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Jindal Stainless Ltd
Industry : Steel - Large
BSE Code: 532508 NSE Symbol: JSL P/E(TTM): 11.34
ISIN Demat: INE220G01021 Div & Yield %: 0 EPS(TTM): 2.77
Book Value ( ): 51.636112 Market Cap ( Cr.): 1504.76 Face Value( ): 2
Change Company :
THE MEMBERS,
Your Directors have pleasure in presenting the 38th Annual Report on the business and operations of your Company together with the Audited Statement of Accounts for the financial year ended 31st March, 2018.
Your Company's performance for the financial year ended 31st March, 2018 is summarized below:
Sl.
No. Particulars
For the financial year ended (Standalone)
For the financial year ended (Consolidated)
I Revenue from operations 10,963.67 8,957.40 11816.86 9924.78
II Other income 45.41 25.55 45.08 25.69
III Total income 11,009.08 8,982.95 11861.94 9950.47
IV Total expenses 10,527.21 8,920.37 11362.61 9872.28
V EBITDA 1,280.93 1,106.70 1,340.34 1165.59
VI Profit before exceptional items, share of net profit of investments accounted for using equity method and tax 481.87 62.58 499.33 78.19
VII Share of net profit of investments accounted for using equity method - - 15.77 11.48
VIII Profit before exceptional items and tax 481.87 62.58 515.10 89.67
IX Exceptional items 1.37 26.13 4.44 25.84
X Profit after exceptional items but before tax 483.24 88.71 519.54 115.51
XI Tax expense 164.97 30.37 174.04 32.47
XII Profit for the year 318.27 58.34 345.50 83.04
XIII Total other comprehensive income (0.57) (0.26) 15.58 (31.63)
XIV Total comprehensive income for the year (comprising profit and other comprehensive income for the year) 317.70 58.08 361.08 51.41
During the year, the revenue from operations of your Company on standalone basis has increased to Rs. 10,963.67 Crore as compared to Rs. 8,957.40 Crore during previous financial year 2016-17. The Profit before other income, Finance Cost, Depreciation, Exceptional Items, Tax & Amortisation (EBITDA) on standalone basis stood at Rs. 1,280.93 Crore as compared to Rs. 1,106.70 Crore during previous year. The Net profit on standalone basis stood at Rs. 318.27 Crore as compared to a net profit of Rs. 58.34 Crore during previous year.
Further, during the year, the consolidated revenue from operations of your Company has increased to Rs. 11,816.86 Crore as compared to Rs. 9,924.78 Crore during previous financial year 2016-17. Consolidated Profit before other income, Finance Cost, Depreciation, Exceptional Items, Tax & Amortization (EBITDA) stood at Rs. 1,340.34 Crore as compared to Rs. 1,165.59 Crore during previous year. The Net profit on consolidated basis stood at Rs. 345.50 Crore as compared to a net profit of Rs. 83.04 Crore during previous year.
Your Company has delivered a strong financial result for the second consecutive year. Your Company has reported a robust growth in PAT at Rs. 318.27 Crore in financial year 2017-18 as against Rs. 58.34 Crore during previous financial year, registering almost six times increase. EBIDTA is up by ~ 16% at Rs. 1,280.93 Crore in FY18. The robust performance in financial year 2017-18 reinforces that your Company has set itself on a strong and sustainable growth journey.
Your Company has been able to improve its performance significantly during the year 2017-18. Steel Melting Shop produced 7,97,156 MT as compared to 7,22,995 MT in the previous year. HAPL in CRM produced 6,44,393 MT against 5,92,113 MT in previous year and CAPL in CRM produced 3,88,038 MT against 3,44,725 MT produced in previous year.
The production at Ferro Alloys during the year was 1,99,950 MT against 2,05,510 MT during previous year. The Captive Power Plants (2 X 125 MW) generated 1,833 million units (net) of power as compared to 1,785 million units (net) in the previous year.
CERTIFICATIONS AND QUALITY STANDARDS
Your Company is certified for various product and management system certifications comprising of Quality Management System (ISO 9001), Environment Management System (ISO 14001) and Occupational Health & Safety Management System (BS OHSAS 18001). The certifications have successfully been upgraded to the latest versions and the unit is in receipt of the certificates as per ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015. The Company has undertaken initiative for obtaining Energy Management System certification (ISO 50001:2011) and has met the pre requisites for certification.
Various testing laboratories of the Company have adopted laboratory management system (ISO 17025:2005). The chemicals laboratories comprising of Materials, Steel Melt Shop & Coal Testing are already accredited to National Accreditation Board of Testing and Calibration Laboratory (NABL) as per ISO 17025:2005. Recently the Company's Mechanical and Metallurgical testing laboratory has got NABL accreditation adding another milestone in the journey of operational excellence. Scope of Construction Product Regulation (CE Marking) certification is expanded (applied and under process) to include grade EN 1.4462 of Duplex Stainless Steel. This will enhance Company's preference as certified manufacturer of stainless steel for construction field in the European market with 11 grades covered under the CE marking scope. AD/ PED certification is valid until Feb 2019 & PEMEX certification valid till sept 2018. Your Company's Jajpur Unit has successfully received DNV GL Approval for Marine Application and also received Approval from Bureau Veritas as per Marine & Offshore General Conditions.
Your Company has REACH/RoHS certification for 200, 300 & 400 series stainless steel grades. This includes compliance to the 7 new additions of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) in the REACH regulation 1907/2006.
Your Company has received ISI mark/ BIS certification for Stainless Steel grades as per IS 6911: 1992 (Stainless steel plate, sheet and strips). This has enabled us to be first stainless steel manufacturer to receive BIS license for stainless steel as per IS 6911: 1992. Other BIS license includes certifications as per IS 5522: 2014 (Stainless Steel Sheets and Strips for Utensils) and IS 15997:2012 (Low Nickel Austenitic Stainless Steel and Strip for Utensils and Kitchen Appliances).
Your Company is in receipt of JIS Mark Certification as per JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) JIS G 4304, JIS G 4305 and JIS G 4312 requirements for stainless steel products. With JIS certification, your Company is able to sell stainless steel products in Japan and East Asian countries.
REVISION IN CREDIT RATING
In June, 2018, your Company received a rating upgrade from CARE, from BB+ to 'BBB-', reflecting Company's improved profitability, strengthening balance sheet, and sustained operational progress.
EXIT FROM CORPORATE DEBT RESTRUCTURING MECHANISM
The Company has become eligible for exit from Corporate Debt Restructuring Scheme (CDR), basis the superior financial performance for the last two financial years. The consortium of lenders has already recommended for the CDR exit for the Company and the matter is pending for voting in CDR forum.
DIVIDEND & TRANSFER TO RESERVES
In terms of the Dividend Distribution Policy of the Company and as per SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 ("SEBI LODR"), equity shareholders of the Company may expect dividend if the Company is having surplus funds and after taking into consideration the relevant internal and external factors as mentioned in the said Policy. Accordingly, considering the cash position, fund requirements for growth of business of your Company and agreement with the Lenders, the Board of Directors has not recommended any dividend for the financial year ended 31st March, 2018. Therefore, no amount is also proposed to be transferred to the reserves of your Company. The Dividend Distribution Policy is available on Company's website at the following link:
http://www.islstainless.com/pdf/JSL-Dividend-Distribution-Policv 482018 R.pdf.
As on 31st March, 2018, the paid up share capital of your Company was Rs. 124,41,04,594 divided into 47,92,21,660 equity shares of Rs. 2 each and 14,28,30,637 Optionally Convertible Redeemable Preference Shares having face value of Rs. 2 each ("OCRPS").
During the financial year 2017-18, your Company has on 26th May, 2017, allotted: (a) 6,05,70,320 equity shares to the lenders of your Company upon conversion of the Funded Interest Term Loan I and the Funded Interest Term Loan II at a price of Rs. 39.10 (including premium of Rs. 37.10) per share, aggregating to Rs. 236,82,99,512; and (b) 14,28,30,637 0.01% OCRPS to the lenders of your Company upon conversion of the Funded Interest Term Loan I and the Funded Interest Term Loan II at a price of Rs. 39.10 (including premium of Rs. 37.10) per OCRPS, aggregating to Rs. 558,46,77,906.70.
Further, your Company has on the 28th March, 2018 allotted 1,91,81,586 Equity Shares having the face value of Rs. 2 each to Virtuous Tradecorp Private Limited, a promoter group entity, upon conversion of 1,91,81,586 Compulsorily Convertible Warrants ("CCW") held by it.
MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS REPORT
Management Discussion and Analysis Report as required under the SEBI LODR forms part of this Annual Report.
BUSINESS RESPONSIBILITY REPORT
Your Company is committed to grow the business responsibly with a long term perspective as well as to the nine principles enshrined in the National Voluntary Guidelines (NVGs) on social, environmental and economic responsibilities of business, as notified by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, in July, 2011.
The Business Responsibility Report ("BRR") of the Company as per the requirements of Regulation 34(Rs. ) of the SEBI LODR describing the initiatives taken by the Company from an environmental, social and governance perspective, along with all the related policies can be viewed on the Company's website at www.jslstainless.com.
TRANSFER TO INVESTOR EDUCATION AND PROTECTION FUND
Your Company has transferred unclaimed and unpaid amounts aggregating to Rs. 3,73,136 to Investor Education and Protection Fund. During the financial year 2017-18, there was no unclaimed dividend which was required to be transferred to Investor Education and Protection Fund of Government of India.
EMPLOYEES STOCK OPTION SCHEME
During the year under review, no stock options were vested in eligible employees. The disclosure, under Regulation 14 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Share Based Employee Benefits) Regulations, 2014 is set out in Annexure - I to this Report.
Your Company is on growth-path with digital transformation journey to support the operational efficiency using predictive analytics quality and maintenance. This journey will cover certain milestones which will help the organization to turn around its manufacturing capability. This journey aims to bring end to end operations visibility. This includes batch traceability, scrap yard, raw material yard, and slab yard and coil yard management for traceability, advance alerts, critical parameter monitoring, statistical process controls, scheduling, end-to-end quality integration and analytics.
As an early-adaptor of technology, your Company has achieved remarkable exposure to technology solution using SAP platform as core ERP solution through migration from SAP ECC6 with Oracle database to SAP ECC6 EHP8 with HANA Database. Also in this journey, Cloud 4 Customer (C4C) portal has been deployed to improve efficiency of sales team. In this project, Key Account Managers are equipped with all the relevant data related to each customer during their visit. It also helps to plan their visit to optimize their time. Your Company is now focusing on the integration of different HR applications to serve user seamless working on single platform by implementing cloud based solution Success Factor.
SAP has been successfully implemented at Company's subsidiary in Indonesia. Your Company has already embarked on the Disaster Recovery Setup process to secure the transactional data of SAP at different data centre locations.
In accordance with the Companies Act, 2013, SEBI LODR and Ind-AS on Consolidated Financial Statements read with Ind-AS-28 on investments in Associates and Ind-AS-31 on interests in Joint Ventures, the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements are provided in the Annual Report.
SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES / JOINT VENTURES / ASSOCIATE COMPANIES
Your Company follows its global ambition to build a premium brand name for its quality Stainless Steel solutions and expertise with the ambition and with a view of expansion and diversification, it has created subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures. As on the date of this Report, your Company has 5 direct subsidiaries, namely (i) Jindal Stainless UK Limited; (ii) Jindal Stainless FZE, Dubai; (iii) PT Jindal Stainless Indonesia; (iv) JSL Group Holdings Pte. Ltd., Singapore; and (v) Iberjindal S.L., Spain.
Your Company also has two joint venture companies namely, MJSJ Coal Limited and Jindal Synfuels Limited and three associate companies namely, Jindal United Steel Limited, Jindal Coke Limited and Jindal Stainless Corporate Management Services Pvt. Ltd. Further, your Company is an associate company of Jindal Stainless (Hisar) Limited.
During the financial year ended 31st March, 2018, no subsidiary has been liquidated. Jindal Stainless UK Limited is currently under liquidation.
The financial statements of subsidiary companies are kept open for inspection by the shareholders at the Registered Office and Corporate Office of your Company during business hours on all days except Saturdays and Sundays and public holidays up to the date of Annual General Meeting (AGM) as required under Section 136 of the Companies Act, 2013. The members, if they desire, may write to the Secretarial Department of the Company at O.P. Jindal Marg, Hisar - 125005 (Haryana) to obtain the copy of the financial statements of the subsidiary companies. The financial statements including the consolidated financial statements and all other documents required to be attached with this Report have been uploaded on the website of your Company viz. www.jslstainless.com .
A statement containing the salient features of the financial statement of the subsidiaries and associate companies in the prescribed Form AOC - 1 is attached along with financial statements. The statement also provides the details of performance and financial position of each of the subsidiary company.
Your Company has framed a policy for determining "Material Subsidiary" in terms of Regulation 16(6) of SEBI LODR. The Policy for determining material subsidiaries as approved may be accessed on your Company's website at the link:
http://www.islstainless.com/pdf/Policv%20on%20Material%20Subsidiaries.pdf
DIRECTORS AND KEY MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL
The Board appointed Mr. Abhyuday Jindal as the Managing Director and Key Managerial Personnel of the Company w.e.f. 25th April, 2018. Prior to his appointment as the Managing Director, Mr. Abhyuday Jindal was Non-Executive Vice-Chairman of your Company. Mr. Ratan Jindal continues to be the Chairman and Managing Director of the Company.
Further, the Board has inducted Mr. Tarun Kumar Khulbe as an Additional Director on the Board of Directors w.e.f. 15th May, 2018 and appointed him as Whole Time Director and Key Managerial Personnel of the Company w.e.f. the said date. Dr. Rajeev Uberoi has been appointed as an Additional Independent Director w.e.f. 9th February, 2018. The requisite resolutions for appointment of Mr. Abhyuday Jindal as Managing Director, Mr. Tarun Kumar Khulbe as a Director and Whole Time Director and Dr. Rajeev Uberoi as an Independent Director, will be placed before the Members for their approval, at the ensuing Annual General Meeting ("AGM").
Mr. Subrata Bhattacharya has ceased to be Whole Time Director w.e.f. 15th May, 2018 and Mr. Sunil Yadav has ceased to be the Company Secretary and Compliance Officer of your Company w.e.f. 25th April, 2018. Ms. Ishani Chattopadhyay and Mr. Kanwaljit Singh Thind have ceased to be the Directors w.e.f. 9th May, 2017 and 26th September, 2017 respectively. The Board places on record its sincere appreciation for the valuable contributions made by them during their tenure.
The Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Navneet Raghuvanshi as the Company Secretary and Compliance Officer of your Company w.e.f. 25th April, 2018. The Board has also designated him as the Key Managerial Personnel (KMP) of your Company.
Mr. Ratan Jindal, who retires by rotation at the ensuing AGM under the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 and being eligible, offers himself for re-appointment.
Brief resumes of the abovementioned Directors being appointed / re-appointed, nature of their expertise in specific functional areas, details of Directorship in other companies, membership / chairmanship of committees of the board and other details, as stipulated under Regulation 36(3) of SEBI LODR and Secretarial Standard - 2 issued by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, are given in the Notice forming part of the Annual Report.
All Independent Directors have given declaration to the Company that they meet the criteria of independence as provided in Section 149(6) of the Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation 16 of SEBI LODR.
Your Company has also devised a Policy on Familiarization Programme for Independent Directors which aims to familiarize the Independent Directors with your Company, nature of the industry in which your Company operates, business operations of your Company etc. The said Policy may be accessed on your Company's website at the link:
http://www.islstainless.com/pdf/DETAILS%20OF%20FAMILIARIZATION%20%20PROGRAMMES%20IMPARTED%20TO%20INDEPENDE
NT%20DIRECTORS%20JSL.pdf
An annual performance evaluation of all Directors, the Committees of Directors and the Board as a whole was carried out during the year. For the purpose of carrying out performance evaluation, assessment questionnaires were circulated to all Directors and their feedback was obtained and recorded.
POLICY ON DIRECTORS' APPOINTMENT AND REMUNERATION
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 178 of the Companies Act, 2013 and the SEBI LODR, the Board of Directors on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee has approved the (i) Policy for nomination and selection of Independent Directors and NonExecutive Non-Independent Directors and (ii) Remuneration Policy. The said policies may be accessed on your Company's website at the link:
http://www.islstainless.com/pdf/JSL%20Remuneration%20Policv.pdf
Your Company had stopped accepting / renewing deposits from 1 st April, 2014. In compliance of the CLB Order, your Company has repaid the entire outstanding deposits on 30th June, 2016. As on 31st March, 2018, your Company had total outstanding unclaimed deposits of Rs. 35,98,272.
The details relating to deposits, covered under Chapter V of the Companies Act, 2013 ("the Act")are provided hereunder:
(a) Accepted during the year: Nil
(b) Remained unpaid or unclaimed as at the end of the year due to pending clearance of cheques including interest: Rs. 35,98,272 (unclaimed)
(c) Whether there has been any default in repayment of deposits or payment of interest thereon during the year and if so, number of such cases and the total amount involved: - no default has been made and hence these details are not applicable.
(i) at the beginning of the year: Not Applicable
(ii) maximum during the year: Not Applicable
(iii) at the end of the year: Not Applicable
(d) The details of deposits, not in compliance with the requirements of Chapter V of the Act: Nil
PARTICULARS REGARDING THE CONSERVATION OF ENERGY, TECHNOLOGY ABSORPTION, FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS AND OUTGO
The information on conservation of energy, technology absorption and foreign exchange earnings and outgo stipulated under Section 134(3)(m) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 8 of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014, is annexed herewith as Annexure - II forming part of this Report.
PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYEES
In terms of the provisions of Section 197(12) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rules 5(2) and 5(3) of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014, a statement showing the names and other particulars of the employees drawing remuneration in excess of the limits set out in the said Rules are provided in the Directors' Report, which forms part of this Annual Report.
Disclosure pertaining to remuneration and other details as required under Section 197(12) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Rule 5(1) of the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules, 2014 Rules are provided in the Directors' Report, which forms part of this Annual Report.
Having regard to the provisions of the first proviso to Section 136(1) of the Act, the Annual Report excluding the aforesaid information is being sent to the members of the Company. The said information is available for inspection at the Registered Office of the Company during working hours and any member interested in obtaining such information may write to the Secretarial Department of the Company and the same will be furnished on request.
STATUTORY AUDITORS AND AUDITORS' REPORT
Walker Chandiok & Co. LLP, Chartered Accountants, Statutory Auditors of the Company, were appointed by the Shareholders at the 37th Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 26th September, 2017, for a period of five consecutive years until the conclusion of the 42nd Annual General Meeting of the Company. The ratification of their appointment, pursuant to Section 139 of the Companies Act, 2013, is not required, in terms of Notification No. S.O. 1833(E) dated May 7, 2018, issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and accordingly, the item has not been included in the Ordinary Business of the AGM Notice forming part of this Annual Report. The Statutory Auditors have confirmed that they are not disqualified from continuing as Auditors of the Company.
The Notes on financial statement referred to in the Auditors' Report are self-explanatory and do not call for any further comments. The Auditors' Report does not contain any qualification, reservation or adverse remark.
COST AUDITORS
In accordance with the provisions of Section 148 of the Companies Act, 2013 ("Act") read with the Companies (Cost Records and Audit) Rules, 2014, your Company is required to get its cost accounting records audited by a Cost Auditor. The Board has appointed M/s. Ramanath Iyer & Co., Cost Accountants, for this purpose for FY 2018-19. The Company maintains cost records as specified under Section 148 of the Act and gets them audited. The Cost Audit Report for the FY 2017-18 does not contain any qualification, reservation or adverse remark.
The remuneration payable to the Cost Auditors for the Financial Year 2018-19 shall be placed for ratification by members in terms of Section 148 of the Act read with Rule 14 of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014.
SECRETARIAL AUDITORS
The Board has appointed M/s. Vinod Kothari & Company, Practicing Company Secretaries, to conduct Secretarial Audit for the Financial Year 2018-19. The Secretarial Audit Report for the Financial Year ended March 31, 2018 is annexed herewith as Annexure - III to this Report. The Secretarial Audit Report does not contain any qualification, reservation or adverse remark.
In terms of Regulation 21 of the SEBI LODR, as amended, the Company has constituted a Risk Management Committee which has been entrusted inter alia with the following functions: (a) Framing of Risk Management Plan and Policy; (b) Overseeing implementation / Monitoring of Risk Management Plan and Policy; (c) Identifying emerging risks and reviewing risk mitigation strategies; and (d) Formulating a cyber security plan and overseeing its implementation. Your Company has laid down procedures to inform Board members about risk assessment and minimization procedures. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that executive management controls risk through means of properly defined framework.
Your Company has in place adequate internal financial controls with reference to financial statements. During the year, such controls were tested and no reportable material weakness in the design or operation was observed.
The Audit Committee comprises of the following four Directors out of which three are Independent Directors:
Sl. No. Name* Status Category
1 Mr. Suman Jyoti Khaitan Chairman Independent Director
2 Mr. T. S. Bhattacharya Member Independent Director
3 Mr. Gautam Kanjilal Member Nominee Director, Non-Independent
4 Dr. Rajeev Uberoi1 Member Independent Director
1 Dr. Rajeev Uberoi has been inducted as a Member of the Audit Committee w. e. f. 25th April, 2018.
* Mr. Kanwaljit Singh Thind was inducted as a Member of the Audit Committee w.e.f. 11th May, 2017 and he ceased to be a Director and consequently a Member of the Committee w.e.f. 26th September, 2017. Ms. Ishani Chattopadhyay ceased to be a Director and consequently a Member of the Committee w.e.f. 9th May, 2017.
All the recommendations made by the Audit Committee during the financial year 2017-18 were accepted by the Board.
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee has formulated and recommended to the Board, a Corporate Social Responsibility Policy ("CSR Policy") indicating the focus areas of Company's CSR activities.
Though the Company is not mandated under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 to incur expenditure on CSR, but being guided by the vision and philosophy of its Founder Late Shri. O. P. Jindal, your Company has planned interventions in the fields of education & vocational training, integrated health care, women empowerment, social projects, rural infrastructure development, environment sustainability & sports. The Disclosure as per Rule 9 of the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014 is annexed to this Report at Annexure - IV.
The CSR Policy can be accessed on your Company's website at the link: http://www.islstainless.com/pdf/JSL%20CSR%20Policv.pdf.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY COMMITTEE
The Corporate Social Responsibility Committee comprises of the following three Directors out of which one is Independent Director:
Sl. No. Name Status Category
1 Mr. Ratan Jindal Chairman Executive, Non Independent
2 Mr. T. S. Bhattacharya Member Non-Executive, Independent
3 Mr. Tarun Kumar Khulbe1 Member Executive, Non Independent
1 Mr. Tarun Kumar Khulbe has been inducted as a Member w.e.f. 15th May, 2018. Mr. Subrata Bhattacharya ceased to be a Director and consequently a Member of the Committee w.e.f. 15th May, 2018.
POLICY ON PREVENTION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Your Company has in place a policy on prevention of sexual harassment at workplace in accordance with the provisions of Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013. The policy aims at prevention of harassment of women employees and lays down the guidelines for identification, reporting and prevention of sexual harassment. There is an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) which is responsible for redressal of complaints related to sexual harassment and follows the guidelines provided in the policy.
During the year ended 31st March, 2018, no complaints were received pertaining to sexual harassment.
STOCK EXCHANGES WHERE THE SHARES ARE LISTED
National Stock Exchange of India Ltd., ("NSE") BSE Ltd.
Exchange Plaza, 5th Floor, Plot No. C/1, Phiroze Jeejeebhoy Towers,
G - Block, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Dalal Street,
Bandra (E), Mumbai - 400 051 Mumbai - 400 001
The annual listing fee was paid to both the Stock Exchanges. No shares of your Company were delisted during the Financial Year 2017-18. The Global Depository Shares ("GDS") are listed on Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
EXTRACT OF ANNUAL RETURN
The details forming part of the extract of the Annual Return in form MGT 9 is annexed herewith as Annexure -V.
NUMBER OF BOARD MEETINGS
The Board of Directors met 6 (six) times during the financial year ended on 31st March, 2018. The details of Board Meetings and the attendance of the Directors are provided in the Corporate Governance Report forming part of this Annual Report.
WHISTLE BLOWER POLICY / VIGIL MECHANISM
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 177(9) of the Companies Act, 2013 read with the Companies (Meetings of Board and its Powers) Rules, 2014 and Regulation 22 of the SEBI LODR, your Company has a Vigil Mechanism namely, Whistle Blower Policy for directors, employees and business partners to report genuine concerns about unethical behavior, actual or suspected fraud or violation of your Company's code of conduct or ethics policy. The Whistle Blower Policy is posted on the website of your Company and can be accessed at the link:
http://islstainless.com/pdf/WB%20Policv.pdf
PARTICULARS OF LOANS, GUARANTEES AND INVESTMENTS BY THE COMPANY UNDER SECTION 186 OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2013 ("THE ACT")
The particulars of loans, guarantees and investments by your Company under Section 186 of the Act are stated in Notes to Accounts, forming part of the Annual Report.
CONTRACTS OR ARRANGEMENTS WITH RELATED PARTIES
All related party transactions that were entered and executed during the year under review were at arms' length basis. As per the provisions of Section 188 of the Companies Act, 2013 and Rules made thereunder read with Regulation 23 of SEBI LODR, your Company had obtained approval of the Audit Committee under omnibus approval route and / or under specific agenda before entering into such transactions.
Particulars of contracts or arrangements entered into by your Company with the related parties referred to in Section 188(1) of the Companies Act, 2013, in prescribed form AOC-2, is attached as Annexure - VI to this Report.
Your Directors draw attention of the members to notes to the financial statements which inter-alia set out related party disclosures. The Policy on materiality of related parties transactions and dealing with related parties as approved by the Board may be accessed on your Company's website at the link:
http://www.islstainless.com/pdf/Policv%20on%20dealing%20with%20Related%20Partv%20Transactions.pdf.
In terms of Regulation 23 of the SEBI LODR, all transactions with related parties, which are material in nature, are subject to the approval of the Members of your Company Requisite approval of the shareholders will be taken for this purpose at the ensuing AGM. The requisite resolutions in order to comply with the aforesaid requirements of Regulation 23 of SEBI LODR.
THE CHANGE IN THE NATURE OF BUSINESS, IF ANY
There has been no change in the nature of Company's business during the financial year ended on 31st March, 2018.
MATERIAL CHANGES AND COMMITMENTS, IF ANY, AFFECTING THE FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE COMPANY
During the quarter ended 30th June, 2018, your Company has achieved total revenue from operations of Rs. 3,146.75 Crore with EBITDA of Rs. 374.93 Crore. Your Company earned net profit of Rs. 90.85 Crore during this period.
ANY SIGNIFICANT AND MATERIAL ORDERS PASSED BY THE REGULATORS OR COURTS OR TRIBUNALS IMPACTING THE GOING CONCERN STATUS AND COMPANY'S OPERATIONS IN FUTURE
During the financial year 2017-18 there was no such significant material orders passed by the regulators or courts or tribunals impacting the going concern status and Company's operations in future.
The Directors state that applicable Secretarial Standards, i.e., SS-1 and SS-2, relating to 'Meetings of the Board of Directors' and 'General Meetings', respectively, have been duly followed by the Company.
DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
Pursuant to the requirement under Section 134(5) of the Companies Act, 2013 with respect to directors' responsibility statement, it is hereby confirmed that:
(a) in the preparation of the annual accounts, the applicable accounting standards had been followed along with proper explanation relating to material departures;
(b) the Directors had selected such accounting policies and applied them consistently and made iudgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company as at 31st March, 2018 and of the profit and loss of the Company for the year ended on that date;
(c) the Directors had taken proper and sufficient care for the maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 for safeguarding the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities;
(d) the Directors had prepared the annual accounts on a going concern basis;
(e) the Directors had laid down internal financial controls to be followed by the Company and such internal financial controls are adequate and were operating effectively; and
(Rs. ) the Directors had devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the provisions of all applicable laws and that such systems were adequate and operating effectively.
A separate section on Corporate Governance and a certificate from the practicing Company Secretary regarding compliance of conditions of Corporate Governance as stipulated under the SEBI LODR, form part of the Annual Report.
Your Directors would like to express their gratitude for the valuable assistance and co-operation received from shareholders, banks, government authorities, customers and vendors. Your Directors also wish to place on record their appreciation for the committed services of all the employees of the Company.
For and on behalf of the Board of Directors
Place: New Delhi Date: 17th July, 2018
Ratan Jindal
Chairman and Managing Director
DIN:00054026


It's been exciting to watch the homeschool "movement" grow up. The firstfruits of this effort are adults now, and we have a sizable army of exemplary and remarkable young leaders. The greatest, most successful young men and women coming out of this movement have this in common: Like the good stewards in the parable of the talents, they made good use of the advantages their parents gave them, and gave a tenfold return on their parents' investment. They stood on their parents' shoulders to go even further, learning from their mistakes, and being grateful for their sacrifice.
Thanks to these three tendencies, there is a new stereotype of the homeschooled adult: Passive, undisciplined, frumpy, fearful, and directionless, content to merely exist in the comfort of his childhood bubble world, never looking beyond self or comfort to disciple and serve others.
Many observers have recognized a problem, but not everyone agrees on the cause, or the solution. What exactly is it that needs to be fixed? Parents? Children? The family-discipleship model itself?
Of course, none of us were raised perfectly. Our imperfect parents, many of them first-generation Christians, often had to work out biblical marriage and parenting and family from the ground up. Homeschooling was an intimidating experiment for most. And yes, parents make mistakes. However, once we consider ourselves adults we need to take responsibility for our own shortcomings.
There comes a point where every person must rise above his circumstances, for no circumstances are perfect. Each of us stands alone before God, individually responsible for his own deeds, misdeeds and lack of deeds, and God (we know from Scripture) does not accept blame-shifting. When we realize we are lacking in areas, the childish response is to deny responsibility and blame Mommy and Daddy.
Who is actually being unreasonable here?
It's easy to blame chronic childishness on an over-cautious parent, an over-protected upbringing, a controlling mother, etc. However, nothing will keep an adult from acting like an adult, except his own childishness — just as nothing will keep a Christian from living like a Christian except his own sin. If we say our circumstances make us think and act like children, the solution is two words: Grow Up.
The parable of the talents, Matthew 25:14-30, holds a sober warning for homeschooled children. A Christian, homeschooling family provides the many advantages needed by leaders-in-the-making: books, freedom to study, time to study, a Christian foundation for thinking and living. We need to take what our family has given us – whether it be five talents, two talents or one talent – and invest it in a way that will multiply for the Kingdom. All too often, though, we are like the lazy and fearful servant, saying "I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine." We don't use these advantages to fight against the gates of hell – we just sit on them and keep them secure against attack.
Even worse, we sometimes use those advantages our parents gave us as an excuse to become soft and apathetic. We didn't have to fight the same battles they did; we didn't have to desperately study out basic Christian thinking the way they did; we didn't have to face the same worldly snares they did, because our parents gave us a stronger foundation than they had. We didn't have to build a foundation, because we inherited one. What we now have to do is build on that foundation. The danger is that we can become lazy consumers, used to having our parents spoonfeed everything to us, instead of gratefully and boldly moving forward with initiative and zeal of our own.
It's time for us to grow up and take our places as the next Christian leaders of the world. Let's start by being thankful for the gifts – the life, the family, the circumstances – the Lord ordained that we would have. Let's follow up by using them dynamically for His glory.


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La playa de Torrelamata es una playa de arena de la pedanía de Torrelamata, municipio de Torrevieja en la provincia de Alicante (España).

Esta playa limita al norte con la playa de la Torre de La Mata y al sur con Cabo Cervera y tiene una longitud de 2.362 m, con una amplitud de 47 m.

Se sitúa en un entorno semiurbano, disponiendo de acceso por calle. Cuenta con paseo marítimo y aparcamiento delimitado. Dispone de acceso para discapacitados. Es una playa balizada, con zona balizada para la salida de embarcaciones. Dispone de 14 chiringuitos, 8 pistas de vóley y 1 futbito playa. Tiene las certificaciones ISO 9001 e ISO 14001 y con el galardón de Qualitur y Bandera Azul.

La urbanización en esta playa se inició en 1967 cuando un grupo de suecos construyeron en las inmediaciones del cabo Cervera una urbanización denominada "Lomas del Mar", lo que hizo que popularmente se conociese la playa como "playa de los suecos".

Una parte de la playa limita con el Parque del Molino del Agua, que está declarado como zona protegida.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Web con toda la información de la playa de la mata en torrevieja

Playas de Torrevieja

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Staff Nurses of the Year named
Rosamund Gabrielson Staff Nurse of the Year recipients were announced representing the four entities of VUMC
by Matt Batcheldor June 11, 2020
Four Vanderbilt nurses representing different entities of the Medical Center have been named Rosamond Gabrielson Staff Nurse of the Year.
The award is named in honor of Rosamond Gabrielson, RN, who arrived at VUMC in 1976 as the director of Nursing, immediately following her tenure as president of the American Nurses Association. During her 12 years at Vanderbilt, she helped establish nursing bylaws and staff action committees, which ultimately led to what is now known as shared governance.
Gabrielson retired from Vanderbilt in 1988 and died in 2000. Her legacy left a significant footprint on Vanderbilt nursing, for which she was posthumously honored in 2018 at the Office of Diversity Affairs' second-annual Hidden VUMC Figures event.
Rosamund Gabrielson Staff Nurse of the Year recipients were announced representing the four entities of VUMC – Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital and Vanderbilt Adult Ambulatory Clinics. These nurses were chosen by the Nursing Staff Councils from each entity.
The recipients are:
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt: Stevie Crossland, BSN, RN, Children's Hospital Radiology Recovery
Stevie Crossland. From the nomination: "Stevie consistently seeks out opportunities to improve patient care. Not only does she do whatever is asked of her, but she also seeks out opportunities to improve the patient care experience. Stevie is an excellent and respected mentor on the unit. She educates in an encouraging, uplifting manner, in which new hires can learn the unit." Photo by Donn Jones
Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital: Allison Jagoda, BSN, RN, BS, MS, CCRN, Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU).
Allison Jagoda. From the nomination: "One of Allison's strengths as a nurse is her willingness to get to the reasoning behind decision making. She is an incredible patient advocate no matter the expected course. If we are full-speed-ahead trying every possible therapy, Allison is making sure the team has the info they need for decision making, while ensuring she understands the plan of care." Photo by Steve Green
Vanderbilt Adult Ambulatory Clinic: Brenda Weedman, RN, CDE, Vanderbilt Eskind Diabetes Center.
Brenda Weedman. From the nomination: "Brenda is passionate about helping patients with diabetes improve their understanding of the disease, learn to manage glucose and prevent complications both acute and long term. The patients are always treated with compassion and respect. It is very evident that she cares for her patients and strives to deliver the best, evidenced based teaching at all times." Photo by Erin O. Smith
Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital. Savannah Young, BSN, RN-BC, VPH Float Pool.
Savannah Young. From the nomination: "She is a preceptor on the unit. She has received students who work with her on the floor, and she regularly precepts new staff members. Her experience and calm demeanor make her an effective resource to others on the unit."
nursing, Staff Nurse of the Year, Rosamund Gabrielson, Brenda Weedman, Savannah Young, Stevie Crossland, Allison Jagoda, Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital, Adult Clinics, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Bob McDonnell's daughters ask for sentencing leniency, blame Maureen McDonnell.
Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, leave the courthouse on Jan. 24, 2014, in Richmond, Virginia.
Earlier this year, former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, presented a surprising defense against charges of conspiracy and bribery, arguing in court that he couldn't have conspired with his wife to take illegal gifts, as he was barely speaking to her. As Dahlia Lithwick detailed for Slate back in September, that defense was an abysmal failure.
The "blame the wife" line required painting Maureen McDonnell with a series of sexist stereotypes: the gold-digger; the starry-eyed romantic; and that perennial favorite, the crazy ex. (Though the McDonnells are still legally married, they portrayed their marriage in court as so torn up that it was as good as done.) But portraying McDonnell as, in Lithwick's words, "a frosty harridan with a roving eye and a lamentable inability to manage the staff" apparently made it too hard to also portray her as the mastermind pulling all the strings in the governor's mansion. "I still cannot accept the defense's proposition that she was somehow driving the bus when it looked to the rest of the world like she was lying under it," Lithwick argued. Both McDonnells were found guilty, on 11 counts for Bob and nine for Maureen.
It may very well be that this is how things were in the McDonnell family and that Bob McDonnell is a decent man saddled with a greedy drama queen of a wife. After all, Maureen McDonnell did agree to this characterization in the defense strategy. However, it's puzzling that the McDonnell children are continuing to push this narrative after it failed to protect their father the first time around. The problem is as it always has been: It's hard to maintain the claim that a man is a self-sacrificing, good-hearted Christian when he is trying to save his own neck by abandoning his wife. It's doubly hard to do so when the man in question is famous for peddling a deeply conservative form of Christianity that sells itself on sacrificing for marriage and family as the greatest of virtues.


Staying involved in a child's education is a juggling act for any parent. But as a military mom or dad who is also frequently handling the pressing demands of moving or coping with a lengthy deployment, making sure that your children are being successful in school can be a full-time job.
Here are a few ways to keep from feeling run over by schools' varying policies, procedures and general way of doing things.
Plan way ahead. As a military parent -- even more than nonmilitary parents -- you should think and plan well in advance for moves, deployments, changes in caregiver arrangements and any other events that might disrupt your children's schooling.
As soon as you learn you will likely be transferring to a new base and community, research the schools in the area, call ahead and ask about opportunities to visit before your children's first day and even ask for a contact person in case of questions.
It's also wise to let your children's current teachers know a move is in the works. They can identify areas where your children might need some extra help.
Get a free guidebook. The Military Family's Parent Guide for Supporting Your Child in School is a valuable resource from the University of Southern California's "Building Capacity in Military-Connected Schools" project.
For a limited time, Teachers College Press, which co-published the book with the Military Child Education Coalition, is giving the books away for free. Click on this link to request a copy.
This guidebook provides information on how transition and other military-related events affect children in school and offers practical suggestions for working in partnership with educators to keep students from falling behind.
Tell educators about books for them (they're also free). The Building Capacity team also wrote three other guidebooks -- one for teachers, one for school administrators and one for pupil personnel, such as school social workers, counselors and psychologists.
The books educate each of these audiences on the needs of military students and how they can create schools that are more supportive of military children and families. They can click on the same link to request a free copy.
Tell the school what you need. It would be great if the staff at every school was aware of and sensitive to the unpredictable lifestyles of military families, but of course this isn't the case.
You shouldn't be afraid to seek compromises or ask for special homework or attendance arrangements when a deployment or block leave takes place in the middle of the school year.
You should also speak up if you think your children are struggling to make friends, having trouble in a certain subject or need some accelerated work, especially if another move is imminent.
The chances are that the teachers will appreciate the information and work with you to address your concerns.
Your family may not be part of a school community for as long as nonmilitary families. But heading off transition- and deployment-related problems for children before they occur not only helps your children, but also helps the schools they attend.
-- Linda Jacobson is an editor/writer for the USC School of Social Work -- Building Capacity in Military-Connected Schools.


BEIJING – Investigators in China say they have found more than 200 million yuan ($33 million) in cash at the home of an official suspected of taking bribes, in the country's largest cash seizure ever.
A top anti-graft prosecutor, Xu Jinhui, said in a news briefing Friday that the cash was seized at the home of Wei Pengyuan, a deputy chief of the coal bureau under the National Energy Administration. Wei is under investigation for alleged corruption.
If the 200 million yuan were all in 100-yuan notes, it would pile 230 meters (750 feet) high, more than two-thirds the height of the Eiffel Tower.
Financial news publication Caixin said investigators wore out four of 16 cash-counting machines while measuring the stash.


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Tag: Mesozoic
Climate and tectonics since 250 Ma
Published on June 9, 2022 by zooks7772 Comments
A central feature of the Earth's climate system is the way that carbon bound in two gases – carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) – controls the amount of incoming solar energy that is retained by the atmosphere. Indeed, without one or the other our home world would have been locked in frigidity since shortly after its formation: a sterile, ice-covered planet. The 'greenhouse effect' has been ever-present because the material from which the Earth accreted contained carbon as well as every other chemical element from hydrogen to uranium. Naturally reactive, it readily combines with hydrogen and oxygen to form methane and carbon dioxide, which would have escaped the inner Earth as gases to enter the earliest atmosphere as a 'comfort blanket', along with water vapour, another greenhouse gas. Their combined effects have remained crudely balanced so that neither inescapable frigidity nor surface temperatures high enough to boil-off the oceans have ever occurred in the last 4.5 billion years. Earth has remained like the wee bear's porridge in the Goldilocks story! Even so, global climate has fluctuated again and again from that akin to a steamy greenhouse, through long periods of moderation to extensive glacial conditions, including three that extended from pole-to-pole – 'Snowball' Earths – during in the Precambrian. During the Phanerozoic the Earth has entered three long periods of generally low global temperatures, in the Ordovician, the Carboniferous and during the last 2.5 Ma that allowed polar ice caps and sea-ice to extend a third of the way to the Equator. These were forced back and forth repeatedly by cyclical influences apparently triggered by astronomically controlled changes to Earth's orbital and rotational parameters – the Milankovich Effect. Anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases in vast and increasing amounts now threaten to disrupt natural climate variation, effectively overthrowing the gravitational influences of distant giant planets that have controlled climate changes that shaped our own evolution since the genus Homo first emerged.
Bubbles of air trapped in cores through the ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland record decreased volumes of land ice as CO2 content increased and the opposite during glacial episodes. Somehow in step with the astronomical forcing the Earth released greenhouse gas to warm the climate and drew it down to bring on cooling. Since all life forms are built from carbon-rich compounds and some extract it from the environment to build carbonate hard parts, climate and life on land and in the oceans are interlinked. In fact life and death are involved, because once dead organisms and their hard parts are buried before being oxidised in sediments on land, as in peat and ultimately coal, and on the ocean floors as limestones or carbonaceous mudstones, atmospheric carbon is sequestered. Exposed to acid water containing dissolved CO2 from the atmosphere or to oxygen, respectively, the two forms of carbon in solid form are released as greenhouse gas once more. Both take place when sedimentary deposits are exhumed as a result of erosion and tectonics. Another factor is the abundance of available nutrients, themselves released and distributed by erosion and agents of transportation. At present surface waters of the most distant parts of the oceans contains plenty of such nutrients, except for a vital one, dissolved iron. So they are wet 'deserts'. It seems that during the much dustier times of glacial episodes iron in fine form reached far out into the world's oceans so that phytoplankton at the base of the food chain 'bloomed 'and so did planktonic animals. Dead organisms 'rained' to the ocean floor so drawing down CO2 from the atmosphere and decreasing the greenhouse effect. The surface parts of the carbon and rock cycles are extremely complex and climatologists have yet to come to grips with modelling its future climates convincingly. Yet the carbon cycle and much deeper parts of the rock cycle are interwoven too.
Carbon in sedimentary rock can be heated by burial, and some can be subducted to great depths at destructive plate margins together. The same applies to in ocean-floor basalts that have been permeated by circulating sea water through hydrothermal circulation to form carbonates in the altered volcanic rock. In both cases carbon stored for hundreds of million years can be released by metamorphism in orogenic belts at zones of continental collision and deep below island arcs. Carbon from mantle depths that has never 'seen the light of day' is also added to the atmosphere when magmas form below oceanic constructive margins, hot spots and subduction zones, and where magmas flood the continental surface. Consequently, plate tectonics and deep mantle convection have surely played a long-term role in the evolution of our planet's climate system. Geoscientists based in Australia and the UK have used geochemical data to reconstruct the stores of carbon in oceanic plates and thermodynamic modelling to track what may have happened to it and the climate through the last 250 Ma (Müller, R.D. et al. 2022. Evolution of Earth's tectonic carbon conveyor belt. Nature, v. 605, p. 629-639; DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04420-x). Their review is an important step in understanding what underpins climate on a geological time scale, onto which much shorter-term surface influences are superimposed.
The amount of carbon being outgassed as CO2 each year along plate boundaries in the early Jurassic (185 Ma) shown in dark purple (low) to yellow (high). Also shown in shades of blue is the accumulation of carbon stored in each square metre of the ocean plates. Plate motions are shown as grey arrows (credit: Müller, R.D. et al. Clip from video in Supplementary Information)
At mid-ocean ridges basaltic magma wells up from mantle depths and loses much of its content of dissolved CO2. The annual outgassing at ridges, which depends on the global rate of plate formation, has varied from 13 to 30 million tonnes of carbon (MtC yr-1) since the start of the Mesozoic Era 250 Ma ago. Similarly, there is greenhouse-gas escape from volcanic arcs above subduction zones, estimated to have ranged from 0 to 18 MtC yr-1. As an oceanic plate moves away from its source various processes sequester CO2 into the oceanic crust and upper mantle through accumulation of deep-sea sediments and hydrothermal alteration of basaltic crust and peridotite mantle (ranging from 30 to 311 MtC yr-1). Of this influx of carbon into oceanic plates between 36 to 103 MtC yr-1 has gone down subduction zones in descending slabs. Between 0 to 49 MtC yr-1 of that has been outgassed by arc volcanic activity or absorbed into the overriding plate. The rest continues down into the deep mantle, perhaps to form diamonds. Overall, when the rate at which oceanic plates grow is rapid and plate motion speeds up, outgassing should be high. When plate growth slows, so does the rate of CO2 release. Variations in plate growth can be estimated from the magnetic reversal stripes above the ocean floors. The authors have released an animation of the break-up of Pangaea (well worth watching at full screen – you can skip the ad at the start), with the rate of carbon emission at ridges and volcanic arcs being colour-coded. Also shown is the storage of carbon within oceanic plats plates as time passes.
Length of mid-ocean ridges (orange) and subduction zones (blue) through the last 250 Ma (top). The areas of oceanic crust produced at ridges and consumed by subduction (bottom) (credit: Müller, R.D. et al., Figs 1a, 1c)
Before Pangaea began to break up at the end of the Triassic (200 Ma) the total length of mid-ocean ridges was at a minimum of about 40 thousand km. Through the Jurassic it never exceeded 50,000 km, but rose to a maximum of 80,000 km during the Cretaceous then declined slowly to the current length of 60,000 km. Throughout the last 250 Ma the length of subduction zones stayed roughly the same at about 65 thousand km – not always in the same places – although the overall rate of subduction changed in line with the rate of oceanic plate growth (the volume that is added must be balanced roughly by the amount that returns to the mantle). Between the end of the Jurassic and the mid-Cretaceous crustal production and destruction doubled, shown by the bottom plot in the figure above. The very fast movement of plates and an increase in the global length of ridges during Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous times led to a dramatic increase in CO2 outgassing from ridges so that its content in the atmosphere rose as high as 1200 ppm – more than four times that before the Industrial Revolution. That level resulted in global 'hothouse' conditions during the Cretaceous. Another factor behind the Cretaceous climate was a decrease in the global complement of mountains. That led to decreases in erosion and the weathering of silicates by acid rain, thus reducing natural sequestration of carbon.
During the Cenozoic (after 65 Ma) declining ridge outgassing was actually outpaced by that associated with subduction, according to the modelling. That is strange, for by around 35 Ma glaciation had begun on Antarctica as the Earth was cooling, which implies a major, unexpected sink for excess CO2. The most likely way this might have arisen is through increased erosion and silicate weathering on the exposed continents that consumed CO2 faster than tectonics was releasing the gas. The length of continental arcs shows no sign of a major increase during the Cenozoic, which might have accelerated that kind of sequestration, but a variety of proxies for signs of weathering definitely suggests that there was an upsurge. Also there was increased storage of carbon on the deep ocean floor, shown by the video. Increased calcium released by weathering to enter ocean water in solution would allow more planktonic organisms to secrete calcite (CaCO3) skeletons that would then fall to the ocean floor when they died.
There may be more to be discovered in this hugely complex interplay between tectonics and climate. For instance, when the bottom waters of the oceans are oxygenated by deep currents of cold dense seawater sinking from polar regions, carbon in tissues of sunken dead organism is oxidised to release CO2. If bottom waters are anoxic, this organic carbon is preserved in sediments. The authors mention this as something to be considered in their future work on the 'tectonic carbon conveyor belt'.
Categories Palaeoclimatology•Tags Carbon conveyor belt, Carbon cycle, Carbon storage, Cenozoic, Cenozoic cooling, Climate change, CO2 emissions, Cretaceous hothouse, Degassing, greenhouse effect, Mesozoic, Modelling, Oceanic ridges, Plates, Subduction zones, Tectonics
Mesozoic fleas
Published on March 12, 2012 by zooks777Leave a comment
Giant Mesozoic fleas from China, 1.4 and 0.8 cm long. From Huang et al. (2012)
Strange as it might seem, rather than bringing to mind the opening pages of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park ancient fleas suggest to me Frederick Engels's Dialectics of Nature (1883). In his lampoon of determinism, which might today be directed at a famous evolutionary biologist, Engels wrote:
'…last night I was bitten by a flea at four o'clock in the morning, and not at three or five o'clock, and on the right shoulder and not on the left calf – these are all facts which have been produced by an irrevocable concatenation of cause and effect, by an unshatterable necessity of such a nature indeed that the gaseous sphere, from which the solar system was derived, was already so constituted that these events had to happen thus and not otherwise.'
But a paper about fossil fleas from the time of the dinosaurs was always going to catch the eye (Huang, D. et al. 2012. Diverse transitional giant fleas from the Mesozoic era of China. Nature, v. 483, p. 201-204), and that they come from China does have an element of inevitability that arises from that country's rich endowment with sites of exceptional preservation. The fleas are not at all like the shiny creatures that are so difficult to trap in the fur of a cat's ear, and they are big: up to 2 cm long. Two species come from Middle Jurassic and one from the Lower Cretaceous. The fascinating thing about fleas, however, is that they evolved to live and thrive in fur and feathers. This niche is signified by their claws, whose form and articulation avoid entanglement with fibres: which is why cat fleas are so nimble. While cat fleas are flattened laterally to help them slip though fur and have powerful legs that allows them to leap from host to host, the Mesozoic fleas are flat from back to front and are not so leggy.
Cat flea ~1.5 mm long. Image via Wikipedia
Being so large, it seems unlikely that these Mesozoic fleas would have parasitized mammals that were probably far smaller on average than now. But by the Jurassic fossil evidence, largely from China, shows that dinosaurs had developed feather-like cover. Their evolution itself created a niche occupied thereafter by fleas and other bloodsuckers. They are wingless relatives of flies (Order: Diptera) that first appear in the Triassic fossil record, both thought to have stemmed from more primitive scorpionflies (Order: Mecoptera)
When Flea-Rex was pain in the neck for T-Rex – South China Morning Post (subscription) (topics.scmp.com)
Giant Jurassic fleas sucked but couldn't jump (blogs.discovermagazine.com)
Categories Geobiology, palaeontology, and evolution•Tags dinosaur parasite, fossil flea, Mesozoic


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Don't Push the Panic Button
No, seriously. Everything is fine.
By eeyster@IronPonyChef Apr 17, 2017, 8:00am PDT
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Now is not the time to panic. Really.
Republic just went through an extremely difficult stretch of games — arguably its most difficult of the entire 2017 season. A three game road trip in eight days is tough enough, but the teams that Republic faced were not exactly pushovers.
First, there was Tulsa Roughnecks, a team that has yet to lose to anyone but the Republic (they technically had beaten Colorado Springs 4-1 before being forced to retroactively forfeit).
Then came OKC Energy, a team that only suffered seven losses last year, made the Western Conference semi-finals, and that is 3-1-0 all-time against Republic at home.
Finally, there was Swope Park Rangers, a team that had only lost one of their last ten regular season home games going into Saturday.
That is likely the most significant reason that Sacramento suddenly looked weaker this past week. They went from playing weekly games against teams that are unlikely to make the playoffs (Seattle) and teams that are going to be fighting on the bubble (Orange County and Tulsa), to teams that are almost definitely going to make the playoffs in OKC and Swope Park. At this point you can even argue that Swope Park Rangers is the best team in the entire USL. They are one of three teams that have yet to lose a game and the only team that has won every game this season.
Lack of rest is another major factor in what happened. Historically, the Republic have not performed well in situations similar to the one they were in against Swope Park Rangers. In the four times the team has had to play three games in a short time frame, Republic gave up a combined seven goals in the final game of the stretch. That's an average of 1.75 goals per game. To have held SPR, the third best scoring team in the Western Conference, to one goal with that history is impressive.
When looking for a reason why the Republic might have been shut out, we can look to the numbers to find an answer: shot accuracy. In the first three games of this season, the Republic put 43% of their shots on target, with 38% off target and only 19% blocked by other players. In the last two games, Sacramento dropped to only 28% on target.
This 28% is not a horrible number, though. It is early in the season, but a rolling average of about 30% shots on target, 40% shots off target and 30% shots blocked appears about expected.
The percentage of off target and on target shots from the Republic's opponents also supports the argument that last week's opponents were better quality teams.
In the first three games of this season, Republic's opponents put 55% of their shots off target. In the two losses last week, that number dropped to 35%. Whether this is due entirely to better opponents, or a mix of that and tired defensive legs is an interesting discussion, but something that cannot be argued is that last week's opponents were far more threatening than those the Republic had played previously.
So is it time to panic? No.
Last week was not the result of the Republic's wheels falling off. It was the result of them playing good, likely playoff-bound teams. Even the best teams are not going to look as strong against that type of opponent, especially away from home.
What is more important is how well Sacramento has been playing against other teams. They are beating the teams they should be, and keeping it close on the road with little rest against their biggest competition. That's a recipe for a good season.


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Caravan RV News
The Flinders Ranges and the iconic Wilpena Pound
The Flinders Ranges is one of Australia's premier national landscapes, comprising of rugged mountain ranges, spectacular gorges, sheltered creeks lined with river red gums and abundant wildlife. Renowned for its natural, cultural and geological significance. Cradled within the park's towering mountains is famous landmark Wilpena Pound (Ikara).
In the 1930s, the celebrated landscape artist Sir Hans Heyson, towed a homemade caravan for several days behind his Model T Ford to capture the stark beauty of the Flinders Ranges on canvas - the Australian outback in its most striking form.
Today it's just a 500-kilometre trek, five hours north of Adelaide on a sealed road. There are two ways to get there, either through the one of Australia's most famous wine producing regions, the Clare Valley a fascinating place for connoisseurs of both wine and history. Or up the shimmering coastal road from Adelaide. The Southern end of the Flinders Ranges looks so idyllically Australian and offers no clues as to what you're about to encounter. It isn't until your past the town of Hawker that the horizon begins to get severe. This is when you will begin to experience the real South Australian outback and soak up the incredible beauty of one of the earth's oldest landscapes.
The lure of Wilpena Pound
It's easy to understand why people travel to the north of South Australia, just to see Wilpena Pound. Visitors speak of the spiritually uplifting energy and sense of peace and serenity they feel when exploring the Flinders. Wilpena Pound's natural amphitheatre rises from the desert in the shape of a cauldron spanning 100 kilometres. Sculpted by thousands of years of rain and sun, its jagged, thousand-metre quartzite peaks beg to be explored.
This extraordinary landscape is 800 million years old and has been home to Adnyamathanha people for tens of thousands of years.
Most visitors head where the four resorts are located, each in splendid isolation with views of the Pound's craggy walls known as ramparts.
There is so much to see and do, with a range of 4WD tours, guided Aboriginal cultural walks, nature and bush walks, and a scenic flight over Wilpena Pound and the Ikara Flinders Ranges that allows you to appreciate its magnitude and beauty.
Many of the trails weave past creek beds and through the surprisingly dense forest of centuries-old river gums, offering a chance to see kangaroos, wallabies and native birdlife.
Most hikes take an hour or two, but keen walkers tackle the four hour (one way) hike to St Mary Peak, to reach the 1171m crag.
There are a few caravan parks in the Flinders Ranges and Outback that also have campsites. Try Hawker Caravan Park, Melrose Caravan Park, the eco-conscious Quorn Caravan Park or the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary a popular ecotourism destination.
For more information call the Flinders Ranges Visitor Information Centre: 1800 220 980.
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Buying a caravan


In this paper, a modified Monte Carlo simulation is developed for studying grain growth in presence of stable incoherent particles. The aim is to introduce the calculation method (with C++) applied to the particles problem, to pick out the grain local behavior, to evaluate the grain growth exponent and to determine the abrupt transition between normal and stagnant microstructure. We deal with 2D microstructures with a constant particle diameter and different particle area fraction.
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- Anderson M.P., Srolovitz D.J., Grest G.S., Sahni P.S., Acta Met.,Vol.32, (1984), p.783.
- Srolovitz D.J., Anderson M.P., Sahni P.S., Acta Metall, Vol.32, (1984), p.1429.
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- Kawasaki K., Nagai T., Nakashima, K., Phil. Mag., Vol. B60, (1989), p.399.
- Nagai T., Ohta S., Kawasaki K., Mat. Sci. For., Vol. 94-96, eds. Abbruzzese and Brozzo, Trans. Tech. Publns. Switzerland, (1992), p.313.
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- Holm E.A., Rollett A.D., Srolovitz D.J., Comp. Sim. In Mat. Sci., eds. Kirchner, H.O. et al., Netherland, (1996), pp.373-389.
- Rollett A.D., Prog. In Mater. Sci.,Vol.42, (1997), p.79.
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- Grest G.S., Glazier J.A., Anderson M.P., Holm E.A., Srolovitz D.J., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., Vol. 237, ed. Mat. Res. Soc., (1992), p.101.
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- Guessasma S., Rouag N., to be published.
- Stauffer D., Hehl F.W., Winkelmann V., Zabolitzky J.G., in Computer Simulation and Computer Algebra, Springer Verlag, chapter 2, (1988), p.55.
- Binder K., Heermann D.W., in Monte Carlo Simulation in statistical physics, ed. Springer, third edition, (1977), p.19.
- Anderson M.P., Grest G.S., Srolovitz D.J., Sahni P.S., Phil. Mag., Vol. B59, (1989), p.293.
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All the rooms retain the XVIII style with the new advance and comforts: central heating , SAT TV, telephone, piped music and bathroom with heating and the possibility of internet connection.
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FDA Finalizes Guidance on When to Submit a 510(k) for a Change to an Existing Device
November 14, 2017By Rachael E. Hunt & Allyson B. Mullen —
On October 25, 2017, FDA issued a final guidance: Deciding When to Submit a 510(k) for a Change to an Existing Device. This guidance is a final version of the draft issued in 2016 (see our post on the 2016 draft here). Despite receiving a significant number of comments, the final guidance is largely unchanged from the 2016 draft. Industry should also be comforted to know that the final guidance is also, at its core, very similar to the 1997 guidance – a welcome relief as compared to the 2011 draft guidance.
The most significant change from the draft to final guidance has to do with the analysis for labeling changes. As we discussed in our blog post on the draft guidance, the draft merely acknowledged that changes to the indications for use were some of the most difficult to assess. The draft guidance did little to elaborate on how a 510(k) holder should assess whether a new 510(k) is required for a changed to a device's indications for use. The final guidance seeks to provide additional clarity, and in fact, adds five additional questions to Flowchart A, Labeling Changes (Questions A1.1 – A1.5).
These additional questions suggest that if an indication change goes from single use to multiple use or from prescription use to OTC use a new 510(k) is always required. The questions also highlight that there may be additional flexibility in other types of indication changes. For example, if a change does not "describe a new disease, condition, or patient population" nor does a "risk-based assessment identify any new risks or significantly modified existing risks," a change to the indications for use may be documented without a new 510(k).
We should also highlight a new example FDA includes in Appendix A of the final guidance. This example highlights an indication for use change using a cleared device on a similar, closely related anatomical area. FDA proceeds through the new flowchart and concludes that a new 510(k) is required because, although "there are no new or increased safety risks associated with the use of the device . . . the new indication for use is associated with a risk of significantly reduced effectiveness" due to the difference in anatomical area. We read this example as saying that any indication change where new effectiveness data is required to support an indications for use change, a new 510(k) will be required, because the change "could" affect safety or effectiveness. In sum, manufacturers should ensure that they carefully consider the examples in Appendix A as well as the text associated with the flowcharts when assessing whether a new 510(k) is required. The examples and text should especially be discussed when a decision not to file a 510(k) is documented.
A notable carry-over from the draft guidance is FDA's requirement that decisions not to file a new 510(k) be thoroughly documented. The final guidance makes clear that simple yes/no responses or flowcharts are insufficient. The final guidance includes sample "regulatory change assessments" with narrative explanations and responses to each inquiry in the decision-making flow chart.
A few other noteworthy changes between the final and the draft guidance include:
The Guidance document emphasizes that it is "not intended to implement significant policy changes to FDA's current thinking on when submission of a new 510(k) is required," but rather the intent of the guidance is to "enhance predictability, consistency and transparency of the "when to submit' decision-making process." Accordingly, unlike with some other significant guidance documents, FDA has not provided for a future effective date for the final guidance meaning that it went into effect immediately on October 25th.
The final guidance adds an introductory statement regarding the least burdensome provision, which is unsurprising in light of the provisions in the 21st Century Cures Act re-emphasizing "least burdensome."
FDA clarifies that this guidance applies to remanufacturers and relabelers who hold their own 510(k).
In conjunction with this guidance, FDA also issued a guidance regarding when to submit changes for a software device. The final guidance clarifies that when there are multiple changes, including changes covered by this guidance as well as software changes, the changes should be analyzed under both guidances and if either guidance results in a new 510(k) being required, one should be submitted.
In sum, the final guidance provides some additional clarity beyond the 2016 draft guidance and is conceptually very similar to the 1997 guidance. This final guidance, much like the 2016 draft, provides additional detail and explanation as compared to the 1997 guidance intended to aid manufacturers in making the often difficult decision as to whether a new 510(k) is required for a change to a device. However, as discussed above, with the extensive examples provided in this final guidance (more than 40 individual examples are provided in Appendix A) some of the manufacturer judgment allowed for by the flowcharts may be lost and manufacturers should be cautioned to consider carefully the examples provided in the Appendices when making their decisions.
Categories: Medical Devices


>> Sarah Drasner: If you need to animate gradients, don't just animate them. If you animate a gradient, it will actually like really cause a lot of performance issues because it's really expensive to do that. There's a lot of repaints when you animate a gradient. So I made this pen for you to check out and use, which is an animated transparent mask.
[00:00:21] So what I do is I create two blocks of colors, create a mask of one of them, and move the color with transforms. So one of the things is moving with transforms, and then it's an animated gradient, but you're not causing any layout triggers. It's all really performing, transforms are a lot less expensive than some other types of things, like margin and lift.
[00:00:44] And especially changing background colors, all cause repaints in your browser which makes them very expensive to run.


text:
Q: How to, on a find by id API, send body with HTTP status 200 or empty body with HTTP status 204 using spring webFlux? Even with this code I get an emtpy response with 200 when I look for an non existing person's id. How can I set different statuses based on personManager.findById result? I come from an imperative background, and maybe this is silly, but I didn't find any consensus on how to do it, even on official docs
fun get(request: ServerRequest): Mono<ServerResponse> =
    ServerResponse
        .ok().contentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
        .body(
            BodyInserters.fromPublisher(
                personManager.findById(request.pathVariable("id").toInt()),
                Person::class.java
            )
        ).switchIfEmpty(ServerResponse.noContent().build())

A: The problem was that .body always return a Mono filled with a ServerResponse, so it would never switch to empty. I really don't know if this is syntactic right, but I managed to do what I wanted with:
personManager.findById(request.pathVariable("id").toInt()).flatMap {
    ServerResponse.ok().contentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON).bodyValue(it)
}.switchIfEmpty(ServerResponse.noContent().build())

and the same behavior to Flux(in this case, findAll):
with(personManager.findAll()) {
    this.hasElements().flatMap {
        if (it) ServerResponse.ok().bodyValue(this)
        else ServerResponse.noContent().build()
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Andrew Haines
Ron Atkinson exclusive interview: "I had two basic principles which I stuck with all my career"
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text:
← Missing Streams, Uncounted Fish and Ubiquitous Pipes
Ten Tips For Device Surgery →
How Can We Talk About Morals and Politics?
by Bob Schober
This section is devoted to studying the local impacts of specific issues the Trump Administration or Republican Congress will propose.
Artwork by Hilary Cole
Perhaps it is human instinct to deny or forget uncomfortable thoughts. Or maybe it iswillful hypocrisy, why folks of all political persuasions tend at times to blind themselves when facing facts. And the blinders are growing larger in these days of bare-knuckle politics, raising the question of how true believers on both sides can meet and talk for the good of the country.
It won't be easy, but it's possible.
The British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge coined the term "willful suspension of disbelief" to describe what our brains go through being absorbed in fictional novels (and in today's world, movies). In more specific terms, it is the willingness to suspend one's critical faculties and "believe the unbelievable." But the term "deliberate ignorance" may better explain how intelligent, educated people, basically good-hearted people can willfully enamel ideology over facts. Deliberate ignorance is "the practice of refusing to consider or discuss logic or evidence disproving ideologically motivated positions."
In a 1980 Newsweek interview, author Isaac Asimov said this: "There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."
Ignore What's Real
It may be inherently human, but this tendency to ignore what's real is driving ever deeper splits between the two political parties, with evidence for it growing is all around us – fights over the Second Amendment, Planned Parenthood, global warming and many other issues are now considered zero-sum, with both Democrats and Republicans moving farther from the center. What's even worse is the Trump attack on science and facts.
The Pew Research Center conducted surveys in June and July 2017 that found the gap in political values between Democrats and Republicans to have widened to 36 percent, compared to 15 percent in 1994. The political values considered were government, race, immigration, national security and environmental protection. The Center also found that in 2004, half of respondents had mixed conservative and liberal views compared to only one third in 2017.
Selling Distortion and Fraud
Looking back, here are examples of distortion and fraud that fooled thousands, if not millions, of people:
Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker created Praise the Lord Ministry (PTL) and built an empire including a grand hotel with gold-plated tub fixtures, a mammoth walk-in closet and a garage housing a fleet of cars, not to forget an air-conditioned doghouse, and several luxurious houses in three resorts. They ran an on-air fund-raising scam that bilked followers of $158 million with promises of buildings, programs and always new plans.
The couple's shenanigans were always before the public eye, with a local newspaper for years covering their financial scandals. But supporters never abandoned them. In 1989, Jim Bakker was convicted in federal court of 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy, yet donations continued to flow in to PTL. Jerry Falwell took over leadership of PTL. The book, "The Evangelicals," by Frances Fitzgerald, tells the whole story.
Sen. Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin kindled a fire of fear in the country's grass roots of both political stripes with made-up claims of communists run amok in government and hiding under every bush. Even as he was unmasked, half the country lock-stepped behind him, while just more than a quarter disapproved of his shenanigans. William Manchester in his book, "The Glory and The Dream," tells that tale.
Trump's Evangelicals
And now we have white evangelical leaders, who trumpeted "family values" and "personal conduct" in the 1990s and 2000s. They are avid for Trump, a non-church goer who worships Mammon and not the Sermon on the Mount. Trump has been accused by perhaps 12 women of sexual abuse, is a congenital liar and serial philanderer — Playboy models and a porn star have claimed sexual liaisons and affairs with Trump while his wife Melania was giving birth to their son. Many white evangelical leaders who support Trump weaponized Leviticus against gay marriage and the LBGTQ lifestyle but stay silent on Leviticus 20:10 which condemns adulterers.
Evangelical leaders also say they know Trump isn't perfect, but all sinners deserve forgiveness. But there are limits — the Book of Luke states that church members should forgive themselves 70 times 70 "if there is repentance." Anyone heard of that?
A fact-check study of Trump's statements showed that as of May 1, Trump gave false or misleading statements 3,001 times in the 465 days of his presidency — more than six per day. And the 2018 Presidents and Executive Politics Presidential Greatness Survey places our current president dead last.
And there's the Lost Cause, where Southern apologists have sought to erase the reality of brutal slavery as the cornerstone of the Confederacy from historical memory of the Civil War. The polemic of secession for independence, not slavery (despite the secession documents by the 11 seceding states all mentioned slavery as the key reason for their action) enshrined the Confederate flag as a symbol of Southern pride. A May 9, 2000, Gallup poll asking about that flag, revealed that only 28 percent of Americans polled said the flag is a symbol of racism, while 59 percent said it was a symbol of Southern pride. By party, 74 percent of Republicans compared to 16 percent of Democrats, agreed.
How to explain this?
Today's Paranoid Politics
Historian Richard Hofstadter wrote in the November 1964 issue of Harper's Magazine about "The Paranoid Style in American Politics." And what he wrote 54 years ago still resonates today.
"The paranoid style is an old and recurrent phenomenon in our public life which has been frequently linked with movements of suspicious discontent," Hofstadter wrote in the introduction. The 19th century witnessed the anti-Masonic, the nativist and anti-Jesuit movements, led by folks who "were fending off threats to a still established way of life."
"The modern right wing," he continued, referring to the 1960s, "feels dispossessed; America has been largely taken away from them and their kind, though they are determined to try to repossess it and prevent the final destructive act of subversion. The old American virtues have already been eaten away by … intellectuals; the old competitive capitalism has been gradually undermined by socialist … schemers; the old national security and independence have been destroyed by treasonous plots …" not only by outsiders and foreign agents but leaders at the center of American power. (Deep State, anyone?)
Here's one way this plays out: Government is bad, so don't know anything about it. Thus, only one person in four could name the three branches of government; and one in three could not name any branch of government. And 37 percent couldn't name a single right protected by the First Amendment, a CNN broadcast of a September 2017 poll revealed.
"The level of civil ignorance in the country allows our politicians — and Donald Trump is the shining example of this — to make lowest common denominator appeals about they will do (or won't do) in office," Chris Cillizza, CNN editor-at-large wrote. "It also leads to huge amounts of discontent from the public when they realize that no politician can make good on the various and sundry promises they make on the campaign trail."
Fear and uncertainty, however, underlie deliberate ignorance and elicit different responses based on political orientation, according to a September 2012 article in Scientific American. The article cites a study published in January 2012 by psychologist Michael Dodd and political scientist John Hibbing of the University of Nebraska — Lincoln "found that when viewing a collage of photographs, conservatives' eyes unconsciously lingered 15 percent longer on repellent images, such as car wrecks and excrement — suggesting that conservatives are more attuned than liberals to assessing potential threats."
The article also cites a 2008 college bedroom study showing, "that conservatives possessed more cleaning and organizational items such as ironing boards and calendars, confirming they are more orderly and self-disciplined. Liberals owned more books and travel-related memorabilia, confirming they are more open and novelty-seeking."
"These are not superficial differences," said psychologist and study co-author John T. Jost of New York University. "My hunch is that the capacity to organize the political world into left or right may be part of human nature.
Fear, threat and anxiety decrease cognitive capacity and motivation, according to psychological studies referenced in the International Society of Political Psychology.
"We hypothesize that under high (vs. low) threat, people will seek to curtail open-ended information searches and exhibit motivated closed-mindedness," that article, also co-authored by John T. Jost, states. Several studies, indeed, conducted after the Sept.11, 2001 attacks, showed that people of all political persuasions became more conservative.
So how can liberals and conservatives reach beyond gut instincts and talk respectfully with each other?
What Underlies Deliberate Ignorance?
Liberals and conservatives curse each other over climate change, guns, abortion and myriad other issues. But our much needed, cross-political-boundary conversations could start on common ground — the Kennedy assassination. Fifty-five years after Dallas, a majority of Americans disagree with the Warren Commission's conclusion of Oswald as a single actor. On Oct. 29, 2017, NBC News reported that 61 percent of Trump voters and 59 percent of Clinton voters believe others — Cubans, the mob, others — had a hand.
In his 2008 book, "The Righteous Mind," psychologist Jonathan Haidt of the New York University Stern School of Business identifies areas of morality. Haidt's argument, summarized in the Scientific American article referenced above, is a message for both sides.
"He wants the left to acknowledge that the right's emphasis on laws, institutions, customs and religion is valuable …. Liberal values serve to ensure that the rights of weaker members of society are respected; limiting the harmful effects, such as pollution, that corporations sometimes pass on to others; and fostering innovation by supporting diverse ideas and ways of life."
It would be a start.
Bob Schober is the managing editor of Whatcom Watch.


text:
Russian Reveals Their Connection to Hillary's Campaign, Media Ignores
RUSSIA OPENLY EXPOSES THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH HILLARY CLINTON'S CAMPAIGN … Media Ignores
WELL, WELL, WELL WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS!
THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS, PROOF, BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, THAT THE ENTIRE MSM IS FULL OF SHIT AND IN THE TANK FOR A GLOBAL CORPORATE TYRANNY. THIS COUNTRY HAS FALLEN INTO THE HANDS OF THE MOST DEPRAVED AND EVIL AMONG US. THE DEEP STATE MUST BE STOPPED AT ALL COSTS. TRUMP IS NOT PERFECT BUT HE WANTS WHAT IS BEST FOR AMERICANS, AND THE POWERS THAT BE CAN NOT TOLERATE THAT.
CONS JOURNAL REPORTS: Thanks to the constant chatter from the mainstream media, we are all well aware by now of the storyline involving Republican officials, then-Senator Jeff Sessions, Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, and the conversations that were had between them leading up to the presidential election.
However, the storyline that is not getting any attention is the one in which the Russian ambassador met with advisers to Hillary's campaign. That's right..Big shocker, I know!
According to the latest from The Hill, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said in an interview Sunday that the Russian ambassador who met with Trump campaign officials also met with "people working in think tanks advising Hillary or advising people working for Hillary."
"Well, if you look at some people connected with Hillary Clinton during her campaign, you would probably see that he had lots of meetings of that kind," Dmitry Peskov told CNN "GPS" host Fareed Zakaria, implying it is the job of Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak to meet with officials on both sides to talk about "bilateral relations."
He also defended said meetings, and suggested interference with the 2016 election was not their intent:
"But there were no meetings about elections — electoral process … So if you look at it with intention to demonize Russia, you would probably say that, yes, he was trying to interfere in Hillary's activities. But it would be nonsense, because this is not true," Peskov said.
Peskov also added that Vladimir Putin had never voiced support – at least publicly – for either candidate:
"You would probably recall that President Putin, during election campaign, had never answered directly a question about his candidate of his support. He kept saying that we will respect a choice of American people," Peskov told Zakaria.
Peskov, did however, concede that Putin preferred Trump over Clinton, saying, "If you ask him whether he had mentioned the then-candidate Donald Trump, I will answer, yes, he had."
But why, you might ask?…
"The candidate Hillary Clinton was quite negative about our country in her attitude and in her program, declaring Russia being nearly the main evil in the world and the main threat for the United States," Peskov said.
"And to the contrary, the other candidate, Donald Trump, was saying that, 'Yes, we disagree with the Russians … in lots of issues, but we have to talk to them in order to try to find some understanding.' Whom would you like better? The one who says that Russia is evil or the one who says that, 'Yes, we disagree, but let's talk to understand and to try to find some points of agreement?'" he asked.
There you have it, folks. Please share this and get the word out. You know the mainstream media won't be doing the same.
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