first motorcycle ride and peering out over a guardrail at snowy mountain peaks, waterfalls that flow down the valley through the forests, and end in a clear blue lake carved out by glaciers. The mountain mornings always have a bite of cold as the sun takes its time to wake, while meandering through the incredible scenery.
I'm talking about National Parks in general and specifically Glacier National Park, Montana which in my view shines above the rest.
Glacier National Park – Going The Sun Road
It never gets old and I plan to ride through the million-acre paradise later this month and take a COVID-19 mental diversion through the park. Montana has plenty of mountain roads where motorcyclists can ride and absorb the landscape, but the crown jewel is the Going-to-the-Sun Road. It crosses the Continental Divide carves through the steep grade of rock and forest with roughly 50 miles of sweeping curves and hairpin switchbacks along with an occasional tunnel passage through the mountain.
The national parks are such a gift, one we've given to each other. One we've inherited and, with luck, will pass down to the generations that follow us.
Speaking of paying it forward…
Going To The Sun Road
The National Park System comprises 419 national park sites, but only 62 of them have the "National Park" designation in their names. The other sites fall into different National Park System categories like National Historic Sites, National Monuments, National Seashores, National Recreation Areas, and others.
You might be surprised to learn that the National Park Service accounts for 84 million acres of land at more than 400 different sites, but as of 2019, they were due for $11.9 billion (that's a B!) in deferred maintenance and repairs. Fortunately, the current administration recently signed a bipartisan bill (Great American Outdoors Act) that will pay for repairs at national parks, permanently finance the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and in addition will create a lot of jobs. The bill directs up to $6.65 billion to priority fixes and up to $3 billion for agencies such as the Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition, the bill will allocate $900 million each year to the conservation fund. The program – which has existed for half a century – has historically been plagued by funding shortfalls.
The Great American Outdoors Act enacted last week is clearly the most consequential funding for national parks, wildlife refuges, and public recreation facilities in U.S. history since the conservation legacy of President Theodore Roosevelt in the early 1900s.
As motorcycle enthusiasts, we can take heart that there's always going to be those historic chalets, lodges, and miles of tarmac with beautiful landscapes that meander their way through the firs, aspen, and stone.
Photos taken by author.
Harley-Davidson Q2 2020 Financial Results
Posted in 2020 Models, Adventure (ADV), Brand, Dealer News, Earnings, Harley-Davidson, Latest News, Motorcycle Sales, Products, Value Creation, tagged 1918 flu pandemic, Adventure Touring, Aquaman, Asphalt & Rubber, automotive industry crisis, CEO Jochen Zeitz, CEO Matt Levatich, COVID-19, Culture, Desirability, Earnings, Financial Report, Great Depression, H-D, H-D Museum, Harley, Harley-Davidson, HD, Jason Momoa, Jochen Zeitz, Layoffs, most-hated sayings, New Normal, Q2 2020, Q2'20, Sequestered, subprime mortgage crisis, The Hardwire, The ReWire, unprecedented times, Used Motorcycle Prices, We are in this together on August 6, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Jason Momoa (i.e. "Aquaman") collaborates with Harley-Davidson
How often have we recently heard… "We continue to face challenges during these unprecedented times." — Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz opening statement during the July 28, 2020 financial call.
I'm not a grammar nerd, but "unprecedented times" is a tiresome word. Stop saying it Mr. Zeitz – and it's also inaccurate!
We are not in an "unprecedented" time.
This isn't the 1930's Great Depression, the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world. There's been no dot-com bubble (i.e. Internet bubble) that was caused by excessive speculation in Internet-related companies in the late 1990s. It's not the real estate bubble of 2008 and the follow-on market crash, recession and unemployment that was linked to the "subprime mortgage crisis." There is no automotive industry crisis of 2008–2010 where declining automobile sales and scarce availability of credit led to General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford facing insolvency without major government intervention. It's not the 1918 flu pandemic, which killed 675,000 Americans and the worldwide death toll was estimated at 100 million. One pandemic death is too much, but the COVID-19 deaths are currently nowhere close to that, thankfully.
Q2 2020 HOG Earnings Report
So, stop using these new most-hated sayings: "unprecedented" times, it's the "new normal" and "we are in this together" mantra.
And, who's the "we" here? The point is "we" are not all on the same team in this pandemic. Everyone is dealing with it in their own way. The restaurant employee who's been unemployed for months isn't in this together with a Fortune 500 CEO. The nurse on the front-line treating pandemic patients isn't in this with the marketing manager who can work from home.
It's not "unprecedented" for me to rant about something while being largely sequestered at home for nearly five months. But it is what it is, I guess.
Back to the Q2'20 financial call… and some key comments made during the call:
The Harley-Davidson culture has suffered. The company has seen five consecutive restructuring's every year in order to basically chase the downward trend in sales.
"The Rewire" strategic vision is now being replaced by "The Hardwire." (more on this at the bottom of the post)
Extending the 2020 model year through fall (historically launch was late August) and now new bikes will arrive in dealer showrooms early 2021.
Used motorcycle pricing increased about 6% throughout Q2, certainly, higher than Harley has seen in any previous quarter.
Harley continues to see strong potential in Adventure Touring and will launch Pan America globally in 2021.
Harley has streamlined the structure, which now requires approx 700 fewer positions and approximately 500 employees laid off.
H-D is not willing to sacrifice the strength of their legacy in a quest for pure volume growth going forward.
Increased recognition on the role of digital technology as a critical priority in the future for Harley-Davidson.
H-D will focus on roughly 50 primary markets that generate the vast majority of their retail sales and shipments.
Surprise! Planning to add a Sustainability Officer to the team who will further H-D commitment to the planet and to society.
New brand building approach and social media campaign directed by "Aquaman" i.e. Jason Momoa (video of Mr. Momoa touring H-D Museum)
Q2'20 Numbers:
Harley-Davidson posted a loss of $0.60 per share for Q2'20
Worldwide retail sales of new motorcycles were down 26.6% versus prior year and Q2 revenue of $865 million was down 47% year over year.
U.S. retail sales in Q2'20 were down 26.7% versus prior year.
EMEA declined 29.8%, Asia Pacific was down 10.2%, and Latin America saw declines in Mexico and Brazil and finished the quarter down 51%.
U.S. market share of new bike registrations was 38.5%, down 8.1 percentage points
Motorcycle mix shifted from touring to cruising versus Q2'19, which reduced average motorcycle revenue per bike.
Credit losses were down due to lower delinquencies and lower repossessions helped by H-D offering of payment extensions to certain customers.
While Q2 results were again terrible, Harley-Davidson was still able to sell over 31,000 motorcycles in the U.S. during a global health crisis that closed off its retail stores.
During the financial call, Mr. Zeitz announced Harley will have yet another roadmap to follow: "The Hardwire," the motor company's third visionary plan in two years.
You might recall "The More Roads to Harley-Davidson" plan unveiled in July 2018 which stated the development of 100 new models over 10 years, giving more attention to international markets than in the U.S. market, and putting a much greater focus on electric vehicles.
That plan was largely abandoned earlier this year when then CEO Matt Levatich abruptly left the company and was replaced by chairman Zeitz. The "More Roads" was replaced by the vague and loosely defined "The Rewire" plan, which incorporated some of Levatich's plan, but would instead focus more on key markets and products to drive the bike maker's profitability and growth potential.
Now we can look forward to a new 5-year strategic plan; "The Hardwire," which will be grounded in enhancing the desirability of Harley's brand and protecting the value (i.e., keep pricing elevated) of the iconic products." The Hardwire roadmap is expected to take over in the fourth quarter and serve as the strategic plan for the company to follow through 2025.
Photos courtesy of Asphalt & Rubber and Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson Layoff Wave Accelerates
Posted in 2020 Models, Brand, Dealer News, Earnings, Harley, Harley-Davidson, Latest News, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Sales, tagged $50M Restructuring Charge, 2020 Layoffs, 700 Employees, Airbnb, AT&T, Bird, Boeing, CEO, CEO Jochen Zeitz, CFO, CFO John Olin, Charlie Sheen, Chevron, Darrell Thomas, GE, H-D, Harley, Harley-Davidson, HD, Headcount Reduction, Hertz, Hilton, Layoffs, Macy's, Path To Winning, Portlandia, Put a Bird on It, The ReWire, UA, Uber, VP Treasurer, Winning, Workforce, ZipRecruiter on July 9, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Some numbers to start your day and it's not pretty.
The coronavirus pandemic, social unrest, and a scarred economy has created a tipping sentiment toward many jobs NOT coming back.
According to a Harley-Davidson press release, "The ReWire" strategy will now eliminate 700 positions globally of which 500 of the layoffs will occur this year. It will result in a $50 million restructuring charge in 2020, including $42 million in the second quarter. According to new Chief Executive Jochen Zeitz, getting the company on "a path to winning" also includes CFO John Olin leaving the company effective immediately.
Flashback – remember this abrupt CFO departure in 2009?
Some news outlets have reported Mr. Olin's departure as a "retirement," but color me skeptical since most retirements have a longer celebratory departure than immediately exit through the door. The current VP Treasurer, Darrell Thomas assumed duties as interim CFO until a successor is appointed.
I'm not sure why, but the CEO press release declaration of "a path to winning" reminded me of that time Charlie Sheen was winning HERE … maybe I just needed some humor?!
Harley-Davidson is not alone on the layoffs. Below are just a few of the latest examples:
Macy's announced it would lay off about 3,900 and shutter stores
AT&T will lay off 3,400 and shut down more than 250 stores.
Hilton Hotels announced it would lay off 2,100 corporate employees amounting to 22% of its corporate workforce.
Chevron announced it will cut 10% – 15% of its 45,000 global workforce.
Boeing announced it would lay off nearly 7,000 employees.
Uber announced it is cutting 3,700 jobs (14% of its workforce), then a month later announced they will cut 3,000 additional jobs and close 45 offices.
Airbnb announced it is laying off about 25% of its workforce, or 1,900 employees.
Virgin Atlantic (now part of Alaska Airlines) announced it would cut 3,150 jobs.
Hertz plans to lay off 10,000 employees.
Under Armour announced that it will lay off about 6,700 employees.
United Airlines will send layoff warnings to 36,000 employees — nearly half its U.S. staff.
ZipRecruiter laid off 443 employees.
GE announced it will be reducing approximately 10% of its aviation unit's workforce, amounting to about 2,500 employees.
Cirque du Soleil announced it is laying off 95% of its 4,679 person staff.
You get the point. Sadly, a lot of employees are expected to exit various organizations. In fact, since February, about 4.6 million Americans have stopped actively looking for work, and another 2.2 million are unemployed NOT on layoff.
And, then there are those companies that have taken an extremely tacky and classless route of laying off employees via Zoom. Looking at you Bird, the electric scooter company, who laid off 30% of its staff via a 2-minute Zoom call.
Talk about a Nobel Prize-winning way to "Put a Bird on It" — From the "Portlandia" TV show.
Photos courtesy of Harley-Davidson, Great Art and IMDb.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Sato Takashi
(Global Frequency)
Eastern Asian-ish ancestries
Horror (genre)
Master Intruder
Nationality (Japanese)
Comics Other Universes Global Frequency
Power Level: Street-level
"Have you ever looked inside a human body ? It's beautiful."
Satō-san was in the ninth issue of Global Frequency – one of the two GF stories without a title. It was published in 2003. This entry has S P O I L E R S for everything in it.
Global Frequency (written by Warren Ellis) only ran 12 issues from 2002-2004. But it remains one of my all-time favourites. Essentially, it's X-Files done as short, high-tempo action thrillers depicting last-resort, high-competence efforts to deal with strange threats. Ellis' later Injection draws from the same well.
For more context, you should read our Miranda Zero character profile.
Real Name: Satō Takashi. It *might* be spelled 佐藤武.
Marital Status: Unrevealed.
Known Relatives: None.
Group Affiliation: Global Frequency associate.
Base of Operations: Osaka, Japan.
Height: 5'7″ Weight: 130 lbs.
Eyes: Brown Hair: Bleached.
Powers & Abilities
Takashi described his speciality as "infiltration". He seems to be an expert in B&E, stealth and reconnaissance. It is quite possible he's a former thief, especially since he's well familiar with narcotics.
He appears to be particularly capable, collected and courageous.
He carries what seems to be a Sig-Sauer P225 pistol. This is a 9mm police pistol meant for reliable, compact carry in peaceful countries. Since he operates in Japan, that he carries a gun is notable.
Though Sato-san isn't primarily a gunfighter, he seems competent with his Sig. And by 2003, he was all out of inhibition against killing.
Let's go with an obvious but working choice. This is an extended live version of Tomoyasu Hotei's most famous tune, Battle Without Honour Or Humanity.
One that's so metal that it needs three drummers, and a bass guitar, and I think the keyboard guy also has bongos in case there's still a lack of drumming. Unsurprisingly, it requires decent bass rendering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzfv5WdVr2c
Hotei music for download on Amazon .
Takashi Satō is a Global Frequency expert in Osaka, Japan. However, during the early 2000s, he was sent on missions that took a severe psychological toll. There were apparently two separate engagements :
One that ended with discovering the bodies of a class of schoolgirls. They all had committed suicide aboard a train.
One where he was sent on an island to rescue children who had gone there to kill each other. But they turned on him, and he presumably had to kill them to survive.
(The latter is presumably a reference to Battle Royale . Which is a 1999 Japanese horror parable about children being turned into cannon fodder, particularly during WWII. This was then rehashed into commercial products because we're hopeless.)
The psychological damage meant that Takashi no longer considered himself fit for duty. His desensitisation was severe enough that he just didn't care about human lives anymore. Instead, he became a trainer for other GF operatives.
Flesh for fantasy
In 2003, the Osaka Prefectural Police requested Global Frequency support after losing two officers. Satō-san had just the right skills and was nearby. Aleph forced the issue, since more than a hundred lives were at stake. Furious, Takashi agreed to be on the Frequency one last time. But he told Aleph he'd kill her if they ever met.
The crisis site was some sort of research clinic. As Aleph hacked her ways into encrypted records and Takashi snuck his way through the premises, it became clear it was the worst.
This hospital was conducting a host of advanced research, most of it illegal. Bioreactors to mass-produce human tissues, unethical stem cell research, use of designer narcotics for anaesthesia, etc..
Takashi soon discovered that patients and vat-grown tissues had been turned into living, conscious human tapestries and statuaries. Stumbling upon these horrors was what had resulted in the suicide of one of the responding patrolmen.
Some of the biological ornaments that could speak begged for death. Mr. Satō thus shot dead what he could discern in the tangled spreads of flesh.
Though he was in shock, Takashi continued. He now was determined to end this, and himself.
The doors of perception
As he investigated, Mr. Satō put together what had happened. A small electrical fire had detonated experimental psychotropic gasses used for anaesthesia. This mix had severely warped the brains of the surgeons.
Using the patients and artificial tissues, they had been turning the facility into a sort of temple celebrating the beauty of the inside of human bodies.
Medical experts on the Frequency confirmed Takashi's conclusions, using his HD footage of the demented surgeon's altered eyes. Their best guess was that the damage was permanent, as the gasses likely bound directly to the brain.
Takashi advocated for an incendiary airstrike. By this point Aleph was also starting to go into shock. But the footage she sent to the Japanese authorities convinced even the JSDF (not the greatest fans of incendiary bombing ) to authorise an immediate strike.
Though Takashi was ordered out, he explained it was too late. He then filmed his eyes to show Aleph that he too was now irreparably affected by the gasses in the air.
Satō-san killed himself as the bomb (presumably a 500 lbs. MK-77) was on its way to sterilise the site.
Takashi appears to be in his late 20s. His swagger, bleached spiky hair, sharp features and leather motorbike jacket evoke the usual image of the Japanese street tough bad boy with mob connections.
Several aspects of Takashi are reminiscent of a young "Beat" Takeshi Kitano , an influential TV and cinema personality. Kitano-san also had a major role in Battle Royale.
When he appeared, Takashi was spent and badly hurt. He also considered himself to be homicidally dangerous due to trauma, and thus refused to be in the field.
He had an uncaring, unfiltered, vaguely nihilistic attitude. He also evidenced paranoid reactions, briefly rambling and accusing the Frequency of being out to test and destroy his sanity. However, his sense of responsibility and his duty to save lives were still stronger.
When on-site, he started going into shock. But his previous harrowing experiences meant that he instead went into a state of cold, collected, murderous hatred against whoever had done this. This is also presumably the point at which he decided that he wouldn't outlive the op.
(To Aleph) "Give me the briefing. But first, understand this: make very certain that I never meet you."
(Approaching the Prefectural Police) "I'm the Global Frequency specialist. Tell me things."
Cop: "What's your expertise ?"
Takashi: "Infiltration. And never quite managing to go insane."
Cop: "I don't understand."
Takashi: "Me neither […]."
Cop: "What do we do if you do not come out ?"
Takashi: "I have no idea."
"You will tell me what you have done. Or I will kill you, and then kill all your friends, and then find your family. Because I genuinely no longer care whether anyone lives or dies. Which is why I am not supposed to be doing this job."
Takashi Satō
Dex: 03 Str: 02 Bod: 03 Motivation: Responsibility
Int: 05 Wil: 04 Min: 04 Occupation: B&E trainer
Inf: 03 Aur: 03 Spi: 04 Wealth: 004
Acrobatics (Climbing): 04, Artist (Actor): 03, Charisma (Persuasion): 04, Martial Artist: 03, Thief (Stealth, L&S, Security): 05, Vehicles (Land): 03, Weaponry (Firearms): 03
Expertise (Narcotics), Language (Japanese).
Global Frequency (Low) and presumably Street (Low).
Serious Rage, and presumably a dependency on antidepressant drugs (legal or not).
Sig-Sauer 9mm P225 [BODY 03, Projectile weapon: 04, Ammo: 08, R#02] with four spare mags.
Global Frequency Phone [BODY 04, Radio Communications (Scrambled): 19, Misc. Advantage (Allow Remote Sensing from Central Operations)].
As with John Stark, I went a bit long on skills he likely possesses but were not demonstrated.
Normally I'm conservative about these, but certain writeups are more useful when they do not strictly stick with observed performance.
Source of Character: Global Frequency Vol. 1 #9.
Writeup completed on the 28th of November, 2018.
Global Frequency collection
Ashe Emmanuelle Chekhov, the Imperial Slayer


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ANA is to launch a new route from Tokyo's Narita Airport to Brussels, raising the total number of European cities it serves direct to six.
The new route to the Belgian capital will start from the 2015 winter schedule, adding to the direct services ANA already operates from either Narita or Haneda to Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, London and Paris. ANA also provides convenient access from a number of other Japanese airports to a wide range of destinations across Europe through a joint venture with its Star Alliance partner Lufthansa Group which enables passengers to transit easily through Frankfurt and Munich.
The exact date of the start of service, the flight timetable, and the type of aircraft to be used on the route will be announced nearer to the time, subject to the approval of the relevant authorities.
Currently, Brussels Airlines, a member of the Lufthansa Group as well as a member of Star Alliance, is building a network of flights to destinations inside and outside Europe centered on its hub at Brussels Airport. The option for ANA passengers to change flights in Brussels will provide greater convenience for those wishing to transit to flights reaching a wider range of European destinations.


text:
Red Bee Media
Média | Londres | 78 followers
Présentation de Red Bee Media
Red Bee Media Limited is a media management company headquartered in west London, United Kingdom at the Broadcast Centre, with offices in Scotland and international offices in Australia, Paris, France, Berlin, Germany, Seville, Spain and Indonesia. Red Bee Media has 1500 employees worldwide including homeworkers and revenues of £153m in 2008/09. Clients include television broadcasters such as the…
Red Bee Media Limited is a media management company headquartered in west London, United Kingdom at the Broadcast Centre, with offices in Scotland and international offices in Australia, Paris, France, Berlin, Germany, Seville, Spain and Indonesia. Red Bee Media has 1500 employees worldwide including homeworkers and revenues of £153m in 2008/09. Clients include television broadcasters such as the BBC, UKTV, Virgin Media Television and Channel 4, as well as brands such as Nike, Lonely Planet, and Malaria No More. Red Bee Media transmits over 120 TV streams on Analogue, DTT, DSat, Cable, Web and Mobile, among them all the domestic BBC channels (except for BBC Parliament, the production and playout of which is handled by Millbank Studios), along with international channels including BBC World News, BBC Worldwide and BBC Food, and is viewed in over 200 countries and territories across the globe. It handles the majority of video on demand (VOD) services in the UK, including the BBC (BBC iPlayer) and Channel 4 (4OD).
Site Web http://www.redbeemedia.com/
Compte Twitter @RedBeeMedia
Avis pour Red Bee Media
DOSTERT Nicolas
Responsable support technique
Arthur Vié
Chef Monteur
Frédéric Rieunier
Sous-titreur-correcteur
Julia Humbert
Translator & Subtitler
ExterionMedi…
Agence Franc…
Thomson Reut…
France Télév…


THCOM and We Are IT Philippines Inc. WIT have signed a multi-year capacity wholesale agreement aimed at providing connectivity for the rollout of nationwide enterprise and government broadband projects.
According to the terms of the agreement, WIT will use the entire IPSTAR capacity of both spot and broadcast beams for the Philippines.
including broadcasting, telecom, mobile network operators, and maritime.
Anant Kaewruamvongs, CEO of Thaicom Public Company Limited, said: I thank WIT for their continued trust in us.
The Philippines is the perfect satellite market, due to the wide geographical and population distribution of the archipelago. I am pleased that Thaicom is able to help the Philippines in its transformation for the digital era.
IPSTAR's high-throughput capacity is ideal to connect unserved and underserved areas in the Philippines, thus improving the lives of millions of Filipinos and accelerating the country's economic growth.
We will be able to roll out the network infrastructure for the country's 3rd mobile network operator, as well as government and enterprise broadband VSAT projects faster and more cost effectively as the result of the agreement with Thaicom.
support mobile network operators with backhaul services in their effort to expand their coverage and increase data capacity to their cellular sites.
"We take pride in our ability to drive the common goal of connecting individuals, businesses and governments across ASEAN with affordable and reliable broadband services", said Patompob (Nile) Suwansiri, CCO of Thaicom.


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