text:
Bright Horizons Family Solutions Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2018 Financial Results
February 12, 2019 04:23 PM Eastern Standard Time
WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bright Horizons Family Solutions® Inc. (NYSE: BFAM), a leading provider of high-quality child care and early education, back-up care and educational advisory services designed to help employers and families better address the challenges of work and family life, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2018 and provided guidance for 2019.
Fourth Quarter 2018 Highlights (compared to fourth quarter 2017):
Revenue increased 9% to $478 million
Income from operations increased 22% to $64 million
Net income decreased 9% to $47 million and diluted earnings per common share decreased 8% to $0.79
Non-GAAP measures
Adjusted income from operations* increased 19% to $64 million
Adjusted EBITDA* increased 14% to $93 million
Adjusted net income* increased 22% to $53 million and diluted adjusted earnings per common share* increased 23% to $0.90
Year Ended December 31, 2018 Highlights (compared to year ended December 31, 2017):
Revenue increased 9% to $1.9 billion
Income from operations increased 16% to $239 million
Net income increased 1% to $158 million and diluted earnings per common share increased 3% to $2.66
Adjusted income from operations* increased 14% to $241 million
Adjusted EBITDA* increased 10% to $357 million
Adjusted net income* increased 17% to $190 million and diluted adjusted earnings per common share* increased 19% to $3.21
"We are pleased to report strong financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2018," said Stephen Kramer, Chief Executive Officer. "Our solid financial results in 2018 reflect the positive momentum across our entire suite of solutions, and we are proud to continue to lead our field in developing and delivering solutions to working families and our client partners that address the challenges for today's workforce. The results of our most recent Modern Family Index show that the need for these supports continues to grow as working mothers still face bias in the workplace that keeps them from advancing in their careers, even as they bring leadership skills that the workplace needs and that employers require to succeed."
"As we look ahead to 2019 and beyond, we are well positioned to deliver on our growth plans," continued Kramer. "The investments we have made in technology and in our employees are already making a meaningful impact. We are particularly excited about the success of our new Teacher Degree Program, which is creating a professional career path for teachers, while ensuring we continue to provide quality early education experiences in the classroom for generations to come."
Fourth Quarter 2018 Results
Revenue increased $38.4 million, or 9%, in the fourth quarter of 2018 from the fourth quarter of 2017 on contributions from new and ramping full-service child care centers, average price increases of 3-4%, and expanded sales of our back-up care and educational advisory services.
Income from operations was $63.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, an increase from $52.3 million in the same 2017 period. Increases in revenue and gross profit reflect contributions from enrollment gains in mature and ramping centers, new child care centers, back-up care and educational advisory clients that have increased utilization levels or been added since the fourth quarter of 2017, and strong cost management. These gains were partially offset by investments in marketing and technology to support our customer user experience, service delivery and operating efficiency, and costs incurred during the pre-opening and ramp-up phase of newer lease/consortium centers. Net income was $46.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2018 compared to net income of $51.4 million in the same 2017 period, a decrease of $4.7 million, or 9%. The decrease is primarily attributable to the one-time reduction to tax expense of $22.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, offset by a reduction in the federal statutory income tax rate from 35% to 21% in 2018, both of which are associated with the application of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's federal tax legislation, enacted in December 2017. Diluted earnings per common share was $0.79 for the fourth quarter of 2018 compared to $0.86 in the fourth quarter of 2017.
In the fourth quarter of 2018 adjusted EBITDA increased $11.2 million, or 14%, to $93.3 million, and adjusted income from operations increased $10.1 million, or 19%, to $63.7 million, from the fourth quarter of 2017 due primarily to the expanded gross profit. Adjusted net income increased by $9.5 million, or 22%, to $53.2 million on the expanded income from operations and a lower effective tax rate associated with the reduction in the federal statutory rate. Diluted adjusted earnings per common share was $0.90 compared to $0.73 in the fourth quarter of 2017.
As of December 31, 2018, the Company operated 1,082 child care and early education centers with the capacity to serve approximately 120,000 children and families.
*Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted income from operations, adjusted net income and diluted adjusted earnings per common share are non-GAAP measures. Adjusted EBITDA represents earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, straight line rent expense, stock-based compensation expense, and transaction costs. Adjusted income from operations represents income from operations before transaction costs. Adjusted net income represents net income determined in accordance with GAAP, adjusted for stock-based compensation expense, amortization expense, transaction costs and the income tax provision (benefit) thereon. Diluted adjusted earnings per common share is a non-GAAP measure, calculated using adjusted net income. These non-GAAP measures are more fully described and are reconciled from the respective measures determined under GAAP, in "Presentation of Non-GAAP Measures" and the attached table "Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. Non-GAAP Reconciliations."
Balance Sheet and Cash Flow
For the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company generated approximately $294.7 million of cash flows from operations compared to $248.2 million for the same period in 2017 and invested $158.5 million in fixed assets and acquisitions compared to $105.3 million in the same 2017 period. Net cash used in financing activities totaled $134.2 million in the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to $123.9 million during the same 2017 period. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company's cash and cash equivalents decreased $7.8 million to $15.5 million.
As described below, the Company is providing certain financial guidance. For the full year 2019, the Company currently expects:
Revenue growth in 2019 in the range of 8-10%
Net income in 2019 in the range of $170 million to $174 million and diluted earnings per common share in the range of $2.89 to $2.95
Adjusted net income in the range of $209 million to $214 million and diluted adjusted earnings per common share in the range of $3.57 to $3.63
Diluted weighted average shares of approximately 59 million shares
For a reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measure, refer to the attached table "Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. Non-GAAP Reconciliations."
Bright Horizons Family Solutions will host an investor conference call today at 5:00 pm ET. Interested parties are invited to listen to the conference call by dialing 1-877-407-9039 or, for international callers, 1-201-689-8470, and asking for the Bright Horizons Family Solutions conference call moderated by Chief Executive Officer Stephen Kramer. Replays of the entire call will be available through March 5, 2019 at 1-844-512-2921 or, for international callers, at 1-412-317-6671, conference ID #13678193. The webcast of the conference call, including replays, and a copy of this press release are also available through the Investor Relations section of the Company's web site, www.brighthorizons.com.
This press release includes statements that express the Company's opinions, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or projections regarding future events or future results and therefore are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements." The Company's actual results may vary significantly from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements, which can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "projects," "approximately," "intends," "plans," "estimates" or "anticipates," or, in each case, their negatives or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. They include statements regarding the Company's intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, prospects, growth plan, strategies, our service offerings, our clients, estimated effective tax rate and tax expense, estimates and impact of excess tax benefits and equity transactions, our investments, including our Teacher Degree Program, and our 2019 financial guidance. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. The Company believes that these risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, changes in the demand for child care and other dependent care services, including variation in enrollment trends and lower than expected demand from employer sponsor clients; the possibility that acquisitions may disrupt our operations and expose us to additional risk; our ability to pass on our increased costs; our indebtedness and the terms of such indebtedness; our ability to withstand seasonal fluctuations in the demand for our services; our ability to implement our growth strategies successfully; the impact of recently enacted tax legislation; and other risks and uncertainties more fully described in the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed February 28, 2018, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the time of this release and we do not undertake to publicly update or revise them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Presentation of Non-GAAP Measures
In addition to the results provided in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") throughout this press release, the Company has provided non-GAAP measurements - adjusted EBITDA, adjusted income from operations, adjusted net income and diluted adjusted earnings per common share - which present operating results on a basis adjusted for certain items. The Company uses these non-GAAP measures as key performance indicators for the purpose of evaluating performance internally, and in connection with determining incentive compensation for Company management, including executive officers. Adjusted EBITDA is also used in connection with the determination of certain ratio requirements under our credit agreement. We also believe these non-GAAP measures provide investors with useful information with respect to our historical operations. These non-GAAP measures are not intended to replace, and should not be considered superior to, the presentation of our financial results in accordance with GAAP. The use of the terms adjusted EBITDA, adjusted income from operations, adjusted net income and diluted adjusted earnings per common share may differ from similar measures reported by other companies and may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures. Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted income from operations, adjusted net income and diluted adjusted earnings per common share are reconciled from the respective measures under GAAP in the attached table "Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. Non-GAAP Reconciliations."
Guidance for non-GAAP financial measures excludes stock-based compensation, amortization of intangible assets, expenses related to the completion of debt financing transactions, and expenses associated with completed acquisitions as well as tax effects associated with these items. These adjustments to net income and diluted earnings per common share in future periods are generally expected to be similar to the types of charges and costs excluded from adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per common share in prior quarters, although we can provide no assurance as to the timing or magnitude of any such adjustments. The exclusion of these charges and costs in future periods will have an impact on the Company's adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per common share.
About Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.
Bright Horizons is trusted by families around the world to provide care and education for their children. Operating approximately 1,100 child care centers, Bright Horizons cares for approximately 120,000 children annually in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada and India. Used by more than 1,100 of the world's best employers across industries, Bright Horizons back-up and elder care, education advising, tuition program management, and student loan repayment programs support employees through every life and career stage, and help people succeed at work and at home. For more information, go to www.brighthorizons.com.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(In thousands, except share data)
Three Months Ended December 31,
2018 % 2017 %
Revenue $ 478,241 100.0 % $ 439,879 100.0 %
Cost of services 357,607 74.8 % 331,738 75.4 %
Gross profit 120,634 25.2 % 108,141 24.6 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses 48,815 10.2 % 47,555 10.8 %
Amortization of intangible assets 8,092 1.7 % 8,320 1.9 %
Income from operations 63,727 13.3 % 52,266 11.9 %
Interest expense—net (12,049 ) (2.5 )% (11,787 ) (2.7 )%
Income before income tax 51,678 10.8 % 40,479 9.2 %
Income tax (expense) benefit (5,021 ) (1.0 )% 10,965 2.5 %
Net income $ 46,657 9.8 % $ 51,444 11.7 %
Earnings per common share:
Common stock—basic $ 0.80 $ 0.88
Common stock—diluted $ 0.79 $ 0.86
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Common stock—basic 57,726,263 58,372,989
Common stock—diluted 58,868,992 59,643,750
Revenue $ 1,903,182 100.0 % $ 1,740,905 100.0 %
Cost of services 1,429,927 75.1 % 1,310,295 75.3 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses 201,591 10.6 % 188,939 10.8 %
Amortization of intangible assets 32,569 1.7 % 32,561 1.9 %
Other expenses — — % 3,671 0.2 %
Income from operations 239,095 12.6 % 205,439 11.8 %
Income before income tax 191,587 10.1 % 161,400 9.3 %
Income tax expense (33,606 ) (1.8 )% (4,437 ) (0.3 )%
Net income $ 157,981 8.3 % $ 156,963 9.0 %
Accounts receivable—net 131,178 117,138
Fixed assets—net 597,141 575,185
Goodwill 1,347,611 1,306,792
Other intangibles—net 323,035 348,540
Current portion of long-term debt $ 10,750 $ 10,750
Borrowings under revolving credit facility 118,200 127,100
Accounts payable and accrued expenses 154,195 132,897
Deferred revenue and other current liabilities 200,640 189,908
Long-term debt—net 1,036,870 1,046,011
Deferred income taxes 71,306 74,069
Other long-term liabilities 152,868 138,849
Total liabilities 1,744,829 1,719,584
Total stockholders' equity 779,477 749,060
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 2,524,306 $ 2,468,644
Net income $ 157,981 $ 156,963
Depreciation and amortization 100,943 94,776
Deferred income taxes (5,469 ) (37,562 )
Other non-cash adjustments—net 3,822 10,662
Changes in assets and liabilities 23,659 11,282
Purchases of fixed assets and other—net (91,432 ) (83,837 )
Payments and settlements for acquisitions—net of cash acquired (67,111 ) (21,484 )
Revolving credit facility—net (8,900 ) 51,100
Principal payments of long-term debt (10,750 ) (8,063 )
Purchase of treasury stock (126,679 ) (162,195 )
Proceeds from issuance of common stock upon exercise of options and restricted stock upon purchase 22,933 26,988
Taxes paid related to the net share settlement of stock options and restricted stock (7,540 ) (29,798 )
Other payments (3,257 ) (1,896 )
Net cash used in financing activities (134,193 ) (123,864 )
Effect of exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (103 ) 1,507
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 1,908 20,515
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—beginning of period (1) 36,570 16,055
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash—end of period (1) $ 38,478 $ 36,570
Upon adoption of Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-18, Restricted Cash, the Company changed the presentation of the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for all periods presented. As a result, changes in restricted cash that have historically been presented in operating activities have now been excluded and restricted cash is combined with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning and ending period balances. Restricted cash is primarily comprised of deposits associated with the Company's wholly-owned captive insurance company and cash deposits that guarantee letters of credit. Restricted cash is recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets and other assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets and totaled $23.0 million at December 31, 2018 and $13.3 million at December 31, 2017.
Three months ended December 31, 2018
center-based
Back-up care
Revenue $ 392,529 $ 65,513 $ 20,199 $ 478,241
Income from operations 36,149 21,255 6,323 63,727
Adjusted income from operations 36,149 21,255 6,323 63,727
Adjusted income from operations (1) 31,705 16,579 5,319 53,603
(1) Adjusted income from operations represents income from operations excluding expenses incurred in connection with a secondary offering and with an amendment to the credit agreement, which have been allocated to the full service center-based child care segment.
Year ended December 31, 2018
Revenue $ 1,586,323 $ 245,498 $ 71,361 $ 1,903,182
Income from operations 152,006 68,462 18,627 239,095
Adjusted income from operations (1) 153,921 68,462 18,627 241,010
(1) Adjusted income from operations represents income from operations excluding expenses incurred related to an amendment to the credit agreement, a secondary offering, and completed acquisitions, which have been allocated to the full service center-based child care segment.
(2) Adjusted income from operations represents income from operations excluding expenses incurred related to the disposition of assets in Ireland, amendments to the credit agreement and secondary offerings, which have been allocated to the full service center-based child care segment.
NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS
Three Months Ended December 31, Years Ended December 31,
Net income $ 46,657 $ 51,444 $ 157,981 $ 156,963
Interest expense—net 12,049 11,787 47,508 44,039
Income tax expense (benefit) 5,021 (10,965 ) 33,606 4,437
Depreciation 17,705 16,167 68,374 62,215
Amortization of intangible assets (a) 8,092 8,320 32,569 32,561
EBITDA 89,524 76,753 340,038 300,215
Additional adjustments:
Deferred rent (b) 262 698 1,317 4,345
Stock-based compensation expense (c) 3,507 3,295 13,811 12,072
Transaction costs (d) — 1,337 1,915 6,953
Total adjustments 3,769 5,330 17,043 23,370
Adjusted EBITDA $ 93,293 $ 82,083 $ 357,081 $ 323,585
Income from operations $ 63,727 $ 52,266 $ 239,095 $ 205,439
Adjusted income from operations $ 63,727 $ 53,603 $ 241,010 $ 212,392
Income before income tax 51,678 40,479 191,587 161,400
Adjusted income before income tax 63,277 53,431 239,882 212,986
Adjusted income tax expense (e) (10,124 ) (9,736 ) (50,345 ) (50,819 )
Adjusted net income $ 53,153 $ 43,695 $ 189,537 $ 162,167
Weighted average number of common shares—diluted 58,868,992 59,643,750 59,000,669 60,253,691
Diluted adjusted earnings per common share $ 0.90 $ 0.73 $ 3.21 $ 2.69
Forward Guidance (h)
Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Year Ended December 31, 2019
Low High Low High
Net income allocated to unvested participating shares (200 ) (200 ) (800 ) (800 )
Income tax expense (f) 9,600 9,700 53,300 54,300
Transaction costs (d) — — — —
Tax impact on adjusted income before income tax (g) (14,200 ) (14,600 ) (65,600 ) (67,250 )
Adjusted net income attributable to common stockholders $ 45,200 $ 46,500 $ 209,300 $ 213,500
Per common share information:
Diluted earnings per common share $ 0.65 $ 0.67 $ 2.89 $ 2.95
Income tax expense (f) 0.16 0.17 0.91 0.93
Income before income tax 0.81 0.84 3.80 3.88
Stock-based compensation expense (c) 0.06 0.06 0.32 0.32
Amortization of intangible assets (a) 0.14 0.14 0.57 0.58
Tax impact on adjusted income before income tax (g) (0.24 ) (0.25 ) (1.12 ) (1.15 )
(a) Represents amortization of intangible assets, including approximately $4.7 million in each quarter of 2018 and 2017, associated with intangible assets recorded in connection with our going private transaction in May 2008.
Represents rent expense in excess of cash paid for rent, recognized on a straight line basis over the life of the lease in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 840, Leases.
Represents non-cash stock-based compensation expense in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation.
(d) Represents transaction costs incurred in connection with the disposition of assets in Ireland in July 2017, the May 2017, November 2017, and May 2018 amendments to the credit agreement, the May 2017, November 2017, and March 2018 secondary offerings, and completed acquisitions.
(e) Represents income tax expense calculated on adjusted income before tax at an effective tax rate of approximately 21% and 24% in 2018 and 2017, respectively. The tax rate for 2018 represents a tax rate of approximately 26% applied to the adjusted income before tax for the full year, less the effect of excess tax benefits related to certain equity transactions of $1.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018 and of $12.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The tax rate for 2017 represents a tax rate of approximately 36% applied to the adjusted income before tax for the full year, less the effect of excess tax benefits related to certain equity transactions of $4.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2017 and of $26.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2017.
(f) Represents estimated income tax expense using the tax rate of approximately 23% to 24% for the year ended December 31, 2019, based on projected consolidated income before tax and including the impact of excess tax benefits related to certain equity transactions, which the Company estimates will be in the range of $2.5 million to $3.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and of $7.0 million to $8.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. However, the timing, volume and tax benefits associated with such future equity activity will affect these estimates and the estimated effective tax rate for the year.
(g) Represents estimated tax on adjusted income before income tax using an effective tax rate of approximately 24%.
(h) Forward guidance amounts are estimated based on a number of assumptions and actual results could differ materially from the estimates provided herein.
Elizabeth Boland
CFO - Bright Horizons
eboland@brighthorizons.com
Kevin Doherty
MD - Solebury Communications Group
kdoherty@soleburyir.com
Ilene Serpa
VP - Communications - Bright Horizons
iserpa@brighthorizons.com


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KCNA Minju Choson (EN)
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If you really want to glimpse the true nature of Bolivia's industrial past – when silver drew adventurers of all types from across the world, make sure a stay at Museum Hotel Cayara just outside of Potosi is part of your luxury, tailor-made holiday to Bolivia.
You will stay – in homely comfort – in a hotel that's actually a living museum in its own right. The hotel Museum Cayara lives up to its name by being a perfectly restored 16th century hacienda with a vividly painted traditional, tiled courtyard and, of course, a museum tracing the colonial history of the house and its surroundings.


The Euro-American predominance of understandings and narratives of development has produced the current global world order, where African-centered solutions and alternatives to the problems of poverty and underdevelopment on the continent are ignored or inferiorised. Drawing awareness from a decolonial view and deploying the concept of the decoloniality of power and knowledge itself, this article seeks to conduct a thorough interrogation of David Ricardo's theory of comparative advantage. According to Auriacombe (in Schurink and Auriacombe 2010:435 and Auriacombe 2012:98) "due to the different ontological and epistemological beliefs of researchers belonging to different paradigms, the criteria for trustworthy, credible research can never meet everyone's approval", therefore, given this reality, the aim of the article is to show that another worldview exists which could help Africa out of its development quagmire. Using the theory of the coloniality of knowledge in particular, this article illustrates how the notion of increasing returns helped in the economic transformation of Spain. It will also show how countries in sub-Saharan Africa can learn from the Spanish example about the importance of adding value to its natural resources. This article argues that the full liberation and development of the continent will only come to fruition with the implementation of African-centered policies, such as increasing returns and adding value to the natural resources which we export to other parts of the world. It is through this policy that jobs can be created and poverty alleviated on the continent, which will kick-start Africa's journey towards overall development.


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Viking Chronicles: Tale of the Lost Queen: An epic Viking time management adventure!
Earn 3 stars and prove your mastery!
Play as the hero and the villain as you compel the elements to do your bidding!
Save the men in the village and show the evildoers what girl power is all about!


text:
Plumbing System
How Much Money Are You Really Losing with a Running Toilet
As homeowners, we expect our toilets to operate without a hitch. But the truth is, that rarely happens. Something is likely to go wrong. Whether due to a clog, a leak, or someone shoving foreign objects down the toilet, a running toilet causes problems. We're talking about wasted money, energy, and water each month.
The Cost of a Running Toilet
If you have a severe leak, your toilet is wasting large amounts of water each day. Replacing the entire toilet is a financially sound and environmentally-friendly solution. Potentially, a running toilet wastes thousands of gallons of water per month. These gallons can translate to around $200 in unnecessary costs to your monthly water bill. That's nearly $2,000 per year being flushed down the drain.
Now, that cost is certainly for an extreme toilet leak. For a minor leak, the water bill won't be as drastically high. However, it will be higher than your household average! A moderate leak wastes about 6,000 gallons of water per month, costing an additional $70 per month. For the year, this leak translates to $1,000 in waste.
Toilet Water Leaks
As the water from your toilet leaks, so will your savings. According to the EPA, through careful estimates and research, "a toilet alone accounts for 27 percent" of water consumption per day in modern households. And that percentage is for a toilet that's working properly.
A leaking toilet leads to thousands of gallons of lost water per month. The reason for this can vary, from damaged seals to gaps in the flush valve. Whatever the reason, you'll want to schedule prompt repairs or professional replacement ASAP to save money and water!
Schedule prompt toilet repair or replacement in Oahu, Hawaii with Emergency Plumbing & Solar. Give us a call now at 808-691-9309!
How Much Money Are You Really Losing with a Running Toilet Overall rating: 5 out of 5 based on 11 reviews.


Are you looking for a contractor for Plano, TX AC Repair? It's important to choose the right heating and air conditioning contractor. Our technicians have serviced Plano, TX and surrounding areas for over 15 years. We take pride in offering you high quality service and products for a low price. Contact us today for your free estimate!


AC Medic Heating and Air LLC is an HVAC contractor located in beautiful Prescott, Arizona. Family owned and operated, serving all of the Tri City with over 30 years of experience. We can handle all your heating and air conditioning needs! We treat all our customers with honest, courteous and clean service. We pride our company on reliability, great communication, integrity, and quality work. We are experts in our trade and will do our best to keep you as educated as we can on your particular task or project. We look forward to earning your business!
they were very clean and did a good job caring for the floors and house. Paid attention to the job they were doing and were nice and answered any questions we had. Sure nice workers.
Honest business owner, good to know he is out there.
great service, prompt and very informative.
Bob is outstanding business man !!!
Very responsive - quick service - fixed the problem at minimum cost. An Bob is a nice guy.
I purchased a new HVAC unit and had it installed. I had seven companys give me estimates an AC medic was the lowest. Also they realy cared about proper installation of the unit and replaced substandard ductwork at no extra charge.


text:
Common raises $50M, eyes housing for remote workers
Latest funding round for co-living startup that has expanded to workforce, family-oriented housing
By E.B. Solomont
Brad Hargreaves (Photo by Francesco Sapienza; iStock)
With its eye on housing for remote workers, co-living startup Common has raised $50 million in new funding.
The Series D was led by Kinnevik with participation from existing investors Maveron, 8VC and Norwest Venture Partners, CEO Brad Hargreaves wrote in a blog post Tuesday. The round brings Common's total funding to more than $113 million at a time when urban rental markets are struggling due to the pandemic.
Founded in New York in 2015, Common was an early entrant in the crowded field of co-living, which has billed itself as an alternative for renters in expensive cities. Today, it has 17,500 units under development in 26 cities.
But as Common has expanded into new housing ventures, co-living only accounts for about half of its business.
"We always had an eye on the bigger vision of making housing better," Hargreaves wrote on Medium. "The choice to fundamentally reconsider how property management works was a pivotal one, and over the past few years has taken us well beyond co-living."
Last year, the company launched a co-living product with Tishman Speyer called Kin. With L+M Development Partners, it was selected by Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration to develop an affordable co-living project in East Harlem. And in May, it launched Noah, a property management division focused on workforce housing. Common is also managing 575 units owned by Nuveen in South Florida and Los Angeles.
Despite falling demand for urban apartments, Hargreaves said he believes apartment rentals will bounce back. Common has a new payment plan for cash-strapped renters and is offering reduced rent in some instances.
"There are existential questions around the future of office, the future of retail, but people will always need a place to live," Hargreaves told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported news of its latest funding.
In the blog post, Hargreaves said remote workers are Common's next target. The company recently announced a Remote Work Hub RFP, through which it aims to "design and develop the first work-and-live building that accurately addresses the growth of a remote workforce in a post-Covid world," he said. "We've already seen interest from over 300 public and private groups."
Common, Tishman Speyer want to make co-living a thing for families
Common launches property management for workforce housing
What Bedly's demise says about co-living
Contact E.B. Solomont
Co-living startup Treehouse plans second complex in Los Angeles
Co-living in Koreatown: Schon Tepler Group plans new project
LA's latest "co"-craze: Here's a look at the city's expanding co-living companies
Co-living startup Tripalink raises $5M for expansion
Co-living startup partners with Worthe Group for first LA location
Ollie has raised $15 million to expand co-living operation
Roommate-matching startup Roomi raises $11M in Series A round
From Podshare to the Proper: two ends of the long-term-stay spectrum


RN-Lubricants OOO is the Company's subsidiary in charge of the new products development, Rosneft lubricants sales and promotion.
• Slavneft-YANOS OAO (share in the Company).
The Company provides full-cycle production of lubricants, including production of base oils from raw materials derived from crude oil, blending of commercial oils and packaging.
In 2015, the total sales of Company's lubricants amounted to 779 thousand tons, 457 thousand tons account for the domestic market.
Anti-wear Additives for Diesel Fuels (Kompleksal-ECO D).
Due to proprietary solutions and imported components (bases, additives) the production meets the specifications established by the leading global machinery manufacturers and international associations such as API, ACEA, SAE, ILSAC, DIN and others.
Most of the lubricants are manufactured in compliance with the Company's in-house technical specifications and standards.
The Company develops new products in cooperation with the major Russian equipment and machinery manufacturers: Novolipetsk Steel PJSC, SOLLERS PJSC, InterRAO PJSC, Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC, AVTOVAZ PJSC, Rostselmash Harvester Plant OJSC, KAMAZ PJSC, ОАО Avtodizel (YaMZ) and a number of R&D institutions: VTI OAO, VNIINP OAO, SvNIINP OJSC.


text:
Home EndSARS, #EndSARS: Lagos loses N234 million to tollgates closure as a result of...
EndSARS,
#EndSARS: Lagos loses N234 million to tollgates closure as a result of protests.
The Lagos State Government has reportedly lost at least N234 million to the closure of tollgates as a result of the #EndSARS protests.
The ongoing EndSars protest against police brutality which has entered the ninth day has adversely affected the Lagos economy.
Especially as efforts are geared towards resuscitating economic activities in the state owing to a long period of economic redundancy due to the pandemic.
Preliminary findings by PUNCH have revealed that the Lagos State Government has lost at least N234m to the closure of tollgates since the commencement of the #EndSARS protests, although the state has continued to generate money from adverts at the toll plazas.
On how the figures were arrived at, PUNCH reported that the figure was obtained from the daily and monthly targets set for the tollgates by the government which owns the tollgates, which are being managed by the Lekki Concession Company.
A Lagos State Commissioner who chose to remain anonymous was quoted by PUNCH saying: "At least 80,000 cars use the tollgates every day. The figure could be higher or lower depending on the day of the week. However, since the protests started, the Lekki tollgate has been completely shut, while the Ikoyi one has been left permanently open for people to use without payment".
Findings revealed that the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge was expected to generate about N10m daily, generating nothing less than N300 million monthly, while the Admiralty Circle Plaza along the Lekki-Epe Expressway was expected to generate nothing less than N16.6m a day which gross about N500 million monthly. The breakdown of the fares includes;
Sport Utility Vehicles pay N250 at the Admiralty Toll Plaza
Saloon cars pay N200 at the Admiralty Toll Plaza
At the Ikoyi-Link Bridge, toll for SUVs, minivans and light trucks is N400.
Heavy-duty trucks/buses with two or more heavy axles pay N1,000 at the Admiralty Circle Plaza on the Lekki-Epe Expressway.
Motorists living in the Lekki-Ajah axis spent hours in traffic as #EndSARS protests caused traffic gridlock along the Lekki -Epe expressway stretch of the road.
EndSARS
LIVE NEWS POLITICS
Chukwuka Monye Joins 2023 Presidential Race, Says A Better Nigeria Is Within Reach
Redouble Your Efforts, Stop Terrorism Now, Wike Tells Buhari


2017-03-22 Assigned to NCR CORPORATION reassignment NCR CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: KURSIKOWSKI, DEREK, Gill, Sandeep Singh, GILLIER, JASON, WIDSTEN, BENJAMIN T.
Systems and methods for rejecting a media object may include receiving the media object. The method may also include engaging a drive member to translate the media object. A sensor may be activated to detect an abnormality in the media object. Upon detecting the abnormality in the media object, the drive member may be engaged to reject the media object.
Self-service terminals have become ubiquitous within the retail and banking environments. At the retail level, self-service terminals reduce labor requirements and increase check-out efficiency by allowing one cashier to oversee many check-out lanes. Within the financial services sector, self-service terminals, or automated teller machines, allow banking and other financial customers to make withdrawals and deposits or perform other financial transactions without having to find time to visit a financial institution during banker's hours or even visit a financial institution.
FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C show example stages for detecting an abnormality in a media object consistent with the disclosure.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention any manner.
The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While embodiments and examples are described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements and stages illustrated in the drawings, and the systems and methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods or elements to the disclosed systems. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure. Instead, the proper scope of any invention disclosed herein is defined by the appended claims.
Self-service terminals may accept media objects of different sizes and conditions. For example, an automated teller machine (ATM) may accept currency having different sizes and in different states of wear. For instance, banknotes of many countries are different sizes depending on the denomination. Also, banknotes that are newer may have less damage or other signs of wear than older banknotes. Examples of a self-service terminal include, but are not limited to, an automated teller machine, a self-service checkout register, a slot machine, arcade game, and a vending machine.
As media objects (e.g., banknotes, checks, etc.) are received in a self-service terminal, the media objects may be in various orientations. For example, the media objects may be at an angle relative to a travel direction. To position the media objects into a uniform orientation, self-service terminals may use a deskew. The deskew may also include sensors as disclosed herein that may be used to validate the media object.
Validation of the media object may be needed to combat fraudulent activity occurring where irregular shaped or torn pieces of paper are being used to deliberately induce a jam. Once the jam has disabled the ATM a fraudulent claim for a lost transaction may be made. The irregular shaped or torn pieces of paper (e.g., an ATM transaction receipt), may feed into an escrow of the self-service terminal. The escrow, however, may be designed to handle regular shaped valid media and thus only has drive mechanisms oriented to handle valid media objections. Momentum may carry the torn piece of paper into the escrow, but due to the mechanical limitations of the drive mechanisms and feedback sensors it cannot be driven out. The result may be a fatal jam. A fatal jam may be any malfunction of the self-service terminal that takes the self-service terminal out of service or otherwise might require a service technician to remove the torn piece by disassemble the escrow module or the complete replacement of the escrow module. Service of this nature may be very expensive and time consuming.
As disclosed herein, sensors may be used to detect invalid media objects and to reject irregular shaped or torn pieces media to prevent them from entering the escrow. Stated another way, the sensors may be used to determine if a media object is irregularly shaped, torn, or has some other abnormality and can then eject the media object back to the user thereby keeping the media object from jamming the escrow and allowing the self-service terminal to remain in service.
As disclosed herein, irregularly shaped, torn, or otherwise abnormal media objects may be detected using sensors to determine if a media object is too narrow, too wide, too short, or too long. By determining if a media object is too narrow, too wide, too short, or too long, a determination may be made as to whether the media object might cause a jam or other malfunction of an escrow unit.
Testing a width of a media object may be done in the deskew. For example, after the media object is deskewed, sensors may monitor for a time period. If, during the time period, the sensors remain unblocked, the media object may be classified as too narrow. If all the sensors remain blocked, the media object may be classified as too wide. If some sensors remain unblocked and others remain blocked, the media object may be classified as valid in terms of its width. If the media object is classified as too narrow or too wide, the transport of the media object may be immediately stopped and the media object may be ejected back to the user. Otherwise, during the time period, if the proper sensors remained blocked and unblocked, the media object, being found to be valid based on its width, may be allowed to proceed.
Testing a length of a media object may be done as the media object enters or exits the deskew. For example, a sensor may activate as the media object passes (at a known speed) and a time at which the media object blocks the sensor may be determined. Based on the time and speed, the length of the media object may be determined. In addition, the media object may be placed in a particular location within the deskew and multiple sensors may be used determine a length of the media object in a similar fashion as determining the width of the media object. A torn or otherwise folded media object may register as being too short as disclosed herein because an irregular shaped or town piece of paper will likely measure as too short. A too short or too long criteria may be defined as an item being shorter or longer than the shortest or longest valid document in the self-service terminals' country's currency. If the item is determined to be too short or too long, the transport of the media object may be immediately stopped and the media object may be ejected back to the user. Otherwise, the media object, being found to be valid based on its length, may be allowed to proceed.
As disclosed herein validating media objects by determining their width and length has proven successful at detecting, stopping, and ejecting irregular shaped media objects. Since the irregular shaped media objects are stopped in an upper transport of the self-service terminal and prevented from entering the escrow, the successful eject rate is higher compared to previous methods of attempting to processing it through a deposit module or depository. The systems and methods disclosed herein allow the self-service terminal to prevent potential fraudulent activity by ejecting suspicious media objects and remaining in service.
Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 shows an example schematic of a self-service terminal 100 consistent with embodiments disclosed herein. The self-service terminal 100 may include a computing environment 102 and a deskew 104. The deskew 104 may act as a media accepter/dispenser. During operation, the deskew 104 may accept media objects such as checks, banknotes, or other negotiable instruments. As discussed herein, the deskew 104 may operate in conjunction with the computing device 102 to accept media and properly orient the media.
As shown in FIG. 1, the computing device 102 may include a processor 106 and a memory unit 108. The memory unit 108 may include a software module 110 and validation data 112. While executing on the processor 106, the software module 110 and the validation data 112 may perform processes for validating a media object, including, for example, one or more stages included in method 300 described below with respect to FIG. 3.
The validation data 112 may include specifications for valid media objects. Examples of validation data 112 include, but are not limited to, a minimum and maximum length for a valid media object and a minimum and maximum width for a valid media object. The lengths and widths may be expressed as ranges of acceptable lengths and widths.
The self-service terminal 100 may also include a user interface 114. The user interface 114 may include any number of devices that allow a user to interface with the self-service terminal 100. Non-limiting examples of the user interface 114 may include a keypad, a microphone, a speaker, a display (touchscreen or otherwise), etc.
The self-service terminal 100 may also include a communications port 116. The communications port 116 may allow the self-service terminal 100 to communicate with information systems such as banking and other financial systems. Non-limiting examples of the communications port 116 may include, Ethernet cards (wireless or wired), Bluetooth® transmitters and receivers, near-field communications modules, etc.
The self-service terminal may also include an input/output (I/O) device 118. The I/O device 118 may allow the self-service terminal 100 to receive and output information. Non-limiting examples of the I/O device 118 may include, a camera (still or video), a printer, a scanner, etc.
FIG. 2 shows an example top view of the deskew 104. The deskew 104 may include a motor 202 operably connected to a drivetrain 204. The drivetrain 204 may be operably connected to a one or more drive members 206 and deskew members 208. As discussed below with respect FIGS. 4A-5C, the drive members 206 and the deskew members 208 may be used to position a media object within the deskew 104. The deskew members 208 and the drive members 206 may include one or more rollers, belts, or other forms of conveyance that may be used to move media objects through the deskew 104.
During operations, solenoids (not shown) may be used to raise and lower the drive members 206 and the deskew members 208. For example, to move the media object in a first direction, the solenoids may lower the drive members 206 such that the drive members 206 contact a portion of the media object. To move the media object in a second direction the solenoids may raise the drive members 206 and the solenoids may lower the deskew member 208. A first sensor 210, a second sensor 212, a third sensor 214, and a fourth sensor 216 may be used to detect a width of the media object within the deskew 104. A third sensor 218 may be used separately or in conjunction with the first sensor 210, the second sensor 212, the third sensor 214, or the fourth sensor 216 to determine a length of the media object. The sensors 210, 212, 214, 216, and 218 may be optical sensors, cameras, ultrasonic sensors, lasers, etc.
FIG. 3 shows example stages of a method 300 for validating a media object. The method may begin at stage 302 where an abnormality in the media object may be detected. As disclosed herein, detecting the abnormality in the media object may include determining that the media object is too short, too long, too narrow, or too wide.
For example, and with respect to FIGS. 4A and 4B, first sensor 210 and second sensor 212 may be used to determine when a media object 402 is too wide or too narrow. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the media object 402 may be received at the deskew 104. Upon being received at the deskew 104, the drive members 206 may be activated via the motor 202. Activation of the drive members 206 may cause the media object 402 to translate within the deskew 104 as indicated by arrow 404. In addition, activation of the deskew members 208 may cause the media object 402 to translate within the deskew as indicated by arrows 406. Movement of the media object 402 by the deskew members 208 may cause the media object 402 to rest against as sidewall 408 as shown in FIG. 4B. The drive members 206 may be further activated to position the media object 402 as shown in FIG. 4B.
Once the media object 402 is in position as shown in FIG. 4B, the first sensor 210 and the second sensor 212 may be activated. Because the media object 402 does not cover the first sensor 210 and the second sensor 212, the media object 402 may be deemed to be too narrow. To determine that the media object is too wide, the third sensor 214 or the fourth sensor 216 may be covered by the media object 402. Stated another way, the distance between the first sensor 210 and the fourth sensor 216 and the second sensor 212 and the third sensor 214 may define a range of acceptable widths for the media object 402.
While two rows of sensors are shown in the figures, any number of rows may be utilized to define a range or ranges for acceptable widths of the media object 402. In addition, different sensors may be activated depending on the type of media object expected by the self-service terminal 100. For example, if a user is attempting to deposit cash, a first set of sensors may be active because a width of the banknote is known. If the user is attempting to deposit a check, then a different set of sensors may be activated (or in addition to the first set of sensors) because a width of a standard check may be known.
If the media object 402 is found to be too narrow or too wide, the drive members 206 may be activated to translate the media object 402 is indicated by arrow 410. In other words, if the media object 402 is found to be too narrow or too wide, the media object 402 may be ejected from the deskew 104 in stage 304 of the method 300.
FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C show example stages for determining that a media object 502 is too long or too short. As shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C, the media object 502 may be received at the deskew 104. Upon being received at the deskew 104, the drive members 206 may be activated via the motor 202. Activation of the drive members 206 may cause the media object 402 to translate within the deskew 104 as indicated by arrow 504. In addition, activation of the deskew members 208 may cause the media object 402 to translate within the deskew as indicated by arrows 406. Movement of the media object 402 by the deskew members 208 may cause the media object 402 to rest against as sidewall 408 as shown in FIG. 5B. The drive members 206 may be further activated to translate the media object 402 across the sensor 218 as shown in FIG. 5B.
As the media object 502 passes over the sensor 218, a time in which the media object 502 covers the sensor 218 may be recorded. The speed at which the media object 502 travels is known. Thus, the length of the media object 502 can be determined using the speed and time. In addition, the media object 502 can be translated for a given time and the amount of coverage of the sensor 218 can be determined. The amount of coverage may or may not coincide with a range of coverage that may define acceptable lengths for a valid media object.
In addition, the media object 502 can be positioned in between any two or more sensors to determine a length of the media object 502. For example, the media object 502 can be translated until it blocs sensor 218. If the media object 502 blocks sensor 210 then the media object 502 can be deemed to be too long. If the media object does not block sensor 212 then the media object 502 can be deemed to be too short. Thus, the various sensors in the deskew 104 can be used to define a range of lengths for valid media objects.
If the media object 502 is found to be too short or too long, the drive members 206 may be activated to translate the media object 502 is indicated by arrow 506. In other words, if the media object 502 is found to be too short to too long, the media object 502 may be ejected from the deskew 104 in stage 304 of the method 300.
While executing the method 300 the media object may be tested for being too narrow, being too wide, or both. In addition, the media object can be tested for being too long, too short, or both. Furthermore, the media objects, length, width, or both can be tested.
During executing of the method 300 signals may be transmitted from the sensors 210, 212, 214, 216, and 218 to the processing unit 106. In addition, the processing unit 106 may be retrieve validation data 112. For example, during the execution of the method 300 the processing unit 106 may retrieve banknote data corresponding to acceptable lengths and widths of banknotes. In addition, the processing unit 106 may receive signals from one or more of the sensors 210, 212, 214, 216, and 218. The processing unit 106 may utilize this data along with other data received by the processing unit 106 (either from other sensors, the memory 108, or calculated by the processing unit 106) to validate the media object as disclosed herein.
The systems and methods disclosed herein improve the functionality of a self-service terminal. For example, using the systems and methods disclosed herein, the self-service terminal may be able to self-diagnose a situation where a media object may jam within the self-service terminal or otherwise cause a malfunction to occur. By being able to self-diagnose situations as potentially harmful, the self-service terminal may be able to remain in service longer or otherwise avoid downtime due to jams and malfunctions.
ejecting the media object from a self-service terminal upon detecting the abnormality in the media object.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising engaging a drive member to translate the media object simultaneously with activating the sensor.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the media object in a deskew of the self-service terminal.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the abnormality includes the media object having a width less than a standard width.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the abnormality includes the media object having a width outside a width range.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the abnormality includes the media object having a length less than a standard length.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the abnormality includes the media object having a length outside a length range.
engaging the motor to reject the media object from the media acceptor upon detecting the abnormality in the media object.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein engaging the drive member to translate the media object occurs simultaneously with activating the sensor.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the abnormality includes the media object having a width less than a standard width.
11. The system of claim 8, wherein the abnormality includes the media object having a width outside a width range.
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the abnormality includes the media object having a length less than a standard length.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the abnormality includes the media object having a length outside a length range.
14. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is a component of any one of an automated teller machine, a self-service terminal, a slot machine, or a vending machine.
wherein the drive member is further operable to reject the media object upon detection of the abnormality.
16. The media depository of claim 15, wherein detection of the abnormality in the media object includes detecting the media object has a width that is less than a standard width.
17. The media depository of claim 15, wherein detection of the abnormality in the media object includes detecting the media object has a width that is outside a width range.
18. The media depository of claim 15, wherein detection of the abnormality in the media object includes detecting the media object has a length that is less than a standard length.
19. The media depository of claim 15, wherein detection of the abnormality in the media object includes detecting the media object has a length that is outside a length range.
20. The media depository of claim 15, wherein the media depository is a component of one an automated teller machine, a self-service terminal, a slot machine, or a vending machine.


text:
1934. Goebbels Says Government Should Have Put Critics "Behind Bars"
Goebbels Berates Critics
"Nazi minister Joseph Goebbels (center) is seen in June of 1934" (source)
This article is part of a series of posts on how newspapers covered the rise of Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler in Italy and Germany prior to World War II.
From The New York Times, June 22, 1934:
GOEBBELS BERATES 'GENTLEMEN' CRITICS
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Should Have Put Them 'Behind Bars,' He Tells Cheering Workers Outside Berlin
CHATS WITH PAPEN AT TEA
Meeting Ends the Cabinet Storm Officially—Hitler Visits Hindenburg at Neudeck
Berlin, June 21 — If Vice Chancellor Franz von Papen believed his now famous address at Marburg last Sunday would shake Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels, Propaganda Minister, in his attack on "reactionaries" he mistook his man.
Despite a cordial meeting of the two over tea cups at the Propaganda Ministry this afternoon and despite a visit by Chancellor Hitler to President von Hindenburg, the Propaganda Minister unloosed tonight all the fire of his oratory on the government's conservative critics in words Germany has seldom heard since the 1932 Nazi campaign against the "cabinet of barons" headed by Lieut. Col. von Papen. Dr. Goebbels was speaking before a wholly proletarian audience in the Berlin suburb of Neukölln, formerly one of the reddest spots in Germany, and cheer after cheer rolled out across the field until the Minister's voice could scarcely be heard above the wild enthusiasm of his hearers.
No Mention of Recent Events
Dr. Goebbels carefully avoided every direct reference to recent events, so it remains to be seen whether tonight's address should be regarded as the beginning of a new attack by the radical wing or a cannonade accompanying a retreat.
"The people will not forget the time when governments by divine right ruled," Dr. Goebbels said. "When we came to power this clique was against us. Now they stand next to us and offer their criticism. They want to remember that intelligence is not to be found only among gentlemen in club chairs."
Of all the statements in the speech none aroused so much enthusiasm as the declaration: "The National Socialist Government would have done better to place all these fine gentlemen behind locks and bars."
Dr. Goebbels concluded with an appeal to the "common people" to depend only upon itself, allow no one to lead it astray and see to it that the party remains true to its mission.
Officially, however, the storm that broke within the Hitler Cabinet following Colonel von Papen's speech ended today when before the assembled corps of foreign correspondents the Vice Chancellor and the Propaganda Minister, exponents of the rival camps, sat down at the same tea table and chatted amiably.
The scene, obviously designed to reduce the factional storm to the proverbial disturbance in a teapot, was staged appropriately enough in the Propaganda Ministry, although the occasion—an address by Dr. Hjalmar Schacht, president of the Reichsbank, on the German debt program—had been announced some time ago.
At the same moment, however, near the Eastern border of the Reich, Chancellor Hitler was conferring with President von Hindenburg at the Field Marshal's Summer estate at Neudeck. A report that Colonel von Papen had also left for Neudeck proved erroneous. The Vice Chancellor, instead of going himself, sent a full report on the situation to President von Hindenburg by courier. The change in his plans may have been prompted by the consideration that a race to Neudeck by both the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor would have been too startling a spectacle. Colonel von Papen is expected to visit Neudeck during the week-end. Herr Hitler returned to Berlin tonight.
What the Neudeck conference brought forth is a secret, at least for the present. Significant of the situation, however, was the first announcement of the conference today, which said that Chancellor Hitler had been "summoned" by the President. This announcement was quickly withdrawn, the substitute merely saying that Herr Hitler had gone to Neudeck to report on the meeting in Venice with Premier Mussolini.
Every effort was made in official quarters to "close the incident" and inquiry as to any official information was met with the response that the "incident" was a purely internal affair without interest to foreign countries.
Pledge to Curb Radicals Seen
Nevertheless, informed circles are inclined to believe that Herr Hitler went to Neudeck to give the President certain pledges and assurances that the radical elements would be curbed more effectively than heretofore. As stated previously in these dispatches, no dramatic developments are to be expected at present until events prove whether Chancellor Hitler really will adhere to a more moderate course and whether he is able to impose it on his radicals, who for the moment are in a fuming rage.
Meanwhile, Colonel von Papen's office is in receipt of congratulatory messages from all kinds of people, especially industrialists. It is significant that many of these messages come as open telegrams so that he who runs may read. That the courage to speak out what they think is again returning to the German people is one result of Colonel von Papen's speech. It may betoken a better future.


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Old North State Politics
"To blog, rather than to seem": a public scholarship blog that focuses on North Carolina politics and other random political ramblings regarding the politics of the U.S. South and and the United States. #ncpol #ncga #ncgov
NC's Middle Weekend of Early Voting
On Thursday evening, I was at a dinner meeting that ran late, past 9 PM, and about 9:20 PM, my phone started to blow up. I thought, oh no, what now...and I was received tweets, DMs, and text messages that Rachel Maddow was citing some information that I had posted about North Carolina's early voting, especially on Sunday and the traditional "Souls to the Polls" activity that black churches engage in with their members:
Just a minor correction to the story: this past weekend, on Sunday October 21, North Carolina had only 9 out of the 100 counties open for Sunday early voting.
This weekend (October 27 & 28), the core middle weekend in the 18 days of early voting (in-person) in North Carolina, 20 counties will have early voting opportunities on Sunday, with more on Saturday (based on information from the NC State Board of Elections website):
I'll be updating the numbers coming in over the weekend, along with updating the new voter registration data file and analyzing that aspect as well.
Thanks to all for reading and following along, and especially to the new subscribers from the mention on the Rachel Maddow Show.
By OldNorthStatePolitics.com - October 26, 2018
Labels: absentee voting, early voting, North Carolina, Rachel Maddow Show, Souls to the Polls, Sunday voting
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Dr. Michael Bitzer
Dr. Michael Bitzer is the T.P. and J.C. Leonard Chair of Political Science and Professor of Politics and History at Catawba College. His areas of teaching and research are in American Politics, U.S. Public Law, and Public Administration and Policy. He serves as an analyst on American Politics, Southern Politics, and North Carolina politics.
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Dr. Chris Cooper is the Robert Lee Madison Distinguished Professor and Department Head of Political Science & Public Affairs at Western Carolina University, where he teaches in the fields of American Politics, Public Administration, and Research Methods. He is a noted expert on Southern Politics and North Carolina Politics.
Dr. Whitney Ross Manzo
Dr. Whitney Ross Manzo serves as an associate professor of political science, assistant director of the Meredith Poll, and pre-law advisor at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her general field is in American politics, and her primary expertise is in the areas of public opinion, constitutional and electoral law, elections, and gender issues in politics.
Dr. Susan Roberts
Dr. Susan Roberts is a professor of political science at Davidson College. Her teaching and research fields are in American politics, with a focus on political institutions (such as Congress and the presidency), political behavior (parties, interest groups, campaigns & elections), and public policies, with a special focus on activism on reproductive policy, interest groups, political capital, and hashtag politics.
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Game of Thrones teaser leaves us gasping for more!
You'll get the chills when voices are heard from the three statues of Lyanna Stark, Catelyn Stark, and Ned Stark.
It's been two months since Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have tied the knot and danced into a happily married life now who takes the surname.
Falu's Bazaar, is everything conventional children's music is not — calm, mature, and with enough musical chops has earned her a Grammy nomination.


Today it starts in Santiago de Compostela this photographic exhibition on violence against women in DRC, India, Guatemala and Norway, supported by Humana.
The exhibition, entitled "Violence Against Women", is open until 20 December at the Museum Pedagóxico Galicia (MUPEGA) with the cooperation of the General Secretariat for Igualdade of the Xunta de Galicia and the museum itself.
Astrada, born in Buenos Aires in 1974, has several World Press Photo Awards in the categories of contemporary issues and news. The twenty images in the exhibition are the result of his tour of four countries on four continents to expose the causes and consequences of gender violence.
"What we try to reflect is an overview of domestic violence, evidence that affects every country and can affect any woman, whether of one class or another, a more developed country or less, a religion or another ... "says the photographer on his own work.
The violence is the most effective tool of control of women worldwide, with devastating consequences for global human development consequences, as women and girls who suffer, are nullified their capacity to actively participate in all facets of society.
Humana impacts through development projects to reduce all forms of violence against women through education and empowerment. For example, in India, in 2013, through its microcredit program, he got 5,200 women to start small businesses and generate new sources of income for their families.
In DRC, several new projects that promote sustainable agriculture techniques have been developed in recent years, where women participate in areas where they assume leadership positions and acquire new skills.
Sensitization of communities is a key element in each of our projects, as we understand that the change towards equality is only possible when all the society aware of its importance.


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September 8, 2017 September 9, 2017 sidewayssammyLeave a Comment on Preview: Port Vale
Preview: Port Vale
We continue to splutter. Both struggling to create chances and take the few that come our way. At least there wasn't a major goalkeeping rick against Chesterfield, and at least we didn't lose another game.
It's very early in the season to be too concerned about anything at the moment, a couple of victories or defeats can easily change the way we view performances. Against Chesterfield for example, had McNulty taken one of the several chances he had, we would be talking about a solid away win rather than a concerning draw against bottom of the division (who, as if to highlight the futility of league positions this earlier in the season, then moved out of the bottom two as a result of that draw). I seem to remember Mark Robins making a similarly slow start to his first spell in charge of the club before things all of a sudden fell into place.
The issue for Mark Robins at the moment is clearly how to form a fluent attacking unit out of the options available. Individually, we have some useful attacking players, but they are yet to demonstrate that they can function as a team-unit. The hope is that our defensive solidity will continue to hold out and eventually things will click into gear up front and we'll become a ruthlessly efficient winning unit – a la that team Robins put together in his first spell.
Possible Line-Up
As for the team selection for this meeting with Port Vale, the back five looks pretty much settled, although if Rod McDonald is back from injury, he'll replace Tom Davies in central defence. Robins also appears set on having Michael Doyle and Liam Kelly as the central midfield partnership, so that will stay in place. Jodi Jones is the only direct runner in our attack, so he'll stay in place. McNulty is the only out-and-out 'goalscorer' in the side, so he'll stay in place.
Essentially Robins has left himself with a selection between either Tony Andreu or Stuart Beavon to play in just behind McNulty, and either Duckens Nazon or Peter Vincenti out wide. Personally, I think we'd look better with Nazon playing in behind McNulty, although there is an issue of who is there to hold the ball up, and with Andreu playing in a deeper central position instead of one of Kelly or Doyle. However, Robins is a pragmatic manager, so I don't think the starting XI for this game is going to be as risky as the one I'd like to see.
Last Time We Met
Confidence was at an all-time low heading into our last clash with Port Vale, back in March of this year. Mark Robins' return to the club had failed to deliver an impact and relegation looked set to be confirmed within weeks. Somehow though, we produced a really composed performance, buoyed by two fantastic goals – first, a speculative 30-yard lob from Kyel Reid, second, an impudent backheel from Kwame Thomas – we cruised to victory, despite a subdued Port Vale mustering a late goal.
How Are They Doing?
Port Vale were relegated alongside us at the end of last season, admirably taking things until the final day of the campaign and drawing 0-0 with promotion-challengers Fleetwood Town. Their relegation was largely the result of a failed gamble on a largely foreign squad and manager with little experience of English football and manager Michael Brown – who took over as caretaker back in December – has had to spend the summer building an almost entirely new squad.
While Brown has been put in a difficult position, his squad-building over the summer has been more than a little chaotic, leaving a fairly unbalanced squad. There are currently six wingers on the books, but just three central midfielders, additionally, they lined up with a back four comprised entirely of centre-backs in their most recent game.
The, quite literally, biggest player to look out for in the Port Vale side will be club stalwart Tom Pope in attack. A classic lower-league target man, Pope's physicality and ability to hold the ball up has been a key part of Port Vale's play this season, complementing the pace they have due to the sheer number of wingers in their squad.
Of those wingers, Cristian Montano could prove the biggest thorn in our side due to the combination of pace and end product he demonstrated at this level with Bristol Rovers two seasons ago. In addition, Ben Whitfield, on loan from Bournemouth, has really caught the eye this season with his technical skill, while Marcus Harness, a Coventry-born Burton loanee, has looked both quick and industrious thus far.
Elsewhere, Nathan Smith in defence is someone who clearly shouldn't be playing in League Two. Not the tallest or even the quickest of defenders, but Smith is an incredibly composed customer with excellent positioning who often carries the impression of being able to deal with opponents without breaking a sweat. He'll be alongside the experienced Antony Kay as a central defensive partnership.
Another key player for Michael Brown's Port Vale side is Brown's former midfield colleague at Sheffield United and Leeds, Michael Tonge. The vastly experienced playmaker impressed in the early weeks of the season with his set-piece deliveries proving to be a key element in their opening day win over Crawley Town and as part of an ill-fated comeback against Wycombe the week later.
This game should really be seen as an opportunity to kick-start our season after our recent poor run. Port Vale's are a side similarly struggling to create chances as we are, and you would hope that would allow Robins and the players to be more proactive in taking the game to the opposition. However, there is pressure from the stands for us to go out and win this game, and in a fairly convincing manner – Port Vale don't have the same pressure, despite their own poor start.
I'll think we'll come away with a win, but it won't be a pretty game of football. 1-0 to the Sky Blues.
Categories Match PreviewTags Antony Kay, Ben Whitfield, Coventry City, Cristian Montano, Duckens Nazon, League Two, Marc McNulty, Marcus Harness, Mark Robins, Michael Brown, Michael Tonge, Nathan Smith, Peter Vincenti, Port Vale, Ricoh Arena, Stuart Beavon, Tony Andreu
Previous Preview: Chesterfield
Next Preview: Carlisle United


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Racial rhetoric inflames rather than unites
What constructive purpose do Michelle Obama and others hope to achieve by constantly talking about the race issue?
I am at a loss to understand what constructive purpose first lady Michelle Obama (and Barack Obama, Eric Holder, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and others) hopes to achieve by constantly talking about the race issue.
Last Friday, Michelle Obama chose to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling — in which the U.S. Supreme Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional — by reminding graduating high-school seniors in Topeka, Kansas, that racism is still alive and well in America today.
Mrs. Obama said: "No matter what you do, the point is to never be afraid to talk about … the issue of race, because even today, we still struggle to do that. … This issue is so sensitive. It's so complicated, so bound up with a painful history."
To whom was she directing her comments? There are no doubt plenty of white people who won't touch the race issue with a 10-foot poll, because they fear that anything they say might be twisted and lead to the accusation that they are racially insensitive or racist. But I doubt that too many minorities are afraid to talk about racism for fear of reprisals of any kind.
In fact, people can't even raise legitimate questions about Barack Obama's racialist comments in his books or the overt racism of his longtime pastor Jeremiah Wright without having the questions turned around on them as some sort of evidence of their own racism.
Barack Obama has frequently invoked the race issue, in rallying supporters to vote for him on the basis of race and in his racially contoured comments in the Henry Gates and Trayvon Martin cases, to name two. Attorney General Eric Holder, with Obama's full blessing, on one occasion scolded the country for being afraid to talk about race and, on another, suggested that people were attacking him as a way to get at President Obama, because they are both African-Americans.
Mrs. Obama also said, "We know that today in America, too many folks are still stopped on the street because of the color of their skin, or they're made to feel unwelcome because of where they come from, or they're bullied because of who they love." I don't know how much bullying of homosexuals is still going on, but I do know there's a lot of bullying of people who don't share the liberal view on same-sex marriage, and I don't hear Mrs. Obama speaking up on their behalf.
I honestly hope fewer innocent people each day are being stopped on the streets because of the color of their skin, but I also hope that fewer innocent people are being ambushed and savagely knocked out on the streets without provocation and solely because of the color of their skin. Again, I don't hear Michelle Obama decrying such incidents and advocating bringing those responsible to justice.
Mrs. Obama lamented that Brown v. Board of Education is still being "decided every single day" and that all schools aren't equal because of their "crumbling classrooms and less experienced teachers." Perhaps not, but it sure isn't for lack of federal taxpayer money being allocated toward public education.
If Michelle Obama is truly worried about black children being trapped in inner-city schools, then why won't she and her husband support promising solutions involving school choice and vouchers? If they were less beholden to labor groups and to the politics of race and dependency, then maybe they would push real answers rather than inflammatory rhetoric that stirs up people against one another and does nothing to solve problems in education.
Undeniably, some racism persists in all directions, but constant liberal hectoring is not the way to eliminate it. Instead of forever reminding us of past wrongs and encouraging us to harbor resentment, why can't liberals urge all of us to move past those things, love one another and live in harmony?
But they simply won't do that. Though it's doubtlessly controversial to say this, we probably won't see Democrats stop stoking the race issue as long as they can hold on to the support of some 90 percent of the black vote, in great part because they disgracefully imply that conservatives and Republicans are racist.
From the bottom of my heart, I believe that conservative policies are far likelier to lift up all people, including minorities, than liberal policies and that many liberal policies perpetuating dependency on government are devastating to minority communities.
Rather than obsess about race, Mrs. Obama, why can't we quit using it to embitter people and hold them back and begin talking about solutions that can work toward restoring the American dream for all people? Instead of rhetoric calculated to keep our attention focused on the pigment of our skin, why can't we begin promoting Christian principles that teach us that we are all equal in God's eyes because we were made in his image and strive to move toward a genuinely colorblind society?
David Limbaugh is a writer, author and attorney. His latest book, "The Great Destroyer," reached No. 2 on the New York Times best-seller list for nonfiction.
Poverty and snow storms
Britain's political stalemate resembles America's
Written By David Limbaugh
Mr. Limbaugh is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of Crimes Against Liberty, Bankrupt: The Moral and Intellectual Bankruptcy of Today's Democratic Party, Absolute Power and Persecution.


Hackathons are one of my passions. They remind me of my student days when I was pulling all nighters with my friends to finish up coding a project on time. Except you don't struggle for a grade, you're hacking for pleasure. And if you get a prize it's icing on the cake.
Don't be mistaken. If attending a hackathon is good fun, making it through the whole 24 hours is no cake-walk.
But relax. I'm gonna share with you the PAYMILL Hackers' tricks to survive your first hackathon.
Ok! But what is a hackathon?
Imagine a room where dozens to hundreds of geeks hack crazy stuff within a 24 hours span. In the end a jury chooses the best hack and the winning team gets a prize. Details can vary but that's the essence of the hackathon.
Anything is possible. Hardware, software. It's quite normal to see quad-copters flying during such an event.
A hackathon is an amazing experience. But getting the most out of it requires a lot of preparation.
First you will need to retire in the mountains for several weeks … Well ok. maybe not so much preparation.
Not everybody goes to a hackathon to win. Some would like to realize an idea with the help of other hackers. Some hope to learn new skills working on others projects. And some simply like this kind of events.
It's very important that you identify your expected outcomes before the event. Winning with the next big idea doesn't require the same level of investment than just having fun.
Even if you end up in a team working on someone else's project you should always come with a couple of ideas. It could interest some people and you would then get a chance to make it come true. There are few things more rewarding than bringing your own thoughts to life.
Nobody will force you to stay overnight. But not only your chance of having a finished product in the end would be lower, you would also miss a lot of the fun. Attending a hackathon is also sharing these 24 hours with your fellow hackers.
It's clear that if you had a party until 6AM the previous night chances are you'll be out of business by 11PM.
If you want to enjoy your event give yourself a good night of sleep before.
Most of you are developers or makers already. But we often see beginners in hackathons.
I really encourage newcomers to attend hackathons. But they are not a good place to learn the basics.
No need to be an expert. Just have enough understanding of how programming works.
The day has come and you're ready to jump on your laptop. I understand your enthusiasm but there are a few more things you need to know.
If you're really confident in the value of your idea you will want to build your own team.
Have your elevator pitch ready to convince hackers to join you. Clearly state the skills you need. You would lose all credibility if you were just looking for people without knowing why.
You can also join another team. Chose a project that appeals you but also pay attention to the team members.
Take some time to chat with them. You'll have to spend the week-end with them and maybe more if by chance your hack turns into a real startup.
The time when one had to carve cards to build a software is over. Modern language and frameworks allow rapid applications development, devices like Raspberry PI or Arduino make hardware prototyping easy.
Still you will not be able to build a full featured product over a weekend. So define what is your MVP (Minimum Viable Product) first. And guess what. Even an MVP will be too much work. Isolate the most representative feature and go for a prototype of it.
Leave aside all the complicated stuff that makes sense only in a live application. You don't need a polished user authentication system or a highly scalable infrastructure to demonstrate your point.
Your goal is to build an exciting prototype.
You really don't want to take care of anything that is not part of your core product. You should never handle hosting, e-mailing, payments etc … yourself.
Hosting? Go for a PaaS like Heroku.
Have e-mails to send? Mailjet, Mandrill, SendGrid … just pick up one.
SMS? Voice calls? Twilio is a classic in hackathons.
Need to quickly accept credit card payments? I guess you already know the answer.
There is no value in building these parts yourself. You are creating something that doesn't exist yet. That's where your efforts should go. Most of the providers will offer a free tier which is more than enough to prototype. You have no excuse.
We all love building perfect products! If you're like me you hate delivering an app that's not pixel perfect.
However time is running out quickly at a hackathon.
Try to reach perfection and you will end up with half a prototype doing nothing. No matter if your design is just ok or if there are a few bugs. Your goal is to end up with something that actually works.
Your brain will be working at full pace. It will consume a lot of energy.
Take some time to eat properly. Hackathons organisers usually provide the contestants with food and drinks.
Also drink a lot. Dehydration doesn't help thinking. Avoid sodas and energy drinks as much as possible. You can have some but they should not be your main source of liquid.
Except the few times you'll be "in the zone" you'll need to take breaks regularly.
A study showed that altering highly focused work sessions with short pauses helps a lot with creativity and productivity.
Use a technique like Pomodoro and stick to it. When you feel your head falling on your keyboard, don't try to push too hard and allow yourself to take a nap. A few 20 minutes naps during the coding session can really be beneficial.
You won't do anything good being half asleep.
You'll be working with hackers from different backgrounds. Don't isolate yourself in your comfort zone.
Ask questions, give advice, talk with your team, work on new technologies.
Exchanging is the best way to learn new skills and get things done efficiently. Don't miss this opportunity.
Because it is all about fun. If you put yourself under stress to win the contest at any price I bet you're not at the right event.
As I said winning is a bonus. Enjoying your hackathon and learning stuff will be a thousand time more beneficial than being first under stress.
Do yourself a favour and relax!
Maybe you will continue your hack and turn it into a real startup. Or you will do something else with your team. Or just go back to normal life.
Whatever happens you'll have gained experience. Take some time to analyse your weekend. What you did great. What you did not.
And when you're done, prepare for the next one.
I shared with you a few tricks based on my own experience.
If you want to give them a try, join PAYMILL at TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon in London this weekend. We look forward to meeting you there.
And you? What are your best tips for surviving a hackathon?